Entering In to the Encounter with Christ

Dear Friend,

Peace and all good be yours!

If we truly believe with St. Luke that the banquet of the eucharist - which he writes about so often in his Gospel - promises a deep and lasting peace, then our traditional Franciscan greeting has something to tell us about this Sunday’s readings.   

The person who poses the question to Jesus in the Gospel, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” is clearly uneasy about the question of who the “chosen people” really are. As we heard last week, Jesus will not settle for an easy answer; rather, he invites us to look hard at what constitutes real peace and what constitutes real salvation. 

What we bring to the celebration of the eucharist each Sunday - the humility of our hearts and minds, the willingness of our souls - all these dispositions are crucial to our “entering in” to the encounter with Christ. Without them, the door to real encounter and change is closed off. A certain kind strength - the strength to let go of my prejudices and become vulnerable to the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit - is indeed the key to the “narrow gate” offered by Jesus. 

Scripture scholar Sr. Mary McGlone has written that “being known by Christ requires more than the gestures and rituals of worship. It implies listening so deeply that Christ’s word lives in us.” The practice of prayer, listening, and quiet throughout the week, prepares me for a transformative encounter with the risen Lord which comes through the Scripture and the breaking of the bread. I open myself to the living word of peace and serenity that allows an acceptance of others, as they are - of different languages, customs, backgrounds, and identities. What greater gift could we offer - or better, become - for our fractured world today?

Gratefully,

Fr. Dan ofm