The Eternal Dwelling of God

Dear Friend,

Peace and all good be yours!

Last Saturday in the Mission church we celebrated the wedding of Victoria Biancone and Tucker Snider. Victoria was baptized here and for years she and her brother Matthew were altar servers. Tucker’s grandmother, Barbara, who was present at the wedding, was also baptized here, 80+ years before her future grand-daughter-in-law.  

Looking out at those assembled, I was moved by the mystery of how our Mission church has woven, and still today, weaves so many lives together. 

At the end of the wedding I was struck by something else, and it came to mind as I pondered the readings for this Sunday. It was the final blessing, which I pronounced, as usual, with my hand extended over the bride and groom: “May you be witnesses in the world to God's charity, so that the afflicted and needy who have known your kindness may one day receive you thankfully into the eternal dwelling of God.” Married or not, there’s a prayer for all of us.

Abraham, Martha, and Mary, through their hospitality and kindness recounted in the scriptures this week, are the great witnesses of God’s charity and love. They are each uniquely wedded, we might say, to God’s own faithfulness. Their faithfulness spills out in their hospitality - hospitality to the divine presence, which makes their homes sacred places of encounter.    

Our Mission church was built to be a working model of the “eternal dwelling of God” where all are welcome, especially the afflicted and needy. Jesus Christ makes the eternal present now. Whom will we encounter in our Mission home this weekend? A future bride? A future altar server? (Here’s hoping.) The Spirit continually draws us together, surprise guests included!

Gratefully,

Fr. Dan ofm, Pastor