Many aspects of our faith cannot be seen – our union with Christ, the working of the Holy Spirit, an abundance of grace. Yet the results of these things – the solid foundations of faith – can be seen in our lives and the lives of others. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Saturday of week 23 of ordinary time (memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary) can be found here.
One of the more challenging aspects of preparing children for Confirmation is trying to explain to them how God can be real when we cannot see him. A fun way to explore this mystery is to ask them to make a list of things in everyday life that we cannot see but know exist because we feel its effects. They often come up with an ingenious range of things, such as gravity, electricity, the wind, smells, love, hate … and so it goes on.
Our readings today also delve into this aspect of our faith. A title for Paul’s discussion on the Eucharist could be “you are what you eat”. And indeed, food and eating is another area where something unseen (food being digested by the body) has visible effects (making us fat or thin). For Paul, the Mass has two important effects. First, there is union between the believer and Christ – it results in a participation in Jesus’ body and blood. Second, it brings about unity among believers – “we who are many are one body”. These things cannot be seen with the human eye, but they are represented by the visible elements of bread and wine.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives us two images where something inward and unseen later manifests itself in a visible way. The health or otherwise of a tree cannot usually be detected until the fruit appears, and then we see whether it is good or bad. Similarly, you cannot see whether a house’s foundations are solid or shaky – it’s not until a crisis occurs, such as a flash flood, that this becomes apparent.
Few people in the outside world will ever witness us, gathered here celebrating the Eucharist. Fewer still will be able to see the mystical union that takes place as a result of this sacrament, between us and Jesus, and between us and each other. Yet if we have that good fruit, that solid foundation which starts here in the Mass, then the whole world will be able to see the fruits it generates, as we become people filled with God’s love and eager to share it with all.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am (preceded by morning prayer at 10.50 and the Rosary at 11am).
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 