April 29, 2010
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.” Acts 13:24-25
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” John 13:20
Piety
God, grant me the humility of John the Baptist to receive whomever you send to me today. May I be open to that man, woman or child and use the gift of their self freely given to me as a means of spurring me on to action in your name. Amen.
Study
Growing up, I always remember a specific question in connection to Mass: “Are you receiving?”
My parents would ask it to see who among my brother, sister and I would go for Communion. The ushers would ask it as they organized the congregation of more than 1,000 worshippers at St. Mary’s in New Monmouth, New Jersey, into the organized chaos known as the communion line. My cousins would ask when we had large family gatherings, especially around celebrating the sacramental passages of each other.
Usually, the question was connected with one or two core practices. First, you had to have been to “confession” recently. Second, you had to skip breakfast and still be fasting for at least one hour. (Unless we were at the Saturday evening Mass, then we had to wait dinner until we got home from church. Those were the days we got to Church early so Dad could get a parking space for a fast get-away. Although we would not leave until after the dismissal, Fr. Barkett.)
Sometimes the answer to the question, “Are you receiving?” was connected to another issue someone had in their life, with the church, or with a neighbor. If we were not receiving for reasons other than Penance or fasting, sometimes, long family discussions followed Mass about the reason, issue, or situation that was keeping someone from receiving Jesus.
Action
Today, both readings remind us that the sacrament of Communion takes place inside the Church as well as inside our hearts. Even if you do not get to Mass today, who is being sent to you today? Who are you receiving this day or this week?
Perhaps it is just a family member you see every day but don’t get a chance to talk with in depth frequently enough.
Perhaps it is a long-time friend you have not see in years.
Perhaps it is a difficult co-worker, neighbor or other antagonist you are asked to receive with all humility of John the Baptist.
Perhaps it is the stranger/alien/immigrant among us – the person who might help clean our homes, cut our grass, or fix our car.
Perhaps it is the Church itself who continues to struggle with the history of abuse by some priests, what it failed to do then and what it must do now.
Let us go through today remember the words our Servant-Leader Jesus spoke after washing the feet of his disciples: “Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
