Called to Respond

April 24, 2013

Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Easter

By Colleen O'Sullivan

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.   (Acts 13:2-3)

May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.  So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.  (Psalm 67:2-3)

(Jesus said:) “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”  (John 12:46)

Piety

O Lord, as the psalmist says, you have allowed your face to shine upon us and you have sent the Light of the World, your Son, Jesus Christ, to banish the darkness in our lives. That you would grant us the grace and desire to carry that Light to all we encounter is our prayer.

Study

One afternoon when I was a pastor, one of my church members stopped by the parsonage.  I had been trying to encourage more lay participation in the Sunday worship services, because liturgy is the work of everyone, not just the pastor.  She had been thinking about that and proceeded to tell me that there are two kinds of people: “church people” and “regular people.”  According to her, I was being paid to be a church person and regular people didn’t want to read Scripture readings (or a whole host of other things she mentioned).  That was for church people.  As I was listening, I found myself thinking that I really had my work cut out for me!

The truth is none of us get to sit back and be spectators.  Once our lives have been illumined by the Light that is Christ, we are called to respond.  And no one else can do this for us, not even the pastors in our parishes. 

In today’s first reading, we see Barnabas and Saul (not yet called Paul) responding to the call of the Holy Spirit, being commissioned and sent out as evangelists.  However, this isn’t just an historic account of what went on in the early church.  The Scriptures may tell us what happened at a given point in history, but they are also the story of how God relates to you and me today, as well.  We, too, are called to do something for the Lord.  Overall, we could say that we, each in our own way, are to keep the Christ Light burning in our world. 

Action

Where have you seen the Light of Christ in your life and how are you responding? 

Twelve men passed on the Light this weekend by serving on the team for the 126^th Men’s Cursillo Weekend.  Eleven new Cursillistas are out there in the diocese carrying the Light to others.  Go to our Cursillo website, http://www.arlingtoncursillo.org, to see their names, so you can pray for them on their Fourth Day.