The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius (249-51), Philemon, Apollonius and Callinicus (284-305)
Hebrews 3:5-11, 17-19; Luke 20:27-44
Nativity Fast.
Read Hebrews 3:5-11, 17-19
Today, across Canada and the USA, the new vaccines for the coronavirus are being delivered to key areas. Some may see this event as the beginning of the end this current pandemic. During this pandemic, it seems that certain aspects of our Christian life which we have often taken for granted have been, in a manner of speaking, brought under a microscope, brought into the light. One of those aspects of our life is this: We need each other.
Through our Baptism, we become part of the Body of Christ. Jesus, our Master, is the head, and we are the body; He is the vine, we are the branches. Since the very beginning of Christianity, from that Day of Pentecost, the Body of Christ gathers together on the Lord’s Day, that is, Sunday. The Body gathers in order to worship her Lord and Messiah. We do this by hymn and song, listening and breaking open His teachings that He left us through His Apostles, praying for one another, and, in the manner which He showed us, we offer bread and wine, which, through the power and action of the Holy Spirit, are transformed to His Body and Blood, which we receive so that we may be made more like our Master, to love and be merciful as He is. And then, nourished in Word and Sacrament, we move from our home into the world to continue His mission.
Being together as the Body is so important that the Church, as ever a mother would do, asks us to come home every Sunday, to share in this Meal, and to BE ENCOURAGED by one another. When we are alone and separated, we run the risk of our hearts being hardened by temptation and sin. Yes, yes, we remind ourselves that our confidence and our hope are in the Lord alone. But… we heed those reminders better when we are together as the body. We are like athletes who cheer each other on in the race.
As the pandemic begins to fade and the secular restrictions on our parishes wane (or for some, allow our parishes to re-open), let us look forward to being together, with our Head, on Sundays. Until then, perhaps we can reach out by telephone or video call to another who needs some encouragement in their Christian life. God has given us the smarts to develop this technology – let’s use it to assist one another, and build up the Body, so that we may continue in our life-in-the-Lord and His mission to the world.
Blessings on you today!