Ok, so I haven't done this before, because I've been too afraid to, but it's time for me to start being a little more vocal about my faith, even though I am a constant failure at it and one of the most deeply, darkly and consistently sinful people I know.
So today's gospel reading (for the Mass of the Day) is the one where Jesus sends his disciples off, and says something like, "Proclaim this message: the Kingdom of God is at hand. Cure lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons, etc." (paraphrased, of course). So I'm thinking, what if God is saying that to me (ok, yes, he's indeed saying that to all of us). How do I do any or all of those things? Then I think, wait, in my work in liturgy, that's exactly what I want to/try to do:
Cure the sick - the sick at heart, the people who feel some kind of general, unnameable malaise when they come to Mass, or even when they simply think about faith or God or just life in general - good music and prayerful liturgy can help to cure that;
Raise the dead: again, people whose spirits have been crushed, killed by the circumstances of their lives, or by their encounters with religion or the church - how can I raise their spirits from out of the depths? How can I show them that faith and the love God has for them can bring them to life?
Cleanse the lepers: basically, I take this to mean "restore the outcasts to society". Of course - welcome each person individually into the community - the nerd, the guy who talks too much, the shy girl - whatever. We're all lepers in one way or another.
Drive out demons: the demons of self-doubt, the ones that keep us from enjoying life and the company of one another. I am more than happy to play my part in driving those things out.
So yeah, once again I'll say how much I love my job. It's nice to get paid to do your best to fulfill your life's mission, no matter what that is. Ok, there it is - my first straight up Gospel thoughts, out there on the eternal web of the internet. God bless!
