Fr. Leo's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (8/2/2009)

Dear People of Holy Name,

“…it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, …” (Jn 5:33)

Jesus corrects the thinking of the people when he reminds them that it was God who fed the people in the desert, not Moses. Moses was the intercessor, but the work was the work of God. As Disciples of Christ we too must remember it is God who accomplishes all things. It is God who forgives and heals, we as individuals and as a Church may play a role in God’s plan, but the work is always God’s through the gift of his Holy Spirit.

Even in the prayer of absolution the priest may say, “I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but before that comes the recognition that God sent his Spirit among us for forgiveness, and that it is simply the ministry of the Church to bring that forgiveness into reality through the action of the priest. Forgiveness is the gift of Christ to each of us who believe in him. While the formal Sacrament of Reconciliation can help people to accept God’s forgiveness, such forgiveness rests on our faith and therefore can not be dependent on another person.

The role of the Church and the Sacraments is to foster and help us know the presence of God in our lives. We are blessed to have a church and the gift of the sacraments to help us celebrate God’s presence, but the effectiveness of even those celebrations is dependent on our faith. Faith is an act of trust in God. If in faith I believe God loves me and forgives me, than that faith itself is the foundation of God’s presence and forgiveness in my life.

The spiritual life isn’t just about our sin and being forgiven. The spiritual life is about living in the presence of God! To receive the bread of life and not to hunger or thirst is to know the presence of Christ, who shares all of life with us. Christ isn’t just concerned about broken branches in our past, he is every plant, color and shape in the garden of life. To live in Christ is to live in the fullness of life. God’s concern is to bring us to the fullness of life now, not just later when we die.

Jesus does not judge or condemn us; he invites and calls us to the fullness of life. Faith is our believing in that call and finding the courage to walk toward that light in our lives whatever it may be. Stepping out beyond the narrow confines of dysfunctional relationships is not a sin, though it may feel like sin, because of the artificial guilt and the way we have been taught to think and feel.

Each of us must look for the light of Christ in our lives and ask ourselves what we need to do to move toward that light. Conversion is making the changes we need to be happier. Moving toward the light is living out our faith in God. For some of us we may need help in recognizing God’s call in our lives. We may need a spiritual director or develop a life of prayer and reflection that brings our minds and hearts to a new consciousness of God.

The good news is that God promises to be our bread for the journey. God will be there and his Spirit will strengthen us in our pilgrimage through life. He will lead us to the Promised Land here on earth and in the Kingdom to come. As we receive the Eucharist this weekend let us give ourselves to the one who gives himself to us. Let us place our faith in him and walk with confidence in his ways.

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo