Saturday, April 7, 2018

If indeed we are called to carry on with the mission of Christ, what would that mission be?

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” – Luke 4:18,19

Christ reads from a scroll in his hometown synagogue, the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. And with its reading, Christ declares His mission statement. And it is a bold mission, a seemingly impossible mission, a life and world changing mission, a mission that turn the course of the human experience. And it is ours if we choose to pursue it. But with so many Christians now and years past, we busy ourselves with less noble endeavors.

This mission begins with the Presence of the Holy Divine, the Holy Spirit. This is not to be merely a human endeavor but rather a Divine endeavor undertaken with human voice and hand. This is what makes our work, Holy Work, the activity of the Lord within it.

The Holy Work is about bringing hopeful, good news to the poor. It is about giving the time and the soulfulness to bring healing to those who live with broken hearts. It is about setting free the prisoners with restorative justice. It is about helping to see life and circumstance, history and humanity with clearer vision. It is about ending oppression in all its forms, many of which carry the license of cultural approval. The Holy Work is declaring that the Time has come for this world to change its ways.

If we truly do have the Spirit of Christ within us each and within us all … then this is our Holy Work.

In His Service always,
Fr. Charitas de la Cruz