Jesus sent the Twelve Apostles out two by two in order to highlight the two greatest commandments that summarize God’s Ten Commandments: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus also wanted them to practice praying together. One of his promises is that where two or three are gathered in his Name for prayer, Jesus will be pre-sent to them in spirit to bless them. This is a good reason to have family prayer time, especially before meals, and also to join a prayer group, or a Bible study where the members pray before reading the Word of God.
One of the prayer groups in our parish is a women’s Tuesday morning prayer group called “Open Hearts.” They had initiated an outreach to our faith community by putting together a prayer box with sacramentals and other information for each parish house-hold. This was appreciated by many, I hope they continue to consider reaching out two by two to visit each parish household to encourage them to live more deeply their Catholic faith.
Since we share together in the Apostolic work of Jesus Christ and his Twelve Apostles, I was glad to commission and bless the members of the synodal small group leaders many months ago, and I have seen some of the fruit of our small groups. I encourage them and everyone to keep inviting people to explore the Catholic faith by sharing your faith journey over coffee, or lunch, or inviting them to Adoration or Confession, or visiting a church and share with them why you bless yourself with holy water, a sacramental that reminds us of our baptism.
Sacramentals remind us that God the Son, who is pure spirit, took on our flesh to bless the material world with his divine presence in a new way by becoming the man, Jesus Christ, the God/Man. Jesus blesses people and brings deliverance from evil spirits and evil attitudes to those who are open to his power of love and truth, mercy and compassion.
We might recall how some people reached out in faith just to touch the tassels of Jesus’ robe in order to be healed from sickness and disease. For this reason, we as Catholics understand that the relics of the Saints can bring many blessings since they too are sacramentals, and can lead a person to the Seven Sacraments--the certain channels of God’s divine grace.
As Jesus Christ was forming the foundation of his Church upon his Twelve Apostles, he was calling them to humbly trust him to provide all that they needed. They were to bring no food, nor money. But how were they to eat? Where were they to stay?
Jesus Christ commissioned them to proclaim the Kingdom of God for the chosen people of God, and those who realized them to be true prophets of God would receive them into their homes and provide food and a home. Through their humble obedience to Jesus they converted many.
But why would people want to receive Jesus’ Apostles? After all, Jesus was from a small, obscure town. Well, because Jesus is God, the God of perfect humility, and he gave the Twelve Apostles the Holy Spirit to cast out demons, to preach repentance, forgive sins and anoint those who were sick. These divine ministries bring love, peace and reconciliation, health, praise and thanksgiving to families and communities who are open to obeying Jesus Christ, his Holy Spirit, and those who are blessed to minister in his Holy Name.
Sometimes people wonder why Catholics have seven sacraments, including the anointing of the sick. The simple reason is that Jesus Christ gave the Church these sacraments in order to bring people deeper into his family of faith, hope and love, beginning with the Sacrament of Baptism.
One time a man called me to pray for his young wife who was in a coma and dying. She was not Catholic, but her husband knew that I could pray with him and their family. We prayed together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a sacramental, of which Jesus attached the promise that whoever would pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy for someone dying, that Jesus himself would personally come to that dying person and offer his forgiveness.
Toward the end of the chaplet I was amazed with God’s wonder as I felt Christ’s presence near her and tears began to flow from her closed eyes. Through the sacramental of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I firmly believe that Jesus came to offer forgiveness and to take her home to God.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, God’s divine life and healing power is truly present in all seven of the Sacraments, and for this we should be profoundly grateful as we seek to receive them with love for God, the Church and the human family.
With humble, trusting and grateful hearts, let us share in the Apostolic mission of Jesus Christ knowing that through his divine sacraments and the Church’s sacramentals, we can help people love God above all things and appropriately within all things, especially our neighbor, and come to appreciate Christ in the greatest of all Sacraments – the Holy Eucharist – the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.
Peace in Christ and Mary,
Fr. Thomas McCabe