| We started the morning with a beautiful Mass in the open air on one of the feast days of the Uganda Martyrs. I am touched by the humble faith of these young people, by their beautiful voices, and by the way they pray with their whole bodies, and not just their heads (So many of us Westerners seem to “check our bodies” at the door when we come to pray). Brother Sylvanus has taught one of the students to lead the singing, and they sang beautifully. Another student proclaimed the Word of God, and yet another student led us in the responsorial psalm. Many of the students came up to receive communion, and others chose to come up for a blessing. One fellow was so tall that I had to stand on my tip-toes to offer him a blessing!
During the liturgy, I was reminded of the beautiful words of Saint Augustine: When we come before the presence of the Eucharist or go to receive it, we are to look upon the Body of Christ in the Eucharist and be reminded that we are already the Body of Christ, before receiving the Eucharist, in virtue of our baptism. Augustine wrote: “Behold what you [already] are, and become [more truly] what you receive”. We become real members of Christ’s mystical body when we are baptized, and our reception of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist is food and drink to nourish and build up the presence of Christ that is already within us. Giving communion to people has always been a moving experience for me. Looking into the eyes of the communicant, and acknowledging the Body of Christ, “under the appearance” of the communicant herself or himself, AND the Body of Christ “under the appearance” of bread and wine, is a powerful spiritual moment for me. In addition to our Celebration of the Eucharist, today was a joy for me because I had the privilege of teaching a class to each of the two groups of students, first year and second year. The class will continue for four days and is on the topic of “The Spirituality of Teaching” Each day we are reflecting on a scripture passage and how the passage sheds light on the vocation of the teacher:
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Date Published:Nov 10, 2021 Author:David About the Author:Descriptor: Mission Promoter Article Tags:Tags Go Here |
