To Be a Christian, to be Catholic, is to be part of a community, part of the Body of Christ. God works through us. The miracle of feeding the multitudes only occurred through the obedience of the disciples. God wants us all to be active members of His body.
Remember the story of “doubting” Thomas? The first Sunday after the resurrection the disciples were huddled in a locked room wondering what would happen next. Thomas was not with them. We don’t know why he wasn’t but other scripture passages indicate he was moody and stubborn. Perhaps he was off by himself trying to deal with his own doubts and frustrations on his own.
But in doing so, he misses out.
While the other apostles comforted each other, Jesus appeared to them. And His appearance filled them with strength, hope, and a renewed confidence of purpose. Only after he returned to the group, only after he rejoined the Church, did Thomas experience the same transforming presence of Christ.
As members of God’s family we need each other and support each other. This is why it is a mortal sin to “skip” Sunday mass. Our attendance shows how deeply our heart is with Christ. When we choose to be absent we are in effect saying that relationship is not that important to us.
We all go through periods of doubt and anxiety, but we will not find the answers on our own. We will find them in our brothers, our sisters, and our Lord.
Pax Vobiscum
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time