Longing for Belonging: Embracing Communion with God

1) "And, you know, this time of the liturgical year, it starts moving us towards kind of reflections on the kingdom, the end times we'll get into in the next couple weeks, and reflecting on God bringing all things together. And one of the themes that's kind of a current through all the whole of the scriptures, and it's really a current in humanity because it's the way we were created and made, is that there really is a desire in every human person for belonging, for communion, for being associated with." [00:30] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "And there were many times where they got invaded and kicked out, and they had to be sent into exile, and they go live in different areas and, you know, tore their hearts apart, you know, that they were not at their home. They were not where they belonged, where they felt they associated, where their holy sites were, where the holy mountains were, where their altars were, where they could engage. God and be part of God's family they felt separated and most recently obviously going through COVID for all of us was terrible but one of the themes that happened as a result after we were all having to shut down and things and were able to come back I mean I'm sure it was the same way here as it was at St. Phil's and you know one after another people when they're coming back into church I just you know how I missed being here just being associated felt like I wasn't at home and how you know looking really at the church as a home and it's something where we're really invited into a sense of belonging here and that it is a place where we encounter and in communion with one another and with God and it's real I mean it's we're created for it and it's part of our nature to desire that kind of longing and belonging and association and when it's not there we feel it it is something that affects us to the core of our being." [02:00] (73 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "And Christ's response to him is, what do you want me to do for you? What are you looking for? And his response, I want to see. You know, obviously, he's talking about his blindness, but we can take this into any way, and biblical scholars, and as he casts off this close cloak and springs up to Jesus, I want to see, you know, there are so many ways that in our own lives where we need to cast off the certain cloaks that we have and tell Jesus, help me see, help me see your family, your life, your truth, what it is I belong to here, this as home and household, and that I belong here, that this is my house, and this is how I get fed by you in the Eucharist day after day, week after week, year after year, and it develops our hearts and our minds as being part of this family, and when we don't have it, we feel it." [06:00] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "And it's the same that's at the heart of each and every one of us as we're seeking communion with Christ, is that belonging brings out a fullness of truth, a fullness of identity, and a fullness of a yes where we want to spring up, cast off the things that don't belong to him, that we don't need anymore, and say, Lord, I want to see. I need your help. And I think it's, you know, we see that in light of just ordinary course of daily life." [07:00] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "And I think the responsibility for every one of us as we come here and pray and why it's important that we come here and pray and receive communion. God really wants to give us what's good for us and it's communion, uniting with each other in his house and in his family. Our response, you know, is always one of, Lord, how do I seek that out more?" [08:00] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "And he tells over and over in the scriptures to the Jewish people, Jesus says it to his disciples, you can't do it without me, and you got to be here with me, and if you do that, and you show up, put yourself in the pews, put yourself in communion, receive these sacraments, I'm going to be giving you day after day what you need to be sustained in this life, to remain in communion with me, and that belief, that yes, that response, that, you know, understanding that that's what God is doing with us here and now, that's what he's doing in our hearts, is that teaching moment, that God moment that brings clarity to us, guidance to us, and it's what spurs us on to want more truth, to want more of his guidance, to want to understand." [08:37] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "And so as we pray the mass this week, we just ask for that, you know, that grace and guidance to really, you know, enter into that reality that we do desire belonging. We do desire to be in communion with God. And that gift is really what he's trying to give us here through the mass. And it comes through both our being with each other and praying with each other and praying for each other." [09:30] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)