“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

This is one of my very favorite lines in all of the Bible. In one astounding phrase, split up in two short and simple parts, Jesus tells of the mystery of God’s presence always among us:

Recall how Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, to proclaim Him.

It also speaks to our need for the Sacraments. It speaks of our need for right relationship and also of our community most perfectly gathered together in the Sacrifice of the Sunday Mass. We begin Mass with the Sign of the Cross and the Apostolic Greeting, followed by what we call the Penitential Rite, where we ask God to make us pure and worthy of standing in His presence and worship in a fitting manner.

In the Sacrament of Baptism, a family gathers together with a new member to welcome that person into God’s family by Baptism by name into the name of God, the Three Persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the family of God.

In the beautiful Sacrament of Marriage, there are two people, a man and a woman, coming together into the love of God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring, and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory” (CCC 1652). “Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children” (CCC 2367).

The Power of Confronting Sin

In the Sacrament of Confession, there is one person seeking God’s grace and forgiveness, going to another person, a priest; and these two are gathered in Jesus’ name, asking God to have mercy. The priest personally makes up what is numerically lacking and also effects the reconciliation with God and that person for, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” There are many dark sins in our world today that are being uncovered. God knows us through and through and our sins too!

While it is easy to go to confession, on the flip side, forgiveness can be hard for us to grant. Yes, it takes two people to properly reconcile: one person to forgive and the other to be forgiven. In addition, every act of forgiveness sets at least one person free: the person doing the forgiving. Fr. Mike Schmitz says:

“Forgiveness can be the decision to not become bitter. Even though the person who has hurt you may never acknowledge or receive your offer of forgiveness, when you forgive you are released from bondage. You are released from the pain of the past. You can be hurt, you can still remember the injury, but if you forgive, you can also still be free.”

As I mentioned last week, as we prepare for the busy Fall and Winter, we will also need Lectors, Ushers, Ministers of Hospitality, Sacristans and Extraordinary Ministers of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Adoration Chapel, the new Spiritual Guidance and the new Intercessory and Healing Prayer Ministries are very exciting. Remember: Mass and the Miraculous Medal Novena every Tuesday evening. Check out the Legion of Mary meetings every Thursday morning at 10:00am in the PLC.

Fr. Kilian and all of our great Parish Staff

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