Eucharistic service and solidarity

This week is Catholic Schools Week. I've never had a big affinity for private schools for various justice reasons, but more recently have come to see some of the benefits as I've gotten more involved in great school activities you don't find elsewhere through my younger siblings and through my work at the Diocese. Regardless of your thoughts on private Christian education, you have to like this year's Catholic Schools theme: "Celebrate Service." I wrote a reflection on this theme for a recent Educator's Bulletin that I do for all our parishes and schools each month. It has a message that goes far beyond Catholic Schools, and far beyond this week, so I thought I'd share it here as well...

I love this year’s Catholic Schools theme: “Celebrate Service!” What a great celebration it will be when we all embrace our call to both serve our brothers and sisters, and allow ourselves to be served by others.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, I cannot help but recall one of my fondest memories of a Catholic School. It was during my trip to our partner diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya. I was riding with the priest of my host parish to visit an outlying school. As we drove along kids began running out to the road; but they not only waved to us as we passed, they continued to follow us, running as best they could to keep up. Shortly after we arrived at our destination school, a whole crowd of students, dressed in uniforms different than those of the children at the school we were at, came running along, finally catching up to us. They had followed us, past their own school, because they had seen Father’s vehicle and hoped if they followed that they may be able to take part in the Mass they assumed he would be saying at this neighboring school. It slowly began to sink in to me the blessing they saw in the Liturgy and the unique opportunity it is for them to be able to celebrate it. I realized, with their help, that I take that blessing for granted here, and began to look much deeper into what the Liturgy means and the unity world-wide that we celebrate in it.

In his Apostolic Letter for the Year of the Eucharist, the late Pope John Paul II told us, “The Eucharist is not merely an expression of communion in the Church’s life; it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity. In the celebration of the Eucharist the Church constantly renews her awareness of being ‘a sign and instrument’ not only of intimate union with God, but also the unity of the whole human race...The Christian who takes part in the Eucharist learns to become a promoter of communion, peace and solidarity in every situation.”

So often when we hear about our call to mission, we assume that it means we are called to do “for” others, but today I encourage us to recognize the call to allow ourselves to be served, to receive and learn “from” others. I cannot celebrate Mass now without thinking of those Kenyan children, and can’t help but feeling their presence with me when I do! The next time you are at Liturgy, especially Liturgy with your school or faith formation students, I encourage you to think a bit deeper about what you are celebrating. As you receive, and watch others around you receive, the Eucharist, think of the children in Kenya, and in China, Ecuador, Sudan, India, Venezuela, Peru, Jamaica, etc….. Think of the children of God all over this world, just waiting to serve us with their culture, their beauty and their faith. Then think of how you can encourage the students you work with to both serve and be served. Let us truly have something to celebrate!

In memory of Christ's death and resurrection, we offer you, GOD, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit! (Eucharistic Prayer II)