Our Sacred Stories ~ Disciples: A Community of Jesus’s Friends

Recently, the Winnipeg Jets played an amazing game to win their way through the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  In the final game of the series against the St. Louis Blues, the Jets were down by two goals in the third period with less than 2 minutes remaining.  They managed to score twice in the the final two minutes to tie the game and take it into overtime.  After a scoreless 1st overtime period, in the second overtime period, the Jets scored again and won the game and the series.  It was a remarkable achievement for the whole team.  Playing as a team often reveals something well beyond what an individual can accomplish.

What is true of a team applies to our role as disciples of Jesus, sharing his mission in the world.  We are all, in our humanity social beings.  Our faith is a community faith, best lived and expressed and shared in how we live with one another, celebrate with one another and care for one another.

It is no small thing that Jesus surrounded himself with a group of disciples, and with them sought to share good news with crowds of people.  After his death as the Risen One, he appeared most often to groups of disciples.  It was when they gathered to share the faith they had in this Jesus that this community of Jesus’s friends had their hearts opened and were able to “see” that he was risen and remained among them.  We see this repeatedly in the accounts of the Risen Jesus found in the Gospels.

It is also no small thing that where we are most aware of our Christian faith is when we join together to share our stories, and around the Eucharistic table, breaking the bread and sharing the cup.  Our faith is all about the Risen Jesus, not just in “me”, but in all of us, a community of faith.

One of the great gifts of the Second Vatican Council was the recovery of the original meaning and interconnection of the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.  These are our prime community sacraments.  They all express our belonging to a community of believing disciples.  These three sacraments celebrate various stages and aspects of our communal belonging.

Very often around this time in the Easter season, we have the honour and pleasure of celebrating the significance of these sacraments.  It might be in a Baptism, when we welcome new members into our midst. Or it might be when we witness the Confirmation of some young people, whose baptism is confirmed in our community.  Often it is welcoming some of our youngest members to the table of the Lord for the first time in their first Eucharist.  What a step in their life of faith as they find themselves, like others coming to the table with their fellow community members.

These youngest among us are no longer left out, only able to watch as others, Mom and Dad, older brothers and sisters go to communion.  More than once we have seen them come up with their family and stand saying: “Can I have a cookie too?”  Now they are no longer on the outside looking in.  This is their table too, for it is the table of their community.  Sharing Eucharist together – we are a community of believers.  Our highest call is to be an inclusive community, open to all and welcoming all – no matter their age, or race or culture or circumstances in life.  May our Table be one where all are welcome and included.