Homespun Homily: The 9th Sacrament and Having the Proper Tools
by Lori Fontana
You know how when you have a job to do, especially one that is a bit unfamiliar to you, the right tools make a HUGE difference in your success. In the past few weeks, Robert and I have had several occasions of attempting a job (home repair – not our strength!) and needing to find just the right tools to complete the job satisfactorily. More on this later…
Two Sundays ago, we heard a great homily about the 8th and 9th sacraments. Hey, you say! Doesn’t the church have only 7 sacraments? And if ever an 8th sacrament is talked about, wouldn’t that be “Bingo?”
No, the priest did not talk about Bingo. But he did concur with many modern theologians who point to Jesus as the 8th sacrament – “an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.” The person of Jesus is the ultimate outward sign of God’s grace. Jesus shows us close up God’s love and mercy, God’s guidance and compassion. Indeed, Jesus is the very embodiment of grace in action, grace lived day-by-day in the world.
And what about a 9th sacrament?
Well, say many theologians, the 9th sacrament is “we,” we Catholics / Christians, all the people of God! After all, isn’t each one of us commissioned by our baptism to be living, breathing signs of God’s grace in the world? As St Teresa of Avila says,
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Your are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Your are the hands with which he is to bless us now.”
Author William J. Toms sums it up succinctly:
“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.”
Pretty tall assignment – WE as sacrament. And my goodness, does our world need God’s grace! How can we live up to this task of being Jesus’ disciples?
Remember how I mentioned the importance having the “proper tools” for the job at hand? If we are the hands of feet of Jesus, if we are to make real the Gospel to those we meet, if we are a sacrament, then we must be equipped with the basic tools we need to share God’s grace. What are those necessary tools?
For a start, I propose these: openness, listening, and courage.
Openness – Can I be open to and in awe of our loving God; open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit; open to the dignity and marvel of God’s presence in each person I meet; open to the grandeur and wonder of nature, God’s creation?
Listening – Can I listen to the “still, small voice” of God in my prayer, learning from God’s directions and encouragement? Then can I bring that listening attitude to each person I meet?
Courage – Do I have the courage to believe that I am God’s ambassador in the world? Can I share my story, mainly by how I live my life, and when appropriate, through words?
Developing these tools of discipleship is a lifelong process. Our sphere of influence in bringing Christ to the world may seem very small. But each of us is important; in fact, each of us plays a vital role in bringing God’s message of love and forgiveness to the world. As Mother Teresa said, “Small things done with great love will change the world.” God wants to use us to spread grace and is just waiting for our “yes.” How will you be a sacrament today?
