Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We continue to take a look at why we do things, why does the Church exist, and why do you come to church? It is an important question that people may never reflect today. Jesus tells us very clearly that the mission of the Church is to go and make disciples. Many miss that, and to be missionary is crucial for the Church. When we do not get up to serve the parish and to serve others from the parish, we become a church of consumers.
To be a disciple requires faith. We heard about Abraham last week and of the promise God made to him to give him a land and a son. He believed in the promise and left everything and trusted in God. He was not perfect and he waited many years for the promise to be fulfilled. To be a disciple, to have the faith of Abraham, means I need to get out of my pew and serve the church. Also one day some from this parish might go to Haiti or China to preach the gospel, and help the poor. This is fundamental for the Church.
If you are resistant to getting up and out of your pew, you are in good company. Someone in the Bible who is very famous and is like you had the same problem. His name is Moses. His story is in the book of Exodus. The Israelites have been in Egypt for over four hundred years, and the Egyptians forgot about Joseph and all he did to help them. The Jews are being kept in a brutal slavery and there is no end in sight. At the time that Moses is born the Pharaoh is worried about the Jews multiplying themselves so fast that they outnumber the Egyptians. So he orders the midwives to drown the boys who are born, and let the girls live. The mother of Moses hides him for a few months after his birth but at some point she sends him in a basket into the river, and the wife of Pharaoh finds him. She wants to keep him and providentially asks his mother to be his wet-nurse. Moses then grows up in the house of Pharaoh.
When Moses grew up he saw an Egyptian strike a Hebrew. He was enraged and he killed the Egyptian. The next day sensing that he had been seen he fled to the south. He works as a shepherd and one day sees a bush on fire but not consuming itself. He goes over to see it and God tells him to take off his sandals since he is on holy ground. God tells Moses that he hears the suffering of his people and that he will rescue them. God always hears your cries and often it is a temptation to think that God has forgotten you. However, the mission of God is to take us out of slavery and bring us to a better place. This is what God does. It may take more time than you like and done in a way different from your idea, but he will do it.
When God says that Moses will be the one to go to Pharaoh he says, ‘I am not the right guy; I stutter, I don’t speak well.’ God says, ‘I will be with you.’ Don’t worry. He also says the same thing to you and me. When you throw yourself to serve the Church in some way God will be with you. He will help you. He would never ask you to do something beyond your capabilities, when you rely on God. God also says that his brother Aaron will help him. Moses and Aaron get to know God by serving, and you will also. Do not hesitate. If the majority of the people in church are only sitting in the pews and not helping in some way, the boat will sink. This is what is happening in many places. The health of a parish is in part measured by the number of people serving. Join God in what he is doing, or wants to do, in your church. He wants to build it up!