Renewed Identity in the WORD

Sat. 5pm Fr. Reginald, OP Audio
Sun. 9am Fr. Terry Audio 
The image of Saint Paul of the Church as a Body, the Mystical Body of Christ, emphasizes the point that we are different but united, and must work together to build each other up.  So also, when you look at the entire world, we see that the Church has a unique mission for the nations, much like Israel had in the time before Christ.  They were to be a sign and a messenger of God's desire for communion with humanity.
“You can't give what you don't have.”  We see this at work in the people of Israel and in the Church.
Returning after Babylon, Nehemiah leads the people of Israel in their work of rebuilding civilization, of preserving their lives and helping them to thrive.  Walls of Jerusalem were compromised.
Ezra, the priest leader, reads the entire Torah.  Six hours.  They weep, overwhelm with emotion.  They are spiritually returning tot heir old self, and seeing the ruins in their hearts being rebuilt by the words of the Law.
Israel almost entirely lost its identity, so they had to be rebuilt externally and internally, physically and spiritually.  And precisely because God has a mission for them.  “You can't give what you don't have.”
Same in the Church.  We have at times almost lost our identity.  We need to be recreated.  It is the Word of God that does this.  And exactly for this reason we read from Scripture, from the life of Christ, throughout the year.  Let us be remade by the Word of God, allowing the Lord to build up our walls so we can engage the world.  “You can't give what you don't have.”  We need walls of identity, and we need to guard our heart from spiritual attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil.  Let the world in, but not any and all of it.  Sunday.  Prayer.  Fasting.  Mercy.  May the Lord strengthen our hearts and souls so we can share the love that he has poured into us from this Mass, from our daily prayer, and from our good works.