This retreat and its topic of the role of the laity in fulfilling the mission of the church is one which has been so dear to me. It has over the past few years defined who I am, it has revealed to me the reason why I exist, my part in the plan of God and the mission in the church which is evangelization. This is OUR DAY in salvation history. As I have been crying out for God to show me how to impart some deposit of faith, the gold He has placed in my heart concerning our role in the Mission, he today gave me a vision to share with you. If you feel lead to share this, great, if not, I know it might be a bit on the edge, but most attending knows me anyway so I don’t feel it will be too big of a shock. I am more and more beginning to post on my blog some of these things at www.Catholics4Christ.org.
As I was taking a walk the spirit began to show me inwardly, in my heart, how he sees us the laity. What I mean when I say He showed me inwardly is that the Spirit began to give me, in picture form, visual scenes and once I get to a place to write them down the spirit then gives me words to describe the scenes he shows me in my heart. I was meditating in my heart on the Mass, we were at the consecration, the priest had the elements raised and in that moment, I saw something life a veil pulled back and I saw the eternal heavenly Mass going on, we were all as one. I know now what St. Paul meant in Eph 1:10.
Eph 1:10- “That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He gathered together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are in earth IN HIM.”
Vaguely, I saw a throne and one sitting on the throne, and one at His right hand, the 24 thrones, the creatures and the multitude of the saints, even though I could not see the figures clearly I knew it was Gods throne, and Jesus at His right hand. As that beloved priest lifted up the challis and host all went quite, as he presented to God the Father the offering of man made bread and wine, earthly elements, work of human hands, at the exact moment Jesus Spoke the Words of the last supper, “THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH IS GIVEN UP FOR YOU”, I not only heard those words I saw the substance of those words flowing out of Jesus mouth, it was like a mist, flowing from Jesus to that beloved priest heart. As that priest spoke out of the abundance of his heart “ THIS IS MY BODY,WHICH IS GIVEN UP FOR YOU”, the words he spoke had the same SPIRIT and LIFE on them (Jn 6:63) and changed those earthly elements into the Body and Blood of our Jesus, WOW!! But what happen next shocked me, excited me, and scared me all at the same time because of the awesome responsibility I felt. I saw us the individual, ordinary member of the Church, I saw young and old, male and female out in life, being a witness’, speaking the Gospel to the lost, at that moment, God once again pulled away a veil, and as the first, I saw the same heavenly hosts, but this time the words coming from Jesus which had substance, filled with His Spirit and Life (Jn 6:63), was “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that through Him you may have Life (Jn 3:16)”. I saw those words flowing from the mouth of Jesus to the hearts of those everyday people, young and old, male and female, those ministering to the lost. Then out of the abundance of their hearts they spoke these words of life which flowed from the very throne of Jesus. What I saw next will for ever be branded upon my heart. I saw that unbeliever, that broken person, that child of the devil, the lost, those made of the dust of the earth, received those words of life and like the bread, was transformed from the dust of the earth into the Body of Christ. Just like the bread and wine turning into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus, I saw that person changed and transferred into the mystical Body of Christ. As our beloved priests have the awesome role of being the gate between heaven and earth in the Mass, we have the awesome role of being the gate between heaven and earth to the lost. When spoken at the end of each Mass, “Go and Love and serve the Lord” this is our battle cry, it is our mandate in life, Just as our priests as they speak and allow those consecrated words to transubstantiate common Bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, God has given us the solemn privilege as ordained ministers by our baptism and confirmation to speak Gods consecrated words, “The Gospel” which has the power to convert and transubstantiate common dead human spirits into the Body of Christ, new members of the family and household of God. Like the parable of the talents how can we bury the most precious thing we have to offer, The ordained right and privilege as Prophets, Priests and Kings to preach the Gospel.
God Bless All of You, and May God reveal to you how wonderful he made you