Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 360

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me, was not "yes" and "no," but "yes" has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

The word in stands out to me in today's first reading. And after that, the word through takes on new meaning. To paraphrase that particular sentence, "the Amen from us also goes through the inner being of Jesus to God for Glory." 

That is, we who live in Jesus pray "...in him and through him and with him to God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen," 

If that sounds familiar, it's the doxology at the end of the Eucharistic prayer, and is followed by the congregation's "Great Amen." 

Our frequent Masses remind us often that we have been baptized into Christ and live now no longer for ourselves but for him. Our joys, pleasures, and privileges are in Christ, as are our sufferings, sadness, and disappointments. Our daily, personal prayers are never uttered apart from Christ, although we might not be thinking at that particular moment of the mysterious Holy Trinity. The expression might be as simple as "Dear Lord..." or "Sweet Jesus...," but it's uttered in Christ. Should we join in prayer with Jewish or nones, we are still praying in Jesus. 

 

Given our inner life in God, it's not hard to understand our mission as salt of the earth and a city on the hill and a lamp shining in darkness. We make a difference because we are different. Our presence in every neighborhood, village, and city is a blessing. Our values as we live, express, and explain them, demonstrate the presence of God, which is refreshing though sometimes challenging to others. 

We are a holy incense, which must remind us of Revelations 8:3-5:

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne.

The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with burning coals from the altar, and hurled it down to the earth. There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

When we're publicly scolded for supporting the poor, immigrants, or despised minorities; or for opposing abortion, the death penalty, or nuclear weapons; it helps to remember these heavenly visions.  They really don't understand where we come from. They do not see what we see, nor do they know to whom we belong. 

Saint Paul knew that as well as anyone, as have all the saints and martyrs since then. He add to his remarks about our life in Jesus, 

...But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Our recent feast of Pentecost reminded us of that Spirit in our hearts. It is a first installment, or promissory note. It's like a check book or credit card; it's an assurance that we have money in the bank, and an underwriter with very deep pockets. We cannot overdraw this account, though we might sometimes exhaust our physical or emotional resources. Even in those occasional collapses when we feel we've overspent our energies, we discover the Spirit which remains willing and grateful and resourceful. 

In those moments, we might even feel the Gratitude of our God who says of us, "on Him my favor rests."