The cross is one, if not the most central image of our Christian faith. We have it all over the church: in the Nave there is one behind the altar and on the baptismal font. If you go out into the church there are many more, both inside and outside. There are crosses on the wall, above one of the doors. Crosses are a central image for us. The logo of St. Mary’s is a cross, a stylized cross, but it is a cross. That is not unusual. Go to any church throughout this country, and most of them will be filled with crosses. It is a central image of our faith. It is an image or symbol of our identity as Christians.
Listening for God's Call
The theme from the lessons today is about call. We heard from Isaiah, “Heads up. Listen up. God called me when I was in the womb, and He named me.” From the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” The Gospel is St. John’s account of the call of the first close followers of Jesus. Two of St. John the Baptist’s close followers peel off and go and follow Jesus. One of them is St. Andrew, who then goes and recruits his brother, Cephus—Peter. The stories are about different calls and different ways to be called.
Manifesting Christ in Our Lives
This is a season of manifestations, but it is not just about manifestations. It is also about how the people respond. How do they integrate into their lives what they have just experienced? How does that manifestation transform into an integration into their very being? So we will hear stories like the Magi—how they responded by the giving of gifts? How did the disciples respond? They responded by dropping everything and following him. Simeon responded by knowing that his life is now at peace and he is able to go because a promise has been fulfilled. Peter, James, and John respond by wanting to hunker down and dwell in that moment and build booths, tabernacles, and dwelling places for the three of them. These are all ways people responded to the experience of encountering Christ in this world.
