Ephesians 1:17-23.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
This passage from Ephesians highlights the profound blessings and power of God’s love in Christ, particularly through the Holy Spirit. This passage has a lot of themes that can be explored and can be broken down and reflected on. It emphasizes the spiritual enlightenment, hope, and riches of inheritance bestowed upon believers. This passage reminds Catholics of the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection and ascension, shaping their lives and the Church as his body in the world.
While we can reflect on all these themes, It’s the church as being one body that I would like to focus on today. I am reminded of Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest who over thirty years ago founded a Gang Intervention program for gang members to reintegrate them into society. It has been incredibly successful changing the lives of many gang members who once tried to hurt others from a rival gang, now they are working together in bakeries, and tattoo removal shops, all in one big building in Los Angeles. Once a year I go back to watch his videos and learn more about Homeboy Industries which is the name of the program. One of the main goals of the program is to create a circle of compassion where no one lives outside of that circle. I love the program because it gets away from giving as a kind of service provider, and a service recipient, to one giant circle of compassion where everyone is equal, and everyone is loved. One of the lines from the “homies” moved me, when he said, “I’m used to being watched, but I’m not used to being seen”. One of the lessons I got from Father Boyle that I learned is how to avoid the service provider, service recipient model. One way is to think about not what we did for someone, but they have done for us.
Twelve or so years ago I went to Kenya and visited some of our sites there. I learned two valuable lessons from our brothers and sisters there. One relates to our reading, and the depth of their prayer life. There isn’t a thing I can teach about prayer because it runs through every aspect of their lives. The second is community and how it is so different from our culture. One night I was on the bottom level of a compound and someone yelled out, “we need a bed set up”. So I looked up and I saw mattresses, a lamp, blankets going quickly into one room. Within five minutes a whole room was set up……that is community to me. I had a laugh a couple of months later as I was pulling a mattress up from my basement wondering “where is everybody?! “
So maybe for now think about someone you brought into your circle of compassion, but don’t think about what you did for them, but think about what they did for you.
God bless you
Deacon Dan, Chalice staff