Are still holding on to your blanket?

Father Vince’s Homily this week touched on something that we can all relate to in some way or another: the security that a child’s blanket provides.  Whether it’s our own child or grandchild, brother, sister, or even our own memories of when we were little, almost of all us can recall how important the blanket was.   It was taken everywhere, well, worn and if it was lost there was going to be trouble because the blanket was the source of comfort & security.  But most children move on from the blanket as they mature. 

In the Gospel readings Bartimeaus, the blind man, threw away his cloak to be cured of his blindness by Jesus and then to follow him. The throwing away of the cloak was symbolic of getting rid of his old way of life to following Jesus, in a mature faith. 

Father Vince made the point of what a mature faith was: following Jesus in an intimate, personal, and communal relationship.  I really liked the point of the communal relationship or the Church.   Many people grow in their faith and relationship with Christ, but don’t see a need to belong to a faith community.  But a faith community is the Body of Christ, and belonging supports both the individual and also supports the whole in relationship to Christ. 

As a go about my week I hope to share the message of the importance of both a personal & intimate relationship with Christ as well as the communal relationship of a parish to support and sustain one another in Christ.  This week I’ll try to invite someone to participate in the faith community who may not actively be involved in one now and to help them “throw” away their blanket that kept them from the relationship with Christ.