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Waiting In Power

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For me, today’s readings are all about anticipation. Liturgically, we just celebrated the Ascension of the Lord. After Easter, many disciples  were seeing Jesus, gathering back together, remembering everything he had said and done. Now they watched as he finally returned to the Father. And when I say watched, I mean they were probably staring up for hours dumbfounded, because a couple of angels had to wake them and tell them Jesus wasn’t there anymore. Before he left, Jesus asked them to trust him, and to wait for the Holy Spirit that would  come upon them. And that’s where we find ourselves now.

But this waiting isn’t the same as that of Lent, or that of the Triduum. A waiting based on repentance, or a waiting based on sorrow and confusion. This is a waiting in power. Jesus has confirmed everything was true about himself and the Father. He defeated death, and appeared once again to the disciples. And now with great anticipation, the disciples await the promised power to descend from heaven. Everything that Jesus calls them to do for the kingdom of heaven wouldn’t be possible without the Advocate.

So now, just as Jesus’ disciples waited for the strength and power and glory of the Spirit of God to fill them completely, WE get to wait for that SAME Holy Spirit! WE get to gather and pray together, to long for the completion of Jesus’ word, to get pumped with excitement for the kingdom of God to reign on the earth THROUGH US! The First Reading from Acts confirms that the Spirit was living and active in the early Church, and it will be until the end of time! When is the last time you saw someone baptized and prayed over, and the Spirit fell so tangibly on them? It still happens today! Or else all of what Jesus has done is for nothing!

I long for the time when the Church at large receives a new baptism of the Holy Spirit, when we see a time that’s similar to the Psalm from today: “God arises; his enemies are scattered…as smoke is driven away, so they are driven…the just rejoice and exult before God”. Let’s pray
together that the coming Pentecost would be that time for us! Keep your eyes on Jesus: “Take courage, I have conquered the world”.

Songs for Reflection:
Fullness – Elevation Worship
Reign above it all – Bethel, Paul McClure
There is a cloud – Elevation Worship
Here as in Heaven – Elevation Worship
Open Up the Heavens – Meredith Andrews
Rest on Us – Brandon Lake, Upperroom
Resurrection Power – Chris Tomlin

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

Feature Image Credit: Jon, Tyson, https://unsplash.com/photos/YtYNavix3pw

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Listen for His voice

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Imagine this: The God of the Universe, the Creator who came in human flesh, chose to speak to you about Himself. And the image He chooses to represent His infinite majesty and goodness is a shepherd. The most basic job in ancient society, the dirtiest and most overlooked position. Jesus, you could have said you were the Good Emperor, Good High King, Good General, or something like that. You would be beyond worthy of those titles and comparisons! But the Good Shepherd???

Jesus chose this title because it fit perfectly into the minds of his audience – the average simple person living in Judea. But also, the role of shepherd has rich imagery in the Old Testament. David, the youngest son of Jesse, is almost overlooked to be chosen for the kingship of Israel because he was out tending to his flock! Though he was a man after God’s own heart, he still fell short of being the ultimate Shepherd that the people of God needed. There is also a lot of imagery in the Psalms referring to Israel as sheep, and God himself as shepherd. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

So what can we learn from this imagery, and what does Jesus himself say about it? It seems that humanity was in desperate need for a Shepherd that did not fail, did not mislead, did not run like the hired man who was only in it for money. But it seemed like the only way that could happen was if God himself, the shepherd from the Psalms, arrived to lead them. And in Jesus, that’s exactly what happened! God himself took on the basic, dirty job of tending his sheep, learning who they were, and ultimately laying his life down for them. Like David defending his flock from lions and bears, Jesus took on the jaws of death itself to save us. St. Cyril makes a great comparison between Adam and Jesus; how one misled the flock, and one rescued it: “Therefore, as the father of sin [Adam] had, as it were, shut up the sheep in hell, giving them to death to feed on, as it is written in the Psalms, He [Jesus] died for us as truly Good, and truly our Shepherd, so that, the dark shadow of death driven away, He might join us to the company of the blessed in heaven.”

My question for you is: do you know the voice of the one who has done this for us? It can certainly be hard (sheep aren’t exactly known for being the smartest animal). But He is worthy, and good, and will guide us to green pastures. His voice is in the scriptures, His voice in the beauty of creation. His voice is in the quiet place of prayer. His voice is in the hearts of all those who surround us. Take a moment to stop and listen for Him. Run towards that voice. Seek to be like Him in all things. Because even sheep know the voice of their shepherd.

Songs for reflection:

Shepherd – Bethel, Amanda Cook

No Longer Slaves – Bethel, Jonathan Helser

What a Beautiful Name – Hillsong Worship, Brooke Ligertwood

Where you Go I Go – Bethel, Brian Johnson

Cornerstone – Hillsong Worship, Reuben Morgan

There’s Nothing that our God can’t do – Passion, Kristian Stanfill

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

Feature Image Credit: Steven Lasry, https://unsplash.com/photos/jCdxBDG8Xf4

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Death is Victory and New Life

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In the Gospel reading today, Jesus and his disciples are worshipping in the temple for the Passover feast. We hear that some Greeks are there as well, and are wanting to see Jesus. In the temple, the Jewish people were allowed in a courtyard that was closer to the Holy of Holies, but any Gentiles had to worship from a further out courtyard. When the disciples ask him to come and see these Greeks, Jesus strangely starts to talk directly about his own death, instead of addressing the disciples. Jesus’ reflections on his coming sacrifice turns into a short prayer to the Father, who speaks back. What???? I don’t know about you, but if I heard “thunder” or “angels” in response to a prayer that Jesus made, there would be no doubt left in my mind of His divine mission. 

“The hour has come…for this purpose I came to this hour…Now is the time of judgment.” Jesus is trying to tell the people that something is going to happen immediately, it is imminent! This is also true for us, as we’re a couple Sundays away from Easter! But for these people in their time, it’s not the kind of action that they think. The disciples and Jewish people likely still believe that Jesus would come as an earthly, conquering King and Messiah. The imagery that Jesus gives of being “lifted up”, perhaps they believed to be similar to a Roman general returning from a campaign. Being lifted up in praise on a glorious earthly throne. But Jesus’ victory was not against Rome or any kingdom; rather it would be against the sinfulness of humanity itself.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Jesus mentions this in parallel to his own mission, and thus further reveals the kind of “victory” he would need to win; His death. But he also calls his servants to follow Him. So, are we all called to die like Him? Yes! But this death is not the end of our life; rather it’s the end of sin and the end of death itself. Death is a new beginning for us, and we are “baptised” into Christ’s death so that we will rise with Him at Easter. So how do we truly follow Christ and put our old self to death? Through the Lenten practices we’ve already been doing; fasting, almsgiving, and prayer! Let’s all keep walking strong on the road to Calvary, and meet Jesus there. Let’s receive new life from the waters of mercy that are flowing from His side.

Songs for Reflection

I Will Follow – Chris Tomlin

New Wine – Hillsong Worship

Here’s My Heart – Chris Tomlin

Lead Me to the Cross – Hillsong Worship

Yes and Amen – Housefires

Lord of Lords – Hillsong Worship

Called Me Higher – All Sons and Daughters

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

Feature Image Credit: NordWood Themes, https://unsplash.com/photos/KyAiEXScoF0

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Be Made Clean

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In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, we see a leper approach Jesus for healing. First of all, whoa! Since we know Jesus, and this is His usual thing, we might forget just how big of a deal this was in His time. Remember the First Reading for today? “If the man is leprous and unclean,

the priest shall declare him unclean…he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’…He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:44-46). Lepers were total outcasts, as per the Jewish law, they had to declare themselves wherever they went! For this leper to approach a Rabbi is a big deal. Normally he’d be warded off, but Jesus allowed it. “If you wish, you can make me clean”, he said. Jesus responds, “I do will it, be made clean”. 

The leper approaches Jesus with confidence despite his affliction, and with expectancy that Jesus can heal him. And Jesus takes this opportunity to flip the Jewish world-view on its head: He touches the man and heals him. Jesus, what are you doing?! He could have contracted the disease, and he seemingly ignored the law set by Moses! But what a powerful statement to make: this man who is hurt and afflicted should not be ostracized, but embraced. Even physically! Jesus doesn’t disregard the law, as he tells the man to present himself to the priests and pursue the ritual cleansing, so that he might rejoin society. 

A few things to mention: I really like the way the leper approaches Jesus. If YOU will it, you can make me clean. I feel like I can connect with this: Sometimes, in my own struggles and failings, I’m not sure that I can be made clean, or I don’t even fully want that for myself. But like this leper, there is power in leaning into what the Lord wants for us; he DOES want us to be healed.

Also, the physical healing of the leprosy is only one component: it’s likely that Jesus also heals this man internally and spiritually (as he did for the lame man who was lowered through the roof by his friends in Luke 5). Jesus’ mission was not just to get souls to heaven, but initiate the full restoration of humanity: body and soul, and to bring us fully into communion with the Holy Trinity. 

While there is no direct connection between physical ailments and internal ones (remember the book of Job! He was righteous and yet suffered greatly), it’s helpful for us to imagine “leprosy” on a wider scope. Do we ostracize people in our lives? Whether they suffer from physical disabilities, or from internal and mental struggles, or from addictions or patterns of sin? How can we better embrace them and act as the healing hands of Jesus in their lives? And what about our own life? Sometimes we act as a “leper” before God when we sin or are faced with battles in our life. Will we walk away from Him, and sit outside of His grace? Do we think ourselves unworthy? Or will we boldly and expectantly come before him and say, “Lord if you will it, you can make me clean”?

Songs for Reflection:

O Come to the Altar – Elevation Worship

Healer – Hillsong Worship

Way Maker – Leeland / Bethel Music

Miracles – Chris Quilala / Jesus Culture

To Be Like You – Hillsong Worship

There’s Nothing that our God Can’t Do – Kristian Stanfill / Passion

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

Feature Image Credit: Tim Mossholder, https://unsplash.com/photos/epBIrtdg2Hk

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Baptism Equips for Mission

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Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Confusingly, this happened when Jesus was an adult, and not as a child. So why does the church celebrate it here at the end of the Christmas season?

Before Jesus began his public ministry (his preaching, miracles, gathering disciples, etc.) he went to the Jordan River. His cousin John was there baptizing many people. Baptism was a ritual of repentance, and a ritual of death and new life. You cleanse your body with water on the outside, and commit to a new life on the inside. There were also many examples in the Old Testament of the whole people of Israel being “baptized” through the actions of the Lord himself (Noah and his family surviving the flood, the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea out of Egypt, Joshua leading the people over the Jordan into Israel, etc.). This time, John was preaching for people to prepare themselves for something big. There was a Messiah coming, a savior for their people. 

Along comes Jesus, who wants to get baptized too. Needless to say, John knows who Jesus is. In the account from Matthew’s gospel, John the Baptist tells him, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus replies, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt 3:14-15 NABRE). 

What does he mean? Why would Jesus want to get baptized, if he doesn’t need to repent of anything? I think we need to look at Jesus’ mission. To sum it up briefly: God the Son became man, that man might become God. So, in order to fully unite himself to humanity, in order to be like us in all things but sin, Jesus undergoes this ritual. Jesus humbles himself, and fully embraces his humanity. And this, friends, is why we celebrate this feast in the same season as Christ’s birth. Both the feast of the Nativity and the Baptism of the Lord highlight the humility of Jesus. In both places, he clearly displayed his desire to become one with us, so that he can raise us up with him.

So how can we live out this feast day? I think the key is to remember that Jesus is one with us now! We are the body of Christ. The equipping and the anointing that He received at His baptism is ours now as well! Jesus actually received two things at His baptism: He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit AND he received the love of the Father. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. In our lives, we need to humble ourselves like Jesus did, we need to know and acknowledge the love of our Father (and therefore know our identity as sons and daughters of God) and receive the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. And as the second reading in 1 John says, there will also be a baptism of blood. The Lord will call us, like Christ, to sacrifice. All of these will equip us for OUR mission and public ministry on earth.

Songs for Reflection:

I See Heaven – Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Open up the Heavens – Meredith Andrews

Holy Spirit – Bryan and Katie Torwalt

All Who Are Thirsty – Brenton Brown

Glory in the Highest – Chris Tomlin

Prepare the Way – Charlie Hall

Joy (Unspeakable Joy) – Chris Tomlin

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

Feature Image Credit: Didgeman, https://pixabay.com/photos/church-window-baptism-sacrament-1016443/

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Playing It Safe Is Not Our Mission

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In the reading today, we see Jesus revealing his mission to the disciples: that he would die, and on the third day rise again. Peter, who was just praised and proclaimed “the Rock” for the Church, takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. “God forbid Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you”. Here, Jesus returns the rebuke: “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me.”

These words are so filled with meaning! First, we can all see ourselves in Peter. We can so easily go from feeling loved by the Lord and being champions of His truth, to suddenly thinking like the world does and not understanding God’s vision. Second, look closely at what Jesus says. Last week, Peter was proclaimed the rock which the Church would be built on. Now, Peter is an obstacle, a tripping stone on Jesus’ path. How did that happen? Peter put himself IN FRONT of Jesus (and became a tripping hazard). And while it sounds like the Lord is totally rebuking Peter and commanding him to go away, he is actually just trying to put him the right place; “Get BEHIND me”, FOLLOW me. It’s only when Peter (and we) follow Jesus, (and not try and put ourselves in front of Him), that we can call ourselves “disciples”.

And this is what we’re following Jesus into: Mission. Like Jesus, the individual missions in our life are not safe. Friends, the purpose of our life is not to live a quiet, small, safe life in a nice home in the countryside! There is more for us!

I have a friend who tells me, whenever we’re saying goodbyes, “Live dangerously”. To be honest, I’d rather not. It doesn’t sound like a great idea to live that way! You could get hurt, lose things, get yelled at by others, etc etc. But in some way, this is what Jesus means by “take up your cross”. We can also see Jeremiah responding to this idea in the first reading. He feels cheated by God! He follows God’s will for him and speaks prophetic words to people and only gets persecuted in return. He constantly preaches words of doom and gloom. BUT – he has no other choice! When he tries to keep it in, he feels a fire in his bones. He HAS to preach the truth!

What would happen if YOU lived dangerously? Will you go to the streets and speak to those who are homeless and abandoned? Will you actually give up your possessions and money, and focus instead on community and growth? Would you speak the truth in love to your co-workers, family, friends? Will you sacrifice your time and your ego for your families, and rebuild burned bridges?

In the second reading, Saint Paul tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, as an act of worship. He’s reiterating what Jesus calls us to do! If we’re only looking to save our own life (or just play it safe like Peter wanted to do), we’ll end up losing it anyway. But if we’re willing to lose our life for the sake of the Kingdom, we’ll find our TRUE life. We have to live dangerously, but also, as St. Paul says, live transformed, by the renewal of our minds. We can’t think as the world and as human beings do, but we must think as God does. How often do I default to a mindset of security, safety, and avoidance of risk and the uncomfortable. To live transformed is to do as God does: To deeply see others and make them feel known, to listen to the moving of the Holy Spirit, to lay down your ego at your job, in your family, everywhere; and to focus on the Kingdom.

So remember, playing it safe is not our mission.

Live Dangerously. Live Transformed. Deny yourself, carry your cross, and follow Jesus.

 

Songs for Reflection:

  1. For the Sake of the World – Bethel
  2. Called Me Higher – All Sons and Daughters
  3. Seek First – Housefires
  4. Build My Life – Housefires
  5. Champion – Bethel, Dante Bowe
  6. Fire in my Bones – SEU Worship

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

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Where Is Your Treasure Stored?

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In today’s gospel, we see a man asking Jesus what he needs to do to gain eternal life. Surprisingly, we don’t hear the ‘Grace Alone’ response of “Nothing at all! I’ll do it all for you, for my grace is sufficient”, but a rather simple response: “Keep the commandments”. “Which ones?” the man asks, in what seems like a silly, dodging kind of question, since we would presume all of them! Jesus specifies many of the original ten commandments, which if the man keeps, he will “enter into LIFE”. Again the man interjects “But I’ve done all that! What else?”. You or I might be happy at this point, knowing that we’ve done all that we have to do for eternal life itself! But the man isn’t satisfied, continuing his quite strange responses to Jesus. “Well if you want to be PERFECT, give away everything you have to the poor, and follow me”. At this, the man left, and was too sad about the prospect of losing all of his possessions.

So what happened here? Was this man’s heart in the right place? Do all of us need to surrender literally everything we have? And what can you and I learn from this encounter? Here are three points that I gleaned from today’s reading.

  1. Jesus’ first response to the man was “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good”. I think this is an important primer for what we believe about eternal life and grace: God is Good, Goodness itself. Man, on his own and apart from God, is not good BECAUSE of our fallen state (although we were originally created good). So when this man asked what “good” he could do, Jesus made sure to clarify “anything good in you, and any good that you can do, comes from God alone”.
  2. After Jesus clarifies the role of grace, he clarifies what we need to do: Following the Commandments leads to eternal life. This is not us “earning salvation with our own works”. A relationship with God is truly what saves us: but am I really your friend (or in a good relationship at all) if I constantly disrespect you, ignore you, etc? Following the commandments is what assures us that we are right with God. Aside from that, God truly is Ruler over all, and He wants us to follow his commandments, which he made ultimately for our benefit! And when we fall short, we always have a space to lean into His mercy, which He truly desires to give us.
  3. The third point is this: Sacrifice leads to perfection. Beyond living rightly and running the race, we can only give up everything we have and serve radically. I immediately think of the religious orders in our Church, which Lumen Gentium from the Second Vatican Council calls the “perfect” state of life. We aren’t all called to this kind of perfection, as many of us are laity in the Church. But we all still can receive eternal life, and are called to live a life of following the Lord. The benefits of this kind of perfection are, as Jesus says in the reading, building up “treasure in heaven”.

Ultimately this reading also shows us that true wealth comes not in treasure stored on the earth, but in sharing what we have with others. A friend of mine who leads a ministry often says “Brendan, I’m a rich man” because of the incredible community that we have (due in part to his own giving of himself). We can sometimes say we want to follow Jesus, but bring all these things in tow with us. And when he asks us to surrender them, we walk away sad, focusing our eyes on our possessions and not on Him. It’s important to remember that surrender does not mean death or loss of everything. It means we very well may get all those things back (now that Jesus is Lord over them), and potentially more! And it means we very likely will get a greater reward in heaven.

Songs for reflection:

I Surrender by Hillsong Worship

Here’s my Heart by Chris Tomlin

I Shall Not Want by Audrey Assad

Lay it Down by Matt Maher

Goodness of God by Bethel

Yes I Will by Vertical Worship

Contact the author

Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

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Part of the Divine Romance

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So why does the Church celebrate a specific day for the Trinity? If only we knew: this aspect, this reality, of our God is so vital to our identity!

In Genesis 1:26, God says “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”. If you look back through the chapter, God doesn’t say that about any other creation. We’re unique! But what exactly does it mean to be made after God’s image and likeness? We don’t get a clear understanding of this until much later in the Bible. Jesus, the perfect revelation of God, reveals the truth: God is actually an eternal relationship in the persons of the Trinity. And even before we knew this about Him, we were made in that image, and thus made for relationship!

The three persons of God are themselves familial terms: Father, Son, and Spirit. God the Father’s nature is that of self-gift (aka Love), which finds its perfect expression in pouring into another perfect person, God the Son. The Son perfectly reciprocates that love back to the Father. The power and bond that is formed is the Holy Spirit himself! The third person of the trinity is called a “spiration” (sounds like Spirit, eh?) of the love of the Father and the Son. Without getting too heady, all this to say that God’s love is not just some flat emotion, but an intricate action that comes from his very being!

From this eternal love, we were made! And we were made to be just like it! God formed woman from the man because he saw that man on his own was lacking something from God’s nature – relationship! And in the full union and self-gift between man and woman, love creates a third person as well – a new child. Our families are an expression of the Trinity! But even beyond marriage, all of us are called to be in relationship – vulnerability, journeying together, caring for each other, laughing together. All of those are also truly a spiration of love.

In today’s gospel, we read that God doesn’t keep this love within Himself. Rather He gave His Son to us, to be given up for us, because of our fallen nature. And the Son accepts this task from the Father and gives up his life. But he is raised and ascends back to His Father’s place and given the throne of glory. When they send forth the Spirit, we join in the divine romance. We become inheritors of the divine by joining the divine family! The mystery of the triune God is something that draws us deeper into seeking Him.

So we praise God for who He is: Three persons in One. And how He uses this aspect of His nature to connect with us as humanity and pull us into divinity. Maybe something we can learn from this celebration is to remember that we were made for relationship. Let’s not sabotage our friendships and families – may we always be bridges of peace. Let’s stay connected with those close to us, especially in this isolation during the pandemic. Let’s remember that we’re all in this life together – all of us created in the image and likeness of God. We stand together beyond skin color, economic status, or belief.

Songs for reflection:
Holy, Holy, Holy – Audrey Assad
This I Believe (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship
King of Kings – Hillsong Worship
Divine / Sailing / Time / Hymn – Phil Wickham
I Exalt Thee – Jesus Culture
Doxology / Amen – Phil Wickham
O Praise the Name (Anastasis) – Hillsong Worship

Contact the author

Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

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You are the Priesthood

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If I said that you (yes, YOU, reading this right now) could do more healings and bigger miracles than Jesus himself, what would you think? I’m crazy, right? Well, yes, but that’s beside the point. 

You might have missed it, but that’s exactly what Jesus says at the end of today’s gospel! First, he explained to his disciples that he had to go prepare rooms for them in his Father’s house. The disciples, wanting to remain with him, asked how THEY might know the way there. Jesus announced that HE was the way (and the truth and the life) to the Father. When they asked to see the Father, Jesus confirms his divinity and explains that he and the Father are one. Didn’t they get it? All the things he had said to them, all the miracles they had seen? Jesus finally adds this: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” (Jn 14:12)

What??? Because of Christ returning to the Father (and sending the Holy Spirit), YOU who believe CAN and WILL do greater things than even he did on the earth. But how? The answer is actually in the rest of the readings and Mass prayers. Saint Peter writes in his letter, “Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house…” (1 Pt 2:4-5) As the old saying goes, “the Church is not a building, it’s a people.” But we, these people, need to be built into a building, a spiritual house! Where Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone, the stone that builders rejected, we become like him, and take part in holding up this new building, the Church! 

Saint Peter also says, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood…so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pt 2:9). Well, surely he’s only talking about our instituted priesthood, right? They’re the ones responsible for doing God’s work here on earth, right? No! You are the priesthood, and you are called to announce the good news! The Catechism says, “Christ, the high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church a kingdom of priests for his God and Father. The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly” (CCC 1546). While our priests play a certain and important role in our lives (and our church buildings do too!), you and I are the ones called to create a better world, bring the light of Christ to the desperate, AND to do greater things in the name of Christ. 

In the first reading, the early Christian community recognized a need for their widows. Instead of the Apostles going to handle this need, certain people of the community (who were filled with the Holy Spirit) were chosen and appointed to go and serve! What about our world right now? There are so many people, in our parishes or otherwise, that are deeply suffering right now because of Covid-19. I’ve seen depression, anxiety, addiction, financial struggle, and more. I’ve seen people in my life who were pillars of light get taken out by what’s going on in the world. Should we leave pastoral care to the priests then? No! We all make up this Church, we all are chosen and appointed to go, and we were given a promise that we CAN and WILL do greater miracles than Christ. We all need to go and do our part! And when I say that, I don’t mean just online or digitally (though great things are being done there!). I have seen great healing come in the simple act of giving a friend a phone call. I have seen relief come in the act of dropping off some food for a family in need. I have seen a parish so desperate for Christ, that they packed a parking lot just to see him. 

With Jesus as the way/truth/life, YOU will see the Father and do GREATER miracles than him! YOU are a living stone of the Church, connected to the cornerstone. YOU are the priesthood, chosen by the high priest.

Reach out! Stay in prayer! Remember his promises! Lord, we lift up this prayer to you: “O God, who by the wonderful exchange effected in the Paschal sacrifice have made us partakers of the one supreme Godhead, grant, we pray, that, as we have come to know your truth, we may make it ours by a worthy way of life. Through Christ our Lord.” 

Song meditations based on the readings and theme:
Build My Life – Housefires
Greater Things – Mack Brock
Cornerstone – Hillsong Worship
The Way (New Horizon) – Pat Barrett
Christ is Risen – Matt Maher
The Father’s House – Cory Asbury
So Will I (100 Billion X) – Hillsong United

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/