Today we are called to remember the many commissionings we have read about in Scripture (sent two by two, etc.) in the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Season.
I have been privileged to have participated in many commissionings and been commissioned myself many times as a Music Minister and have witnessed many others being commissioned (lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, etc.). Today I took a moment to actually look up the meaning of the word “commission” in Webster and here is what I found:
Commission: the act of bringing together; a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties; a certificate conferring rank and authority to perform prescribed acts; a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another…
The last part gave me pause to consider the gravity and responsibility of what we do here week in and out; our baptismal promises and the fulfillment of them. A task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another; in other words: by our Baptism we are sent to do the work of God—to be His hands, and feet and voices. It is so easy to forget our own commissioning in the busy-ness of our lives and to take things for granted—and I am grateful for the reminder of these responsibilities in Scripture, in truth.
In thinking about commissions I started realizing how our lives are filled with these moments of promise and fulfillment: milestone birthdays, graduations, a new job, anniversaries; and especially sacraments; also—the birth of a child, parenting—the death of a parent…all those moments in our lives where we are charged to step up to a conferred responsibility for ourselves and those around us—and we must answer the call.
Last week in the Gospel Jesus told us He would not leave us alone and today (The Ascension of the Lord) he tells us “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you…” In all the work we must do we are not left alone to do it. This is the joy of our faith and the promise of the Holy Spirit as we are all commissioned to carry His message through our lives, our choices, our families, our ministries and the Church. Today might be a great day to consider and pray about your own personal and public life commissions… we are actually commissioned to do so…
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
I have been privileged to have participated in many commissionings and been commissioned myself many times as a Music Minister and have witnessed many others being commissioned (lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, etc.). Today I took a moment to actually look up the meaning of the word “commission” in Webster and here is what I found:
Commission: the act of bringing together; a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties; a certificate conferring rank and authority to perform prescribed acts; a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another…
The last part gave me pause to consider the gravity and responsibility of what we do here week in and out; our baptismal promises and the fulfillment of them. A task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another; in other words: by our Baptism we are sent to do the work of God—to be His hands, and feet and voices. It is so easy to forget our own commissioning in the busy-ness of our lives and to take things for granted—and I am grateful for the reminder of these responsibilities in Scripture, in truth.
In thinking about commissions I started realizing how our lives are filled with these moments of promise and fulfillment: milestone birthdays, graduations, a new job, anniversaries; and especially sacraments; also—the birth of a child, parenting—the death of a parent…all those moments in our lives where we are charged to step up to a conferred responsibility for ourselves and those around us—and we must answer the call.
Last week in the Gospel Jesus told us He would not leave us alone and today (The Ascension of the Lord) he tells us “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you…” In all the work we must do we are not left alone to do it. This is the joy of our faith and the promise of the Holy Spirit as we are all commissioned to carry His message through our lives, our choices, our families, our ministries and the Church. Today might be a great day to consider and pray about your own personal and public life commissions… we are actually commissioned to do so…
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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