Last night I had to sing for the Confirmation mass as I do every year with my choir at St. Luke's Church in Stroudsburg, PA. I love participating in this ceremony as I get to watch and pray for this group of young adults who proclaim their commitment to their faith. It is always a grand affair, Bishop and priest from all over the area. Knights of Columbus with their swords and feather plumed hats, Full brass band and us singing like a choir of angels in the background.
The Bishop addresses the students and asks these questions...
How will you be different after you are confirmed tonight? What will change in your life?
After sharing with them many thoughts, he concludes with this true story...
One Sunday, in a church in Colombia, where guerrilla terrorist were ramped and regularly attacking and killing Christians, a congregation met to celebrate Holy mass. In the middle of the ceremony, the church doors fling open and a man enters with a machine gun under his arm. He marches up to the altar, grabs the priest and escorts him outside to be executed. After hearing the gunshots, the terrified congregation waited in silence and shock.
The doors open again and the man with the gun goes to the front of the church and shouts..."If any of you believe as that man, come forward now!" No one dared move a muscle. Then a man stood up and approached..."I believe"...He too was escorted outside to be executed. More shots fired and the terrorist returns. He asked the question again...One man stands up and then a woman. They exit as well to the sound of machine gun rounds.
The man enters one more time...and fearing what would happen...no one else stood up.
So the man says..."Get out of here all of you!"
They exit the Church to find the Priest, two men and the woman standing outside, unharmed. He points and says to the four..." Go back in where you belong." To the congregation standing outside he says...
"Don't ever go ever go back in that Church unless you have faith to stand up for what you believe in!"
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This is my favorite meditation piece we sang after communion last night...like Heaven meeting Earth. ( This is not our choir but I found the closest version I could on YouTube...Enjoy!)
Blessings...
~Val
( I just started the group "Praying in the Rain"...Don't be surprised if you see me praying for everything from now on...and why not??... come join us and make this day, a day you pray!!)
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