Imposition of Hands - Get Moving!

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. 
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

Today's reading is taken from Paul's second letter to Timothy.  Placing your hands on someone's head is such a small gesture but it can convey such power.  For example, when the Archbishop of Canterbury places his hands on the candidate to be king or queen, whoosh, they are king or queen.  Personally, I do not think that there is any work of God going on when they crown the royals, I think that it is just a symbol used to convey obedience of the Church of England to the new monarch.  

How very different it is for people like you and me.  When a bishop, who is appointed by and in league with the head of the Catholic Church in Rome, the Pope, places hands on our foreheads we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in confirmation.  When a man has hands imposed on him and receives the sacrament of Holy Orders, he becomes one that is empowered to officiate at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and change ordinary bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.  He is also empowered to speak the words of absolution and in persona Christi forgive our sins.  Imposition of hands is truly a small gesture but what a great effect it can have on us. 

For those of us who are not ordained, do we just sit on the sidelines and watch as the priests, bishops, and cardinals work their power on a lost and forsaken world?  No, what we are to do, what Paul is telling Timothy, and us, is to not be afraid, not be ashamed, and above all not be cowardly when it comes to evangelizing others.  The Spirit is within us, we hold Him captive inside of us.  He longs to use us to bring the Kingdom of God into bloom on this cold gray desert we call home.  Open the cage and let the Spirit work in your life.  He can and will do amazing things with such a person as yourself.  What? You are a sinner?  Of course you are!  God's power is made known in our weakness.  He is the cure for all of our sinfulness and He will use us just as we are to spread the seed of the Kingdom of God.  You have a mission for the Kingdom. No one else is able to complete the task you have been assigned.  The job was created with you in mind and it will help advance the Kingdom in ways you cannot even begin to dream about.  And yes, we are speaking about little old you, frail, and weak as you are.  All you have to do is to take the first step and then hold on to your hat, the ride, which might be bumpy at times, will be magnificent! 

Mud...after it snows and the snow melts the path we have to use to get to the back of our house turns to rich black mud.  We tread to it with our laundry basket and we open the door to the basement and before stepping on to the stairs, we scrape the mud off of our shoes. Purgatory is a lot like this.  We end our lives and certain minor sins have not been forgiven and some for some sins we have not taken care of the temporal punishment due.  We go to Purgatory to clean up and prepare ourselves for an eternal life of joy with God.  Once there, we know we cannot help ourselves, we need the prayers of the Church Militant, the people on Earth to help get us out.  I wish everyone went straight to heaven when they died, there is great comfort in that thought, but the fact is many of us will go to Purgatory.  Please pray for the Poor Souls - they need our prayers.