The Story We Live and Celebrate, Part II

A Personal Review and Reflection on Liturgy and Sacraments

What I see in all of this is the image of life as a ballet or dance and all that is involved in it: the dancers, the music, the emotions, the space, the environment, the interactions, the grace and harmony, the momentary silence, the reason for gathering and all. Everything-- everyone is interconnected and plays an important part in the beauty, joy, and meaning of the dance. This ballet is not exclusive for feast or for the rich alone but for all, rich and poor alike, and all kinds of situations and events in one’s life. Life can be a wonderful ballet not only in abundance but also even in poverty – in the scenario of a dark environment and sad music (caused by death, starvation, illness, oppression, and violence) -- because we continue dancing, sharing, singing, praying to God (adapted from L.J. Gonzales, The Artist of Nazareth 1996) believing that God embraces the whole of our human experience.

Jesus is the best creative artist who lived and lives fully in time and history. He met all kinds of people and addressed their physical, psychological, social, moral, and spiritual needs. He used his faculties – sight, touch, feeling, hearing, and taste – dreams, ideas, and resources in order to transform darkness into light, conquer evil and violence with good and love, bring life out of death, and create a world of harmonious dance and dancers. For example, Jesus, naturally creative out of love, left us his masterpiece of art, the sacraments, in order to introduce us into the cosmic ballet of life and make us dance to the rhythm of God’s love and peaceful joy. More so he was always in intimate and deep communion with God and God’s creative power of loving us to the end with a love that can and will never change (adapted from L.J. Gonzales, The Artist of Nazareth 1996). Jesus never leaving the bosom of the One who He called Abba (Father) sees the beauty of human beings and of the world and loves it to the end, gathering together our scattered stories, offering and uniting them to the one true Story.

We are constantly called and challenged to model upon him especially at this time and age of our history. We are called to ask and confront ourselves as individuals, group, people, and church with questions and realities especially the ones that we are afraid to dare to ask and be confronted with. We must faithfully review, reflect and look if our liturgy (or Christian celebration) moves towards healing and transformation; is a celebration of communion forming an inclusive community despite differences and gaps; radiates and mediates meaning and hope to the world that we witness to; and makes the ‘heart’ of the celebration shines through and penetrates everyone’s life.

The life of Jesus is a ballet ever graceful, beautiful, creative, powerful, hopeful, liberating, loving, human, and cosmic. This is the story that must live in us and we must extend and share to the world. Every time the bread and wine are raised we open our minds, hearts, and soul – our entire being – to remember, to honor, and to respond to the One who says, “Do this in memory of me.”

Disturbed, shaken, challenged, enriched, I realized that there is so much to unlearn, learn and be critically aware of. Despite the moment-to-moment falls, restlessness, and scatteredness of my personal experience of the world; I am very hopeful and eager for I strongly believe that we are Easter people and our life is a never-ending liturgy; that we live and celebrate a Story fixed forever; that our God is a God who conquers evil with good and brings life in death; and our symbol is the ‘cross’. We are all these… and this is the ‘rhythm that makes our life human.’



References:
Gonzales, L.J. The Artist of Nazareth. Mexico: Editorial Font S.A., 1996.
Guzie, T. The Sacramental Basics. NY: Paulist Press, 1981.
McKenna, M. Rites of Justice. NY: Orbis Books, 1997.