Exalt in His Love

Shortly after graduating college, I felt a tug from the Spirit to ask my new parish if I could start a praise and worship adoration community for the young adults. I desperately longed for a space where I could pray in a way that was creative and expressive, and with my own background in ministry, hoped to create the community I wanted to pray with. All I asked for was a parish to offer the space and a priest to offer Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

My stomach knotted in devastation when the pastor was not even open to discussing my idea, since as I was told, he does not foster my charisms at his parish. I did not know how deeply I wanted to be shepherded by my new pastor until he turned me away, or how desperately I wanted him to listen to me until he refused to hear me out. It was as if I had been disinvited from post-grad Catholic young adult life in my new neighborhood, and goodness, it stung.

Sometimes I hear today’s Gospel (Luke 9:1-6) and I write it off as a cute “shake it off” mantra that I have surely outgrown, but we cannot gloss over this vital, biblical call to testify from our rejection. Jesus was so tenderly teaching the Twelve, as He teaches you and me, that there will be those within our own communities who reject us even as we are doing Kingdom work, especially when we are doing Kingdom work, and Jesus asks us to shake the dust off our feet in testimony.

Sister, it is crucial to notice that Jesus does not ask us to shake the dust off our feet in repression, neglect, doubt, or despair, but in testimony against those who have not welcomed you and me. Jesus does not want us to ignore these wounds but wants us to allow Him to begin a grand story of evangelization in us, precisely from a moment where we were forgotten or overlooked.

Jesus, let the dust that falls from our feet testify to the reign of Your Kingdom forever and ever.

Allow Him to begin a grand story. // @sarahericksonnClick to tweet

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