All of us have had the experience, I believe, of being in an airport. Here the mastery of people watching is at its best as individuals from all over the continent, in deed world, come together with the goal of departing or arriving at a destination. One of the most fascinating aspects of all the arrivals and departures are the people who, waiting usually by the luggage arrival bins, are present holding signs. These signs name an individual whom they have been charged with the task of receiving and then taking to a safe lodging.
These individuals fascinate me really. I guess its because they have what seems like a simple task, and yet a very important one. They hold a sign - on it a name, and they wait for a person whom they do not know, and whom they have never met, and when that person recognizes the name on the sign, they approach the individual holding the sign and they are taken to where they are meant to go - safely and securely - to become and do what they have travelled for. I guess they fascinate me because in many ways the role and the function of Discipleship, is very much the same.
We hold up a figurative sign each day. The sign may be in different forms - in might be in the form of being a Father or a Mother, a cherished friend or a brother, a kind neighbour or a local business person, a spouse or a sibling, a person with culinary talents or mechanical gifts, an office worker or a custodial employee- but the sign - no matter our function - really by virtue of our Baptismal Call - has only one name on it - Jesus Christ.
As we hold the sign, going about our daily life - our arrivals and departures each day - we don’t really know who we are waiting for. But someone is looking for it - looking for the name that we hold - and when they recognize the name we are called to take them safely and securely to become and do what they have travelled for on this journey of life.
As St Paul said, in the second reading of the Mass today, in his letter to the Corinthians “ we make it our aim to please Him” ( 2 Cor. 5:6-10). For the secret and purpose of life is not to become who we want to be, to do what we want or to achieve what we desire - life is not about holding a sign that has our name written on it - but the secret, purpose and road to happiness in life is found in arriving or departing into, and from each day, and looking for the sign with one name on it - Jesus - and then following Him to become who God - who is to be called Father - wants us to go and be.
For Father’s especially this weekend - I think God’s word offers a particular sign - to be present no matter the age of one’s child or the stage of a family’s life - in moral good example for the interaction, collaboration, guidance, advice in the arrivals and departures of life.
Maybe you and I could invite God’s grace in a particular way this Lord’s Day weekend to accompany us in the arrivals and departures, and as we seek signs, and hold signs - for those we are privileged to help lead to where the Father wants them to be.
This gathering of God’s people calls us to pause, give thanks, and seek Grace, that we may continue ourselves to look for the name on that sign, that our frequent reception of Him in the Eucharist, may help each of us to be able to hold the sign of His name up with greater vigour and strength.