Archbishop Gordon visits St Charles

“Mary went as quickly as she can,” was the thread of Archbishop Jason  Gordon’s homily. The congregation chorused in lively participation in the Liturgy of the Word at evening Mass on December 18, 2021, in the Parish of St Charles Borromeo, Tunapuna.

Earlier in joyful anticipation of His Grace’s presence, parishioners quietly exchanged greetings as they filled the pews. Soon enough the choir was on their feet with ‘O Come Divine Messiah’ to welcome the celebrants, Archbishop Gordon and Msgr Esau Joseph, parish priest.

The atmosphere was charged, and purpose clearly established as choir, congregation and celebrants invoked the Holy Spirit with ‘As we gather in this place today’.

During his homily, Archbishop Gordon emphasised, “When God speaks to the soul and sets you in motion for mission you move as quickly as you can to whatever it is God has asked of you.”

He stressed that there should be no “dilly dallying”. The Virgin Mary is our greatest example. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, shows that Mary was not only the first disciple but the first missionary disciple. Mary went with mission to her cousin Elizabeth; she went with a message of great joy. She went quickly.

Archbishop Gordon highlighted the reaction of the child in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted Elizabeth. He explained that Mary was not only communicating the grace of Jesus, but she was also conferring the Holy Spirit that overshadowed her unto Elizabeth.

He explained that the missionary disciple, by being immersed in Jesus, whenever issuing a greeting, that greeting is both a communication of the presence of Jesus and His Good News to the other person.

Archbishop Gordon also pointed out that if we have encountered the love of Jesus in our hearts, we too like Mary should go as quickly as we can to communicate that love to others.

He also spoke about “conversion to communion” explaining that conversion to communion means to do everything that we can to build up the Body of Christ. In closing, Archbishop Gordon reiterated that the onus is on each of us to build communion and reminded all that Mary went as quickly as she could.

At the end of the Mass, Deborah de Rosia of Eternal Light Community presented both Archbishop Gordon and Msgr Joseph with tokens of appreciation consistent with the Christmas Season. In conveying thanks on behalf of the parish to His Grace, de Rosia assured him that the parish is committed to working together for the glory of God. She commended and thanked Msgr Joseph for all he had been doing over the past four months. When she endorsed him as a “gem” the congregation responded with thunderous applause.

–Manuelita Gomez-Thomas