Our power for the journey through life

The prospect of change in one's life is at times frightening. Why can't things just stay the same? At other times, we look forward change. Albert Einstein commented that before marriage, we may say of our intended "He/She has some imperfection but he/she will change." After marriage, "You're not the person I married. You've changed."

Some change is good: some is not. We now that when we step ou of this earthly life, "we shall all be changed," (2 Corinthians, 15:51). this has been reworded succinctly to give hope to the grieving , to those who may waver in their hope, to the common "Life is changed, not ended."

The funeral of the archpriest, Monsignor Yarnovitz, surely prompted me consider changes in life. His life certainly change with his death. This change is but one of many changes in his life and must be put into the proper perspective. His birth, his ordination, his retirement, serving in the army, formation in the seminary, various parish ministries, service to the eparchy, all brought new life, but there was also a letting go of a former - perfectly good - experience of life.

Monsignor had the privilege of witnessing often the greatest "change" on the face of the earth. In the Holy Eucharist, with the collaboration of the church, priest and people, bread and wine are changed in the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. A group of people are changed into the body of Christ.

A group of women were talking. One said, "I can't wait until my son changes from a baby to a little boy so I won't have to be changing him." Another said, "I can't wait until my daughter changes from an adolescent to adult so I won't have to keep changing my schedule." Then one asked the elderly lady in the group, "Aunt Sophia, what change in your children was your favorite?" She answered,"When my sons and daughters changed into my brothers and sisters in Christ."

When we allow our Christian faith to be the foundation for our life, our life changes to include eternal life over which death and its various antetypes have no victory. Change for the sake of change or change that leads away from God's plan does not have such a benefit.

When our words, "I believe and profess that you are truly the Christ, the Sonof the living God" come from the depths of our being; when we tryly blieve "that this, which I am about to receive, is truly (Christ's) most precious body and ...life-giving blood..." is for life everlasting; this will be the greatest change in our life.

As we may fear physical death, we may fear such a committment to Christ. Let us remember the words of our Holy Father Pope Benedict, "If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide."

When physical death is put into the perspective of eternal life, fear was allayed. When we allow our relationship with the risen Christ to be the basis for all life, when we realize that in the Holy Eucharist and the other mysteries is our power for the journey, we shall proceed through the changes of life, even physical death, with courage and without fear.

Bishop John Kudrick presides over the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma, Ohio. He appears at Spero with permission from the diocesan newspaper, Horizons.