YOU ARE GOD'S FIELD!!

The 28^th World Youth Day held Rio de Janeiro 2013 was very special. The place where they were supposed to have the vigil at Guaratiba was named as campus fidei. Due to bad weather they had to shift the vigil to waterfront of Copacabana. Taking a cue from what happened; Pope Francis read the event in a different manner. He said, “Is the Lord not telling us, perhaps, that we ourselves are the true field of faith, the true Campus Fidei, and not some geographical location? Yes, it is true – each one of us, each one of you, me, everyone! To be missionary disciples means to know that we are the Field of Faith of God.” (Address of Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil with the Young People, Waterfront of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, 27 July 2013).

This brings to my mind the Pauline image of the field. 1Cor 3:9, Paul uses the image of the ‘field’ to describe the Corinthian community. The Greek rendering of the word field is γεώργιον (georgion). It has the meaning of a cultivated land. In calling the Corinthians Paul underscores that the Corinthian community belongs to God. It is God’s possession.

How beautiful it is to belong to the Lord. If we are God’s field, building, St. Paul tells us that our body is the temple of the Spirit. He dwells in us. We carry in our body the death of Christ. Our existence, life is meaningful precisely because God works in us, through us and with us. He is Emmanuel – God with us. We have been bought at a price (the death of Christ). It is then our gift and responsibility to allow God to work in us without ignoring his voice as Pope Francis exhorted a group of journalists on 7^th October 2013.