We Belong To You
A couple of weeks ago, a song that I had not heard in quite some time was sung at Mass. It is entitled “We Belong to You,” by Victoria and Trevor Thomson, and has been “stuck in my head” since that time.
This has happened to me many times with various songs in the past. This time, though, I felt called to discern if there might be a reason why the words and melody of this particular song would just “not go away.” Not knowing the exact words to all the verses and wanting to meditate on those words, I found the song in the missalette we use at Mass. The first thing I noticed was the reference at the bottom of the page that noted a suggested use for the song would be Christian Initiation.
This reference to Christian Initiation took me back to the many years I served as a catechist for the RCIA program. I can say without a doubt that those years were some of the most integral in the growth of my faith. While my role as catechist was to be the one who led in breaking open the Word, it was much more for me. I benefitted immensely from being on this journey with the catechumens. We learned about our faith together as we shared our life stories and how God’s Word is at work in our daily life experiences. What we shared helped me to see more clearly what I am called to do and to whom I belong if I am to live a truly authentic Christian life.
Knowing to whom we belong is key if we are to live a truly authentic Christian life. To whom we belong is clearly stated in the song’s refrain:
“We belong to you, O Lord of our longing. We belong to you. The refrain goes on to say, In our daily living, dying and rising. We belong to you.”
Those ordinary daily life experiences – those things that we live, die and rise to each day – help us to grow in faith and to affirm to whom we belong. Just as the conversion process is ongoing for the catechumen, so too, every Christian must live a life of conversion—living, dying and rising to new life daily.
The verses of the song give beautiful examples of those things that are essential elements of our journey of conversion:
“In the waters of your mercy, when the old becomes the new, souls united in the mystery: We belong to you. Filled with gifts and filled with goodness, Spirit breathing life into All who seek to find their purpose: We belong to you. When we share the bread you’ve broken With the many and the few, We are blessed and we are broken; We belong to you. We are called to share your word, Lord, In all we say and all we do. As our journey moves us onward, we belong to you.”
I am thankful this song has been “stuck in my head” and that the Spirit moved me to reflect on the refrain and verses. It also reminded me of how blessed I am to have been an RCIA catechist. I am forever grateful and humbled by the time I spent with many catechumens over the years who taught me more clearly what it means when we say “we are on this journey together.” As the Easter Season ends with the Feast of Pentecost on May 20, let’s not forget that our conversion story does end there – but that the Easter Season catapults us into our continuing journey, a journey that we are on together, a journey led by the One to whom we belong.
“O, Lord of our longing, We belong to you!”
“We Belong to You” Text © 2006, Victoria Thomson; Music © 2006, Trevor Thomson.
Text and music published by Spirit & Song, a division of OCP. All rights reserved.
Brenda Hopf is a member of Divine Mercy Parish in Dubois County and also contributes to the “Sharing the Load” column in The Messag
