ACTIVE—NOT PASSIVE—PARISHIONERS
As we head into the tail end of July and the start of August, would that we might see that each day of summer is precious. Rather than feeling as if we are passively frittering it away, lets embrace each day and live it to the full.
There is a deliberate choice that the human being is called to make throughout life not to let life pass us by and merely drift along wherever life leads us. Faith emboldens us to the momentous decision to make a stand for something, to sell all—as the parable has it—to buy the pearl of great price.
As G.K. Chesterton sensibly pointed out in his tour de force about the central place of Christ in history, The Everlasting Man: “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” Another exuberant soul of the early twentieth century, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati exclaimed with a holy bravado: “To live without faith, to have no heritage to uphold, to fail to struggle constantly to defend the truth: this is not living. It is scraping by. We should never just scrape by, but really live.” A third encouragement to boldness comes from St. Catherine of Siena, a remarkably courageous woman of the 14th century: “If you are what you should be, you will set [the world] ablaze.” How could these three quotations transform the life of our parish if we allowed them? Perhaps we might give some thought to this question and be open to what the Holy Spirit allows to well up in our hearts.
With this bulletin article I have the modest goal of wanting to kindle a fire of holy desire and encourage all of us to up our ante of parish engagement and our commitment to the Lord. All of us come to receive and are grateful for the aspects of our parish that ‘feed us’. Not all of us ask the questions, “What can I do to make sure our parish life is sustainable now—and into the future?” or “How can I serve more generously to make our parish more welcoming, more of an intentional community, a home for those who seek for life in Christ?”
To say it simply, we are proud of our parish, but how do we act to strengthen our parish? We all want our parish to be strong, but how do we contribute to the renewal of its culture? It’s reminiscent of President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.” Complaint, negativity, complacency, and entitlement fall short; engagement, gratitude, aspiration, and commitment lead forward into a beautiful future.
As a practical take away, I encourage you to keep your eyes open for opportunities to get more involved around our Mass times (in visible and hidden ways), our campuses, with parish groups and of course in volunteerism with SeptemberFest and other large community gatherings. Just when you begin saying to yourself, ‘why doesn’t someone else do this or that’, perhaps the Lord is giving you a nudge to step forward yourself as an active parishioner, not waiting for something to happen, but stepping forward to serve in keeping with our knowledge of the gifts and charisms the Lord has given us.
Of course I say all of this and offer this encouragement in a deep spirit of gratitude for those who have given tirelessly for years and years and have served in hidden roles and in more visible ones throughout our parish. I also recognize the physical limitations of many who are deeply committed to our parish who I invite to deeper prayer and intercession. My invitation and encouragement to more active involvement is especially directed to those who may be new within our parish or somewhat reluctant or passive.
Who knows what the Lord wishes to accomplish by our willingness!
-Fr. Howe