In the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation—which I referred
to on Tuesday—Pope Francis reflects on evangelizing with joy. In so doing he warns against an
individualism in our faith.
Jesus
himself sent his disciples out two by two. He modeled how we need to preach the Gospel—in community.
There
are at least two forms of individualism which we must avoid. The first is having a mentality of me
versus the world. Though we are
called to have a personal relationship with Christ, it is not just about me and
Jesus. We must be rooted in our
community of faith and find good fellowship among Christian brothers and
sisters.
The
second is a sort of collective individualism. This is something which we Catholics in the Midwest need to
work on. Many people here at St.
John’s have their “own pew”. Many
sit at “their table” when we have coffee and donuts after Mass.
While
this in itself isn’t bad, many don’t notice we often have new people at St.
John’s. Some are new to the area,
looking for a church they can call home.
Some are interested in becoming Catholic. Do you introduce yourself to these families? Do you introduce these families to your
family or friends? Or do you
remain comfortable being at church or social activities with people you already
know.
The
second largest denomination of Christianity in the United States is former
Catholics. Many of these men and
women are leaving our parishes precisely because they don’t feel welcomed. Indeed, our Protestant brothers and sisters
often kick our butts. For example,
if you go to the Vineyard as a visitor you will receive a warm welcome at the
door. You will be introduced to
people. You will ask to sit with
someone. If you want, you will
receive follow up phone calls and be invited to Bible studies, fellowship and
other activities.
We
can’t underestimate how important it is for people to be included at St. John’s.
To be frank, we must do a much
better job doing this. Fr. Rich
and I do our best, but it is your job, as the laity, to offer an extended hand
and bring newcomers into our parish family.
May
we have the grace to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ with joy, and
bolster our mission here at our own parish.
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