September is a wonderful month. The days are still warm, sunflowers are in full bloom and height, the tomatoes are turning red, and it's harvest season. There are zucchini cakes, apple cobblers, and preserves a plenty. It is at this time of great abundance that we might take a moment to consider all our many blessings. Our friends and family, beautiful homes and gardens, and of course our faith communities. What about those people who don't have those blessings in the same abundance as we might have?
My Grandpa was a community leader. He had a way of gathering people, casting a vision, and then getting everyone to work together to get the job done. The Church I grew up in originally did not have a community hall. My Grandpa was on parish council as buildings and grounds and worked with the parish council, priest, CWL, KofC, and the parish community. I want to take this moment to clarify what exactly a Catholic Parish is. A parish is a geographical region which includes all the people that live in that region, Catholic, practicing, or otherwise. So when I say that a group of leaders from my church went and got the support of the parish community, I mean that they went and knocked on every door in South Hill to get support, financial and otherwise for the building of the Parish Community Hall. There were daces, bingos, school Christmas concerts, weddings, anniversaries, Karate classes, Vacation Bible Weeks, Yard Sales, and so many others I can't name them all.
Now this all happened a long time before I was born, but the fruits of all that hard work were something that I got to experience generations later. I know that community engagement is hard work. People can sometimes be difficult. They have different political, theological, and economic views than us. They have a different understanding of the world and their priorities are not our own. Yet, this is the paradox we are invited into as followers of Jesus. He definitely did not get along with everyone in his community. He engaged with people, he invited people in, and he created community wherever he went. The fruits of his work are something that we get to experience generations later.
Since September has started, I have had three individuals specifically looking to Catholic churches to help them find community. They are feeling isolated and just want a place to make and spend time with friends. I think back to a time when there was something going on almost every evening
at my parish. I long for those days, and I know many of you do too. The demographics have maybe changed so to should the activities then. What do you like to do? What would 'fill up your cup?' Maybe that is literally tea and coffee. Let's start having coffee after Mass again. Why can't we have a bridge tournament, or a knitting/quilting day. Put on a pot of coffee and just be together. Open the doors after school and teach the next generation how to knit, how to play crib, how to whatever it is that you love doing. Bring an apple crumble to the parish and hang out with you friends. If you don't have any, then make some, just like Jesus did.