When you come to church, do you feel part of a community, or do you come as in individual? Even those of you who are visiting, or watching at home on TV . . . do you feel part of something bigger than yourself? The teens of our parish will gather between the Sunday Masses for IGNITE SUNDAYS. And certainly the focus is on prayer and “praying always,” but do we only pray alone or is there something about this “gathering of prayers?”
Here’s a true story, in Denver, at a brand new 3rd grade teacher was nervous about her first week. She realized that she knew little about the eight-year-olds, many of whom came from low-income and underprivileged homes. So she devised an assignment to get to know them. She passed out Post-It notes to her students and asked them to complete this sentence, "I wish my teacher knew . . .”
Here are some of the replies
"I wish my teacher knew how to do a backflip."
"I want my teacher to know that she is not terrible, even though people say she is."
"I wish my teacher knew sometimes my reading log is not signed because my mom is not around a lot,"
"I my teacher knew that I don't have anyone to play with me."
"I wish my teacher knew I don't have pencils at home to do my homework."
The kids had the option to sign them or not, have her share them or just be for her alone. Surprisingly, most students wanted to post their notes on the classroom message wall.
The assignment was a revelation to the young teacher. She had a better understanding of what her students were going through: poverty, bullying, a seriously ill parent. She now begins every new school year with that assignment. The notes have helped teacher and students transform their classroom from a group of individuals into a community.
So when you gather here for church (or watching on line) do you feel like an individual or part of a community? Maybe there are some things that you want the parish to know about you. Maybe there are some things you want me and the staff to know. Think of this, “I wish the staff knew . . .” How would you complete that sentence?
Maybe you are like the judge in the gospel, that is, you don’t want to know anything about people who are not close to you. So that, the less you know, the easier to just think about yourself, forget others and hope their problems will just go away. The teacher possessed the spirit of perseverance as Jesus asks us all to do.
In a bit, you will each be given the opportunity to finish the statement, “I wish the staff knew . . . “ Maybe you want to give us a compliment, maybe you have a suggestion for how we could improve, or maybe you just want to be heard, like the woman in the gospel. And notice that the woman in the gospel doesn’t want a miracle, she just wants the “right thing to be done.” And what if the “right thing to be done” for you is right here in the community? That is, the solution to whatever you are dealing with, is RIGHT HERE?
What if, your solution can actually be realized . . . by not keeping the problem to yourself? By not waiting for some “magical” genie to come and save you? But by becoming MORE COMMUNITY?
I wish you, as a church member, knew . . . the solution to whatever you are dealing with could be solved by getting involved. Moving beyond yourself. To listen, to help, to serve. Or to reinterpret President Kennedy, “Ask not what your parish can do for you, but what you can do for your parish.”
It’s crazy. If you want to know how to deal with your illness, go visit someone else who is sick. If you want to Mass to be livelier, start volunteering. If you want the youth to become better, sign up to be a chaperone.
Well, today’s your day . . . to become MORE COMMUNITY. I call up Nancy Thielke, our Ministry Coordinator.
[Nancy explains about the “SIGN ME UP." CLICK HERE to fill out a form online.]