We have a parishioner at our parish named Diane (the parishioner is named Diane…not the parish). Every parish needs a person like Diane. When Elise and I were new to St. Michael’s, we knew very few people. We sort of recognized a few from when we lived here in the 80s but not enough to feel like we were old friends or anything. It was Diane who came up to us right away to introduce herself, find out everything about us and then introduce us to other people in the congregation. She was our icebreaker. Without her we would likely still be in the back of the church too afraid to talk to anyone. Well, that’s not entirely true as anyone who knows Elise can attest to. I recall meeting a couple at a beautiful Pennsylvania vista/overlook and talking for 30 minutes. When we told them we were uncertain about moving back to Pennsylvania because we thought we wouldn’t be able to make friends, the woman looked at Elise and said, “Honey, I have only known you now for 30 minutes and I don’t think making friends is anything you will have to worry about”. But I digress.
So having someone like Diane in your congregation is so vital. I know I am reluctant to go up to someone I don’t recognize to welcome them because with my luck they will probably come back with something like, “Son, we have been in this parish before you were old enough to bless yourself with holy water”. Community cannot be built without having someone willing to step up and make contact. To not be afraid to take a chance. Because of Diane, after only three years in the parish, we fill like we have been involved for years. And isn’t that what having a parish community is all about?
In today’s first reading from St. Paul to the Roman Church, Paul becomes a Diane to the young congregation in Rome. In this letter from the 16th chapter he introduces a slew of new people who will be joining the Roman community. Prisca, Aquilla, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Ampliatus, Urbanus and Stachys. Maybe the real reason Paul wrote to the Church is that he figured there was no way the Romans would be able to spell these names! Thankfully we have copy and paste.
Paul is the icebreaker here. He opens up the door for these new converts to help them to become familiar with their new community. So they can do God’s work together. To be another member of Christ’s body working to spread the Gospel. In the early Church, mass was held in House Churches. In the homes of the congregants. It was only later as the Church grew that separate locations dedicated to worship were created. So these small communities must have been close in terms of relationships. And this is the other reason Paul must have focused on the importance of incorporating these new members into the body of the Church…to avoid individualism. For if these new Christians had to remain on their own, it is likely that their knowledge of Christ’s teachings would eventually become skewed leading to distorted views of Catholicism, resulting then in fragmentation of the early Church.
We have seen a version of this sort of fragmentation over the centuries in the many Protestant faiths that have splintered off forming separate churches. Without guidance from a magisterium of bishops, we see the development of numerous interpretations of the Gospel resulting in religious leaders breaking away to form a new religious group. Solitary Christianity is an oxymoron. There is no such thing.
So if you have a version of our Diane in your parish, take the time to thank them. For without their energy and confidence our parishes would probably look more like Walking Dead zombies wandering around with blank expressions…oh and missing parts of vital flesh.
As a sidenote, when I was preparing for this reflection, I originally thought I would focus on the Gospel reading about the steward who was going to get fired by his master and decided to cut the master’s debtors a break in what they owed so they would treat him well after being fired. Well I had some great ideas on how I would approach the reflection. It involved a line that Don Adams used in the TV show Get Smart. Something about if he only used his skills for good and not evil. When I googled the line, to my surprise one of the hits that came back in the search was an ACM post from 2017. It was my reflection! And what did I focus on? Yup. Don Adams and the line about good and evil. Now I am not sure if I had this in the back of my mind from 2017 or my mind works in very predictable ways. So, I thought I would share that reflection with you as well. A sort of two for one. Just keep that in mind when you send me your tips.
