The parish is a harbor for God's beloved

By Mary Regina Morrell

"All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus." Acts 1:14

Oddly nestled between neat suburban houses on a city street in Albany, New York, stands a quaint wooden building with a cupola bell tower, more reminiscent of a one room school house from Little House on the Prairie than a contemporary house of worship. What catches the eye is a small hand painted sign that invites parishioners and passersby - BELOVED OF GOD, WELCOME.

Even now as I drive by once again, eight years after my father's death, I am reminded of the day I drove to the hospital where my father lay in a coma, I thought about how appropriate that sign would be at the gates of Heaven. I had prayed fervently through endless tears that my father would find Heaven to be that exquisite place of welcome for a beloved child of God. At the same time, I became acutely aware of the role that little homespun parish must play in bringing and being God's Kingdom to its parish ``family,'' and how well they had made their mission known in that simple wooden sign.

Since that painful day so many years ago I have found myself frequently thinking about the dynamic of church community and the significant impact it has on the lives of its members. Providentially, it would be my own experience of welcome into the parish community of St.Andrew's that would play a pivotal healing role in my own life after the death of my father, and shortly thereafter, my mother.

The definition of parish as "a Catholic community of believers led by a pastor" is simple and to the point but devoid of the richness of the experiences that take place within that community. Add to that such phrases as ``family of God'' and ``body of Christ'' and we begin to understand an entity comprised of people intimately bound together by a life grounded in the love of Christ. Ideally, in addition to the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist and the Grace-filled Sacraments of our faith, such a place would offer spiritual nourishment, emotional support and a special kind of love born of the Spirit.

For me, and for many others, the parish is our harbor, our home. It is a place that invites us in, with all our shortcomings, and loves us -- as Jesus would love us. It is a place to experience the love of God in the sacredness of the sacraments and in the ordinary holiness of daily life as well. Parishes which enable their people to make this connection have truly established "the household of God'' (1 Tim 3:15) at a time when families everywhere are fragmented by twenty-first century pressures.

When Jesus washed the feet of his apostles it was not just a symbolic gesture to remind others of their obligations, but the embodiment of a reality he expected of his whole Church. Serve others, be present to others, humble yourself and be like Christ. A parish which extends itself in service to the community, which provides a variety of ministries for its people to undertake, a parish which offers love and compassion and forgiveness, in addition to catechesis and the sacraments, is a parish living out the call of Christ to ``feed my flock.''

I, for one, am grateful for such a place to call home.

______________________________

Mary Regina Morrell is a syndicated columnist, author of Angels in High Top Sneakers from Loyola Press, and four reflection journals available through the Metuchen Office of Religious Education.

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http://www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Regina Morrell - Associate Director, Office of Religious Education, 732 562-1990, ext. 1310

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

parish

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