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| Reason #13 I Converted to Catholicism: My Small Christian Community |
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56:1 Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. 56:6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant-- 56:7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
The above piece of scripture was the first Reading from last weekend's liturgies. I got the opportunity to to read and discuss this inspired prophecy from Isaiah with some of my best friends, the members of St. Augustine's Small Christian Community.
Their names are Carol Brizzolara, Verah Graham, Jim McMurray, Karen Meadows, Courtney Redis, Tom Trine, Annette Alfaro, Retta Warner. They are the members of the Small Christian Community of St. Augustine Catholic Church (Oakland, California). Their existence, friendship, indulgence, and encouragement was a key reason why I continued with RCIA and fully entered the Catholic Church in 2007. Without this group of people, individually and the collectively, I would have remained intimidated by the prospect of changing Christian faith traditions; or more importantly living a Catholic Christian life. It would have seemed too hard. Demanding without reward (beyond the universal Christian reward of heaven).
However, witnessing this group of Catholic Christians on a weekly basis testify how they made Christian faith and in particular Catholic practices/devotions the central fact of their existence brought me great encouragement that being Catholic was not only feasible but the way to live the second half of my earthly life. What was most astonishing and hopeful was listening and seeing how these ordinary Catholic faithful, in their own Northern California ways, describe the joys of living a Catholic Christian sacramental life. They brought (and bring) an attitude of a cheerful humble servant to their homes, vocations, worship, ministries around the parish, and each member of the Small Christian Community. With the sacramental graces particularly conferred in Sacraments of Reconciliation (aka Confession), Eucharist (aka Communion), and Confirmation, I saw the discipline of pursuing a holy life (piety and morality and evangelization) was not the exclusive province of clergy, nuns, blessed saints, widows/widowers, and others of the "Called."
I attended my first session of Small Christian Community with the express purpose of "total immersion self-study" of all things offered at the Catholic church I was in the process of becoming fully initiated into. To make the new habits of worship and habits of mind more fully and seamlessly integrated into my conscious life. I heartily recommend, if you have never participated in or attended a session or it it has been a long time since you attended a Small Christian Community session, that you contact your local church or parish Small Christian Community coordinator, or your diocesan Office of Small Christian Communities and participate in a session. Especially for the "unchurched" or neophyte, being a member of a Small Christian Community adds a dimension of reality and purpose to your education of the Christian lifestyle that is hard to attain elsewhere. But whether you are Catholic or Protestant, "unchurched" inquirer or born to the faith through many generations and living the faith for seventy years, I am confident that you will get a lot out of this purposeful participation is such a group.
When I attended my first Small Christian Community session, I had no idea (none, zero, Nada) about the purpose, format, or qualifications of members. I may have had a vague supposition that it was a introductory stage for people considering enrolling in seminary, or incredibly pious and holy seniors who made their own rosaries. You know, the usual unintelligible and unknowledgeable nonsense of someone outside the church (it is crushing how stupid I can be at times). Turns out that the kind of people you meet in your typical Small Christian Community are average laypeople. People who love Christ, love his church, yet have struggles with life and faith and sincerely want to understand Christ, his Church, and their Faith better by engaging more frequently in the Word of God. They want to deepen their journey into relationship with Christ and discipleship by sharing with other believers in a face-to-face situation their triumphs and struggles in living the faith. Another way of stating the raison d'etre of members of Small Christian Communities is that they want to figure out how they can bring Jesus more frequently and consistently to their human encounters, including encounters with themselves.
What we do in our Small Christian Community is pray, read, share, and grow in faith. Not as a substitute for attending mass, or participating in private prayer, or other liturgies and devotions. But as a way of renewal. To deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ by hearing and contemplating his words more often; and once hearing his words, figuring out how to more effectively integrate Christ's love and wisdom into your everyday life (spiritual and mundane aspects of your life). This is an ongoing conversion. Discuss with fellow Christians how devotions, liturgies, and sacraments of Christ are our lives; as opposed to a discrete compartment of our lives reserved for only seventy minutes on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.
Other communities format their sessions in any number of ways. You can come across small groups that engage in lectio divina, or social justice ministry. You can come across communities that are populated and focus on their church ministries such as choir, Bible Study, Greeters. Some communities meet to annually celebrate Passover with a Sedar, as a way to acknowledge the Jewish roots of Christianity, plus commemorate the institution of the Holy Communion by Jesus Christ.
This past week (I have spent almost six days drafting and editing this blog post...) we had a truly special and meaningful session. There was a certain nature of last weekend's scripture readings that brought out the thoughtful contemplation and sharing among the members of our group. The themes of hospitality, pursuing and worship God across national borders or faith traditions seemed particularly apt, and Faith generally. Starting in the above citation from the Book of Isaiah, then continuing with the Liturgy of the Word people all across the world sang, heard and contemplated these lyrics of the psalmist Responsorial Psalm during the Liturgy of the Word:
67:2May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, [Selah] 67:3 that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations. 67:4 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! 67:5 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. [Selah] 67:6 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! 67:7 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 67:8 God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
St. Paul in his letter to the Roman believers struck a similar theme of the universal opportunity for salvation (as opposed to the exclusive Jewish redemption implied in the Old Testament) through Jesus:
11:13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 11:14 in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 11:15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; 11:27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 11:28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 11:29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 11:30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 11:31 so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. 11:32 For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
Read the scriptures for this upcoming weekend... share our thoughts and experiences with the themes of the universal impulse to seek God, to live in a holy manner, Christ as Jesus human nature in this week's gospel.
When we got to the Gospel Reading from St. Matthew:
15:21And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 15:22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 15:25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 15:26 And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 15:27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.
Sharing struggles in the readings and living the faith is a great thing for all believers. Hashing out new understandings in the scriptures from individual readings and events of the Bible by bouncing them off one another makes being a disciple real, because this is what the Apostles and other disciples historically did. And they resolved to go and serve the Lord, evangelizing all they came across to the Good News of Jesus Christ unto death. Thus we were better prepared for living the rest of the week, and for active participation during weekend liturgies by studying the scriptures prior to Mass.
Despite the time commitment, I highly recommend trying a Small Christian Community. Christian leaders, from Rick Warren in his book Purpose Driven Church to unknown clergy and laypeople, all across the world herald the benefits of participation in the network of small group study and worship. The social elements of being a member of a Small Christian Community are tremendous. Developing close friends in Christ, and a counter-cultural attitude toward American "rugged individualism" is a great balm and aid in living your faith (this is especially true in contemporary America... a land that at every turn reinforces tendencies toward isolation and self-interest). Plus the food and jocularity during the "Refreshments" is often a revelation.
Not to be overlooked is the opening and closing rituals (i.e. Liturgy) of a Small Christian Community session. The rituals prepare human minds to enter into contemplation of God. They assist in making real and serious the intention to worship, and the intention to seriously commit to living a life of discipleship away from the group. This is exemplified with how many groups conclude the prayer portion of their meetings: by holding hands, as a Sign of Christ's Peace and communal solidarity with God's creation, and earnestly praying the prayer our Jesus taught us:
Our Father
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, they will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen. |
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| August 19, 2008 |
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| hello brothers and sisters, my name is lu. some of u might have received a message from me before, sorry to bother u again, but i started a new account so im sending out another message to find like minded people. i myself love the word of God, and i love to share the revelation that i receive from Dad. im looking for others who feel the same if that's u please send me a friend request. if not no hard feelings. God bless -Lu |
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