Dear Friends in Christ,
Many people come to our parishes for the first time and fall in love with it and feel right at home. Others struggle to make it fit for them and their families. But sometimes people don’t always come away with the best impression of our parish family. Now, we all know that some people are just born complainers and you just can’t please everyone. At the same time, however, the stranger among us is Christ, and we must respond to the stranger as if to Christ Himself.
Many Catholics are used to just punching in their time clock by fulfilling their obligation to hear Holy Mass every Sunday and Holy Day. The reason we go to Mass, though, is so that we become better disciples of Christ, and if we can’t show that we are Christians by our love in our own parish family, then maybe we’re missing the boat. Protestant congregations can’t survive if they don’t court members and make them feel a part of the community. The Catholic Church can survive through anything, but shouldn’t we still make those who pass through our doors on Sunday feel like they are loved and treasured, not only by Jesus, but by the entire parish? We don’t have to turn the Sign of Peace into the Grope of Goodwill or stage theatrics of welcoming to do that.
What can we do? A smile and a nod of acknowledgment to the people in the pew with you. Courteous behaviour before, during and after Mass (like praying and not holding private conversations). Introduce yourself to people who are new to you after Mass. Hang out in the narthex and outside around the church and meet your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Remember that people see us in church on Sunday, but they also see us at restaurants, at work, in the grocery store, on vacation. Wherever we go, we are SHJ & SHM & St. B parishioners and, even if we don’t realize it, people will gain an impression of what our parish is like from us. For those of you who sneak out of church without ever saying hello to Father (LOL, I know who you are!), come over and help me put a face with a name (or an envelope number!). Each one of you counts. Not as numbers in the Archdiocesan Spiritual Report to show the Archbishop how many we can say are registered, but as souls precious in the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of your priest and fellow parish family members.
See you next Sunday!
Fr. Justin