Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - 24th Tuesday in Ordinary Time
[1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31A and Luke 7:11-17]As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.
Some years ago, I was at a large suburban parish in Arizona to perform a baptism. I offered to celebrate one of the Sunday Masses, and had an interesting experience (mind you this was in the late 1980's). The parish had the custom of the various ministers and/or directors/coordinators/whatevers lining up to greet the priest on his way to begin the procession. I was much amused as I shook hands down that gauntlet! There's no doubt about it, today's parish is a very different experience than the one I grew up in. The sheer complexity of all the programs and roles is bewildering. Maintaining some sense of unity and vision is quite a challenge for most pastors! The number of meetings generated by all these roles and programs is exhausting. Yet, the words of St. Paul today seem to have the modern American parish in mind! The body is one, he notes, but it has many parts! I know from experience that those parts don't always get along with each other! Look at the list of "gifts" or "charisms" that he mentions. Which of those would you see yourself doing in a community? No one can do all of them! Occasionally one visits a parish where someone tries to do them all! And there are some pastors who really think the parish can get along without all those gifts! I wonder where "computer expertise" would fit in that list? No one can "do it all." The task of maintaining a vision and a unity of love in a diverse community is very difficult. St. Paul is working up to the binding force in all of this. Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting episode! "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, etc!" AMEN
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