Welcoming
Our Gospel from two weeks ago has much to offer us about welcoming, hospitality and our mission here at Holy Family. Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs. In other words, they have a partner in ministry, purpose and mission. We should both seek and see the partners that we have in making Holy Family a dynamic, vibrant and relevant community. Some of us are needed to be Greeters and Ushers at Mass because that is, week in and week out, day in and day out, the most important and sacred gathering. It is where we celebrate and express our deepest identity – we are the Body of Christ.
If you see yourself as friendly, positive, warm, aware and kind, or if you see others with these traits, contact or have that person contact Sue Geegan, our Director of Human Concerns. Greeters are essential for an initial welcoming and the tasks are very simple. Ushers have a bit more responsibility and require some training. Please consider being involved in these important roles to advance our mission here at Holy Family.
However, I am calling EVERY one of us, every one of YOU, to help create a CULTURE OF WELCOMING. In my homily last week I encouraged us all to have a mindset of RECEIVING, not getting; SHARING, not consuming; and a greater awareness of US, instead of me, when celebrating the Eucharist.
If we ALL see ourselves as RECEIVING grace and blessings when we come to Mass we will open ourselves up to more than something that we ‘get’ or ‘get out’ of Mass. If we see ourselves as SHARING the experience of the Eucharist, we will naturally be more aware of others – their pain, sorrow, struggles as well as their joys, triumphs and enthusiasm.
Shifting the culture involves a changed mindset. Again, many of you demonstrate the following already, but for a refresher, and connected with GRACE that we will be focusing on in our upcoming Pilgrimage, may the following serve to remind us:
We can get Grace, or receive Grace. We can consume Grace, or we can share Grace. We can limit Grace to me, or expand it to us.
Some simple distinctions of these words might be helpful.
Get Receive
More focused on the recipient Balances the focus on Giver, Receiver and Gift
Consume Share
More focused on satisfying Focuses on a flow back and forth, between Giver , Receiver and
an appetite community
Me/I Us/We
Self Focus Community Focus
More thoughts on Welcoming and our Pilgrimage to come…