 |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
The Gospel as it is lived It would be interesting to relate here past events of the parish and to retrace the best memories of its long history. However, the history which fascinates me the most is the one we are living today. What is it that stirs our Christian communities? Who are the men and women who make history a living thing today? It is by looking at our communities that we can tell what makes them live, what draws their commitment and what makes people what they are. I arrived in Moonbeam a few years ago right in the middle of the festivities of the 75th anniversary of the Parish. To my surprise, a program was already well under way. A committee had been struck, people of all ages were busy preparing dances, celebrations, Masses and homecomings. And the festivities kept going to the end of 1992. But beyond these highlights of community life, it is in the day-to-day that history is made. I participate in the events and rituals that form a community. For example, a funeral comes up. I am present as the pastor. I am amazed to see that it is the community as a whole that shifts into gear. Food is brought to the house, a hot meal is prepared for people after the wake. But that is not all. While visiting the bereaved family after the first night of the wake, I see neighbours busy serving food, cleaning up. Unusual? Absolutely not. Every day, teams work in relay to help out. What community spirit! And the challenge does not end here! In early 1993, we were debating whether to participate in the International Youth Rally in Denver, Colorado, at the general invitation of our Pope John Paul II. At a parents' meeting, I am informed that our little community is up to the task. Everything shifts into gear: fund-raising activities, charitable donations, sponsors. We brought in more funds than what had been budgeted. And we went ahead with the trip. In the spring of 1993, we were preparing for First Communion. In listening to the preparation plans, I realized that this was going to be quite a celebration: brunch for all the guests after Mass. Prepared by the kids who would be attending the Youth Rally in Denver. What a challenge! What enthusiasm! The party was a success and I was told this is the way it's done every year. Thinking back on these examples of community life, and they are just a sampling of our day-to-day routine, I realized that our customs, here in Moonbeam, are anchored in a tradition of dedication past and present that is still very much alive today. If I may be permitted to draw a lesson from this, I realize that throughout our history, our Christian communities have developed rites, traditions and customs that reveal our true colours in a climate of sharing, mutual aid and support. And the list goes on. Our small communities live Gospel values daily although verse and chapter are not always cited. It is the spirit of the Risen Lord that is active in the hearts of the Baptized. The Word that lives today is written by our lives.
|
