"Let yourselves be built into a spiritual home" We hear these words in 1Peter Ch 2 this weekend, as the intro to our second reading. I've been reading and talking a lot with folks about the virtues and drawbacks of our present virtual, digital Mass reality these days of pandemic. As part of my parish responsibilities include religious education, especially for our families, I am thinking about our youngsters and how they might be understanding their participation in church today.
On the one hand, I am hearing, how very convenient it is to roll out of (or over in) bed and into digital Mass or confirmation class, while still in comfy clothes and 'bedhead'. I agree, not having to commute to church to be present at Mass IS indeed so much easier, on some level.
On the other hand, we say we are really missing that human connection, greeting one another in real time, seeing each others faces and smiles, or sleepy faces and knowing we have made an effort to be physically together, because we get something out of being community around our family eucharistic table once more.
From what we're hearing from the experts it looks like the safest way to think about our future church may indeed be a situation of both/and. We may be able to be present to one another in smaller groups for worship, we may also need to learn how to share our faith in a very conscientious way in our homes.
Parents, you are already performing a herculean task of being parent, teacher, wage earner, chef and everything else that goes into keeping your children happy, healthy, and safe at home. It is with a cautious breath that we ask you to remember those words you heard at your child's baptism, that it is in the family where our children first learn building blocks of our faith. That parents are indeed the first teachers of the faith for their little ones. We speak of a 'Domestic Church' in our tradition, and today these words are more real, more important that ever before.
Given our present reality, for the time being, and the foreseeable future, your home is the church your family will know best. How are you sharing faith with your children? How are you making Sundays different from the other 6 days of the homebound weeks? How are you and your family accepting the invitation to be built into a spiritual home? How can we at church help you do this more successfully?
These past few months, my admiration for all parents at home has exploded as I see the innumerable things you do every darn day. I know you are women and men of deep seated faith, you don't even know how good you are. I'm here to tell you that you are amazing, loving and kind and you got this!
Come what may, as we move into our new normal, together we can help build our domestic home churches and help one another share our faith, that gift we hold most dear, with our children. They will learn that our homes are a place where we learn about how much God loves us by the care we share with one another. They will also learn that our parish church is the place where we gather together with our larger family to celebrate and support one another, to break bread and share in the very Body and Blood of Jesus.
One last thing, maybe if you're at a loss as to how or where to step deliberately into the idea of being domestic church. Ask each other one simple question around the dinner table tonight, and each night going forward, at dinnertime, or at bedtime: Where/How did you find God in your life today? I promise you, once you get the hang of it, your kids may amaze you.
No comments:
Post a Comment