Reaching Out
Dear Friends in Christ,
When I attended grade school, I remember the immense thrill I felt whenever September came around. With the changing of the season came the excitement of seeing friends occasionally to seeing them all the time. Sure, during the summer I would call up my girlfriends and we would move back and forth from one person’s house to another, but there was always the reality that someone would suddenly be on vacation or at camp. With school, my friends and I would get to see each other every day, and the joy of that community would make September one of the most exciting months of the year.
I still feel that joy today, especially as many people return from summer vacations. This past summer has revealed our need and desire for a relationship with one another in our church. I have felt incredibly blessed to come together with you in all the different ways of community, through Community Sundays after Mass, adventures hiking at Oxbow Park, traveling in pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadeloupe in LaCrosse, and serving at Channel One. I am inspired by how these events encourage greater faith and hope in my own daily experience. Recently, I read a quote from Pope Francis concerning community “It is impossible to believe on our own. Faith is not simply an individual decision which takes place in the depths of the believer’s heart, nor a completely private relationship between the ’I’ of the believer and the divine ‘Thou’, between an autonomous subject and God. By its very nature, faith is open to the ‘We’ of the Church; it always takes place within her communion.” Community in our Church is a part of our faith!
One aspect of our Church Community is that we have a community that extends beyond those living here on earth. We are united in community with the saints. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states “Saints are persons in heaven who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their life for others, or were martyred for the faith, and who are worthy of imitation”. The saints, the faithful who are in heaven with Jesus, are a part of our everyday community. I always appreciate getting to know these individuals who make up our community, as I am often inspired by their lives and the way they always turn to God. Recently, I learned about a woman named Catherine of Genoa. At a young age, she entered an arranged marriage that resulted in her experiencing an intense period of depression. Nothing Catherine did could shake the feeling, even as she tried to engage in the societal culture of the time. Finally, Catherine had a change of heart one day while receiving the Sacrament of Confession. She encountered Jesus, and she began to dedicate her time to taking care of others in a nearby hospital. She would choose the least favored tasks for herself, and as she served others, she began to experience great happiness.
Like many saints’ stories, Catherine of Genoa reminds me of my own call to reach out of my individual world. Each one of us has something to offer. Each one of us has someone who comes with the guise of Lazarus from today’s Gospel. Perhaps we meet that person at work, on the street, at Church, or even in our own home. The beauty of our community is that we are encouraged to reach out to those around us and to see Jesus present in each person. There are many upcoming opportunities for community over the next few months. Check out upcoming opportunities for community on the calendar. I hope that as we continue to grow in communion, that each one of us looks for the person on the margins, the person who might not seem at ease, and to invite that person to share in the beauty of our Church.
In Christ,
Michelle Schmid
Director of Formation