People Who Know...

If you've never seen it before, the photo is a vigil light at Our Lady of the Angels church, 5802 East Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ

It's a Franciscan "convent" church, meaning it belongs to and is staffed by Franciscan friars, with the blessing of our local Bishop. The community (known informally as The Casa) has been there since the 1950s, serving Catholics of every place and bent. JoAnne and I joined more than a dozen years ago, seeking a community that was forward thinking, progressive... and kind. As Catholic communities go, I'd say Our Lady's is a good example of what laypeople can do when they embrace their vocation. Paired with Franciscan values, it means there is a lot of opportunity and support for growth, both in spirit and in understanding. If you come for anything, come to sample Franciscan preaching. And stay for donuts and coffee...

What makes a viable community? Different people look for different things. I mentioned the sermons. I like to be challenged, but even more, I like when someone can open the Scriptures and help me find my place in them, my own "narrow path". I like good community prayer experiences, both traditional and new. I don't mind modern music, though I sometimes hunger for old hymns. I don't mind laypeople serving. After all, we are the Church too. I don't like harsh judgement, but I often need to be told where the boundaries are... and what to do when the Spirit leads me into the wilderness. I've learned a lot at the Casa, and most importantly, I've learned that there is so much more to know!

I've belonged to several communities in my life. It's been like paddling a canoe on a river, going from village to village and island to island. I'm not sure we're meant to spend our lives in just one place, though that can be fruitful too. But I recognize when I need to move. If I find myself sitting in a church and gazing out the door, it's time to go...

And this is how I grow, by following the call of the Holy Spirit. "Come and see!" she says. "Come and see where I live...!" The Spirit moves. We hear its sound and follow.

I don't like the divisions that crop up in our Church these days. But division seems to be everywhere, like the shadow of a cloud. The trick is to not get sucked into arguments, working instead to prevent division from creeping into your own heart. "The best medicine," my parents used to say, handing me a rake, "is to stay busy." 

In a Church devoted to uniting the world, divisions mark where the ground is breaking, places where new things can grow. Is God doing new things in the world? Every day! This is why, even now, I can get up in the morning eager to see what's happening. In all the fuss and turmoil, God is working out his plan for us, drawing us all to himself, in perfect peace.