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Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they crawled into their sleeping bags and drifted off in slumber.Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. “Watson, look up, and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars in the milky way.” “What does that tell you?”Watson pondered for a minute. “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions and millions of galaxies, and potentially billions and billions of planets.“Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo.“Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three.“Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, a master creator, and that we are both tiny, and yet incredibly blessed to be able to witness this nighttime spectacle.“Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. So, what does it tell you, Holmes?”Holmes was silent for a minute, and then spoke. “Watson, you’ve missed the most elementary thing. Someone has stolen our tent.”The “elementary” thing. The most basic thing. The thing that is most obvious, right under our nose - or, in Holmes & Watson’s case, just over their head - that is often the thing that we miss, because we look right past it. We can be distracted, scattered, or trying too hard to see the things that, to our minds, take more effort. Watson, after all, was not wrong about all those things he noticed. He thought deeply, he pieced together bits of evidence and prior knowledge to form some deductions about the night sky, the time of day, the constellations, the relationship between Creator and creatures. But he also managed to miss “the most elementary thing,” something that was so patently obvious - the missing tent - as he worked so hard to figure out the deeper, broader things. I sometimes wonder if I do the same thing. I wonder if we, St. Peter’s Parish, miss the most “elementary thing,” as we strive to fulfill our mission as a parish. The mission we are given is stated quite clearly by Christ at the end of the Gospel of Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . . .” (Matt 28:19-20). What Jesus told the Apostles to do there, just before His return to the Father, and just before the sending of the Holy Spirit so that they could in fact do that work . . . that is our mission as well, right here in our part of the world. We are to “make disciples” - introducing people to Christ, assisting them into a life-long walk with Him. We are to “baptize,” and offer the other life-giving sacraments as well, as Christ has instituted them. We are “teach,” to catechize, forming hearts and minds after the heart and mind of Christ, so that, as disciples, we might “observe all that [He has] commanded.” In this third and final installment of a series on a vision for our Parish, which really is not “final,” but only a beginning of sorts - I want us to consider a most “elementary thing.” Something which can easily be overlooked. Let’s do that by first asking what Holmes asked Watson, “look up, look out, and what do you see?”Sociologically, we can be struck by the dramatic rise of the “nones” in American society. That is, people who identify as having no affiliation or belonging with any religious group. They answer, “none” when asked what their religion is. In fact, it is a fact that the “nones” are the fastest growing “religious” group in the past decade. Historically, we might be shocked to see the decline in Catholic observance. The statistics tell the story. For instance, in 1970, there were 1,089,154 infant baptisms in the USA. In 2018, we had 615,119 infant baptisms. Or, in a more local expression: in 2011 the diocese of Ogdensburg had 974 infant baptisms. In 2018, we had 596. Economically, we easily notice that even if the numbers on Wall Street and major indicators say that we are in an upswing nationally, our local area still experiences stress and profound need among many of our neighbors. Spend just a little bit of time with our outreach, St. Vincent dePaul or Gabriel Project, and you will know what I mean. And even with the improving national economic numbers, we still are encountering a national epidemic of what are called “deaths of despair” - that is to say, deaths by suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol related illnesses.Theologically, it is clear that many, so many, of our people lack a basic understanding of the most fundamental elements of Christianity - in our highly educated society, we have a religious illiteracy rate that is astounding. And yet, admitting all that, we can still easily miss that most elementary of things . . .The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, suffered, died, rose again and sent His Holy Spirit into the world to transform it. And we have been given this incredible gift to share, the awesome good news to propose to a world that is desperate for good news. But: before we can propose the Good News, the Gospel, which answers the most daunting challenges of a disoriented and hurting world, we must first address a deep, gnawing hunger - a sense of desire that cannot be satisfied by anything but authentic love. To be loved. To belong. Unless, and until, one is convinced that he is loved, that she belongs, that they are genuinely wanted . . . well, all our treasures of theology and teaching, the vast riches of sacramental grace, the life of peace and joy that comes from an encounter with Christ and the Gift of His Holy Spirit, all the riches of our Catholic faith and practice - all of it - can still seem inaccessible, untapped, closed off to them. Why? Because the elementary thing might still be missing. Like Watson looking past the obvious fact that his tent was missing, we may fail to understand what it actually feels like for someone who is an “outsider,” or someone who may be “coming back to take a look” after some time away. What does the searcher, the “none,” the “outsider,” or the wandering prodigal son - what do they all need to experience, before they will ever listen to our teaching, or accept the challenge and adventure of discipleship in Christ? It’s elementary: a warm, authentic, and freely offered “welcome.” It is so simple. And yet so often overlooked. In today’s first reading, we heard about those who were very concerned to impose the law of Moses on Gentile converts - that is, non-Jewish converts - to Christianity. In other words, they were very concerned about getting newcomers to follow the customs and laws of Moses, about which those newcomers were very unfamiliar. Without going into all the theology and historical background of that dispute that arose, can you see how this might also be a pitfall of our own, in a way? The stranger, the newcomer, the seeker who steps into our Church on a Sunday may feel the pressure, the awkwardness of not knowing how to behave, where and when to sit, stand, or kneel, and how they might fit in. And without even trying, we can sometimes make such people feel very much unworthy, unfit, unwelcome. And so it is into this most simple first step of deliberate invitation and welcome that we must put our concentrated effort - if we are to gain a hearing for those who have not already “bought in” to the Faith. It’s why we are investing such effort and energy into Alpha. And it is why we must look at everything that we do from the perspective of the “outsider,” when we make plans and set priorities. We heard in the second reading, in the Book of Revelation, about the heavenly Jerusalem. In St. John’s description, there are angels stationed at the gates. I think we have angels, invisible to the human eye, at all our entries at Church - - - we also need visible “angels” there. At every entrance. Perhaps you’ve noticed in recent weeks: a few more people at the doors to greet people arriving and departing; the priests, deacon, and members of the pastoral staff approaching and greeting people before and after Mass. This is just a beginning. We are going to be consistent - and persistent - at refining our “invitation and welcome.” We have already had some training with those who are assisting the pastoral staff with this most basic - and most essential - ministry. And there is still more to do - we need more “angels at the gates.” Our aim is to form a hospitality team for each and every Mass. That hospitality team, ideally, will consist of: A greeter outside every entrance to the church building, who can assist with opening the door and welcoming people with a smile and friendly greeting.A greeter inside each of the church entrances, who would distribute bulletins, and/or other pertinent material to be handed out for the weekend - and again, welcoming people with a friendly smile. These greeters can also direct people with questions to the Information Table near the front entry, so they can be assisted with more detailed requests.Ushers who would assist with setting up the offertory gifts, identifying people who can bring up the gifts (ideally, people who are associated with the Mass intention), smoothly taking up the collection, assisting with people who have trouble finding a place to sit, and other logistical needs at each Mass.Hosts at our newly installed Information Tables, near the front entry at each Church, who are well informed and can assist people with:Information on parish registrationInformation on parish programs, including Faith Formation, various ministries, and so onMass Intention requests and Mass CardsMemorial and Candle requestsPrayer RequestsRequests for a home visit for loved ones who are homeboundAnd so on. This will be the one-stop-shop for information for people attending the Weekend Masses - especially for those who may possibly be new, and not sure where to start with things.Perhaps you would be interested in helping with this ministry that is so simple, and yet so important. I hope you would let us know. But, even if you’re not available to assist as a greeter, usher, or Information Table Host, be assured of this: every last one of us must still be a “Minister of Hospitality,” an “angel at the gates,” at all times, offering a kind smile and a warm greeting, creating an atmosphere in which everyone who comes, feels welcomed, wanted, loved.Let’s pay attention to this rather simple - but essential - thing. First, because Christ commanded us to do this - to “love one another.”And second, because without a clear, warm, and authentic welcome in our parish, the vast riches the Church has to offer will seem farther out of reach to newcomers and outsiders than the stars - up to which Holmes and Watson looked that night. ................
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