St. Paul’s letter to Philippians, 8:1

Were you ever a member of a gang when you were a child? Do you remember how being a member of that gang meant that you were loyal to the group and to its code of behavior? It seems childish now but there is a lesson here. Something similar happens to us when we take the gospel seriously. We become members of a special group. What used to give us a feeling of success and well-being no longer has an attraction for us. Is there any wonder that we should be treated differently by those who still cling to the old ways? We may be a threat to them, a contradiction to their way of life. We are different and let us face it: we have moved beyond the values and beliefs of the old gang. Now is a good time to reflect on belonging to a new group.

Fr. Jim Carney was an American Jesuit stationed in Central America. More than most, he took the gospel seriously. Few understood him. Many religious men and women shied away from him for he identified radically with the poor Indian peasants of Honduras. He lived in a shack like theirs, ate their food, shared their frustrations and championed their struggles for freedom. Even the government turned against him, when he insisted that the poor be treated justly and be allowed to own the land they worked. His rejection was complete only when he was taken into custody by the army, tortured and killed. Like Jesus before him, he experienced the ultimate rejection for following the call of God.

Centuries ago, philosophers said that human beings are social animals. Like the monkey or the coyote or the wolf, we run with the pack. We need to belong. But, we need to belong to something greater than ourselves. We need companionship, justice, love. We so easily feel alone. Many drug addicts begin their addiction trying to be a part of the group. That is bad, of course, but understandable. Many heroes and heroines can be brave only because they are part of an important group. For a time after our awakening to the gospel, we often feel rejected by the groups to which we were a part. This is very painful, but it is a part of the conversion process for it spurs us on to find new friends who share our new values. This is the function of a church and a parish, to be the support group for all who take the gospel seriously.

A disciple in Jesus’ day was a person who gave up everything to follow the master. He lived with the master, listened to his every word and shaped his life to make it like the master’s life. It meant total dedication, a relationship more intense than a marriage. We are called to be disciples of Jesus. When we first heed that call, we cut off many other relationships. But, we deepen our relationships with the good people around us-with our families, our true friends, and those who are members of the body of Christ-the church. This is what St. Paul means when he prays that we “be found rich in the harvest of justice which Jesus Christ has ripened” in his followers.

Fr. Hugh Duffy