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Friends in Christ,
As the Love Languages Advent Series reminded us, we are all made for love, to love and to be loved. That desire and need are carved into us, part of the fabric of our being. How we pursue or fulfill that desire makes a significant difference. These days when we think of love, Valentine’s Day having just passed, we can think more of Cupid and less of Christ. The more romantic and pleasure-seeking side of love can at times overshadow the deeper Christian sense of love, especially with our culture today.
At the same time in our world today, loneliness is epidemic. Anxiety and depression are on the rise. Part of what underpins that troubling trend is that we are seeking love, but looking for it in “all the wrong places” (thanks Johnny Lee!) And one of the wrong places is social media, a space where we look for affirmation and “likes” - to know that others think and care for us, but when in reality it does not really fill us. They do not really meet the need we have in our hearts for love and for genuine human connection.
Relationships, real human interaction, are part of the cure for what ails us. They create opportunities to love and to know that others genuinely care for us. Yet at the same time, as we age, it becomes harder to make new friends, while our circle of friends grows smaller. It can be a real challenge to form new bonds with others.
There is another layer to connection that we might call Christian. In learning to consider more the way of the Gospel than the way of the world, we benefit greatly from having friends on the same journey. Sometimes, even our family members and close friends may not value the Christian way of life that we seek. We can feel alone on the road that leads to life. Jesus meant for us to travel among friends, people of like mind who are also seeking to grow in faith. That is what disciples are: a group of people following the Lord together.
To that end, we have the treasure of small groups in our parish. We invite you to grow in discipleship this Lent. Small Groups are not a Bible Study, nor are they group therapy, but good folks seeking to live the Good News together, growing and learning together, and forming genuine Christian friendships, real human connection that is grounded in Christ. Small Groups are for genuine human connection - and everyone could use a bit more of that in their lives!
From my heart, I tell you that weekly worship, daily prayer, and small groups form the core for Christian living. So, if you are not already in a small group, please make the time this Lent to join a group - or start one of your own with your circle of friends! We can make that happen. Reach out to our Small Groups Coordinator, John Napoli, speak to one of our small group speakers after Mass this weekend, or visit our website for more information.
Lent is a wonderful time to dig deeper, to take the next step and seek to grow in God’s grace. Lent is the time to do that hard, but fulfilling, ‘Soul Work.’ And it is a great help to find brothers and sisters joined together in fellowship and discipleship on the road.
Small Groups are the place where Christian friendships are formed, where the big parish becomes small, and where everyone can come to know how they are loved and cared for, to share life on this journey of faith.
Blessings,
Father Joel
