24th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Cycle
B
September
13, 2015 8am and 10am
St. Margaret Parish,
Bel Air
The “Church Downstairs”
Recently
I read an article written by a pastor in Commonweal
magazine.
For
years, Alcoholics Anonymous has met in his parish hall every day of the
week. That, by the way, is close to what
happens in one of our rooms here at Saint Margaret’s.
After a
new parishioner talked with him, this pastor started thinking of these meetings
as the “church downstairs” She told
him how she came to join the parish after going “downstairs” for several months.
This
priest occasionally sits in on the meetings and he says that it has helped him
understand what it means to be “church.”
Three things about AA have really struck him.
1. Welcoming
First,
there is a genuine sense of welcoming.
It is not simply a matter of a greeter shaking every new hand.
In
fact, the pastor says that AA is most
hospitable after the meeting is over. No
one is bolting for the door.
Instead,
people stay around for another cup of coffee, especially if someone new has
joined. I have often seen this welcoming
with the groups right here on our parish property.
2. Rallying around the Weak
The second thing
that the pastor noticed is how the “church
downstairs” rallies around the powerless and the hurting. The pastor writes that even those whom some
might relegate to the social fringes find acceptance.
The common
denominator is – “We are all powerless
over alcohol” – and that remains the unifying force of AA. So everyone is treated with respect and support
because they all know that they all need it.
3. Listening to Stories
And the third
factor that this pastor admires in AA is the belief that everyone has a story
to tell and a right to be heard. The
pastor writes that this belief is essential not only to the Twelve Steps but also
to AA’s sense of community.
Everyone can learn
something from another person’s story. So,
this priest says that welcoming strangers, rallying around the hurting, and
listening to everyone’s story – they are the great strengths of what he calls the
“church downstairs.”
Who Do You Say That I Am?
I see a strong connection between this article and today’s gospel.
Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you
say that I am?” He is asking us the
same question: “Who do you – who do
I – say that Jesus is?”
If we believe in Jesus whose name means “God saves;” If we believe that Jesus is “the Christ,” as Peter says today – a title that means “the Anointed One of God;”
If we believe , as Peter eventually says, that Jesus is “the Son of God” – God who has emerged
in our humanity; and if we believe, again as Peter eventually says, that Jesus
is the“Lord” – the unquestioned
master of our lives;
If we answer Jesus’ question “Who
do you say that I am?” in these ways, then a lot follows. This will affect what we do and how we live.
What Do You Do?
So, among many other things, we will do what those AA groups do.
We will welcome strangers.
We will be open to those who come from different places or seem different
from us. We will do this here at Mass or
in the way we think through tough issues like immigration.
We will also rally around the powerless and the hurting.
It might be a parent who has lost his or her job and is feeling lots of
anxiety about how to pay all the bills.
Or it might be a teen struggling with identity and acceptance issues.
And we will listen to one another’s stories.
We will refrain from judging by appearance. Instead, we will take others as persons like
ourselves and listen to their hurts and hopes, and to their weaknesses and
potentials.
Conclusion
So, “Who do you say that I am?”
How we answer this question is really crucial. It will determine our lifestyle, how we live
and what we do.
