The Hard Work—and Rewards—of Community!
Guest blogger Father Bob Jones, SM writes about the time, energy, commitment and work it takes, as well as the positive effects of being in community with others:
We had just finished dinner – home-made lasagna and apple pie which my mom had sent back with me after a visit home. The PULSErs and the other mentors had come over to my Marianist Community for dinner and conservation. One of us asked the PULSErs, “So how are things going?” It seemed like a simple question. After all, the PULSE community members had just been commissioned a few weeks earlier, and each of them was still getting used to his or her ministry placement. Things were still fresh and exciting and new for them. So, I have to say the answer we received somewhat surprised me but also made me smile because of its depth and truth and heartfelt honesty. “Community life is hard work!”
Each of us is a part of a community, several communities actually. There are vowed religious and lay communities (like the Marianists), or families, or friend groups, or parishes, or professional organizations, or….the list can go on and on. While there is great diversity in the types of communities that are possible, I think that they all have one thing in common: it takes work, and sometimes difficult work, to build authentic community. Sure, individuals can gather together and be in the same proximity with each other. But real community goes beyond that. It means that we give ourselves over to something bigger than ourselves. It means that we invest our time and energy into developing relationships with our community members. It means that we are willing to share our lives – with all its joys and struggles, concerns and hopes – with the other members of the community and that we allow them to share their lives with us. And, yes, this can take a lot of energy and hard work.
But at the same time, when we invest this energy and work into building authentic community, the effects are life-giving and life-changing. For it is within such a community that we find support and encouragement, inspiration and joy.
Authentic community, when developed and lived-well, also helps us to grow in holiness, giving us ample opportunities to bear witness to God’s love through the practice of patience, humility, generosity, forgiveness and charity. It pulls us out of our selfish tendencies and helps us enter into the lives of others and to allow others to enter into our lives.
This – the grace of community – is one of the great gifts that Blessed Chaminade gives to the Marianist Family. His method was simply to bring individuals together and encourage them to develop authentic community. For it was in the context of community that Chaminade believed we would experience Jesus in our midst and learn how we could be Jesus for others.
No wonder he took such inspiration from the Calvary scene as recorded in the Gospel of John and depicted by a sculpture that is found in the Marianist Generalate House in Rome. In this scene, Mary and the Beloved Disciple are with Jesus as he hangs on the cross. In that hour, they are together, not just because of proximity but because they are giving themselves to each other. They are community. Hard work indeed! But also, salvation!
One of the things that I like most about PULSE is its emphasis on community, and I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to accompany PULSErs as a community mentor. Together, we travel on their journey towards community as we try to live out Blessed Chaminade’s vision. Yes, community life is hard work. But community life can also be a rich treasure and a gift beyond all telling.
We had just finished dinner – home-made lasagna and apple pie which my mom had sent back with me after a visit home. The PULSErs and the other mentors had come over to my Marianist Community for dinner and conservation. One of us asked the PULSErs, “So how are things going?” It seemed like a simple question. After all, the PULSE community members had just been commissioned a few weeks earlier, and each of them was still getting used to his or her ministry placement. Things were still fresh and exciting and new for them. So, I have to say the answer we received somewhat surprised me but also made me smile because of its depth and truth and heartfelt honesty. “Community life is hard work!”
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| MP1 with mentors Pat and Dan Huser and Fr. Bob |
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| Fr. Bob with MP2 |
Authentic community, when developed and lived-well, also helps us to grow in holiness, giving us ample opportunities to bear witness to God’s love through the practice of patience, humility, generosity, forgiveness and charity. It pulls us out of our selfish tendencies and helps us enter into the lives of others and to allow others to enter into our lives.
This – the grace of community – is one of the great gifts that Blessed Chaminade gives to the Marianist Family. His method was simply to bring individuals together and encourage them to develop authentic community. For it was in the context of community that Chaminade believed we would experience Jesus in our midst and learn how we could be Jesus for others.
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| Clay sculpture by Sr. Angela Ballan, p.d.d.m. in the Generalate Offices of the Society of Mary (Marianists) |
No wonder he took such inspiration from the Calvary scene as recorded in the Gospel of John and depicted by a sculpture that is found in the Marianist Generalate House in Rome. In this scene, Mary and the Beloved Disciple are with Jesus as he hangs on the cross. In that hour, they are together, not just because of proximity but because they are giving themselves to each other. They are community. Hard work indeed! But also, salvation!
One of the things that I like most about PULSE is its emphasis on community, and I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to accompany PULSErs as a community mentor. Together, we travel on their journey towards community as we try to live out Blessed Chaminade’s vision. Yes, community life is hard work. But community life can also be a rich treasure and a gift beyond all telling.
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