Why Community?

I have not written a post on community for a relatively long time blog-wise. One of the reasons is that I have been speaking about community for years and, frankly, was giving up on trying to marshal interest.

However, as two of my male friends are seriously considering podding, I wanted to share some reasons why we all need community to encourage them.

The first and most obvious reason is that Catholics are not meant to live in isolation, but in the "local church", the small manifestations of the Kingdom of God, in unity with Rome. The early Church was "devoted" to building communities.

The "light on the hill" may be seen if more people live the Gospel daily as a group and not merely as one or two individuals here and there.

Secondly, we all have different talents and those talents are necessary for the building of the Kingdom. As St. Paul listed, some are preachers, some teachers, and we can add, some doctors, some cooks and bakers, some child-care givers, and so on. Just as the unique family unit has people doing different roles, like the dad working out of the home (usually) and the mom working in the home, so, too, the Church has need for many types of people with natural and supernatural gifts and talents. In other words, we need each other.

Thirdly, holiness demands honing, purgation, perfection, and this (usually) cannot be done in a vacuum. There are few St. Mary of Egypts. God calls us to perfect each other, just as monks in a monastery or sisters in a convent follow a rule and conform to duties given by authorities, so the laity need to be perfected within a context.

For many, this context simply does not exist, or worse, some people simply do not want it.

Lastly, community reflects Christ's Mystical Body, the larger Church, by showing the world how to love. I wrote about this last week-for the world to have a group amidst the growing darkness of those who honestly love each other in agape love provides hope.

I sincerely hope, before people can no longer move about freely or move easily, or be able to encourage friends in Christ, that people do begin to pod. It is almost too late for some, as a friend told me last week. Some opportunities have been missed for various reasons, one being unbelief in the coming chaos and schism.

Please consider how your families, or you as a single person, can aid in building base communities in your area.

From Acts 2:

⁴¹ They therefore that received his word, were baptized; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

⁴³ And fear came upon every soul: many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem, and there was great fear in all.

⁴⁴ And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common.

⁴⁵ Their possessions and goods they sold, and divided them to all, according as every one had need.

⁴⁶ And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart;

⁴⁷ Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved.