Don't overly stress and protect 'your territory'
Op bezoek bij de Living Stones
Woensdag 22 mei bezocht ik de "Living Stones" in Amsterdam. Deze groep jongeren uit verschillende landen organiseert training in kerkelijke kunst en ontvangt toeristen in de Krijtberg (Franciscus Xaverius) met het aanbod van een verdiepende rondleiding en gesprek.
De mooie enthousiaste groep had ik al eerder bezocht, maar de meeste jongeren waren nu weer nieuw voor me. Het zijn meestal studenten die dit mooie apostolaat als een tussenfase in hun leven doen. Ze wonen in een huis naast de Krijtberg, dat hun door de Jezuïeten ter beschikking is gesteld en ze vormen een mooie bezielende aanwezigheid in de kerk. Dat mocht ik zelf ook nog even ervaren: één van hen speelde mooie en gepaste klassieke muziek, dat schiep een sfeer waardoor mensen in de kerk gingen zitten, tot overweging en gebed kwamen, terwijl bij de ingang van de kerk "Living Stones" aanwezig waren om bezoekers op te vangen en indien gewenst te begeleiden. Een mooi initiatief en ze zouden hun idealen graag met andere jongeren willen delen.
Na gebed in de kerk, vierden we de Eucharistie, ze lieten me het huis zien en we hebben samen gegeten.
Gospel
Het evangelie van de Mis was Marcus 9, 38-40: John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us.
Homily
Don't be too protective
A temptation
There is always the temptation to want to protect our own territory in the church: this is my job, my work, no one else should touch it. One lady was taking care of the flowers, but she did not allow anyone to touch what she considered as her field. Of course, sometimes there can be good reasons for something like this, but more often there is no good reason: people want to be lords of their own homes, masters of their own territory and they don’t want to share.
The apostles
Even the apostles sometimes suffered from this temptation as we hear in this day's gospel: although of course casting out the evil spirit, evil power, demons, is something good and highly praiseworthy, the apostles still want to forbid someone to do that who does not belong to their group, instead of welcoming, inviting and accompanying.
Don't forget what it is about
So, this attitude is found within the church as well (and in fact, wherever you go...). In parishes, I sometimes come across volunteers wanting to protect their own territory: nobody else is allowed to participate, it belongs to them! In doing so, they have actually somewhat forgotten that it was a service they were providing, a service to the community, a service to God.
Rejection of "others"
We also see this attitude, for example, when people turn against certain charisms within the church: that one is Neocatechumenal and I don’t like that, that one is from Opus Dei and I don’t like that, that one is charismatic and I don’t like that, etcetera, and I don't want have anything to do with that, I don’t allow them.
Respect the holy Spirit
But our attitude should be: as long as the good happens, let us respect the working of the Holy Spirit, let us respect every vocation, let us be welcoming even if it is different from our vocation as long as it is a charism accepted by the Church. And in the field of human relations: let us help people to take steps, invite them, not rebuking them.
Share
What is important is that we find an openness in people to share, to spiritual growth and unity in faith and that there is a sense of communio, a connection which can bring people to experience the communion of the body of Christ. But beyond that, let us respectfully approach everything and everyone and help them to share and to experience the spiritual richness of the church and the love of God.
Living Stones
This positive and welcoming attitude is of course a characteristic of you as Living Stones. You are welcoming people whoever they are, telling them about the beauty of our churches, the beauty of art and of our faith. May your apostolate through this welcoming attitude and the beauty of our churches help many people to discover and love Jesus Christ and His Church !
