My question for today might test how observant you are. My question is this: What’s the full name for “CGS?” What name appears on the sign out in front, and on our bulletin, and on our stationary? Yes, “Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Community.” And so here’s a second question: What is the purpose of a community? Just what is a “community?”
Of course there are a lot of answers. Basically, a community is a group which shares a common interest. A community is a group in which individuals have a responsibility for the welfare of others in the group. Our first reading speaks of the responsibility of each member of a community. The prophet Ezekiel reminds us: each of us has a responsibility to warn others of the dangers that might lead them away from the Lord God. He says, if someone goes against our warning, the responsibility for not heeding the warning is up to the wayward person. However, if we fail to warn someone, the responsibility for the person’s actions is ours. Both the wrongdoer and we will suffer the consequences.
In our Second Reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans, our responsibility is put in “positive” terms rather than “negative” ones. Instead of saying we must warn others of potential wrong actions, Paul repeats the words of Jesus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Now, the actions of members of a community are not about negative warnings as much as they’re about positive acts of love, of help, of assistance.
In our Gospel Reading from Matthew, we hear more about how we should help guide one another. Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility is up to each person. If someone does not follow our guidance, this individual continues to hold the responsibility for knowing what should be done or not done.
This brings us to another question: How do we know what we should do or how we should guide others in what they should do? The response to this question might be found in the last line of today’s gospel: “… where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
This, then, is the purpose of “Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Community,” to gather together in the name of Christ, the Good Shepherd. To gather together and learn what he has to say to us about how we are to believe in him, how we are to live with him in our midst. We, of course, gather together each Sunday. We learn more about him through listening to the scriptures proclaimed to us. (I hope we also learn something through the homilies.) But is this enough? Or are there other ways to learn more about who we are and what we should be doing, believing, being?
Some might think we’ve learned all we need to know, since we’ve attended religious education classes in preparation for our First Communion or later for our Confirmation. After all, there are a lot of teenagers around who know already everything they need to know about life. However, their parents may disagree with them on that.
But do these same parents, these same adults, feel they, themselves, have learned all they need to know about their beliefs, about what the church teaches us about God? Do the same people who know they must continue to learn about their professions in order to succeed think they can continue to get-by with an elementary or secondary education in matters of faith and beliefs?
This weekend our diocese has invited us to focus on adult Catholic education, on learning more about God, and about our adult relationship with God1. There are many ways to accomplish this learning. For some, it can be done on your own, by continuing to read books and journals about Catholic teachings, about our history and our theology.
However, some may need the encouragement of a group and a formal classroom. For those who want to continue their learning as adult Catholics, our parish and our diocese offer many opportunities. The adult offerings for CGS can be found in this brochure: Adult Faith Formation 2002 – 2003.
I guess I should reveal my own potential-conflict-of-interest in this flyer. You may notice, I’m teaching two of the classes. Starting September 18, there will be eight, morning-sessions on “Basic Beliefs of the Catholic Church” and later, I’ll offer five evening-sessions on “The Catholic Church in the United States.”
In addition to such local classes, our diocese has its own advanced adult education program called “Formation Toward Christian Ministry.” The FTAM has been here at Good Shepherd. It’s currently being offered at St Anthony’s in The Woodlands and at Prince of Peace. You can call the director of religious education at any of these parishes for details about their programs.
Of course, there are also opportunities for young adults, and mature adults, to learn through formal classes in Houston or even in such places as Catholic University of America. I mention CUA, as well as our own University of St Thomas, since today’s second collection will be taken up to support both of them.
Today we have the privilege of hearing more about the University of St Thomas from Dr. Rebecca le Blanc, who has been a member of Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Community, a community vitally interested in the presence of the Christ who is in our midst. Rebecca.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary; September 8, 2002
Ezek 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20
- Occasionally there is a need for a “public service homily.” This is one of them, given because the Diocese of Galveston-Houston requested that all homilies this weekend be directed toward adult education for Catholics. This is the “homiletic” part, focused somewhat on the Readings. Professor Rebecca LeBlanc then gave a “reflection” on what the University of St Thomas means to her and her family.