Fr. Bob White
If you listen to these Gospel stories that we hear week after week it seems that Jesus is always inviting people to “come.” In John 21 on the shore over an open fire the Risen Jesus has prepared breakfast for the disciples who have just landed on shore with a huge haul of fish. He says to them, “Come and eat”. And they come.
A week ago, John 2 we heard how two would be disciples ask Jesus where’s he’s staying, and Jesus says to them, “Come and see.” And they come. And today in Mark 1 Simon and his brother Andrew who are in their boat mending their nets and Jesus says to them, “Come and I will give you another job. I’ll make you fishers, fishers of people. And they come.
It was just before Lent back in 1999. How do I remember that? Because at the time I was still driving. I invite six men from our parish to be part of a men’s group that would meet in the parish house for the six weeks of Lent. They asked me, “Why should I come and what are we going to be doing? I’m no Jesus but I said to them “Come and see” and they came Well, I cheated a bit. I called their wives to make sure they’d show up. And it worked.
Well, it turns out that at the end of those six weeks the guys were having such a good time they wanted to keep going. So here we are twenty-five years later and every Saturday morning whether I want it or not they keep showing up at the parish house to meet as a group. And it’s been good.
Since then, other men’s and women’s groups have been formed. What do they do in these groups. They all have elements of scripture, personal sharing, and prayer.
For the scriptures our group starts with the upcoming Sunday Gospel. The “personal sharing” happens naturally. We share our stories from the week checking in where God has been and how all that might relate to the Gospel. And then we close out with prayer. It’s a pretty simple formula and it works for us.
And believe it or not since Covid our group, we call ourselves the Wilderness Breakfast Club has met outside by the fire pit in the parish house backyard. We’re there year around including all winter. And the guy who builds the fire? We call him “Five Alarm” because he’s so darn good at it. So, this Saturday morning there we were at 8 below standing around the fire. But we didn’t care because we were having a ball just hanging out with each other.
Speaking of the fire certain indigenous people believe that when you stand around a fire it has a way of calming your soul because it has a way of drawing out all the fears, worries, and preoccupations that you don’t even know you’re carrying.
I’d say there’s some truth to that. I can’t explain it but by the end of our gathering we always seem to leave less preoccupied and more on fire for life and for Jesus. That’s why for us our gathering has become our sacred time, a time we wouldn’t’ trade it for anything.
So, that’s the magic of it. I speak for myself here. Being part of a small group helps curb any tendency I might have of sleepwalking my way through the week. Instead, it shifts me more into that on fire gear that I as a pastor want to be in as I serve this parish.
Now, I’m not saying every group needs to stand outside in the cold around a fire for the group to work. That’ not necessary because every small group already has a fire of its own. It’s the fire of the Holy Spirit that warms hearts and draws a group together. It’s like Jesus said, “Whenever two or three or more gather in my name I am there in your midst.” That’s how the Spirit works.
Last week I asked you to prayerfully consider being part of a small group for six sessions starting around Lent. What is different about these six sessions for this year is that each week Deacon Ray and I will do a recorded reflection on the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday. It will include prompts for discussion.
Today after mass is your chance to sign up for a group. What a great opportunity to connect with others from the parish and discover at an even deeper level the meaning your faith can have for your life.
So, as Jesus invited his disciples to come and see so I’m inviting you to do the same. Come and see just how good it is to be part of an experience that makes life all the richer for you. So, what have you got to lose? Go ahead. Check us out after mass. Like the disciples who left their nets that day, if you answer the call, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
