The Social Organizations of the Parish Exist to Serve the Parish
In everything we do, we should never forget that we are followers of the Lord and we are supposed to be joyful people in showing the world that we are no longer living in the darkness of pride and confusion. It means that we must act in a way that demonstrates our adherence to the faith and to the Church. It is also about serving the wider community through various ministries and organizations, which reach out to others in need or promote events, which can help build affiliations between members of the community.
When serving others, it is not about money or how many diplomas a person may have, it is a question of being able to see God in the other person. We must greet him as if we were greeting God. We may not like a person, for whatever reason but if we have been taught respect we will always demonstrate courtesy and kindness to everyone, no matter what social rank they may have. People who are serving God in whatever organizations they may belong to, should always remember we are all in this ministry to work for the Lord. We are called to respond to others, when they greet us, with goodwill. We are all mortal; we will all return to dust, and this should humble us knowing that our time on earth is short and we all can work together for the same boss.
Sometimes, organizations may become so focused on their particular missions that they fall into a mindset of thinking they do not need the parish and they can function by themselves. Instead of working together with the parish that has allowed them to function, in the first place, they might become so autonomous that they forget that they are a part of a bigger mission. We all must keep in mind that If we have a matter to defend, it must be a matter based on Christianity and not something based on ego, selfishness or a desire for recognition. Our dignity comes not from the titles we have, or our achievements, rather from our ability to be obedient to God, to love, to forgive, and to welcome whoever comes into our path in the name of the Lord. There must be a sense of loyalty to the purpose of the group to which we belong so that we may attract other members and give testimony to the Gospel. It is important that we develop dispositions that are ready to defend the faith through the social organizations in which we are involved. All the organizations that are in the parish exist because of the parish, and without the existence and the generosity of the parish, they would not be there to operate. The organizations in the parish are an extension of the mission of the Church. It means that no organization would have the opportunity to raise money, through the social activities in the parish, without a commitment of the parish to that particular organization.
The leadership of organizations in a parish must be ready and open to cooperate with the parish administration and to maintain the purpose of its presence in the town or the city in which the parish is functioning. The difficulty is that when the leadership of a particular Catholic organization, that is present within the territory of the parish, is not willing to be friendly to the administration of the parish, the organization fails to accomplish its purpose which is to support the parish and her mission to spread the good news of salvation. The pastor is obliged to see to it that the word of God, in its entirety, is announced to those living in the parish. For this reason he is to see to it that the lay Christian faithful are instructed in the truths of the faith, especially through the homily which is to be given on Sundays, and Holy Days of Obligation, and through the catechetical formation which he is to give; he is to foster works by which the spirit of the gospel, including issues involving social justice, is promoted; he is to take special care for the Catholic education of children and young adults; he is to make every effort, with the aid of the Christian faithful, to bring the gospel message to all in his parish boundaries including those who have ceased practicing their religion or who do not profess the true faith. The pastor cannot preach other words than the official teachings of the Church on many issues including abortion, adultery and marriage by the Church.
As the Code of Canon Law recalls clearly in Canon 515 of the Code of 1983: A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop. In addition, Canon 519 made it very clear that the pastor is the proper shepherd of the parish entrusted to him, exercising pastoral care in the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share; in accord with the norm of law he carries out for his community the duties of teaching, sanctifying and governing, with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful. In other words, organizations that are functioning in the territory of the parish must be there to support the parish especially when its pastor is preaching the truth of the Gospel and the doctrine of the faith. If an organization is not willing to do so and instead creates this ambiance of animosity through indifference, gossip and insubordination, it means that it is better that this particular organization redefines itself or finds another secular area where it does not have to be in an environment where the doctrine of the Church is being preached to the faithful entrusted to its territory. The parish itself will always be there to promote not only love and unity in the community, but also to come to the aid of those who are in need both spiritual and material. Each legitimately erected parish has a juridical personality, by the law itself, having received the authority from the bishop to make collections and to administer the parish according to the norms of the Code of Canon Law which is a juridical raison d’être of the Church. This is the reason why Jesus established a Church with authority and structure, and the priests are sent into the parishes to lead the local communities.
What does it mean to be joyful people?
We are people of joy. That is what we should reflect in our mannerisms and expressions. When we serve the Lord we have to choose behaviors showing that we are civilized people who act respectful verses the way pagan people act. It is better to show our obedience to God and our humility to put His words into practice than to give the impression of being exempt from following all the teachings of the Lord and His Church. In other words, we should avoid this defiant attitude where we fail to be cordial, kind or respectful towards others. We should never choose to be rude and act superior verses being kind. If people choose to act this way, this is really the fruit of ignorance. The point is the following: what are we going to get by being rude? Indeed, as followers of the Lord, we should not let this kind of behavior exist in our personality because there is no need for it. We are no longer slaves of darkness. Jesus came into our world to teach us a different path instead of acting in this bizarre manner. In the same way, when we are in the house of God we should not choose to reflect contempt in our facial expressions, because it is good to be in the house of God. It should be a moment of joy for all of us.