God's Family

We're called brothers and sisters at Mass, which might seem odd, since I'm not related to many of the folks there. Granted, not long ago almost everyone here in Sauk Centre Minnesota belonged to one of two families, and that's another topic.

"That's Cool"

The reason we're 'brothers and sisters' is that we're children of God: by adoption. I ran into that idea in something the archbishop of Washington DC wrote:

"...'Why do you call us brothers and sisters?' a youngster asked ... [Cardinal Wuerl] after Mass. 'You're not my brother.' 'Ah, but I am spiritually. Because we are all members of God's family,' ... [the Cardinal] responded. After ... [the boy] received a nod of affirmation from his mother and father who stood behind him, he said, 'Wow, I didn't know that.' Then he added, 'That's cool,' offering his youthful declaration of approval..."
("The Church, Our Spiritual Home,"¹ Cardinal Wuerl)

Our being children of God isn't the archbishop's own idea. It's what the Catholic Church says. (1 John 3:1-2; Galations 4:4-7; and Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1, 1243, for starters)

Body Parts

We're also the Body of Christ. Again, that's not a new idea. (Colossians 1:18, 24; Catechism, 753)

Like parts of a body, we're not all alike. We've got different jobs to do: not that I'm on the parish payroll. My vocation is being a married member of the laity. (December 11, 2011)

We're issued different abilities, too. Some of them are the high-profile gifts like speaking in tongues, some are anything but glamorous. Administration makes the list, right after healing and assistance. (1 Corinthians 12:28)

I've sometimes wondered if I'm more like a spleen, funny bone, or appendix: and that's yet another topic.

The Right Church, Suit, Country Club - - -

Maybe you've heard folks say that they're spiritual, but not religious.

Something between indifference and dislike of 'organized religion' has been part of American culture for several decades. I took the idea seriously myself, in the '60s.

That was just after the 'good old days,' when going to the right church was as important to an ambitious young company man as wearing the right suit and belonging to the right country club. I do not miss the 'good old days.'

In a way, I'm still not 'spiritual' or 'religious.' I don't walk around with a vaguely blank smile, or think that God has to reward me if I go through some 'religious' routines. And that's yet again another topic: topics.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "The Gospel According to Chicken Man"
  (July 1, 2012)
• "Love, Hate, and Lady Gaga"
  (May 27, 2012)
• "Vocations for Everyone"
  (December 11, 2011)
• " 'In the World, But Not of the World' "
  (December 7, 2011)
• "Humans are Animals: But Not Just Animals"
  (August 31, 2011)

---

¹ Cardinal Wuerl's letter:

• "The Church, Our Spiritual Home"
  A Pastoral Letter on the Church to the Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Archdiocese of Washington
  Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington (September 14, 2012)
  (from http://site.adw.org/pdfs/PAg-1-Pastoral%20letter.pdf  (June 14, 2013))