Those of us who grew up in the US have fond childhood memories of Bugs Bunny. One of the most famous Bugs Bunny cartoons has to do with pronouns. Here is the “instructional video” with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd (complete with some cartoon violence):
Sometimes we struggle with pronoun trouble at St. Vladimir’s too. Usually this has to do with a conflict between “they” and “we”. “They” will work at the work day. “They” will cut the grass. “They” will work at the festival. “They” will set up the outside Liturgy. “They” will pay for the barn floor. Etcetera. At St. Vladimir’s we are a family. Families don’t use “they” in this way. The correct pronoun is “we”. “We” will work at the work day. “We” will cut the grass. “We” will work at the festival. Etcetera.
Sometimes we need some help to align our pronouns to the appropriate spiritual reality. That help consists of our effort and God’s blessing. We need to try our best to make this paradigm change, but we need to ask God to help us if we hope to succeed. Generally we’ve been pretty good at this as a parish family, but we fully understand that many of our parishioners have been really effected by the pandemic. Folks are mentally fatigued. They need a break. They need to get away from the pandemic and political stress that the society is absolutely filled with right now. WE UNDERSTAND. But we think that implementing the “spiritual we” in our lives gives us that break we need. We don’t have to only focus on ourselves, on our problems. It isn’t that those problems are not important or valid. But by focusing on the “we” of our parish family we serve others. We serve God. We realign ourselves with the important Gospel precept:
God is #1.
My neighbor is #2.
I am #3.
This is not a message we hear in our society, in our media, or anywhere else except in God’s House. But this is the truth – the truth our Lord taught us for our salvation. And working within that truth allows us to have a break from the pandemic stress. And as with other spiritual struggles your parish family is here to help. We are all patients in the Spiritual Hospital that is the Holy Church. Improve your treatment by implementing the spiritual we! Ask Fr. Gregory if you need help, if you are struggling, or with any spiritual issues. He is here to help, but needs you to tell him you need help since he cannot, as far as you know, read your mind. :)
