As part of formation for solemn vows as a Franciscan friar, you spend a whole year living outside the world of formation and studies. You live with a friar community involved in full-time ministry. I was assigned to a large parish in Raleigh, N.C. It was a large parish with almost 5,000 households and lots of ministries, meetings, activities, and all manner of things that occurred day and night.
One weekday evening after finishing a meal and cleaning up in the kitchen, I happened to look out the window into the parish parking lot. The friary was located in one corner of the 40-acre campus and afforded a view of the whole upper parking lot. The entire lot was filled, and lights were on over in the parish offices, meeting rooms, and gathering spaces. Looking over my shoulder I asked my brother friars if any of them had meetings tonight. We were all there and not one of us had a meeting to attend. While we were generally aware of what was going on in the parish, on this particular evening, we could only guess what exactly was unfolding in those gatherings.
Out there across the parking lot was a parish vibrantly in action and all the priests (and the intern) were ensconced in our house for the evening. While some folks reading this might offer that “those friars need to get up and be with the people,” that was not my take on the events of that night. My reaction was, “this is what a parish is meant to be. Lay women and men taking to heart their baptismal vows and bringing their gifts and talents to bear in ministry. They are not awaiting the priests. They know what is theirs to do.”
Of course, the friars had been involved in shepherding the start of all the ministries, but the parish was filled with talented, gifted and experienced women and men who were more than capable of starting, leading, and carrying on the work of Christ. The view from the kitchen was a window of what a parish could be – disciples in mission – everyone, be they ordained or not. All are baptized and it is in the waters of Redemption that our call to mission is rooted.
What is the “view from the window” today here at St. Francis of Assisi? Lots of good and holy stuff going on and I am generally aware of it all, but on any given evening….I know there are lots of amazing women and men who are living out their baptismal vows ad majorem Dei gloriam – for the greater glory of God. What exactly are they doing? The breadth and depth of ministry is wonderfully growing and interconnecting. It is hard to keep up, and you know what, I don’t keep up. From time to time, I check in, but as I said, there are amazing women and men living out their faith.
What is the “view from the kitchen window?” A parish where people are starting to live the words of the prophet: “I, the LORD, have called you…I have grasped you by the hand…I formed you…and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6)
Are you part of the view? Find your place – or better yet, start a needed ministry! Take to heart your baptismal vows and bring your gifts and talents to bear in ministry. Click here and find your place in the “view from the kitchen window.”