For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them   Matthew 18:20

This September, gathering has been the word of the month for us. We are diligently working to prepare for the upcoming Ladies Night Out and Fall Retreat. When your to do list is full and you start to stress about being able to pull everything off it is human nature to think, “Is this worth it?” The answer, however, is easy if we reflect on the wisdom of our creator and the example of Jesus’s ministry.

As we reflect on the Old Testament, we can see that God the Father did not intend for us to be alone. He created us to have relationships as evidenced by creating both Adam and Eve, but he also called us to gather as a people. This started with Abraham’s call to make the people of Israel into a great nation that He would bless. God in his wisdom knew we needed to associate with people of similar beliefs and through that gathering we could bring blessings to all. So yes, it is important for us to take time out of our daily lives to gather with other Catholics and remember our common bond and our common mission. We do this every Sunday at mass. There is, however, also something special about gathering outside of the mass. Taking time to share fellowship with other women and spending a day removed from our daily routines to enjoy filling our cups with prayer and inspiration can be a real boost to our faith life.

If we need more inspiration than that, look no further than how Jesus conducted his ministry. Jesus is God incarnate, he could have chosen to blast His message through some supernatural megaphone or any other manner of powerful display. Instead, Jesus’s ministry is a ministry of relationship, a ministry of community building and ministry of sharing a meal. It is through these relationships of love and community that all manner of miracles and prophecy and healing occurred. The power of the Church Jesus established has not weakened, it is just waiting for us to remember and join together and unleash it. So days like this upcoming weekend are a chance for us to create those bonds, develop those relationships and join together to get fired up for our mission.

So as we wrap up our planning the next step is on you. Will you join us?? Will you add yourself to the story of the weekend? Join us Friday evening and be reminded of the beautiful vision God has for you. Saturday get fired up for mission and reflect on the power of the gift of the Eucharist. We still have room so join us. For those of you that have already signed up, we are praying for you as we prepare this week and look forward to what the Lord has in store for us.

We Are Better Together

Barb