Home vs. Hotel

10-30-2022Weekly ReflectionKathleen Foley, Director of Mission Advancement

When I was in my twenties, I bought a car from Enterprise rental car sales. My brother advised me against it saying, “don’t you know what people do to rental cars?” I imagined this average Dodge sedan going four-wheeling in the desert with the driver and passengers hootin’ and hollerin’ while holding on for dear life! I’ve also lived in several different apartments in my life.

Stereotypes about renting are fairly accurate, which explains hefty damage deposits. There’s a mindset that exists in most of us that if we don’t own something, we don’t need to take very good care of it. The same can be said about hotels. Since we are only staying a short time, there’s no need to settle in or make note of needed repairs. Loyalty programs are created to entice return visits in exchange for some kind of benefit: discounts, extras, or free things because, otherwise, people will just choose the best deal next time.

On the other hand, consider how ownership changes your mentality. Owning your own home includes landscaping, interior decorating, minor adjustments, and major repairs. Ownership also includes the intention to preserve and improve for future use by others. Whether it’s for the benefit of a good return on your investment or a plan to leave it as an inheritance, you want to ensure the value continues to increase. At the same time, there is the present enjoyment of comfort and belonging in your own space. Housewarming parties are opportunities to welcome others in and help make your house a home. When friends or family come over, they are joyfully invited in, perhaps even with the greeting, “make yourself at home.”

I’ve only owned one home in my adult life and, while it was a lot of fun at first, it was also challenging. Our little “monopoly house” was built in the late 1940s and by the time we bought it in the early 2000s, it was starting to show its age. From appliances that broke down at the wrong time (like the furnace, in December, in Minnesota!) to walls that were poorly insulated, there were plenty of opportunities to improve it and make it our own. This meant planning ahead, like budgeting for repairs or having a plan for redecorating a room. We needed to ensure we had enough time, energy, and resources for big and little things. Occasionally, we asked neighbors to help or hired professionals for specialized jobs. Through it all, there was a sense of joy in caring for our own home. After we moved away and were renting again, I noticed my attitude about renting had shifted. Although we didn’t own our apartment, I would still make little repairs myself or decorate our patio – continuing the idea that taking care of where we lived improved our quality of life.

What about our parish? Are we just “renting” our membership? It’s easy to show up week to week, say hello to people we know, and leave it at that. This can lead to thinking that we are just passing through, we have no say in what does or doesn’t happen, or that we have no responsibilities in the parish. We are responsible for caring for our community, which includes the people, the programs, the campus, and more. However, our pastor is not our landlord! He is our shepherd, responsible for stewarding the care of the parish, and more importantly, the souls of all the members. The staff, Pastoral Council and Finance Council make every effort to be fiscally responsible and provide effective service to the parish.

Is our church a home away from home or more like a hotel? In our large parish, one might think everything happens because of the staff or a small group of volunteers and there’s no sense in disturbing the status quo. After all, with 300 to 500 people at each Mass, who would notice if I stayed or left? God has blessed each of us with a variety of gifts, charisms, incomes, and abilities to be shared with others to build up the Kingdom. It is our responsibility to discover what these are, evaluate what we have to offer, and seek God’s will for how we are to use our gifts actively and intentionally. When we do this, we are ensuring that the continuity and spiritual value of our parish increases for the benefit of future parishioners.

How much more?

If 10% of our parishioners are volunteering in over forty ministries, how much more could we do with additional volunteers?

If 20% of our parishioners are committed to praying in adoration or communal rosary opportunities, how many other vocations and conversions would happen with more people praying?

If 30% of our parishioners are giving financially on a regular basis, what kind of resources would we have available for additional staff, lower fees for faith formation, inspiring speakers, and other improvements, if more parishioners began giving, increased their giving, or enrolled in recurring giving?

Let’s commit to praying, serving, and giving to our parish.

Let’s commit to the investment of our church and future families.

LET’S OWN OUR PARISH HOME!