Becoming Like Christ Through Community

Usually in group travel and close-quarters living situations, you expect to see the “ugly side” of everyone after a little while.  I can’t say that this wasn’t my expectation with this pilgrimage.  But while each of us has had our good days and bad days here, I can say that I’ve noticed more the saintly side of my brothers.

I’ve seen their kindness toward me when I’ve been tired, in a bad mood, distracted, or discouraged.  I’ve seen their kindness toward each other, their mutual support when someone is a little off his game.  I’ve especially noticed their kindness toward those outside our group – a local beggar whose name we learned and who we prayed for at Mass, a French family some of our guys befriended and will stay in touch with, a Norwegian woman searching for God, disabled folks cared for by the Missionaries of Charity and the L’Arche community, our tour guides and bus drivers – all recipients of charity from our guys.

Now, I’m sure even if we weren’t here, our guys would be doing this anyway, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that we are here, walking in Jesus’ footsteps, swimming where He swam, breathing the air He breathed.  Our guys are encountering Jesus here in a new and deep way, and this is animating them.  They are able to love because they are receiving love from Love Himself.

“The Word became flesh” in Nazareth and again in a more realized way at the Nativity.  The Word also became flesh in the beggar’s plea, the French family’s interest, the disabled folks’ smiles, and the Norwegian woman’s questions.  The Word becomes flesh in our needy brothers, when a guy is sick of the fish, sick of the bus, sick of the schedule, and just wants Pizza Hut, and his brother is there with a word of encouragement and perhaps a silent prayer.  “The Word became flesh” so that flesh could become the Word: this is what is really going on here.  The guys are becoming divinized.  We are becoming Who we receive each day at Mass, for each other and for those around us and those we meet.  May this Christification continue as we prepare for diaconate ordination to make us even a little more like Christ the Servant.