Better Together: Seen, Heard, and Loved

Better Together: Seen, Heard, and Loved

Next Sunday, September 14, our collaborative parishes will gather for our annual church picnic, this year with the joyful theme: “PWC at 10 Years: Better Together.” From 11:30am–2:30pm, both inside and outside at St. Martha church, we will enjoy games, live music, and a cookout, but most of all, we will enjoy being together. This weekend is the last chance to buy picnic tickets after Mass or online, so we can be sure we provide enough food. There will be only limited food tickets available on the day of the picnic, but everyone is invited to join in the music, games, and fun as the parish communities come together.

 

A picnic might seem simple, but it expresses something very profound about our life together as a faith family: God calls us not only to worship Him together but also to build one another up, to strengthen our bonds of friendship, and to experience the joy of belonging. The Gospel of John gives us a beautiful image of this when Jesus calls Nathanael. Before Nathanael has even met Him, Jesus says, “I saw you under the fig tree.” (Jn 1:48) Those few words capture so much of the mystery of God’s love. Jesus sees us—truly sees us. He understands what is hidden in our hearts, our hopes and disappointments, our fears and our joys. Sometimes we go through life longing for someone to notice, to recognize who we are and what we carry. Jesus does exactly that, and in Him we discover a God who assures us: You are not invisible. You are not forgotten. You are loved.

 

As followers of Christ, we are called to do for one another what Jesus did for Nathanael. We are called to see each other, to notice, to listen, and to affirm one another as beloved children of God. That is what makes parish life so vital. One way to do this is to invite people to come with you to the picnic—especially if they have been away from church for a while, this could be a graceful way for them to reconnect. When we gather for a picnic, it is not only about sharing a hamburger or listening to music—it is about practicing the art of noticing one another, of helping each person to feel seen, heard, and loved.

 

This call is especially urgent in times of tragedy. Just recently, the Catholic community at Annunciation Parish and School in Minneapolis experienced heartbreaking violence in a shooting on their campus. And yet, in the midst of that pain, they have already returned to celebrating Mass, gathering for prayer, and supporting one another in faith. Their witness reminds us that the Church is a place where we do not carry burdens alone. In moments of sorrow, as in moments of celebration, the Body of Christ holds us together and helps us to heal.

 

That is why our picnic is more than a social event. It is a chance to live out our identity as disciples who are “better together.” In good times and bad, in laughter and in tears, we belong to Christ and to one another. When we make the effort to be present, to engage, to share stories, and to extend a hand of welcome, we strengthen the fabric of our community.

 

So, next Sunday, come hungry, come joyful, and come ready to celebrate ten years of growing together as collaborative parishes. May our picnic be a reminder that in Christ we are never alone—and that the greatest gift we can give each other is to see and love one another as He sees and loves us.