JMJ “In his personal love for each of us, he has also chosen brothers for us. Every Companion of Christ gratefully acknowledges, “The Lord gave me brothers!” 5 One of God’s most precious gifts to us is the joy of joining our lives to other men whose hearts are set on following the Lord. Indeed, a hallmark of our charism is this joy filled, life-giving fraternal communion that calls us to holiness in the midst of all our trials.” Rule of the Companions of Christ As I transition to life out here in Le Center in the churches of St. Mary, St. Henry, Nativity, and Immaculate Conception from St. John’s in Savage, I have much to be grateful for. One thing above all that I thank the Lord for is the ability to live in another Companions household. I often wonder at the beauty of the brotherhood the companions of Christ our priestly fraternity which calls us to live in community. It’s not always easy to live in community but I think the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. While we Fr. Stiles, Fr. Niehaus and I have different personalities, quirks and weaknesses it is the loving thing to learn to not only live with them but to lift each other up. I always go back to the Rule of St. Benedict and how it was only the monks who excelled in loving the brothers that could advance and become hermits. We were made for community as we were made in the image and likeness of the Trinity a community of persons. Part of our striving as Christians and dying to ourselves is to learn to live and love those closest to ourselves. Sometimes it may mean I need correction from the brothers when say I make a mess in the Kitchen without cleaning it up (hypothetical). The loving correction of the brothers helps reveal our weaknesses so that we can better ourselves. Not that we need go around nagging each other, but if we truly want to grow together in the Love of the Lord we try to live so that the life we share is leading us out of our selfish sinful tendencies. Original sin acts in us through pride and selfishness because of the wound it caused by separating us from God. Yet in baptism and confession we are reunited with the Lord and the desire of God is that we cooperate with His Grace (his presence in us) to be drawn out of ourselves into love. Even living in community this is not automatic as maybe you have experienced. Priestly life as well as family life can be just a sort of coexistence without a real desire to share of ourselves and it can sometimes be filled with self-centeredness and self-reliance. Community or communion has to be intentional, yet it is also a gift from the Lord. As you read above, “The Lord gave me Brothers!” is a quote from St. Francis of Assisi the great founder of the Franciscan order. True community comes from the Lord as all things but in the Lord we have the courage to be transparent and humble. Like the Sacraments the Lord’s presence is there as a gift but we must receive it spiritually and work with the grace for it to take root in our lives. It’s a difficult fact that even Judas Iscariot received Jesus’s real presence, a reminder that we don’t lose our free will. When we cooperate with Grace our faith can really bring us together. We recognize we are all sinners in need of God’s grace and mercy. I’m no different than anyone, broken yet hopefully seeking the holiness that draws me closer to Christ. If the path we take leads us to Christ and his Sacred Heart, we are all drawn together as spokes on a wheel get closer as they approach the axel. I pray that we as community of faith deepen our community by God’s grace. In Christ, Fr. Michael