A NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY
“You shall love your neighbor….” – Matthew 5:43
She lived alone. That night, she had a heart attack and died. It was three days later when her neighbors discovered she was dead. This true story happened in our parish. The so many “if only” remarks from her neighbours point only to one thing — no man should be an island.
Could this be one reason why Basic Ecclesial Communities or BECs have become the pastoral thrust of the Church today? If I may backtrack a bit, BEC is a neighborhood community. Members are geographical neighbors. Yes, we need to know our neighbors and love them, whoever they are, because that is what the Lord wants.
The modern world has become global. We can talk to someone living in another country every day through the Internet and yet remain oblivious of the person living next door. But the Church enjoins us to start evangelization where we live!
It’s not bad to be global in our ministries and in our endeavors, but let’s find time to know and love people living around us, too. For all we know, they just need us to make the first move. Then, we would have less tragic stories like the one I just shared. Cristy Galang (cristy_cc@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
Do I know the person who lives next door? Do I pray for them and wish they know Jesus?
Use me, Lord, to love my neighbors the way the early Christians did that I may be an instrument to build Your Church. Amen.
St. Romuald, abbot, pray for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment