MISSION  STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “Mission Statement.”

That thought hit me when I read today’s gospel - when and where Jesus comes into the synagogue in Nazareth - unrolls the sacred scroll - and reads the words of Isaiah.  [Cf. Luke 4: 16-30.]

That moment has been described as his inaugural address.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

I’ve never heard it described as his or Isaiah’s mission statement - although it’s a very good one.

MISSION STATEMENTS

I tried to find a date and who is responsible for the modern phenomena of trying to get companies and organizations to meet and hammer out a mission statement.

Couldn’t find that information to my satisfaction - but I’ll keep trying.

I’m sure - before the so called “Coming up with a Mission Statement” - practice evolved,  leaders, organizations, new governments, down through the years tried in speeches to announce to their members what their plan or hope is for the future.

I’ve heard mostly negative comments about mission statements. They are too generic. They are not specific. Members - as well as those walking into a company or school or church or organization - don’t seem to know or notice a mission statement near the entrance. Mission statements don’t seem to move folks to put  the mission statement into practice.

Estée Lauder has this in their mission statement: “bringing the best to everyone we touch.”

Nice - and I assume Jesus did the same.

THEME FOR THE YEAR

I would think a theme for the year has more impact. Like this year our theme at St. Mary’s is “All Are Welcome.”

Now that could be polled at the end of a year or during a year - to see if it’s happening or happened.

I know - after hearing about that theme - I’ve said, “Welcome”  to a lot more people in the last few months than before.  I had two baptisms yesterday at St. Mary’s and strangers came in off the street before and after the baptisms to visit our church. I know I said, “Welcome” and then asked, “Are you from here?”  I say that second part, “Are you from here?” because I’ve missed on that a bit - only to find out the stranger has been here for the past 45 years.

I remember saying “Welcome” to someone and they said, “Thank you. That’s the first time anyone said that to me in the past 9 years.”

I know I said welcome to the next couple I met right after that and they said, “Thank you!” and then they said they just moved to Annapolis and are checking out churches.

I know some people walked out of Mass a few years ago when a priest here made comments about gay people from the pulpit.

It seems to me that Pope Francis, Jesus and the Catholic Bishops of the United States are challenging Catholics to be more welcoming than the past with all  people.

Okay, pet Pitbull’s and Rottweilers are not welcome at our church - at least from me. However,  pet Pitbull and Rottweiler type people are. And I would assume that people with Rottweilers, Pitbull’s, pugs and poodles are welcome if we ever have animal blessings on the feast of St. Francis.

So to me themes for the year have more power, influence, impact than mission statements.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Does our mission statement for St. Mary’s Parish have any influence on our practices - and how we serve people.

On the front cover of our bulletin - on the bottom - here it is: “St. Mary’s Parish, a sacramental Roman Catholic community united in Jesus Christ our Redeemer, proclaims God’s love: serves the needs of others; educates in the faith; and joyfully celebrates God’s presence and promises as we seek the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I’m sure some of those 40 words were tossed around, wrestled with, and hammered out.

On our website, with our schools in mind, we read,  “St. Mary’s Parish, a Catholic congregation served by the Redemptorist Order, includes St. Mary’s Church and St. John Neumann Mission Church. St. Mary's Elementary and High School located in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, serve students in grades Kindergarten through 12. Anchored in faith, rooted in tradition, and committed to excellence, our programs build lifelong learners who are servant leaders.”

My wondering is: How much impact do these mission statements have?

I would think discussion - bringing them up at times - could be helpful - if someone felt something or someone was being neglected. 

CONCLUSION

Looking at today’s gospel - and its quote from Isaiah  61: 1-2, I would think a key to a good mission statement and theme for a year, would be that it has some upset - some very clear challenge -  in it.  That is, Jesus in it, the cross in it, as well as resurrection and new life in it.

At the end of today’s gospel - it says that the folks in Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, “rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.”

I was wondering if I have ever said something that would get people want to toss me out of this parish.