Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Immediately after college I was blessed to be able to do a year of service in Phoenix, AZ at a place called Maggie's Place. I've written of it a couple of times before. At Maggie's Place those of us who committed to do service committed to live our lives with those we served. Who did we serve? Pregnant women who were homeless - some were recovering drug addicts, some were prostitutes, some were victims of abuse, some suffered from mental illness - but all - every single one was a child of God.
The beautiful thing about Maggie's Place was that all of us in the house - volunteers and those we were serving - we became a family. We shared meals together, we laughed together, we cleaned together, cried together. We shared joys and we shared sorrows. We prayed together. We had fun together. It was this group of women I celebrated my engagement with and it was this group of women we mourned the loss of a child and of a parent with. In this community - this home of hospitality, we were a family, we were disciples caring for one another and loving one another.
It was during this time that I really came to understand readings like today's Gospel in a new way. There were those who would ask - why are you doing this? Why do you think you can make a difference? Much like the Pharisees asked in today's Gospel - why would he eat with sinners and tax collectors? Why would he associate with these people who have made mistakes, who are sinners? Why? Because he loves them. He loves us all. And while we are all children of God, we are all also sinners. You. Me. The person in the car next to you. We are all sinners. Who are we to judge who is worthy to dine with Christ and who is not?
This is not to say we did not have rules and expectations. There were rules those of us volunteering had to follow - when those were broken you were asked to leave the community. And there were rules the women we were serving had to follow too. If those rules were broken they were also asked to leave as well. But within those boundaries we tried to create a small snippet of what Christ came to bring to this Earth.
The year I volunteered we all bonded over the song, September by Earth, Wind and Fire (A song about the 21st night of September). For some reason this song helped to connect us to one another and brought us joy for the journey. Every time I hear it I am reminded of the community we were able to create at Maggie's Place. Fittingly, I am reflecting on the readings for September 21. When I hear that song today I know it will take me back to that community we were able to create - a community of sinners lovingly working together to become the children of God we were made and called to be. Amen.
- AJ Grimm