Dear parish Family,

A few years ago, I saw someone wearing a shirt that struck me.  Perhaps you have seen people in similar shirts.  The shirt was all black, and on the front in wavy white type was “Anti Social Social Club”.  Absolutely hilarious.  A social club for those who consider themselves anti-social.  What a genius idea!  I can’t say I know much about the organization or have met any of its board members, but the club fascinates me.  What do their club outings consist of?  Do they celebrate losing members instead of gaining members?  Is their mascot a cat?    

  There is a great irony in the Anti Social Social Club.  The group seemingly consists of people who don’t want to spend time with other people.  In their common alienation from others, members of this group find belonging.  What at first becomes a movement away from people actually becomes a movement towards others.  It starts as an endeavor in resistance and rebellion, but ends in an act of further conformity.  

  The idea of conformity can carry a rather negative connotation to it in our present age.  We have a desire to express our individuality through means of originality.  However, St. Paul talks about conformity much differently.  In our second reading this weekend, Paul tells us that God predestined us, “to be conformed to the image of his Son.”  In fact, some scholars note that this theme of conformity to the image of Jesus Christ is the central theme to understanding this whole letter.  Paul is exhorting us to conform ourselves to Jesus Christ through our prayer and works.

  Conformity seems to be an inevitable part of human existence.  Even acts that try to act against conformity end up collapsing into it.  So, the question for us becomes not if we are being conformed, but to what are we presently being conformed?  Is the whole of our lives aimed at conformity to Jesus Christ, or have we let other people, ideas, or things take His place?  Let us pray this week that we can hear the ways in which Christ is inviting us to conform our lives more deeply to Him.    

Peace,

Fr. Sean Neville