Underlying Harmony

 To be all alike can be the tomb of the individual.  But to be completely separate is the tomb of community.  I like the Paulist Fathers because we have learned how to be individuals in community with an underlying harmony or unity.  We who were ordained in the 70s were all about individuality.  Yikes you should have seen my hair, and beard. I even had an Afro for a while.  Lots of us Paulists then were into our own looks and clothes and doing our “thing.”  It was the age of individualism. It did not make for good community life in a parish rectory.  But over the years we have mellowed or blended better.  We encourage a Paulist priest to develop his gifts and talents.  It is one of the reasons we recruit certain types of men.  But we also practice learning how to live, pray, share life together in a way that we give up something of ourselves to be our best selves in doing things together for the sake of a bonding.  We are like a loaf of bread that is not all the same slices, and flavor.  We are a loaf of many different flavors but still a loaf.  Someone send this to our vocation director!