Milieu/Home
An Invitation on All Saints day
All Saints day commemorates all the persons, more than just the canonized saints, who lived a saintly life. Most of the Christian Churches acknowledge strongly that saintliness is not a vocation for any elite group of people, but for all. On 31st of October, we celebrate the feast of a Jesuit brother (not a priest) St Alphonsus Rodrigues. After becoming a widower, he joined the Jesuits and was a door keeper of a college for 40 years. This door keeper, who did nothing extraordinary, is a mystic and Saint. A simple example that saintliness is not limited for a certain elite category of people, but all.
Lieu & Milieu
I remember a conference as part of the 50th anniversary of founding of my French University. The rector of the college, went through some of the founding documents to see the vision of the founders and how it evolved. After a few years of the foundation, one of the founders said this institute has already become a place (French word is Lieu) of academic capability, but still a long way to go to become a milieu (translated as environment).
If I use the French terms, it has become a “lieu”, not yet a “milieu”. In the place of academic excellence (lieu), there is good work etc; but a theological and philosophical milieu is not just a place of study for the future priests, but also an environment (atmosphere) where theological and philosophical questions are discussed, not only by future priests, but religious and lay people (or by the entire church). Today when I look at this place, it has 250 full time students (half of them are not preparing to be priests) and more than 2000 auditors (who study one or more courses, and 99% of them are lay people. There are many other formations where so many lay people and people of other faiths participate. Or in some sense (still progress is possible), the institute has become a milieu.
Church as a Lieu/Milieu
On this feast day of all Saints, it is good to ask how the church can help people in becoming Saints? Whether the church is a lieu — a place where they come once a week ? Or a milieu where they visit at some frequency and their lives are discussed (not judged) and transformed? Is church a home for people? Or is a place where I visit for special occasions as I visit a restaurant occasionally?
When we speak a lot of synodality, it is important that church becomes a milieu/home for the people. For it to become a milieu, it should welcome all and people should feel comfortable to be there, and be enriched from there. It is not the task of one person or a few; hopefully All saints day is a good reminder for us to make the church a milieu/home.
Jesus was home for all. What is the church then waiting for? The Church is not some authorities, but all of us. So this invitation is to all of us.
To make the church a home/milieu for all
