"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has – or ever will have – something inside that is unique to all time."  - Mister Rogers
 
I remember the day Mister Rogers died. While my friends shared stories and memories of this incredible man, all I could ask was, “Who is Mister Rogers?” You would have thought I had committed murder from their reactions, but the one thing I quickly learned was that this was a man who had shaped many of my friends’ lives, and all, for the better.
 
Our society today continues to be fascinated by a man whose whole life was
centered on kindness. Movies are trying to show this man and the way he lived, but the best form of flattery isn’t to show stories of his life, but to imitate his life through kindness. As we receive many guests and visitors this Christmas season, we should all strive to imitate Mister Rogers a little more.
 
What is so special about Mister Rogers? As the quote above states, he didn’t just give pleasantries and treat everyone the way we view a neighbor. He treated his neighbors like Mother Teresa was known for doing. He treated them like they were the most valuable person in the whole world. Imagine how much our Church and your life, would change with that form of kindness? We would no longer be
attempting to welcome others while also keeping them at a distance. Instead, we would be embracing the witness of Mister Rogers as he lived the teaching of
Jesus Christ. “Who is my neighbor?” a man asks Jesus in the Gospels. In perfect discipleship to Jesus Christ, Mister Rogers responds not with a “who” is my a neighbor, but a plea, “will” you be my neighbor. Our neighbors are not just the people we try to scoot away from in the pew, but each person who walks through the doors of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and beyond.
 
When I was a sophomore in college, I was in an unknown city where I struggled to make friends and longed for community. Luckily for me, I found it, in my own
Catholic Church. Of course, before this experience, I was like most young adults, a floater. I didn’t yet understand or value community. However, my first experience at the Miraculous Medal parish changed all that. I experienced a welcoming like I’ve never found at any other parish since then. There weren’t greeters at the doors, there were greeters in the pews, next to me. The “average” lay parishioner went out of their way to say hi and make room for me in the pew. Even though this was a large parish, when we stood to greet one another before the opening hymn, someone commented that they didn’t recognize me and asked my name. When I told her I was new, she beamed and was even more welcoming. It was an
experience I will never forget. I don’t remember the woman’s face or name, but I remember how she made me feel. Loved. She truly treated me like I was the most valuable person in that whole Church. Outside of the Miraculous Medal parish, St. Elizabeth certainly does a decent job welcoming our people. I love our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion holding doors, and I love being the one able to welcome even more. But this Christmas, we need more. We need not to only be welcoming, but to truly be a neighbor as Jesus Christ and Mister Rogers describe. Because creating an environment of love and security, doesn’t end at the door. This is only the beginning.
 
It is easy to forget, but the Mass is actually a communal prayer. It isn’t just “private or personal” prayer, but a family praying and sharing a meal together. This is why it is so important to realize that everyone sitting next to you isn’t only your neighbor, but your brother and sister in Christ. The Mass is not a time to be upset with babies praising God through their crying or getting upset if someone sits next to you in your “pew.” The Mass is a time to pray together and be reminded of the communal aspect of the Christian life as we are all one body of Christ.
 
Christmas Mass is especially a time to rejoice that so many of our family members have returned home. It is a time to treat each and every person we meet like the valuable person they are. Don’t be afraid to talk to your neighbor, to do something kind. The worst that can happen is you freak them out that you are actually talking to them! The best that can happen is that you transform a life by showing someone the love of Christ. Be the one to bring kindness to our parish not only at Christmas, but everyday. Be the one to follow Jesus Christ even closer than before. Be the one to ask, ”Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”