Some of you may have noticed that the parking lot looks different, better. During the month of September we had a series of "break-ins" to the multipurpose building and the parish hall. Nothing was stolen, just damage to the doors. It appears that people in need of shelter, were getting inside the building. What used to be the children’s playground also turned into a campsite for the homeless, with folks literally living up on the huge tree. I suspect this sight was also being used for prostitution. Because of the heavy foliage, it was not noticed that there was a mattress up on the tree (two years ago we had the same problem).

The old fence around the playground was taken down, the big tree trimmed -- so that no one could hide in its branches -- and smaller trees were also uprooted and removed. The whole area was cleaned-up (it took a few truck loads). New doors were also installed in the multipurpose building to replace the damaged doors, and other trees of various sizes around the church (a dozen in total) were removed or trimmed. In the end, everything looks better, and we hope to add more lighting to the back of the building. Events like this remind us of the need for affordable housing, and the plight of the homeless. Needless to say, it has been busy!!!

On another note, our life as a community of faith continues to move forward. Over the summer, we have evidenced new faces here at St. Anselm’s. It’s wonderful to see the continuation of our parish in this way, especially since in the last year we have lost some of our very much-loved members to death. Recently we celebrated a memorial for Margaret Fitzgerald, who died two weeks ago. She will be missed; we trust in our Lord that she is now enjoying the fruits of her faith.

During the summer, we also had to struggle with a somewhat controversial article published in the Orange County Register. This article addressed the issue of gay unions, sexuality, and the role of the church. I personally felt it was a well-written article, and I felt the reporter did a good job in presenting my own personal views as a progressive priest in a major denominational church. The article also presented more conservative views. In the article I was quoted as saying that here at St. Anselm’s, "We live with a tension that says we don’t agree, but we won’t let it tear our congregation apart." This was a pretty accurate quote for a change, and it acknowledges that we are not all in the same place regarding issues of same sex blessings, but we remain open to God’s grace and God’s power to show us the Way; and we will continue to treat each other with compassion and love.

French writer Anais Nin once wrote: "We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin is no doubt a person of deep wisdom. If we do a little self-examination, we will find that Nin’s statement is painfully true. In our flawed humanity, we tend to see things as we are, and what we are is too often very flawed, for whatever reason. As Christians, we are challenged to live in the Spirit of Christ, to have his courage in recognizing things "as they are." Our relationship with God forces us to do endless self-examination, which can lead to transformation, but the process of looking at ones life, and moving beyond our own arrogance and pride, is a painful one. Accepting things about us that need to change is not an easy pill to swallow. God calls us to continual conversion; this requires an endless journey of self-examination.

As we move into our busy season, thankfully we will once again experience the power of our liturgical seasons. Before we know it, we will be celebrating Christmas, and the joy of baby Jesus among us. I am both excited, and anxious about the days ahead. The busy time can be overwhelming, but by the grace of God, together we can make it what it is supposed to be, a time to journey with Jesus, and grow in our faith and maturity. Everything else is just spinning wheels.

In Grace,

The Rev. Wilfredo Benítez