The tragedy is that these people are often the most intelligent and best educated church members. In order to respect what they have learned, they endure the heartbreaking experience of leaving churches they were raised in and still love.

If you are such a person, it could be that you are spiritually ripe to join the Catholic Church of Antioch and perhaps do not even realize it. Saint Miriam is the church which sets no limits to your thinking but, to the contrary, encourages you to use your intelligence to find the deepest spiritual truths that you can. You are urged to read all you can on scriptural interpretation, comparative religion, mystical traditions, as well as the best works in psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology. At the same time, you can share with your fellow seekers the experience of worshiping in the rich traditional beauty of Eucharistic fellowship.

Sign our covenant today to begin spiritual healing.

a. We will work and pray for unity and the bond of peace among all people, regardless of denomination or any personal attribute. We will pray that God’s peace would show itself in the body as a whole. Whether we are gathering for a Sunday morning service, thinking through matters of church business or interacting with co-workers, acquaintances, and friends, we are to pray that the Holy Spirit would move us together in the same direction. Unity is a fragile thing and it has no limits.

b. We will exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and care for one another recognizing our own brokenness. Are we bearing each other’s burdens? Are we looking out for each other? Are we challenging each other to always strive to be the voice of Christ? Are we pleading one another to a holy walk? Are we doing these things for people who are outside our demographic group and even our comfort level? It is insufficient if you are only caring for those who share your demographic profile, but at Saint Miriam we are called to more. This idea is contrary to most church-culture thinking, but it’s biblical & Gospel-centered. It's Jesus here and now. This is what it means to be a part of a real church community.

c. We will make an effort to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Christians don’t meet simply so they can be more blessed; we meet so that the church can glorify God and so that we can become fed and take that feeding to those on the outside. The work of the church begins at the dismissal! As we learn about Scripture together, praise God together, pray together, and serve others together, we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus. We’re not here merely to have our own needs met. Nor are we a stationary evangelical rally where we hear the word of someone else. Attending Catholic Mass regularly is vital because it is the first step toward being a visible presence to others.

d. We will try to never neglect to pray for ourselves and others. In our own devotionals, we are to pray that God would grow us in Christ. We are to pray that God would strengthen us to do God’s work. We are to pray for God’s direction in all matters. We are also to pray for others, that God’s Spirit would be at work in them.

e. We will bring up those who at any time are under our care. Maybe it’s those children we have a special commitment to; maybe it is that brother or sister you are praying with each week. Maybe we are overwhelmed and need help. We covenant together to be a part of one another’s lives. Discipleship and spiritual mentoring should be a daily goal. When in need, we ask for help from our community for ourselves and for those we care for (and even those we don’t).

f. We will seek the salvation of family and friends. You are the only one who knows all your friends and family. The life we live during the week is to include sharing the Gospel with family and friends. The proclamation of the Gospel is so important that we covenant together in order to encourage each of us to share our faith and our joy.

g. We will rejoice at each other's happiness. Sometimes seeing our friends fail makes us feel better. There’s something wrong with that, isn’t there? In a world of envy, jealousy, mean-spiritedness, and greed, we are called to see other’s happiness and praise God for it. This may be one of the most difficult promises in our covenant to keep. We truly are a selfish and proud people and are in need of God’s grace.

h. We will each bear one another’s burdens and sorrows. God did not design us to go through difficulty alone. God ministers to us through others and uses us to do so to all people. One of the best ways we can be an example to the world is through being faithful to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to one another.

i. We will try to live carefully in the world. One of the reasons we covenant together is because we realize that we need help with our own Christian walk with God. The world is in need of the good, the holy, and the profound. We need to walk carefully and enjoy all God’s creation; being mindful that we are stewards of it, not owners.

j. We will support the ministry of the community as we are able. Through prayer, commitment to biblical teaching, finances, and other means, each individual member has an important role in supporting the church body. That is why at Saint Miriam we do not take a collection. You made the covenant; it’s up to you to tend to its demands.

k. We will always remember to live in love. Jesus said it best, “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We couldn’t say it any better. Now go live it out in the world!

l. We will act responsibly and truthfully. In all matters, we will speak the truth and trust God to help us act with the responsibility of being made in God’s image. We will confront those who we disagree with in love and respect and will not go behind one another's back. We will strive to live in truth and love, even when it is difficult.

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