Fluidity in Ministry (Week of July 15)
On the Road
Most parish ministries experience a fluidity of participation. Some parishioners continue to volunteer, mature in their roles, and eventually become key leaders in the parish. Some parishioners become overwhelmed by daily responsibilities and redirect their time outside the parish. And some need encouragement or an invitation to continue in their participation or to join a group, organization, or activity. We all need to recognize that for many people their involvement in the parish might be their first ministerial experience ever or in a long time. Each of us deserves gratitude for the service we have done, yet we must not forgot whom we are ultimately serving. We all serve God when we serve the Church. And in our service to the Church, we are to model Christ. Rejoice in the activity of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of all parishioners. Be confident that the Spirit is at work in people you do not yet know, inspiring them to share the Gospel. And remember that each of us is an instrument of God, planting the seeds that God will sow in the hearts of the faithful.
Encounter
"Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly." Saint Ignatius Loyola "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
Go Forth
What do you think is the most meaningful way to thank others for their service this year? Who can you invite or encourage to actively participate in the life of the Church?