Sharing Our Passion
We minister to one another in different ways. As a priest, the prime way that I minister to others is presiding at the celebration of the sacraments. I also minister in teaching RCIA, visiting the sick, and in the work I do with our various parish committees to name a few. I have talked before about how I serve in some of these ministries.
Today, I would like to talk about how others have ministered to me this week. Some may read this and wonder what was wrong that I needed to be ministered to this week.
It isn’t that anything was wrong this week. Matter of fact, in the ways I felt ministered to this week, I bet if you asked the people involved about how they ministered to me, they won’t know what you were talking about. It wasn’t intentional ministry. They were just being themselves (and for me that’s the best part). What I saw in their actions was that their faith meant something to them. In showing their passion, they served as evangelists.
Here are the three situations. First, I was teaching RCIA to a family and the twelve-year-old son really was interested and asking lots of questions. That helped me see it meant something to him, helped me feel like what I was doing mattered.
The second situation was a Liturgy Committee meeting. Many people dread meetings and this was an especially long one because we had a lot to talk about (reviewing November liturgies, working on Advent and Christmas, and beginning to plan for Lent). I’m not one to enjoy meetings but done well they are necessary for effective communication and coordination. Unfortunately, not all meetings seem worthwhile. There was not anything spectacular about this meeting. In fact, I wish it had been a lot shorter. What helped me was simply to see the interest of the people at the table. They were there because they wanted to be there and showed their interest in making our liturgies meaningful expressions of our faith. They took it seriously.
The third situation was an intentional ministry but probably not in the direct way I spoke to me. The person was the lector at Mass. She was there about a half an hour early, had practiced the readings, spent time in church practicing the Prayers of the Faithful, asked to make sure she had everything straight before we started and did an excellent job. One could easily say she did exactly what every lector should do and they would be right. I wish every lector would do as well but what spoke to me the most was that she was a teenager. It’s nice to see one of our youth actively serving in our parish and doing an excellent job.
All three were ordinary situations but people showed that their faith meant something to them and that is a big help to me to remain passionate in my own ministry.
Never be afraid to show your faith. It can help others in theirs.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
P.S. Two weeks into the new translation – Still some mistakes but I believe that everyone is taking it seriously and trying to learn the new translations. Another sign that faith means something to the people I serve.