It Takes More Than One

The parishes I serve remain without a faith formation coordinator (we are seeking a part-time person if you know of someone who might be interested).  So, I am spending a lot of my time now working to put together our activities for the coming year for family faith formation (K-7), First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, Confirmation, and OCIA (formerly known as RCIA).

Working on these reminds me of the importance of having a person to coordinate all our faith formation activities.  I was full-time in my own duties for administrating the Sacraments, pastoral care, and parish leadership before taking on the faith formation responsibilities directly.  I am grateful for the volunteers that help.  Yet, it is clear that with my own duties as Parochial Administrator and adding on direct responsibility for faith formation activities, that I can’t do it all.  There simply isn’t enough hours in the day to do it all well.

That’s okay because I also know that I’m not supposed to do it all alone.  God is calling someone to fulfill our faith formation coordinator position.  They just haven’t answered yet. 

I think of the gospel reading we heard recently on the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time from Luke 10:1-12, 17-20.  “At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs.”  God doesn’t call us to work all alone.  There is much work to be done.  We need to hear Jesus’ words, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”  I have asked our parishioners to pray that we find the person God is calling to be our Faith Formation Coordinator soon.  Even if you are not a parishioner here, I ask you if you would do the same for us.

My confidence that God isn’t calling me to do all the work alone goes beyond Jesus’ sending out the 72 disciples in pairs.  I think of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12.  United in Christ through the Holy Spirit, we are to be one body. 

We are one body, but we serve as different parts as we are given different gifts.  In verses 4-7, Paul writes, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.  To everyone the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

We do our best to accomplish God’s Will when we work together, each doing the part that God calls them to, whether working several hours as a paid part-time staff person or a smaller number of hours as a volunteer.

As Paul writes in verse 12, “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.”  Each part serves a different function.  The foot does not serve the same purpose as the hand.  It isn’t supposed to.  In the same way, the ear does not serve the same purpose as the eye.  It isn’t supposed to (see verses 15-18).  The foot helps the body get where it is supposed to be so the hand can do its part.  The ear and the eye do not work in conflict.  Sometimes the eye and ear perceive the same thing and the information they receive works together.  At other times, the eye sees what the ear cannot hear, and the ear hears what the eye cannot see. 

All parts of the body need to do what the head, Jesus Christ, calls them to do for the building up of God’s kingdom so that our Father’s Will can be done.

It isn’t always easy.  Jesus knew this when He sent the 72 out, saying to them, “behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”  The world does not always do as Jesus calls us to.  When things seem hard, it can be the world pushing back.  We must remember that nothing is impossible for God.

Everyone needs to do their part.  For instance, when I do work meant for someone else, it can keep me from having time to do my part to implement our new strategic plan.  That affects our parishes today and tomorrow.

We could have volunteers do more.  I’m not very good at recruiting.  Why?  I don’t know what everyone’s gifts are because I am not able to spend time with them to get to know what their gifts are.  Personally, I am very hesitant to ask someone to take on our role without knowing what their gifts are.  I fear asking someone to do something they don’t have the gifts for.

So, why don’t people volunteer themselves? 

Here I turn to words Pope Leo XIV said just this Sunday in his homily, “The world accustoms us to exchange peace for comfort, goodness for tranquility…Some will advise us not to take risks, to spare ourselves, because it is important to be at peace and others do not deserve to be loved” (All quotes from his homily are found in Kristina Millare, “Pope Leo XIV: Bear Christ’s ‘fire of love’ to spread peace throughout the world.” August 17, 2025.  Catholic News Agency.  https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/266001/pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-mass-with-poor-in-albano-shares-meal-and-message-of-hope-at-castel-gandolfo.).

Simply put, we don’t want to cause controversy.  So, in the supposed name of “keeping the peace,” we don’t get involved. 

Pope Leo XIV also spoke in his homily this Sunday of “those who assist and those who are assisted, between those who seem to give and those who seem to receive, between those who appear poor and those who feel they have time, skills, and help to offer.”

Which are you?  Are you called to assist or to be assisted?  Are you called to give or to receive?  The answer can be change as we go through challenges and different stages of life.  We need to regularly ask God in our prayers how He is calling us to contribute.

As Pope Leo said this Sunday, we may get discouraged because we don’t receive a “positive response” to our efforts.  When this happens, we can ask the Lord to affirm what He calls us to do for the grace to continue.

Where can we receive the grace to persevere?  We can find nourishment in God’s Word, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit who sets us on fire to do the work that God calls us to.

Again, it is not always easy.  As Pope Leo XIV also said this past Sunday, “Acting in truth has its cost, because there are those in the world who choose lies, and the devil, who takes advantage of the situation, often seeks to block the actions of good people.”

What gifts has God given you and how is He calling you to use them?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff