Essential Workers

            It’s almost\ fall, and in parish life, fall calls our attention to programming, scheduling, ministry, and all the other ways of describing an active parish life.
            By any estimation, it’s been a tough year and a half, since the Covid pandemic showed itself.  We had a year-long stoppage of most parish programs, especially those that involve gathering people for any reason other than worship.
            While caution is going to be the rule for quite some time, it seems that it is safe enough to resume the typical activities of parish life.
            There are some significant openings in all the ministries in our parish.  I would like to ask you to look at your gifts and skills, your time availability, and your passion for our faith as lived in the parish community, and see if one of these opportunities speaks to you.
            Greeter / Usher:  It’s not enough to have a lovely gathering space to welcome people to their weekly worship experience.  It takes people — members of the Body of Christ — to extend the welcome of Christ to everyone as they arrive, and then to ensure safety and order during the worship experience.  Parents and children can do this together. Teens can do it on their own.  Couples, elders, young adults, all eligible.
            Lector / Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion:  When you see the same reader proclaiming both readings, you’re seeing an opening for you.  There should be two lectors at every Mass.  Same for EMHC’s.  It should not be the same people every week.  Consider whether your gifts, inclinations, and love for the Word or the Eucharist are calling you to these ministries.
            Visiting Ministers to the Homebound:  First of all, we are learning to refer to folks who can’t attend Mass in person as “home based,” which is better than “bound.”  That said, there are several parishioners who would like to receive Holy Communion at least once a week — Sunday or another day.  Is this something you could be doing?
            So yes, your parish needs you to consider taking up one of these ministries.  But that’s not the only, or even the best reason to do it.  The best reason is that you recognize God’s gifts at work in your life, and that you have something very valuable to share with others. 
            “You wrote it in the scrolls of law, what you would have me do… doing that is what has made me happy…”. (Ps 40, as set to music by Rory Cooney)
            Doing something that we are gifted to do, and called to do in the name of Christ, is rewarding, affirming, and joyful. 
            “Whom shall I send?” asks the Lord, in a very familiar song, and we answer, in the same refrain, “Here I am Lord!  I will go, Lord, if you lead me… I will hold your people in my heart.”
            Do any of these essential services speak to your heart?  Can you commit to serving once a month, or once a week, or as part of a team…?  Will you?
            Send an email, please, to me or to Geri Pantelleria. Let’s talk about what God may be calling you to do in this wonderful community of faith.