THE BEACON ON THE BOULEVARD

    Should I tell you about the parts of my job I find hard, or about the things that make it all worth it. Ministry makes it worth it and the Sacraments are pure gift. I love Mass. It is so invigorating and life-giving. I am joyfully grateful I am able to celebrate Mass, every Mass and I wish it wouldn’t end. I’m thankful for every person there to pray. I love celebrating Confession. Every person who approaches me for confession or walks into that confessional brings me joy and
thankfulness. I feel His joy and thankfulness they are there. So many have no idea how Jesus so desires to make His mercy known to us. I love spiritual direction. I love sitting down with someone with nowhere else to be, to dig into their spiritual life, discern what the Lord wants and how to follow. Confessions and spiritual direction somehow give me one ear to the person and one ear to the Lord, as I am reduced to just being there. I love when I’m given the opportunity to visit the sick or hospitalized and pray with them. Even when I come to pray Last Rites with a person, it is still a gift of God’s love for them and me their priest to pray with them. I love
relationships, sharing ourselves in this bond only He can give us. I love evangelization. One of my greatest joys is seeing people’s growth in His light and grace in their life. I love witnessing
moments when someone is humbled in all the right ways, that acknowledge His goodness is so far beyond us. I love seeing someone learning new depths to trusting Jesus, as I go deeper
myself. When long days and endless tasks weigh me down at times, all these moments make me look up and say “This makes it worth it.” How about you?
        The joys of ministry aren’t reserved for ordained ministers. Even as smaller parish communities, there is no shortage of ways to serve the Church, in the church or beyond these walls as the Church. All of us have some giftedness inside us that the Lord wants to draw out of us: fruits in the lives of others, to make Himself known through us. Discerning this can simply start with “What do I love doing? And what am I naturally good at?” Are you inspired to accomplish
something that can be seen, or contribute in a way that doesn’t need to be seen? Do you feel challenged to belong to a group or ministry, or feel compelled by Him in some way to lead? Others deserve the gift of who we are. Maybe we will discover more the gift of who we are, when we dare to share ourselves more. As we seek to die to ourselves through this Lenten season and fill what we are lacking, may we find “It is no longer I that live. Christ lives in me.”