{"id":10,"date":"2016-02-23T06:17:23","date_gmt":"2016-02-23T06:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/?page_id=10"},"modified":"2016-03-01T19:29:21","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T19:29:21","slug":"called-to-serve","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/?page_id=10","title":{"rendered":"Called to Serve"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hgowns\"<\/p>\n

When we encounter opportunities to serve God, we don\u2019t always respond in the way He desires. Perhaps we think we can\u2019t because our schedule is too busy or we don\u2019t feel qualified or that other people are doing it.<\/p>\n

The Lord desires that His servants be willing to do anything: contribute talents, time, resources\u2014and that they will seek His specific plan for them. He uniquely gifts followers to serve according to His will. But when we\u2019ve already decided what we can\u2019t do, won\u2019t do, or are ill-equipped to do, then we\u2019re acting by our own will. That doesn\u2019t work.<\/span><\/p>\n

St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 describes the composition of the Christian community with the analogy of the body where every part has a specific role to play for the benefit of the whole body. Imagine how our parish community will flourish if, as St. Paul analogizes, every parishioner takes up a role and participates actively in the parish life. It will be like heaven on earth. The same way it is discomforting for any part of the body to be inactive, same way any inactive member renders the church, the body of Christ, paralyzed, so to say. <\/span><\/p>\n

No restriction exists on what God can do through the life of a willing helper, in the life of the members of Christ\u2019s body. The strength of His Spirit overcomes human limitations. Don\u2019t have enough courage? God can fix that. Don\u2019t have the right skills? God can fix that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Laying down our excuses is the wisest thing to do when serving the Lord. Trust that He will empower us to do whatever He calls us to do\u2014and will see to it that we\u2019re properly equipped and trained to do it (Ephesians 2:10<\/a>; 2 Timothy 3:16-17<\/a>). All He asks is that we say yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you thinking, and so feel called to take more active part in our parish ministries namely, being a Lector, Eucharistic minister, Sacristan, hospitality minister, choir minister, Altar Server, Children’s Liturgy minister, Youth minister, School minister, etc? Step up to the plate, don\u2019t just be a spectator \u2013 join a St. Patrick Parish Ministry. If you are not certain where the Lord is calling you to serve, why not speak to Fr. Obioma; speak to other ministers; ask the Holy Spirit in prayer where you can serve and exercise your baptism calling, your Christian vocation. Don\u2019t be a stranger. Don\u2019t be shy. \u201cDon\u2019t ask what America can do for you;\u201d said President J. F Kennedy, \u201cask what you can do for America.\u201d This is even truer in the body of Christ, the Church.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we encounter opportunities to serve God, we don\u2019t always respond in the way He desires. Perhaps we think we can\u2019t because our schedule is too busy or we don\u2019t feel qualified or that other people are doing it. The Lord desires that His servants be willing to do anything: contribute talents, time, resources\u2014and that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165,"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stpatrickcatholic.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}