As a parish community, we welcome everyone who is willing to serve, no matter the reason that brings you here. Do you feel the call to assist? We can’t wait to meet you. Do you need NHS or Key Club hours? Please, come serve. Are you looking for something meaningful to do with your parents or kids? We will gladly take your help. Simply feeling bored? Come and let your spirit be lifted in our community.
The truth is that it does not matter why you start serving. What matters is that you share your time and your talents. Our parishes cannot thrive without you.
There is also a deeper invitation. We are called to serve not out of obligation or for recognition, but out of love. In 35+ years of working in the Church, I have seen both extremes. Some serve with joy. Others serve as “martyrs,” believing that if they did not do the work, everything would fall apart. While I understand that feeling, what our Church truly needs is not modern-day martyrs, but modern-day saints.
- Saints who lector or sing in the choir, because they know their voice is a gift from God.
- Saints who usher, because hospitality is a way of making Christ’s welcome visible.
- Saints who serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, because they are humbled to help bring the Body of Christ to others.
- Saints who volunteer their strong backs to lighten the load for others.
- Saints who freshen up our gardens and grounds, so that the resulting beauty honors Christ.
- Saints who volunteer in discipleship formation, because they are grateful for the people who once taught them.
- Saints who reach out through charitable works, because they see Christ in those they serve.
Fr. Ron Victor recently shared a powerful paradox of giving. Many fear giving because they believe they will end up with nothing. In reality, the more you give of your time, talent, and treasure, the more you actually gain in life. By pouring ourselves out, we find ourselves filled.
This echoes the wisdom of legendary coach John Wooden, who once said, “You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone without thought of repayment.” True service always points beyond ourselves. And perhaps the greatest test of humility is this: can we do something for someone else without anyone else knowing about it? Quiet, hidden service that is done without applause is closest to the heart of Christ.
This is exactly what Jesus teaches in the Gospel (Luke 14:1, 7–14). He tells us to take the lowest seat, to serve those who cannot repay us, and not to seek recognition. And as Sirach reminds us (Sirach 3:17–18), “Conduct your affairs with humility…you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.”
Real greatness is not about impressing others. It is about serving with humility, especially those who go unnoticed.
So let us care less about being admired and more about serving with love. When we give and when we serve with the heart of Christ, we not only build up the Church, we become the saints our world so desperately needs.
