Do you answer the call...(Cont.)
or volunteer at a Vacation Bible School in your parish. Do you have a
soft spot for the elderly? Visit a nursing home, help collect and distribute
much-needed supplies or offer to go shopping for someone who can’t
get to the store. There are prison ministries, ministries to teenagers and
young adults, and those who have a talent for design or are creative
can volunteer on a parish Decor Committee. Are you injured or too ill
to venture out but can pray? Become a Prayer Warrior and pray those
beautiful devotions that so few people pray but that are so efficacious,
like the Holy Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or any one of a host
of novenas. In other words, there is no excuse for not doing more to
help our brothers and sisters in need. Performing these acts of charity
helps keep us all connected to each other. And aside from feeling better
about ourselves, we have a greater reason for performing these Works
of Mercy. Jesus Himself commanded it.
What can you do? Do you see areas in which you can live as
Christ? Sometimes it is easy to see the need – it is right in front of us,
but, do you answer the call? Here are a few examples of ways in which
you may want to “become a disciple of Christ.” These examples are
shared by friends of the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center.
With today’s technology everything
is so complicated. Thank goodness all
of our appliances and gadgets come
with a manual! However, not many
of us actually take the time to read
it? A manual, after all, is a book of
instructions. It teaches us how to get
the most use from our microwaves, our
smart phones, our gadgets. In living my faith I depend on my manual for
living, the Bible. When I first began studying the Bible 16 years ago I fell in
love with Papa. I came to know Him not only as my Father and my savior
but also as my best friend. Someone I wanted to talk to and visit with all
day long. Someone I went to for advice, I listened to and learned from but
most of all, someone I trusted with all my heart. The better I knew Him
and His will for my life, the more I wanted that for others. I now facilitate
a weekly Bible study at the Ministry Center as well as hold a weekly Bible
study in my home for all who desire to have this intimate relationship with
Him. I encourage everyone to pick up their manual and start learning how
to live our faith. St. Paul tells us in 1Timothy 4:13, devote yourself to the
public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Shalane Crick
Serving others is a large part of my quest
for salvation. As a retiree, I find purpose in
my life through volunteering in parish and
community organizations. At St. Louis
King of France Catholic church I serve as an
Extraordinary Minister, Lector, member of
the RCIA team, KC Auxiliary and Catholic
Daughters. As a member of this church
parish family, I feel the need to be involved
in its’ ministries. Calling BINGO at several
nursing homes monthly for the KCA and UCT; helping out at our dear
Sister Dulce’s Cypress Springs Ministries is my way of fulfilling Christ’s
mandate to serve others and seek to save my soul. Like in all families, we
must each do our part and contribute our talents and blessings to make the
family complete – it is the same with our church and our community.
Page Meyer
I have been involved with high
school Youth Ministry for close to 20
years now, primarily confirmation
but also numerous Senior Retreats,
Catholic Leadership Institute and
Diocesan Youth Board. Here’s a
quick look at “why” I continue.
I continue my involvement in
Confirmation preparation because
I truly love the high school students!
While serving God, it is my desire
to share with them God’s great love
and His plan for them. I love their energy, enthusiasm, joy for living and
even their doubts, concerns and fears regarding our faith and church. I love
that they are nearing the significant crossroad of their lives and our Church
affords them the opportunity to reflect, discern and make their own choice
to live the fullness of our Catholic faith. I continually pray that in some
way I can be a worthy instrument of God’s love and grace, if by nothing
more than just being present to them … and letting God do the “heavy-
lifting” work. My prayer at each Rite of Confirmation is that they “get it”
and have in fact asked for and received the fullness of the Holy Spirit!
Johnny Dunaway
What does our faith
life look like as a Catholic
married couple, celebrating
40
years in August? Our
faith life, at this phase of
our lives, looks like this:
daily morning prayer,
reflection, and meditation,
Sunday Mass and Eucharist,
occasional week day Mass
(
noon atOLOM), occasional
adoration chapel time, an occasional rosary (especially those long car rides),
Marriage Preparation ministry with engaged couples, Manna Givers at
the Saint Vincent DePaul shelters, couples’ spiritual retreats, volunteering
at Sr. Dulce’s, blessed time with children and grandchildren. Hardly a day
goes by when we aren’t asking for or receiving requests from friends and
family for prayers. Life keeps us on our knees. More important than the
visible is the invisible and what our faith walk is doing for us personally.
We pray that God is giving us the grace to serve Him according to His will
and that our faith in Him continues to grow. As St. Francis of Assisi says,
“
preach the gospel, and, if necessary, use words!”
Joe and Carleen Goodson
