Whom Do You Serve?

July 9: Wednesday of Week 14 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Matthew 10:1-7

To surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

Whom Do You Serve?

“Go rather to the lost sheep.” Matthew 10:6.

Pope Francis wants parish life designed more to attract the absent than to please those present: “I dream of a missionary option that changes everything—customs, styles, schedules, language and structures—into a channel to evangelize today’s world instead of preserving what we already have.”

Francis wants to inspire in pastoral workers “a constant attitude of ‘going forth’ that will encourage a positive response from all those whom Jesus summons to friendship with himself’” (Joy of the Gospel, 27).

Why do we blame the youth for not coming to Mass instead of blaming ourselves for what they experience—or don’t experience—when they do? The liturgy depends on “full, conscious, active participation” by everybody there. Anyone who does not sing at Mass has to take full responsibility for every empty pew.

How many people have we personally invited to come to Mass with us? How many have we visited when we noticed they were absent? How often told the pastor what struck us as good or bad? The parish is a community. We are communally responsible for everything that happens there.

Jesus gave us all responsibility—and therefore authority—to  “drive out unclean spirits and to cure” everything wrong in our parish. This came with our baptismal consecration as priests—a priesthood even more fundamental than that of Holy Orders.

PRAY: “Lord, renew your Church.”

PRACTICE: Let God do through you what you are asking him to do.