I was listening to a Catholic podcast recently and the host challenged us to get out of ourselves and our “devotions” and take Jesus out to others. She reminded us that as faithful Catholics it can be easy to attend Mass, adoration, Bible studies and spend time in personal daily prayer, which is beautiful and essential, but we can’t remain in the comfort of our devotions. We are called to go out, in whatever way God is calling us, to love and serve our neighbor by bringing the healing love of Jesus to others.
That is the call of this third year of the Eucharistic Revival; this is a year of mission. We are called to go out and seek the lost, the lonely, the forgotten, those who have left the Church or never met Jesus, ever, to share His love in natural and supernatural ways. We are being asked to walk with “the one” — to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show us that one person who needs someone to walk with them and to be that loving presence of Christ in their lives.
At a recent parish meeting, I was reminded that being a loving witness to God’s love might mean never mentioning the word Catholic or Christian. It might not be the right time to quote Scripture or invite someone to adoration. We might be called to be Christ to them by listening, laughing, caring, loving and offering to help them in whatever way is needed. The beauty of this is that we can all do it! I sometimes say, “just be human.” Listen, care and respond with compassion. The Cursillo movement has a motto: Make a friend. Be a Friend. Bring a Friend to Christ. — in that order and that beautifully sums up our call to go out on mission.
But that’s a tall order! I’m far from perfect and I walk away from people saying to myself, “Wow, I wish I would have responded differently” or “That was a missed opportunity to share the love of Jesus.” We probably all do that sometimes. And it’s OK. It’s a reminder that we have to rely on God, talk to the Holy Spirit in the moment asking Him to give us the words. Our weaknesses build a hunger in us to be like Jesus to them in the moment and to rely on Him for that strength. He does the real work.
So how does this relate to our physical lives? I usually try to find a commonality between our spiritual and physical lives. If all I do is go to the gym and lift weights to become physically fit, without using that fitness for good, then I have missed an opportunity to serve. However, if my goal is to be strong to help and serve others, for example, to help my husband do physical tasks at home, to lift boxes at the soup kitchen, to walk on a pilgrimage or in a procession or around a retirement center taking communion to others, then lifting weights and exercising becomes an endeavor that strengthens me to go out and serve others.
Back to our religious devotions and our call to then go out and love and serve others … I know that sometimes we have angst about what we should do. How should we spend our valuable time serving others? What is God asking of us? How do we know if we are doing the right thing? I’m learning as I go to pay attention to the movements of my heart. When I’m invited to serve, sometimes I need to pray and discern that invitation. Other times, my heart leaps and I just know this is my calling as it uses my charisms, brings me joy, and there is a lightness to it even in the midst of inevitable difficulties. Finally, does my effort bear good fruit?
Blessed Solanus Casey said, “We should ever be grateful for and love the vocation to which God has called us. This applies to every vocation because, after all, what a privilege it is to serve God, even in the least capacity!”
So let us set aside doubt and fear and step out of the comfort and safety of our personal prayer lives, and parish life, and ask the Lord where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do for Him. Let us eagerly seek His response and be ready to give our yes to going to new places to love and serve “even in the least capacity” for the Kingdom of God.
