There are times in our lives when the Holy Spirit makes it so clear that He wants you to do something. I’m always grateful for those moments of clarity!
In January, I was invited to serve on a prayer ministry team at a parish in the South Bronx. I didn’t hesitate and the Holy Spirit really surprised me. I am still growing in my confidence to do street ministry, but in this case, I had no fear, no doubt, only excitement to see what Jesus would do.
“Come follow Me!” rang in my heart. I was blessed to join others from Columbus who serve with Urban Encounter Ministries, which ministers to people in the Hilltop area, along with Upper Room Ministry, Powell St. Joan of Arc Church, Columbus St. Peter Church and Indiana-based Shadow on the Water ministries.
The event was called “Seeking the Lost” and 26 prayer ministers from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky felt called to the Bronx for this weekend event of loving and serving with the local ministry team for prayer, praise and worship, catechesis, street prayer ministry and a healing service.
Father George Stewart’s lay leadership team at St. Augustine/Our Lady of Victory Parish in the South Bronx is Team Yeshua of Heat of the Day Ministries. Yeshua means deliver, save and rescue.
They cared for us with the love of Jesus. They drove us to and from the airport and the mission house where we slept, welcomed us with warmth and joy, served us meals, and loved us in every way with the heart of the Father.
We were instant family — our souls have been united before as many of Team Yeshua have come to Columbus for events in the past, so in some cases, it was a heartfelt reunion with hugs and tears of joy as we reconnected with “family.” Who are our mothers and brothers? Those who walk with Jesus and with us.
Our friendship with Father George and his parishioners is beautiful. Our hearts are united through the Holy Spirit with a love of Jesus and a desire to seek the lost. I’ve heard Father George say this several times, “I want to reclaim God’s territory.”
He wants the people of the Bronx, the entire state of New York and people everywhere to know the love of Jesus and to have a personal, life-changing relationship with Him. He wants God’s people to be part of a faith community and to receive the sacraments. As baptized lay faithful, it’s what we all want, isn’t it? So we take our humble desire, and our love for the Lord and His people, and allow Jesus to work through us.
What draws a group of Midwesterners and South Bronx together as one? Our love for Jesus and a pastor who is on fire for serving God’s people drew us in. When you are with a group who loves Jesus, it is heaven on earth to be together.
Even though I went with a deep desire to serve, I was overwhelmed by how much I received. Some of our prayer ministers gave beautiful talks on different topics related to prayer, healing and prophetic ministry.
Our social time was laughter, sharing, singing, reading Scripture and enjoying delicious food. The music, both from gifted Columbus and Bronx-based music ministers, moved our hearts to tears with beautiful praise and worship that opened our hearts to the presence of God. Our daily schedule was loose. Come Holy Spirit, work in us!
How could this not be so? Most of the weekend activities were in the Church with Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. The words I’ve heard Father John Riccardo repeat in his podcast many times, “Just put Jesus out and watch Him work,” rang true. Father George’s parish has perpetual adoration — in a place that is known as one of the highest crime areas in the country. The doors of St. Augustine/Our Lady of Victory are wide open to all to come and rest with Jesus, 24 hours a day. Praise God for faith and trust in action!
On our second day together, our combined group of 65 prayer ministers went to the streets to pray with people under the leadership of Team Yeshua. Nearly every person with whom my small group prayed was open to talking, hearing about Jesus, and receiving a rosary or a medal as well as our invitation to come to the Sunday healing service.
Our time ministering to people on the streets affirmed for me that we all want to be seen, loved and heard — and that life is hard, but Jesus is with us and He wants us to give it all to Him. We prayed to allow Jesus to work through us to minister to each person we met. We invited them to Church and to a community to accompany them in the future. Our time praying with people on the streets was such a gift and the testimonies we shared over dinner about how God came and worked in the people we met were powerful!
The weekend culminated with the healing service, where many we met on the street came, along with many others from around the area, to rejoice in the love of Jesus and to give whatever was on their hearts to Jesus. We prayed and worshipped.
Father George led a procession around the Church with Jesus enthroned in the monstrance. I could feel the love of Jesus so powerfully; His presence was palpable. I was moved by the love of several hundred people who came to worship, seek His healing touch and, for a short time, leave the troubles of world behind to be intimate with Jesus, King of the Universe.
There were so many “God-moments,” but one that I will share with you was that an elderly woman near me met my eyes and I was drawn to hug her. I ran to her and we hugged for 10 minutes as she softly spoke in my ear in Spanish, laughing and crying. I have no idea what she was saying literally, but I know we were one — one in our joy in the Lord and in our longings for family members to know Jesus. For a few minutes, we were united in the Holy Spirit and in His consolation — and I will never forget the power of Jesus in that embrace with her. I don’t know her name, but when hearts unite, we are simply sisters in Christ.
Let us ask God to surprise us with how to serve Him. Pray for openness. Pray for His love to cast out fear, to fill us with hope and for Him to invite us to join Him in His mission to seek the lost. Even the smallest “yes” gives Jesus room to work in ways that we could never imagine.
