Some thoughts on our responsibility to the Church

[Trishie]

Personal responsibility in the church​

Our God, whatever the vocation of everyone who comprises the visible manifestation of Your Church, within it we are all parts of one another. Therefore, we are required to love, serve and cherish each other. However, many people, where they are are free to serve, and may, simply expect others to minister to them, while failing to recognise their responsibility to the community.

If we neglect to witness You to the world and amongst ourselves as committed participants in Christ’s Mystical Body, we all experience a weakening of faith, charity and peace. Our failure, it it is merely apathy, becomes a community wound. The more mediocre we seem, perhaps the greater is God’s trust in us. You ‘exalt the lowly’, so however mundane and hidden our efforts, our contributions of prayer and service become powerful forces in the life of Your Church.

Even as many of us continue to serve, the world plunges—here, deeper into oppression, discord, war, injustice, atheism and despair—there, deeper into selfishness, materialism, complacency, unbelief, and immorality. Many persons fail to hear, to respond to, or to see convincing witness of love and truth in Your people, to halt this decline.

Some people experience lack of relevance to their lives in Your Church, where it appears to fail life’s practical requirements. They may lapse into atheism, agnosticism or alternate belief, or they may compartmentalise their faith between minimal religious observance and ‘practical’ or pleasure-seeking materialism. Lukewarmness may appear normal while deep religious commitment may be deemed unreasonable or suspicious.

Some people, who observe the dedication of those committed to the gospel, are admiring, yet discouraged by example that they feel unable to follow. Other persons may be scandalised by the sinfulness and failures of the devout, unaware that these persons are repentant for their sinfulness and strive to overcome their faults while humbly trusting their lives and actions to God’s mercy.

God have compassion upon the discouraged and depressed, as we determine to choose hope and compassion. Discouragement may paralyse spiritual life, causing its victims to forgo many blessings of the Church. Reveal to everyone the vision of his or her unique sacredness in Your love, and our place in the communion of saints.

continued next post

 

[Trishie]

You desire to sanctify and unite us as we offer ourselves to You in our ordinary lives. You accept us wholly in our present reality, our actual weakness, and our individual natures. Grant us faith that in both our virtues and in our efforts to overcome our frailties—through Your love we become instruments of witness and service, of charity, justice and peace.

You desire us to serve each other in faith and charity as You sanctify us in the continuing flow of events and interactions of our lives. For the fulfilment of Your will and for true manifestation of ‘Church’, we depend on the transforming power of Your love upon our efforts.

Inspire our hearts and wills with such gospel conviction that we commit our lives as priest, religious, or as dedicated laity. Help us to carry our joyful cross of mutual need and service in Christ, who exemplified these realities then bid us to follow. Let our witness be such that many more will be inspired to accept the mission of Christ.

Let laity offer active support, so that priests may fulfil their sacramental function without isolation and needless stress and so that overwork does not erode their prayer-life (witnessed by Christ as essential). For throughout time, the command and invitation of our Saviour remains the same. It is to “love one another as I have loved you”…“by this all will know that we are family” thus preaching the gospel to each person by the way we live our lives.

In our daily human struggle, please grant us the Christly love that lays down life in generous service of others. For this was laid the cornerstone of Your Church. For this, we are made sisters and brothers of Christ, and are sent out into the world. Thus, let Your Church continually conform to Christ’s image.

Thank You, God, for trusting us with the responsibility to love and serve each other and You. Let our faith and labour bear great harvest.

Cheerful giver​

Happiness, generosity, peace and laughter—these, our God, are manifestations of love that draw forth joyful, loving response in other people!

Bestow these qualities abundantly on Your priests and all who serve You—so that we draw people to You. Others, seeing You in our joy, may also desire to become the persons You created them to be, committing themselves to Your will and service.

Thank You for all joy and kindness You share through us.

from ‘handful of wildflowers’

 

[pianistclare]

Thank you Trishie, always beautiful articles, very welcome.