Praised be Jesus Christ! “We are a small parish and all we have we offer to You.” These words are engrained in our hearts be- cause we pray them every time we gather for Mass on the Lord’s Day. My understanding is that a vocation committee was formed by Father Paul Gitter in the early 1990s and they were the ones who authored this beautiful prayer. And thank God for the mani- fest fruits that this prayer has helped to produce: Sister Karol Marie, Deacon Jeff Austin, Deacon Aaron Becker, and Aspirant Faith Becker. Jesus told us to beg the harvest master to send out laborers for His harvest (Matthew 9:37) and praise God, it is working! Lest we think our work is done, please know we are only getting started. Because every baptized person is called to live a holy life, Lent is a time for us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we are truly doing God’s will. Because we are a small parish, we need each parishioner to pull his weight. This week- end, thanks to an initiative originating in the Sacred Worship committee, we’re inviting you to consider some of the concrete ways of serving our parish. For example, we could use more Ex- traordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, and ushers. Before you stop reading and conclude, “well, that’s just not for me,” let me tell you how these positions help us to pray better and what they entail. Ushers are obviously a position of indispensable service as they help folks find a place to sit – yes, they do have the unenviable task of asking people to sit closer to the front of church, which is always a very dangerous place! Our ushers also are kind and welcoming so that a person’s 1st impression of Christ the King is that this is wonderful parish that makes me feel want- ed and at home. The ushers help put out chairs in the gathering area for our elderly or for families with young children; they also help tepid souls who are afraid of Father Sedlacek to go ahead and sit as far away from the altar as possible. The ushers take up the collection so that we can continue to reach out to others and help them find God and trust in His love. Lastly, the ushers are available with our bulletins after Mass so that you can receive the spiritual formation and parish news that help you stay plugged in. Lectors have the august privilege of proclaiming God’s Word and for those who participate, they are blessed with deeper love of Scripture as well as deeper insight. Public speaking is not every- one’s forte, but most of us did it for the first time because we were pressed into service. For example, my Dad was a lector and on a weekend when he was scheduled to work (he then went to the vigil Mass on Saturday evening), I read in his place on Sunday morning. Somehow that’s all it took for my name to appear on the next lectors’ schedule! Last but far from least is the service of Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. This is one of our greatest privileges – to bring the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to the people He loves so much. As the commissioning prayer puts it, “may they faithfully bring the bread of life to Your people. Strengthened by this sacrament, may they come at last to the banquet of Heaven.” We will provide the training for this ministry and for those who participate, a deeper love of Our Lord is one of the first blessings you will receive. Please pray about these spir- itual opportunities – ask God if He is calling you to serve Him and His people in this way.
Dear God, we are a small parish, and all that we have we offer to You!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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