When have I witnessed Christ’s light shining through someone?
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5: 14
Fr. Ron recently shared that in all of his years in ministry, our staff has by far the deepest spirituality that he has ever encountered. I believe a big part of our staff’s faith has been influenced by the opportunity that we have had to witness Christ’s light shining through the members of our Church.
On a regular basis, volunteers fill our church walls with the courage and enthusiasm to do the Lord’s work. Our St. Vincent DePaul put in more than 4,500 hours last year offering person-to-person service to those who are need and suffering. Our Faith Formation volunteers spent almost 5,000 hours helping young people to grow in their faith. A couple of years ago a group of women came together to start an initiative to create prayer blankets so people of St. Isidore who are hurting can feel connected to our community by receiving a prayer blanket that was made by the hands of these women and blessed by our priests. Our “Comfort Crafters” design a handmade creation that offers a “hug” from the community to the recipient. Our Baby Pantry is funded through generous donations of parishioners and worked by dedicated people who make sure young parents sense the love of Christ through this outreach. Our Rosary Makers created more than 13,000 rosaries in 2019 and distributed them all over the world, an incredible witness to one of the traditions of our faith. Two pillars of strength within the community, the Knights of Columbus and the Altar Society, regularly offer the power of their people to assist the community in various initiatives, providing each of us the opportunity to do more based on their support. On a weekly basis hundreds of volunteers invest their time and talent to ensure that our Mass is a worthy celebration. They offer their dedication, voices, and care to ensure that more than 2,000 people can be a part of the sacrifice of the Mass.
Catholics are typically humble people but there is no doubt that the incredible effort that our community puts forth is apostolic in nature. These good works are not intended to be hidden or reduced. This is the outward facing part of the Church that should be celebrated. The Church, with all its fault, is still the single most powerful influencer for the good of humanity since the dawn of civilization. Our light is meant to reflect the light of Christ, the source of all that is good. Let us use every possible encounter to share His light with others and invite others into His mission.
Chris Kozlowski