Building Up Your Spiritual Resume: Being Active in the Church

Many opportunities have been presented to me since I was confirmed into the Catholic Church this past Easter Vigil. There is much discernment decision making to be done, and all of it, for me I personally believe, comes from God.

Sad to say, there are many people who, once confirmed Catholic, will “disappear” within the Church…in other words, they barely participate in the Church. They may still go to Mass for at least Easter Sunday, Ash Wednesday, and Christmas Mass, and go to confession at least once a year, but do no more than that.

While attending R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), now known as O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults), my instructor encouraged us to do something to get involved with the Church. In my Parish, we have many options to choose from. We can help out in the Mass as Lectors (those who help in reading Scripture), Eucharist Ministers (assisting in handing out the Host and delivering the Host to those who are home sick and can’t make it to Mass), and Ushers. We can volunteer our time in our Parish office. We can even participate in the teaching of the next O.C.I.A class as Catechists (teaching on different subjects of the Church and faith) or as being sponsors to the students who are converting. We even have parishioners who volunteer to help decorate the Parish.

And then we have different organizations in the Church who volunteer to help in different ways. There is the St. VIncent De Paul Society, in which they help the homeless. There is the  Legion of Mary, which is an international association of lay Catholics who serve the Catholic Church on a voluntary basis. Their focus is on prayer, works of mercy, evangelization, and Marian spirituality. And there is the Knights of Columbus, a global Catholic fraternal service limited to practicing Catholic men.  They support refugee relief, Catholic education, local parishes and dioceses, and global Catholic social causes. The Knights of Columbus have played an active role in politics ever since its formation, and promote the Catholic view on public policy issues around the world. They also provide certain financial services to the individual and institutional Catholic market.

For those who wish to remove themselves from all worldly distractions to focus only on a life of prayer, worship, and service to our Lord, there is the choice of monastic life. There are different orders in the Catholic Church that men and women can choose from to live out a cloistered life. We have the Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Capuchins, Carmalites, just to name a few. For women, they have the option of becoming a religious sister, commonly known as nuns, and men become monks.

Another option for men is that they can devote their lives to the priesthood. In the Catholic Church, there are two types of ordained priests, the diocesan priest and the religious order priest. Diocesan priests are the ones you see in every parish throughout the world. The religious priests do all the same things as a diocesan priest, but within a monastery. Basically, a religious order priest in a monk who is also an ordained priest.

And for each and every one, we need more of. We need more priests (hopefully both kinds), religious brothers and sisters (monks and nuns), and more people to help out in the different programs that help feed and shelter those who do not have the luxury.

I personally believe that everyone should do their part. After all, what is faith without good works? There is a verse that I have been using as my personal motto. It motivates me to do as much as I can for our Church and more. It is James 2:18, …Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. And then there is the parable of the sheep and the goats that Jesus gave in the Gospel of Matthew. Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40.

I have been in contact with the head of the lectors of my Parish. Soon, I will go under some quick training so that I can participate as a Lector. I am even considering being a Eucharistic Minister for my Parish. This past Sunday, after Mass, I signed up to join the Knights of Columbus, so soon I will also have that one my “spiritual resume.”

This article only covers a small fraction of the various things that we can do to participate within the Church. I like to think of all of this as a “spiritual career,” a type of career that everyone should have and is more important, yet can be done alongside a worldly financial career, except for monastic life. When you live in a monastery, any physical work you do will be for the upkeep of the monastery. My ultimate goal is to be an ordained diocesan priest for our Lord, to help spread the Gospel and to help save more souls. Until that time comes, I plan to build up my “spiritual resume.”

Peace be to you all and God bless every single one of you.