Service in Action

“Faith in action is love and love in action is service.” St. Teresa of Calcutta

Recently, we had a lot of snow in the city where I live. It was not fun. However, I seem to notice that during these bad weather events, goodness seems to come out of people. I needed to stop at a store but there was no parking. I explained my situation at the nearby gas station and the agent offered me a spot to park for a few minutes. I go to daily mass at the cathedral in the center of my city but with all the snow, parking was limited. The caretaker of the church and attached school offered me parking in a very special spot. He was willing to help. I arrived home from work and there were three youths shoveling snow for the neighbors. I asked them to help me dig out my driveway. They were very kind and I wanted to encourage their entrepreneurial spirit. I paid well. One good gesture always gets repaid.

“If we wish to keep peace with our neighbour, we should never remind them of their natural defects.” St. Philip Neri

Blessed Frederic Ozanam was the fifth of 14 children and one of three to reach adulthood. His father wanted him to be a lawyer but once he reached Paris, his life changed. He did study law and lectured in it. He married and had a daughter, but his health was not great. He began the Society of St. Vincent de Paul since he realized the plight of the needy in Paris during this time and during the revolutions of 1848. There is always a need to help others. He realized the dignity of each person. Maybe, when people on the outside of the Church see Catholics volunteering, they might think we are social workers. Many popes have clarified this. We are not saving the world. We are Christ’s hands. It is important to make that distinction. Charitable work is not a photo op. St. Cajetan founded the Theatines in Italy. He saw the need to help the unemployed and protect them from usuary. It was a difficult period in the Church. Likely, there were many obstacles and challenges. His small group organized and it eventually evolved into the Bank of Naples. We can be surprised by our work. We begin with our ideas; God finishes them with His.

“I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus.” St. Frances Cabrini

People make sacrifices all the time. Some give money and some give their time. I would think that saint after saint in the Church’s long history would be something to emulate as much as possible. I am not so capable that I would think to start an organization so famous. Sometimes, when I visit the Carmelite Cloister, I realize that they pray much of their time, but they do so much for us and we do not always see it clearly. The small gestures of kindness during the storm are not so significant. However, they reminded me that not all people are cold-hearted. We need to give to others without counting the cost. We cannot keep score whereby we are owed for help rendered. We need to be open to the possibilities.

“Our business is to gain heaven. Anything else is a sheer waste of time.” St. Vincent de Paul