When more is very good

A number of months ago, we began a series of presentations in the parish where I live and minister. In honor of the Year for Priests, we have entitled this awareness campaign Sharing in the Priesthood.

The aim of this campaign has been to raise awareness among those who worship here about the various ways that individuals can answer their baptismal call to make a difference in the lives of those who are part of this community. Each weekend, a different area of parish involvement has been highlighted, and this will continue for the next number of weeks and months.

In addition to these spotlights, people in this parish were invited to complete a short survey a few months ago which permitted them to tell us more about themselves, about how they are currently involved in parish life, and about how they might like to get more involved, or perhaps about questions they have concerning one or more of the areas of involvement.

As a result of this survey, a number of familiar faces and some not so familiar faces as well were invited to a sit down meeting tonight. The purpose of this gathering was to invite parish volunteers to view their commitment to the life of this place not so much as volunteerism but as a response to a call which has been issued since the day of their baptism.

It was a very humbling experience to witness so many people gathering for this evening session, and even more so to hear their stories as they were told: stories of their willingness to serve, stories of their recognition of God's call having been heard, stories of their commitment to faith and to the community life here at home.

This was a wonderful evening filled with a great balance of fun, intellectual challenge and room for some discoveries of new friends, as well as co-workers in the vineyard. This was one moment in the life of this place, and the life that will flow from it will carry many blessings, but life is dynamic so we will just have to wait and see what comes of the seeds that have been sown tonight. There are signs already that this is a very good thing, for there are already indications not only that the existing involvement of so many is a valuable and vital part of who we are, but some new needs have also been identified and this opens the door to new ways of responding to the call.