Very truly, I tell you,
the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do
and, in fact, will do greater works than these,
because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)
Although you don't have do be a sister to do Christian ministry, some form of
service is a part of all religious life,
both in the
apostolic congregations or the contemplative orders. The vowed life
always includes a reaching out to others. Depending on the religious
congregation and our own call, that may mean:
working with the broader community of God's people (Christian or not)
service to our own religious Sisters
and always, prayer that
encompasses the needs of the whole world.
How is God calling you to serve others?
Below
are several quotations about Christian service. Check the
one that most speaks to you.
Service
is love in action, deliberately and creatively applied and circulated.
Piero Ferrucci, What We May Be (Los
Angeles: Jeremy P. Thatcher, 1982)
_______
"Come,
you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I
was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.
. . Truly
I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are
members of my family, you
did it to me."
Matthew 25:34-40
_______
As you go, proclaim the good news, "The
kingdom of heaven has come near."
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,
cast out demons. You received without payment; give without
payment.
Matthew 10: 7-8
_______
"This
is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one
has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you
servants any longer,
because the servant
does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends,
because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my
Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go
and bear fruit, fruit that will last..."
John 15:12-16a
_______
The gifts he gave were that some
would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up
the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full
stature of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13
What appealed to you or drew you about the quotation you chose?
Write the word or words that stood out for you.
Is there a particular religious congregation to which you feel
called? What kind of ministry do the Sisters do? Do you feel
drawn to this ministry? Why or why not?
Close with the Our Father or the following prayer:
Loving God,
may I take on the mind and heart of Christ,
that I may hear your call for my life
and embrace your world
through my prayer, my work,
and my life with others,
in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Contact:
In the Diocese of St. Augustine, Sister
Maureen: mkelleyop"at"comcast.net
Elsewhere, Sister Janice:
sr.janice.m.bemowski"at"usa.net
In each address,
replace the "at" by @. We
have had to remove the active e-mail links to prevent the onslaught of
spam.
Contact Site Designer
at sister-rose"at"vocationquest.org (Replace
the "at" by @). Because of the increasing quantity of spam at
this address, we are removing the active e-mail link, but we are always happy to
hear from you.
