“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mt. 20:26-28
April is National Volunteer Month, a time to thank our volunteers and discuss the deeper realities to volunteering. The Scripture passage above encapsulates the way all of our volunteers at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas approach their service, truly as a servant. With each of our 30+ programs, the foundation is the dignity of the human person and the invitation to our volunteers is to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Our volunteers understand that when they give of their time and talent it must be rooted in a personal relationship with Christ and what they give is an overflow of their relationship with Him. Those who serve daily, weekly or monthly have their hearts transformed to be even more generous.
“Through these experiences, the Lord will touch and transform their hearts into hearts like His. If the goal of our life is seen from the perspective of mirroring our love to be like Christ’s love, then without any doubt, this transformation of the heart is the greatest fruit of volunteer work.” Address by Cardinal Robert Sarah to the Pontifical Council, Cor Unum
We at Catholic Charities are filled with gratitude for each one of our volunteers who serve our programs and social enterprises. You are truly answering the call of the Gospel, the call to love as Christ loves, to serve as He serves and to treat every individual with human dignity!
This week, reflect on the scripture verse above and prayer below, and choose one new way to volunteer. This can be a one time or an ongoing opportunity. Put your gifts to use for the kingdom!
Prayer
Lord, help me
To give without expecting a reward
To give and not worry about my own satisfaction
To give and not count the cost
To give generously and freely
To be a visible sign of Your love
To go beyond the peripheries to the lonely, marginalized and poor
To see as you see and act as you act
Amen.
