The central theme of both of the readings for mass indicates that the main priority in our lives should be God. We already know this. It’s not anything new. But Christ tells us that it’s not enough to just know about God or listen to God, we are to do His will if we want to be included in the family of God. This goes along with the first reading for mass today too. It starts by telling the people of that time “to work on this house of God alone”. In other words, God should come first. Our time, talent and treasure should go toward glorifying God as a people, joined with one another as one family.
Sometimes people will get busy with a ministry in the church and feel like it is consuming too much of their time and effort and begin to feel guilty about it. Whether this guilt is justified or not, might be in comparison to the rest of our lives. Do we neglect our own family in order to serve the Lord’s family? This is something to consider, because it would be wrong to neglect our spouse or children in our zeal to serve the Lord. However, it is equally wrong to give the excuse that we can not volunteer in the church or serve in any of it’s ministries because of our family obligations.
Many people use their family obligations or most especially their children’s extra curricular activities as an excuse to not serve in any of the church’s ministries. What is more important though? Learning soccer? Developing better skills at playing a game of football? Or learning how to serve other people more instead of yourself? What has lasting value in the long run? So much of our lives are spent on selfish pursuits, and really, if a child does well in sports, or music or other activities, it is a positive reflection on the parent. No one notices the child or the parent if they deliver baskets of food to the poor at Christmas or go visit an elderly relative in a nursing home though, but God does. Serving the poor is actually serving Jesus Christ. What you do for the least of his children you do for him.
God also notices the folks who give their time and talent to play a musical instrument at mass, to honor Him. Others are readers, or sacristans or altar servers. Some people just clean the church up really nice for Easter and their efforts are never noticed by others. There is no personal reward in doing these things, but they serve other people and teach children to stop thinking of themselves as much and think of other people too.
Parents who feel like they do not have time to volunteer, could cut down on their children’s activities or some of the time they watch TV and volunteer instead. It is usually possible to bring the children with you when you volunteer and this is such a valuable lesson for your children to learn from you.
Catholics who hear God calling them to serve Him and then act on it, truly become His family. We become Christ’s own mother, brothers and sisters just like he told us in today’s gospel. One reason for this is because spending our time on a common effort forms a sense of community with one another. We care about each other and become more like an extended family. Children grow up, spouses die, divorces happen. We could lose members of our family over the course of our lives, but our faith in God is with us always. The parish community is always there to support us and help us, and be family to us at all the stages of our lives. Any single Catholic who practices their faith and is involved in the life of the church can tell you that their faith and their friends have become their family.
To neglect being involved in the life of the church will make us much poorer later in our own lives and maybe in our children’s lives one day as well. Today might be a good day to reassess our relationship with the Lord Jesus, our prayer life and service to others. The Holy Spirit will show us what needs done if we remain open to His promptings.
