The first reading for today is about a man named Apollos who was very well educated in the scriptures and an outstanding public speaker. He spoke about the Lord Jesus with a burning enthusiasm. When Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue though, the disciples realized that they needed to explain the Christian faith a little more accurately to him. After they did this, Apollos told the disciples that he wanted to go to Achaia and the believers encouraged him to do so. They even wrote to the disciples there and asked them to give him a warm welcome. When Apollos arrived in Achaia he was a big help to the disciples because he powerfully debated the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
There is so much to learn from today’s first reading. The first thing is that we too, should notice the gifts of our fellow parishioners much better than we probably do now and encourage them to use their gifts to serve the Lord. A common complaint with parishes is that only a very small number of parishioners get involved in the life of the parish and volunteer in the different ministries. It always seems like the same group of parishioners are the ones that volunteer in the ministries and participate in parish activities. That might have something to do with how we treat them when they do have contact with us. Do we recognize their gifts and encourage them to develop their gifts to serve the Lord?
A unfortunate situation that many ministry coordinators seem to fall prey to, is trying to do every thing themselves to make sure it gets done well. However, when a coordinator quits or moves, or is no longer in that position, the ministry itself can sometimes come to an end or be greatly diminished by their absence. There is no one really trained to take their place. A far better thing would be to notice the gifts that our parishioners have and encourage them to develop their gifts to serve the Lord and our parish community. That sometimes means that coordinators might need to give up some of the control of the ministry in a small area and allow another person to take it over. It’s hard to let go of the control because we want things to go well, and some of us might feel like we aren’t needed if others can do our job, but that’s not the case. The best gift we can give to Jesus and to our parish community is to train someone to replace us, because then the ministry truly comes alive and it will live on after us. The Holy Spirit works through other people’s lives too, if we give Him a chance to do so.
Sometimes a new person in a ministry will make a mistake or might not be as knowledgeable in a certain area as they would like to be. But we should remember that God doesn’t “call the trained”, He trains the called. Ministry in the church is not like a job because the Holy Spirit is the one who guides us and teaches us and leads us to do the Father’s will. Jesus says in today’s gospel that “the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” It is the Holy Spirit that guides our church. We do not accomplish anything under our own steam, but only through the fire of the Holy Spirit, like Apollos in the first reading today.
Jesus told us in the gospel today “Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”
We should take seriously the call to prayer. this weekend would be a good time to begin praying for more volunteers to be called to ministry in the church. To ask God in the name of Jesus Christ to touch the hearts of our fellow parishioners, that they may join us in serving the Lord. And, if you are already involved in a ministry in the church then may I suggest that you pray for the ministry itself on a regular basis, asking God in the name of his son Jesus Christ, to help it flourish and thrive in your parish. In a year from now, you might be surprised at the results when God answers your prayers. This is a prayer He loves to answer. New people bring new perspectives and fresh gifts that enhance all of our lives and do indeed bring joy to us, and to our parish community as well.
