Active Membership Pillar: Engagement in at least one parish ministry

This week’s reading from the Gospel of Luke reminds us that the Christian life is not immune to suffering and persecution. All a person has to do is turn on the evening news, and they could see the correlations in today’s gospel. We even hear Jesus tell us, “You will be hated by all because of my name,” which can be quite shocking to hear. You might be thinking, ‘I don’t want to be hated!’ Yet, the irony in this statement stems from the fact that as Catholic Christians, we are people of hope, and despite whatever challenges we face in our lives, we have hope in the resurrection. 

The beauty of being part of a Christian community like Lumen Christi is that each person is striving to please God and do their best. We may not be perfect, but as St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading, “...we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.” Active membership at the parish, including being registered, faithful participation at Mass, regular financial contributions to the parish, active engagement in at least one volunteer ministry, are all ways in which we grow in goodness as a supportive community rooted in our shared belief in Jesus Christ. Active membership is an invitation to open yourself up to the many ways you can share your God given gifts with others to be “one family sharing the love and light of Christ.”