THE HARVEST IS ABUNDANT, BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW

A number of years ago, I was in a discussion with a priest friend of mine about the life of his parish. When I asked him about parishioner engagement, it seemed at first like he was dodging the question by changing the topic. He started to talk to me--seemingly out of left field--about the heating system his 125-year-old church. He told me that that were two furnaces heating the building, though one of them was faltering. As a result, the other furnace was starting to experience some accelerated wear and tear on account of the fact that it had to work overtime to keep the entire building warm.

It didn't take long for me to realize that my friend was not being evasive, but rather, he was answering my question by analogy. In any parish I've served, I’ve seen a great deal of volunteers generously pour themselves out for the well-being of their parish. While I am struck by this truly beautiful witness of dedication, I always get a little nervous when I reflect on the selfless service of these individuals, and the reason for this is that I don't want them to experience burnout. Even the most energetic, capable, giving, and competent individual is nevertheless a finite human being. Let us remember that the faltering furnace referenced above is likely faltering on account of the fact that it has been tirelessly heating a church building through several bitter, cold, midwestern winters, and it is just plain tired.

Now, my priest friend is not the first person to refer to active parish engagement by means of analogy. Both in has First Letter to the Corinthians and in his Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul describes the Church as a human body, composed of many individual parts, each with different gifts and purposes. “If a foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for that reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,’ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.” (I Corinthians 12:15-16)

If you’ve read this far into the article, my fear as that the tone is coming off as a guilt trip, something to the effect of “get busy, now. Other people are pulling their weight, and so should you!” Please know that this is not the case. Instead, I’m asking you to give consideration how God has especially designed YOU to fit into the body of the Church. Each one of us is called to play a particular role. Each one of us is—as Saint John Paul II emphasized over and over—unique and unrepeatable. One person’s service may take a drastically different shape than another person’s service.

An old adage says that “God does not chose the equipped: he equips the chosen.” By virtue of our baptism, Jesus has chosen us for a lifelong mission of discipleship with him. Now, when I heard the term “discipleship” used in this context many years ago, it scarred me off a bit. I thought to myself, “I’m not exactly what you would call ‘disciple material.’” I was perhaps imagining individuals going door to door or street evangelizing, and it scared me. However, I failed to take into account that every individual’s discipleship takes a different shape according to their unique gifts. Even in terms of vocations, there are different parts, each necessary in their own way., we can’t have a church without priests, nor can we have a church without marriage or families.

My encouragement to all of us is not simply to “get busy” or “stop slacking.” Rather, it is an encouragement to ask God earnestly in prayer what it is that he might be calling you to do. Ask him what unique gifts he has given you, and ask him how he would wish for you to deploy them in order to build his Kingdom here on earth while helping our neighbors on our heavenward journey.

~Sam Backman