Question of the Week, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Matthew 16:13-20
A few times in the past year, I’ve written about the life and ministry of Bishop Ken Untener. Bishop Ken came into my life after a difficult ministry experience that left me doubting my gifts and my usefulness as a Church minister. He hired me to serve as the director of the Worship Office in Saginaw, Michigan, and his first words to me were, “I am here to help you succeed.”
I learned much from working with Bishop Ken, and I would summarize the lessons I strive to carry into my own life and ministry in the following way.
- Be pastoral. Know what the Church teaches. Let that teaching inform your ministry, but meet the people you serve where they are, and call them forward from that place.
- Be prayerful. Don’t let the demands of ministry and life crowd out time for personal prayer and reflection on God’s Word. These are the foundations of the good work God has called you to do.
- Be playful. Maintain a spirit of joy, and take time to do the things you love to do and be with the people who uplift and inspire you.
- Be real. In the words of Saint Francis de Sales, “Be who YOU are, and be that perfectly well!”
- Be mindful. Always consider the needs of others, especially the poor.
- Be forgiving. That includes forgiving yourself. Nobody’s perfect!
- Be a visionary. Dream. Hope. Imagine. Believe. Inspire.
May we honor those who have inspired us by carrying their messages and examples into our work and into our daily living.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
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