SERVICE HOOKS US UP TO THE POWER OF CHRIST

As part of the Confirmation Preparation Program each year at most parishes, each candidate is required to complete some amount of community service. With this requirement comes two often asked questions: 1) Why do we have to do all this service? and 2) What things count as service? Let me take a minute to answer these for you.

First, service is required of all candidates because Jesus (and hence His Body, the Church) expects those who are Confirmed to be more visible examples of the Faith to the world than those who are not Confirmed candidate should engage in a wide variety of projects in order to determine the natural gifts and talents God has given to them to use for His glory and the edification of others. Take this year to learn and discern where God may be calling you to serve Him after being Confirmed.

Another suggestion is to choose service experiences that you may not enjoy, as well as those you will enjoy. In this way you honestly place yourself at the disposition of the Holy Spirit. And you may even find that you have talents in areas that you did not think you did.

Finally, doing service for others helps us to begin fighting the sin of selfishness in our lives by putting others before ourselves. As we learn to be more humble and compassionate with others we will hopefully approach the Lord with a greater humility as we ask for His grace and mercy in the sacrament of Confirmation.

In reference to the second question, a simple definition for service: “Service is any act that a candidate does for someone else (outside of family members) in which they receive no reward or payment.”

Service can be done within the parish community or the greater community.

Some time-tested ideas are as follows: nursing homes, working with children, parish fund-raisers, food pantry, hospitals, youth sports, scout projects, school projects or Religious Ed projects. Just be open to the Holy Spirit and go where He leads!

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