Monday June 10th: Our Reward
June 10, 2024
Tuesday June 11th: Salt and Light
June 11, 2024
We limit our imagination, yet the mind and our imagination are intricate parts of God’s design. For a moment, visualise yourself on a cherry-picking farm, and you get to pick as many cherries as your basket can hold. Some of us may consume a few as they go (I know I would), and some will eagerly wait until they are near water to give them a rinse, and then enjoy the sweet goodness. Whatever you do, and however you do it, in everything we all have decisions to make. Within this farm, there are various elements that can be looked at literally, but our imagination can move us further than that.
I see a four-part journey: Vessel, Choices, Refining, Freedom.
A year ago, the word opportunity became the focal point of an ongoing journey to rebuild the Altar Server Ministry in my parish of St Charles Borromeo, Tunapuna.
On April 2023, 14 new Servers were welcomed to the Ministry, moving us from 12 young persons to 26. These numbers were a testament of God’s providence, and with it, came supporters, spectators, and the question… “How did you get young persons to be interested in Church?”
The opportunity was the vessel/basket/container in which young persons felt that this could be a safe space for them. They then had a choice to make.
It is one thing to join a Ministry, but it is another to give of your whole self and be faithfully committed to service. We thank God that after one year, all 26 are still with us.
The thing about cherries on a tree is that they co-exist in abundance, and even after they are plucked by eager hands, the tree, once well-nurtured, will continue to bear good fruit.
From April to December 2023, onlookers would have witnessed the changes and the refining that God was doing within the Ministry, and that certainly sparked interest. It showed us that we need to fill the basket once more, and with that, we made an appeal for more interested persons to take a leap of faith. After three months of training, by the grace and providence of God, on Good Shepherd Sunday (April 21), ten more young persons came forward, said ‘Yes’ and were installed as Altar Servers. This now brings our Altar Server Ministry to a family of 36!
We are the cherries and Christ is the Divine Harvester, and we have to be willing and open to being chosen and used by Him. He has chosen each of us for His purpose in this place and in this time.
My journey with the Altar Server Ministry at St Charles Borromeo is a profound example of faith in action.
By providing a safe vessel, encouraging meaningful choices, facilitating the refining process, and guiding young people towards true freedom, Joshua Marcelle, fellow Head Server, and I have helped create a thriving, dynamic ministry.
This process is not just about increasing numbers but about fostering a deeper connection with God and community, ensuring that each member, especially their families, feels cherished and purposeful.
The cherry-picking metaphor beautifully encapsulates this journey, reminding us that every step, from choosing to refining, is essential in fulfilling God’s design and purpose for each of us. Obedience has shown that with faith and dedication, we can indeed harvest and nurture these chosen 36 for God’s Kingdom.
By J’Lani De Four, Head Altar Server,
St Charles Borromeo RC Church, Tunapuna
