2 minute read
Liturgical Ministers Honor And Glorify God In Our Faith Community
Saint Michael Parish is experiencing a joyful increase in community members who are willing to serve as liturgical ministers, as more vaccines are being administered and a sense of safety in coming to Mass grows.
“We are able to bring back more minister positions and return to a more typical Mass structure,” says Lydia Mahr, Administrative Assistant at Saint Michael Parish. “In the coming year, we plan to reinvigorate our emphasis on developing personal spiritual journeys and growing in relationship with Jesus for each of our liturgical ministers.”
Advertisement
In the Mass, liturgical ministers support our clergy with the many moving parts of the Mass. They help offer the community an enriched liturgy with all the “bells and smells,” as Lydia says, “to honor and glorify God and the breadth of His power, beauty, and grace.”
“Serving in liturgical ministries also provides an opportunity for laypeople to experience and more fully appreciate the intricacies behind each part of the Mass and share the beauty of those experiences with others,” Lydia says.
At SMP, there is a range of liturgical ministries through which faith community members can offer their time and talent. They may serve as lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, sacristans, or ushers. They might join the Hospitality Ministry, Music Ministry, Art and Environment Ministry, or the Funeral Ministry.
“If I served in a liturgical ministry, I imagine that I would be able to understand the presence of the Trinity in every detail of the Mass more fully,” says Lydia, a parishioner since she was 3 years old. “By practicing seeing Him in the details of the Mass, I believe I would also be able to improve my ability to notice the ways in which God is revealing Himself in my everyday life.”
Liturgical Ministers at Saint Michael Parish
During the past year, we shifted from having an abundance of ministers to having a small handful. Many ministers weren’t comfortable serving during Mass as they were part of vulnerable populations or were practicing social distancing.
“Even though we did not need as many ministers for Mass, it still became a challenge to find ministers some weekends for the positions we did have open, especially in the beginning,” Lydia says.
Liturgical Ministers at Saint Michael Parish
As we look forward, now is a wonderful time to consider becoming a liturgical minister and answering the call to bring Christ to others through serving during the Holy Mass. It is a call that we should first discern through prayer.
“This calling is not something to be taken lightly since the Mass is the most important and powerful prayer the Church offers,” Lydia says. “By serving in liturgical ministries, you will be welcoming people, administering spiritual sustenance through His Body and Blood, supporting the priest, enhancing the beauty through decoration and song, and comforting grieving families.”
Liturgical Ministers at Saint Michael Parish
