Why give?

What does it mean to you to belong to a community?

When I consider this question, my mind goes to the many tangible and intangible things that are of benefit to me as a result of this belonging.

Certainly the various benefits depend on the type of community to which one chooses to belong, so let us look at our belonging to the eparchial community.

There are many benefits to our parish membership, including the celebration of the mysteries, especially that of the Eucharist at every Divine Liturgy. The church provides the Mysteries of Initiation: baptism, chrismation and Eucharist to those who seek to be adopted sons and daughters of God.

Our churches also offer opportunities for religious education for the young and old, helping participants to dive deeper into Scripture and the tradition of the church, and hopefully guiding us to a closer relationship with Christ. ( See the listing of I BELIEVE faith formation classes at our eparchial parishes during the Great Fast at www.parma.org .)

We celebrate the union of two people into one family through marriage. Ethnic foods, dancing, music and culture are celebrated as we develop new traditions to pass down in our parishes.

Men’s and women’s clubs, as well as other forms of fellowship, are nurtured in our communities. Last on this list, but certainly not least, funeral rites are celebrated, and prayers for the departed are performed in our churches.

This list is hardly comprehensive. There are so many good things that occur in our parishes, and our eparchial church strives to support and encourage many endeavors throughout the year.

There is a great deal that we can receive from our belonging to a parish of the Eparchy of Parma.

We must also remember, however, the many things and ways we can contribute to the operating of both our parish church and the eparchy.

While it is wonderful to receive, aren’t we all taught from a young age that it is better to give than to receive? What are some ways that we can give back to the church that strives to give us so much? There are many opportunities!

Simply ask your pastor where you can assist in the life of the parish or come up with some new ideas or ministries and float these ideas with the parish council and your priest. How can you contribute to the life of the parish in a real and tangible way?

It goes without saying that your financial support of your parish and the eparchy through the annual Stewardship Appeal is vital to keeping our parishes open.

I, for one, don’t just want our parishes to be open, I want to see them thriving and being what they are meant to be — the center of our lives!

Please consider in these weeks leading up to the Great Fast the many varied ways you can give back to the church — through your time, talent and treasure.

Thank you for your generosity.
 
As published in Horizons, Feb. 10, 2019.
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