Active Membership Pillar: Introduction (Part 2)

Last week, we introduced Lumen Christi’s Active Membership Campaign and its four pillars: 

1. Being formally registered at the parish
2. Faithful participation at Sunday Mass and holy days 
3. Regular financial support of the parish 
4. Being engaged in at least one volunteer ministry 

Today, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, the start of the new liturgical year. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus. Most people know that this liturgical season is a time of preparation for Jesus’s coming in the celebration of His Incarnation at Christmas. But, Advent is also a time of preparation for Jesus’s second coming at the end of time, which is why in today’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus telling the disciples that “there will be signs…Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

This gospel passage might seem like an odd time to be discussing when we stand before the Son of Man in judgment, especially as we are preparing to celebrate Christmas, but we must remember that Jesus was sent into the world so that we would ultimately have eternal life with Him. If we are not meant for this world, but rather eternal life, we must then ask ourselves, are we prepared? If so, what have we done to get ready? If not, what should I be doing to be better prepared?

Lumen Christi’s Active Membership campaign is meant to help parishioners be ready. Our goal is for each parish member to see themselves as an active participant in the life of the Church because each person is part of the Body of Christ. Throughout the Advent season, I would invite each of you to ask yourself: how am I living as an active member of Lumen Christi? Over the course of the next year, we will be exploring what it means to be an active member, so take some time to jot down an answer, and in one year, we can explore your answer together.