The Jubilee of the World of Volunteering is an opportunity to thank, affirm and encourage the many lay people who contribute to the world through volunteering.
PRAYER
Loving God,
May we be inspired by the great witness to mercy provided by those who volunteer their time, skills and resources in the service of others.
In doing so, these generous individuals make the love of Christ visible in the world.
May we imitate their example, as we ask to be humble instruments in your hands in order to alleviate the world’s sufferings, and to share the joy and hope of the resurrection.
Amen.
St Teresa of Calcutta, patron saint of volunteers, pray for us!
TEACHING
From the Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to Participants in the Meeting Promoted by the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” (2011):
“For Christians, volunteer work is not merely an expression of good will. It is based on a personal experience of Christ. He was the first to serve humanity, he freely gave his life for the good of all.
“The experience of God’s generous love challenges us and liberates us to adopt the same attitude towards our brothers and sisters: ‘You received with paying, give without pay’ (Mt 10:8).
“Christ’s grace helps us to discover within ourselves a human desire for solidarity and a fundamental vocation to love. His grace perfects, strengthens and elevates that vocation and enables us to serve others without reward, satisfaction or any recompense. Here we see something of the grandeur of our human calling: to serve others with the same freedom and generosity which characterizes God himself. We also become visible instruments of his love in a world that still profoundly yearns for that love amid the poverty, loneliness, marginalization and ignorance that we see all around us.”
From the Catechesis of His Holiness Pope Francis for all Workers of Mercy and Volunteers (2016):
“You are among the most precious things the Church has, you who every day, often silently and unassumingly, give shape and visibility to mercy. You are crafters of mercy: with your hands, with your eyes, with your hearing, with your closeness, by your touch… craftsmen! You express one of the most noble desires of the human heart, making a suffering person feel loved.
“Let your work of mercy be a humble and eloquent continuation of Jesus’ presence who continues to bend down to our level to take care of the ones who suffer. For love “builds up” (1 Cor 8:1), day after day helping our communities to be signs of fraternal communion.”
TESTIMONY
“I’ve been volunteering at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Parish for around ten years. But really I’ve been volunteering in some kind of informal or formal capacity since I was a child. I first started volunteering as a result of my parents’ great example serving the community.
“Currently in my parish I serve on the Pastoral Council. I also do various communication and marketing type roles for the parish, some voluntary administration work, and more recently I have served as a Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults catechist. So I’ve had the absolute privilege and honour of accompanying a young person who became a Catholic. A big part of my volunteering has been music ministry. It’s a joy and an honour to be able to use the talents God’s given me for singing and playing the piano and organ and to share the gifts that God has given me with others.
“Volunteering for me is very much a way of expressing my love for God. That’s what’s unique about volunteering for the Catholic Church, we get an opportunity to share the gifts and talents that He gives to us and to show our love for Him and express our faith in action.”
– Margaret-Mary, volunteer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Parish (From the Archdiocese of Brisbane).
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
For all volunteers, that God may continue to watch over their many works of service and to make them ever more spiritually fruitful, for the good of the Church and of the whole world.
We pray to the Lord.
For all those who are indifferent to the suffering of others, that, in the face of poverty and suffering, they may be inspired by God’s grace to love generously.
We pray to the Lord.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to Participants in the Meeting Promoted by the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” (11 November, 2011)
Catechesis of His Holiness Pope Francis for all Workers of Mercy and Volunteers (3 September 2016)
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