When I was in college, one of my roommates, realizing that he was about to graduate and had not been in any clubs on campus, started to join every club on campus thinking it would look good on his resume as he applied for jobs.  On recruiter that he spoke to gave him some very helpful feedback.  He told Patrick that companies didn’t want to see that you joined a lot of clubs and activities, but rather that you were active, and even better a leader, in just a few.  Don’t worry; Patrick did eventual find a job and is doing well, but I think we have something to learn from his experience.

When we became members of the Church, we did not just join a club.  We became members of the Mystical Body of Christ.  As such, we are ALL called to be active members of the Church.  Sadly, that is not the case for so many Catholics in the United States.  While Catholics make up the largest single religious denomination in the USA, “non-practicing” Catholics make up the second largest, and if we are honest, a good number of Catholics in the first group are really in the second group.

To be a disciple means to follow Christ, and that means sharing His life.  It means doing what He does, and living like He calls us to live.  At the very minimum, this means going to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation and rest from servile labor, confessing our sins at least once a year, receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season, observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church, and provide for the needs of the Church.  We call these the Precepts of the Church, and you need to do them in order to be considered a “good, practicing Catholic.”  Also added to the precepts, is if you are married, you are married within the Church.  These are the minimum, and so many Catholics do not even do these.

Of course each of them can be expanded, and should be.  We really should not merely attend Mass, rather we need to participate in it.  Mass is not for our entertainment, but for all of us to celebrate God’s love for us and to thank Him for His blessings.  We participate in the Mass by singing, to the best of our ability, the hymns and songs at Mass, but saying the prayers, by actively listening to the readings, and joining our intentions to the intentions of the Mass.  We should put our talents to use; if we are a good singer or musician, join one of the choirs.  If we have a good speaking voice, become a Lector.  If we have a strong love and devotion to the Eucharist, ask to become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.  If we are a friendly person, become an usher.

There are so many other things we can do to be actively involved in the Church (which is part of the “provide for the needs of the Church”).  Knights of Columbus, Altar Rosary, Holy Name Society, Casey Club, a Perpetual Adorer, Prayer Shawl ministry, RCIA, Religious Education.

The more that one puts into living the life of being one of Jesus’ disciples, the more one gets out of it.  We might not think that we have much to offer, but it is like the kid that had a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.  He gave all that he had to Jesus, and Jesus made it more than enough to satisfy everyone.  But it means making God and His Church a priority in our lives.  Sports, Scouting, cheerleading, and the so many other things that we can be involved in are all wonderful, and we should be active in them.  But not at the expense of following Christ Jesus as a disciple, for He alone has the words of Eternal Life.