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The following report comes to us from evangelist Sharon in Plainview, MN:

This calling tree has been a wonderful gift and has really opened my eyes and heart. I’m getting to know people in our parish in a whole new way! They’re opening up to me and sharing their lives & experiences with me. They also ask how my family and I are doing – so it comes full circle back to me. Honestly, calling people who I don’t know wasn’t easy in the beginning and felt awkward. Then, I began to pray before each call for the Holy Spirit to guide my heart and words and to bless the person. This allowed me to relax and let the Holy Spirit flow through me and reach the person I was calling.

I receive wonderful responses from my calls. People so appreciated it! I was often reaching people who were lonely, or had never been called before by someone from the church. Others just needed reassurance that we’re safe in the hands of God. Still others actually needed help – sometimes even the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. People, at their deepest level, want to know that they are loved. I now know that this is important work and will continue the practice of calling folks beyond the pandemic. The light of Christ shines through each of us to others and so we must go to them…whether in person or through a phone call. It’s there, and in that work of love, that we fulfill our mission as a community of faith – to accompany each other in faith toward Jesus.

Praised be Jesus Christ! If you have a positive story with calling your fellow parishioners to minister to or pray for them, please send us your experiences at stories@stpaulse.com. Also, know that It’s not too late to do this in your parish, we even have all the material available at the Calling for Prayer Webinar link (https://evangelizationschool.com/calling-for-prayers/?spei_source=callingMN) and enter your name, email, and zip (there is no cost to view the materials, it is just only open to those that have the link}.