The backbone of Catholic Social Services in many ways is our numerous volunteers. Without them, we would not be able to serve many of the individuals and families who come to us in crisis. They are indispensable in our mission of helping those in need.
That said, sometimes even our volunteers need help.
Recently, one of our regular volunteers lost his vehicle to an untimely accident, along with his dog. It couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time—right in the middle of the Christmas season. Unfortunately, he was not in a position to replace his vehicle.
Meanwhile, around the same time, one of our regular benefactors decided to donate one of his cars to CSS rather than to sell or trade it in. It was in great shape, only needing a new battery. When bringing it in, he also wrote us a check with the following instructions, ‘if you give it away, this will cover the cost of the new battery. If not you can use it as a regular donation.’ Within days the grateful man who was mentioned above tearfully picked up his ‘new’ car and happily drove away.
As many of you know, our St. Christopher Car Donation Program plays an important part in our overall mission of helping those in need. Donated vehicles are given away to a needy person or family, placed in our fleet or sold, and the proceeds used to fund our emergency services or counseling grants.
St. Augustine famously said that the most important virtue in our spiritual growth is humility. The second is humility and the third, you guessed it – humility. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines humility as, "The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer."
In a letter from Blessed Mother Teresa to her sisters, brothers, fathers and lay missionaries dated June 1990 she said, "Humility always is the root of zeal for souls and charity. We see that in Jesus – on the cross and in the Eucharist. We see it in Mary who went in haste to serve as handmaid, not as Mother of God … It is very important for us … to be pure and humble … Because a pure heart can see God in the poor – a humble heart can love and serve Jesus in the poor."
The pure hearts of our supporters know that Jesus is present in the poor, and in their humility, they support us spiritually by their prayers, materially with items around their homes and farms, including vehicles not needed, and financially according to their means so that we can help the countless individuals and families that come to us in crises.
In this Year of Faith, let us be reminded of the ‘path to peace’ outlined by Blessed Mother Teresa: "The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace."
May all of you experience this peace born from the fruit of sacrificial love during this New Year and beyond. Please be assured of our continued prayers for you, your families and intentions!
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