3 minute read
Ushers Ministry Serving with Spirit of Generous Hospitality
Chapter 21 of Luke’s Gospel begins with a story that is told in only four verses. It tells of an instance in which Jesus recognizes the Kingdom of God breaking out in front of His eyes. While He is in the temple, Jesus looks up and sees a poor widow giving to the Lord from her need as she places all she has into the temple treasury. She’s taking an action of faith, giving generously to the Lord knowing that He will provide for her.
Taking the message of this story to heart, our ushers play a seemingly small, but hugely important role in the Mass.
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“This ministry is important precisely because it is a ministry of hospitality and responsibility,” Fr. Godfrey says. “It’s also a great example of using even the simplest talents for the good of the Church. Ushers are visible stewards of their own gifts. They’re offering their talent so that we can all engage in the work of prayer, which is a stewardship of time, together. Their care for the collection is another sign of respect for stewardship of treasure. In every instance, they exhibit the importance of disciples taking some action of faith.”
Ushers have three primary responsibilities — welcoming parishioners and helping them to find a place to sit, taking up the collection on Sundays, and assisting in emergencies. To fulfill this role, they must be reliable, show up 15 minutes before Mass, be physically able to extend the basket in order to take up the collection, and react well in challenging situations.
“Out of respect for the stewardship of treasure of all our parishioners, we want to handle their gifts with the greatest amount of care and transparency,” Fr. Godfrey says. “In the occasional emergency during Mass, the ushers help coordinate an appropriate response quickly, calling for help or showing medical staff who are present to the person in need. At our bigger Masses, they also help as many people as possible into pews. Finally, perhaps most important, they help everyone feel welcome, supporting that first pillar of stewardship — hospitality. Hospitality is fundamentally about helping God’s people feel comfortable in taking a rightful place in the church building, and in the work and prayer for the Church. Ushers assist in this important work of hospitality.”
As the stewardship of treasure extends from our gratitude to the Lord for all He has given us, so too does the stewardship of hospitality.
“The fundamental dynamic of the liturgy is, giving what we have and taking what we need,” Fr. Godfrey says. “We all walk up with hands out to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
With those same hands, we place our personal offerings — money, yes, but also our lives — into the basket, which is all brought forward with the bread and wine, all of it changed by the Holy Spirit for good. That generosity is part of who we are, what we’re about, and what we profess.”
