By Denise Seibert Townsend
Catholic Charities
Earlier this year, a prayer entitled “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own,” by the late Bishop Ken Untener, was shared with me. Since that time, I have thought of this prayer often:
“It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
“No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This is what we are about.
“We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
“We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
“We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.”
I anticipate that, like me, many reading this prayer can relate to it. I think of it regularly with our work at Catholic Charities. Many days, the requests for assistance and needs for services are beyond what our team at Catholic Charities can support. However, we diligently work to respond to those seeking our services with care and compassion. Yet, no matter how hard we work to serve those in need, we understand we cannot do everything. However, we continue to provide support and strive to do this well.
Through our services, Catholic Charities aims to reduce poverty; improve self-sufficiency; and improve the mental health of those served. Our programs accompany those served on their journeys by giving them the tools they need to thrive, supporting them through the challenges they face, and instilling hope and confidence. While we often feel challenged to do more and to serve more, we recognize that, even as we increase our efforts, there will continue to be community needs. This realization can be daunting at times, but we remain focused on helping those we serve succeed so we can strengthen our community.
Recently, a graduate of our Neighbor to Neighbor program reached out to Catholic Charities to inform us that she had purchased her first home! Neighbor to Neighbor is a faith-based, intensive life-skills-education program. Participants focus on goal-setting, life-skills development and financial literacy. Upon the successful completion of the program, participants earn stipends toward their rent, utilities or other appropriate expenses that will move the person forward to help achieve their goals. As stated in the prayer, through dedicated and caring staff members and volunteers, this program planted the seeds that would one day grow. Now, this graduate of the Neighbor to Neighbor program is flourishing and achieving her goal of homeownership.