As a member of my school’s campus ministry, I am one of the leaders helping to run a three-day retreat. Every summer incoming freshmen are required to attend this retreat to prepare them to become members of our Catholic school family. For the most part, they’re either very nervous about it or completely against the idea of spending their last days of summer at a retreat.
During the retreat I saw how some of the freshmen acted during adoration. They were participating and opening their hearts to God. And as wonderful as that was to witness, what struck me the most is what I learned about being a “servant leader.” As a student leader I, and the rest of the team, needed to put the needs of the teens on retreat before our own needs. We might be a bit older than they are, but we’re still kids. To put them first wasn’t easy, but seeing how God was making them a part of our faith family was well worth it.
—Veronica M.
Those who answer the invitation to be at the service of others must still take time for their own needs—the need for quiet, prayer, rest, etc. How well do you balance your needs and the needs of others? How can you make sure to take the time you need so as to be able to better serve others? How can you encourage others to do the same?
Sometimes the challenge of serving another is not the type of work we are doing, but that we feel we are not reaching the recipient. Recall a time when you felt someone was closed off. Put yourself in his or her shoes. Why might they have felt that way? What are some ways you can help create a sense of openness and welcome?