“Remember Everyone Deployed” – a Remembrance or a Call to Action?

On Friday mornings at 6:00 AM, the pastor of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church holds a weekly holy hour for the men of our parish, starting with an hour of quiet reflection before the Blessed Sacrament* within the church, followed by coffee and donuts in the parish hall, along with an instructive video and brief discussion about men and their faith walk challenges, facilitated by the pastor.

*The Blessed Sacrament consists of the consecrated bread or host, where the bread becomes the real presence, the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ which is consistent with our Catholic faith. The Blessed Sacrament is displayed in a monstrance (see illustration) placed on the main altar in the church. 

Always sitting in the first-row front pew in the church is a man wearing the same red shirt with the words “Remember Everyone Deployed” displayed with each word in descending order on the back of the shirt.   

My first thought with the shirt – this was a call to pray for our soldiers deployed all over the world.  Made sense, although as weeks passed, I had another thought, that we are all called or deployed by God, utilizing our own unique gifts and talents to bring the gospel to others.  This instruction is consistent with the Great Commission as Christ instructed the apostles, to spread the good news of salvation, made possible through the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus to all people, making disciples of all nations, giving hope of new life and divine forgiveness to others.  (See Matthew 28: 16-20)

Our Christian faith is an amazing source of inspiration giving us insight and direction, a moral framework for living, and potentially bringing a sense of peace and joy over time.  Faith can be challenging, when faced with our tendencies toward sin, and having to pick up our cross each day, to overcome temptations and finding comfort despite disappointment and setbacks. 

What are we deployed by Christ to accomplish in our lives? There’s family, our faith, our occupation, and whatever else God has put in our path. Are we making the connections between our talents and capabilities and the special needs that call us to action?  This is what life is all about, putting our efforts toward the greater good, not just for our own wellbeing, but to serve others.  Remember, everyone is deployed by God for a purpose – let’s strive to remove all the worldly distractions and reengage our deployment today!