There are various ministries in the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice that provide individuals a fairly wide range of opportunities to serve the Church and the community. Choosing a ministry really depends on an individual’s perception of his own charism, talents, time and the depth of commitment one is able and willing to give. Of great importance, the individual must realize that joining a ministry means embracing a life of service to the Lord.
At the Parish, the Worship Ministry is deemed the most challenging and visible of all ministries, because it has the biggest number of members and organizations to coordinate and because its primary responsibility is to bring people closer to God through enlivened and inspiring Eucharistic celebrations.
The Worship Ministry is a dynamic community of Eucharist-centered servant leaders from different walks of life, demonstrating different talents and charisms, but unified by the same Spirit, and rendering different workings but serving one Lord. Comprising the Ministry are some nineteen groups, namely: Lectors and Commentators Group (LCG), Special Ministers of Holy Communion (SMHC), Greeters and Collectors, Altar Servers, Mother Butler Group, Confraternity of Our Lady of Lourdes, Legion of Mary, Apostleship of Prayer, and 11 chorale groups.
The LCG takes on the role of God’s heralds in proclaiming the Word of the Lord during Mass. To prepare each lector to assume this role, the new members undergo the required Basic Formation Seminar conducted by the Diocesan Ministry for Liturgical Affairs. Likewise, the regular members of the LCG are required to undergo the yearly renewal and formation seminar at the Chancery of the Diocese of Cubao. To further hone the skills of the members and to deepen their spirituality as proclaimers of the Word, speech enhancement workshops and in-house formation seminars are annually programmed as part of the activities under the Worship Ministry. Prospective lectors are called to be persons of prayer with good public speaking skills.
The mission of the SMHC is to assist the priest at Mass and to assume the role of Christ’s hands in the distribution of His Body and Blood to the faithful. Its members also bring Christ’s loving gift of His Body to those who are incapacitated to attend Mass because of illness or infirmity.
The altar servers assist the priest during liturgical celebrations. Their responsibilities range from carrying the Cross and candles during processions to assisting in various tasks at the altar table during the Mass.
As so-called ministers of hospitality, the task of the Greeters and Collectors Group is to encourage the Mass-goers to feel that their presence in the Eucharistic celebration is important. The Greeters and Collectors are needed to welcome the parishioners, usher the handicapped to their seats, take up collections, coordinate the congregation during Communion, and help clean up after the Mass.
The choirs are responsible for leading the sung worship at all liturgical celebrations. Through their music and hymns, they set the tone for a joyful celebration and provide the inspiration to the congregation’s expression of faith, praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.
The other groups in the Ministry have equally important roles in making each celebration a worthy offering to a loving God.
Indeed, the Worship Ministry is a happy collaboration of varied personalities who have chosen to take up the call to be servant leaders and assume various roles to serve the Church. Sometimes the tasks are daunting, but hurdling this challenge brings about a personal transformation and a sublime sense of spiritual gratification that Ministry members experience.
