BELOVED SERVERS OF JESUS CHRIST At his General Audience on August 1, 2001, Pope John Paul II reminded the altar servers that they were the beloved servers of Jesus Christ: The altar server occupies a privileged place in the liturgical celebration. He who serves at Mass, presents himself to a community. He experiences firsthand that Jesus Christ is present and active in every liturgical act….above all in the Eucharist under the signs of bread and wine. He acts through the priest who, in the person of Christ, celebrates the holy Mass and administers the sacraments.
Therefore, in the liturgy, you are much more than simple "helpers of the parish priest." Above all, you are servers of Jesus Christ, of the eternal High Priest. Thus, you, altar servers, are called in particular to be young friends of Jesus. Be determined to go deeper and to cultivate this friendship with him. You will discover that in Jesus you have found a true friend for life. The entire parish is asked to pray for our altar servers, taking to heart the words of Blessed John Paul II:
In the light of this, dear brother priests, I would ask you, among other initiatives, to show special care for altar servers, who represent a kind of "garden" of priestly vocations. The group of altar servers, under your guidance as part of the parish community, can be given a valuable experience of Christian education and become a kind of pre-seminary. Help the parish, as a family made up of families, to look upon the altar servers as their own children, like "olive shoots around the table" of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (cf. Psalm 127:3)” (Holy Thursday Letter to Priests, 2004).
Anyone in Grades 6-12 is eligible to become an altar server. If you are interested in serving at the altar of God, please, contact Fr. Graebe at fr.brian.graebe@archny.org or (845) 227-1710. |
