Closing Reflection - Rodney Valerio
My Christian service project included doing community service at Our Lady Queen of the WorldChurch. I was under the supervision of Ryan O’leary, who were very nice and determined to get things done. He is memorable to me because he volunteershis time and effort on a daily basis for the churches needs. I have gained a lot of respect and esteem from Ryan because he is very straightforward and down to earth. As well, he is helping the community by giving his own service to the church.
My attitude towards Christian Service has changed over the semester because I do not see it as a chore anymore. It is the highest form of loving your neighbor when you give to them unconditionally. My effectiveness to Our Lady Queen of the World, I would say was rather noticeable since the group I was working with had made the Alter cleaner to conduct mass, and perform general cleaning of the church becoming more sanitized. I accomplished much at Our Lady Queen of the World because I did everything set out for me and more if I finished early.
I tried to do my best because I also had something to gain from helping out which included that feeling of accomplishment and of doing a good deed. A personal strength that I discovered during my hours of Christian Service was perseverance because when I thought that the day would not end, I would keep myself busy by reminding myself that I am doing this for myself as well as for other people. A personal weakness that I discovered about myself while participating in this project was impatience. I had to remind myself that my donation of service will become someone else’s delight.
The most significant experience that I had while participating in this project was getting to know people that I had worked with during my service, which was my general expectation while performing service. The friends that I have met and made were also a key factor for continuing my service for the church, for they made it more pleasurable rather than regretful. Ryan had also become a great stress-reliever, as he would tell jokes that would keep the group loose and upbeat throughout the service.
The advice I would offer to another student who might choose this area of service is to go in knowing that there is more to Christian Service that just tough work. There are friends to be made, and hearts to be filled with joy and laughter which could mean much for someone feeling down.
My participation in this service program applies to John 13:1-20 which is about Jesus washing his disciple’s feet because he does it even to the people that do not deserve it and therefore he demonstrates his unconditional love for his disciples as I believe I did during my Christian Service project. One way that I experienced God's presence through my work was the unconditional service for the church which is a diminished reflection of what does for us by loving us unconditionally even thought we choose to go against him.