In the Gospel of Mark, the Sadducees are questioning Jesus as a test. One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)
In the Catholic Community of St. Francis, our ministries serve our neighbors every day in many ways. One of these ministries is The Family Promise Ministry. Jim Packard, the coordinator of this ministry at our parish, explains: “Family Promise is one of the ways St. Francis helps families in our community who are experiencing temporary homelessness. We partner with ‘Family Promise of the Triangle’ to provide groceries as a little extra support while families work toward securing permanent housing. It may seem like a simple gesture, but a week’s worth of groceries can make such a big difference during a stressful time and let families know they have a community that cares.”
At its heart, this ministry is about loving our neighbors and treating every person with the dignity they deserve. “Our Catholic faith reminds us that we’re called to care for those who are struggling,” says Jim, “and Family Promise gives us a way to do that. It’s a chance to put our faith into action through kindness, hospitality, and compassion.” Family Promise is a great example of how, as part of our mission, St. Francis has always stepped up when there’s a need in our community. “By supporting local families through a collaborative community partner, we’re living out our faith in a very real and practical way,” adds Jim.
How can you help? “You don’t need any special skills, and you can volunteer as little or as much as you’d like,” encourages Jim. “The time commitment is very flexible, so it’s easy to find a way to help that fits your schedule, and it can have a huge impact on a family working toward a stable home.” As we all know, St. Francis is such a generous parish community. Jim points out that when volunteer opportunities are shared, many of the grocery slots are filled within the first 24 hours. “That’s the kind of community we have at St. Francis. People are always ready to step up and help a neighbor in need. We’d love for you to be part of it,” he says. Isn’t that what it’s all about? ‘Love thy neighbor as yourself.’