By Emily Schmid
“I have called you by name: you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
One of the most significant gifts my parents gave me was my faith. They brought me into the faith through my baptism and cultivated the faith throughout my life in various meaningful ways, most specifically through involvement in the liturgy. Participation in Mass on weekends was a family expectation. My sister and I were altar servers and we both sang and played our instruments unknowingly immersing ourselves in scripture and liturgical life in the process. Our involvement in liturgy helped us learn our faith while also fostering our sense of service to the church. This involvement provided me with a profound sense of belonging within the Church community. I never questioned my place in the family of God I was baptized into. I always knew I had a place in the liturgy, and regardless of the parish I attended, I understood that I had a unique gift to share—myself.
Baptism in the Church leaves a profound imprint on the soul, connecting individuals to the family of God. Just as each child within a nuclear family discovers their identity and place, so too must the children of God find their belonging within the family of faith. As young people grow in their understanding of their identity, it is the responsibility of the Body of Christ—each of us—to guide them in recognizing where they fit within the Church.
Encouraging youth participation in liturgical roles is a vital step in this process. Engaging in service during the liturgy provides young people with an opportunity to share their gifts while also deepening their faith. My aspiration for the community of St. Francis is to extend this gift to the youth of our parish, helping them recognize their belonging within the community and affirming that the liturgy is a space where they can truly feel at home.