The Church is the Body of Christ and Saint Agnes is the Church
As Catholic Christians, we believe that the Church is the Body of Christ. That means that in a real way, we are Christ’s body: His hands and feet and heart working in the world. We believe that the Holy Spirit really does live within us, act within us, and send us out into the world to witness to Christ and to heal its wounds through God’s grace.
God has given us a great gift in Christ: He’s forgiven our sins, redeemed us, given us a share in His life, and perfected us through the Holy Spirit in His love. Since we’ve received such a great gift, we’re called to be generous and pass on those graces to others we meet, inviting them to share in that same joy. This is especially true about serving the poor in our midst. As Jesus reminds us:
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ – Matthew 25:40
Our faith is meant to be like the Olympic torch: carried and passed on, person to person. Christ invites us to pass on our faith and the fire of Divine Love both through prayer and for caring for the poor. We must love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. As a Church, we do this through our many ministries.
Saint Agnes Does Christ’s Work
Saint Agnes has over 64+ ministries through which, as Christ’s hands and feet and heart, she serves the community of Arlington. We’ve gathered all our ministries into four groups according to their type of activity. Check them out on their own pages!
The Interior-Life Ministries:
- Prayer Ministries – these ministries cultivate our interior relationship with God through prayer and the liturgy.
- Formation Ministries – these ministries cultivate our interior relationship with God by forming who we are as people made in His image and likeness: through education, community, and sporting activities
The Exterior-Life Ministries:
- Hospitality Ministries – these ministries devote our exterior works and actions to making people feel welcome and at home in our midst. Through being hospitable, they cultivate an atmosphere of Christian joy.
- Service Ministries – these ministries reach out to those on the periphery: the poor, those in need of help, and those outside our immediate parish bubble. The goal of service ministries is to serve those in need as best we can in the love of Christ.
Many Parts, One Body and Many Gifts, One Saint Agnes
The Body of Christ in Arlington is not complete without you! It’s true. And though we’re not all called to serve in the same way nor have we all been given the same gifts, we are all truly called to find a deeper happiness in Christ and to use what gifts we do have for the glory of God. You have gifts. Come join us, find a home with us, and in serving God and our neighbors, come to know the love God has for you. After all, it’s in giving that we receive, and in giving ourselves in service and love of others, we’ll know better the love of God and truly become loveable ourselves.
Come join us. Get involved. Find a home with us and live out your calling in Christ!
