What a beautiful time of year. As I write and look out at the garden, the dogwood and redbud trees are full of color and the azaleas are about to burst into full bloom. As we conclude this great season of resurrection and new life, we’ve heard the stories of the followers of Jesus figuring out how to become Church. We heard about hearts burning, disbelief and doubt, a Good Shepherd, and the Way, Truth, and Life. We heard Jesus telling his disciples not to cling to him, inspiring them to share the Good News, and appearing to them in the fullness of his resurrected self, preparing them for his eventual return to his Father. The Easter story holds the paradox of seeming opposites in tension for us all. In order to experience new life, to experience resurrection, there will always be challenge, pain, and suffering to walk or run or forge-ahead-weeping through. We learn again that the new life that is the Resurrection comes only after the pain and suffering of the Cross.

These are days when the darkness can seem overwhelming. We see inhumane, illegal treatment of immigrants; we hear religious language used to justify oppression and war; we watch power-hungry and greedy individuals making millions of dollars while grocery and gasoline prices continue to rise. Incredulously, we even witness vehement posts and outrageous comments directed toward Pope Leo and his steadfast commitment to preaching the Gospel. New life doesn’t necessarily happen in a day (or three), it can take some time and will take various forms.

My current story includes being in a period of transition, piecing together ministry opportunities through my non-profit organization, parish and diocesan work, and serving as a spiritual director. It’s been a time of significant discernment as to where, when, and how I feel welcome to offer my energy as a ministry professional.

In this context, Stephanie Peddicord, President of Goodfaith, asked me, a relatively new board member, to consider serving as Board Chair, and to take on that role as soon as possible if my discernment led me there. I said yes. Later, she asked if I’d write a reflection about why I said yes. I again said yes. This question begs another (giving a nod to my high school English teacher Sr. James Anthony, IHM): why did I say yes to getting involved with Goodfaith in the first place?

A little background first. Goodfaith is an independent, non-profit Catholic apostolate based in New Jersey, and our mission is to cultivate a vibrant movement of faith in action through transformative experiences centered in Catholic social tradition. This community of ordinary people is committed to the belief that transformation, in us and through us, is rooted in the goodness of the Gospel. I’ve been on the margins of the organization for years, admiring the efforts and commitment of this ordinary group of disciples. I was occasionally drawn in more intentionally through my work in parish ministry, through my nephew participating in ServiceworX while he was in middle school, and through being part of some brainstorming sessions during strategic planning exercises.

It’s always nice to receive an invitation that plays to your skills, gifts, and desires in ministry. So the initial invitation to be part of the Board, truth be told, stoked my ego a bit. Also true is that I have a difficult time saying “no” to people I respect, trust, and genuinely like. The staff of Goodfaith and the people involved over all the years of this organization’s evolution are people who make the world and the Church in it a better place. This invitation creates a space of welcome and gives me an opportunity to serve the Church in a way that I feel valued, appreciated, and respected.

That said, why I responded “yes” to being on the Board and serving as Chair has a simple answer: I believe in the mission of the organization.

Goodfaith is a sign of hope for the Church. It is an organization rooted in the tradition of the Church that continually looks forward. People involved with Goodfaith are confident that asking hard questions and moving through struggles leads to growth. This is an organization unapologetically led by lay women who have a deep respect and love for the Church and maintain a vision that sees beyond its oft-frustrating patriarchal structure to the beauty of our tradition and the relevance of the mission of Christ for this moment in time and this generation of God’s people. I also see significant and concrete evidence of a sincere desire to serve, evangelize, and authentically live as disciples, or to put it another way: to wash feet, share the Gospel, and be who we are called to be by virtue of being created in God’s image and likeness and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I want to be part of something that helps move the mission of Christ forward in the world of today. I believe the Church and the work Jesus began has relevance in this time and place. We are a people of risen hope who profess that death does not ever have the last word, not even when things appear bleak. I know that Goodfaith is not only talking about this, but is taking action to make it happen. The people involved and touched by the organization number in the thousands and include current and former staff; current and former board members; alumni of the many years of ServiceworX, JusticeworX, and LeaderworX service immersion experiences; youth, mentors, and parishioners of NeXt Level parishes; the group that gathers weekly to pray together virtually on Wednesday evenings; families engaged in Family Matters; and ministry professionals trained and formed in faith. They do not just talk a good game. They walk the walk, as cliché as that may sound. They step out and witness, unafraid to live in the joy of the Gospel and practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. This group of disciples, living in the modern world and intentionally drawing upon the richness of Catholic Social Tradition in their decision-making and life choices, makes the reign of God visible every day. They engage in action and contemplation, service and prayer, movement and stillness, and live out the command of Jesus to serve one another and do it all in memory of him.

Goodfaith is committed to a vision that goes beyond the darkness of a tomb sealed shut to the inbreaking light of a new dawn, when the “Gardener” calls each of us by name, without exception or exclusion, to new life. In seeking to equip people for ministry in the church of today, with all the challenges of our world, Goodfaith accompanies others as we move forward in the hope of the resurrection. Receiving an invitation to participate in an organization that advances the mission of Christ and the Church for the good of all humanity? With humility and gratitude, I’ll say “yes” every time.