The Virtual Community of St. Matthias (Communitas Virtualis Sanctus Matthaeus) is an informal gathering of those committed to the quiet servant spirit of the thirteenth apostle. Our motto is:
“illum oportet crescere me autem minui”
John the Baptist quoted in John 3:30 of the Latin Vulgate
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
We aspire to serve invisibly, to preach without words, and to magnify the Lord while reducing tendency to seek recognition for merely using what the Creator so generously and undeservedly gave us (see Matthew 6:1-6).
The following prayer attempts to capture the essence of my journey to become a Matthiast. May you be brought closer to the spirit of our patron, St. Matthias as you look over the contents of this blog.
Dear God,
Help me
To have:
Gracious obedience,
Continual surrender,
Automatic acceptance.
To be able to love deeper and more profoundly,
Even the so-called “unlovable.”
Help me to be a better husband, father, son-in-law, son, brother, Poppy, friend, servant, co-worker,*
And to be open in mind, heart, and spirit to the way that God wants me to serve the Church.
Amen.
*Suggested substitute for a woman:
Help me to be a better wife, mother, daughter-in-law, daughter, sister, Mimi, friend, servant, co-worker
May be further tweaked as necessary.