As we approach the midpoint of the fraternal year, our successful membership drive and the ongoing work of our retention committee has caused me to reflect on why men join the Knights of Columbus, why some drift away, why some grow in their commitment to the principles of the Order, and what all this means for our Council.
If you ask our 15 new eMembers about their motivation for joining the Knights, the word “faith” is mentioned frequently: a desire to deepen their faith, or live their faith, or share their faith, or belong to a community of faith. I immediately think of the innate desire we humans have to seek God, so well expressed by Saint Augustine in his masterpiece of prayer, Confessions, “you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it comes to rest in you.”
Conversely, some members of our council become inactive for a variety of reasons. For some, habits changed with Covid, and they no longer feel a need to be engaged as they once were. Advancing age also inhibits some men from remaining involved with the Knights. Some inactive Knights would like to contribute more, but they find it difficult to return out of a sense of guilt or shame. Still others would like to be more involved, but they are not able to commit much time to program activities and feel self-conscious about this. Faith is rarely mentioned as a factor by these Knights, but I do wonder if stronger faith would make a difference in at least some of these cases. My advice: remaining a Knight will help you put Jesus first your life.
John’s Gospel tells us that if we love God, we must feed his sheep. I interpret this to mean that the first priority in our council must be to encourage Brother Knights to enrich and develop their faith, and to provide opportunities for doing so. Indeed, this is what our newest Knights are seeking. We see that Knights who deepen and strengthen their faith tend to put their faith into action, answering God’s call to become shepherds. The most active Knights in our council are men of strong faith; even advancing age does not lessen their desire to act as the hands and feet of Jesus in our community, and to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
Faith development has both an individual and a council component. Each of us should ask ourselves, “What can I do to grow closer to Jesus?” “How can I put Jesus at the centre of my life?” Responding to these questions will nourish our own faith development and, when shared with Brother Knights, suggest enhancements to our Council Faith Program. Prayer, reflection, instruction and discussion will continue to be a part of our meetings, while other elements, such as Holy Hour, will take place outside of our meetings and be open to all members of the parish.
I am convinced that prioritizing faith will benefit all our programs and improve our retention. The love we receive from God must be passed on to others; this is the basis of faith in action. Becoming active, as your personal circumstances permit, in our life, family, and community programs offers tremendous scope for sharing the Grace of God with others.
Our highly successful golf tournament, which accomplishes so much good locally in Kingston, is a great example of a program activity where just a few hours by more Knights could make a big difference. At a more fundamental level of engagement, we depend on every Knight to pay their annual dues so that we have the funds to pay our per capita assessments to Ontario State and Supreme, and to pay for operating expenses, such as insurance.
As Advent reminds us of the daily presence of Christ in our life and the importance of preparing to meet Christ at the end of our life, let us resolve to strengthen our faith, and to express our faith in service to others through the principles of our Order, beginning with Charity. What better way to prepare for Christmas!
Vivat Jesus!
Shaun Tymchuk
Grand Knight