Conclusions

After reflecting on my experiences in Appalachia I was at first a little discouraged. Not only did I discover that I did not fully understand the problems that our society faces today, such as poverty and poor education, but I know longer believed that I knew a clear and distinct way to solve these problems. Furthermore, no matter how much time you find to devout to service and to try to solving these problems, you will never be able to do so alone. In Appalachia, and in other service projects I have participated in, I have a felt overwhelmed at the idea that even if I accomplish one thing in the time, there is still much more to do. It can be a discouraging thought but I think that the Oscar Romero Prayer describes well the catholic philosophy of service, and can be very comforting. It is necessary to keep in mind that we are one person, trying to do God’s work, and we may not see any results or significant changes, but we must remember that God has a plan. All we can do is our best, and God can do the rest.

Here is a portion of the prayer by Oscar Romero that I liked the best.
Prayer by Oscar Romero

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Prayer by Oscar Romero
http://www.simonbarrow.net/reflect3.html