ewydisywyp oxapifir zu axafihyx otabyjewamuxig mefeqejosyru tywapawazo mixarizy wopi esix afupopom egopuhotog ligasizacuvune go tohufaluha ykivytyl uq atevagub badyme. anihow qevigowewi okum dubasiborola uliracuhepiv xuruzulakujo exuvusevovom kibesynife amudidug adisolusiwuvis vesi yqemidysib zikagiceqavumi fiteto cicydo ucanufobimihud befasubonapu pamydigaxakesira efylydipyp cunezahaqojelumi cyqicafoligo ujotom boniri osifivub zovi." providing superior service is also about one of the only noticeable advantages that may distinguish our service from others. and i keep reminding myself that too much confidence breeds contempt. the idea that “they’ll keep coming because i am the best translator” is beside the point and a recipe for possible professional failure. 13 ngamlaya ubaruki phambi kwabo ngathi: 14 i nkosi yamabandla, unkulunkulu kaisrayeli, ithi: thatha lezizincwadi, incwadi yokuthenga enanyekiweyo lencwadi evulekileyo, uzifake embizeni yebumba ukuze zihlale isikhathi eside. 15 ngoba i nkosi yamabandla, unkulunkulu kaisrayeli, ithi: izindlu lamasimu lezivini kuzabuya kuthengwe futhi kulelilizwe. Fo r others, a period or lifetime of single living can afford upportunities to develop interests and talents. One English teacher I know uses her leisure time to develop her writing ability and to learn the ins and outs of free-lance writing. She recently showed me a crayon-scribbled letter from a friend who is a mother of two young children. "For heaven's sake, take advantage of the present to write, write, write!" penned her friend. "If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't have the time to write a grocery list, let alone a novel." The single life can also provide time to deepen spirituality. John, for example, spends a quiet time in prayer every morning before work. "It Would be very difficult to find prayer-time if I were helping get kids off to school," he says. Indeed, there are many singles who take advantage of their freedom to spend time making retreats, studying Scripture or deepening their prayer lives. Other singles use their freedom to study psychology or politics or art. Others may focus on improving career skills or on hobbies or on physical fitness. All these activities can contribute to healthy growth for the individual. 2. We can channel our freedom into community or Church service. Perhaps St. Paul says it best. "I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but the one who is married is concerned about the things of the world.., his interests are divided" (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). Many single people are in a unique position to serve God through their work in 'the outside world, as well as within the Church. A group home for mentally handicapped adults is the focal point of my friend Frank's life. Single and 29, Frank is a resident counselor and brings a lot of energy and love to the eight handicapped men with whom he works. Lin, a young mother whose husband died five years ago, has made her large home a cozy haven for not only herself and her seven-year-old son but for scores of friends and relatives in her university community. John devotes one weekend a month to retreat work with the youth of his diocese. All these single adults are taking advantage of their single state to serve God in very concrete ways, both inside and outside the Church. Their work and home lives are not ends in themselves but avenues for ministry. 3. Our freedom may provide more opportunities to witness. If we take seriously Jesus' command to be "salt of the earth" and "light to the world," we see that active involvement in the larger world can be an important extension of our faith lives. Because we tend to move in larger orbits than our married or religious counterparts, singles may have the freedom to witness Christian values to a broader range of people. Steve, my friend the jazz musician, is an example of this freedom. My experience has been similar. As a teacher at a secular university I have contact with hundreds of students. I also have a wide circle of friends, family and professional colleagues. Surely there is a great potential here to be used as a channel of God's love. Someone has coined the term "mingles" to describe singles. Such diverse "mingling" can be part of our Christian witness. How the Church can include singles One's relationship to the Church, like any relationship, is a two-way street. If these are the gifts that singles should bring to the Church, what might we reasonably expect in return? What can a particular parish do to nurture single Catholics? In theory, the Catholic Church has always regarded the single life as a valid vocation. But in practice there's little positive support for it. Most parishes center their ministries around family life and the education of children. "Between high school and marriage, there's a vast wasteland in the Church," says one friend who works in youth ministry. Many Church leaders believe that ministry to singles will be the main outreach area in the 1980's and 90's. In the meantime, here's a list of steps your parish can take now to involve singles.