It’s not every day that one’s prayer life and ministry make the news!
Such was the case for Joshua Zielinski, Associate Director of Family Services at Samaritan House Denver’s family homeless shelter, who was recently featured in a piece by Denverite.
The Catholic Charities of Denver employee emphasized the difficulty of the work, with profound need everywhere he looks – need that his team and he often cannot meet fully. Even amid the challenge, Zielinski finds solace in prayer and knows that his work matters – to God, to his children and to the community.
“Thy will be done,” Zielinski prays, looking to God for the guidance, strength and grace to make a difference. “Take the work of my hands today and the mistakes I make. Remedy them. Take the good that I do, augment it and let it be.”
He approaches the vital, frontline work with humility, seeking to do what he can in the face of great demand for support and services and other real challenges to his ministry. Even amid serious challenges, it is clear that Zielinski and his ministry matter to God’s mission here and now.
Complementing his practical service, his prayer for all those he encounters and serves each day lifts up those around him to God and entrusts them to the Father who loves them more than they can imagine.
“I am so distracted,” Zielinski told Denverite. “I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. If I’m doing one thing right, I’m just forcing myself to do it, forcing myself to bring myself to that space knowing that faith in God will fill in the rest.”
Through shadowing Zielinski for a “day in the life” of a frontline worker, father, husband and faith-filled individual, Denverite got a front row seat to his inspiring story.
Read more about Joshua Zielinski, his work at Samaritan House Denver and the way that faith and charity intertwine for him here.