THE WORK IS NEVER DONE

by Dennis J. Gerber, Jr
President, Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund

July 2025

The other night, I had a dream. A man stood before me, someone I had never met, yet somehow, I recognized him. It felt as if he had quietly accompanied me through many seasons of my life. His face was calm and smiling as he looked at me and asked, “When will you be done?”

He did not need to say more, and I did not need him to explain. I knew exactly what he meant. He was asking about the work of serving others, the vocation of helping Catholics live generosity, and the responsibility of walking alongside those who give and those who receive.

The remarkable thing was that he already knew my answer before I spoke. I could see it in his eyes, in the quiet understanding of his gentle smile. Tears filled my eyes as I told him, “It is never going to be done. There are just too many people to help.” I said it again, letting the truth of those words settle in my heart.

When I woke up, I was in tears. Light from the sunrise was coming into my room as I lay there, the image of his kind face still clear in my mind, and I thought about the path that has brought me here. My career has been a vocation, a call to serve other Catholics in generosity, helping them give to the causes they care about and supporting the apostolates that carry out works of mercy around the world. It has been a privilege to witness countless moments of quiet generosity and to see how acts of faith can ripple outward in ways we cannot always measure.

The world is filled with apostolates doing beautiful work. They bring the Gospel into classrooms and clinics, into prisons and parishes, into homes and neighborhoods where people long for hope. Each of these apostolates has needs that are real and constant. They never stop asking for help, not for themselves, but because they see the people in front of them who need accompaniment, healing, and the love of Christ.

There are times when it is easy to feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do. We can question whether our gifts are enough or wonder if what we offer makes any difference. But the Gospel reminds us that God sees the heart of our giving. When Jesus noticed the poor widow placing two small coins in the temple treasury, He saw more than the amount she gave. He saw the trust with which she gave, the faith that led her to offer all she had, believing it mattered to God.

The story of the widow’s mite teaches us that God values the love and faith behind each gift, no matter its size. As Mother Teresa reminds us, “God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.” Our generosity, offered quietly and with trust, becomes part of His work in the world.

Generosity is not an optional part of our faith. It is how we live the Gospel, how we strengthen the Church, and how we bring light into the world. It is how we participate in the mission of the apostolates that continue Christ’s work today. When we give, we become part of something that reaches beyond ourselves, something that speaks to a world in need of hope and a reminder that God has not forgotten us.

The work will never be finished, but that should not discourage us. It is an invitation to continue, to offer what we can, and to trust that God will use our offerings for His purposes. Each prayer, each act of kindness, and each financial gift offered in faith is a sign of hope, a quiet testimony that love still matters.

That morning, as the sunrise filled my room, I realized that the unending nature of this work is not a burden to fear but a reason to continue. There will always be more to do, and we will never see it all completed, but each act of generosity given in faith becomes part of building the Kingdom of God.

Together, we can continue to support apostolates around the world, helping them continue their vital work. We can remember the widow’s mite and the lesson it offers us about trust, faith, and the power of small gifts given in love.

The work will never be done, and that is why it matters. It is a sign that there is still hope to offer, faith to share, and love to give. We can continue, offering what we can, trusting that God will use it for His purposes, and finding peace in knowing that even the smallest gift, given in faith, has a place in God’s work.

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