1 Cor 15:12-20 / Luke 8:1-3
To do volunteer work is a matter of choice. We can choose to do it or we may choose not to do it.
And if we choose to do volunteer work, then we will see if it suits our availability and our suitability.
In other words, we usually do volunteer work according to what we choose to do, and usually it is at our convenience.
In the gospel, we hear of a group of people following Jesus in His mission of preaching and proclaiming the Good News.
It was like a motley collection of people of various statuses in society. Besides the Twelve, there were also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments, like Mary Magdalene and Susanna.
More than just being volunteers, they provided for the group out of their own resources. They don't choose to give out of their own convenience but according to what the group required.
For these women, they have a conviction of who Jesus is and of His mission. They had experienced it for themselves and that led to their conviction.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul expressed his conviction about the resurrection of Jesus even to the extent that he and those who proclaimed the resurrection and are shown up as witnesses would have committed perjury before God since they swore before God that He had raised Christ to life.
For St. Paul and those who followed Jesus, to serve God is certainly not a voluntary work that is done in their terms and conditions.
For them to serve and witness to the Lord is a choice and a conviction. May we also have the conviction to make the same choice