That Reading You Always Have to Hear on Christmas Eve

Happy end to Advent, Kansans!  Last week I linked to an article on Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth book touching on its general approach toward the historicity of the Gospels and their portrayal of Jesus' birth.  If you've ever been at the Christmas Eve mass and been bored by the genealogy, then you ought to read Benedict's book!  But for now here are just a few of my thoughts which went up today on Crisis Magazine.

A Final Thought - a teacher learns from her students

Excerpts from a Theology Final Exam

Course: Theology III - Life in Christ, Fall 2013

Author(s):  25 Junior Bishop Ward High School students

·        God gave us the wisdom; we just have to live it.

·        God is always there with me, he is the reason why I am here.

·        To know that you can make an impact is an awesome feeling.

·        God is always there, waiting for you.

·        God is what makes me most happy, not anything else.

·        If I changed one life, than that would change who I am as a person.

·        A moral life is the best life.

·        True happiness comes from love and devotion to one another.

·        Moral laws have a purpose, to help us get to Christ.

·        I haven’t physically seen Jesus, but I know that he is alive within my soul.

·        In our lives there are times that it gets tough and its’ hard just being ourselves.  We must stay strong and believe that he will come and help us through our prayers.  It is hard, and it does bring us down, but in keeping in our faith, we will see the face of God.

·        Happiness is God in our lives.

·        At mass… I began to think every second spent on Earth is precious.

·        God will take care of everything.

·        It might be really hard to be a good person but it will certainly make our lives better. 

·        …love ... as Jesus told us to. I feel things like this, are what will really matter in the end.

Jesus’ Infancy through the Eyes of Benedict XVI

Blessed Advent wishes to everyone as we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe and head toward Gaudete ("Rejoice!") Sunday.  In case you didn't get it when it came out last year, there's still time to get speedy delivery and read Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, which at only a little over 100 pages makes for great Advent meditation.

Today I am linking to one of at least a couple posts I'll be sharing on the book this Advent.  It's on a great site--especially for catechists and pastors--Homiletic and Pastoral Review.  Here's the link to my post.

So What Are We Waiting For?

"So what are we waiting for?"

Pope Francis asks this question in his new apostolic exhortation on "the joy of the Gospel" (Evangelii Gaudium). He's referring to our mandate to go out and evangelize! In paragraph 120 he further writes:

"All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envision a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love."

I invite all Catholics to take to heart the Pope's teaching on evangelization. In addition, I encourage readers to visit my series of posts at No Place Like Home summarizing this rich teaching, including today's post "Evangelizing Church," on how all Catholics are called to be "agents of evangelization."

A Bridge to Truth

I have posted on another blog, one dedicated to Blessed John Henry Newman. While it does not directly address evangelization, the article addresses two common struggles people have today; how to discern the truth and overcoming fear. 
My argument is that the two are related.  Since we have a reduced understanding of truth, we experience fear.  The truth will set us free and in our efforts at evangelization, we will be meeting people who lack the tools of reaching the fullness of truth.  By expanding the ways we can come to know the truth with certainty, we open up new roads for people to come to the fullness of the Catholic faith.
http://www.cardinaljohnhenrynewman.com/building-a-bridge-to-truth-card-newman/

Evangelization and Imagination Part II

            This morning I was going over the calendar for the month of December when I saw under the heading December 25 “Christmas (Holy Day of Obligation).”  That caused a bit of a jolt.  Of course, as a priest, I know that Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation, but what surprised me is how strange it seems to be reminded of this. 

            As a pastor, I have always made sure to announce the Sunday before that, “Such and such holy day was indeed a ‘Holy Day of Obligation,” requiring attendance at Holy Mass.  I dutifully do this for Holy Mary, Mother of God, Assumption, All Saints and Immaculate Conception.  But I have never considered it necessary to remind people that Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation.  In fact, I think if I reminded people of that on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, they would laugh.  “What a ridiculous thing to say, of course we will go to Mass on Christmas.”

            “Of course we will go to Mass on Christmas,” is not just a remark of a Catholic who faithfully attends Mass every Sunday.  It is something said by many people, including those who are far from the Church and are not active, faithful Catholics.  Millions of people who would not consider themselves “active” or “faithful” Catholics will come to Mass for Christmas.  Almost every Catholic Church in the world is filled to the rafters for at least one or two Masses. 

            Why is that? 

I would propose that it because Christmas Mass is a celebration that has grabbed their imaginations and is indelibly marked in their memories. Now, the Church clearly teaches that Mass is not the place for evangelization. Mass, in order for it to bear fruit, must be preceded by evangelization and conversion (CCC 1072). We create grave injustice to both the Mass and evangelization when we try to combine them. But we evangelize people so that one day they may be ready for the Sacred Liturgy.  And this, I propose, requires more of our evangelization efforts be directed to engaging the imagination of the person. 

In my first post on this topic, I suggested that success in evangelization will not be found in simply offering more catechesis that educates the intellect, service projects that engage the will or activities that influence the emotions.  Christmas Mass attendance is the perfect example. People do not come to Christmas Mass because they want to be intellectually engaged.  They certainly do not come because they feel they are under a penalty of grave sin for missing Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation.  While their emotions are engaged, there is more to it than that.  They come because Christmas is just not Christmas without coming to Church.  It is an activity that is deeply impressed upon both their imaginations and their memories.  Christmas is a celebration that has captured their imagination and they cannot imagine December 24/25 without "Christ’s Mass."  The next question is, “How can we capture the imagination of these people who come at Christmas and invite them into something more than Christmas Mass?”

The Beginning of Advent

Yesterday marked the beginning of our Liturgical year in the Catholic Church- the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is a beautiful season in the Church that reminds us to prepare for the coming of Christ. One of the verses we hear often during the season of Advent is "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come...Watch, therefore-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning-lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" When I hear this I experience a few different emotions. I get excited and anxious at the same time. It is so important during this season of Advent to prepare ourselves in every way we can to be ready for the coming of Christ. By this I not only mean to be ready for when Christ calls us home, but also to be prepared at Christmastime when we celebrate the birth of our Lord. During these next 4 weeks we are to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. 

A few things to remember:
1.Examination of conscience- finding those things that are separating us and distancing us from God. We need to take the time to reflect on our daily struggles and habits. Advent is a time to reflect on our lives and form ourselves into the men and women that God has created us to be.
2.Prayer- we have to set aside time each day to pray; not only to pray for the things we need but to give praise and thanks to God for all of the many blessings he has given to each of us. As we go deeper into our spiritual lives, we begin to reflect more on who we are, and who we are called to be.
3.Confession- we need to be making sure we are receiving the Sacraments. Confession is a great way to start the season of Advent. A clean and fresh start as we prepare for the coming of our Lord-nothing better! 

There is so much joy and anticipation as we wait for the coming of our Lord. As we strive to grow in holiness and virtue each day, we need to be aware that we are going to struggle. We are not perfect. Our faith will be tested and we will be tempted by evil things, but our God is faithful and merciful. We have to pray for the strength and wisdom to keep our eyes fixed on the things of heaven, and not let little things of less importance interfere. As we look forward to Christmas and get excited about the shopping and decorating, let us also experience the joy and anticipation that comes from preparing for the coming of our Lord. 

Evangelization and Imagination

“The modern world suffers from a disease of the imagination.” Dr. John Senior

In all that the Church does, including evangelization, she seeks to engage the human person. More accurately, our activities are generally directed to engaging a specific aspect or quality of the human person.  Catechesis, for example, primarily seeks to nourish the intellect. Certain types of music are meant to primarily engage the emotions. 

In recent times the Church has focused on three aspects of the human person; the intellect, the will and the emotions.   There has been a great emphasis on catechesis to help form people intellectually, service projects and mission trips to strengthen the will, and music and retreats that seek to stir the emotions. The engagement of the intellect, the will and the emotions are a good and necessary part of what the Church needs to do to fulfill her task. 

Yet in spite of all the great catechetical programs available, the numerous service opportunities offered, and the wide selection of lively music available to us, the rates of the practice of the faith continues to plummet at an alarming rate, especially among teens and young adults. 

We also hear that the way out of our current crisis is to continue what we are doing and just simply do more of it.  The answer to our problems will be found in more catechesis, more service opportunities, more Praise and Worship music.  The answer will be found in pouring more resources and adding more people to the ranks of catechists, mission trip leaders and song leaders at our Teen Masses.  More people and activities will result in more people more committed to their Catholic faith.  Yet, there is no evidence that this is really helping.  

Without denying the place of orthodox catechesis, service opportunities and the value of emotional experiences, I would contend that there is a better response to our modern crisis of faith.  While engaging the intellect, will and emotions are important, there is another faculty of the human person that is even more crucial in developing a deep and abiding faith – the imagination.  

The imagination, which is a faculty of the human mind, is a great and powerful gift that helps us in our relationship to God.  One of the contentions of this post, and possibly other ones if people are interested, is that imagination is a key but also neglected faculty of the human person that helps lead people to an experience of God.    

This idea is rooted in the thought of Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890), one of the greatest thinkers in modern times.  Newman, himself a convert to Catholicism from Anglicanism, lived at a time when science began to hold a monopoly on its claimed ability to discern truth.  While Newman was not anti-scientific, he prophetically realized that as the scientific method of discerning the truth was to grow in power, other ways of discovering the truth, through literature or theology for example, would come to lose their positions of authority.  Over time, Newman rightly predicted, if left unchallenged, the scientific method would come to monopolize the discovery of truth, leaving everything else to be considered only opinion or feeling. 

 As I said, Newman was not anti-scientific.  Like any good Catholic thinker, he held to the proposition that truth cannot contradict truth. While never denying the rightful place of science, or seeking to limit its freedom in its own sphere, Newman sought to protect other ways of coming to know the truth; including truth arrived at through the imagination.   Newman realized that if one way of coming to know the truth was over-emphasized, then other ways of coming to knowledge of the truth would lose their authority.   In an age where the scientific method reigned, other ways of knowledge lost their power.

Today, the power of the scientific truth rules supreme, especially over against matters of faith.  Questions of faith can only remain at the personal level (and therefore should be left out of the classroom) because, as it is mistakenly claimed, they can only be answered through personal opinion or feelings.   Profession of faith in God, in Jesus as the Son of God, holds the same position in the minds of many as someone who believes in a flying spaghetti monster.   

For those of us involved in ministry to higher education, this is our daily reality.  Newman is not only a patron of campus ministry; he is also a prophet.   What Newman foresaw in the nineteenth century has now come to full fruition in the twenty-first.  The results have been devastating, not just to the Catholic faith, but to the human person.  We minister to people who, as a result of this monopoly of scientific truth, are paralyzed by fear and anxiety, struggle to truly know that God exists and lacks the joy that comes through a true encounter with Him.

I am becoming more and more convinced that the crisis of faith we are experiencing today is not just a crisis of intellect, will or emotions.   We cannot catechize, serve or emote our way out.  Following Newman, the way out of our crisis requires us to engage the entire person, including the faculty of the imagination.  

Book Review

“How to Share Your Faith With Anyone – 

A Practical Manual for Catholic Evangelization” 

by Terry Barber, Ignatius Press, 2013

An annual highlight for me every year is attending the Midwest Catholic Family Conference in Wichita, Kansas. It’s always an inspiring weekend of faith and families. One of the highlights is the St. Joseph Communications’ booth. Why? Because of the tables filled with quality cd sets and DVDs of Catholic theologians and speakers but especially because of Terry Barber.

You can watch Terry greet every person enthusiastically, pray with those who ask, tell stories and laugh with joy at the children running around. I remember once getting a hug and one of those laughs when I told him it was his fault I had to buy another set of bookshelves. I needed it to hold all of the St. Joseph cd sets I’ve purchased!

Over the years at the conference, Terry has occasionally given a talk, sharing incredible stories of lives touched by the faith. His enthusiasm is matched only by his humility and deep love of the Lord. Now, you can experience a taste of that in his new book from Ignatius Press, “How to Share Your Faith With Anyone – A Practical Manual for Catholic Evangelization.”

The book opens with a foreword by Dr. Scott Hahn and an introduction with a brief biography of Terry by Matthew Arnold. Terry is responsible for recording Scott Hahn’s conversion story. That simple recording has been heard by millions and continues to be popular today. It helped launch Dr. Hahn as a “modern day Fulton Sheen,” as Terry sees him. In his foreword, Dr. Hahn emphasizes that we are ALL called to evangelize – “If we don’t evangelize, we simply do not exist as a Church; we simply do not exist as Christians.” How right he is.

Matthew (a familiar voice to anyone who has listened to St. Joseph’s cds) shares a biography of Terry in his introduction. It’s a life that was formed well by two sources – Terry’s parents and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. These influences, Terry’s openness to God’s will and his courage to speak the truth make for an inspirational and entertaining read of a life dedicated to evangelization.

As promised in the title, Terry shares practical tips on how to evangelize others. Each chapter includes “Light from the Word” with Scripture quotes that pertain to the focus of the chapter and a bolded statement that summarizes the thoughts. He begins with rightly emphasizing the importance of personal sanctity. You must be praying, partaking in the sacraments and seeking to avoid sin to be an effective witness. You can’t save others if you neglect your own soul. Terry follows this focus with a simple strategy that he calls “The Eight Laws of Effectively Sharing the Faith With Anyone.” Each step is clearly explained with tips on how to proceed. Don’t let the number eight overwhelm you – you will find that many of these steps are ones you are already doing.

Another valuable section is Terry’s plan to fine tune your personal testimony. Telling our own stories simply and clearly about the impact Jesus has made on us is vital. Not only will it help you reach others, but it will also give you a new appreciation for having Christ in your life.

This book is indeed a valuable how-to manual for evangelization. An advantage is that it can be read quickly and put into effect right away. The personal stories that are interspersed throughout the book range from simple, brief encounters with another soul to those that required more fortitude. The book is an inspiration but is not overwhelming to the reader who may be intimidated by the thought of sharing his faith with another.

Because of the sheer number of people that Terry has impacted through conferences, TV and radio, St. Joseph Communications and more, I know that several more volumes could be published and I sincerely hope that happens. Please pray for Terry and for all who read his book that we will fearlessly proclaim the Gospel.

May we all have such a great love of souls and evangelize with tremendous zeal.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Servant of God, pray for us. 

To order, visit Ignatius Press.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." -Matthew 28:19-20

Words cannot express how blessed I feel to have the position as the new Pastoral Associate for Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas. I grew up in a Catholic home with 9 siblings and two loving parents who are always striving to grow in holiness and have their lives centered around Jesus Christ. I would say I was "going through the motions" in grade school and high school and it wasn't until college that I realized why my parents raised us the way they did. My first couple years away from home, I put God on the back-burner and started to live the typical college lifestyle. I quickly realized how empty and lonely my life was and turned to God for help. I began to pray more often and began to realize how much better life was when striving to put Him at the center. My senior year of college I had a deep desire to reach out to college students. I knew there were so many out there who were desperate to experience the love that only God can give. After I graduated from the University of Mississippi, I joined staff as a FOCUS missionary. I was placed in Lawrence, Kansas at KU for two years. My job was to reach out to college students and bring the truth of Jesus to them. I led weekly Bible studies and did one-on-one mentorship with girls every week. We hosted events and took students to national conferences to give them the knowledge and understanding they needed to be faithful disciples of Jesus. After my two year commitment was over, I wanted more than anything to stay involved in serving in the New Evangelization. Working for the Archdiocese of KCK was such a great opportunity. I want everyone to be able to know Jesus and want them to experience the joy and peace that comes from being a faithful follower of Christ. I want them to trust in God and in His plan that is far greater than our own plans. The mission of the Catholic Church is to evangelize and I want to do my part to help bring souls to Christ. I am thrilled to have the privilege to work here and am excited to take what I have learned from FOCUS out to the parishes.

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!" -St. Catherine of Siena

Apologetics Question for the Day: Did God Commit Genocide in the Old Testament?

This is not an easy question to answer when you look at all the evidence honestly, but there are answers out there!  Along with the question of the devil's existence which I linked to the other day, this is a topic I take up in my recent book Dark Passages of the Bible, which was recently discussed along with other important works on the subject by Brandon Vogt. You can read his excellent piece here.

Christian, I Presume?

When I attended UMKC Law School back in the early 1980s, I had a classmate named Barry (not his real name). At the time, I was not practicing the faith and by no means was I a paragon of virtuous living. Despite my own low standards, I thought Barry’s carousing lifestyle crossed the bounds of propriety. He even confided to me that while he was home one weekend he made his girlfriend procure an abortion, because he was not willing to take responsibility for his actions.

One day, months later, Barry out of the blue told me, “It’s time for a revival.” It was only then that I learned that he was a part-time preacher who from time to time would go barnstorming through Missouri and Arkansas, inviting people to become “saved.”

I was shocked. I admitted that I had no room to talk, since in my estimation I was no longer a Catholic or even a Christian. Even so, the disparity between Barry’s faith and his ongoing debauchery confused and scandalized me. He eventually explained that I had to learn to separate faith from daily life. I told him–with less refinement and charity than I’d use today–what I thought of a religion I could test drive but not take home. My burning intuition was that a religion that did not affect who I was and how I lived was not worth my time.

An analogous situation arises today in the context of funerals. As many of us know, the dominant mindset is that the deceased is “in a better place,” and thus the funeral rite itself becomes nothing other than a mini-canonization.

Assuredly we entrust the deceased to the mercy of God, who alone judges hearts. We also must console those who are mourning, offering them solid grounds for hope that their departed loved one is indeed with the Lord. In this regard, it is entirely fitting to recall the good deeds and accomplishments of the deceased to buoy our hope in his or her resurrection.

Yet the current trend goes even further. Our contemporaries assume the deceased is in heaven, so the only real concern is helping friends and family cope with the temporal loss. This approach effectively does away with the need to pray and offer sacrifice for the deceased, which Scripture describes as a “very excellent and noble” practice (see 2 Mac. 12:43; Catechism, no. 1032).

It also derails a teachable moment: The reality of death affords all of us the opportunity to consider our own mortality and thus seek to be in right relationship with God. A casual observer at many funerals today could easily conclude that it really doesn’t matter how one lives, because everyone’s eternal fate--except for the occasional Hitler or bin Laden--seems to be the same.

Both my encounter with Barry and the experience at many funerals today reflect the error of presumption, which takes many forms (see Catechism, no. 2092). One form of presumption is the timeless heresy of Pelagianism, which holds that happiness is attainable by merely human effort, without the necessity of grace. This is manifested today by those who place all their hope in technological progress. Another example of presumption, commonly seen at funerals, is the attitude that in the end God will forgive us irrespective of our cooperation with grace. Following this view, heaven is the inevitable and more or less universal sequel to this life.

Christian fundamentalism is yet another form of presumption. Granted, Barry’s case is an extreme example of the “once saved, always saved” mentality. Most Bible Christians would be aghast at Barry’s lifestyle. Further, they rightly affirm in the midst of our largely secular and indifferent society the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 3:11). Even so, the necessity of a “born again” experience is often presented and understood in a way that leaves no room for human freedom. Once “saved,” the individual can’t “lose” his salvation, even through mortal sin.

The corrective to every form of presumption is Christian hope, which acknowledges both God’s unwavering fidelity to His promises and our responsibility as Christian disciples to lead lives worthy of our heavenly calling (see Eph. 4:1).

This post previously appeared at No Place Like Home.

What does evangelization mean to you?

I recently asked this question to Catholic young adults at a City on a Hill Event  called Tuesdays at the Boulevard.  The event begins with Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Kansas City, MO, followed by pizza and fellowship.  It is a hospitable event that gives young adults in their 20’s and 30’s a space to pray together and socialize as a community.  I spent this particular evening interviewing persons about what evangelization meant to them.  You may find their responses here.

My students often ask me why they cannot see God working in their daily lives as clearly as in scripture.  It reminds me of a psalm in the liturgy of the hours: “Day unto day takes up the story, and night unto night makes known the message.”  Our Lord continues to speak to us by connecting the thoughts, persons, moments, and encounters of each day.  It is up to us to enter into his plan.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann recently joined Bishop Ward High School for adoration.  He read the gospel about when Jesus calls Simon Peter.  “Put out into deep water … from now on you will be catching men” (Lk 5).  I thought this was a fitting gospel choice as we go forth and continue the Lord’s mission  to share the gospel with others.

St. Peter's Cathedral Kansas City, KS

I asked my students if they thought it was a coincidence that the gospel and message from Archbishop Naumann paralleled the video of people I had just interviewed.  It gave them pause for reflection.  May we all continue to be fishers of men for the kingdom. 

Let us enter in and go out into the deep!

Farewell to the Devil?

The existence of the devil is not very compatible with modern thinking. Such is the view confronted by Benedict XVI in a response he once wrote to a book called Farewell to the Devil. Its author, an Old Testament scholar, expressed the view of many a modern man in claiming, “By now we have understood that the term ‘devil’ in the New Testament simply stands for the term ‘sin.’” The devil is just an image for sin, just something Jesus talks about to keep a little holy fear in us—but not someone we really have to fear, someone whose existence we can prove and wiles we can’t explain otherwise through modern psychology.

I recently authored a book entitled Dark Passages of the Bible: Engaging Scripture with Benedict XVI and Thomas Aquinas. In that book one of the three main themes I treat is the problem of evil in the Old Testament.  I have been encouraged to link here to the various evangelization projects I am working on, so I encourage you to read my post at Benedictine College's Gregorian Institute on what Pope Benedict has to say about the existence of the devil.  Do the Scriptures really affirm the existence of the devil, or is he a superstition from a bygone age which enlightened people today need to move beyond? 

The Bishops Speak

 

There has been a lot of great teaching from some bishops with Kansas ties regarding evangelization lately. 

In the latest issue of The Leaven, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas discusses the connection between St. Paul and the challenges of the New Evangelization.  Archbishop Naumann notes:

In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul addresses the rivalries within the Christian community itself. Some had questioned Paul’s credentials and leadership. With embarrassment, Paul begins to “boast” of his qualifications to preach and teach the Gospel:

“But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fasting, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor 11: 21-28).  

When you listen to that litany of adversities, the challenges we face today pale in comparison. As we strive to embark on the new evangelization, St. Paul is an excellent model and patron. The new evangelization is not about inventing a new Gospel or new message. What is new about the new evangelization is it utilizes some of the modern tools for communication. In part, the new evangelization is aimed at presenting the truth and beauty of the Gospel to the so-called digital continent, where so many young people today spend a great deal of time. 

What is also new about the new evangelization is to whom it is directed. The new evangelization attempts to re-evangelize parts of the world that historically were profoundly Catholic, but where today the practice of the faith has been radically diminished.  

However, what remains consistent about evangelization in every age is that it requires individuals, like St. Paul, who are willing to make heroic sacrifices to bring the truth and the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. In part, what made St. Paul’s preaching so powerfully compelling were the extraordinary personal sacrifices he was willing to make so that others would experience the love of God revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ.  

If we want to turn the hearts of people today toward Jesus Christ and his Gospel, we must be willing to do no less.

This month, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, who was raised and ordained in Kansas, released a pastoral letter on evangelization for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.  The pastoral letter is a vision of evangelization rooted in the universal call to holiness that leads to apostolic zeal.  In Go Make Disciples: A Vision forthe Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Archbishop Coakley reminds us that we cannot give what we do not have:

To evangelize others is to invite them into friendship and relationship with Jesus Christ. Before we invite others, we the evangelizers must ourselves be truly evangelized. The evangelizers must first become disciples. We have to be in relationship with Jesus. We have to know him and know that we are loved by him. It is not enough to know about Jesus. We have to become his friend. We have to sit at his feet and learn from him as did Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Lk 10:39). We have to fall in love.

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” These words of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., former Superior General of the Jesuits, describe the experience of discipleship rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Only the disciple can effectively evangelize others.

Bishop James D. Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, also raised and ordained in Kansas, offers two articles this month on evangelization.  Adapting an address he gave to a Catholic Answers Conference, Bishop Conley stresses the role of beauty in the New Evangelization in his article Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Role of Beauty in the Restoration of Catholic Culture.  After sharing the story about his conversion to a deeper spiritual life inspired by an encounter with beauty while studying at the University of Kansas, Bishop Conley explains:

Beauty is both ancient and new: we are at once surprised and comforted by its presence.  Beauty exists in a sphere beyond time. And so beautiful things expose us to the timelessness of eternity.

This is why beauty matters, in an eternal sense. Beauty was part of God’s creative plan in the beginning, and it is just as much a part of his redemptive plan now. God has placed the desire for beauty within our hearts, and he uses that desire to lead us back to himself. 

Truth and beauty are both gifts from God. So our New Evangelization must work to make truth beautiful. By means both ancient and new, we must make use of beauty—to infuse Western culture, once more, with the spirit of the Gospel. 

By means of earthly beauty, we can help our contemporaries discover the truth of the Gospel. Then, they may come to know the eternal beauty of God—that beauty Saint Augustine described as “ever ancient, ever new.”

Bishop Conley recommends three areas of focus especially when it comes to beauty and the New Evangelization:  present truths of the faith in a beautiful way (especially in liturgical worship), become more familiar with the beauty found in historic Christian culture, and recognize all authentic manifestations of beauty.

In his second article this month on evangelization, Bishop Conley addresses those who are already evangelized in Evangelizing the Evangelizers.  I especially like his call for more “Frank Sheeds”:

Frank Sheed was a British layman who converted to Catholicism in 1913 at the age of 16. He became one of the most prolific theologians and apologists of the 20th century. Sheed wrote volumes of Catholic books intended for ordinary, working-class Catholics. He published the work of great Catholic minds like Christopher Dawson and Ronald Knox. His books converted thousands. Sheed’s theology was borne of his intimate relationship with Christ and his evangelical fervor: For years, he stood on a soapbox in London’s Hyde Park and discussed Catholicism with hecklers and passersby. Many of them became disciples.

Sheed’s ministry was the fruit of his discipleship. With his wife, Maisie, Frank Sheed regularly frequented confession and Mass, and he studied Scripture carefully. His effective apostolate was rooted in an active relationship with the living Christ. 

It is said that people today have more questions about the faith than ever before, and there are fewer people trained to answer those questions than ever before. The world needs more Frank Sheeds — more active Catholics committed to a new evangelization. And more Catholics today are eager to engage in the Church’s evangelical mission.

Bishop Conley also commends the work of the Fellowship of Catholic University students:

FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, is an incredibly effective apostolate of evangelization on university campuses. Through scripture study and social activity, FOCUS invites students to real relationship with Jesus Christ. FOCUS missionaries undergo training in leadership and evangelization. They also undergo training in the spiritual life – in practical habits of prayer that root ministry in communion with Christ. FOCUS utilizes a simple paradigm for evangelization: Win, Build, Send.

While recognizing the kergymatic encounters with Christ are a beginning, FOCUS recognizes that successful evangelization depends on the formation of evangelizers themselves, because successful evangelization depends on relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Encouraging evangelizers to lives of prayer — and sharing with them how to pray — is an essential component to the Church’s mission. Offering regular opportunities to grow in the spiritual life, and regular opportunities for spiritual direction and prayerful community, is an essential component of formation. Encountering Christ is the beginning. Today, the Church must find new ways to build relationships from encounters.

Finally, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, a Kansas Native, has published part six of a planned seven installments about evangelization in the United States.  The first six parts of his series Catholic and American? Key Ways to Evangelize Today’s Culture can be found here:

Part One   Part Two   Part Three   Part Four   Part Five   Part Six

The final installment will also focus on the role of beauty in evangelization.  The series by Bishop Olmstead serves as a valuable assessment of the challenges facing efforts to evangelize in America and some key points of reflection.  His focus on the need for discernment in assimilation is one such point made in Part Three:

The Catholic standard for discerning the viability and wisdom of when to assimilate to a culture, or when to resist assimilation, must be the Gospel of Jesus as handed down to us within the Church, and as celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy. In this regard, it is good to recall what Pope Francis said in his first homily as the Successor of Peter: “When we journey without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, when we profess without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord; we are worldly… We may become a charitable NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of the Lord… When we do not profess Jesus Christ, we profess the worldliness of the devil.”

There are some elements in American culture that aid our faithful living of the Gospel and some elements that make doing so more difficult. Likewise, there are still other elements that can have either a positive or a negative impact in carrying out our mission from God. For example, individualism can positively help us to recognize the dignity of each human person, but it also can erode appreciation for the social nature of human beings, the communal nature of our faith, and the call to live in a communion of life and love with all members of Christ’s Body, the Church.

Overall, this is a rich time for receiving guidance from our pastors concerning the New Evangelization!
 

The Miracle of Conversion

Back in 1984, I was a young lawyer who years before had abandoned the faith of my youth. I had largely cleaned up my act since my wild undergraduate days, but that was more a matter of expedience, not moral conviction. I felt as though I should give my life to something or Someone, but I really didn’t know where to turn.

My sights weren’t set particularly high, so I resolved to help build the earthly city. After all, what else was there to life?

At that time, my mother asked me to start going back to Mass on Sunday so as to set a good example for my nephews and nieces. I was reluctant to do so, as I felt like a hypocrite since I no longer even considered myself a Catholic. I eventually relented, figuring that an hour a week wouldn’t kill me.

As it turned out, some of the Sunday homilies that I heard gradually drew me in, and I became increasingly receptive to what the Church had to say, especially in social justice matters. Soon, I no longer had to be asked to go to Mass, even though I was still on the fence.

Attending weekly Mass opened an unexpected door for me. One of the secretaries at my law office saw me one Sunday at Mass, so she invited me to a weekly young-adult Bible study. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I said I would go with her to check it out. Here’s what happened.

I was immediately impressed by how genuinely welcoming the group was. I was also intrigued by the fact that everyone could be so fun-loving and at the same time so much in earnest when it came to the Bible and their Christian beliefs. The leader of the study, as I came to learn, originally started the group as a Protestant, but at this point he was in the process of returning to the Catholic Church. He was a veteran of Campus Crusade for Christ, and he sure seemed to know a lot about the Bible. And he definitely liked to talk!

Despite the dozens of good people who were “regulars” at this weekly study–many of whom are still dear friends to this day–the whole thing seemed uncomfortably “Protestant” to me at first. Reading the Bible, praying spontaneously, and the whole concept of “fellowship” were foreign to this cradle Catholic. I remember during one of my first Bible studies trying to conceal the fact that I was futilely searching the Old Testament to look up a quoted passage from the Letter to the Hebrews!

One evening, though, the leader affirmed the existence of objective truth, and his words shot through my entire being. It was as though I was immediately awakened from a ten-year slumber. Then and there I knew that it must all be true. I wanted to know the Lord Jesus and devote my life to Him and His Church.

The leader, by the way, was none other than Curtis Martin, who has gone on to found the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), far and away the most dynamic and effective Catholic evangelization program on college campuses today.

At that point, elements of my Catholic upbringing, such as Marian devotion, came back to me. I eventually resolved to go to Confession–a daunting prospect for someone who hadn’t gone for many years. The priest was very compassionate and helpful; my fears were not at all justified, as the weight of past sins fell off like scales.

One little miracle occurred at that time: Virtually overnight and without conscious effort or relapse I not only stopped using foul language, but became extremely sensitive to any violation of the Second Commandment.

Underneath, however, was the real miracle, as I was restored to God’s friendship. With a clean conscience (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28), I was able to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. I was back home! Why was I ever so foolish as to leave in the first place?

While that time of my life was a singularly important moment of conversion for me, I’ve had to renew my commitment to the Lord many times since then. I’ve made countless wrong turns–the hundreds of times I’ve been to Confession since 1984 attest to my need for ongoing conversion. I do think, however, that Our Heavenly Father takes a long view of the matter and has been genuinely entertained by my feeble and at times misguided attempts to follow His Son. In fact, I think He’s more than entertained: Scripture tells us He’s downright thrilled whenever He recovers one of His lost sheep (cf. Lk. 15:3-7).

Some of you might remember a movie called Miracle, which tells the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s improbable upset of the Soviet Union en route to its remarkable gold medal. Who can forget announcer Al Michaels shouting triumphantly at the end of the game, “Do you believe in miracles?” In a manner of speaking, the U.S. hockey team’s performance was a miracle.

Yet, finding our way back to God is even more of a miracle, because attaining our eternal prize on our own is not merely improbable or unlikely, but impossible. And if Our Heavenly Father is willing and able to save someone like me, I’m able to hold out a realistic hope that He will do the same for many others, as no one is beyond His reach.

Today, I am a husband and father with six children and one grandchild, and over the past 30 years I’ve been involved with many different apostolates and ministries (I didn't stick with the lawyer-stuff very long!). I currently work for the Archdiocese in our diaconate office, where I help coordinate our permanent diaconate program and I’m also a candidate for the diaconate myself. In addition to this incredible new blog on evangelization, I post regularly at another archdiocesan blog called No Place Like Home, where I go more in depth on various aspects of Church teaching. After all, in addition to an “Evangelized Kansas” we need a “Catechized Kansas” too! 

Little Inspirations

I'm a procrastinator. I admit it. It's hard to get started sometimes. I think this can be especially true when it comes to evangelizing. How often does God put opportunities right in front of us and yet we're too afraid to say something? It seems so easy to put off those opportunities for later, or even assume that "someone else" will take care of it or do a better job.

Today on my blog a shared a personal story of an encounter I had with one of the friars at the monastery where I'm living. Imagine how much more we could do if we just weren't afraid to say "yes" to the Holy Spirit's little inspirations. We could also find ourselves feeling very regretful one day if we say "no" too often. That almost happened to me.

Check out my story on ShawnTheBaptist.org : Don't Put it Off

Quick and Easy

Quick and Easy

I love to collect recipes. Wait, let me clarify that. I love to collect a certain kind of recipe. You got it – it’s anything with “Quick and Easy” in the title. That phrase is guaranteed to get my attention. I want meals that are full of flavor, healthy, and (did I mention this?) quick and easy.

“Quick and Easy” also sells a lot of household products. This gadget will make my floor clean, shiny, dust free and it’s quick and easy? Sold! This one detergent will pretreat and remove stains, restore colors to their brightest and it’s quick and easy? Sold!

You get the idea. Many of us don’t want to try anything that will take a great amount of time and effort. Let’s be realistic – sometimes we need quick and easy. Our lives are so full of the care of families, work and so forth, that we often need “quick and easy” to make the most of our time and efforts.

We tend to assume that evangelization is anything but quick and easy. True conversion does take a lifetime; it should be ongoing. However, small efforts on our part to evangelize can make an eternal difference. Let’s look at some examples.

Quick and Easy Ways to Evangelize….

• Keep pen and paper handy to jot down prayer needs, inspirational points from a homily and so forth. I have heard several seminarians and priests remark that they have been influenced by my pastor, Monsignor Michael Mullen, in many ways but one small way has really impacted them. He has been a priest for over 50 years but they noticed he always has pen and paper with him. He jots down notes at every event he attends. That small habit of his has reminded so many that you can and should always be learning the faith and enjoying it!
• Make the Sign of the Cross in public. That simple yet profound gesture tells those watching you are a Catholic Christian who believes in the trinity and you are unashamed to show it.
• If you walk for exercise, take your rosary along. A brightly colored one can be seen by drivers in their cars and you may inspire someone to pray it as well. They can’t hear you but your prayer can be seen.
• Laugh! St. Teresa of Avila prayed that we be saved from sour faced saints. Why would anyone want to be a Christian if we look so miserable and complain so much?
• When you are resting on a bench at a mall or park, pray for those who walk by. If you see someone with a health issue, pray for their healing. If you see a couple together, pray for them to have a holy, lifelong marriage. If you see a family, pray for them to be holy and happy. A few seconds of prayer may help open a heart to evangelization. Don’t wait to be asked for your prayers – give them freely!
• When others are discussing a film or TV show, mention the Christian values you noticed in the movie. You don’t have to sound like you’re preaching but comment on a character that showed moral strength, a couple sacrificing for the good of the other and so forth. Great storytelling will have Catholic values – point them out!
• Have Bible, will travel. Right now there are some adults with disabilities who are interested in the Church, but they can’t easily get to us so I go to them. We have discussions that are filled with laughter, questions and Scripture. Each week while we're meeting, other adults seem to wander by regularly. Hopefully, they may join us permanently. Be willing to offer alternative solutions to those who express an interest in the faith.
• Keep Catholic materials in your car or purse or backpack. If someone mentions a conflict in marriage, childrearing or other family situation, you can give the gift of a track or cd on the topic. Visit www.stjoe.com for inexpensive, quality recordings.

It is indeed possible to have quick and easy evangelization. May our little ways bring us all to great holiness!

God bless you.