Sorry, Holy Spirit, That Doesn’t Fit Our Schedule

What courage it can take to make a phone call!

Every year, I listen to trembling voices on the phone. Their stories vary but the tremble is always there. I’m not sure how I became so blessed to hear these voices but I do know that I am. You see, these are not calls from folks asking about parish events or requesting baptismal certificates or planning a wedding or baptism. 

These are calls from people seeking to become Catholic.

Some have discerned for years. Some were visitors at a wedding or funeral and “felt something” inside the Church. Some have resisted making the call because they were hoping the feeling would pass. Some have no clue why they are calling but they know something in their lives needs to change. Some are nervous about even asking questions because, as they tell me, they’re afraid they will “sound stupid.” Some burst into tears and can barely tell their stories. Some are firm about doing this but are nervous about how their families will react. Some are lost and wounded but they say “I have to do this.” Some are stunned they are calling but they “heard” in their hearts a strong voice saying “do this now.” 

What courage it can take to make a phone call!

These calls cannot be rushed. They do not want to just be told “RCIA is on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. in the library. See you then.” (The caller's first question is 'what in the world is RCIA?') It takes time for some of them to even know what they need. Some desperately just need to tell their stories. Others want to be reassured gently that they can do this. Some are so excited they tell you so over and over. A few aren’t sure that they can go beyond the phone call. Some are ready to begin NOW but then don't follow through this year but will the next.  

What courage it can take to make a phone call!

Calls like these require all of us to respond as spiritual mothers and fathers. We need to listen, encourage and guide gently. The caller is someone’s child who wants to come home. Like parents, we need to be flexible at times, too. This may mean making time to instruct and guide a soul who cannot attend your RCIA class. It may mean having a soul start instructions at a later date than noted on your RCIA schedule. It may mean that you go to them if they physically cannot get to you. Most of all, it means we need to pray for all of these spiritual children who want to come home.

The Holy Spirit has been busy – do we really want to be responsible for sending a soul away because he or she can’t follow our RCIA schedule? Sorry, Holy Spirit! We started class already! Sorry Holy Spirit! We only meet on Tuesday evenings! Sorry, Holy Spirit! We don’t do evenings or weekends.

What courage it can take to make a phone call! 

What courage will we show in answering that call?

Encountering the Other

I went to Canada this summer and encountered a new saint and friend at St. Josephs Oratory in Montreal.  This is the story of Br. Andre that I would like to share with you.

He was a simple man with a devotion to St. Joseph and love for the Lord.  He was a doorkeeper at the college.  He was assigned the smallest of roles to serve his religious community. “My superiors assigned me to the door and there I stayed for 40 years.”  He was completely obedient to what was asked of him. You may find more of his story here.

I was struck by how he lived his life.  He opened the door and greeted others.  He was attentive and listened to them.  He gave himself tirelessly for people. He had a heart for all those he encountered and was completely present to their needs.  Over 1 million people attended the funeral of this simple porter.

He is an ever-endearing model and reminder for me to be little and simplify my own life.  His life reflects the wonders God can do in a humble and loving heart.  I am often tempted to complicate unimportant things.  St. Andre reminds me to encounter Christ by simply being present to others. 

Thank you Br. Andre for your friendship, your story, and welcoming all those you encountered with gracious hospitality.

Pray that we may encounter each person like you did today.

Sharing Your Personal Testimony and More

In one of my first discussions with Archbishop Joseph Naumann after he appointed me Director of Evangelization, he expressed his desire for every catholic in Northeast Kansas to be able to give a personal testimony.  It was and still is his belief that as disciples of Jesus Christ we should be ready to share how God has worked in our lives.  Just like seminarians are prepared to explain how they were called to consider the priesthood, each person has a story of how God has called them to Himself.  Each person's story can also be used by God to call someone else to Himself.  However, we can all become more refined in how we appreciate and share our story of God's goodness in our lives.  With that in mind, the Office of Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas hosted a series of speakers across Northeast Kansas this past Lent about sharing a personal testimony.  Although live-streamed at the time, each talk is also now hosted on the archdiocesan Digital Media Center.  I am thrilled that Olivia Stear, Renee Winkel, and Michael Shirley all agreed to share their witness and encourage each of us to better share our personal testimony.  Each of them approaches witness and sharing a personal testimony from a unique angle.

You can see Olivia Stear's presentation here.

Renee Winkel's presentation is here.

Michael Shirley's presentation can be found here.

Benedict XVI on Freedom in Obedience to the Truth: A Key for the New Evangelization

Our recent popes have made it clear that today's prevailing western culture is confused over what the reality which we call "freedom" truly means.  As Benedict XVI put it so well, true freedom is not what most people think.  It comes not from inventing our own ideas, or even deciding upon them democratically, but rather through loving submission to the truth that has been revealed to us through Christ’s Church.

In a piece I published today aimed at homilists and catechists but really for any Catholic, I argue with Benedict that we need to rediscover and carry out the words of St. Peter: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart” (1 Pet 1:22). For St. Peter as for the Catholic Church today, authentic love and evangelization of our brethren is impossible without purification of our own souls.  In particular, what I am talking about consists in that purification which comes through a sincere love of the truth and the courage to live in accordance with the moral truths of the Church—in other words, obedience to the truth.  Check out the article here over at Homiletic and Pastoral Review.

Mercy, Mary and Confession - Not Just for Lent

Several years ago before Easter, I went with a friend of mine to our parish’s communal penance service. At that time, both of us were struggling in our marriages and needed support and prayer. When the time came for individual confessions, she chose one line and I chose another. I examined my conscience while waiting, feeling pretty confident that I had done a thorough job.

I was wrong.

I began my confession and, at one point, started to tell the priest about a sharp response I made to my husband. I quickly mentioned that I spoke harshly but then started to tell him in great detail what prompted my response. The priest very quickly but kindly said, “No, no, no, this is not about your husband. I want to hear what YOU did.” I’m not proud to admit that my first response was the thought, “Well, yeah, but if I tell you what he did, my response will make so much more sense. You’ll see that I wouldn’t have done this at all if he hadn’t done that!” After an awkward moment or two of silence, I proceeded with the rest of my confession.

The priest advised me to look more closely at the Blessed Mother and note that she doesn’t speak much in Scripture. He commented that she didn’t tell every little thought in her head but rather pondered the things of God in her heart. I knew that he was telling me in a very nice, pastoral way to shut up! He was saying that I didn’t need to respond to everything and make sure that my every opinion and hurt is known. 
Usually I feel much better after the sacrament of penance - not that time. In fact, I felt worse than before I went into the confessional. I want to clarify, too, that it was not the sacrament that was making me feel bad. Jesus was asking me through the person of the priest to change ... I didn’t want to.

            After the penance service ended, my friend approached me and said, “Oh! I feel so much better! Father was so nice and he just told me ‘oh honey, it will be okay. Sometimes men just behave like that.’” Her joy and relief at her confession were apparent and, to me, irritating! That was the confession experience I wanted! I didn’t want to be told I was responsible for the words that came out of my own mouth. I wanted to be comforted and to feel better. At this point, I probably should have gone right back into the confessional because she really started getting on my nerves. I stopped listening to her but managed to mutter a “good for you” comment.

            My self pity lasted through the drive home. It certainly didn’t ease up when I got there. As soon as I walked in the door, one of my children ran up to me and said, “Mom, I need to tell you something but promise you won’t get mad!”

That did not help. If anything, it increased my poor, pitiful me outlook.

            Over the next several weeks, the priest’s comments came back to me again and again and yet again. I really wanted to forget them but they refused to budge. Slowly, slowly, slowly I became more honest with myself. I didn’t like it either but I saw more clearly how much Divine Mercy I needed. I had to grudgingly admit that the Holy Spirit guided me to the confessor I needed that evening. Even though the process was painful, I am very grateful to him for insisting that I focus on my own sins rather than someone else’s. I am very grateful that he challenged me to be more like Mary. His truthfulness in the confessional opened my heart to see my own sinfulness in order to be transformed in grace. To this day, I have no idea who the priest was but he mercifully taught me a lesson I have never forgotten.

            Don’t wait until next Lent to go back to the confessional. The mercy of Christ is there for you. Seek it frequently and you will truly be renewed.

From Personal Truth to Relational Truth

For over 30 years, Ulf Ekman pastored an evangelical congregation, the Word of Life in Uppsala, Sweden.  Pastor Ekman founded Scandinavia’s largest Bible school and helped to establish over 1,000 evangelical Christian communities in the former Soviet Union.   Last month, he announced to his congregation that he was resigning his pastorate because he sensed the Lord was leading him and his wife to join the Catholic Church.  He will be received into full communion sometime this Easter season.

 

          In an interview he gave with the Catholic Herald, he made a comment that is interesting and important for sharing the fullness of the Gospel Tradition of the Catholic faith with others.  Ulf described the foundation of his decision in this way, “My basic question was: is this true or not?  If this is true, then I have to act. If this is not true, then it will go away. But it was becoming more and more, not just a personal truth, but that there was truth here that I have to relate to.” 
         This two –fold understanding of truth is of great importance as we walk with people as they make an intentional faith commitment.  It often begins with the subjective and personal; “This is my truth, something I see as true.”  In this first step, the locus of truth and its authority is my own self.  I believe it to be true, I have come to see this as true.  
          But there is also a second step revealed in Pastor Ekman’s journey.  The truth is not just personal, but is also a capital T truth that exists beyond me.  It is a truth that extends beyond my opinions, feelings and sentiments. 
         This realization becomes a moment of decision. 
          Do I affirm the reality of this Truth? Do I accept a relationship with this Truth, regardless of what it will cost me?  For Pastor Ekman and his wife, it meant walking away from his livelihood into a less certain future. In the end, they decided that it was the Lord who was calling them and in faith, trust and hope, they said, “Yes” to Him.
           The journey of faith can begin with seeking the truth within oneself but it is meant to lead to the Truth outside of the self. The truth may begin personally but is meant to end relationally.   Both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have taught this.  For Pope Benedict, the encounter of Truth is an encounter with a Person; Jesus Christ.  It is both personal and relational. It is a subjective encounter with an objective reality that is beyond my own personal feelings.  Pope Francis speaks frequently of a “Culture of Encounter” where people can meet Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  This is good for us to keep in mind as we walk with people on their journeys of faith.

 

The Gods of Israel: Does the Bible Promote Polytheism?

“What great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?”  This passage from the Book of Deuteronomy was recently proclaimed in the Catholic Church’s Lenten liturgy, and it touched right at the heart of something I have been pondering for some time: evidence of polytheism in the Bible and the relationship between ancient Israelite and Canaanite religious traditions.

Popular critics of the Judeo-Christian God frequently focus on the apparent incompatibility of the biblical portrait of God with what we insist must be essential moral attributes of the divine nature should it even exist.  Both critics and believers, however, are often unaware of another crucial problem that would seem to contradict traditional Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God.  In a nutshell, the tension lies not only in the relation of the biblical God to violence and evil, but also on the arguably more fundamental level of whether the Bible reflects belief in only one divine being in the first place.

I have devoted a chapter to this very theme in my book Dark Passages of the Bible, and even there I barely scratch the surface of this issue.  Nevertheless, I have continued to ponder this issue over the past couple years and believe something meaningful can be said within the constraints of a blog post.  In the following link you can find my response which went up today over at Strange Notions.

How "New" is the "New Evangelization"?

So just how new is the “new” evangelization? 

A lot of ink has been spilt over the last few years on promoting the “new” evangelization, as if what we are doing has never been done before.  For many of us, there is a sense that we are starting something that no one has done before.  But read a few quotes from a book I recently discovered at the KU library.  

“If the parish is no more than a central rallying point for Christians, a place where the faithful gather for services and meetings and activities then . . . we have to admit that the parish is not capable of attracting the 98 per cent.”  “An unbeliever who went into a Catholic church to see for himself what Catholic services were like would almost certainly come out yawning.”  “Over and over again we repeat things ‘the way they are done in this parish,’ and make no effort to adapt them to the needs of those whom we are neglecting.” 

“We distinguish two fields of action.  The liturgy . . . must be celebrated with the ‘Old Christians’ in mind. On the other hand, there are ‘para-liturgical’ ceremonies, which are pointed directly at those outside the fold.”  “We are building neither an ivory tower nor a monastery but an active community which will attract others because they find it attractive, which will stimulate its members because it is alive.” 

Throughout the book, the author, who is a pastor, often refers to his suburban parish as “missionary” or “mission-oriented.” When was the book written? In 1946!  Almost seventy years ago, Abbè Michonneau, a parish priest in a Paris suburb, wrote Revolution in a City Parish, to explain how his parish moved from maintenance mode to mission mode.

Maybe our "new" evangelization isn’t as new as we think it is.

Lessons from a death row pen pal

My friend Richard turns 42 this year on Ash Wednesday.  There will be no "likes" or a plethora of birthday comments.  This makes sense given that Richard is an inmate on Texas death row.  I've been writing him for over 11 years and we've exchanged hundreds of letters.  He is one of God's greatest gifts to me. 

Richard knows how much I love the Catholic church.  He knows the loopholes I went through to get a rosary and bible blessed and into the prison for him.  He sees JMJ at the top of every letter I write and the cross with a heart as my trademark signature.  He'll read the verse that was on my mind at the time of a letter and he respects how integral daily mass is in my life.  He reads the wisdom I receive from priests and share with him.   He  is always open to praying with me at our visits.

He told me once at a visit, almost trying to break it to me as a decent friend would, "Annie, you are never going to meet anyone like you."  This made me smile because I know he is wrong.  I have met young adults in Kansas City that want to love Jesus more and more each day like me.  They strive for holiness and want to work to try and be a better person.

I encounter young adults who are devoted to daily mass and love the Eucharist like me.  I have girlfriends that pray the rosary with me in cemeteries for fun and peace of mind.  I observe young adults moving to the MeyerCatholic Quarter to be in men and women households to build community.  I witness young adults pack the Little Sisters of the Lamb Monastery for a prayer vigil until 3 a.m.  I join young adults through St. Paul's Outreach to praise the Lord together in worship.  I see the success of over a hundred people playing Catholic Challenge Sports and building team unity.  I watch young adults flood Tuesdays at the Boulevard for mass and go to Reservoir for adoration during the week.  I volunteer with CatholicYoung Patrons to bring dinner to homeless men at Shalom House on a Friday night.  I see the Sacred Heart of Jesus image in a friends house for a bible study on a Sunday afternoon.  I see in all these people the JOY of the Gospel.

I don't know why it takes me having a death row pen pal to be reminded of the unique gift of the young adult Catholic community in Kansas City.  They are helping me on the road to heaven!

 Happy 42nd Richard.  Don't worry. They do exist. Thanks for the reminder, Praise God!

1968 All Over Again

 

There is a lot of buzz in the news these days about the Church trying to do more to help Catholics in so-called "second marriages." As we consider this important topic it's also important to be aware of an important danger:

See my post over at ShawnTheBaptist.org for a look at what might and might not happen at the Synod of Bishops meeting this fall:

http://www.shawnthebaptist.org/2014/03/1968-all-over-again/

Psalm 137: Is God Pro-Life or Pro-Death?

Read Psalm 137.  Read it all the way through, including its final few lines:

O daughter of Babylon, you devastator!
Happy shall he be who requites you
with what you have done to us!
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!"

Now ask yourself, “How can that be in the Bible?” 

Then try to explain that to atheists. 

A couple of weeks ago in the midst of March for Life coverage, I wrote an article attempting to do just this. 

The piece is published on Strange Notions, a wonderful and popular website devoted to promoting dialogue between Catholics and atheists. The site bills itself as a “digital Areopagus,” echoing the famous dialogue of St. Paul with the Athenian philosophers in Acts 17.  I recommend bookmarking it and perusing the resources blogger Brandon Vogt has made available which are geared toward helping us Catholics better defend the faith in the modern, digital world.

Parking Lot Road Rage

I saw a close-up view of road rage the other day.

The angry words were flying with a nice glare thrown in. I know this because, well, it was aimed at me.

What made it more interesting was that I wasn’t driving at the time.

Actually, I wasn’t even in my car.

My offense? I didn’t return my shopping cart to the proper space in the store parking lot.

Yep, that’s right, that's my crime. In my defense, though, I did make sure it was wedged solidly in a groove in the parking lot pavement.

As soon as I was satisfied that the cart was not budging, I turned to get in my car and was startled by a loud, long blast of a car horn. Hmmm…didn’t see any potential accidents or thefts so I turned again to open my car door.

There was that horn again!

This time, I spotted the owner. A woman with a young man in the car pulled into the spot facing me, laying on the horn. I watched her get out of her car and march towards me with arms swinging (this is how I know there was a glare).

The young man that was in the car with her didn’t glance my way but sprinted into the store. He was out of there. No doubt, he had an inkling of what was coming and wanted no part of it.

I had no such escape.

I have to admit, though, the anger in her words was actually something to behold. Wow, what passion! I caught phrases about my rudeness, my recklessness, my carelessness and so forth. After observing my actions for 30 seconds or so, she confidently and firmly delivered her testimony of my character. It was futile to attempt to offer a rebuttal. I only managed to get out an "I'm sorry" but even that seemed to fuel the anger so I just waited for the explosion to end. About that time, I noticed something else.

There was a large crucifix hanging from the rear view mirror of her car. 

She grabbed my cart and walked away still fuming and speaking phrases that I’m blessed that I couldn’t hear. (I have to admit a wee bit of satisfaction when it took her some effort to dislodge the cart she swore was moving quickly toward the parked vehicles.)

I have thought of this woman often in the several weeks since this incident. What if I was an atheist, an agnostic, or someone really struggling with his belief in God? What would her tirade have taught me about Christ? Would her words and expressions have evangelized about the love and mercy of Jesus? Would I have learned about the peace of the Lord from her behavior? Would I have looked at the cross and then brushed her off as a hypocrite?

Does your behavior match the beliefs your car professes?

When this woman’s angry face crosses my mind, I offer her to Our Blessed Mother. I hope and pray that the cross of Christ will bring her peace and that the anger that exploded so quickly will be replaced with joy. I hope someday to see that face with a beautiful, loving, gentle smile.

May our lives profess Christ to all we encounter and may His healing, loving touch be with those who are suffering from emotional wounds.

Oh, and by the way, I always take time now to walk my shopping cart back to the corral, no matter how much of a hurry I’m in!

Choose Life in this World and the Next

Today marks the 41st anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade US Supreme Court decision.  This morning I had the privilege of presiding at a Mass in Topeka, Kansas with hundreds of young people and leaders in the Pro-Life Movement in Kansas.  It was a moving display to see on fire hearts in Kansas gather to be witnesses at the state-level.  As I continue to pray today, I'm struck by the parallels between evangelization and respecting the dignity of every human life.

Mass at the Rally for Life in Topeka, KS

Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium notes:

An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Evangelizers thus take on the “smell of the sheep” and the sheep are willing to hear their voice. An evangelizing community is also supportive, standing by people at every step of the way, no matter how difficult or lengthy this may prove to be. It is familiar with patient expectation and apostolic endurance. Evangelization consists mostly of patience and disregard for constraints of time. Faithful to the Lord’s gift, it also bears fruit. An evangelizing community is always concerned with fruit, because the Lord wants her to be fruitful. It cares for the grain and does not grow impatient at the weeds. The sower, when he sees weeds sprouting among the grain does not grumble or overreact. He or she finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life, however imperfect or incomplete these may appear. The disciple is ready to put his or her whole life on the line, even to accepting martyrdom, in bearing witness to Jesus Christ, yet the goal is not to make enemies but to see God’s word accepted and its capacity for liberation and renewal revealed. Finally an evangelizing community is filled with joy; it knows how to rejoice always. It celebrates every small victory, every step forward in the work of evangelization. Evangelization with joy becomes beauty in the liturgy, as part of our daily concern to spread goodness. The Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the liturgy, which is both a celebration of the task of evangelization and the source of her renewed self-giving.

Now read it again with some simple substitutions:

[A Pro-Life] community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. [Pro-Lifers] thus take on the “smell of the sheep” and the sheep are willing to hear their voice. [A Pro-Life] community is also supportive, standing by people at every step of the way, no matter how difficult or lengthy this may prove to be. It is familiar with patient expectation and apostolic endurance. [Being Pro-Life] consists mostly of patience and disregard for constraints of time. Faithful to the Lord’s gift, it also bears fruit. [A Pro-Life] community is always concerned with fruit, because the Lord wants her to be fruitful. It cares for the grain and does not grow impatient at the weeds. The sower, when he sees weeds sprouting among the grain does not grumble or overreact. He or she finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life, however imperfect or incomplete these may appear. The [Pro-Lifer] is ready to put his or her whole life on the line, even to accepting martyrdom, in bearing witness to Jesus Christ, yet the goal is not to make enemies but to see God’s word accepted and its capacity for liberation and renewal revealed. Finally [a Pro-Life] community is filled with joy; it knows how to rejoice always. It celebrates every small victory, every step forward in the work of [Respecting Life]. 

Everyone has the right to be born.  Everyone also has the right to be born-again of Water and the Spirit.  The best examples of evangelization and Pro-Life work should look very similar.  May we all be more effective to proclaim the Good News of life in this world and the next. 

The Magi as Proto-Evangelized

In the Church we use the word “proto” to signify first.  Saint Stephen, my patron, is called the “proto-martyr” because he was the first to be martyred for the faith.  We could call the magi from the East, the “proto-evangelized” for they were the first to experience an encounter with Jesus, which is what evangelization is.   

The magi are searching for the truth.  We call them “wise men” because they knew the pseudo-Socratic truth that the wise person is the one who knows he is not wise.  They were searching for a truth, not just in themselves, or even in this world.  By looking at the stars, they were symbolically searching for a truth that transcends this world.  In seeing the rising star, they were willing to search for the truth no matter what the cost. 

 

Evangelization is opening up to others the truth of Jesus Christ and Catholicism. Of course, if someone is satisfied with life, if they are content with who they are and what they have, it is difficult to bring them to the truth of Jesus Christ and the Church.  Before we evangelize, it is important to awaken someone to the hunger for truth. 

Overjoyed at seeing the star stop, they enter the house in Bethlehem.  The house is in some ways, the first church.  Instead of a tabernacle and a statue of Mary, there is the reality; Mary herself adoring Jesus Christ, truly present in the flesh. This is why they prostrated themselves, bowing low before Jesus and giving him homage. 

These men knew they were seeing more than a child.  They were having an audience with a king.  Jesus is more than just a worldly king or a wise philosopher.  He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who provides a wisdom which leaves the wise in the dust and reveals his wisdom to the simple and childlike.  This was an encounter with Jesus the King.  Encounter is an under-utilized word for Catholics but it is THE word for evangelization.  Evangelization is providing the opportunities for others to encounter Jesus Christ.   

While the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh are symbolic gifts of who Jesus is, they can also be seen as representative of the best the magi had to offer.  In this encounter, these wise men wish to give him their best.  This is a good way to judge our discipleship. Do I truly want to give Jesus my best? How much of my life am I willing to turn over to him? 

The encounter also has another effect.  They now see Herod for who he truly is.  They now see that he is not a good man, that he is a counterfeit king.  By being in the presence of the true king, they are awakened to the evil intentions of the fake king.    Herod, in this Gospel, is a symbol of sin.  By spending time with Jesus, recognizing him as Lord and Savior, our eyes are opened to the reality of sin and evil.  Within the relationship with the true, good and beautiful savior, the reality of sin shows its face; as a counterfeit king that wishes to destroy us. 

With that we arrive at the final symbolic action; going home a different way.  Warned in a dream of Herod’s evil intentions, they went home another way.  Like the magi, when we have encountered Jesus Christ, we cannot return to our former ways of life.  Jesus Christ awakens in us an awareness of the dangers of sin and calls us to another way of life.  The Epiphany is a special feast for those who have a heart for evangelization.

Not about a Cafeteria Line of Issues...It's about an Encounter with a Person

There's a new video at Huff Post Live discussing Pope Francis and his appeal to young Catholics.  One of the panelists is Jonathan Lewis who serves as the Coordinator of Evangelization and Young Adult Initiatives for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.  Jonathan grew up in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and is on fire for touching hearts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the discussion about Pope Francis, Jonathan reminds the panel that the Pope Francis, like his predecessors, is concerned about the encounter with Jesus Christ, and not simply a list of issues.

You can see more of Jonathan's efforts at the DCCatholic YouTube Channel.  You can also follow the work of reaching out to Young Adults in Washington, DC on Twitter and Facebook.  Please pray for his apostolate.

Pray also for the members of the Office of Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas who will be attending the FOCUS Student Leadership Summit in Dallas, TX this weekend.  SLS 2014 will bring together hearts from around the country who are trying to respond to the call for a New Evangelization.  The Fellowship of Catholic University Students offers a vision and formation for making disciples through intentional relationships and small groups that can last a lifetime.  Follow live updates from our Kansas crew throughout the weekend on Twitter and Facebook.