INCLUSION OF THE POOR IN SOCIETY

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 186-216

Daily Reading for Dec. 19: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 186-216

Reflection by Patricia Jannuzzi

Click on the image above to reflect on today's paragraphs from Pope Francis' "The Joy of the Gospel." Today's paragraphs cover something v dry near and dear to the Holy Father's heart, the poor. (If you're like me, and the print seems a wee bit small, hover over and click on the icon on the lower right-hand side and watch it on YouTube.)

SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF EVANGELIZATION

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 176-185

Daily Reading for Dec. 18: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 176-185

Reflection by Marc Cardaronella

God’s love is by it’s very nature communal, social, and outwardly focused. The interpersonal union of the Trinity is anything but a divine “member’s only” club. The very reason the universe exists is because the dynamo of life and love inside the Godhead can not and will not be contained within itself. God’s love is diffusive the philosophers say...it overflows it’s own boundaries and spreads like fire. It can’t be contained. 

Therefore, animated by that same life and love, God’s faithful and the message they carry within their hearts also can not be contained. Christians are compelled to share their lives with others and to spread the good news. “The kerygma has a clear social content,” the Pope says, “At the very heart of the Gospel is life in community and engagement with others.”

There are two implications here that present difficulties. The first is “the absolute priority of ‘going forth from ourselves towards our brothers and sisters’” in charity. The Pope says the “Gospel is not merely about our personal relationship with God.” Our salvation is important, but we’re saved from something and for something. That something is furthering the Kingdom of God. It’s not easy to share our faith and ourselves with others.  It makes most of us uncomfortable. And yet, the social dimensions of the Gospel call for this tension to be resolved. 

The second difficulty is that seeking God’s Kingdom and making it present in people’s lives necessarily means transforming society...and society doesn’t want to be transformed! During his time on earth, Jesus pushed back the kingdom of Satan by preaching, healing, and casting out demons. He transformed the world around him. He made it look more like the Kingdom. And, as more and more people became his followers, they did the same thing. Rome sought to eradicate Christianity, but instead became Christian. European culture and society owes it’s existence to the Church. Christianity is “meant to have an impact on society,” the Pope says. It can do nothing else because where the Kingdom of God exists, the kingdom of this world cannot...and it never leaves without a fight. 

Catholicism can’t merely be a private affair. It never could be because Catholics exist in the world. Evangelization is naturally social because conversion is not just about the soul, but about life and where it’s lived. And, when Christian life flourishes, it bumps up against those aspects of society that aren’t converted. It’s our task as Christians to take our conversion to the culture and influence our own sphere of society through relationship, through community, and through the Gospel message.

Marc Cardaronella is a Catholic writer and speaker living in Champaign, IL. A former Navy pilot, he gave up the fast life for a more rewarding career as a Director of Religious Education. He is currently the father of two young boys, he writes about the reasons why people believe in Jesus Christ (and why they don't) on his personal blog: http://marccardaronella.com. 

EVANGELIZATION & A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE KERYGMA

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 160-175

Daily Reading for Dec. 17: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 160-175

Reflection by Joan Jacoby

“Kerygma’ is a Greek word used in the New Testament – most essentially for “preaching” – teaching and evangelizing the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus incarnate came to be our Savior. We need to know and be intimately familiar with Jesus’ kerygma if we are to adequately preach and evangelize this “good news.” 

Since the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan, Jesus began the Kingdom of God. Jesus brought the Kingdom to his people, he died for our sins, and was ascended into heaven, leaving us with the gifts of the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit. 

The message is not only to tell us to repent and believe in the good news – but to know God, to be aware of our desire for the infinite, and for the desire to know God as perfect truth, love, goodness, beauty, and being. 

All catechesis is centered on this basis of Christ’s coming to be our Savior. We need to know, live, evangelize and proclaim this salvation of the world……..of the reality of Jesus Christ to all.

The moral component of catechesis should lead us to a desire for fidelity and devotion to the Gospel and to desire to seek, know, and do God’s will in everything we do.

Joan M. Jacoby is the former owner and President of Jacoby Commercial Real Estate Services Company. After twenty years of executive leadership in her company she decided to dedicate herself to the mission of education in the area of reason and faith. After joining the Magis Institute Board of Directors, and meeting Fr. Spitzer in 2009, she decided to sell her part of the partnership in her company, and become the Administrative Officer for the Magis Institute.

Since that time, she has been actively involved in the creation of all sixteen products in the Magis Institute’s six product lines, has been at the center of the operational administration of the Institute, and has assisted Fr. Spitzer in virtually every phase of the Institute’s development. She is the Institute’s key contact person.

PREPARING TO PREACH

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 145-159

Daily Reading for Dec. 16: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 145-159

Reflection by Fr. Scott Hurd

Can you imagine the headline: “Man falls from window after sermon puts him to sleep?” This actually happened to a young man named Eutychus while he listened to the preaching of no less than Saint Paul himself, as we can read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 20:9). We shouldn’t judge poor Eutychus too harshly, however. Scripture makes it quite clear that Saint Paul had “talked on and on”- until midnight, as a matter of fact- and Saint Paul once admitted that he wasn’t the most exciting public speaker.

    Saint Paul was an inspired evangelist, to be sure, and God used his words to touch the hearts of countless people. Since then, the Church has been blessed with the gifts of many outstanding preachers, such as Saint Dominic and Saint Anthony of Padua. At the same time, Saint Paul wasn’t the last preacher to put his listeners to sleep. And that’s a shame! Good preaching builds up the Church, glorifies God, and changes lives. Preaching is so important, in fact, that Pope Francis makes a special point of discussing the proper preparation of homilies in his new Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium.

    It’s been joked that, at ordination, every new priest or deacon is given a “pilot’s license,” in case they need to “wing it” in the pulpit. But winging it should be the exception, and not the rule, because more often than not, “winging it” produces homilies that fly about as well as a lead balloon. Pope Francis concedes that deacons and priests are busy people. Nevertheless, they should strive to make homily preparation a top priority for their ministry. 

    First and foremost, preachers should call upon the Holy Spirit to help them discern what God would have them say. They should become transformed by prayerfully reflecting upon the biblical texts on which they’ll preach, so they in turn can preach words which God can use to transform others. After all, one cannot give what one does not have! Preachers should know the people they serve so their homilies can speak directly to their situations. They shouldn’t speak over people’s heads, so that they’re left scratching those heads. And although he doesn’t say so in so many words, Pope Francis encourages preachers to employ the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Silly. Part of being simple is being short, just like the attention spans of so many of us today! Short and simple doesn’t mean superficial; it’s just that they’re a key to being effective. And being effective, Pope Francis insists, also involves delivering a positive message: “Positive preaching always offers hope, points to the future, and does not leave us trapped in negativity.”

    Scripture insists that faith comes through what is heard. Therefore, preachers should ensure that what the faithful hear is the very best they have to offer, and comes from the heart. The bottom line is, Pope Francis concludes: “Preparation for preaching requires love.” Amen to that!

Reverend R. Scott Hurd is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, and is presently serving a three year term as Vicar General of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, established by Pope Benedict XVI on January 1, 2012. Fr. Hurd began his ordained ministry as an Episcopal priest and entered the Catholic Church in 1996. He holds degrees from Oxford University and the University of Richmond. He and his wife Stephanie live in Virginia with their three children.

His first book, "Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach," received an "Excellence in Publishing" award from the Association of Catholic Publishers.

His third book, "When Faith Feels Fragile: Hope for the Wary, Weak, and Wandering," was released in September 2013 by Pauline Books and Media.

THE HOMILY: A MOTHER'S CONVERSATION

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 135-144

Daily Reading for Dec. 15: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 135-144

Reflection by Deacon Mike Bickerstaff

As a Mother Speaks to Her Child – So Also Does the Church Preach

Background:

In paragraphs 135 – 144 of Evangelii Gaudium, the Holy Father speaks about the importance of the homily within the liturgical celebration. Right off the bat, Pope Francis describes what the homily can and should be, “an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s word, a constant source of renewal and growth” (¶ 135).

In my diaconate ministry, I have been three-times blessed by the Lord. First, the opportunities encountered to serve and console people in their need and suffering, to share in their joy and celebration, has been life-changing. Second, to share my talents to further and deepen adult education and faith formation has been a true joy. Third, to serve the Lord in my liturgical roles, including the joy of proclaiming the gospel and preaching, has deepened my own interior participation in Holy Mass and at other liturgies.

As one who preaches a homily on a fairy regular basis, I welcome the Holy Father’s inspiring words of instruction, encouragement and correction in regards to the homily.

Pope Francis reminds us of the words of Blessed John Paul II in Dies Domini , “the liturgical proclamation of the word of God, especially in the Eucharistic assembly, is not so much a time for meditation and catechesis as a dialogue between God and his people, a dialogue in which the great deeds of salvation are proclaimed and the demands of the covenant are continually restated.” He says of the homily, “it surpasses all forms of catechesis as the supreme moment in the dialogue between God and his people which lead up to sacramental communion” (¶ 137).

Much of what Pope Francis writes in this section might seem to be directed solely to the clergy who preach, but that would be a mistake. For the proclamation of God’s word, he reminds us, is a dialogue. 

God speaks to us within the context of the liturgy and we all hear… and we take what we have received into our daily lives and return it to God through our love for one another and through our prayer. The priest and the deacon are called to “guide the assembly, and the preacher, to a life-changing communion with Christ in the Eucharist. This means that the words of the preacher must be measured, so that the Lord, more than his minister, will be the centre of attention” (¶ 138). If we are to be transformed by grace and led to a deeper communion with the Lord, both the preacher and the hearer must be engaged.

I really like the image that Pope Francis paints of the homily being a moment of conversation, much like a mother with her child, “…she preaches in the same way that a mother speaks to her child, knowing that the child trusts that what she is teaching is for his or her benefit, for children know that they are loved” (¶ 139).

He goes on to describe the homily as a heart-to-heart conversation that, “arises from the enjoyment of speaking and it enriches those who express their love for one another through the medium of words. This is an enrichment which does not consist in objects, but in persons who share themselves in dialogue” (¶ 142).

Action:

We who preach should take to heart these words and give the time and thought and prayer necessary to meet these ideals and principles. This role the Lord has placed on us is both a high honor and a grave responsibility where we serve to bring God and the human person together. “To speak from the heart means that our hearts must not just be on fire, but also enlightened by the fullness of revelation and by the path travelled by God’s word in the heart of the Church and our faithful people throughout history” (¶ 144).

Those who listen should recognize the encounter with their God that takes place, particularly in the Liturgy of the Word during Holy Mass. We should present ourselves as children who love to hear and do what their mother speaks to them.

Into the deep…

Deacon Mike Bickerstaff is the Editor-in-chief and co-founder of the The Integrated Catholic Life™ (www.integratedcathoiclife.org). A Catholic Deacon of the Roman Rite for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Deacon Bickerstaff was ordained in February, 2006, and is assigned to St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church where he is the Director of Adult Education and Evangelization.

He is a co-founder of the successful annual Atlanta Catholic Business Conference; the Chaplain of the Atlanta Chapter of the Woodstock Theological Center’s Business Conference; and Chaplains to the St. Peter Chanel Business Association and co-founder of the Marriages Are Covenants Ministry, both of which serve as models for similar parish-based ministries.

PERSON TO PERSON

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 127-134

Daily Reading for Dec. 14: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 127-134

Reflection by Kelly Wahlquist

”Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.” 

Disclaimer (right off the bat): I know I am the one who set this Advent Reflection on “The Joy of the Gospel” in motion; and I know I was the one who assigned the paragraphs to each of the wonderful writers and evangelists who came forward to help; and, trust me, I KNOW it was all the work of the Holy Spirit. Then why am I sitting here right now astonished that this is the one section that wasn’t claimed, but left for me to write? The answer is simple and it is the same answer Blessed John Paul II gave us in 1998: “Whenever the Holy Spirit intervenes he leaves people astonished...” 

I am astonished that I have been blessed with the task to write today’s reflection, because this is my heart! This is the heart of the message I travel the country proclaiming. We must evangelize from heart to heart! We must joyfully share the love we have for Christ with another. We must “draw others to Jesus by being a light that is so lovely, they cannot help but want to know the source of it.” (Madeliene L’engle) 

To do that, to draw others to Christ, to share your love for the Lord, you must have a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and you must have a relationship with the person sitting across from you. It’s the greatest of all commandments: Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor.

So how do you have a relationship with the Lord? Well, that was addressed in many previous reflections and will be addressed throughout the remaindered of these posts, because it is the ultimate goal, union with God! Therefore, let’s talk about how we can have a relationship with a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger —a relationship that opens us up to sharing Jesus with them from heart to heart. To me, this is the biggest lesson I have learned since the Lord decided to really put me to work in His vineyard these past ten years.

Much of my schooling in how to evangelize comes from spending tons of time 30,000 feet in the air sitting next to a “captive audience.” Ironically, I never set out to “evangelize” someone. I sincerely like to hear people’s stories, I like to know where they are in life and I love to share the joy I have in my heart for the work that I do... and I love sharing my love for the Lord!

Though the settings and scenarios may differ and the conversations vary greatly from person to person, a few key items remain consistent in my sharing of the Gospel message. I’m not saying I have the formula, for as Pope Francis tells us, “We should not think, however, that the Gospel message must always be communicated by fixed formulations learned by heart or by specific words which express an absolutely invariable content,” but perhaps my sharing with you can help you share Jesus with another this week. (Take note because this is your action item from today’s reflection —to actively share the JOY of the Gospel sometime this week. Tell someone about Jesus!)

1. I always begin any conversation about the faith with, “Come Holy Spirit!” (I don't say this out loud, but I certainly pray it in my mind and in my heart.)
2. I listen to where the person is on their journey. I listen to their hopes, their pains, their concerns for loved ones, their needs. (You’d be surprised how much people will share when buckled into a chair flying 30,000 feet above the earth! You’d also be surprised how much people will tell you in the line at the grocery store, or sitting at a baseball game, or waiting for a bus, if you are interested in them!)
3. I share my story, my joy, my struggles, “my hopes, my concerns for loved ones and so many other heartfelt needs.” (128) 
4. And in sharing my joy, I naturally share the source of it. For me it’s a relationship of love I found with the Lord through studying Sacred Scripture, and I share how that relationship with the Lord has changed my life.

Each encounter is different. Sometimes I invite the person to pray with me, sometimes I assure them of my prayers for them, sometimes I share the beauty of the Scriptures, sometimes I give them a good resource that fits their need. Perhaps a website like: CatholicsComeHome.org; BibleStudyforCatholics.com; CatholicMom.com; IntegratedCatholicLife.org; CrossroadsInitiative.com; etc... or a book like My Life on the Rock; Rome Sweet Home; The Sound of His Voice; Catholicism Pure and Simple, Praying Scripture for a Change; Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach; Catechism of Hockey, etc... or a DVD or CD such as Extreme Mercy; From Mormon Missionary to Catholic Church; or From Love, By Love, For Love, etc... or sometimes we become FaceBook friends, and sometimes we go our separate ways.

Though each encounter differs, each accomplishes the same task, a seed is planted. That is our job, to “respectfully and gently” plant the seed. (128) At another point on that person’s journey it may be the task of someone else to water that seed, someone else to fertilize, someone else to tend to the soil that surrounds it, someone else to put it in the light as it begins to bud. We don’t need to do it all! We can take comfort knowing that the Holy Spirit “enriches the entire evangelizing Church with different charisms” and that we have each been given charisms, gifts of the Holy Spirit, for the good of another, for the sake of building up the body of Christ. (130) (Romans 12: 4-8) We can also take great comfort and find great courage and creativity in our sharing of the Gospel message knowing it is the job of the Holy Spirit to covert souls. The Holy Spirit bridges the valley of our differences; “he alone can raise up diversity, plurality and multiplicity while at the same time bringing about unity” (131).

Now, knowing we are a missionary people called to share the Gospel daily, and knowing that sharing our love for the Lord need not be some highfalutin formal presentation, but rather a sharing that can take place in the middle of an everyday conversation between two people, and knowing it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convert the soul, let us joyfully and enthusiastically go forth and “be constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey” (127).

Yep, this post was written by yours truly. Thanks for stopping by my blog and joining us as we slowly "sip" our way through "The Joy of the Gospel". On a side note, this is my favorite talk to give and I'm giving it tonight. So if you got a little moment, send a prayer to the Holy Spirit to be with us tonight!

PEOPLE OF GOD PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 110-126

Daily Reading for Dec. 13: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 110-126

Reflection by Thomas Smith

The Primacy of Grace on the Pilgrim Journey of the People of God

Summary

If I could choose a single sentence to sum up this next section, (para. 110-126), it would be the powerful sentence in para. 112, the “principle of the primacy of grace must be the beacon which constantly illuminates our reflections on evangelization.”  Grace is the umbrella that covers the entire Christian mystery.  Grace, for me, is short hand for the very animating life of the Holy Trinity that is shared with the human race.  The Christian life is our cooperation with this divine life within us that welcomes us into the family of God.  Grace is not a private privilege but received within a family of God on a journey, a family that is truly catholic (universal) in its character and as richly diverse as the nations and cultures it welcomes within its loving embrace.  Good missionaries (and he stresses here again, that is all of us!) are attentive to the meeting of the Gospel with various cultures, receiving all that is good, true and beautiful in that culture as new adornments on the Bride of Christ, and observing how the Gospel engaging a culture can give birth to new and life-giving devotions and piety.

Reflection

The Church is more a pilgrim people that an established institution, a family on the move that continually welcomes every human person, without exception, to join our joyful journey to the house of the Father.  

As each person joins the throng, they bring to the Church the richness of their culture and language, adorning the Bride of Christ with these gifts.  The Church, in turn, enriches that new culture and language with the power of the Good News. In this mutual act of giving and receiving the Church becomes truly incarnational and catholic, that is, universal. 

This growing organic reality should never produce a kind of stale uniformity in the family of faith, but instead a richness of diversity that doesn't hallow one particular cultural expression over another, no matter how ancient that culture may be. In other words, the Church shouldn’t operate like the colonialism of the last 500 years that imposed a particular culture or modes of expression onto new peoples. The Church instead brings the Good News and then cooperates with grace to see how the Gospel welcomes, ennobles and even receives from that culture. To do otherwise, would shackle the faith and diminish its universal offer to all nations and peoples. 

Mary, the Star of the New Evangelization, has actually modeled this in different cultures around the world, but maybe no place so dramatically and clearly as in the New World when she appeared to Saint Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe (an event we just celebrated).  Her facial features and skin tone reflected her audience’s ethnicity, and her garments were adorned with the symbols of that people. Like the pilgrim Church (of which Mary is the archtype), our Lady embraced all the indigenous people and the dozens of cultures that would be drawn to the Americas in the coming centuries.  On December 11th, Pope Francis challenged us to follow Mary’s example “I ask all the people of the Americas to open wide their arms, like the Virgin, with love and tenderness.”

Response

Do I welcome the diverse cultures that the Lord has brought to my parish, attentive to the specific gifts that are given to enrich and nourish my community or have I taken sides dividing my community between “us and them”?

How can I employ what is good, true and beautiful about the culture in which I live to create a conversation or encounter with the message of the Gospel?

Action

Consider participating in a unique cultural expression within the Christian community in your area this Advent season.  For example, a Las Posadas celebration. 

Catholic speaker and presenter, Thomas Smith, was a Protestant minister who was received into the Catholic Church in 1996. Bringing a wealth of experience and insight on the Word of God to audiences across the U.S., Thomas is a repeat guest on EWTN and Catholic radio as well as a sought after parish mission and conference speaker. To follow Thomas' insightful blog or contact him visit: Gen215.org

NO TO SPIRITUAL WORLDLINESS

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 93-109

Daily Reading for Dec. 12: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 93-109

Reflection by Kitty Cleveland 

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

I have to be honest with you. My brain hurts after reading these paragraphs!  I did my homework, though, and I think I now understand what he means by "self-absorbed promethean neo-pelagianism," among other things.  I hope I can shed a little light on it for you if you struggled as I did.

Summary

In "No to spiritual worldliness," Pope Francis essentially exhorts us to reject becoming "whitewashed tombs" (Matt. 23:27) who look good on the outside but are motivated by a desire for human accolades and good feelings rather than true love of God and neighbor. 

There are two things that fuel this worldliness: 1) "Gnosticism" (e.g. the Cafeteria Catholic with a purely subjective faith); and 2) "self-absorbed promethean neo-pelagianism." Essentially, these are the "spiritual snobs" who reject the necessity of grace for salvation, assuming they can earn salvation by their own excellence and attention to the liturgical and doctrinal rules (and necessarily exclude from righteousness those who, in their opinion, don't measure up).  

"These are manifestations of an 'anthropocentric imminentism," continues Pope Francis, i.e., an attitude that gives credence only to one's subjective religious feeling, denies the transcendence of God, and dismisses reason, intellect, and the objective foundations of our faith as irrelevant.  

At the risk of oversimplifying, I've stereotyped the different ways these he says this "insidious worldliness" manifests in the Church:

1) The ostentatious liturgy police 

2) The ambitious corporate climbers

3) The vain socialites

4) The cold business managers

"The mark of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, is not present; closed and elite groups are formed, and no effort is made to go forth and seek out those who are distant or the immense multitudes who thirst for Christ. Evangelical fervor is replaced by the empty pleasure of complacency and self-indulgence." [95]

"We need to avoid [this tremendous corruption] by making the Church constantly go out from herself, keeping her mission focused on Jesus Christ, and her commitment to the poor... [It} can only be healed by breathing in the pure air of the Holy Spirit, who frees us from self-centeredness closed in an outward religiosity bereft of God." [97]

Reflection

On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it seems only right that we look to Our Lady to teach us how to "breathe in the pure air of the Holy Spirit" and be healed of any spiritual worldliness that may have crept into our own faith life. 

Unlike the whitewashed tombs filled with dead men's bones, she is the Theotokos, the pure and spotless tabernacle bearing within her very body and soul the One True God.  

So how do we imitate her purity of heart? Her zeal for God and for souls? Her tender love for the poor? How do we bear Christ within us and carry him to others as she did? It must begin with one thing:

Humility.

Humility is the antidote to spiritual worldliness, a humility that recognizes our status as sinners in need of God's great mercy every single day of our lives; a humility that submits to the authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals; a humility that recognizes our need for grace to do anything of any lasting value in this life; and a humility that leads to a heart overflowing with gratitude for God's goodness to us, which can only express itself in humble service to others.

Let us pray:

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Spouse of the Holy Spirit and my Mother, I beg you to obtain for me and for all members of the Church a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May the Refiner's Fire purify us of any spiritual worldliness and increase in us all of the virtues, especially humility, purity of heart, zeal for souls and a great love for the poor.  Amen.

Kitty Cleveland is an award-winning singer/songwriter, actress and inspirational speaker who has been delighting audiences around the world for many years, having appeared multiple times on EWTN, on the radio, in concert and as a keynote speaker throughout North America and in Europe.

Though she put her singing on hold after college to pursue careers as a lawyer, university professor and career counselor, Kitty’s life as a Catholic evangelist and music missionary began in earnest after launching her first CD in 2000.  She has since released eight CDs, plus three popular CDs with Lighthouse Catholic Media.  Her latest attempt to "cast out into the deep" as part of the New Evangelization is a recording of jazz standards with some of New Orleans' finest jazz musicians, which will be available in February 2014 .

Kitty makes her home in the New Orleans area with her musician husband and young daughter, whom they adopted from China in 2005.  For more information about Kitty or to book her for your event, please go to www.kittycleveland.com or call Caroline Sholl at (504) 559-8076.

TEMPTATIONS FACED BY PASTORAL WORKERS

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 76-92

Daily Reading for Dec. 11: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 76-92

Reflection by Margie Mandli

The Wall of Life

A few years ago, my husband, Mark, and I ran a marathon together. If you’re ever looking for a bonding experience with your spouse, this may be your answer. We’ve always been recreational runners, but training for a marathon was something new for us, and probably the ultimate test of stamina within our marriage.  A marathon digs deep within a soul, requiring immense discipline.  A marathon with your spouse requires a certain moral, spiritual and physical support for each other. In a sense we become each other’s hands and feet throughout the race.

As first-time marathoners, we were told about the proverbial “wall” that one reaches at mile 20.  The “wall” represents a blockage – a complete and utter physical inability to carry on. It’s the test of all tests in a race. The wall requires one to plunge into the inner depths of one’s physical strength to muster even a tiny ounce of energy to place just one foot in front of the other.  Climbing the wall also represents something spiritual, no doubt – a feat that can only be explained by supernatural intervention.   

Truthfully, we didn’t think too much about that wall…until reaching mile 12 in our training. One day, we found ourselves imploring Mary’s help just to make it home.  The wall then became something tangible, and perhaps, something dreaded at the mere thought of running more than double that in a few short weeks. 

As I read paragraphs [76-109] Temptations Faced by Pastoral Workers from Evangelii Gaudium, I’m reminded of this wall.  Here, our Holy Father says in paragraph 85: 

“One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, ‘sourpusses’. Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand. If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents.”   

Oh, how that resonates as I reflect on mile 22 – the wall Mark and I hit in Chicago 2008!  If we had hit the wall with a sense of defeatism, I’m certain we would have never crossed the finished line. 

But isn’t it true, no matter where we are carrying out pastoral work, we all hit the proverbial wall?

• In our families, we are called to be self-giving with our spouse; to tirelessly form our children in the ways of God so that someday they may enter heaven; to teach the virtues of charity and self-sacrifice by our word, but importantly, by our example. 

• In our parishes, we are called to “share our gifts”; to be generous with our time, talents and treasures; to bring the Good News to all who may not know the Lord; to be charitable in our ministry work; to love our neighbor, even when it’s not easy to love. 

• In our places of work, we are called to be the faces of Christ because we may be the only “Christ” to our co-workers; to be humble in the midst of a “me-centric” culture where, at times, it feels the only thing that matters is how to get ahead.  

• In our communities, we are called to reach out to those in need: the poor, the lost and the lonely; we are called to be the voice of God, pointing out the truths of our Catholic teachings in a world where it seems anything goes nowadays.

Yet, as pastoral workers, we do hit the “wall.”  When I look at my own life – in my family, my work or ministry – I find myself commiserating now and then, “Lord, I have no more to give!  What more do You want from me?”  Perhaps I’m not alone in these sentiments. But you see it’s never enough.  It will never be enough on this earth.  It is, however, only through His strength that we are able to carry on.  The minute we try to take on the work, as if God didn’t exist, we begin to ask these types of questions:

• Does any of this matter?
• How do I continue?
• When will I see the fruits?
• When will God answer my prayers?
• Why this? Why that?

Our Holy Father gives us some words to reflect on:

“While painfully aware of our own frailties, we have to march on without giving in, keeping in mind what the Lord said to Saint Paul: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor 12:9). Christian triumph is always a cross, yet a cross which, is at the same time a victorious banner borne with aggressive tenderness against the assaults of evil. The evil spirit of defeatism is brother to the temptation to separate, before its time, the wheat from the weeds; it is the fruit of an anxious and self-centered lack of trust.”

During this Advent season, I propose 4Ps: pray, persevere, patience and pain.

1. Pray for fortitude in all your pastoral work. Because it does matter. All of it. God has given each of us special gifts to carry out His work. But it is only through dedicated prayer time and courage that we can carry out His work. Pray especially for our priests. They’re in high demand, and they tire just as we do, and perhaps face greater spiritual battle. Without them, we cannot be nourished for the race. It is through the priest we receive strength offered through the Eucharist! Recall these words in scripture, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:15.

2. Persevere. This Advent, persevere in your pastoral work – for your families and for the people for whom you serve at work or in ministry. When you feel you’re hitting the “wall” of life, it’s probably when you need to recall words from Luke 21:19 "By your endurance you will gain your lives...”

3. Be Patient. As my spiritual director tells me often, “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Think big picture; and don’t get caught up in the small stuff. You may never see all the fruits of your labor, but you may receive affirmations along the way. Be patient with the people God has placed in your life; and be patient with God. Know that he is in control for he says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

4. Embrace pain. In a runner’s world, we often say, “No pain. No gain.”  In Church world, the same holds true.  At times, the pain will be unbearable. Whether it’s suffering in a marriage, in a family or the scrutiny you and the Church receive for doing the work of Christ, know that with suffering God’s grace is offered. Pope Francis affirms that suffering is necessary, “…and learning to suffer in the embrace of the crucified Jesus whenever we are unjustly attacked or meet with ingratitude, never tiring of our decision to live in fraternity.”

As we approach the mid-way point in Advent, let us not be discouraged or be tempted by “defeatism” [paragraph 85] in our work to build His kingdom; let us not allow or be tempted by a “stifling [of] the joy of mission [paragraph 79],” rather let us rejoice in being the hands and feet for others in this race we call life, so that someday we may be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Margie Mandli is principal and owner of GEM Communications and Consulting, LLC. – a business dedicated to serving corporate and non-profit clients through marketing, communications and social media strategies. She serves her parish, St. Anne Catholic Church in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc., as Evangelization Commission Chair. She is a member of the Synod Preparatory Commission for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee where she leads the communications process. She has authored many blogs, co-produced a number of videos for her parish and the archdiocese, most recently, “The Beauty of the Catholic Church”, and has led several parish new evangelization efforts in the areas of marriage, stewardship and worship. She is a 2011 Vatican II Award recipient for Communications in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  She resides in Kenosha, Wisc. with her husband Mark, and their three children.

SOME CULTURAL CHALLENGES

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 59-75

Daily Reading for Dec. 10: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 59-75

Reflection by Pat Gohn

Where is the Joy of the Gospel in This? 

If you just begin reading “The Joy of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium) (EG) by diving into Chapter 2, and picking up this section from paragraphs 59-75 describing the challenges we face in our society, you might find it rather depressing. 

You may ask, where is the joy of the gospel in all of this?

I predict some first-time readers of magisterial documents -- folks who dared to venture into reading this large document based on their love for and interest in Francis -- may be tempted to stop their reading because the challenges seem too big, too widespread, and too disparate.

But, intrepid readers, especially those tuned to the current Advent season, know why Francis must speak this way… 

To discover the beauty of light, we must experience profound darkness.

To understand redemption we must first know sin.

To find joy in evangelization we must be lovers of the lost, the least, the little, and the lonely. 

Francis is a realist, and he offers a reality check for the Church’s mission. Indeed, acknowledging the brokenness of our cultural landscape is not to promote despair, but to chart a reliable plan for repair. In this way Francis can “encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come (EG, 1).”

Francis outlines some of the systemic and epidemic problems facing our world today…

“…evil embedded in the structures of… society… (EG, 59)” 

“…unbridled consumerism… (EG, 60)”

“…deeply rooted corruption found in many countries – in their governments, businesses and institutions… (EG, 60)”

“…attacks on religious freedom or new persecutions directed against Christians… alarming levels of hatred and violence… (EG, 61)”

“…widespread indifference and relativism… (EG, 61)”

“…cultures which are economically advanced but ethically debilitated…(EG, 62)”

“…the negative aspects of the media and entertainment industries are threatening traditional values, and in particular the sacredness of marriage and the stability of the family… (EG, 62)”

“…the proliferation of new religious movements, some of which tend to fundamentalism while others seem to propose a spirituality without God… (EG, 63)”

“…a materialistic, consumerist and individualistic society… (EG, 63)”

Even the Church, despite so much good that she has brought to cultures over the centuries, has still contributed to some problems, rather than helping to solve them. Coupled with a rampant secularism that has weakened many church members, we come to find many Catholics experience a crisis of identity, and malaise toward the moral teachings of the gospel.

“…[some of] our baptized people lack a sense of belonging to the Church… (EG, 63)”

“…secularization tends to reduce the faith and the Church to the sphere of the private and personal. Furthermore, by completely rejecting the transcendent, it has produced a growing deterioration of ethics, a weakening of the sense of personal and collective sin, and a steady increase in relativism… (EG, 64)”

Finally, rounding out the pains and challenges, Francis returns to a theme he often preaches about: There is no greater suffering than in the heart of families. The fracturing of families, of marriages, again, leads to a weakened cultural life, and the light of faith being dimmed.

“The family is experiencing a profound… crisis, as are all communities and social bonds. In the case of the family, the weakening of these bonds is particularly serious… (EG, 66)”

“Marriage now tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will (EG, 66).”

“…there has been a breakdown in the way Catholics pass down the Christian faith to the young. It is undeniable that many people feel disillusioned and no longer identify with the Catholic tradition (EG, 70).”

Again we ask: where is the joy of the Gospel in all of this? 

It is not here. Yet.

“It is imperative to evangelize cultures in order to inculturate the Gospel.” (EG, 69). We need inculturation of the Gospel. We must infuse the culture with the light of faith. 

Evangelization is more than making the gospel known to all nations, places, and, even to the end of the earth. It is allowing faith in the Gospel be the light that illuminates societies – to seep in and flourish both within the culture and in the personal lives of a people. Inculturation of the faith eventually brings the gift of moral discernment to a culture by allowing the truths of faith to shine.

In Francis’ first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (LF), (“The Light of Faith”), he points out how the power of faith in God is transformative for strong nations, cities, and persons. Let us recall his thoughts. 

“When faith is weakened, the foundations of life also risk being weakened… 

Faith illuminates life and society. If it possesses a creative light for each new moment of history, it is because it sets every event in relationship to the origin and destiny of all things in the Father. (Lumen Fidei, 55, bold mine.)”

Note well Francis’ reference to the Father. In Lumen Fidei, he wrote that knowing God’s fatherhood is the starting place for understanding other people as our brothers and sisters. To recognize the dignity of the human person in another is to discover the true moral grounding needed to face our challenges.

Faith becomes a light capable of illumining all our relationships in society. As an experience of the mercy of God the Father, it sets us on the path of brotherhood. Modernity sought to build a universal brotherhood based on equality, yet we gradually came to realize that this brotherhood, lacking a reference to a common Father as its ultimate foundation, cannot endure. We need to return to the true basis of brotherhood…

Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters.

How many benefits has the gaze of Christian faith brought to the city of men for their common life! Thanks to faith we have come to understand the unique dignity of each person, something which was not clearly seen in antiquity. (LF, 54)

Evangelii Gaudium builds on Lumen Fidei. As one reads through this section, we can see how “The Joy of the Gospel” is built on “The Light of Faith.” 

In Evangelii Gaudium, Francis identifies how critical the Father is to our communion with others as a basis for our problem solving. 

Pastoral activity needs to bring out more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal bonds. In our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). (EG, 67)

Recapping, first, to find and spread the joy of the Gospel amidst our cultural milieu, we must first be in relationship with God our Father, which Christians enjoy thanks to the merits of Jesus Christ. 

Second, we not discount the power of the Holy Spirit… especially in places where large groups of baptized Catholics live.

Seeing reality with the eyes of faith, we cannot fail to acknowledge what the Holy Spirit is sowing. It would show a lack of trust in his free and unstinting activity to think that authentic Christian values are absent where great numbers of people have received baptism… 

This means more than acknowledging occasional “seeds of the word”, since it has to do with an authentic Christian faith which has its own expressions and means of showing its relationship to the Church. The immense importance of a culture marked by faith cannot be overlooked; before the onslaught of contemporary secularism an evangelized culture, for all its limits, has many more resources than the mere sum total of believers. (EG, 68)

Another section described the benefits of popular piety, or regular religious practice. We ought never underestimate how God might use the church and her sacraments in the midst of a troubled world. 

Despite the challenges evangelization faces, I found this quirky line from Francis to be reassuring: “God does not hide himself from those who seek him with a sincere heart, even though they do so tentatively, in a vague and haphazard manner. (EG, 72)”

In the final paragraphs in this section, Francis repeats a theme that he also began in Lumen Fidei: we must look at the problems of our cities by keeping the hope in the Heavenly City – the new Jerusalem -- in mind.

The new Jerusalem, the holy city (cf. Rev 21:2-4), is the goal towards which all of humanity is moving. It is curious that God’s revelation tells us that the fullness of humanity and of history is realized in a city. We need to look at our cities with a contemplative gaze, a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their homes, in their streets and squares. (EG, 74)

This hope is a source of joy for those of us who take up the task of evangelizing. 

Pat Gohn is a Catholic writer and speaker, and the founder and hostess of the Among Women Podcast and blog. With a Masters in theology and a communications background, her passion for faith formation embraces media for evangelization and catechesis. Her book Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood is published by Ave Maria Press. Learn more at PatGohn.Net.

SOME CHALLENGES OF TODAY'S WORLD

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 50 - 58

Daily Reading for Dec. 9: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 50-58

Reflection by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Not everyone has been thrilled with Pope Francis' Letter on the Joy of the Gospel.  Perhaps if he had stuck to matters of "religion," it would have been OK.  But in the portions of the letter that we are considering today, he has dared to speak about economics.  So Rush Limbaugh has called him a Marxist. Others have called him the "Red Pope."

Nonsense.  If these critics understood Marxism and carefully read the Pope's letter, they would see that there is no one more opposed to communism that
Pope Francis who, by the way, is here merely echoing the teaching of Jesus, St. Paul, and John Paul II.

The Holy Father is against anything that "restrains or weakens the impulse of missionary renewal in the Church" (51). If anything qualifies, it is idolatry that replaces God with another absolute, and in so doing, destroys the dignity of those made in God's image and likeness (55).

Money, by which we purchase goods and services necessary to sustain and support life, is not the problem.  It is good. It is when it is melted down to form the Golden Calf that it becomes bad. The more valuable a thing is, the more dangerous it is when it goes wrong.  And when the accumulation of wealth becomes and end and all else, including people, become merely expendable means, then things have gone horribly wrong.

The Pope does not want us all to stop trying to earn money. And is he is not wanting to replace the free market with a state-controlled socialism. But neither the free market nor the state can ever be a law unto itself or an end unto itself.  They both must be ordered to the dignity, development, and equality of all human persons.

If all were well in the world, the market falling two points would not matter more to us than the homeless man dying of exposure in the street.  If all were well, Advent would not be replaced with the shopping days before "the holidays."  If all were well, we would not be comfortable with human beings being referred to as "consumers."

The Holy Father asks politicians, business persons, and every single one of us to examine our consciences.  In our business and public and business policy, in our personal lives, have we become calloused?  Have we allowed the culture of prosperity to deaden us, so that we feel excitement about the release of the latest smartphone, but are not moved by the loneliness of the elderly or the pain of the homeless?

Such considerations belong in a letter about the joy of the gospel because callousness and indifference blunt joy and obscure the face of Christ shining forth from the Church. If we would ever hope to attract people to Christ, we must first imitate Jesus' approach to the rich young man.  Before he spoke to him, he "looked at him with love" (Mk 10:21).

The greatest enemy of love is not hate.  It is indifference.

The father of five and a business owner, Marcellino brings to his teaching a practical, down-to-earth, and humorous perspective that makes his words easy to understand and enjoyable to hear.  He is a world renowned commentator on Catholic issues having appeared on Fox News' "Geraldo Rivera At Large" and
The O'Reilly Factor.   His book The Guide to the Passion, answering 100 questions about Mel Gibson's film, hit #6 on the New York Times best-sellers list with over a million copies sold.  He appears frequently on a variety of Catholic TV and radio networks where he is known as "Dr. Italy."

For a full range of topics or to invite Dr. Italy to speak at your event, visit www.dritaly.com or call 1.800.803.0118.  You can connect with him on facebook as Dr.Italy and on twitter@dritaly.

A MOTHER WITH AN OPEN HEART

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 46-49

Daily Reading for Dec. 4: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 46-49

Reflection by Fr. Donald Calloway

     In reading paragraphs 46-49 of Evangelii Gaudium, paragraphs that describe the Church as “A Mother with an Open Heart,” we can’t help but think about Our Lady since today is December 8th.  Though the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has been transferred to Monday (December 9th) this year because December 8th falls on a Sunday, nonetheless, the love of Our Lady’s heart helps shed light on these particular paragraphs of Evangelii Gaudium.  

     As popes and saints have noted over the centuries, Mary is truly the pattern, model and blueprint of the maternal Church. In light of this, it can be said that the Church, as mother, gains her maternal qualities – especially, an open heart – from, and after the example, of the motherhood of Mary. In other words, since Mary is the Mother of the Church, the Church herself learns how to be a mother with an open heart from the maternal example of Mary.  I believe that when we look at these particular paragraphs of Evangelii Gaudium through the prism of Our Lady, we are able to fully understand and unpack the wisdom of Pope Francis when he exhorts the Church to have an open heart for everyone.  After all, Pope Francis is proving himself to be a very Marian Pope.  

      In stressing that the Church is called to be a “mother with an open heart,” Pope Francis is implicitly directing us to see the Marian dimension of what that openness entails, and what it should look like.  Think about it: if the Church is called to imitate the maternal love of Mary, do we not believe that Our Lady always has an “open heart” for all of her children?  She is always available for all her children because a mother’s heart always has room for her children, both those who are strong and those who are weak, those who are healthy and those who are sick, those who are good and those who are bad.  In fact, it was the immaculate heart of our spiritual mother that was pierced (opened) for us because a mother’s love knows no limits.  And in these paragraphs it is this definition of “openness” that Pope Francis wants to see more of in the Church.  Not an openness that allows anything and everything to happen in our Father’s house (the Church), but an openness that imitates the openness of a mother’s heart and the love she has for all of her children. And, in particular, as we all know from ordinary family life, a mother often pays particular attention to the child that needs more attention and affection.  The hurting child gets the most kisses, in other words.   

    This is why in these particular paragraphs Pope Francis reminds the Church that we need to “go forth” with a “missionary impulse” and seek to take care of all of God’s children.  Just as a mother is not closed in on herself, but loves all of her children, seeking to love each one individually and always leaving the door open for them should they go astray or find themselves lost, so it must be with the Church as mother.  The Church, after the example of Our Lady, is at the service of the Gospel; she exists to bring her children to Jesus and the healing power of the sacraments, and as a good mother she has a particular concern for those who are hurting and poor. The Church is the mother of the poor, the broken, and the lost.  

     This Advent, as members of a loving Church, let’s do our part with the Holy Father to try and imitate Our Lady and have an open heart!

Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, is the Vicar Provincial for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception.  He is a well-known conference speaker on Divine Mercy and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He speaks passionately about these topics in his moving conversion story. In addition, he is the editor of the books The Virgin Mary and Theology of the Body and The Immaculate Conception in the Life of the Church.  He is also the author of three books: Purest of All Lilies: The Virgin Mary in the Spirituality of St. Faustina, No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy, and Under the Mantle: Marian Thoughts from a 21st Century Priest. 

 To find out more about Fr. Calloway, please visit his website:  www.fathercalloway.com

A HAT TRICK FOR CHRISTMAS!

Growing up in Minnesota, there were two seasons; road construction and hockey. Now, I’ll admit, I totally don’t understand road construction —I am forever stumped as to why a sea of orange cones block off an entire lane backing up traffic for miles and yet driving by the area “under construction” seldom reveals construction being done. But hockey, well now, that’s a different story. I get hockey.

Though I never played, I have spent many hours being dragged to my brother’s hockey games (and confession time here folks.... in the 8th grade I was a hockey cheerleader.) Eventually, hockey seeped into my blood and I became an avid hockey fan. So, I understand the game of hockey. I understand the rules and the purpose they serve. I get it and I like watching and being part of the game.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but upon my college graduation, which completed my 16 year quest for knowledge at three different Catholic schools, I knew more about hockey than I did my Catholic faith. (Something tells me I’m not alone here.) 

Over the last decade I have learned more and more about my faith and in doing so, I have learned the beauty of the Catholic Church and why she does what she does, and in those past ten years I have shared the joy I find living and learning about my rich faith. Many times I share my love of Christ and the Church he founded by relating through stories. Well, my job of evangelizing just got easier in the great state of Minnesota and Canada, eh? Truth be told, it got easier to explain the Catholic Church to anyone with this great comparison between a much loved icy sport and the Catholic Church.

In her debut book, THE CATECHISM OF HOCKEY, Alyssa Bormes shows readers that hockey, among many sports, is really a metaphor to understanding and believing what the Catholic Church teaches.
 
Why does hockey have so many rules? Why do Catholics? Do we still need to have penalty boxes? Why do we have to go to Confession? Can’t we get rid of offside? What’s the need for a Sacrament? And why is practice so important? Do we really need to go to Mass every week? What’s the big deal with the Commissioner? And coaches? And referees? Why do we need priests, and what’s the big deal with the Pope? Why can’t they just let us play? Anyone involved in hockey – players, parents, fans – would never take any of those hockey questions seriously. Without the rules, there would be no hockey. And without the drills there would be no thrills.
 
And yet Catholics ask similar questions about the Church all the time.
 
Bormes offers a fun and enlightening playbook with the ultimate goal of explaining the richness and beauty of the Catholic faith through comparisons to hockey. 

So, I got the book and read it in almost as long as it takes to play a hockey game! It truly is a game changer for evangelizing and had me laughing out loud on various occasions. Then,  I had the idea to do something that would help me share the beauty of my faith with someone who is one of the most important people for me to share it with, my son.

One night, for his 20 minutes of reading, I decided to have him read The Catechism of Hockey to me. SCORE! It opened up an exciting world of conversation on a topic that to an average 11 year-old boy (and let's face it, many of us)  can seem rather dull —Church teaching. The result was a Win-Win without a shootout! He got his 20 minutes of reading in and we learned how cool the Church was by comparing it to hockey.

Coming from a hockey family, I believe this Christmas I have scored big time. In fact, I think I have a Christmas Hat Trick! I have a son reading about the Catholic faith and loving it; a family discussing hockey and the teachings of the Church at the dinner table; and best of all, I have the perfect gift for my entire family this year! My shopping is done! (Mom, Dad, Jim, Becky, Jake, Ben, Sally, Sam.... if you're reading this, just look really surprised when you open your book this Christmas Eve!)

For more information or to purchase your copies of The Catechism of Hockey for Christmas this year, visit: AlyssaBormes.com

A MISSION EMBODIED WITHIN HUMAN LIMITS

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 40-45

Daily Reading for Dec. 7: Evangelii Gaudium 40 - 45

Reflection by Sarah Damm

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis reminds us—the People of God, the Church—that first and foremost we are missionaries called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to whatever corner of the world we live in. This calling is not just for priests and religious, college professors and Bible scholars. This calling is not just for those selected to literally go to the ends of the earth. This calling is for all of us—moms and dads, business professionals, retirees and everyone in between. Each of us is invited to be part of something ever-new and always exciting!

And this, my friends, is incredible!

And at the same time, this can be challenging. (And maybe even a little scary, too.)

Such a good thing can appear challenging and scary, because as ordinary, everyday lay Catholics, we may feel inadequate and unversed. We may wonder how our simple, normal lives can possibly be missionary and evangelistic. But they can be ... and they are! Because God is calling each and every one of us to partake in a mission that is “above and beyond [our] faults and failings” (44).

As a stay-at-home mom of six children, my primary goal is to love my husband, and together help our children enter Heaven someday. “It is in the bosom of the family that parents are ‘by word and example ... the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children’” (CCC 2204; LG 11). Right there in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I am given my mission field: my family.

As a mom, I do many different tasks. I cook, clean, read aloud, snuggle, nurse the sick, wipe away tears, and make hot chocolate. The most important things I do involve passing on the Catholic Faith to my children—by attending Mass, frequenting the sacraments, teaching them to pray, introducing them to the saints, and celebrating feast days and holy seasons within our domestic church.

Some of my tasks I do quite well, and others ... not so much. In my mission, I am faced with my own limitations more often than I’d like to admit. But in all the trial and error, triumphs and failures, God allows my “shoes [to] get soiled by the mud of the street” more than once, so that I can realize that “perfection is not possible” (45).

What is possible is love and joy and faith. What is possible is taking “a small step, in the midst of great human limitations, [which] can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties” (44). No matter what our calling—whether priest, scholar, business man or homemaker—God is inviting us to step out in faith, to proclaim the Good News to our corner of the world. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it doesn’t have to be deep. In fact, “variety serves to bring out and develop different facets of the inexhaustible riches of the Gospel” (40). All it has to be is you. You, “expressing unchanging truths in a language which brings out ... abiding newness” (41).

With “the expression of truth [taking] different forms” (42), I bet Pope Francis would encourage us to make sure of one thing: keeping it simple. “The precepts which Christ and the apostles gave to the people of God ‘are very few’ ... ‘so as not to burden the lives of the faithful’” (43). I think this is a wonderful concept to ponder, as we close this first week of Advent. Within our vocation, within our own call to evangelize, Pope Francis is reminding us of very few precepts, small steps and limits. How merciful and gentle is our God!

What small step can you make to embrace your role as missionary in your corner of the world?

What few things are you doing, either alone or with your family, to keep Advent simple this year?

Sarah Damm is a Catholic wife and mother to six children, ages 3 to 11, living in Minnesota. She spends her days like many moms do—driving kids around, running errands, cooking meals and helping with homework. And in the thick of it, she and her husband strive to weave the Catholic faith, in all its rich beauty and tradition, into their daily lives as well as into how they celebrate holidays and holy days. Sarah enjoys knitting, reading and a good cup of coffee with a friend. She blogs at morethanenough7.blogspot.com.

FROM THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 34-39

Daily Reading for Dec. 6: Evangelii Guadium paragraphs 34-39

Reflection by Jeff Cavins

Be “Frank” with the Message

Summary

Our missionary style must always carry with it the heart of Christ’s message. Secondary aspects to the Gospel can become primary in the hearer’s ears if we don’t include the primary message of Christ’s love and mercy.

Reflection

When sharing the Gospel message we can confuse others if we pick and choose particular doctrines and lift them from the context of the complete story of salvation history. Our message becomes a “disjointed transmission” rather than an attractive story to join. The problem is that many have lost their story, a message that I have said for over thirty years. Coming to a life transforming understanding of the gospel will not generally happen in “disjointed” statements that have been separated from the full picture of God’s family plan.

Take Away

The axiom is true when it comes to sharing Christ with others, “less is more” or we could say, “simple is more.” The doorway to the secondary issues of the Gospel message is the primary message of mercy, which all people need to understand. One of the takeaways for me that I think is a very important point is that when it comes to the hierarchy of truths, we should not rank the truths “against” each other but “with” each other. Pope Francis says, “Each truth is better understood when related to the harmonious totality of the Christian message; in this context all of the truths are important and illumine one another.”

When it comes to communicating the Gospel message, I love what the Holy Father says, it’s important to give “direct expression to the heart of the Gospel.” As you talk to people about the message of Christ, pause and ask yourself, “What does this person need to hear from the heart of the gospel? How can I convey the message in a simple, understandable way? Am I insistently imposing my favorite doctrines in the conversation at the price of them not hearing the heart of the Gospel? Am I willing to diminish what I think is important and accept what they need to hear?” 

Commit yourself to learn the story of salvation history, the Bible. Don’t learn bits and pieces of either the Catechism or the Bible, learn them as a whole: understand the big picture of each and really understand the heart of the message, Christ’s life changing mercy! 

Remember this document and remember when sharing Christ, be “Frank.”

Jeff Cavins is the creator of the Great Adventure Bible Study series and Director of

Jeff is the founding host of the EWTN program Life on the Rock and Relevant Radio’s Morning Air. He is author of several books, including the best-selling My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith and I’m Not Being Fed: The Food That Satisfies the Soul. He is also co-editor of the Amazing Grace series. His newest book, Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible, co-authored with Dr. Tim Gray, provides an insightful overview of the Bible.

PASTORAL ACTIVITY AND CONVERSION

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 25-33

Daily Reading for Dec. 5: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 25-33

Reflection by Dr. Carol Younger

Aware that writing, books, and printed material are not as effective today as other media, Pope Francis encourages us to see the pastoral (read “parish”) as significant and having real consequences.  Parishes should not be about the administration of specific programs and activities.  Rather, the Christian Community needs renewal of the person and of programs to see itself as the loved bride of the Savior Who comes to unite Himself to His bride. 

Find out what programs are there in your parish.  Decide to investigate one where you can contribute your joy of the gospel. This means finding a way to communicate your encounter with Jesus, the JOY of the Faith. 

Pope Francis tells us that “Jesus summons [us] to friendship with himself (27)”.  Parish programs invite others into its community, encourage a faithful following of Jesus in joy.  The Community of the parish invites all to return to the Father.  

Find out about Catholics Come Home.  Make an appointment with your pastor.  Bring this opportunity for evangelizing those already baptized back to active practice with the parish to the attention of your pastor.  Offer to lead this mission.  

Each parish must call others to ongoing conversion.   The community of the parish is a “people who wish to share their joy!”  The kind of evangelical conversion this engenders is an outward reaching to others, both by the model of the individual’s life and example, and by the invitation to the community in which the parish lives its faith.

Suggest to the Parish Council members an advertising campaign for the beginning of Lent in the local papers.  Suggest a “mission” on the part of the pastor and the deacons: a Catholic Family Reunion of dessert and coffee with a “meet the Pastor and Priests of the Parish” right at the beginning of Lent, on Sunday when penances and mortifications are not required.  Have information available on the various programs in the parish for family and for children and teens.  Offer to write the ad or to pay for part of it.  

The most important aspect of conversion is prayer and focus of the heart on Jesus. Prayer with others, our fellow Christians and parishioners, and prayer for our bishops, priests, deacons, and religious worldwide is of great importance in the New Evangelization.

Make it your intention of prayer and try this morning prayer – write it on a post-a-note to put on the bathroom mirror to be seen each day: O my Jesus, come and live in our parish and our hearts.  Help our Bishop and Priests to be Fathers to our Faith in You now and always. Amen.

Dr. Carol Younger, Senior Fellow of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a teacher, counselor and education administrator, who has served as an adult religious education director and catechist, as a trainer of parish ministers, and as a pilgrimage leader.

Dr. Younger is on the Academic Advisory Board for The Great Adventure Bible Studies, and has written study guides for Dr. Scott Hahn’s Bible study programs on the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation and is the author of the 33 Days to Morning Glorty Retreat Companion, which is part the Hearts Afire Parish-based Programs for the New Evangelization from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. 

THE CHURCH’S MISSIONARY TRANSFORMATION

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 19-24

Daily Reading for Dec. 4: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 19-24

Reflection by Lisa Hendey

Having read yesterday in EG about the pervasive scope and nature of the New Evangelization, today's reflection opens with a reminder that evangelization isn't optional for us if we are to call ourselves disciples of Christ. "Evangelization takes place in obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus," opens Pope Francis. He reminds us that Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the Gospel "every time and in every place".

For us, this mandate continues, spreading our faith in Christ in new and evolving ways, but with no less a sense of urgency. The first disciples may have traveled on foot and written with quills, while we share our faith while driving our minivans or on Facebook. But the reason for our mission is the same - we are a Church which "goes forth":

In our day Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” echoes in the changing scenarios and ever new challenges to the Church’s mission of evangelization, and all of us are called to take part in this new missionary “going forth”. Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel.

Seriously, Pope Francis? You're calling me to venture out of my comfort zone?

The answer is "Yes". If we're to call ourselves Church, then we are meant to share in the work of discipleship. Blessedly, in paragraph 21 of EG Pope Francis reminds us why we do what we do, underscoring the "missionary joy" that enlivens disciples.

This joy is a sign that the Gospel has been proclaimed and is bearing fruit. Yet the drive to go forth and give, to go out from ourselves, to keep pressing forward in our sowing of the good seed, remains ever present.

But how? In the face of such a crazy world, so many personal responsibilities and such spiritual confusion in our society, how can we even begin to scratch the surface of the calling?

The answer to this quandary lies in part in the final paragraphs (23 and 24) of today's section of EG. We are reminded that "communion and mission are profoundly interconnected". The Gospel is meant to be proclaimed to all, by all believers, without hesitation, reluctance or fear. We're to concern ourselves with the endgame, the "fruit" of our mission -- souls won for Jesus Christ.

Will this be pretty, comfortable and convenient?

Not likely!

In paragraph 24 we're exhorted that "Evangelizers must take on the 'smell of the sheep'". As disciples, we must be ready to put our "whole life on the line, even to accepting martyrdom, in bearing witness to Jesus Christ." A tall order no doubt, and yet we are reminded once again to continually rejoice, to "celebrate every small victory, every step forward in the work of evangelization."

Pause for a moment and take all that in: evangelize always, smelling like one of the sheep, and be joyful about it, recognizing the grace in each small victory of bringing another soul closer to Christ. Does that sound like something that just simply happens for us when it's convenient, on our time schedule? Not exactly. Yet that, my friends, is our life's greatest mission.

For many of us, the mission field is our homes, our workplaces, and our immediate circle of friends. In reading today's portion of EG, I'm reminded that for my non-Catholic friends, I am the Church. I may be the only Catholic they ever encounter. When I share my faith in a manner which is bold, understanding, passionate, and -- yes -- filled with joy, I stand a much greater chance of being a light of Christ to those who matter most to me.

Today, let's get busy taking on the "smell of the sheep". And let's do it with infectious joy.

Jesus, Good Shepherd, help me today and always to draw souls closer to you with the truth of your Word. May I follow your light, and in turn share my love for you with everyone I met, even when circumstances challenge me beyond my comfort zone. I love you Lord. Amen

Lisa Hendey, Catholic wife and mom, is the founder and webmaster of CatholicMom.com and the author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul and The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul. Lisa writes for several online and print publications, enjoys speaking around the country and hosts the weekly Catholic Moments Podcast.

Follow Lisa's daily posts on Evangelli Gaudium at Patheos

THE NEW EVANGELIZATION FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF THE FAITH

REFLECTION ON EVANGELII GAUDIUM 14-18

Daily Reading for Dec. 3: Evangelii Gaudium paragraphs 14-18

Reflection by Thomas Smith

Parish life at St. Joseph's in Rosemount, MN

Summary

In this final section of the introduction (para. 14-18), Pope Francis identifies the three audiences/settings of the New Evangelization and the seven themes that shape his vision of our particular chapter in the ongoing story of salvation.  

These seven themes, and each of the three audiences/settings, will be explored in more detail as the document unfolds.  Even though this section is a “nuts and bolts” summary of what Pope Francis will be proposing in Evangelii Gaudium, it isn’t lacking in material that both challenges us and invites reflection. While I am tempted to explore each of the three audiences here, they will be unwrapped as the document unfolds, so I will focus on the first one, as it gives us plenty to “sip” on for a daily meditation.

Reflection

There’s a real danger of imagining that the Gospel call and the New Evangelization is about “those people out there.”  And yet, for Pope Francis, the first setting of the New Evangelization is the local parish and it’s first audience is most of the people reading this series - it’s us!  By us, I am presuming you are an “intentional disciple” (1) whose life is marked by “full, active and conscious” participation in the Mass (2) while flourishing in and sharing your particular charisms with the Body of Christ (3).  That’s a tall order, I know, but that should be ordinary Christian living.  

Even when we are doing all that, we are still the object of the New Evangelization. Conversion is an ongoing process, an organic growth that we have to constantly cultivate and engage.  As Pope Benedict remarked a few years ago, if we are not advancing in the spiritual life, we are, by default, regressing.  If the Gospel is at it’s heart a relationship with a Person, Jesus Christ, then it naturally has to be engaged daily like a healthy marriage. The central place that relationship is strengthened and nourished is the parish setting where we meet Christ in Word, Sacrament, and in each another.  By the way, this was the topic of Pope Francis’s first Sunday of Advent homily for a suburban Roman parish (see http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/christian-life-is-a-path-of-encountering-jesus-preaches-pope/ )   

Response

With this in mind, take a few moments today to make a clear-eyed assessment of your engagement with your local parish community.  Are you welcoming Christ fully in Word and Sacrament so you are continually growing in the exercise of your gifts and your confidence and joy while sharing the Gospel?  Consider some simple changes like arriving at Mass early so you can recollect your heart to receive all the graces the Mass offers.  Take a few minutes in Lectio Divina on the scriptural readings of the day “to prime the pump” of your heart for their proclamation and exposition by our clergy (the Pope is counting on our clergy being “animated by the fire of the Spirit, so as to inflame the hearts of the faithful” (para. 15). If you find your mind wandering in the liturgy, establish a “wakeup” word or phrase that draws your heart back into the moments of the Mass.  I use very simple ones like “Jesus” or “I love you, Lord help me to love you more.”

Have you discovered and deployed your particular charisms?  This is one of the most important ways we can take up Pope Francis’s invitation here to “grow spiritually so that [we] can respond to God’s love even more fully in [our] lives (para.15).  If you don’t know what your charisms are, seriously consider discerning, discovering and deploying them. Your particular parish desperately needs them, and you were given them for that community.  You owe it to your brothers and sisters to do this. My life was transformed when I discovered and started living in my charisms.  A great place to start is www.siena.org

Pope Francis reminds us we must be vigilant and continually open to the Gospel, even as seasoned disciples.  The daily prayer that Pope Francis offered in para. 3 is one of my morning renewal prayers now, like Kelly, to also help me be attentive to that.  When we do this, we are equipped to faithfully and fruitfully share the Gospel to the other two audiences (the baptized but not evangelized, and those who don’t yet have the gift of faith).  

(1) What in the world is an “intentional disciple”? See Sherry Weddell’s Forming Intentional Disciples.  This should be on every Catholic bookshelf.

(2) Sacrosanctum Concilium. para. 14.

(3) Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nos. 798-801.

Catholic speaker and presenter, Thomas Smith, was a Protestant minister who was received into the Catholic Church in 1996. Bringing a wealth of experience and insight on the Word of God to audiences across the U.S., Thomas is a repeat guest on EWTN and Catholic radio as well as a sought after parish mission and conference speaker. To follow Thomas' insightful blog or contact him visit: Gen215.org