Dear Friend of CHRISTLIFE,
Recently I was driving to work, minding my own business, when a song called, Breath of Heaven, by Amy Grant, came on the radio. The song, subtitled, Mary's Song, dealt with some of the realities Mary might have encountered as a result of her yes to God. I found myself lifted into reflection on her surrender to God,"Be it done to me according to your word." I was deeply moved with gratitude to God for Mary. You know Mary was one of us. She was a young peasant girl. It was not like what happened to her was a common event or something you could plan for, or that you would understand based on others experience. Out of the blue (of Heaven) she had been chosen, full of grace, to be the virgin Mother of God. To bear the long awaited Messiah. Her response of surrender brought with it many blessings, contradictions and difficulties that were all part of the sovereign plan of God! Her yes was lived out every day of her life, not just that one time. She really is the perfect model of a disciple for us.
There have been several times during my life where I have been moved at the deepest levels of my being in considering what Mary did. As Pope John Paul II said, never did so much rest upon the response of a human being as did Mary's. I guess what moves me is the reality of what her yes meant for us. And how it came down to her personally, on her own, saying,"yes Lord." And we are called every day to say, "yes Lord." In blessings, trials and contradictions trusting Him to lead us on the journey. Our surrender to God in daily life makes a difference. Perhaps far more than you or I can see now.
Dave Payne, the director of Catholic Alpha in England, and I will be going to Rome to meet with the President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. We asked for the meeting to share about Alpha and its growing popularity in Catholic parishes in a number of countries. We want to share how we see Alpha as a concrete response parishes can make to the Holy Father and bishops call to evangelization, and a significant opportunity for Christian unity. What a wonderful action of the Holy Spirit! Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, and many other Christian traditions are striving side by side for the sake of the Gospel, using Alpha with the knowledge that we are doing this together! Please pray for this meeting which will be held on January 23.
After my time in Rome, I will travel to Lanckorona, Poland for a weekend retreat for leaders of the Schools of Evangelization that we have been working with. People will be coming to the meeting from Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. The time will be a time to pray, teach and share on how leadership is developing among us. There are many opportunities opening up to help in the mission of the Church throughout eastern Europe, and it is critical to see leadership develop and multiply. Please pray for this retreat on January 23-25. Also, there is a continuing need for funding our brothers and sisters in this region. They have so little when it comes to their basic needs. Please pray for them and consider helping us to continue supporting them financially!
2 of our parishes here in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have recently completed their first Alpha courses. 3 parishes are beginning it within this month. A question that has been raised by parish staff, small group facilitators and participants at the end of the course has been the same, 'now what? Alpha is a great beginning to this process of evangelization, and their is a need for much more. We in CHRISTLIFE believe we should be helping to provide video teaching resources for implementing the vision of becoming evangelizing parish communities. We want the teaching to be inspiring, orthodox and practical. Our hope is that the presentations could be used in the parish for formation and content within small group communities.
It just so happens that Phil Rosensteele and Joe Thomas, have already been working on a video project due out in January on the mission work we are involved with in eastern Europe. This will be a 10 minute presentation for young adults interested in attending the Schools of Evangelization and short term missions (Phil is editing over eight hours of video that was filmed in Latvia, Ukraine and Poland this last summer!). The video is also for benefactors to catch the vision of what the Lord has called us to! Pray for Phil, Joe, and Lee Thomas (who has been giving oversight to the project).
So, in a certain way we have just put our foot into the waters of this form of communication and are now seeking the Lord about the possibility of going swimming, developing video resources for helping parishes to respond to the call to a new evangelization! Phil is interested in helping develop an initial teaching course this summer. Dr.'s Marcellino D'Ambrosio and Bert Ghezzi, have been helping us with the teaching content. Would you please pray for this, and consider how you might contribute to this project! Pray that the Lord open the way for workers, funding and access to professional studio and equipment.
Other news to pray for . . . Mt. St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland has invited us, again this year, to participate in their vocations awareness day, January 26. It is a chance for us to share with students about our schools of evangelization and short term mission opportunities. . . Fr. Mark OFM Conv., Leo and I will attend meetings at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, February 9-11. The meetings are for folks involved in running University of Steubenville Youth Conferences which are now held in several locations across the USA, each summer. We are hoping to have one here at the Franciscan Friary (where the CHRISTLIFE Center is located ),in the Summer,1999. . . for Melanie who has served with us in schools of evangelization and short term missions in Europe is hoping to serve part time at the CHRISTLIFE center very soon. Our missionary service is supported by personal benefactors, so Melanie is currently praying and seeking financial support.
Pope John Paul II has declared, " . . . Today, as never before, the Church has the opportunity of bringing the Gospel, by witness and word, to all peoples and nations. I see the dawning of a new missionary age, which will become a radiant day bearing an abundant harvest, if all Christians . . . respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and challenges of our time." Do we hear what he is proclaiming? Will we respond to the Holy Spirit?
What I have shared in this letter about the work of training young lay leaders, mission work in Europe, and helping parishes become evangelizing parish communities, are developments in the mission of CHRISTLIFE to serve the Church in preparing for the abundant harvest that Pope John Paul tells us is coming. With you, we want to respond with generosity and holiness! As we begin this new year which is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, may each of us be attentive to Him, in our daily lives, and choose to say yes to Him as Mary did!
Thanks so much for your partnership in the mission of CHRISTLIFE. Your generous financial contributions sustain and allow us to expand the mission. You are in our prayers!
Sincerely,
Dave Nodar
Director of CHRISTLIFE
PS - Please pray for the Lord to send workers (Mt.9:35ff)!
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