three good articles

This week I read three really inspiring articles that I thought I would share. They are worth printing out and reading/reflecting on prayerfully. I was really impacted by all three, but especially by the second one by Chaput. I believe all three are definitely part of what the “Spirit is saying to the churches.”

Cardinal Offers New Style for Priest-Lay Teamwork
Laity Council President Indicates Dangers for Both Sides
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko

Archbishop Chaput to Congress on Priests and Laity
"The Prince of This World and the Evangelization of Culture"
Archbishop Charles Chaput

On Francis of Assisi
"The Secret of True Happiness: To Become Saints"
Pope Benedict XVI

What struck you in the reading of these articles? How do they encourage or challenge you to live out your Christian faith?

the 'movements' in the Church

This article is a great look into Pope Benedict's view of the "new movements" as "gifts to the Church." E.g., organic realities like the charismatic renewal and other initiatives of the Holy Spirit that spring up from men and women touched by the Spirit of God. ChristLife certainly sees itself in this vein of the Church, though, of course, we are recognized as an apostolate of the Church - our beginnings were very organic and a response to the founders being touched by the Holy Spirit...

Pope Calls Movements Gifts to the Church

Lauds Cardinal Cordes for Helping Them Grow

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praising a cardinal who welcomed the inspiration of new movements in the Church, and is highlighting the positive contribution they have made.

The Pope affirmed this in a letter he sent last week for the 75th birthday of Cardinal Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

"I no longer remember when we first met," the Pontiff said, as he recalled a long history of friendship with the cardinal, including a shared membership in the German bishops' conference before both were called to serve in the Roman Curia.

"With courage and creativity at the beginning of your work in Rome you opened up new roads to lead young people to Christ," the Holy Father affirmed. "You also made a contribution to the genesis and the growth of the World Youth Days."

He underlined the prelate's "pastoral involvement" and "commitment to the movements" in his role in the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

"The charismatic movement, Communion and Liberation and the Neocatechumenal Way have many reasons to be grateful to you," the Pope said.

"While at the beginning the organizers and planners in the Church had many reservations in regard to the movements," Benedict XVI stated, "you immediately sensed the life that burst forth from them -- the power of the Holy Spirit that gives new paths and in unpredictable ways keeps the Church young."

Integration

He continued: "You recognized the pentecostal character of these movements and you worked passionately so that they would be welcomed by the Church's pastors.

"Certainly, with respect to organization and planning, there were often good reasons to be scandalized as they brought new and unforeseen elements that could not always be integrated easily into the existing organizational structures."

The Pontiff acknowledged the cardinal's ability to see that what is "organic is more important than what is organized."

He affirmed the prelate's vision that "here were men who were deeply touched by the spirit of God and that in such a way there grew new forms of authentic Christian life and authentic ways of being Church."

The Holy Father continued: "Of course, these movements needed to be ordered to and brought within the totality; they needed to learn to recognize their limits and to become part of the communitarian reality of the Church in her proper constitution together with the Pope and the bishops.

"Thus they need a guide and purification to be able to reach the form of their true maturity."

"They, nevertheless, are gifts to be grateful for," Benedict XVI said. "It is no longer possible to think of the life of the Church of our time without including these gifts of God within it."

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read the full text of the letter for more details.

Charisms at Following Christ

The Following Christ course we've been running at UMBC has been going very well. This is our second pilot course that is still in production phase. The first Following Christ course we did as after the St. Agnes young adult Discovering Christ course.

At UMBC we've been teaming up with Fr. Richard Gray, MSA and the Newman Club to help a group of 12-15 students grow as followers of Jesus. Each night we combine praise and worship, testimonies and teachings on Christian discipleship, small group discussion and fellowship. Thus far its gone very well. We are all learning so much and growing in our love for Jesus! The topics touched in this course include: an overview of discipleship, personal prayer, Scripture, guidance, the sacramental life of a disciple, the charism, the world the flesh and the devil (2), & evangelization.

Anyway, last night's topic was the charisms (or gifts of the Holy Spirit). Fr. Rich's friend, Kate, gave the talk and it was superb. She talked all about the gifts, the fruits, and the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. This was the real focus.
Anyway, following her talk we spent time praying for the gifts and worshiping God using these gifts. One gift several people received was the gift of tongues! After I finished worship we asked if anyone had anything to share and one guy, kind of stunned, said, "wow, this is so crazy, but I was speaking in tongues..." A second later another young adult exclaimed the same thing!

It was really really awesome - because all of the openness to the gifts - just opened us even more to God's great love for us and allowed us to express our love to Him. It was a wonderful time that brought us all closer to God and one another.

In my own life the first time I remember speaking to God in "tongues" was during an extended time of worship I was really "caught in the presence" of God and experientially felt His great love for me. I began to respond to him in prayer and I ran out of words and I realized I was speaking in tongues! What a beautiful gift of love to the Lord!

Unfortunately the charisms tend to be undervalued by many Catholics and we choose to say "no" to the Holy Spirit. I sure have done this in the past! Anyway, point being - we often haven't adequately received formation in this area and even more seldom is - seeing these gifts used!

For those not familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you can read about them in Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12 or for an excellent introduction - on Page 12 of the Fall 2006 issue of Pentecost Today (PDF) or checkout this link which includes lots of articles on the charismatic renewal and the specific charisms.

The last three popes have begun to talk more about the charisms, and now it is more normal to hear about priests and even bishops involved with the Charismatic Renewal.