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?

missional living

I bumped into this 4 minute video today on "missional living." Its one of the core values of an evangelical church called The Village Church. The pastor in the video gives a really encouraging and challenging call to intentionally living life (wherever you are and whatever you do in your vocation) with the understanding that God has specially created you with a purpose to reach the people around you.
It is the same message we give in our Sharing Christ program, in the last session- "Missionaries: Anytime, Anywhere."

So what do you think? Any examples of you seeing God use you in your unique circumstances?

Underestimating God

Ever read Exodus and think, "What was wrong with those people?"

The Israelites see God a.) part the Red Sea, b.) give them bread from heaven and c.) get water from a rock and still they complain that they're going to die of hunger in the desert. They still doubt that he's looking out for them.

And what do they do? They doubt and gripe and start worshiping a golden calf.

Today I had the realization that I am so very much like the Israelites - and that this attitude will totally get in the way of evangelization.

Here's my story: I underestimate God. Even though I've seen Him work miracles, change lives and do the impossible, I still doubt that He's going to come through.

An example: I had a job interview today that required I go to downtown DC. I decided to take the metro rather than fight the traffic. All day yesterday, there was a persistent worry in the back of my mind that I would not find a parking space at the metro station - a reasonable fear, since I'd be arriving at the station after rush hour.

Last night, in the midst of my worry, God prompted me to open up The Word Among Us and these parts of the Nov. 18th meditation jumped out at me:

Don't forget who God is! Remember his love for you! Remember his good plan for you and your family! Remember that he made the universe and has everything under control... Approach this day alert to the opportunities and challenges you will face, but be sure to look up! When you are tempted to sin or feel weighed down by burdens, try to picture the God who made the universe looking on you in love.

Reassured, I went to sleep in peace.

This morning, I got to the metro station at about 9:30. I needed to be on the train leaving at 9:47.

There were no parking spaces. I circled the lot three times. Absolutely nothing available, and I started to worry because while there was a later train I could take, it would require that I run to make the interview on time and me running in heels is a recipe for disaster.

In fact, I start to gripe out loud, "God, I really need a parking space. Can't you find me one?" (Which sounds awfully similar to the Israelites whining about why they can't have meat. Mea culpa.)

I barely finished the sentence before I found an empty spot, which was definitely not there on the previous lap.

So yes, I am an Israelite. But I'm really glad God pointed it out to me this morning. Because as I've thought about this, I've realized that this attitude of underestimating God can carry over in my attitude towards evangelization.

God can soften even the hardest hearts. Therefore, I should be willing to share the Gospel even with people I'm sure will reject it. I shouldn't underestimate what powerful things God can do with my witness and my words.

Because He is the God who can change lives, turn water into wine, part the Red Sea, rise from the dead and find parking spaces at the metro.

Who am I to doubt Him?

Feedback from OLPH Discovering Christ course

Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City recently wrapped up a Discovering Christ course. I wasn't part of it. However, I have had the privilege of reading the feedback participants wrote. WOW! It's amazing how God has worked through those seven weeks of teaching, fellowship and prayer. Here are some pictures and testimonies:

"While it is hard to explain, I feel closer to God and more willing to show my feelings out loud. God had invited me to open the door to him in the past, and now that door is open wider."

Women's small group.

"The most important thing that I learned was to not just focus on God, but to open and talk with God...Also, going to confession was empowering because I learned the word Gratitude and actually felt the Holy Spirit come in...Another thing that was great[:] my husband is now listening to Christian music."

Overhead shot of Discovering Christ final night.

"During the laying of hands I was on fire of the Holy Spirit."

"I don't worry anymore, esp. about the future. I really have placed my life in God's hands - total freedom."

Kids' table at OLPH DC (Aren't they cute?)

"After being prayed with at the retreat, I felt a real connection with God. I feel a fullness that always used to be empty. "

"Before the course I was not involving God in my daily life and felt very unfulfilled and felt like I was failing in life. Now I see that God is with me everyday even when the days are bad. I feel a freedom from the stress and have more clarity."

Some of the kitchen crew - who help make it all possible.

"It was a very moving experience. Very hard to write explanation. Holy Spirit was working in the room. I know I want a deeper relationship and I can have it!"

It's exciting to see what God has done through Discovering Christ - especially when it's going to be released nationwide at the conference next week, and be able to impact lives across the country, and maybe even throughout the world.

Holy God, we praise thy name.

And the Word became flesh...

Madelein Delbrêl, a French laywoman, writer, mystic and a former atheist- and perhaps, future saint - wrote this beautiful meditation:

We cannot be missionaries if we have not sincerely, generously, and warmly welcomed the Word of God, the Gospel, within ourselves. The vital dynamic of this word is to take on flesh, to become flesh in us. And when this word comes to dwell within us, we become capable of being missionaries.

You cannot pass on what you do not have. As an intern here for the past few months, I know firsthand that Jesus was right: "without me you can do nothing." But with him, we bear great fruit - "we become capable of being missionaries."

The time of martyrs comes and goes, but the time of witnesse continues without end - and being witnesses means being martyrs. This incarnation of God's Word in us, this allowing ourselves to be molded by it, is what we call witnessing. To take the Word of God seriously,we need all the strength of the Holy Spirit. If our witness is often mediocre, it is because we have not realized that the same kind of heroism is needed to be a witness as to be a martyr.

I read once, somewhere, that everyone is called to be a martyr. Some, like Sts. Peter and Paul and Perpetua die gruesome deaths for the love of God. But the majority of us endure different martyrdoms - dying to self in little ways every day, like driving in rush hour traffic without giving in to road rage, or living a Christian life even when it means losing friends or sacrificing sleep for someone else's benefit. And these acts of martyrdom are only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. We cannot be effective witnesses without the Holy Spirit.

At the beginning of each hour of the long day, we could say, "I must begin this hour as if I were going to be a martyr, and a witness" - because there is not one second that we have the right to let God's Word lie dormant in us. And this entails awakening a fervor in our very being in the presence of the grace of each moment, a wildly passionate expectation for that strength, without which we would turn traitor.

Remember Ephesians 2:8-10? For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

God has called each one of us not only to a personal relationship with him, but also a mission: to tell the world about his love for us, to be witnesses to that love, and by doing so, lead others to him. Realizing that should lead to "a fervor in our very being" and "a wildly passionate expectation for that strength" he gave us.

(picture source)

Love is calling you

I was driving to work this morning, and the song "The lost get found" by Britt Nicole came on the radio. At first I thought "who is this?" because it sounded very mainstream, and checked to see if I was on the right radio station... Sure was... So I listened and ended up really appreciating the message, and felt like God was speaking to me through this song. Here are a few of the lyrics that stuck with me-

Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found....

There's a girl on the streets, she's cryin'
There's a man whose faith is dyin'
Love is calling you....

Why do we go with the flow
Or take an easier road?
Why are we playin' it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take....

There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it

I especially like the line "love is calling you." Isn't this the ultimate reason for evangelization? Does it really have much to do with "I'm right" and "you're wrong" and so I'm going to correct your errors? Or should love (or His voice of love) be the reason and motive?

I have no desire to tell others about Jesus naturally, other than as St. Paul exclaims "for the love of Christ urges us on!"

Here is a short interview with Britt on her new song, and why she wrote it:

If you want to get the song, you can buy at iTunes or listen to it streaming from her myspace page.

What do you like about this song?

From every tribe and tongue, people and nation

I own three Bibles (NAB, NIV, and NRSV-CE) and two New Testaments (both courtesy of the Gideons, one in KJV English and another in Russian). And, thanks to the internet, dozens of other translations and concordances and even the thoughts of the doctors and fathers of the Church about Scripture are available. (Check out Biblia Clerus if you haven't yet).

The blog, Intentional Disciples, recently alerted us to the fact that millions of people around the world don't have the same opportunity. According to the Forum of Bible Agencies:

Languages with some or all of the Bible - 2,454. Of these, 438 have an adequate Bible; 1,168 have an adequate New Testament; 848 have Scripture portions. Languages needing Bible translation work to begin - 2,251 representing 193 million people.

I'm quite simply stunned. We've put men on the moon, eradicated polio, brought down the Berlin wall and we STILL have this much translation work to do?

Intentional Disciples has a great story about how translating the Bible into a new language has changed lives. For the Kalmyk people in Republic of Kalmykia in southern Russia, the availability of the Bible in their own language has helped people see that Jesus is not the God of the Russians, but the God of all peoples.

And every time that happens, we're one step closer to:

They sang a new hymn: "Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.

You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth."
(Rev. 5:9-10)

Glory be to God.

Dead Poets and the Gospel

A few months back my wife and I watched Dead Poet's Society. Surprisingly a first for me.

It is a well-known movie starring Robin Williams, Mr. Keating, as the iconic professor who stands up to a boy prep's schools "regime" and way of teaching - and he encourages the boys to think for themselves and to be poetic.

There is one scene in particular that I like and can tell us something about the Gospel. This is one of the early scenes of Mr. Keating introducing the boy's to poetry... really good stuff :)

When I saw this it struck me as a great analogy to relating the Gospel to today's generation.

It seems like the world and many of my peers have read about Christianity and the Church in a sort of a "J. Evans Pritchard, PhD" sort of a way. Either from the media or a detached religion teacher or bored parent. And they are left with a view of God that is distant, a behavior nazi, judge, boxed-in, narrow, etc.

Not the unspeakable and personal love of the Trinity many of us have experienced- loving Father, brilliant and compassionate and strong Savior, and fiery Spirit.

What we need are impassioned followers of Jesus - Christians, Catholics - ready and able to tell the Gospel in its fullness, beauty, and passion (better than Mr. Keating, cause poetry ain't that good :)

To take what could be explained very easily in a dry textbook on "Christianity 101" and squeeze the essense out of the Good News...

"But poetry, beauty, romance, love -- these are what we stay alive for."

"That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."

This is the beauty of being captivated by Jesus... Its more than encountering beauty and love... But it is overflowing to others in mission. One full of danger, romance, adventure, sacrifice, tears and joy!

What are your thoughts on this clip? What does it stir in you?

Charity in Truth and Evangelization

Today, Pope Benedict XVI released his third encyclical letter, the highly-anticipated Charity in Truth, which is concerned with the global economy, human progress and Catholic social teaching, such as the preferential option for the poor and the sanctity of life.

Of course, though, since all truth is rooted in the Person of Jesus Christ, and God is Love, evangelization and the need for Christ is part of the encyclical too. The pope writes (recalling Pope Paul VI's encyclical Populorum Progressio):

...authentic human development concerns the whole of the person in every single dimension[16]. Without the perspective of eternal life, human progress in this world is denied breathing-space. Enclosed within history, it runs the risk of being reduced to the mere accumulation of wealth; humanity thus loses the courage to be at the service of higher goods, at the service of the great and disinterested initiatives called forth by universal charity.

That's the great challenge for our era. The mentality that "whoever dies with the most toys wins" can be rampant and pervasive in a consumerist culture--which pretty much directly contradicts Matthew 6:19-20:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

Pope Benedict XVI continues:

Moreover, such development requires a transcendent vision of the person, it needs God: without him, development is either denied, or entrusted exclusively to man, who falls into the trap of thinking he can bring about his own salvation, and ends up promoting a dehumanized form of development. Only through an encounter with God are we able to see in the other something more than just another creature[17], to recognize the divine image in the other, thus truly coming to discover him or her and to mature in a love that “becomes concern and care for the other.”[18]

I think right now, with the shaky economy affecting millions of people, that God is hearing a few more prayers and I hope, at least, that more people are realizing their own dependance on God. Me, as a recent graduate enjoying my internship while simultaneously job-hunting, I'm becoming quite aware of how much I need Him to find me a job. :-)

I also really like that the pope points out here that we can only truly see others if we see them through the love of God. Otherwise, they can easily become mere creatures--rather than those made in the image of God--or, even worse, burdens on society.

Most specifically to evangelization, the pope writes:

The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, for its part, is very closely linked with development, given that, in Paul VI's words, “evangelization would not be complete if it did not take account of the unceasing interplay of the Gospel and of man's concrete life, both personal and social.”[30] “Between evangelization and human advancement — development and liberation — there are in fact profound links”[31]...Testimony to Christ's charity, through works of justice, peace and development, is part and parcel of evangelization, because Jesus Christ, who loves us, is concerned with the whole person. These important teachings form the basis for the missionary aspect[32] of the Church's social doctrine, which is an essential element of evangelization[33].

I think this part highlights one of the great things about Catholic evangelization historically--it shows concern for both body and soul, temporal matters and eternal. As St. Peter Claver (missionary to African-American slaves) put it, "We must speak to them with our hands by giving, before we try to speak to them with our lips."

However, this can also be one of our greatest temptations and downfalls in the evangelization: to assume that we don't have to preach the gospel with words (think about that St. Francis of Assisi quote). Of course feeding the poor is essential--it's one of the seven corporal works of mercy.

But the poor also hunger for the Bread of Life and thirst for the Living Water. We would be making a huge and tragic mistake if we didn't tell them about Jesus, too.

May our hunger for the Eucharist lead us to identify with all those who hunger for Truth and Love and give us courage to share "the reason for our hope" (1 Peter 3:15) with them.

Thanks, Pope Benedict, for yet another great encyclical.

"The best way to evangelize..."

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver gave a talk June 26 at the National Catholic Bible Conference in Denver, CO on the role of Scripture in the renewal of both ourselves and the wider culture. It's a fantastic talk and I would recommend reading the whole thing, especially if you've ever wondered about the Catholic Church's thoughts on the Bible.

My favorite part is the following:

The best way to evangelize is to burn, like St. Francis did, for the love of God; and to sustain that kind of zeal you need constant contact with the fire of God's Word.

It's so true, isn't it? Few people become Christians because they are taught Christian doctrine. Millions have become Christian because they met a Christian who loved God so much that it spilled over into love for other people.

When love for God is strong, so is the desire to know Him more fully. That's where a zeal for His Word comes in. As St. Augustine put it, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

The archbishop also pointed out that if we want to see renewal and change in the world, it must begin within ourselves.

It's tempting to see the moral problems of the wider culture and want to begin there, outside ourselves, focused on others. But all authentic reform begins within our own hearts.

I know how hard it is to begin there. With all the problems we're facing right now, as a country, as a culture, as a Church, it's easy sometimes to point the finger, instead of recognizing that my own sins and failings are partly to blame. Mea culpa. I really appreciate the archbishop's reminder that if I want a holier culture, I need to cooperate with the grace God is giving me for my sanctification.

Finally, the archbishop also quoted a statement from Vatican II on the Scriptures, which bears repeating:

The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of the life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body. (Dei Verbum, 21).

Sometimes, as Catholics, I think we get so focused on the awesomeness of the Eucharist that we can forget how great the Bible is. As this excerpt shows, the Church wants us to uphold both as our "bread of the life."

Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, also wrote about this tendency, as the archbishop noted:

The fact that God's words, something that God has said and is saying to us, are accessible in the world is truly the most exciting news I can imagine at all. [But] we are too dulled through everyday use to grasp the awesomeness of this statement. (A New Song for the Lord, 169).

May God grant us a passion for His Word and a love for the people who need to hear it.

How has the Lord spoken to you through the Scriptures lately? What are you doing to deepen your zeal for God's Word?

"the Church" and "the mission"

The Pope is calling upon "the Church" to have a "change of mentality" about its identity. Two days ago at a conference in Rome he said, "There is still a tendency to unilaterally identify the Church with the hierarchy, forgetting the common responsibility, the common mission" of all the baptized. He continued, "In Christ, we become really the People of God," which, he affirmed, means everyone, "from the Pope to the last child." More on this at ZENIT. A brief video reporting on the conference can be seen below:

Unfortunately its seems that the "clergy" - "laity" divide that reached a height in previous generations (known as clericalism) - still maintains a hold on mentality of much of the Church (both clergy and laity alike).

Post Vatican II there was a shift upon emphasizing the laity - but the Church was a bit confused about how to do this and what to do - and there was a movement to highlight "laity" in pastoral ministry (lay participation in the apostolate of the hierarchy) - which tended to liberalize certain essential truths about the ministerial priesthood - rather than emphasize the "apostolate of the laity" - which is the laity's commitment to evangelization.

Two important articles on this:

• What Should the Laity be Doing?
  This article, excerpted from Russell Shaw's book Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church, discusses various ineffective attempts in incorporating the laity into the Church's mission and offers valuable insight into how laity can revitalize the Church in the future.


• What is the lay apostolate?
  This brief article explains what the lay apostolate is and why it is essential to the new evangelization. Following the article are several useful links on the apostolate.

What has your experience been? What do you like about what the Pope is saying? What challenges you?

Discovering Christ!

Blessed be God! With the help of a friend, Phil Rosensteel of Wired Different Media, we produced the following video that shares what Discovering Christ is and are plans to video produce it this summer:

I hope you enjoyed this video. Please consider committing to pray for us and to making a donation to the cause of the Gospel! Thank you!

We also produced second video - based on the same video shoot - that is shorter and ends before the appeal about evangelizing, the video production, and interceding. This version is an "invitation" for young adults we are inviting to this summer's course!

Steadfast in purpose. An amazing example!

Recently while prayerfully reading Acts chapter 11:19-26, I was struck, once again, by the early church's missionary zeal.

It is the account of those who were scattered because of the persecution in Jerusalem and how they continued to witness to Jesus as Lord! They weren't silenced or intimidated by the persecution.They couldn't stop talking about this good news of what God had done in Jesus of Nazareth who was raised from the dead. Some of those who were evangelizing began to share with non-Jews, Greeks, about the Lord Jesus. As a result many came to believe! The Church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to see what was happening and to help build up the new believers. When he saw the grace of God evident in the lives of those who believed, he was glad. Barnabas then exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord and steadfast in purpose (vs 23). I felt like that was a word for me and for those of us who serve in and our friends of ChristLife. It is a good word, isn't it? Something we all want in our walk with the Lord Jesus. To be faithful to him and absolutely steadfast in our purpose.

While in Michigan last week presenting a mission for two parishes, the pastor of St. Therese's shared a YouTube video that really illustrates faithfulness and steadfastness in purpose. Take a look and give thanks to the Lord for this man! You may not feel called to do what he did, but the key point that all of us should admire is his steadfastness in doing what he was called to do!

May we all have such passion to make the Lord known to others! May each of us be steadfast in purpose.

Reaching Men for Jesus Christ

Well, if you're on the East Coast today, chances are that you are enjoying some fantastic spring weather. It's gorgeous here in Maryland.

Though, don't be fooled by this picture, that isn't MD, but on top of a mountain in NC. A awesome spot called Linville Gorge.

What does this have to do with living for Jesus Christ?

Well, something I've enjoyed for much of my life is going with guys on backpacking trips to the mountains. In recent years, once God grabbed a hold of my life and set me free in His Son, I've enjoyed the trips even more.

Almost like if you're at a famous museum and you're looking at a masterpiece, and you announce to the group, "I know the artist who created this personally."

Well we know the incredible God whose creative, divine mind thought all of this up!

--

One thing I believe God is teaching me is to "create space" where He can act and bring His love and truth and freedom. So, if I'm at the grocery store and I mutter a "hello" and that's it as far as my interaction with the clerk, well, God won't have as much "space" to work with.

The outdoors have always been a "space" where God seems to work. Especially among guy friends that I go with. Good conversations, shared meals, fellowship, mutual enjoying of beauty and great weather, and praying - all seem to create "space" where He works.

Well, two friends and fellow brothers in Jesus Christ, who've started a full-time Catholic men's apostolate called the King's Men, are creating such a "space" this June. It's going to be a gigantic outdoor experiential weekend for men, called Into the Wild. It looks pretty awesome.

So, check it out. It's happening, June 4-7, in the wilderness of PA. The weekend will focus on growing as men and experiencing the outdoors, etc. There will be opportunity for mass, etc. But it isn't exclusively for Catholics/Christians - which I think is a good thing to create space for God to work.

Let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

On the Day of Atonement,the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, the high priest, carrying the blood of the sacrifice would enter the holiest part of the Temple. Once a year he would pass through the temple curtain and enter the Holy of Holies and there he would pronounce the name of God. The name consisted of four letters and was so sacred that it was never spoken at any other time or place. The Jews would substitute the name, Adonai, which means ‘Lord’, when saying the divine name. When the High Priest spoke the holy name, it made God present; and atoned for the sins of the nation of Israel.

This holy week, as Christians, we celebrate The Great Atonement (Heb.4:14;9:12) with the death of Jesus the Messiah, not only for the sins of Israel, but for ‘the sins of the whole world’(1John2:2; Romans 3:25).

St. Paul sharing a hymn of praise of the early church that existed before he wrote his letters tell us:

Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the Name which is above every name,

St Paul does not use the divine name rather he uses Adonai (in Greek Kyrios, Dominus in Latin, and Lord in English). He goes on to tell us:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2: 8-11

By using the word Lord, St Paul means exactly the name that means God! This is the incredible truth of our faith! Jesus is the ‘I AM’. He is the everlasting almighty God. He has 'all authority and all power.' (Matt.28:18-20).

After the first Easter the proclamation, “Jesus is Lord!” took the place of the proclamation that our Lord made, “The Kingdom of God is at hand!” The early disciples were telling everyone that, ‘Jesus is risen, He is the Messiah, He is Lord!’ They were telling the most incredibly good news that Jesus, the King was at hand and, He is the Lord!

This was the heart of the good news! It is what is called the kerygma, the basic Gospel message. In these words are the power and authority of God that transforms lives as nothing else can. For those who have come to know the truth of this profound self -revelation of God it is revolutionary and imparts a confidence in what He can do through our proclamation. It elevates our faith in the Lord Jesus present among us in the Holy Spirit to save and continue his mission of redemption.

This proclamation, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ is like a buried treasure that must be uncovered and restored to the rightful place of prominence in our preaching and in our sharing with others. Yet currently it is a point of spiritual warfare and there is great resistance within the church to embrace the simplicity and humility that this proclamation calls us to. St. Paul tells us, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel!” (Rom. 1:16). We too must not be ashamed of the kerygma. For, “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith…”(Rom 1:16b)

St Paul tells us, ‘every knee shall bow.’ That is the posture we need to have if we are to proclaim the essential gospel, that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord.’ It is a call to humility, and it is a call to obedience to God.

This Holy week, let’s seek the Lordship of Christ for our personal lives, families and friends, and reflect on his great mercy displayed at Calvary for sinners like you and me! Let us like the early Christians proclaim the joy of Easter, He is risen, Jesus is Lord!

If you have never asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life, of your everything, ask Him. Tell Him you want to surrender your entire life to his Lordship. Ask him to come as your God to lead you!

Thinking like Christ

He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of him is a burden to us because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange…Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God. Wisdom 2: 15,21-22

Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who… humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Philippians 2:5, 8b

The first passage above is from the book of Wisdom written around 200 B.C. You really have to read the whole chapter- it is a remarkable prophecy of Christ’s suffering, death and rising. But it also is a testimony to how different God’s ways are from our ways of thinking apart from him.

And that reality has been challenging me in recent weeks during my times praying over Scripture. The Lord wants to renew our ways of thinking about everything! Take as one example Jesus’ question and teaching to the disciples found in Matthew 16:13-27. Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter responds by the revelation of God, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Lord then goes on to explain his mission as Messiah and how he will suffer, die and be raised on the third day. Pete got the revelation that Jesus was Messiah, but when it came to the revelation of His mission, he could not comprehend how that had to do with Jesus, in fact he also would have feared what that would mean for him as lead disciple! I imagine Peter thinking to himself, “If you Lord, who are Christ, are to suffer and die, then what about me your follower?! Jesus in fact went on to say, "if anyone would come after him, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Like Peter, I recognize within myself patterns of thinking that are not yet subject to the Lordship of Christ. Thoughts that essentially continue to preserve my self life. Thinking that is not consistent with what I profess. Just like Peter, I can say by the grace of God, “Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of God!” But when he tells me that his mission also requires, death to self, I recognize areas of my mind that clearly are resistant to Him and need renewal! I want to say, God forbid!-just like Peter.

The Lord wants us to be his witnesses from the inside out. Like the passage from wisdom, he wants our manner of life to be unlike others, because we are growing in oneness with the Lord.

Some practical ways to co-operate with the Holy Spirit transforming our thinking

The good news is that the Lord knows exactly where we don’t have the mind of Christ and wants to transform our minds by the renewal of his Holy Spirit within us! (Romans 12:2). He is for you and He is the one who can change your mind!

In order for this to occcur it means hanging out with the Lord in daily personal prayer and Scripture.

It means being with Church as we celebrate the Liturgy and receiving his Word and His Body and Blood.

He wants to break strongholds of our thinking by his divine power (2 Cor. 10:4-6). That means if there are areas where evil spirits are influencing our thinking, we have authority in our Lord Jesus to renounce and give up fellowshipping with those patterns of thinking.

For our part he wants us to surrender to him. We need to talk to him daily and make a practice of surrendering to his leadership of my entire life. We can ask for his light to reveal the darkness within and to then renounce thought patterns that are not consistent with who He is and who we are. It is also wonderful that we can take advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation for more power to hold firm in our resolutions to draw closer to the Lord!

One last thing, St Paul’s exhortation to have the mind of Christ is spoken to Christians, the church and not just to ‘me and Jesus.’ A very important support to being a disciple of Jesus today is having some brothers or sisters who you can fully reveal yourself to. Trusted Christians who you can share and pray with, and turn to in times of trouble and times of joy. As we share with others with the desire to live for Christ, his light works through to transform us, and bring us more completely into the image of Christ, being fully who you were made to be in Him.

Jesus wants to teach us his ways that are not of this world, but which turn the world upside down and right side up, so that we see things as they really are, and can offer others more of his fullness of life which we are increasingly living!

No ordinary people, no mere mortals!

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities… that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

My dear friend Bert Ghezzi quoted this section of C.S. Lewis’ sermon in one of his books and it has had a profound and lasting impact on with me. In fact I carry a copy of it in my wallet and another inside the cover of my prayer journal. I do that to remind myself daily of the reality of what happens in my interactions with others and especially to re-read at times when I am tempted to be less than loving with others. I am called to relate in the love of Christ towards all I encounter. To relate to others as if Jesus were living my life and relating to them through me.

This can mean exercising patience at times, say with a grumpy customer service representative. Or being a truth teller with a friend who is veering into sin in her sharing about a mutual friend. In all our interactions with others it calls us to bear in mind the truth that I cannot be neutral in attitude towards anyone. No “ordinary” people. No mere mortals. Everyone is on the way to heaven or hell – no exceptions. Everything that I say or do can help or hinder them.
That is a real reason for seeing all that we do as evangelizing others to the love of God.

“Father, open our eyes to see people as you do and as they really are, created for eternity. Through Christ our Lord we pray, Amen! “

Gregory of Nazianzen

Yesterday the Church celebrated the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river by John the Baptist. I was inspired to pickup my Christian prayer book and read a bit of Gregory of Nazianzen from the "Office of the Readings." Gregory is a Church Father, born in 330, and has some great things to say about evangelization:

"Today let us do honor to Christ's baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom his every word and revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as you have received - though not in its fullness - a ray of its splendor, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen."

I love the basic theme which is so central to all we do! Encountering the love and mercy and majesty of the Trinity- Father, Son, & Spirit - and reflecting this light to others in a radiant way!

Come Holy Spirit, lead us into the love of the Father and the Son and use us as brilliant lights in this world! Amen!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

This morning we were sharing about the Mass readings and Leo, who works with me at ChristLife shared a great connection between today's feast and our evangelization efforts in bringing Jesus Christ to others:

Today, December 12, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In Mary we have a model for evangelization.

She appeared to a simple Mexican peasant, Juan Diego, to share God’s love with him and to ask him to go to the bishop of Mexico and request him to build a church in her honor on Tepeyac hill. The bishop asked for a sign. Mary sent Juan Diego to the top of the hill in the middle of winter to pick flowers for the bishop. The flowers were Castilian roses, flowers from his native country, Spain. Juan took the roses to the bishop wrapped in his tilma. When he opened it, the roses fell out and the bishop dropped to his knees. There imprinted on his tilma was an image of Mary. The bishop built the church and within 6 years, 6 million Aztec Indians converted to Catholicism. Prior to Mary’s appearance, missionaries had labored for years among the Aztecs with very little success.

Mary appeared to Juan as an Aztec princess clothed in native garb. She did not appear as a Jewish maiden from the Middle East. Around her waist she wore a sash or belt that indicated that she was pregnant. She spoke to Juan in his native dialect. She met him where he was in his culture and brought Jesus to him. The lesson for us as we go out to share God’s love with others is to meet them where they are, recognize their culture and adapt our words and actions to them in their culture.

How have you adopted the language or culture of others to bring Jesus Christ to them?

I personally think we are called to do this all the time. Several months ago I was at a local evangelization course and we were eating dinner with the guests and the election came up and we were all sharing our views... Now, I currently vote Republican - and it was clear a few others were not - but as we all were sharing - I "seasoned" my words not wanting to get into an argument with the guests (since I was about to give the talk on why we need Jesus as our Savior). I could have "pressed into" the argument, but I tried to meet them where they were and develop a relational connection - hoping that my words in the talk would bring conversion to Jesus.

Now, some would say I relatized my political view - and they would be somewhat correct... It was relatized in light of a much greater opportunity and command - to bring Jesus to this person. In an entirely different situation, I may have engaged the political discussion fully... But this was one opportunity where I adapted a bit in hopes to bring Jesus to this person.

Advent!

A hearty "happy Advent!" to you. I hope it's treating you well so far... I have an excellent video I want to share with this blog. It's 2-3 minutes long and is a video called Advent Conspiracy which overviews a movement of churches and individuals trying to make a difference this Christmas for those less fortunate AND gives a great perspective on gift-giving - a must see before YOUR shopping spree :)

The Advent Conspiracy Promo Video from Vimeo.

Can't play the above video? Watch it on GodTube.

Well, what did you think of the video? I think the idea is great... to "give Presence" this Christmas. Please share your thoughts on the comments below :)

-snip-

Finally, a word from Pope Benedict on Advent that connects to the above video (he gave this address yesterday in Rome):

Brothers and sisters, it is the time of Advent. In the language of the Church the word Advent has two meanings: presence and expectation.

Presence: The light is present, Christ is the new Adam, he is with us and in our midst. The light already shines and we must open the eyes of the heart to see the light and to enter the river of light. Above all to be grateful for the fact that God himself has entered history as new source of goodness.

But Advent also means expectation: The dark night of evil is still strong. And that is why we pray in Advent with the ancient people of God: "Rorate caeli desuper." And we pray with insistence: Come Jesus; come, give force to light and goodness; come where falsehood, ignorance of God, violence and injustice dominate; come, Lord Jesus, give force to the good of the world and help us to be bearers of your light, agents of peace, witnesses of truth. Come Lord Jesus!

How will you carry His Presence into your environments this advent and Christmas?

ChristLife on YouTube

Okay, so we are finally on YouTube. Apparently its the thing these days. We decided to put up a 5 minute trailer of our Sharing Christ series. This seven session series via DVD or CD is all about training Catholics and other Christians in how to share the message of Jesus and His impact on our lives - with those around us. Its simple and very powerful. Check out the intro:

Finally, we here at ChristLife aren't the richest people. So, how did we get this video production done? Our Father. Pretty much. We met a wonderful Baptist man who happened to 1) love Catholics, 2) be all about evangelism, and 3) be an award-winning producer. All of that equals a miracle. And the amazing thing is - stuff like this happens (like in the plural) at ChristLife. Thank you Father!

Son of Hamas leader's conversion to Christ

"...we preach Christ crucified,.. to those of us called,...Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 1:23-25

In our day, where and when Christians are ready and willing to share the love of Christ with others, the the life changing power of the Gospel is still as effective as in the days of the early church!

The young man in this video, Mosab Hassan Yousef, is the son of a very well known Hamas leader on the west bank. Several years ago he was invited to hear a talk about Jesus. He had seen the torture inflicted by Hamas leaders on their followers, and while reading his Bible secretly read Jesus' call to love our enemies. The truth of God, which is weakness to the world, proved to be stronger than man's ways! This truth is seen in completeness in Christ crucified! Jospeh(his Christian name) Hassan Yousef has given his life to Christ! He knows that Jesus is the way to God the Father, and is praying for his family and friends to embrace the Lord Jesus as well.

Let's us pray and look for opportunities to share the life changing good news of our Savior with anyone whom he leads us to. All people have the right to know the love of God made manifest in our Lord Jesus, the Christ!

Let's pray for this young man to become a living witness to many people, and in a special way to his Muslim family and friends! May the Lord protect and strengthen him, in Jesus name we pray. Amen!

earthen vessels

God is amazing. I'm really convinced of it. He really uses each of us, despite our weaknesses and insufficiencies, to restore people's hearts to friendship with Himself...

I got a call last Friday from a lady, for privacy purposes, named Leah. Leah explained she is homeless and on disability, but she was approved for section 8 housing recently. She went on to tell me, however, that she needed nearly $1600 in less than seven days for a security deposit - and the county government couldn't help her with this particular amount - so they told her to call churches and ministries. So she was obviously looking through the yellow pages making phone calls asking for money. She did have about $200 towards it and explained she is desperate to get into a place - her van or homeless shelters are rough on her, and her disability.

I responded telling her we at ChristLife don't give out funds for the poor, but, that I would ask around the office to see if anyone had cash. Well, that day only three young adults were in the office. We only had a few bucks.

Leah was so grateful I even asked others to personally give. Then I asked if she would like to pray over the phone. A pause goes by, and she answers "yes." I began to pray and invite the Lord Jesus to show her how much He loves her and to provide for her. After a tangible sense of God's presence, we ended the prayer with a hearty "amen." Leah then expressed her gratitude and gave me her number and said she would really love to help out some time.

Over the weekend that followed I prayed for her and then called her on Monday to see how the fundraising for her security deposit was going. Well, I didn't get a hold of her - and was worried that I wouldn't because she said her phone was going to be turned off at any point - due to not paying her bill.

But, on Tuesday she called and said, "thank you so much for praying with me, without it, I would have given up all the phone calls I was making." Then with lots of joy she said, "I got the whole amount of the deposit given to me by a local church coalition!" Whoa! I must admit, even during my prayers, I didn't have too much faith about her getting that much money in seven days. Praise God!

And Leah keeps insisting on how powerful praying with her was. Which is amazing because I didn't think too much of it at the time. And yesterday she came into ChristLife and I was able to share with her and pray a bit more... She was visibly moved and full of joy. It was as if I was the one who gave her the money; but rather, more correctly, the treasure.

And the incredible thing is that the Lord Jesus could use me in such a powerful way in someone else's life. All of this happened right in the midst of a season where I feel like I'm trying to do a lot for the Lord - but I don't see big ripe juicy fruit yet... Until this. Thank you Father!

If you feel like you are in a similar season as I was or you feel great weakness in fulfilling the mission the Lord's given us, then definitely read 2 Corinthians chapter 4. An excerpt: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." (vs. 7) Basically we are called to be common clay pots, so people know that when God uses us - that is not because of our special abilities - but that God is working through us!

Do you have an experience where God used you in the midst of your weakness and insufficiency?

Image credits: The first illustration is by Elizabeth Wang, "True Prayer" (CWC 5930) © Radiant Light 2006. The photo of the clay pot is from umamitv a blog on cooking.

Are we evangelizing in our parishes?

Recently a man who had seen a TV episode of The Choices We Face, on which I talked about evangelization, contacted me. As a result he called me for support and clarification on some of what he was experiencing. He had formerly been an evangelical Christian, was now a Roman Catholic, and wanted to continue to evangelize people to Christ within the context of his parish. His parish was the diocesan Cathedral, so he wrote his Bishop asking how do ‘we’ evangelize
people to Christ in our parish? He understood the place of RCIA and had been through it himself, but was asking, what else do we do? He was simply trying to understand how the parish evangelized. After respectfully writing three times and receiving no response he decided he had apparently gotten his response.

I have often heard this type of concern voiced by Catholics regarding their parishes or (arch)dioceses.The questions raised go like this: What are the steps we are taking to make evangelization our priority mission? What is our evangelization plan and process for my parish? Does anyone know the evangelization game plan in our parish so that we are all know what is expected of us and how we can support it? If evangelization is really a priority to us as Catholics, why isn't it reflected in the budget? Do we know that it is the universal calling, privilege and responsibility of every baptized Christian? Do we as Catholics realize this incredible calling given to each of us isn’t intended to be some abstract, irrelevant educational exercise we hear and vaguely remember, but rather is the power of the Gospel that can change the lives of people we encounter who desperately need good news! Is anybody being taught how to personally evangelize in our seminaries or parishes?

There are many Catholics (clergy, religious and laity), who are life long Catholics, who are raising these questions about evangelization, in addition to brothers and sisters who were formerly from other Christian traditions. I for one being a committed ‘cradle Catholic,’ would like to publicly express my gratitude for those of us who have come from other Christian backgrounds and have a deep personal commitment to evangelization. Thank God for their zeal! Oh that all Catholics would be so concerned for those around us to know the love of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!

The fact is we have Catholics who want to evangelize and don’t find the necessary support or means to do it as parishes. The Church teaches that the laity are intended to be in the front lines of evangelization in our neighborhoods and in the market place. The laity are crucial in the new evangelization and they need the support of their priests to get out into the harvest fields and spread the good news! Evangelization is after all not an isolated act: it is ecclesial. (See Pope Paul VI’s, EN, 60).

This issue of parish evangelization is a very serious pastoral challenge for the Church here in the United States. Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, speaking recently at a conference held in Rome on "The Parish and the New Evangelization," stated: "The Church exists only if it evangelizes, and the same is true for the parish. If a parish does not evangelize, it is only a building." Read the full article

The Magesterium teaches that evangelization is “the reason the Church exists.”(EN, 14) The universal mission of the Church we are taught is to be lived out at every level, in all institutions and in the lives of every baptized Christian (Mission of the Redeemer, 3). The US Conference of Bishops stated in “Go Make Disciples,” A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization, that the Bishops want “to make evangelization a natural and normal part of Catholic life and to give evangelizers the tools and support they need to carry out this ministry today.”

The bishops evangelization plan was written back in November 1992. It is worth asking ourselves as parishes how we are doing with evangelization becoming a natural and normal part of Catholic life in 2008? Since the place where the rubber meets the road for most people in terms of their Catholic life is the parish, what are we doing?

Three Steps parishes can take

I would like to offer three practical steps that we can take as parishes that can help us move forward in making evangelization the essential mission. I am not going to develop these points here, we do that in our Building Evangelizing Eucharistic Communities seminar. I am simply pointing out three practical areas worth parish staffs and councils discussing and considering in order to take some steps to move forward.

1. Provide ongoing opportunities for people to encounter Christ Jesus as Lord within the context of a welcoming relational community (of the parish). As a parish we need to have regular ways of inviting people to encounter the Lord Jesus, both for parishioners and those not connected with the parish.
Courses like Alpha, Life in the Spirit seminars and ChristLife’s Discovering Christ course are effective examples of courses that are offered over several weeks.
Retreats that evangelize people like Cursillo and Light of the World are also means of evangelizing people to Christ and fuller life in the parish.
Special events. Special events such as a music concert, a film, or our Christmas and Easter liturgies. These Masses have incredible potential for lovingly welcoming our annual Catholics to the parish through par the intro to the Mass and in proclaiming clearly at the homily the reason for the celebration of the Incarnation or Resurrection of Jesus and what it means for you! Also, having some type of event, course or retreat, to invite everybody to, which the presiding priest would personally invite all attending to come to. Having extra greeters who could pass out a welcoming leaflet and invitation to whatever it is we will offer to connect them to the love of God and our parish!

2. Develop an ongoing process of initiation in the parish that includes both actual evangelization of the participants (point one above) and practical life formation/catechesis. I am not talking about RCIA here (which is essential and needs to be taught well and in an ongoing manner). But here I am talking about formation (discipleship) for daily living as a Catholic follower of the Lord, e.g., How to have a personal prayer life; how the sacraments sustain and strengthen our daily life; reading Scripture as God’s word; Christian relationships; service and evangelizing, learning to deal with the world, the flesh and the devil, etc. Here at ChristLife we are piloting a new course entitled, Following Christ, which teaches on these basics of following Christ as Catholic disciple. We also have some video courses that help in this process.

3. Foster Community as part of the process. True interior conversion, the work of the Holy Spirit, is most effective when it occurs in the content of relationships. Without authentic Christian relationships within the context of the parish it is hard to expect anyone to make the shift from being ‘conformed to this world’ (See Romans 12:2) to a transformed Christian worldview and lifestyle. To live authentic Catholic lives we need each other! We can establish small Christian communities that spontaneously develop and flow out of the two previous points above if we make it a priority to pastorally care for their development.

We would be happy to personally talk with you or someone from your parish more about evangelization in your parish, if you would like. Contact us at: info@christlife.org May we all take active concrete steps to incarnate the calling of Christ our Lord and the Church to evangelize!

Reflections on my ChristLife Internship

"At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a person, the person of Jesus of Nazareth." - John Paul II

The Lord has taught me a great deal throughout my year internship at ChristLife, primarily in a deepening relationship and heart to serve the number one living person in my life - Jesus Christ! It is so incredible to look back on my life and how much the Lord has done and where He has brought me. During my senior year of high school I experienced the love and mercy of Jesus in a such a real way that there was no turning back! I needed to share it!

After serving a year of National Evangelization Teams (NET Ministries), I went to Steubenville followed by Towson for a Nursing degree, but was still unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I began my internship at ChristLife last fall, while studying at Towson.

This past year at ChristLife was an eye-opening experience of the aching hunger this world has for Jesus, not in theoretical way, but to know and love Him as a real person in their lives. I don't think words can express how awesome it is to be used by the Lord to tell people about the one thing they desire the most and to see Him transform their lives. That is the heart of ChristLife's ministry, and the Lord has really blessed it and I've been able to witness so many lives renewed by Jesus during this past year.

The most memberable aspect of my internship at ChristLife was beginning every work day together in prayer, praising the Lord and asking Him for all we needed that day and giving ourselves and our efforts to Him. My experiences during prayer and ministry at ChristLife lead me to desiring and asking the Lord to use me to serve His Church in a direct way with my career and whole life. This year the Lord opened all the doors for me to change my major to Theology and transfer to Ave Maria University for the remainder of my undergrad studies.

I am so grateful that Jesus brought me to ChristLife this past year and used it to show me what I am truly passionate about and how I can use that for His Kingdom! This experience impacted my life in so many ways, by being a place of encouragement, growth and challenging me to pray, to use my gifts and talents for the Lord, and to have courage to share His love with others! I am excited for the future interns at ChristLife and the awesome things the Lord has for them through this incredible experience!

ChristLife's 50th Podcast!

Wahoo! I can't believe we are already at 50 Podcasts! It's so amazing to look back and see all the inspiring men and women of God we were able to interview and learn from in all of these podcasts! If you've listened to any or all of them, I hope the Lord has impacted you in some way through them, because He definatly has impacted me!
You can Listen in to this exciting podcast with congratulations from many of our supporters including Archbishop O'Brien, and news about the awesome things going on in our ministry! Also, Chip shares with us his personal experiences of living out the call for a New Evangelization by JPII! To listen click here or press play below:

Give us your feedback please! How have these podcasts affected you? We'd love to hear from you!

My Cardboard Testimony

Take a look at this video!

This very simple means of having members of a congregation share a key point of their conversion, or place of deepening faith is very powerful and profound! It is a great way of sharing your faith in humility and succinctly. It is also a great opportunity for the person sharing the testimony to reflect and note a specific turning point.

This willingness of the people to humbly honestly share what has brought them to faith in our Lord, or to trust him more completely in crisis, is the way the Lord deeply touches those who need his grace and mercy!

One practical response to seeing this video, is to take the time to pray and write down your point of conversion or deepening faith in the Lord. Think of it as writing a few words just like they did on cardboard and then flipping it over and giving the change that has occurred. Some of us have numerous testimonies from our journey. All of them are redemptive doors of grace for people the Lord brings to us in daily life. This is a good exercise for each of us to do. It will increase your praise and thanks to God for the mercy He has shown you!

Can you imagine doing this in your parish! What amazing grace could be released for others, and what an amazing opportunity this would give us as parishioner's to proclaim the good news and lead people to receive forgiveness and into personal commitment to the Lord Jesus!

Receive the Power!

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the Earth.” -Acts 1:8

This years World Youth Day marks Pope Benedict's first visit to Austrailia. This year's theme is a new penecost and outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit! World Youth day is expected to attract more than 125,000 international visitors. Attending will be musicians such as Matt Maher, Hillsong United, and Human Rythmns. In an article by Zenit News Agency The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI explains that Jesus is the answer for everything and the reason for World Youth Day is to have a relationship with Him and proclaim Him when you go home. An excerpt from the article is below:

"Where can young people find the answers to their questions about the existence of God and the injustices they see in the world? In Christ", says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this in a video-message taped ahead of his trip to Australia, dated July 4, to the people of the nation and the young pilgrims who will take part in World Youth Day. The video was released today in Australia.

The 23rd International World Youth Day, to be held in Sydney from July 15 to 20, has as its theme "You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Has Come Upon You, and You Will Be My Witnesses."
"How much the world needs a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit," the Pontiff said. "There are still many who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, while many others, for whatever reason, have not recognized in this Good News the saving truth that alone can satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts."

The Holy Father said that he firmly believes the youth to be the "instruments of that renewal, communicating to their peers the joy they have experienced through knowing and following Christ, and sharing with others the love that the Spirit pours into their hearts, so that they too will be filled with hope and with thanksgiving for all the good things they have received from our heavenly Father."

Benedict XVI continued: "Many young people today lack hope. They are perplexed by the questions that present themselves ever more urgently in a confusing world, and they are often uncertain which way to turn for answers. They see poverty and injustice and they long to find solutions.

"They are challenged by the arguments of those who deny the existence of God and they wonder how to respond. They see great damage done to the natural environment through human greed and they struggle to find ways to live in greater harmony with nature and with one another."

The Pope asked, "Where can we look for answers?"

"The Spirit points us toward the way that leads to life, to love and to truth," he stated. "The Spirit points us toward Jesus Christ."

Quoting St. Augustine, the Pontiff affirmed, "If you wish to remain young, seek Christ."

"In him we find the answers that we are seeking," he continued, "we find the goals that are truly worth living for, we find the strength to pursue the path that will bring about a better world. Our hearts find no rest until they rest in the Lord, as St. Augustine says at the beginning of the Confessions, the famous account of his own youth.

"My prayer is that the hearts of the young people who gather in Sydney for the celebration of World Youth Day will truly find rest in the Lord, and that they will be filled with joy and fervor for spreading the Good News among their friends, their families, and all whom they meet."

Please pray for everyone attending World Youth Day 2008 that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the zeal and courage to spread Jesus' love to the world!

Enter the mission where you are!

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. Matthew 9:35-10:1

The heart of God is moved by compassion for those who are lost, confused, broken, wandering without knowledge of His love and forgiveness for them. So much so that the Father sent the Son so that, whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. The reality of this truth is perfectly revealed in the Lord Jesus in his passage from Matthew. He taught that God’s reign was here, now! He demonstrated this good news that the Lordship of God by healing every disease. In compassion he was and is moved to urge us to pray for more workers to carry on His mission. But in addition to praying, which is the essential work of evangelization, He wants us to go into the harvest fields and do what he did! See the last couple verses above!

The Lord Jesus has you strategically placed right where you live daily life. Pray for eyes to see the opportunities he has already arranged for you to engage, be kind and befriend those you get to encounter each week, and be ready to share about the Lord’s love for you and them, anytime and anywhere! Fasten your seat belt and watch how he uses you to help others know Him! He is moved by compassion and urgently wants all to enter into his life through his people, the Church!

Reaching out to Muslims

Recently I had the great privilege of speaking with Fr. Joseph Kenny, a Dominican friar from Nigeria. He shared with us the struggle of Muslims in Nigeria and how we can relate to them, understand them, and ultimately show the love of Jesus to them.

To give you a little background on Fr. Joseph Kenny: He was sent to Nigeria in 1964, while the Vatican II Council was in progress, because the Holy See requested the Dominicans to provide a resource person knowledgeable in Arabic and Islam, because nearly half the country is Muslim and there was a need at the very least to secure understanding and peace between the two communities. He took some time off to learn Arabic in Rome, Tunisia and Cairo, and to get a Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University in 1970. After resuming work in the North and then teaching Islamics at the government-owned University of Ibadan for 22 years, he is presently based at the Dominican Institute, Ibadan, which provides philosophy and theology courses for candidates for the priesthood as well as for lay students, and also courses in communications and Internet.

We began the interview discussing the necessity of everyone in the Church to show interest in Muslims and reach out to them. "Why? Because Christ died for them" (Fr. Kenny). That point may seem obvious, but it actually struck me that in my own life I don't know if I would go out of my way to speak to a Muslim because God loves them and I desire for them to know that. It is something that I think many of us know, but need to better practice and live out.
Fr. Kenny stressed the fact that we should "walk with the Muslims", that is, we should be understanding their situations, problems, customs, and their life from their perspective. We should try to learn about them and treat them as friends first and foremost. Not that we water down our faith, on the contrary, they actually deeply respect someone who is solid in their beliefs. Rather, "we propose, we do not impose" (Fr. Kenny quotes John Paul II).

There have been great improvements in Nigeria in the last several years, which can partially be attributed to John Paul II. Although, his impact did not come without a price. He took a bullet and was greatly rejected by Muslims initially. At his funeral there were countless Muslims saying how much they admired John Paul II and grieving his death. Since then there has been decreasing hostility between Muslims and Christians, yet it is still not the freedom that we have here in America and we should not take for granted. We are able to approach Muslims in the street and strike up conversations with them and even tell them about Jesus, which is something not possible in many Islamic countries. We should take advantage of this opportunity (Fr. Kenny).

I was very encouraged by my conversation with Fr. Kenny. He is very knowledgeable and has a passion and love for Muslims that I find inspiring. The main thing I hope to live out as a result of the conversation we had is to not be afraid to approach a Muslim and to strike up a conversation not necessarily preaching Jesus to them, but finding out how they are doing and seeing things from their perspective, becoming a friend first and foremost. Please pray for Fr. Kenny and his work in Nigeria, to find out more about his work click here.