As many of you already know, Sr. Ginger and I recently launched our new ministry formation program in August.  Our first events were held at St. Thomas More parish in Glendale, San Francisco de Asisi in Flagstaff and All Saints in Mesa. We are so grateful to the pastors and parish staffs who showed us such an outpouring of support and good will. It was also wonderful to see the support from so many of our friends in ministry throughout the Diocese of Phoenix. Their prayers and presence really gave us a lot of strength and courage that will sustain us as we move forward in our ministry.

Now for some musings:

For those of us involved in evangelization and catechesis, we must always be mindful that it is always Gods’ action, presence and spirit which brings people to the place of knowing Jesus Christ. Part of the work of evangelization and catechesis is providing an environment in which the Word of God can be heard, nourished and celebrated. Thus, evangelization and catechesis requires a profound spirituality of humility, creating space for the activity of God in the lives of people. A spirituality of humility invites us to be prepared to accept and even embrace the messiness of human life as it grapples for meaning and purpose. Evangelization, as Pope Paul VI stated so powerfully, is the essential purpose for which the Church exists. Evangelization is the work of all baptized Christians…to seek opportunities to create space for the Word of God to enter into people’s lives.  Evangelization is not about going around asking everyone you encounter whether or not they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior…though it can be that! More often, it begins with hospitality, kindness, and a sincere concern for others. We become the context of invitation through our response of love and concern for the other. As St. Paul reminds us that without love we are simply noisy symbols clashing!

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Christian evangelization is the unfortunate reality that what is being proclaimed on Sunday from our places of worship, finds very little expression in the lived experience of many Christians. A separation exists between what is proclaimed at Church and what is being integrated in the lives of our Catholic people. This reveals, I believe, a crises in our catechesis. Christian life is a journey toward conversion, a life -long process of becoming fully human. So we must ask ourselves whether our catechetical programs are assisting persons in coming to know that Christian faith is a way of life, a way of standing in the world as a sign and witness to Christ in our lives. In our love for Christ are we aware of the needs of one’s neighbors, one’s community and in solidarity with concerns of the world. Are we helping people understand that Christian life is made known in the giving of one’s own life for others?

Too often, it is easier to identify a Catholic by what they are against. This is not to undermine the very serious assaults upon human dignity which we find prevalent throughout our society and culture. We need to realize, however, that personal moral indignation does nothing to change the world. Catechesis, therefore, must not only help people to understand the relationship between human life, doctrine and sacramental practice, but must also assist us in cultivating a deeply rooted spirituality that opens us to an awareness of the other.

At the heart of the “New Evangelization” is the call for renewal within our own Catholic lives. In order for an authentic invitation of sharing the Good News to take place, we must first have the ability to understand what it means to be saved! We must come to recognize the story of grace, salvation and redemption as a living story of Christ in our own lives! Until we can see our own lives as being radically dependent on God’s profound love and mercy,  we will continue to view faith as moral indignation rather than a response to God’s loving presence in the world calling us always to become more and more generous, open hearted and compassionate. Let us be reminded by the words of Pope Benedict XVI in the encyclical Deus Caritas Est: “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”

If you would like to learn more about how to create a dynamic and inspiring process for your catechetical or adult education program, please contact faithonfirenow.org to arrange for a catechetical workshop or pastoral retreat.

]]> http://www.faithonfirenow.org/97/barrys-reflection/feed/ 1 http://www.faithonfirenow.org/213/iprayer/ http://www.faithonfirenow.org/213/iprayer/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:22:13 +0000 admin http://www.faithonfirenow.org/?p=213

New Year’s Prayer

God Of Wonder and everlasting Peace,

You have given us Your Son,

born of a woman, yet the Incarnation of your Love.

As we celebrate, this  great act of love

let us be mindful of the great promise his birth proclaims,

continue to work to make this promise a reality

and be strengthened by his presence in our lives.

We ask this in faith and in name your Incarnate love,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

AmenAdvent Prayer

God of Hope and joyful waiting, We stand in need of your healing presence. Our world is ravaged by war and famine,natural disasters and violence.

Yet, You promise to take away our old ways and give us new ways to live, in justice, peace and equality. You promise to strengthen our hearts so we can love one another in truth, tenderness and honesty.

In these days of Advent, may we recognize that what we are most longing and earnestly desiring is to know that you are near. You are here among us, in our midst and there is nothing to Fear.

You have fulfilled the promise and continue to bring it about by guiding us to live, not in human ways, but in Your ways. Then we can leap for joy and know: Our God is here.

Our God is Emanuel

November Prayer

God of loving gentleness, we commend the souls of all those who have died, to Your merciful care.We remember especially those who we have loved and hold  in the silence of our hearts.

We believe that we  will see them  again, yet now we must rely on our memories of love, friendship and joy.

So we pray, that each of them may be in the company of the angels and saints and enjoy for ever Your heavenly banquet.

We ask this as we do all things, in the name of Your beloved Son. Amen

October Prayer

God of wonder and mystery

You created us male and female,

Both in Your image,

Neither image completely reflects You

Neither image is less than the other,

But we are distinct in our diversity.

In Your wisdom and grace you have given us

The ability to know the wonders of life

and to cherish  it from conception to natural death

Grant us the strength to be the voice of those who have no voice:

The poor, the marginalize, the unborn, uninsured and those on death row.

May others know we hold all of life as sacred by our actions,

our words and the  prayers we speak.

September Prayer

God of Wisdom,

Send us Your Spirit to be with us during this school year so that we can all

Devote ourselves to learning and share that knowledge with others.

Bless all students that they may enjoy school, delighting in the discoveries that await them, persisting in their studies and desiring to explore new ideas.

Bless all teachers, with patience, and enthusiasm for their students as they encourage them to dream their dreams and challenge eager minds.

We ask this in faith and in the name of Jesus the teacher.

Who said, I am the way, the truth and the life, now and forever.

AMEN

August Prayer

Holy One,
You who have always walked with pilgrims, Send Your Spirit to ignite the faith in our heart, So that we can accept Your invitation to: embrace the challenges before us, recognize the blessings in our lives, and share Your message of love with others. We ask this in the name of the One, who lives with you in union with the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN