Christifidelis Laici 59 & 60

Last week we recognized the need for formation in this life of being a disciple of Christ on mission.  In sections 59 & 60 this week, we are called by our Holy Father of blessed memory, Pope St. John Paul II, to recognize the need for a formation which prepares us for an integrated life of witness.  He points out that there cannot be a so-called spiritual life separated from our civil life or everyday life.  We have been created by God to live ONE life in which we live in Him and through Him, but we live that life in the garden in which He has set us.
 

Recognizing this reality of being children of God living in the world, we must be formed so that living in the world we act as agents of God in every aspect of our life.  This reality has been touched on before, but now we recognize that this doesn’t come about simply by desiring it; we must seek to be formed so that these good ideas become habitual ways of living on the way to becoming the virtues which give witness to the difference between a life lived with God in it, and a life lived for love of God and our neighbor.  The former is dipping our toe in the “Christian pool” and it won’t lead to salvation; the latter is the communion of life and love God created us for – and lived in this life it becomes a life eternally lived in glory.  So…

    1.  Does my cultivation of the spiritual life simply mean saying my prayers at meal-time or whenever else I’m in need? -or- Do I cultivate a spiritual life which is focused on coming into a deeper relationship, an intimate communion with God?

    2.  Do I seek to know what the Church teaches about the various aspects of human activity?  That is, am I attentive to the social, political, and other moral teachings of the Church?  -or- Do I treat these as the mere ramblings of one special interest group in society among so many others that I might choose?

    3.  Do I find myself negotiating between my faith and the things of this world that are before me? -worse yet- Do I separate my faith from my business, politics, and other aspects of daily life?

Challenge:  Keep track of the situations you confront and the decisions you are called to make this week.  Know what the Church teaches about that area of life and bring it to prayer before you act.

A New Blog Which I Follow

Dear Friends,

I firmly believe our time is best spent in reading good material; far more important to our spiritual growth than the "red meat" tossed to us by so many, even in the Catholic media or (especially) the 'chattering class' (blogosphere, Youtube, etc.).  So many seem to 'delight' in reading or watching material which will outrage them, give them reason to build 'righteous anger' or resentment towards others, especially towards those in authority or those in another class of people, choose your classification.  We must always remember that we have been called by our baptism to "charity", to holiness; knowing all, or being 'right' about anything is not our ticket to heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 13).

Fr. Derek Sadowski is one of those whom I would describe as "the best of us".  I've been in admiration of his piety, his intellect, his humility, and his humanity since his time in the seminary (my time as a young priest).  For that reason I am pleased to commend to you his blog: "Abide in Love".

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Petrine Ministry

This is an excellent homily covering many of the points I covered as well this Sunday, and then some.  Go figure, priests preaching from the Gospel!  :)  The homily starts at about the 26 minute mark.  Enjoy!

Missive

Last Saturday Bishop Hying of Madison and Archbishop Listecki led a rosary march to the Capital in Madison with over 2,000 people participating.  This was an effort to show solidarity in the face of the continuing fear brought about by the present pandemic as well as the violence of the past couple of months.  They beautifully sought to use the resources of our faith to bring about a conversion in the hearts of people and to ward off the evil that has attached itself to these two realities in our lives and the many other evils that continue to bedevil and divide us. Deacon Sam and I were discussing this and have decided that we should do likewise in our Tri-Parish Catholic Community. 

Eucharistic and Marian processions have been, until the past 40 years, an important part of our Catholic life, especially in times of disease and social unrest.  The point of these processions is to come together behind our Lord and our Blessed Lady in solidarity.  In so doing we are built up as the Body of Christ confronting not only the evils within our world, but the evil that spiritually drives those earthly realities.

Because we want to do this well, we will give ourselves some time in which to prepare.  We will have this procession down the streets of Cashton on Sunday, September 13 (the eve of the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross), after the 10:00 am Mass.  Mass will take place in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Church so that we will be free of the capacity issues presently in force.  After holy Mass, we will process with the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist and the statue of our Lady down the parade route and back, praying the rosary and singing songs.  On our return prayers of deliverance and blessing will be offered followed by Benediction.  Those who cannot walk the distance may follow us in their cars.  The parking lot next to Sacred Heart Church will be reserved for these people.

If you can be of help in organizing this effort, I would be most grateful; let me know!  More details will be made available in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, ALL THE FAITHFUL ARE ASKED TO PRAY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS EFFORT of bringing the resources of grace to bear against the forces of fear and division that have beset us over these past months and years.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Trial, or distress, or persecutions, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?  Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of Him Who has loved us.”  (Romans 8:35, 37)

Christifidelis Laici 57 & 58

Finally, we come to the last chapter of Pope St. John Paul the Great’s exhortation on the laity.  Having reminded us that every baptized person is called to mission, called to evangelize, in the next several sections he turns to the means by which we are prepared to carry out that mission.

The Holy Father begins by pointing out that our preparation for mission is “a continual process of maturation, of always bearing much fruit.”  He points out further along that this maturation cannot happen unless we remain firmly attached to the “vine” – Jesus Christ.  Thus, we reminded that we cannot give to others what we do not already have ourselves – a deep and intimate relationship with God.

He then points out that this is something that is revealed to us individually and  gradually.  Generally, the way we have been called to live and give witness to that vocation to holiness is revealed over time with the help of parents, spiritual guides, teachers, and other significant adults who help us to recognize our talents, our strengths, and those places where we need to grow more.  The particular periods of time where this occurs in a more focused way is the time of adolescence and young adulthood.  Our Holy Father reminds us that “no one must forget that the Lord, …, calls at every hour of life so as to make his holy will more precisely and explicitly known.”

He finishes this section by pointing out that knowing God’s will and desiring to fulfill it in our lives is not enough…we need to develop the capability of fulfilling His will as well.

So, with that in mind…

    1.  Are we consciously cultivating in our young people a trust in God which elicits in them a desire to seek, know, and do His will at all times?

    2.  How am I cultivating the tools & skills the young people in my life will need in order to carry out God’s will; especially cultivating in them a life of virtue?

    3.  Do I recognize the need to assist in developing that relationship with God through personal evangelization and catechesis of the young people around me?

Challenge:  In considering the above questions: What is my first step?