From Maintenance To Mission

What would you do if you couldn’t speak for nine whole months? And what if there were no cell phones, so texting or posting on social media weren’t an option? In this day and age, many of us can barely go nine minutes without posting, tweeting, or checking to see what someone else has shared, so nine months seems quite impossible - but it has been done. Maybe you remember the story of Zechariah…
He is the husband of Elizabeth, Mary’s older cousin whom she visited shortly after Jesus was conceived. Elizabeth and Zechariah are the parents of John the Baptist. Due to their advanced age they thought their prayers for a child had gone unanswered, so Zechariah was quite surprised when an angel of the Lord appeared to him while he prayed in the temple and told him that his wife would bear him a son. (Read Luke 1:5-25 for all the awesome details). When Zechariah questioned the angel out of doubt and skepticism he was told, “you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:20). Nine. Whole. Months.
We can only imagine what that time must have been like. Frustration must have been a good part of it. But silence can also bring profound joy. Think of the snow that falls silently, blanketing the world and muffling the noise, slowing us down for just a little while. And remember that seeds sprout in the silent darkness of the earth, growing without a sound into flowers, food and magnificent tall trees. It’s clear from what happened when John the Baptist was born that those nine months of silence were also a time of transformative grace for Zechariah. Upon the birth of his son he rejoiced and praised God first. Perhaps his temporary handicap had been an opportunity to learn how to pray more deeply and listen more intently, helping him to realize how much God loved him and wanted to bless him and his family. Our God goes to great lengths and uses unconventional methods to get our attention. Is he trying to get yours?
As we grow in discipleship and move our parish from maintenance to mission, Advent is the perfect time to embrace silence. Try shutting down your cell phone for a few minutes here and there, or skip the TV and just invite him to be with you for a while. Have you noticed that the exact same letters that are used to spell SILENT can be rearranged to spell LISTEN? God doesn’t need nine whole months to transform your life, just an invitation and a space to dwell in the silence of your heart. Then watch and see how he wants to bless you and your family, just as he did for Zechariah.

From Maintenance To Mission

Happy New Year! This Sunday is the first of the new liturgical year, which also marks the beginning of Advent, the season that lasts about four weeks and prepares us to celebrate Christmas (the season, not just the day). During Advent we reflect on Jesus – how he came to dwell among us in the flesh, how he continues to dwell with us through the Holy Spirit, and how we wait in joyful hope for him to come again. Advent prepares us to be with Jesus. This month’s GIFT sessions focus on precisely that. Being offered next Sunday after the 9:30AM Mass or Thursday the 12th at 7PM, the session is entitled “All is calm – praying in the presence of Jesus.” Both sessions will take place in the church. Treat yourself to the greatest GIFT this year; slow down for a while and experience the peace and calm that only comes from Jesus.

In the midst of my confusion,
in the time of desp’rate need,
when I am thinking not too clearly –
a gentle voice does intercede.
 

Slow down, slow down, be still –
be still, and wait –
on the Spirit of the Lord.
Slow down – and hear His voice –
and know that He is God.
 

In the time of tribulation –
when I’m feeling so unsure –
when things are pressing in about me –
comes a gentle voice so still, so pure.
 

Slow down, slow down, be still –
be still, and wait –
on the Spirit of the Lord.

Slow down – and hear His voice –
and know that He is God.
And know that He is God.

From Maintenance To Mission

“It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy…” Always and everywhere giving God thanks. Have you ever stopped to think about these words we hear during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass? It’s a little easier said than done!

For many of us, the attitude of gratitude comes a little easier this week as we prepare to gather with family and friends for a scrumptious feast. We will enjoy good food and pleasant company, counting our abundant blessings feeling satisfied in life – at least for a day. But what about those who experience dread as this suppose-to-be-joyful day approaches, because of sadness, hurt, need or loneliness? And what about all the struggles we face throughout the year? How do we give thanks always and everywhere, even in times of sickness, financial challenge, relationship crisis or parenting stress? In his Eyes on Jesus podcast this month Archbishop of Detroit, Allen Vigneron, suggests these spiritual practices that can help:

1. Be honest with God. In your conversation with him acknowledge your difficulty and don’t pretend you’re feeling something other than you really feel. It’s OK to say to him, “Lord, I aspire to be thankful but I’m not.” Saying this doesn’t mean you’re less than committed to being thankful at all times, you’re just acknowledging that your struggle is real. Sometimes we wish things could be different than they are, but we just have to suffer through them; still, give thanks to God that he cares enough to hear what’s going on in your heart.

2. Get an ally. The Saints talk about uniting our hearts with Mary, or Jesus himself. Say, “Look Lord, I’m not doing this very well. In fact, I don’t feel like doing this at all right now, but I’m uniting this with the prayers of Mary.” And to Mary say, “Our Lady, I can’t do this right now. You’re going to have to do this for me.” And you should never feel guilty about asking Mary for help. Think of it this way, what if you had a friend who needed help, but didn’t feel like they could ask you for some reason? Wouldn’t you be sad and hurt that your friend didn’t feel like they could count on you? That’s how Mary feels when we don’t turn to her with our struggles.

3. Thank God ahead of time. Blessed Solanus Casey is well known for this spiritual practice, which encourages us to be abandoned to God’s will. “This is the ultimate goal of a Christian, to be configured to Christ in the self-gift of trust to the Father. What Fr. Solanus was asking people to do when they came to him and wanted his intercession was to give their unconditional ‘Yes’ to God; that if the prayer produced the miracle, thanks be to God. If the prayer didn’t produce the miracle God deserved to be thanked as well, because God always answers a prayer in the way that leads to our salvation and his glory, and we can’t want any more than that. He was inviting people not to make their commitment to God conditional, but unconditional,” Archbishop Vigneron says. Thanking God ahead of time also reminds us that he is present with us in every situation and it helps us to stay focused on him, watching to see how he’s at work in our lives.
 
This Thanksgiving and throughout the new liturgical year, let us strive to give God thanks always and everywhere. Spiritual practices like this will surely move our parish from maintenance to mission!

From Maintenance To Mission

If you’ve gone out to do any shopping in the past week you know that retailers are already prepared for Christmas shoppers. This is the time of year children begin making their lists for Santa, and spouses begin dropping “hints” to one another. What’s on your wish list this year?
It’s always fun to hope for something new. An upgraded phone, tickets to an event, a new outfit, or a great pair of shoes can all bring about a level of happiness and excitement. But events come and go, and new electronics and clothing eventually become out dated. Why not add something to your list this year that will continue to be a source of inspiration, enlightenment, comfort and joy for you for the rest of your life, and that you can pass on to the next generation of your family? Try asking for a beautiful crucifix for your home, a statue for your mantle, a set of rosary beads for your personal prayer time, or a medal to wear. These are wonderful, affordable, and very special gifts to give or receive! The Church calls them sacramentals. Displaying or wearing these items shows that your faith is important to you, and they are ever-present reminders of how to live as a follower of Christ. People who have a devotion to Mary often wear the Miraculous Medal, praying,

“May this Medal be for each one of us
a sure sign of your affection for us
and a constant reminder of our duties towards you.
Ever while wearing it,
may we be blessed by your loving protection
and preserved in the grace of your Son.”

Don’t confuse sacramentals with good luck charms, though. Think of them as visible prayers that guide us in the ways of holiness in every situation, rather than things that prevent bad luck. The faithful use sacramentals to express devotion and piety, but they are not to compete with or replace the Mass or celebration of sacraments. Paragraph 1670 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says, “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it.” Simply stated, they are meant to lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Could there be a better gift to give or receive?Striving for holiness is the job of every disciple. Perhaps there’s a sacramental that you can add to your wish-list, one that will guide you on the path of discipleship and will help you do your part in leading our parish from maintenance to mission.