The Gift of Transformation

Over the past few weeks, I have thought deeply about my relationship with God. Prompted by the Baptism of the Lord celebrated at the end of the Christmas season, the opening unit for a course I'm teaching about Ministry in Catholic Schools, and the movie Encanto (what is Maribel's gift?, Bruno seems to be a prophet who is not accepted in his native place, everyone's gifts need to work together and work for the good of others) my reflections have centered on my own baptism, my gifts (or charisms), and my ministry. 

Christ grafts us onto His Mystical Body at our Baptisms. We become new creations, imbued with the Holy Spirit in a way that sets us apart for a particular purpose. Blessed with unique and supernatural gifts - charisms - Christ transforms us.

This type of transformation entails more than just a change of habits, routines, and/or lifestyle. To loosely use a scientific connection, we undergo a chemical change instead of a mere physical one. We don't just change states, like when liquid water freezes to become ice. Our transformation occurs in our very being; our substance changes from a mere human being into a beloved child of God with whom God is well pleased (cf. Luke 3:22). 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baptism-of-Christ.jpg#filelinks

As a part of God's royal bloodline, He calls us to take part in the family business. "All of the baptized are called to work toward the transformation of the world" (USCCB, 2005, p. 8). We are invited by the "Risen Lord" to "labor in his vineyard, that is, in a world that must be transformed in a view of the final coming of the Reign of God; and the Holy Spirit empowers all with the various gifts and ministries for the building up of the Body of Christ" (USCCB, 2005, p. 7). Our ministry as baptized Christians participates "in the threefold ministry of Christ, who is priest, prophet, and king" (USCCB, 2005, p. 7). 

As members of the Body of Christ, we form Christ's hands, feet, voice, and ongoing ministry in the world today. 

And, as members of God's family, we all have unique purposes and gifts that, when united with each other and with Christ, carry out the work of salvation. This unity does not mean "uniformity, but an organic blending of legitimate diversities" (St. John Paul II, 2001, #46). As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit...To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 

You have unique gifts that Christ needs you to develop, harness, and share with the world. We all do, even if our gifts don't seem to be as flashy or powerful as others'. 

As we take up the mantle of Christ's mission of salvation, we will come to see our need to coordinate with others. This work requires diversity in ministry and unity in mission. “(C)ommunion and mission are profoundly connected with each other, they interpenetrate and mutually imply each other…communion represents both the source and fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion” (St. John Paul II, 1998, #32).

May the Holy Spirit burst into our lives, burn within our hearts, and propel us to offer our gifts of transformation.  

References:

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2005). Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A resource for guiding the development of lay ecclesial ministry. https://www.usccb.org/upload/co-workers-vineyard-lay-ecclesial-ministry-2005.pdf
• St. John Paul II. (1998). Christifideles Laici. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html
• St. John Paul II. (2001). Novo Millennio Ineunte. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20010106_novo-millennio-ineunte.html

Keep Fighting for Joy

Almost seven years ago, I penned this blog on fighting for joy. 

Here are the highlights: 

• Joy isn't a reaction to circumstances; it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In this way, it should be considered a virtue instead of an emotion. It is a tendency, or disposition, toward the good. According to Peter Kreeft, "Pleasure is in the body. Happiness is in the mind and feelings. Joy is deep in the heart, the spirit, the center of the self."
• We can foster more joy in our lives through prayer, sacrifice, and curiosity - wonder - born out of gratitude.
• The enemy will come to kill and steal and destroy our joy (John 10:10). Therefore, we have to fight for it - finding joy, keeping it, giving it to others. 

If seven additional years of living have taught me anything, it is that I underestimated just how much this fight for joy would be the fight of my life. 

Life is really hard and filled with suffering; it is good, though, and also filled with blessings. 

Finding, keeping, and giving joy requires vigilance in prayer, self-care, and being aware. 

This fight for joy will necessitate faith and demand hope. Faith in a God who promises that the best is always yet to come, if not in this life then assuredly in the next. This fight for joy demands hope that this promised future will come to fruition.

And, faith and hope depend on love. Not on our love, thankfully; our love is fickle and fleeting. Our faith and hope rely on God's perfect love. This love - willing the good of another - is what makes our faith in Him and our hope in a better future more than fantasy. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (John 3:16). 

God's deep, abiding, abounding love for us compelled Him to take on our human flesh, enter creation, and teach us "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6) in order to reunite us to Himself. 

He testifies to His love for us by taking on the punishment for our sins on the cross. And, His love for us was so powerful that not even sin and death could overcome it. He rose from the dead and lives again and promises those who believe in Him this same partaking in eternal life. 

Jesus is who He says He is. He keeps His promises. He loves us - you, me, everyone. 

As we enter these final few days of Advent, enter into the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Nativity.  The prophecies of the Old Testament were all fulfilled - perfectly, entirely, unexpectedly. God comes to us in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, not as a warrior king, but behind enemy lines, as a baby, on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, into a family of low status. 

As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Enemy-occupied territory - that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage” (Mere Christianity, 1952).

Be on the lookout for God's surprises in paradoxical ways. We actually get more joy out of giving than receiving. Like Mary, we become who we were created to be in the measure that we both align ourselves to God's plan for us and freely give ourselves to others. Like Joseph, we may be called to our vocation in a way that is quite unlike what we had in mind. Like John the Baptist, we must decrease and point others to Christ so that He can increase. Like Elizabeth and Zechariah, we need to maintain faith that our God of love gives us reason, even when it seems to be beyond reason, for hope. 

Our Lord conspires - meaning that He breathes with us - for us to take part in His story of salvation. He  plans for us to play a key role, albeit a supporting and most likely conventional one, in HIStory.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ desires more joy for us than we could ask for or even imagine. 

Keep fighting for it...the best is yet to come!

Rise up!

Joseph Heagney (2016) argues that defining the problem is often the most important and overlooked part of a the work of a team, group, or organization.  Teams often jump into naming the solution or not going far enough in their definition of the problem. Heagney poses the situation of someone's car breaking down. 

A solution minded approach is that you overlook what the problem really is, and just jump to the solution, to fixing it, potentially neglecting underlying and undiagnosed conditions. 

A shallow definition of the problem is that the car is broken down. This, though, is not necessarily the problem. 

Heagney states that in digging deeper into the situation, the problem arises when the car is broken down AND you have somewhere to which you need to get by car. 

This clearer statement of the problem can then lead to actionable solutions: walking, riding a bike, taking a bus, Uber, calling a tow truck to get it fixed. 

Being aware of the situation - our car is broken down - is important. However, a deeper definition of what makes this a problem can lead to the right solution and the steps to get there. 

To make what might be a stretch of a connection to the first and second weeks of Advent, it is great that we wake up and become aware of our need for a Savior in Jesus Christ. This is important. Hearing a grinding noise, feeling rattling, seeing smoke - these are all important things to notice to know that your car isn't functioning properly. 

But, noticing these things doesn't mean that you will actually do anything about them. 

Many people saw Jesus - witnessed His miracles, listened to His preaching, knew Him personally, and acknowledged there was something special about Him - but failed to take the next steps to actually do anything about this awareness. 

From the rich young man who goes away sad after being told to sell all of his possessions and then follow Jesus  (Mt. 19:16–30; Mk. 10:17–3; Lk. 18:18–30), to the disciples that grumble and walk away from the Bread of Life discourse (John 6), to Judas (John 13:29) and Pontius Pilate (John 18:28-40) there are many examples of people who were aware of the situation of Jesus, but unwilling to take the next steps to do anything about it.

This week, let's turn our alert and oriented states into action.

Our messages this week focus on preparation (12/5, 12/9, 12/10, and 12/11), and finding a way to encounter and bring others to Christ (12/6 and 12/7). From St. John the Baptist's messages (12/5, 12/9, 12/10 and 12/11), to St. Nicholas's (12/6) social justice efforts, to St. Ambrose's (12/7) preaching and prophesying that converted St. Augustine and Emperor Theodosius, to Juan Diego's (12/9) humble service to Our Lady of Guadalupe, to the Immaculate Conception's (12/8) fiat to bring Christ into the world, the cloud of witnesses whose feasts we celebrate this week demonstrate discipleship in action. 

May any inspiration we find in these scriptures and stories spur us to imitation and ignition. 

This Advent, the Holy Spirit is prompting you to wake up. Through the sights and sounds of the season, He is striving to get your attention.  

He has placed some definite action on your heart and is leading you to more faithfully live out your call to follow Christ: read the daily Scripture; learn more about the saints celebrated throughout Advent; devote time to praying the Rosary; participate in reconciliation, the Eucharist, Adoration; spend less money on gifts and invest more time on relationships; connect with the lost and lonely; heal past hurts; forgive as we would like to be forgiven; turn off your phone, your device, your computer, your TV, and/or the lights to get more sleep; turn on sacred silence and take time in solitude; listen; pray.

You're awake. 

Don't stay where you are. 

Rise up. Take up your mat - whatever action you're being called to embrace.  

And go!

*In the spirit of last week's post, here is a soundtrack for Advent's Week 2. There are a few traditional hymns and carols this time around with some others that fit more with the scripture and saints. I hope they help you to rise up, take up your mat, and go: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LhYy6ArZtpaqySboxpXms?si=fa0cf831c6984d3f.

Reference:

Heagney, Joseph. (2016). Fundamentals of Project Management (5th Edition). New York: 

    AMACOM – Book Division of American Management Association. 

Wake up!

As a high school football player at Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Ohio, our team did not have a field on our campus. As such, we had to run to a local park that was about a mile away from the school. Once the entire team was dressed for practice and our coaches - who traveled to the field in a van with water and other equipment - gave us the okay, we were to start running to the field. 

However, we would walk until one of the sophomores on the team tasked with "van duty" would shout "Van!" as he saw it pull out of the school's parking lot. 

Most of the time this strategy proved successful. The young scout would spot the van and alert the rest of the team of its coming. 

Sometimes, though, the spotter would get caught acting like a typical 15 year old boy and miss the van's arrival, causing the team to endure more sprints and the offending player to have a rough practice. 

Other times the coaches, who undoubtedly knew our strategy, would take a side street and catch us unaware and slacking. 

We could have - and in hindsight should have - just ran anyways and without the presence of the coaching staff. Instead, though, we sacrificed building our endurance to play this game of cat and mouse. 

This Advent, let's stop playing the game of consumerism attached to Christmas and instead run the race of faith that has been marked out for us as disciples of Christ.

This first week of Advent, Christ commands us, "Be vigilant at all times" and "and pray that (we) have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). Jesus encourages us to beware - to be aware - of not becoming "drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch (us) by surprise like a trap" (Luke 21:34-35). 

Let us not rely on a scout to warn us that Christ is coming. Christ has told us Himself!

Let's wake up and run! 

Let's stay awake and keep running! 

Keep your eyes open to the wonders God has wrought in our midst - healing the centurion's servant (11/29/21), feeding the 5,000 (12/1/21), and literally opening the eyes of the blind person (12/3/21). 

Continue to listen to the words of the Word of Life, who today is speaking life into our dry bones, inviting us into discipleship and to take part in His saving mission (11/30/21 and 12/4/21). 

Heed His messages and build your life on the solid rock of Christ (12/2/21). 

Wake up from your slumber. Glory is waiting...and coming. 

*If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a huge fan of music and often accompany my ideas with songs. Below I propose a soundtrack for Week 1 of Advent. This won't even come close to the typical sounds of the season, but I hope it helps you to wake up, stay awake and keep running the race of faith: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/69nnfNJXHR52zsBPhfUgGB?si=f609103a1d964b0f.

That All May Be One, Part 1A

First, it is not lost on me that I divided my thoughts about Jesus's line "that all may be one" into two parts! So, that is why I decided to title this Part 1A, instead of 2 (click here for Part 1)! Part 1A is in a separate post because 1.) I hadn't written this part yet, and 2.) it would have made last week's post even longer!

Jesus desires communion with us and that we have communion with each other. This is why He was sent by the Father: to bring us back into right relationship with our Father, and for us to come into right relationship with each other. 

That all may be one. 

This unity with God and with each other, though, does not mean uniformity. 

St. Paul (Ephesians 4:1-6) riffs on this idea of unity in the following manner:

I...urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

God has called us to Himself and we need to live accordingly in relation to both God and each other. We have been called uniquely and individually, yet to the same Spirit: one Body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. In God, we find a brotherhood and sisterhood deeper than any familial bloodlines. 

This call to the same Spirit requires that we approach each other with humility, gentleness, patience, and love. It entails striving and persevering. 

In short, it demands hard work. 

But, we need not rely on solely on our feeble human efforts, abilities, and personalities. Be encouraged: God our Father supplies us with grace sufficient for this work and any work to which we are called! 

St. Paul continues (Ephesians 4:7):   

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

The Holy Spirit infuses us with what is needed in order to commune with others and with God. Invoke this divine direction through prayer and participation in the sacraments, which are efficacious - meaning effective - signs of God's grace (CCC #1131). Come, Holy Spirit. Amen! 

Finally, as we draw together in communion with each other and with God, we will come to better understand and accomplish our mission. St. John Paul II demonstrates the interconnectedness of mission and communion writing, "(C)ommunion and mission are profoundly connected with each other, they interpenetrate and mutually imply each other, to the point that communion represents both the source and the fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion" (1988, #32). 

If we are to accomplish the work to which we have been called, we will need God and others. And, this unity of mission depends upon a plurality of gifts that are shared within a community. 

St. Paul concludes (Ephesians 4:11-13):

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature (personhood), to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

May we partner with God and each other so "that all may be one" in our Catholic schools, in our communities, and in our world. 

We truly are better together.

Together as one. 

References:

Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). (1997). http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1131.htm 

Pope John Paul II. (1988, December 30). Christifideles Laici. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html 

That All May Be One, Part 1

After going to Mass with my family on Halloween, I noticed a large number of people wearing red gathered outside of a Protestant church. Intrigued, I immediately Googled it: "Protestants wearing red." 

I discovered that Protestants celebrate Reformation Day on October 31. Commemorating the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of a church in Germany because of the crowds that would be going to mass on All Saints Day, I had no prior knowledge of this day before this revelation.

I am in the process of reading Models of the Church by Avery Cardinal Dulles. In it, Cardinal Dulles names "Church as Herald" as one of the models. In this model, we understand "Church" to be the place that proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Word of God has authority in this model and "on the lips of the authorized herald, (the Word of God) is impregnated with the power of God himself, whose word it becomes" (Dulles, 2014, p. 76). This primacy of scripture reminded me of Martin Luther and his call to the Church to elevate and focus on God's Word as supreme. 

And today, on the feast of St. Josaphat, 16th Century bishop and martyr who worked to end the schism between the Roman and Orthodox churches, the optional readings contain this message from Jesus in John 17:20-23:

Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. 

So that all may be one.  

Christ came to bring communion. 

He came to bring us into communion with Himself and in turn God our Father. He came to bring us into communion with each other. 

He came to end division - literally di - more than one, vision - way of seeing. 

Christ came so that all may be one. 

In thinking and learning more about Martin Luther, and in this spirit of communion, I sympathize with him. He encountered a corrupt Church and sought reform. The selling of indulgences and the autonomous clericalism that accompanied it warranted change. Promoting the Bible as the authority and source of God's revelation had deep roots in Augustine and Aquinas.  In the face of being told to renounce his claims, Martin Luther stood for what he believed to be a clearer vision of truth. 

Martin Luther, I think, ultimately desired communion. He loved the Church so much that he risked everything for its sake. 

I am far from an expert on Protestantism or Martin Luther or even Catholicism - especially during that period of time. However, it pains me to think that this moment of division could have been delayed if not avoided altogether. 

Communion requires communication throughout a community. 

This entails 2 and 3 and 47-way communication. It necessitates dialogue - talking between or across another. As a theological concept, communion demands giving of ourselves to each other. This remains the only way to come to the fullness of who God created us - as both individuals and communities - to be. 

In the document The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (1988), the Congregation for Catholic Education writes, 

The declaration Gravissimum educationis notes an important advance in the way a Catholic school is thought of: the transition from the school as an institution to the school as a community...the community dimension is primarily a theological concept rather than a sociological category...where the Church is described as the People of God.

Our schools must fight against becoming and/or living as institutions. Instead, we must strive to establish our schools as communities, founded on the theological concepts of the Trinity and the human person created in God's image and likeness.

We are better together and God desires "that all may be one" with Him and each other. 

This takes work - messy, hard, slow work - requiring patience, forgiveness, humility, sacrifice, and trust.

This, ultimately, takes each other. 

This, essentially, takes grace.

References:

Congregation for Catholic Education. (1988). The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School: Guidelines for reflection and renewal. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19880407_catholic-school_en.html

Dulles, A. (2014). Models of the Church. Image.

Disciples Create Disciples

"This call to personal holiness and to apostolic mission is common to all believers; but there are many cases in which the life of a lay person takes on specific characteristics which transform this life into a specific 'wonderful' vocation within the Church" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1982, #7). 

The Catholic Church believes that teachers within Catholic schools form 'an authentic apostolate'" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #63). In this way, the Church recognizes Catholic school teachers as apostles sent by Christ to carry out His saving mission. This work, according to the wisdom of the Church, becomes a vocation - a calling - in order to  bring to life Christ's mandate, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Apostle means a person who is sent on mission. And, mission literally means "sending" and involves one person going to others to bring about some sort of positive change in their favor. 

In succession from the first apostles, an apostle can be anyone who performs a "unique and invaluable work for the Church” (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #63). Most often used in reference to bishops, we can apply "apostle" and its derivatives apostolic and apostolate to ministers whose primary function entails furthering the mission of Jesus Christ. 

Catholic school teachers are apostles. They take up the mission of Christ to bring about positive change in others' lives. In order to execute this work, Catholic school teachers must foster their own personal holiness in order to more fully accomplish this apostolic mission. 

The two go hand in hand. 

In order to further the apostolic mission to make God known, loved, and served, a Catholic educator must grow in her/his own personal holiness. As Catholic school teachers increase their own personal holiness, they will more zealously, courageously, and purposefully accomplish the apostolic mission. 

This can be illustrated quite simply through a pedagogical maxim familiar to many: the best way to learn something is to figure out how to teach it to others.

All I wanted for my second birthday was a soccer ball. Shortly thereafter I joined a team and played soccer through 8th grade, stopping in high school to switch to football. More than 10 years later, I had the blessing to serve as a high school girls' soccer coach. As the athletic director of a brand new Catholic high school, finding coaches proved more difficult than one might assume. Because I couldn't find a viable option, I decided to take the reins myself. These student-athletes on the varsity level had already entered into a higher plane of experience, competition, and ability than I had. Most of my players knew more about the strategy of soccer and many of its skills than I did. 

But, I dedicated myself to learning the game. I devoted myself to mastering the skills that I hoped to teach members of the team. 

In order to teach soccer to others, I had to learn more about it. As I learned more about it, I was even more effective in my abilities as a coach. 

The better that we get at something, the more that we will do it. The more that we do it, the more that we will want to get better at it. 

The same is true of our role as ministers of Catholic education. As we set out to accomplish the mission entrusted to us by Christ, we must grow in our own holiness. As we grow in our own holiness, we will be more capable to carry out Christ's mission. 

As you devote yourself to growing in personal holiness, whether that be through faithful weekly mass attendance, reading the daily scripture readings, taking up a habit of prayer such as the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or consuming even just a few tidbits of the plethora of faith-based content - videos, podcasts, blogs, articles, books - your desire to share this will increase. See below for a list of resources that might assist you in your personal sanctification. 

Try any of the strategies listed above even just for a short period and you will notice your commitment to the apostolic mission swell. You will start to acknowledge connections between the daily scripture and something specific to you. You will start to close the gap between faith and culture and/or faith and life. You will start to recognize God working in all things. 

And as you become more and more aware of the movements of the Spirit, you will sense a growing urge to talk about it with others. 

That's why it's called Good News. We aren't meant to keep it to ourselves. 

And, the only real way to bring people to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ is by knowing Jesus yourself. No program, no policy, no curriculum, no theory - nothing - can bring others to Christ. 

Disciples create disciples. 

Go, therefore...  

Suggested Resources:

• Word on Fire, Bishop Robert Barron
• Ascension Presents, various presenters
• Bulldog Catholic, Fr. Mike Schmitz
• McGrath Institute, University of Notre Dame
• Dynamic Catholic, Matthew Kelly
• USCCB, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Catholic Dictionary, Catholic Culture

References

Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. (1977). The Catholic School. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19770319_catholic-school_en.html

Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. (1982). Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to faith. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19821015_lay-catholics_en.html