The New Evangelization, Part IV: Culture of Witness

This part of the USCCB's document, "Disciples Called to be Witness, the new Evangelization, covers how and when we can evangelize without too much effort.    Through conversion and the methodologies of:  discipleship, a commitment to the Christian life, parish life, the liturgical life of the Church: popular devotions and piety, the Christian family, catechist and teachers of the faith, and religious experience we bring the Church to the world by our examples in these areas.  Last time I discussed conversion and promised a discussion on methologies of evangelization which will make it clearer how we all can be new evangelizers.

Through discipleship we serve as witnesses for Christ and His teachings.  Witnessing is a farther reaching act of teaching that traditional teaching.  When someone shares their own personal experiences about life it drives home to those how it looks and feels in real time not just from a book.  This makes total sense, too, as a new mother-to-be some years ago, I had symptoms that weren't in my pregnancy books or from the doctor office, but hearing from other mothers who experienced same or similar symptoms, I was relieved and confident that all was well with my pregnancy.  When we share our understandings and experiences with Christ's teachings and the teachings of the Church in positive light, we are planting seeds in those around us for future witnesses.

In order to do this we must first grasp these teachings personally through a firm commitment to the Christian life and active participation in parish life.   Without being committed to our Christian faith we cannot be active learner and teachers, but we cannot do this alone, "the Holy Spirit within the Christian community forms the person as a disciple of Christ."  The parish must provide formed disciples, catechists and teachers to formally pass down the faith to it's members, especially those who want to return to the Church.  "It is the responsibility of the parish community and it's leadership to ensure that the faith it teaches, preaches, and celebrates is alive and that it is a true sign, for all who come in contact with it, that this truly is the living Body of Christ."

Speaking of the Body of Christ, attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist as often as possible it crucial to a healthy spiritual life.  Praying the rosary, attending adoration, confession, and observing other holy practical acts of piety like meatless Fridays year round all provide a powerful witness to the faith.  They "form the basis of "Catholic Culture."  The coming together in the Liturgical life of the Church as one gives strength and continued faith development for the Church family and those who seek to return.

In the Christian family or the "domestic Church" the sacrament of matrimony models the Trinitarian love of God for His children as parents nurture and care for their children. It is here in the home that faith develops deeper within the children.  Many children that I see today are not taught their faith at home much less experiencing it there.  Parents are so busy with their own jobs and responsibilities that they do not take the time to practice their faith at home.  This is a major problem because children are being basically taught to compartmentalize God at school or at Church only, so during the majority of their lives they are not witnessing God's touch in all that they see and do.

Catechists and teachers of the faith must be teachers and witnesses of the faith!  They must believe and live what they teach or else they are scandalous.  These precious people provide a powerful witness to the Gospel and lay the ground for a culture of witnesses.  "A vibrant Catholic identity and active promotion of gospel values in Catholic schools help foster future generations of disciples and evangelists."

"Discipleship is rooted in human experience.  It is through human experience that one enters into a dialogue with modern culture."  The human experience provides the "sensible signs' that help us come to know ourselves, one another, and God."  These are the concrete signs and works of the Holy Spirit present in the Christian's everyday life. Through retreats, bible studies, prayer groups, ecclesial movements give way to opportunities to grow and blossom in our faith and provide avenues of witnessing to each other.  With constant searching and participation in religious experiences, we can create a culture of witness that will continue to nurture our faith and the life of the Church as we go forward into the future.

Again, I'd like to share Justin Stroh's mini podcast part 4b, he also mentions that catholic schools have been a mainstay in our country that pass on the values to our children.  It is a great gift, but it is declining in many parts of the country, however, we need to pray and support these fine institutions. However, this does not mean that we pay the tuition, send off each day to the Catholic school and not live the faith at home by attending Mass, etc.

The New Evangelization, Part 4: Culture of Witness

Conversion Methodologies, discipleship, a committment to the Christian life, parish life, the Liturgical life of the Church (devotions and piety), the Christian family, Catechists and teachers of the faith, and the religious experience.

Once again, Justin Stroh, continues the discussion on The New Evangelization from the USCCB's document called "Disciples Called to Witness."  He divides this section into two parts since this chapter, though short, is longer than the others and covers all the venues of evangelization that I've listed above. Justin's Part one, discusses the conversion.

In conversion, a person is somehow led to Christ either by a friend, family member, or something they heard or read; whatever that influence is, the person is now open to learning more about Christ and the Church.  Conversion is something that happens deep in the heart of a person, it touches them in a way that spurs their interest and desire to learn more.  At this point and only at this point do we have hope for them to come fully in communion with Christ.  But until that time, we still have work to do for each and every person we meet.  We have to be examples of faith and love for Christ, in our actions and words.  One never knows when someone is looking!  What brings one person to loving Christ won't have the same meaning and/or impact for another.

Once the process of conversion has brought an individual wanting to learn more about Christ, we have to begin to nurture this interest with information, love, faith, and prayer for them.  Catechesis is crucial as a gradual and livelong process of conversion, drawing new believers into a deeper relationship with God.

The Methodologies are based on "the proclamation of the faith from Sacred Scripture and Tradition and their application to human experience, or they are based on human experience examined in light of the Gospel and teachings of the Church."

The document, "Disciples Called to Witness" by the USCCB, discusses the many methodologies:

• Discipleship
• A commentment to the Christian Life
• Parish Life
• Liturgical life of the Church (devotions and piety),
• Christian family, 
• Catechists and teachers of the faith,
• and the Human experience.

In the next part, I will share Justin's part b and I'll share my take on these aspects of methodologies as well.

Till then!

blessings!

The New Evangelization, part 3: The Focus of the New Evangelization

Here is the 3rd part to the "Disciples Called to Witness, the New Evangelization" document written by the USCCB.  This post is my thoughts on part 3, and I am attaching Justin Stroh's mini-podcasts which are great in that they are short and explains the bishop's intent in easy terms.

Part III:  The Focus of the New Evangelization

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”  Mt 11:28

Pope Benedict XVI describes some of the contemporary situation confronting modern man, including secularism, globalization, and social communications, the economy, scientific and technological research, and civic and political life.   Many of these societal realities are positive, but when taken to the extreme, they can lead to disillusionment and weariness.

This is where the New Evangelization comes in.  As fellow Christians, as kindred spirits in the Church, it is our mission to continue to be evangelized, refreshed, and to seek out the hope that is in our heavenly leader, Jesus Christ.  In this way, we can fully share our faith with others, especially those burdened and fallen away from the table of the Lord for one reason or another.  Ask yourself a few questions:  How do I touch people’s lives?  How do I interact with others in a spirit of love?  How do I explain how the faith addresses modern concerns?  Interaction with those who are away from the Lord is part and particle of the New Evangelization, but we must do so with love and respect.  

Again, the 3^rd commandment is discussed as part of the key of evangelization.  Secularism has led to a diminishing recognition of Sunday as the Lord’s Day, a holy day of prayer and rest.  It is through the full participation of the Mass that those burdened with life’s trials and tribulations can find some solace.  “Our hope is not in a program or philosophy, but in the person of Jesus Christ, who comforts those who are burdened.”

As examples of the New Evangelization, before we begin to talk to others about our faith and desire for their return, we must be examples of what that Christian life is.  How do we spend our Sundays?  How do we dress for Mass?  We certainly need to be refreshed in our own faith journey in order to share it with others.

In my previous post, “What does it mean to be TOO Catholic” I list several things that I practice as a Catholic; some have been labeled as TOO Catholic to me directly.  Several dear readers responded to this post and all were appreciative for the share.  Some wish they could be better, but all sounded passionate about their Catholic faith.  YES! 

So this is where the New Evangelization comes in!

The New Evangelization, Part 2: Historical Context

Justin Stroh's second part of his 6-part series of mini podcasts talks about the three popes who saw and initiated the New Evangelization.

Pope Paul VI:  Ten years after the close of the Second Vatican Council, in 1975 he issued Evangelii Nuntiandi in which the pope stated that the Church "exists in order to evangelize, that is to say in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious Resurrection."  Pope Paul VI explained the process of evangelizing and that there were two groups that needed to be focused on, those of whom haven't have never heard the Gospel (ad gentes) and those faithful who have left or are no longer practicing the faith.

Bl. Pope John Paul II:   "No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples."  Blessed John Paul made evangelization the focus of his pontificate saying,

"Evangelization occurs most effectively when the Church engages the culture of those she evangelizes."  He wrote an encyclical Redemptoris Missio, in which he provided the three circumstances in evangelization:  (1) preaching to those who have never heard the Gospel (ad gentes), (2) preaching to those Christian communities where the Church is present and who have fevor in their faith, and (3) preaching to those Christian communities who have ancient roots but who "have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider htemselves members of hte Church and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel......"

For Bl. John Paul II, One's vocation to holiness is strengthened through the gifts of the Church, namely the grace of hte sacraments, prayer, Scripture, and the Church's teachings and traditions.

Pope Benedict XVI and the future of the New Evangelization:
Secularization has caused a serious crisis for the faithful, not to mention how much harder it will be to evangelize those still waiting to learn of the Gospel.  In 2010, the pontiff established the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization to help promote the unchanged mission of the Church against the cultural secularization confronting man and the Church.  The pope noted that the Church is being challenged by "an abandonment of the faith -- a phenomenon progressively more manifest in societies and cultures which for centuries seemed to be permeated by the Gospel.  The New Evangelization is not a single formula meant for all circumstances; first and foremost, it is a personal "profound experience of God."

New Evangelization, Part 1

The USCCB published a document called "Disciples Called to Witness, The New Evangelization" this year to help bring about a new and refreshed attitude towards passing on the faith of the Roman Catholic Church.  In the opening page they quote scripture from the first chapter of  the Acts of the Apostles, it says:

"But you shall received power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  While they were gazing at the sky as he was going, suddenly, two men stood by them in white robes, and said "Men of Galilee, why to you stand looking at the sky?"

My first thought of this verse and why the Bishops used it for the opening was to point out that at the receiving and the purpose of us receiving the Holy Spirit is to give us the knowledge and courage to pass on the teachings of Christ.  When does the Holy Spirit come upon us?  What sacrament is the main focus of this happening?  Confirmation. When we are baptized, we are brought into the Church and the Christian family cleansed of original sin and given the graces of Christ's mercy.  At confirmation, we are grown and supposedly learned in the faith and ready to complete what our parents and Godparents have initialed in our lives in baptism.  Receiving the Holy Spirit in confirmation as with all the other seven sacraments of the Catholic Church requires an openness and understanding of the sacrament, its graces and purpose.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five effects of Confirmation:

• it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as sons of God] which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";


• it unites us more firmly to Christ;


• it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;  which are:

 Wisdom
Understanding
council
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord

• it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;


• it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.

Those who are called to evangelize should be fully knowledgeable of their own faith and have a passion for Christ and His bride the Church.

My question then is this:  If we are called to the new evangelization, then shouldn't those who are in charge of the catechesis both parents and parishes be qualified to teach?  Should parents just trust that they are providing their children with the best possible religious education and should parishes make sure that those they choose to teach be properly qualified?

The New Evangelization: why do we need it?

Justin Stroh, is an amazing Catholic speaker and podcaster that I listen to on one of my favorite podcasts, Catholic Vitamins.  His ministry is focusing on "The New Evangelization" of the Catholic Church.  Right now he is discussing the recently released document from the USCCB called, "Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization"  In this document, which is only 26 pages, the bishops cover the condition of the Catholic Church today and what we need to do to get her back up to where she should be with her believers.

For starters, in our current situation only 23% of Catholics attend Mass each week, below are the many reasons why the other 77% didn't.  Surprisingly, it's not due to current controversial issues.

One of the most important thing we need to be doing as Catholic parents is spending time with our families, especially and most importantly on Sundays!  You can listen to Justin's mini podcast, part 1/6 here

Evangelization and Discipleship

Describe the evangelizing dimensions of the ministries of the word, worship, and service.

The Word dimension of evangelization consists of reaching out to the world in preaching and catechesis. Both are a form of the same with the difference of delivery. The preaching of the Gospel during the Mass is by the priest which is vital for the growth of the parish community to see the love of God and in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection as vital in the faith formation. The Homily is so important that it cannot be avoided or abused as some parish priests do. I have personally witnessed a parish priest using the homily time for visiting religious asking for donations, youth mission programs, capital campaigns, and his own agenda which I see as a crime, not just a liturgical abuse since Fr. Hater mentions that this is a time when you have the faithful there right in front of the priest waiting and listening for the message of the Word.

Catechists have a huge responsibility in that unlike the homily during Mass this is a more diverse venue to reach the hearts and minds of the faithful. The formal, systematic, catechesis happens at the parish with religious programs, Catholic schools, teen programs, and adult discussion and study groups. The domestic Church is so vital in this scenario as it is where the true beginnings of learning happens and prepares the children to be able to understand within the systematic catechesis in the parish community. I have heard that the multi-generational “Sunday school” programs are really working and the families are all learning and growing together. Which then helps the adults take what they know to the community in the workplace and with more and more adults and families growing in faith, we could really change society!

Worship is the liturgy and prayer. Basically what is going on in our parishes widely across the US is the Mass has become mundane and base for many families and they have turned away from the Church for the lack of the word part of evangelization. The most central and summit of the Catholic faith is the least respected and lost. It is the parish’s responsibility to reach out and be “fishers of men” again by using all of it’s resources to keep the active parishioners in the pews weekly, bring in those who have fallen away, and teach those who are non-baptized and help them come to realize the truth, hope, and love of Jesus Christ. The Mass is open to all and all are welcome, so that means that that pulpit is the most important element of the Mass for so many in order for them to know that the Altar and the Eucharist is the source and summit of all that is in the Catholic Church.

Service is the fruits of the above 2 dimensions as it meets the physical needs of the community inside and outside of the parish. Jesus came to serve and so must we, but without the true appreciation of the love of God can we seek out and desire to serve for the Kingdom. We had a neighbor that would go out each weekend with a jar of peanut butter and a couple of loaves of bread and make sandwiches for the homeless in Houston, TX. No one knew he did that until he was killed in a freak auto accident and so many poor came to his wake crying and telling his story. We weren’t surprised as he was a very good man and his presence just exuded Jesus’ love when he spoke at neighborhood gatherings etc. He was a Catholic through and through, but he wasn’t a big talker, he lived his Christianity by silent example of service. I am forever changed by knowing him.