All Christians are invited to a “renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 9).

Christ calls all people to himself in his Body, the Church, through the workings of the Holy Spirit, so that we can enter into a personal relationship with God the Father. “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 120).

Reflective reading, lectio divina, and the study of Scripture will aid in deepening the encounter with Christ. The Sunday homily breaks open the Word of God by stirring the hearts of people, deepening our knowledge of the faith, renewing our participation in the Church and her sacraments, and strengthening us for the
daily challenges of life. By participating in Mass, learning common prayers, and practicing personal and public devotions, Christians appropriate the teachings of the faith into their own lives and are sent forth to witness Christ.

Discipleship involves helping people enter into a personal encounter with Christ through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, works of mercy, and faith formation.

What does accompaniment look like in the midst of the current crisis of abuse, cover up & scandal? It must mean first LISTENING.

 

We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to Gods love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives.

Evangelii Gaudium, 171

Person to Person Listening: Openness of Heart

We need to provide a space within our hearts for others to feel their despair, hopelessness, anger, betrayal, fear, denial and heartbreak - and then to simply sit with them in that place.

I am struck by how often we (all the Baptized) fall into the trap of trying to tell other people what to feel and how to think about all these matters. What starts as sharing my own emotions quickly turns into debating, posturing, defending, and becoming solution-focused.

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September 15 is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.

May she who followed her Son to Calvary help us to follow him, carrying his cross with serenity and love, to reach the joy of Easter. May the Virgin of Sorrows especially comfort those who are facing the most difficult situations. (Pope Francis, March 24, 2013)

In her role as Our Lady of Sorrows, Mary becomes the mother who cries with us when we are suffering. 

When Simeon prohpesied at the temple that a sword would pierce her heart, did she know what that sword would be?  Did that prophesy fill her with dread?  Did she pray desperately to God to avoid it, even as she taught her young son to seek and obey God's will in his life?    As she listened to Jesus cry out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me," (Mt 27:46) did she feel abandoned by God?  

Mary lived in a different time and place. Her experience of daily living was nothing like mine in the details. She didn’t have the convenience of electricity, for one thing. Her vocation was outlined in a very different way.

And yet, I find that the Mother of God and I do share the humanity of suffering. As she stood at the foot of the Cross, she must have felt the full cascade of emotions and the brunt of sorrow. The three days before Jesus rose must have been torture.

It’s easier to lean back into the arms of someone who’s been there. I look to Mary and see the careworn face of a wife, daughter, and mother who has known the burden of everyday life, the small stings and the big burns. I turn to Mary and I feel the comfort of someone who has survived the suffering and offers me the same graces.

Sarah Reinhard, Integrated Catholic

In her role as the Sorrowful Mother, Mary shows us how - in a life filled with suffering - there is also grace.   When we are despondent and feeling hopeless, Our Lady of Sorrows can be a wellspring of hope.  She can cry with us in the midst of pain.  She can pray with us through our heartbreak.  She can wrap us in the comforting warmth of her motherly mantel and just be with us.  

At the end of Matthew's Gospel Jesus said, "Go and make disciples..." What did He mean by that? What is a Disciple? How do we know if we are one, or how do we become one?

On Saturday, September 8th, the ENGAGE Workshop will help us to learn more about the process of discipleship, how to identify where we are and what our next step could be.

Join us from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM in the Parish Life Center to "Come and See" what the Lord wants to write upon our hearts to help all of us, the people of St. Pius, become His disciples.

For more information on the ENGAGE Discipleship Workshop, visit the St. Pius X website.  

ENGAGE Resources

Check back here in the days following the event for a list of the resources that were mentioned and to download the handouts we used.  These can be great tools to help you continue to grow in your journey of Intentional Discipleship and Missionary Discipleship.  All downloadable resources are free for your personal use and to distribute to friends and family - we just ask that you keep our copyright information intact.