The Making Disciples Today Blog has reflections to help you grow in your journey of missionary discipleship, reviews on recommended Catholic evangelization resources, and practical insight on how to evangelize in your daily life.
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- Written by: Burning Hearts Team
Sister Cecilia Joy interviews Executive Director Kristin Bird about how to evangelize by sharing your story of faith along with tips on how to build evangelizing into your home life.
Need help identifying your own story of faith? We can help!
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The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity serve in Catholic Health Care, Education, Campus Ministry and Parish-Community Service throughout the United States. From Missions on Dioceses in Arizona, to the Dioceses of Lincoln and Omaha; from Columbus and Steubenville, to Mississippi, and Wisconsin and Michigan.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
In this episode of the Transforming Parishes, Transforming Lives podcast, we focus on how to nurture the disciples you have in the parish (particularly new ones)--especially in the early days of parish renewal when they get called upon to handle a disproportionally large amount of the work necessary to move forward with transformation.
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- Written by: Fr. Larry Rice
Green is the color of most of our Church year. Green vestments on the priest and deacon, green banners hanging behind the altar, green plants adorning the sanctuary. After the glitz and glamor of the Christmas and Easter seasons, this season in our Church year can seem, well, ordinary.
Ordinary Time
The period in our Church year that follows the Christmas season, and then again follows the Easter season, has an unfortunate name—Ordinary Time. The name comes from the fact that while we are outside of special seasons, the Church simply counts the time as it passes (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, etc). It's counted time using the ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd...) which is how it got it's name. Of course, being that it's also outside of the special seasons, it often feels mundane, routine, ordinary as well.
Rev. Larry Rice, CSP explains Ordinary Time this way...
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Have you heard of the Jesus Juke?
The Jesus Juke is a great way to tell a friend, "I wish you possessed the uber holiness I do and were instead talking about sweet baby Jesus in this conversation." It's like a tiny little "shame grenade," you throw it into an otherwise harmless conversation and then watch it splatter everyone in guilt and condemnation. (From Stuff Christians Like)
It seems like Christmas (and maybe Easter) brings out the worst of the Jesus Jukes. Combine it with intentionally controversial or inflammatory blog post headlines and memes, and it can suck the Christmas joy right out of jolly ol' Saint Nick himself.
Jesus Juke: St. Nick just made that sad trumpet sound: "whaaaa, waaaa."
An overly produced Jesus Juke is still a Jesus Juke.
Don't get me wrong, I love to be challenged to think a little differently. And I need to be reminded of the sacredness of this season when I am bombarded with advertisements that breed anxiety and foster materialism.
However, I don't love to be told that the way I celebrate the season is wrong. I don't love the implication that some traditions are holier and more Catholic (yours) than others (mine).
Being challenged to think and re-grounded in faith leaves me open to becoming a better person. Being Jesus Juked over family traditions leaves me closed and defensive.
Jesus Jukes can be dropped like a bomb on my Facebook status or in an email and I can walk away. Loving reminders and gentle promptings take the time and effort of a genuine relationship.
Insults and controversial headlines attract attention and are often amusing. Genuine awareness of the holiness of the season inspires humility and a willingness to admit where I've missed the boat.
Let Peace Begin With Me
I'll be the first to admit that I've made this mistake.