So, what now?

The mission outcome was to examine how we can be part of the new evangelization and Father Roger Keeler asked us at the beginning of his concluding talk: how are we called to evangelize?

1. Recognise that we have a treasure house built on Scripture and tradition. There is a remarkable hunger in the world for faith, and although we as Catholics do not do a very good job of sharing, that will change. First, know Jesus, know the traditions of the church, understand the teachings of Holy Scripture.

2. We have to give it away. Read the Vatican II documents and the letter Pope Benedict wrote to introduce the year of faith, Porta Fidei. Learn about the Catholic faith. Celebrate the sacraments actively and with awareness. Learn the symbols. Find ways to renew your faith in personal prayer.

3. Communicate with others of our experiences; tell our stories. Have conversations with others, with the indifferent. Never stop loving them, praying for them, trying to reach them. God is always at work in us and through us.

Father Roger Keeler's challenge to us as a parish: open the door of conversation; share the joy and tenderness; pray together.

In Isaiah, God tells us, "I will never forget you."

What is faith, then?

In the third talk Father Roger Keeler gave us, he asked us the question:

What is faith itself then? - personal adherence to the man of God who is Jesus Christ.

The big ideas:

1) Faith is God's gift to us, (1 Corinthians 12).

2) Faith is different from belief, differnet from knowledge; faith allows itself to be tested by reason. (The Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking)

3) St. Augustine also said that faith preceeds belief, allows us to hope for that which has not yet been seen.

4) Faith grows under new light through learning and the sacraments; when we put our faith into action.

5) Humanity needs hope - faith in God.

Each of these big ideas could be a study of faith.

Faith

Second day of the mission by Father Roger Keeler

What does it mean to be friends of Jesus? We get to know Him and build a relationship with Jesus. In doing so, we renew our enthusiasm for our faith. We share our stories and experiences of Jesus with others. In this context, it is more about the witness than the teacher. We are to be witnesses of and for Jesus Christ.

Jesus doesn't promise us a life free of death and suffering, but He does promise He will be with us always. He is with us in the Paschal mystery, the process by which we share in the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Mass. Father Keeler talked about death, terminal death, which is death to our earthly life. Paschal death is our dying as a grain of wheat; we change in our dying to our old selves and coming to a new life in Him. The Paschal mystery is the process of transformation from our old selves to a new person in Christ, to be reborn in Him. Father Keeler also took us from Good Friday's loss of life, to Easter Sunday's new life in the Resurrection, and the 40 days of adjustment to the risen Jesus to the Pentecost where new life was given to the apostles so they could go out into the world evangelizing.

Father Keeler talked about growing old gracefully, naming our deaths and claiming our rebirths; he said we should let go of earthly things and accept Jesus into our lives in the Paschal mystery, the Eucharist. The bread being brought to the table is you and me: in our paschal dying, we are carried by the community to the table as gift to God, sacramental gifts. This is what makes us one with each other and with God.

St. Augustine once said that we are what we eat; therefore, when we consume Jesus, we become Christ. What a heavy responsibility!

A Week ago, today

Last Sunday, Father Roger Keeler opened our church mission with an examination of the story of faith, in fact many stories. He gave us a chance to share our own stories.

We were to bring an image of Jesus to use in this session. I had forgotten to do this, but I remembered that I had my rosary in my purse. This rosary was given to me at my First Holy Communion by my mother. The crucifix became the image I shared with my elbow partner. The rosary, and consequently the crucifix itself, were worn almost smooth. The beads were carved white roses which kept the appearance of roses, but were also much smoother than they were when I had first received it.

The story of this image of Jesus centred around my mother, who has been gone for 12 and a half years. She died of complications arising from Multiple Sclerosis. For 30 years she spent much of her time in bed or in a wheelchair. I never heard her complain, but I did hear her say the rosary so many times. My father looked after my mom for most of the time she was an invalid. He took great pride in caring for her and the love they shared did not diminish over time. Their faith remained strong, reinforced by daily prayer and service to one another.

As I share this story and the image of this old rosary, I remember the love my mother showed us kids, the love my parents had for each other and the example of undying faith they had in one another and in God. I miss my mother every day still, but I know she is in a better place. In fact, I feel her presence more now than ever and I still ask God's blessing for her when I say my nightly prayers.

In this year of faith, and during Lent, it is fitting that I examine my own faith, where it came from and where it is going.

We met for 4 evenings with Father Keeler and it was a wondeful experience. I will be sharing the rest of the messages he gave us during the mission in the next posts.