New Evangelization

There has been a lot of talk as of late (within Catholic circles) about the necessity and importance of "New Evangelization."  In fact, Pope Benedict XVI created a new pontifical council that focuses on proclaiming a new evangelization to countries that have become overly secularized since they first heard and accepted the Gospel message.  In essence, the question has become, why are so many Catholics unaware of what the Church actually teaches?

This question has been around for a while (both Blessed John Paul II and the current Pope have written and spoken about this for at least the past 10 years).  With the development of the new council, there seems to be a renewed movement, though, focused on bringing the lost sheep back into the fold.

Naturally this poses an interesting question for college students and the Campus Ministry programs that they are a part of.  How do we join in this effort to reach friends, students and other young adults who are in need of a new evangelization?  I think the best answer comes from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, currently Pope Benedict XVI, and his address to Catholic catechists and religion teachers (2000).  He says,


"We ourselves cannot gather men. We must acquire them by God for God. All methods are empty without the foundation of prayer. The word of the announcement must always be drenched in an intense life of prayer."


He very clearly expresses the need, not for new or exciting methods, but for "an intense life of prayer."  My college Campus Minister and Chaplain used to always say, "we must pray for a conversion of heart!"  It's the idea that we must reach people through the constant invitation of prayer; one that invites them to go deeper into a relationship with God and His Church.

All too often, we get caught up in the numbers game.  In our secular world, strength and success are derived from the popularity and growth of a program or event.  The more people you have involved, the more successful and strong your organization or program is.  I am guilty of thinking this all too often and charging my student leaders to reach more people and grow our numbers.  The test, however, is one of patience.  Ratzinger reminds us that:


"Yet another temptation lies hidden beneath this—the temptation of impatience, the temptation of immediately finding the great success, in finding large numbers. But this is not God's way. For the Kingdom of God as well as for evangelization, the instrument and vehicle of the Kingdom of God, the parable of the grain of mustard seed is always valid (see Mark 4:31-32).

The Kingdom of God always starts anew under this sign. New evangelization cannot mean: immediately attracting the large masses that have distanced themselves from the Church by using new and more refined methods. No—this is not what new evangelization promises.

New evangelization means: never being satisfied with the fact that from the grain of mustard seed, the great tree of the Universal Church grew; never thinking that the fact that different birds may find place among its branches can suffice—rather, it means to dare, once again and with the humility of the small grain, to leave up to God the when and how it will grow (Mark 4:26-29)." 


It is important to remember and remind ourselves, that although there is a lot we hope to achieve and build, it is for God alone and His glory that we began the work in the first place.  Rooting our lives in intense prayer will give us the ability to convert hearts, find the patience we need, but most importantly, work for God's glory, not our own.  If this isn't "New Evangelization," I don't know what is!

So, as we continue to build God's kingdom here at Pitt-Johnstown, my prayer is for all of our students, but also for God's will - that I may be patient enough to seek it and ready enough to do it!  Amen?  Amen! 

Solid Rock

There is so much that has happened in these past few months.  We hosted our first off-campus retreat.  We celebrated Lent, the Paschal Triduum and the beginning of Easter.  We fully initiated 2 members of our Pitt-Johnstown community into the Catholic Church.  We celebrated commencement on campus and sent the Class of 2011 on their way.  We welcomed our new bishop to this diocese.  So many wonderful, memorable events took place for our Catholic and University community in these past few weeks.  There is much to be grateful for... something that a lot of people aren't feeling these days.  It is important that we pray in thanksgiving for these gifts, but also for those people who are struggling on a daily basis to understand how God is working in their lives.  Amen?

Not only have these past few months been eventful, but this entire academic year has been one of great memories and wonderful progress.  I am confident that the relationships we are building, not only on campus, but with God, will continue to bear much fruit in the coming days, weeks and years ahead.  Matthew's Gospel reminds us that the house set solidly on rock will be able to buffet the winds, storms and rains.  After this first year, I truly believe that we are building our programs and relationships on solid rock: Jesus Christ.

My hope is, that as we progress through the summer, I will be able to more regularly update this blog for those of you who continue to read it.  Until my next post, I leave you with the video that was made for our New Catholic Student Orientation Day and Family Day this past semester.  It was well attended by our student leader's families and there was a sprinkling of incoming freshmen... so much to be thankful for!

Promised prayers as we continue this wonderful season of Easter!

The Beginning of Lent

I am a little biased, but I think that this message by Bishop David O'Connell of the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey is wonderful!  Give it a listen and be assured of my prayers for all of you as we near the end of the semester.

Scheduling

Every Sunday before our University Mass, the student and professional staff of Catholic Campus Ministry meet to discuss our plans for the upcoming week.  It provides a great opportunity for us to get organized and spend some time making sure we are offering the very best for our small, but dedicated contingency of Catholics on campus.

As of late, I have been trying to compile different schedules and lists for all the opportunities and programs that we will be offering before the end of the semester.  Between five different student leaders and two professional staff members, though, it can get a little chaotic.

At yesterday's meeting, I felt a little guilty as we went through the schedule for the rest of the semester.  Like most weeks, the student staff and I will be seeing each other every day, but as the end of the semester approaches, our daily encounters will become more frequent.  At one point, I found myself being relieved to discover an entire day in the midst of Lent when we weren't meeting or programming.  It isn't that I don't love spending time with these students or that I am burdened by them.  Quite the opposite.  The success of this year and of our campus ministry program is a direct result of their tireless and selfless effort to give.  Simply put, I wish I could give them more time to themselves and more opportunities to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

With all of this on my mind, I was touched by Fr. Matthew's homily at Mass.  He said that anxiety and anxiousness are not really of God.  If we are constantly worrying about tomorrow or how we are going to accomplish our plans in the future, we miss out on seeing God now; present among us today.  I think that his words are very encouraging, but also very challenging.  As I continue to schedule or as I continue to plan for the rest of the semester, it is hard not to get anxious about the workload ahead.

Throughout the course of this year, I have come to the realization that, quite truthfully, the students are the ones who best understand the need to enjoy the present and seek God throughout each day.  Unplanned visits, concerns, worries, joys, prayers, messages and moments that I share with the students day in and day out are wonderful reminders that there is plenty to thank God for.  My sincere hope is that they too are recognizing God in these moments.

So, my encouragement to anyone and everyone reading this, is simple: live each and every day with God in your mind and on your heart.  Leave the worries and anxieties of the future where they belong: your desk calendar!  I am confident that if we work towards this together, then these next few months will be a joyful and wonderful witness to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Amen?  Amen!

Ecclesiology

I have been thinking a lot about the Church throughout the world recently.

It astounds me that every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we do so with all types of people from throughout the world.  At times, I think we limit ourselves by believing that our celebration encompasses only like-minded people either within our parish or dare I say, the neighboring diocese.  Rarely, though, do we consider the international and multi-dimensional Church outside of our personal experiences. 

What I have been "wrestling" with as of late, is the idea that the prisoner, the Chinese family attending Mass underground, the Haitian priest, the students of Pitt-Johnstown, the parishioners of thousands of parishes throughout the US, the drug addict, the Pope, the dying and the homeless of our society (just to name a few) are all celebrating the same mystery, the same Eucharistic meal day after day.  In a certain sense, Mass is the great equalizer!  We all come as sinners and offer what we have, but we do so as equals.  It is beautiful to think that no matter our social status, political ideology, net worth or even our physical location, we are able to share in something greater than ourselves. 


St. Elizabeth Ann Seton said, "The accidents of life separate us from our dearest friends, but let us not despair. God is like a looking glass in which souls see each other. The more we are united to Him by love, the nearer we are to those who belong to Him."

I think that this is true not only of friends, but of all humanity.  It isn't always easy, nor is it something we have to think about every day, but our faith calls us to constant conversion.  It is a faith that draws the entirety of humankind to be "one, holy, catholic and apostolic," not just the people we remember or that we are alike.

So, next time we enter into the mystery of the Eucharist, we should consider the connection we have, not only with the Body of Christ present in our hands and on our tongue, but also the Body of Christ that is spread throughout the world.  We are a universal Church; one Body in Christ and we do not stand alone!

Servant Leadership

At the end of Christmas break, some of my student leaders and I traveled to St. Louis, MO for a Catholic leadership conference.  There was a lot of talk about what it means to be a "servant leader," so naturally it has been on my mind lately.

Yesterday, we celebrated the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  His pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement is one that can not easily be forgotten or ignored.  I got to thinking that his life and his model of leadership was one of true service to God and to his nation.  I find it to be fitting, then, that some of his words from The Drum Major Instinct are reflected upon: 


"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.
You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to serve.
You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace,
     a soul generated by love,
          and you can be that servant."


It is easy, as a leader or as someone who holds a lot of power, to expect the service of others.  I'm sure any king or sultan could attest to the bliss associated with being served.  To be a true leader, however, is to serve and lead by example.  It isn't always easy or perfect, but it is a constant attempt to do as Jesus did and wash the feet of his apostles.  My constant prayer as a Campus Minister is that I follow this model of leadership and realize that true leadership is a result of authentic and self-giving service.  I'm not perfect, nor do I always have all the answers, but please know that I am trying.

And to be honest, I think that this is what Dr. King was getting at in this sermon.  Trying, even if failing, is a better service to your fellow man then doing nothing at all because at least trying shows a genuine love for someone else.  In this respect, everyone can be great because everyone can love.  Very simply, everyone can be great because everyone can know God.

Think about it...

Why March for Life?

On Monday, January 24, 2011, we will be taking a chartered bus to Washington, DC to join in the March for Life.  It is a peaceful, prayerful march that stands up against the injustices of abortion, the death penalty and all other hinderances to a culture of life.  Sign up outside of Catholic Campus Ministry if you are interested in going.  The cost is only $10 and scholarships are available. 

If you can't decide or are hesitant about going, take a few moments to watch this phenomenal message from Bishop David O'Connell.  He is the former President of The Catholic University of America and currently the Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, one of the 15th largest dioceses in the U.S.  It is something worth considering...

Prayers for all of you today as we begin our first full week of classes!