In these back to school days, when new classes and assignments are on the minds of all students, I wonder what we, as Catholic Christians called to be Jesus’ disciples/students, should have as our homework. Jesus gave some pretty clear instructions: “Go out to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you; and know that I am with you always, even until the end of the ages.” (Mt 28:20)
And while Jesus has not given us a specific deadline for this homework, we know it is urgent. It seems to me that now, more than ever, we need the grace of the Holy Spirit to re-ignite our faith and inspire us to communicate the faith differently. We cannot be satisfied with maintaining the practice of our faith in the same ways. The sad reason is because what we are currently doing is not having much effect.
Consider the data. We know in our diocese, consistent with the national average, there are only 30 percent of all registered Catholics practicing their faith regularly. We know from census data that more than 50 percent of the people in southwest Michigan profess no religious affiliation (aka “nones”). And we also know, and likely experience it within our families, that young people are even less regular in the practice of their faith — or any faith — than the generations before them.
In order to be successful in the mission Jesus has entrusted to his Church we must find new ways to proclaim his life-saving message of the Gospel as well as the beautiful teachings of our Catholic faith; and we must do that with renewed hearts.
It is primarily for that reason that I have called for a diocesan-wide, first-ever, “Eucharistic Congress” that will be held this October [see pages 14-15]. This faith-filled, Eucharistic day is designed to inspire us in our faith and propel us forward in our mission.
Recently during one of his Sunday Angelus reflections, Pope Francis identified a specific characteristic of missionary disciples. He put it this way: “First of all, the missionary disciple has Jesus himself for the center of his/her reference.”
Pope Francis means it cannot be our own agenda that we are advancing, but Jesus’ mission, the one he gave his twelve Apostles and to his Church. We are his disciples, his students; we are called to be his messengers, bringing his life-giving Word to the world.
In other words, every interaction we have, we are representing Jesus. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some people you meet will hear today.”
My great hope, as we move closer to our 50th anniversary as a diocese, is to continue to imagine our local Church as one that is mission-driven. Wouldn’t it be great if our biggest problems were managing traffic jams in our parking lots, or compiling the waiting lists for enrollment in our Catholic schools, or what to do with all those who heed Jesus’ call to follow him and to serve the Church as priests and sisters, and how to accommodate all those who are returning to the practice of the faith from years of having been “fallen- away” Catholics?
When we share a common vision, and take seriously the homework Jesus has entrusted to each of us in our efforts to advance his mission; when we come to Mass and receive the Eucharist with the sure faith that Jesus is truly Present with us; and when we allow the Holy Spirit to set us on fire with the love for Jesus in our hearts — when we move from a “maintenance mode” to a “mission- driven mode” as Jesus’ disciples, wonderful, life-changing and Spirit-activated things will happen.