"Passion For The Gospel & Service To Others": Recap of A Morning Reflection on Charity & Justice With Bishop Donald Hying

                                                (Photo Courtesy of Fr. Paul Hartmann)

Recently I attended a wonderful morning reflection on the issues of charity and justice with Bishop Donald Hying. Over 200 people from around the Archdiocese of Milwaukee gathered at St. James Parish in Menomonee Falls for the second installment of workshops put together by the Social Justice Ministry of the Archdioceses and neighboring parishes.

Leading off the morning of formation, Bishop Hying made a point of emphasizing that as Catholics we must have a burning passion for the Gospel and answer the call to bring the Good News to others.  Quoting the 1971 Synod of Bishops, Bishop Hying recalled that, "working for peace and justice is constitutive (meaning that it is an integral part) of the Gospel." This should be the mission that everyone should work towards.

There were so many interesting workshops to attend during the morning that it was hard to decide which one I should sit in on especially since they were all going on at the same time.

         Workshop A: St. Vincent DePaul "Coming Together to Get Ahead"
         Workshop B: Recruiting Volunteers
         Workshop C: Starting a Human Concerns Committee
         Workshop D: Inspiring People in Your Parish With Catholic Social Teaching
         Workshop E: JustFaith- Helping Individuals Experience Conversion
         Workshop F: Moving From Charity to Justice
         Workshop G: Faithful Citizenship in Polarized Times
         Workshop H: Youth on/in Mission

One of the things I had been bring to prayer long before attending this event was having an interest in mission work or going on mission trips. Naturally I wanted to attend the Youth on/in Mission workshop hosted by Directors of Youth Ministry, Claire Hoffmeyer and Bryan Ramsey at St. James, St. John Vianney and Good Shepherd parishes.

Both directors were on fire for the faith and genuinely wanted to make a difference in young people's lives by giving them opportunities for building up communities, volunteering time and service and designing and developing mission trips for faith growth. Both Claire and Bryan explained some of the encouraging aspects of their work with youth as well as some of the challenges that come with it.
I ask that you please keep Claire, Bryan, all youth ministers and young adult coordinators in your prayers as they continue to work hard to further instill the faith in our young people.

The next Morning of Formation for Charity and Justice with Bishop Hying will be held in Fond du Lac with more details to follow on the finalized date to follow.

If you wish to contact Claire and/or Bryan with questions, information or a desire to help them in their mission please see below.

                                                                        Bryan Ramsey                                                                                Director of Youth Ministry: St James & Good Shepherd Parishes Menomonee Falls
                                                      ramseyb@archmil.org or 262-253-2238

                                                                      Claire Hoffmeyer
                                                         Associate Director of Youth Minstry
                                                         St. John Vianney Parish Brookfield, WI
                                                          262-796-3944 or claireh@stjohnv.org
                                                   
                       

Summer Lessons in Humility: Abandoning Ambitions To Christ

“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

I’ve been attending daily Mass as much as possible this summer and I can honestly say that it has been the absolute best way that I can start each day. Sitting in the silence of Old St. Mary Church while the rest of the city is rising from sleep, hearing a few words of encouragement in the homily and receiving the Eucharist is the perfect “Big Three”.

One of the presiders at Mass once included this important fact in his homily: “As Catholics the most common topics discussed are prayer and sexual morality, but we almost never talk about the importance of honesty, generosity or humility.” Thinking back on this notion, I feel that this summer has really taught me a lesson in the need for humility.

As a young adult it can be scary getting ready to start off on your own. Discovering your calling in life can be a great challenge. Often times we get impatient with our current life situations and, feeling abandoned by God, try to take matters in our own hands.  We assume that God didn’t feel like answering our “needs”, so we think "I'll just take care of things by myself.” I discovered that I had been saying things of this sort myself and I know that I am not alone.

The temptation for young adults is to feel like we are in control of our own destiny.  When we encounter a difficult situation we think we can just pass it over or cut corners to get what we think we need. This is what society has told us, and unfortunately, I listened all too often.

As fall approaches I’ve learned that I can do nothing when I rely on my own power. I’ve come to understand that if I achieve anything at all, it is not because of my great determination or intense work ethic, but that God has shown such great mercy to me, a poor sinner, and allowed me to pursue and meet goals. I can do nothing without Him and that includes career moves and life decisions.

Humility does indeed need to be talked about more often. With a society that fills our heads with self-righteousness and pride we can turn to Christ for His strength and offer Him control of all of our ambitions. God knows what we need and when we need it and will never refuse anyone who gives everything over to His hands.

Pope Benedict XVI sums it up the best in this quote-

“If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed.”

A Morning Reflection on Charity and Justice with Bishop Donald J. Hying

For a while now I've had a desire to be a missionary.  It would be an awesome opportunity to travel the world and help people to have a deeper relationship with God. I think it would be equally awesome to do this considering that I've hardly been outside the Midwest. I know, sad right?

It is easy to think of being a champion for God, being the ultimate disciple or modeling myself after the saints with steadfast faith. Before I can even hope to help others know Jesus Christ though, I realize that I need to work on being a better follower of Him myself and live a more authentic life centered around the Gospel. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has planned an event to help do just that.

On September 6th at St. James Parish in Menomonee Falls, Bishop Donald J. Hying will be presenting on the topic,  Living the Fundamental Vision of the Gospel. This event will be an enlightening morning of formation and reflection on the issues of charity and justice and will run from 8am until 12pm.

I am planning on attending and will be giving a recap of the entire event afterward. If you are feeling called to a deeper relationship with Christ and to serve the universal church, then please prayerfully consider attending. Registration can be done online at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website. The deadline is September 2nd.

See you there!

God's Presence In A Noisy World: My Weekend Trip to Chicago

This past weekend I took a much needed mini-vacation to Chicago-land. It was my first trip there in over a year. Not only do I enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with being in a big city, but I also love the hundreds of beautiful churches that are held within the city walls. I like to look at it as God’s abounding presence in a world full of distractions. God is alive…even in a city full of Bears and Cubs fans…

My trip featured some of the finest churches and shrines that the Chicago-area had to offer.  The first landmark that I visited was Marytown-The National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Libertyville, IL.  A ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of St. Bonaventure Province, Marytown includes a Franciscan Friary, a contemporary Retreat and Conference Center, the Marytown Press- Catholic Books and Gifts, historic Chapels and numerous outdoor shrines and rosary gardens. It is definitely a place that you would want to visit for a highly uplifting spiritual experience.

Right down the road from Marytown is the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. Since opening in the year 1921, it is one of the largest seminaries in the United States and has the most spectacular campus you will ever see.  I had a wonderful opportunity to go straight down from the university to the lake below. Secretly I had hoped to bump into the rector, Fr. Robert Barron, but alas, it was not meant to be.

After spending quite a few hours on campus, I made my way to the vigil Mass at Our Lady of Victory Parish which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Mass celebration was extremely beautiful and was presided by the current pastor of four years, Fr. Robert Fedek. Fr. Fedek, a remarkable priest originally from Poland, was invited by Cardinal George to study at Mundelein Seminary for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Needless to say, I believe that Our Lady of Victory was handed a wonderful pastor, whose warm personality and love for the Eucharist is very evident. My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture with him.

Please enjoy some pictures from my weekend trip and let us keep in mind that no matter how busy or noisy our lives may be, God always blocks out the busyness and noise with constant beautiful reminders of His presence in our world.

                                    (Left: Marytown Chapel. Right:Mudelein Gazebo)

                                    (Beautiful worship space at Our Lady of Victory)

Keep Living Where God Is: Daily Encouragement From The Spiritual Writings of Henri Nouwen

I am a huge fan of the great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen. Both a Catholic priest and a university professor, Nouwen wrote many spiritual books such as Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer and the Return of The Prodigal Son, that have influenced so many over the years in their search for God and for meaning in their lives.

One of my favorite books by Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love, was actually written in the form of journal during one of the hardest periods of his life. During this difficult period when he struggled with self-esteem and faith in God, Nouwen wrote short paragraphs of encouragement to himself.

In the journal entry, “Keep Living Where God Is,” Nouwen speaks of putting aside your own agenda, your very own hopes and dreams, and consistently finding God in each moment. I find this section of the book extremely relevant for today’s culture and specifically in my own life.

I am someone who loves attention, maybe we can even say I crave it. Everyone wants to be liked and have a vast amount of approval, right? Who doesn’t want to get noticed for doing something special? Sometimes when I write my blog, and I’m sure that other blog-writers can attest to this as well, I get caught up in selfish thoughts that distract me from my main goals as a writer.

This blog, which is intended to inspire young adults in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and wherever you may happen to be, is not the John Bender show. The initial goal of this blog is to bring people closer to God, whether that is through promoting public events or sharing personal stories. It is only human nature that we get caught up in our own selfish ways. 

We, as a society, need to remember that everything that we do in life should be to honor and glorify God, and if the things we take on aren’t doing precisely that, then we might be doing more harm than good.

Let us always pray that we put our selfish ambitions second in comparison to giving God deserved glory and that we may do the work of the kingdom in drawing people closer to him through many unique avenues. 

Get Out Of The Boat: A Recap of Bishop Hying's Homily at Roses For Our Lady

"The safest place to be is on the open water with Jesus, trusting that He will grasp us by the hand. We can't stay in the comfort of the boat because Jesus is not there. Like Peter, when we join Jesus on the open water, no matter what we are trying, in the end, we will succeed because He succeeds in us."  ~Bishop Donald J. Hying, homily on Matthew 14: 22-33 at Roses for Our Lady's August 8th holy hour at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary

Roses For Our Lady (a local organization promoting authentic Eucharistic and Marian devotion) held their monthly Holy Hour for Vocations today at St. Francis De Sales Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin.  The presider was Bishop Donald J. Hying, Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee.

The Gospel account today was the inspiring story of Christ calling Peter out on the water. In front of a congregation of 50 plus people in Christ King chapel, Bishop Hying said that this Gospel account, “calls us as Christians to step out of our comfort zones and allow Christ to work in our lives in new and exciting ways.

As humans we have a tendency to stay put in certain situations where we feel safe and secure. No one likes the feeling of being vulnerable. However, if we want to make strides in our relationship with Christ, we are required to take a leap of faith and land in the arms of God. We cannot be satisfied by just dipping our toes in the water, but instead need to place both feet on the surface and begin focusing our eyes and hearts on our Lord. It is through the most uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations where we really come to know about God and surrender ourselves to His great love and mercy.

In what ways is Christ asking you to take a leap of faith today? Are you ready to accept the challenge?

For more Roses For Our Lady events and news please check out www.rosesforourlady.org

Lost in God: Praying For Your Future Spouse

                                                                                                      (photo courtesy of www.jackieandbobby.com)

“A woman’s heart should be so lost in God, that a man must seek Him to find her.”

-  Maya Angelou

My first few adult years have been a great learning experience as I seek God’s will for my life and I’ve found great encouragement through reading other Catholic blogs. There are many great resources online such as TheChastity Project, Catholic Gentleman, Jackie&Bobby and Arleen Spenceley that discuss dating, marriage, and chastity just to name a few. Check them out if you haven’t already!

I feel very strongly that it’s so important to find a woman that is completely in love with God. Good character is very important. After all, it is our spouse’s job to help us get to our heavenly destination. Upon reading Jackie&Bobby (a website run by a married couple) on the subject of a woman’s heart, I began praying for my future wife, offering her up to Our Lord at daily Mass as the host and chalice are elevated. In today’s culture, praying and waiting is not an option, but I believe that if you surrender everything in your life completely to God, wonderful things can happen and it’s exciting to see the results.

Here are a few ideas from JackieandBobby.com that can be helpful in searching for a spouse-

Pray for your future wife or husband

Consecrate them to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Start a 54 day novena (27 days in petition, 27 in thanksgiving no matter what happens)

Write a journal for your future spouse

Take comfort in knowing that God is always with us in everything we do and He will never let you be alone.

God loves you and He is always in control.