Looking for ideas to make Mass and the Church more meaningful

[Ernie07]

I think that when I get little out of Mass, it is my own fault. Jesus incarnate is there waiting for me, there to give me Himself. If I don’t get anything from that, it is because of my own lack of focus, humility and wonder.

God bless.

Thanks for your response, John Martin. I totally agree with you, but that assumes you believe that Jesus is truly present and the miracle of the Consecration. Why do you believe that and how would you get others who don’t believe to believe like you do?

Thanks!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

Deacons and priests can work on their homilies… things such as

• Don’t repeat everything that we just heard in the readings and Gospel
• Tie in a personal story
• Use inflection and work on tone of voice (not monotone)
• Make your homily relevant to the congregation- know your audience
• Listen to homilies by fellow deacons/priests and sermons by other ministers from different denominations to learn their communication style
• Attend Toastmasters or create a group of other deacons/priests to critique and improve homilies
• Do some background research about the readings/Gospel
• Sound passionate about your homily (we can tell if you’re bored, too; it’s ok to admit it is a difficult topic)
• A joke every now and then may be helpful

Hi Macstar,

I get where you’re coming from in terms of priests or deacons that have less than stellar speaking skills. With all that is required of them I just wonder how much time they really have to improve upon these skills. I’d almost agree more with you if we were talking about Protestant pastors, but to have more relevant and interesting sermons would be helpful.

Thanks for your thoughts!

-Ernie-

 

[macstar]

Sure thing, Ernie! I know some CAF folks weren’t too keen on my remarks. The observations come from what many fallen-away Catholics have shared with me… and a bit of my own personal experience. Explaining the Eucharist, fullness of the Church, graces, beauty of the Mass and other things don’t make sense to them. At some seminaries, greater emphasis is being placed on homiletics due to this.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I tend to think that Mass is similar to one’s job in that for both of them, you get out of them pretty much what you put into them.

If you make minimal effort, just do what is absolutely required, and are lazy/ not concentrating/ being distracted/ looking for any excuse to slack or sneak out early etc. then it’s just fulfilling an obligation, not really seizing the opportunity to make it something special for yourself. That’s not to say that we aren’t all going to have days when we are just not “on” and maybe have to go through the motions because we are tired or distracted, and also there are likely to be things and/or people in both places who are less than inspiring to us, but it does mean that we should make an effort both places and not just show up with the idea of “here we are, now keep us engaged and entertained or we just won’t bother next time”.

With respect to the homily, I have noticed in recent years that they seem to be much better than they were 20 years ago. I attribute part of this to me growing in wisdom and being more receptive and better able to appreciate what the priest is saying, but I also think they must be attending some courses on speaking nowadays or perhaps I am just in an area with better priests. I had a priest at a previous parish who was a good and holy and righteous priest, but he preached on the same specific topic almost every week and since he was usually the only priest at our parish unless he had a visiting priest in, it got old real fast. The topic was also a depressing one (it involved persecutions of martyrs) and I wondered at the time if the priest was struggling himself with depression or something because it was just so dour and didn’t seem to bear much relation to his parishioners, who were also for the most part from a very different background and far less scholarly and educated than himself.

I also think that whatever you try to do with the Mass, some people will like it and some will hate it.

 

[Ernie07]

1. If I get little out of a mass, that is my own doing. Either I am not fully present, or I am letting things distract me, or I am focusing on things that should not matter.
2. Not much really. It is mostly the fault of what people bring to the mass or what they don’t bring. They bring distraction, restlessness, their own boredom, and leave their love of the Eucharist, their gratitude and any desire to truly participate in the mass at home.

The mass and church do not need to be made more meaningful. The problem is not the Church. It is not the mass. It is a people problem.

Hi Irishmom,

I get where you’re coming from regarding distractions as unfortunately I’m guilty of that from time to time as my mind wanders during Mass. But, when you say that some leave their love of the Eucharist at home that assumes that they have belief and love in the Eucharist in the first place. Do you think that people do believe and just take the Eucharist for granted or do people lack belief and love of the Eucharist? And how do you think we can help people to have a greater belief and love?

I also understand your point about it being a people problem, but I just wonder what the Church could do to help people have a greater love for the Mass and the Eucharist. What can the Church do to help people? Do you think it’s an education thing where people don’t understand the Mass, the history of the Church, or something else?

Thanks for your thoughts.

-Ernie-

 

[friardchips]

Hello,

I hear people describe the Mass as boring, not relevant, uninspiring…that many get nothing out of it and go out of obligation if at all. I’ve also heard many talk about the Church in less than glowing terms. So I have two questions:

1. If you get little to nothing out of Mass why do you think that is?

I always get something from Mass. Some homilies are better than others, sometimes a mass can be a little monotone without a choir, sometimes maybe a priest is not what one is expecting. Even then, Mass is a spiritual occurrence, primarily; therefore, these external things do not stop God having an effect on the soul.

1. What do you think needs to be done to inspire a greater love of the Mass and the Catholic Church?

Prayer events. Everything begins with prayer. Prayer opens our hearts to God and His inspirations, that we can be given the grace to act and do His Will.

I’m looking for ideas for my parish to be more passionate Catholics. To help them be more alive in their love of Jesus, the Mass/Eucharist, and the teachings of the Church as a whole. My belief is that all 3 need to be integrated to make for a passionate and “on fire” Catholic.

Same answer. Maybe invite people to do something creative. And ask God to bless your ideas. If you have any specific skills, ask God to utilize them. Also, keep an eye out for little jobs you can be given too, in and around the parish. From taking part in these duties, you might then have more ideas.

My reasoning is that a love of Jesus without love for the Mass/Eucharist or the teachings of the Church equals a Protestant. A love of Jesus and the Mass/Eucharist without a love of the teachings of the Church leads to “cafeteria Catholics” that doubt certain aspects of what the Church teaches. But a Catholic that loves Jesus, the Mass/Eucharist, and all teachings of the Church produces a passionate Catholic that can spread like wild fire.

Agreed. Pray the Rosary and you’ll find a way to do what it is your heart is telling you.

That’s at least my theory. Feel free to answer my questions, respond to my above theory, or provide any ideas you may have. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and (name removed by moderator)ut!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

I agree. To be honest, I hate personal stories in a homily. I’ve only heard one that I felt really tied in to the point. And I don’t like it when it seems the homily becomes the central thing. I knew one priest at a parish I attended who, God bless him, would talk for almost 20 minutes during his homilies. I had a bad habit of checking my watch when he began and ended.

I know that reading The Lambs Supper by Scott Hahn really explained a lot for me personally. I read it shortly after being confirmed and I was disappointed we weren’t taught any of that in RCIA. Also The Spirit of the Liturgy by Pope Benedict.

Reading the Lamb’s Supper should be mandatory reading for all Catholics!! Just kidding, but it meant so much to me to know what each part of Mass means. It also helped me to have greater participation…things like thinking about what sacrifices I bring to the altar when the gifts are being brought, singing with my dad in heaven the Holy Holy Holy…things like that.

Thanks for bringing that book up!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

To make Mass mean something those attending need to believe, to see, to understand the truth and beauty of the Faith, of Jesus’ life. That the last supper was a meal eaten every year for the entirety of Passover. Like Jews today, they knew what was suppose to happen. They were faithful Jews. Jesus changes thing as they get to the 3rd cup… They must have been shocked… not excited, shocked… what is He doing… He has had too much wine… It was not OH look… Jesus is giving us his body… It was a first. And Catholics today get to receive the same body.

Mass is shifting in some parishes to be more about community than Jesus…“I wanna hold your hand” Our Fathers, run and say hi, totally missing the meaning of the handshake of peace and how it symbolizes leaving you gift at the alter to make peace with those you were not loving… not about how popular you are and how many hands you can shake… and the newest… Hey, if the Priest can do it so can I hand gestures… Look at me… I am so Holy… watch my outward sign… that proves I have no clue what the priest is doing… what it means… as I copy him… cause I am just as important as he is… We forget Jesus every time one of those actions happens… when you think of yourself in Mass or worse others, you are ignoring Jesus. When Mass is about “Me” and what I do and what I get out of it you are missing the point of the Mass. Yeah, Jesus is there all the time, all around us…got it. But at the alter, after the prayer when that knew hits the ground… Jesus is right… there… you can point at Him, you can feel him. Once that is understood, that He is there and He is there for YOU, Mass becomes not a burden but a chance to spend time with Jesus. As you walk up to the altar to receive try thinking, I get to hold God, I get to have him in “Me” with each step. That is the Jesus relationship we need to foster. One where we all come together for one reason to focus on 1. and that one is not “Me”. Those who are 30 - 60 are in the gap in teaching the faith… the day by day Jesus Christ Superstar Religion classes did not prepare us for Mass. They were rebelling from the Baltimore Catechism’s rote memorization. Those adults need to be taught what they misse - basic church history. what did the services of the early Christian’s look like? The Didache shows how close what we do now is what was done when the Apostles were alive.
When one learns the Catholic Mass goes back to when they would kill you for being Catholic and so you gathered in tombs to worship. and took home a hunk of the Eucharist to feed on each day (Our Daily Bread) When one hears of the miracles that you can see today concerning the Eucharist… that is what causes Mass to be more than an obligation. Short cuts are just smoke and mirrors… If the focus is on “me” instead of Him, then making the Mass more exciting is a move away from the very center of our Faith. It is not having a Mass worthy of attending. It Better to focus on having them understand why they are at Mass rather to focus on making it more “fun” for all.

Hi Hydin,

Thank you for such a deep and thoughtful response…so much good stuff to unpack! My takeaways from your response are the following:

• Make the Bible stories personal so that they are applicable to your own life
• I loved your mention of the 3rd cup as most likely don’t realize that the 3rd cup was the cup of redemption and served immediately after dinner…that Jesus’ blood redeems us of our sins…what a powerful story when understood!
• I also completely agree with you that if Catholics understood the sacrifices made by those before them they might have a greater appreciation of the Church. The martyrs who died for the faith, those that vehemently defended the faith against heretics, and the risks they took many times just to meet for Mass. All so that we can now participate in the Mass today. It is always humbling to know the sacrifice others made for you with Jesus’ sacrifice being the most humbling of all!
• Focus on Jesus and not yourself

All great lessons you brought to everyone’s attention. And if I could ask you another question, “so how do we get people to understand and feel that Jesus is there for them in the Eucharist?” What can be done to help people know what you know and feel what you feel? Is it educating people on what Jesus did for them? Do we need to teach people of why the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus built and protected? Why the sacraments are so important? Do people not know or have they forgotten the beauty of the Catholic Church, the Church Jesus established?

Thanks for more of your thoughts.

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

Bottom line, why did those disciples leave Him?

They had no faith. They didn’t believe. And Jesus knew that in advance. John 6:61-65]

As Aquinas said

“for those who have faith no explanation is necessary, for those who have no faith no explanation is sufficient.”

Since faith is a gift from God, if one has no faith or it is weak at best, they need to ask God for faith. ***Then ***they need to add to it in ever increasing amounts, the following 7 attributes. Note: knowledge is 2nd on the list.

**2 Pet 1: 5 **For this very reason ***make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For *** if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11 so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

To Peter’s point, one can’t love who they don’t know. And if one doesn’t do what Peter is teaching here, Peter says they will fall.

in extension as an observation, too many people

• don’t fear God
• therefore don’t fear the consequences for not doing what He commands

Re: Mass, and what one is to “know” about Mass

#[25 (https://forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14642757&postcount=25)

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your response as it really made me think. I totally get that faith is a gift from God, but I know a few former Catholics that said they prayed fervently for faith in the Eucharist and their prayers were never answered. They are totally committed to Jesus, but not the Church. One of the main reasons is that they don’t have a sense that people truly believe. They told me they saw people chewing gum, socializing before and after receiving the Eucharist, and many leaving right after. There just wasn’t the same fervor they see in the evangelical Protestant services they now attend.

My point in bringing that up is that others around us can have a profound influence on our experiences in anything including Mass. Maybe if more people were “on fire” for the faith and for Mass it would attract more people to the faith.

So how do we help people to be more “on fire”, to have greater holy fear of God, and to understand the miracle that is happening during the consecration?

Thank you again!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

It’s a people, culture and technology problem. Mass is having a harder time reaching people because of the way we live, especially in the US. Someone already mentioned John 6 when the hungry hoard wanted more food Jesus instead presented them with spiritual food - many people apparently didn’t want to hear it and left.

That being said, while on vacation I went to a Mass in which the priest gave a 5 minute explanation of each reading before it was read, explaining what it was about, it’s context and other stuff. He did this instead of giving a homily after the gospel reading. I thought it was a very good method to use in order to instruct the congregation. The message and points were much easier to follow and I got a lot out of it at the time.

Interesting as I’ve heard this approach at a few parishes that I’ve visited while on vacation. Like you, I found it to put a context around the readings that made it easier for me to understand. Do you think that “putting things in context” could or should be applied to other areas of our Catholic faith? The Sacraments? The teachings of the Church? Key topics like infallibility, the Eucharist, Mary doctrine, etc.? Maybe Catholics don’t fully understand their faith and therefore have difficulty putting things in the proper context and have trouble getting passionate about things they don’t know about or don’t agree with?

What do you think?

Thanks!

-Ernie-

 

[poche]

Hello,

I hear people describe the Mass as boring, not relevant, uninspiring…that many get nothing out of it and go out of obligation if at all. I’ve also heard many talk about the Church in less than glowing terms. So I have two questions:

1. If you get little to nothing out of Mass why do you think that is?
2. What do you think needs to be done to inspire a greater love of the Mass and the Catholic Church?

I’m looking for ideas for my parish to be more passionate Catholics. To help them be more alive in their love of Jesus, the Mass/Eucharist, and the teachings of the Church as a whole. My belief is that all 3 need to be integrated to make for a passionate and “on fire” Catholic.

My reasoning is that a love of Jesus without love for the Mass/Eucharist or the teachings of the Church equals a Protestant. A love of Jesus and the Mass/Eucharist without a love of the teachings of the Church leads to “cafeteria Catholics” that doubt certain aspects of what the Church teaches. But a Catholic that loves Jesus, the Mass/Eucharist, and all teachings of the Church produces a passionate Catholic that can spread like wild fire.

That’s at least my theory. Feel free to answer my questions, respond to my above theory, or provide any ideas you may have. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and (name removed by moderator)ut!

-Ernie-

Many times in order to lead us to a greater holiness God will withhold His consolations. This is I believe why mass is boring for many people. This gives you the opportunity to give yourself more fully to God.

 

[Ernie07]

Great post and excellent goal for you to try to achieve.

1. Prayer during the week. Nothing is going to happen without that. If the entire spiritual life of the person is the one hour on Sunday, they’re not going to make progress.

Good point. How can we help people to pray more or think about their faith during the week? With the busyness of life many just don’t seem to have the time or feel that spirituality is important enough. One idea is to download an app like Laudate to follow the daily Mass readings and read a daily reflection. But, how do you motivate people to even want to do that?

1. Apologetics and knowing thy “enemy”. Love the Faith by understanding its greatness, and realize it has power to change those who go the wrong way.

Couldn’t agree more. For me, the truth is more important than anything else so knowing my faith and being able to defend the faith was key for me. But, for many the truth isn’t as important as how “church” makes them feel. How can we get people to view the truth as something more important?

1. Like #1, Bible reading (even some good videos out there) - internalize Jesus’ message.

Agreed. I think some people aren’t sure where to start and that’s why I like the Laudate app. It not only gives easy access to the daily readings, but to a reflection on the readings that is relevant to life.

1. Community action - like #2, outreach activities to non-believers.

And for me doing this in a Catholic way is key. There is a Protestant-based evangelization program (Alpha) that has been endorsed by many Church leaders. People who endorse this program say that it is purely Kerygma when in fact it promotes and endorses Protestant teaching. We as Catholics have panicked about our falling numbers (at least in the U.S.) so much that we will embrace even a Protestant based program. Watering down our faith is not the answer. Respectfully doubling down on our great faith and getting more Catholics to be “on fire” for their faith, even if it may offend (look how many Jesus offended by preaching the truth) is the way to go to reach out to non-believers.

1. Simplicity. Shutting off the noise. Rejecting worldliness. Getting rid of selfishness.

So hard to do though especially when a person is dealing with life issues as well as the busyness that society has placed in our lives. Charitable activity is so important. How can we give people more opportunities and convince them to do charitable work? There are so many of the same people that seem to volunteer. How can we get more people to see the power of volunteering and doing charitable acts?

1. Living the virtues. Admiring role models in virtue. Good Christian men and women.

So important to have local role models that you can see and interact with as well as the “larger than life” role models that inspire us. That’s why it’s so disturbing when we hear some of the views and behavior of entertainers, politicians, Hollywood, or sports figures that behave counter to a good Christian role model.

1. Staying connected to the Community. Teaching, learning, sharing, fellowshipping – reaching out with phone calls. Making friends. Actually being a Catholic all the time.

I’ve seen the power of small groups that get together on a weekly or monthly basis, build a trusting relationship over time, and share their faith. That personal touch and dialogue is such a powerful thing. But, how do we enable this to occur with all of life’s busyness and so many other activities pulling for people’s time?

Thanks for your thoughts…really good stuff!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

I certainly think that some homilies could be more engaging, but I agree that we should not look at Mass as a competing form of entertainment. When people say they go to MegaSuper Church down the street for the great preaching and fellowship at the in-church coffee bar it tells me they are missing the point. I go to Mass to enter into an intimate relationship with Christ.If people are looking to be engaged, but don’t love Christ then it misses the whole point of what God wants from us; to enter into loving communion with Him.

Hi Usige,

I know many people that go to evangelical churches that basically have a Christian concert on a weekly basis with a great preacher and coffee and donuts afterwards. I’ve been to many of these services and it is very lively and engaging with people seemingly “on fire” for the Lord. They do feel that they are in an intimate relationship with Jesus…actually a few are former Catholics that didn’t feel that intimacy at Mass. I believe they love Jesus with all their hearts. The truth though isn’t as important as how they feel. And I have to admit this drives me crazy.

I’ve tried to explain overall church history, the history of the Bible and how Protestants don’t even use the real Bible, and other arguments based on truth, but all of that is superseded by how they feel. And I don’t mean to minimize their feelings because they’re real. They feel more “on fire” for the Lord attending a Protestant church then Jesus’ Church.

So, how can the Catholic Church get more people “on fire” for the Lord and the Catholic Church? That’s the cruxt of my thread.

Thanks.

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

hydin, excellent post.

What makes me “on fire” is to know that even the disciples made mistakes. It is showing me through scripture that salvation history is littered with God reaching out to us and us turning our back, and yet He still reaches out to enfold us. I feel most engaged when my failings are brought to mind and then the priest challenges me to rise above those failing and to become a better person; not for my own sake, but for love of Christ. I don’t want a bubblegum, feel good “experience”, but rather to have the reality of a faith centered in Christ and not man.

What puts that fire out? When Mass becomes about us. When Mass becomes a social event where we pat ourselves on the back, shake hands and turn fellowship into something more important than listening to Christ. Too often we are like Martha and focus on being good hosts instead of sitting quietly at the feet of Christ to learn as Mary did.

Hi again,

If I may respectfully challenge you a bit if you don’t mind. Everything you said could have been said about a Protestant church as there is nothing uniquely Catholic about what you said. At the evangelical church that I’ve attended they would say the same things. But, what makes the Catholic Church different?

To me, the key differentiator of the Catholic Church is the authority it possesses as given by Jesus and protected by the Holy Spirit. And from that belief comes the Sacraments, social teachings, and other Catholic dogma as the truth. To believe in the Church in all matters of faith and morals is to believe in Christ. I don’t think many Catholics today would agree with that and to me until that happens in a widespread manner the Catholic faith will continue to struggle.

What do you think?

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

read “Lamb’s Supper” by Dr Scott Hahn

i have this book in my hand as i post this…

Could not agree more!!! Not to be dramatic, but it was life changing for me. Completely changed how I approached Mass.

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

Hello Ernie.

This is only my opinion, but I think if a person gets little out of Mass that their loyalties are placed elsewhere - however, and this is a big however - Mass is the best place for any of us to be no matter what the spiritual place - well, while on this earth.

I think 1) more holy priests & bishops who do not give in to popular culture, bad criticism, monied parishioners, threats of losing their tax exempt status, their own discouragement and who set boundaries for time to be with God; 2) required reading (besides what a priest is supposed to be reading anyway) for a priest should be Archbishop Sheen’s book “The Priest Is Not His Own,” and everything by and about St. John Vianney in addition to keeping to their own prayer routine (aren’t priests required to pray the Divine Office daily) and the old adage “when everything else fails, follow directions”; 3) priests give over more time to being available to hearing confessions during the week and for a few minutes just before Mass.

Hi Crenfro,

I also think that many priests can do so much more to lead their respective flocks, but I also know the many responsibilities they have and the attacks the devil must throw their way not to mention local parish politics to deal with…makes for an enormously challenging job they have when you really think of it. That is why I believe we must pray for the entire clergy for their faith, wisdom, endurance, strength in dealing with temptation, leadership, and many other things.

1. parishioners keeping a journal of what touched their hearts at Mass (brief entries); parishioners going to Mass & Adoration weekly, daily if possible; reading one spiritual book every 2 weeks; giving of oneself however small a thing it seems; reading the Bible daily; examining conscience every day using a reliable guide; 5) parishioners buying latest copy of the Catholic Catechism and reading it; 6) parishioners having their own missal; 7) tithing; 8) return to saying the Confiteor during Mass, not just the “Lord Have Mercy”; 9) return to saying the St. Michael the Archangel prayer immediately after mass…just some ideas…

I love your ideas! And maybe starting with baby steps on each of these like going to Mass on a week day once a month at first; reading the daily Mass readings as a good first step; giving a little extra on your way to tithing; things like that. Every extra bit of time we’re thinking about the Lord the better off we’ll be!

Also, I think a solid Bible study, that’s Catholic based and approved by the Catholic church could be helpful.

My two cents.

Couldn’t agree more with you, but the leader needs to be a strong Catholic who understands their faith. I have a family member that was turned off on the Catholic faith in part because of a Bible study where everyone professed that their “good works” gets them into heaven. In my opinion a Bible study is only good if it teaches the truth and interprets scripture as the Church does.

Thanks for your thoughts!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

Hi Ernie;

Thanks for your comments. I think there is a lot of truth to what you posted, and a great deal of potential good in what you seek.

To be blunt, the parish’s pastor or administrator needs to be a true leader, a true shepherd for a parish to catch on fire with the Holy Spirit.

Without such a leader, it’s like pushing on a rope. With such a leader however, it’s a wonderful thing to experience!

Hi Solomonson,

I agree with you that a “true shepherd” is important, but why do you think without such a leader it will be like “pushing on a rope”? What if a few “on fire” parishioners wanted to embark on bringing Catholic education materials to the faithful and start a groundswell of activity, maybe even strengthening that pastor to begin leading in the way you describe.

Just curious on your thoughts. Thanks.

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

i would suggest to get the peole in your group to join

The Marian Catechist Apostolate

then you would develop a like minded community

If you are interested in service to the Catholic Church through the teaching of the Faith, please consider joining the Marian Catechist Apostolate.

The heart of the Marian Catechist Apostolate is to fulfill Christ’s directive to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, so that in knowing God, all might love Him; that in loving Him, all might serve Him; that in serving Him, all souls might be saved. To this end, the purpose of the Marian Catechist Apostolate is twofold:

To cultivate love of the Holy Eucharist, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and unswerving loyalty to the Holy Father and the Magisterium (the teaching authority) of the Catholic Church.
To prepare members to share the gift of Christ’s truth and love, as found in its fullness in the teachings and practice of the Catholic Church, through the Apostolate of Catechesis.
The mission of the Apostolate is to form and nurture catechists for the teaching and sharing of the Catholic Faith. Marian Catechists must be heroic souls whose spiritual and doctrinal formation equips them for active participation in the new evangelization of America. Understanding that the foundation of all true and effective catechesis is a vibrant spiritual life, the spiritual formation of each Marian Catechist is vitally important; our efforts to share the Faith will be futile unless our lives attest to its beauty and richness. We become authentic witnesses to Our Lord Jesus Christ through a holiness of life and a life of prayer that develops and is nurtured slowly over time.

Marian Catechist Apostolate

In addition to growing in personal holiness, members of the Apostolate are formed doctrinally by learning the Faith in a manner that is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Each of the four courses in our doctrinal formation is designed for home-study, although assistance is available from the International Office upon request.

Thank you for this reference as I will look into it in greater detail. I know of this group by way of Cardinal Burke as he is one of the few Church leaders that has stood against the Protestant based Alpha program. I will definitely take a strong look at this Apostolate.

Thank you very much!

-Ernie-

 

[Ernie07]

Sure thing, Ernie! I know some CAF folks weren’t too keen on my remarks. The observations come from what many fallen-away Catholics have shared with me… and a bit of my own personal experience. Explaining the Eucharist, fullness of the Church, graces, beauty of the Mass and other things don’t make sense to them. At some seminaries, greater emphasis is being placed on homiletics due to this.

Hi Macstar,

Are you saying the priests don’t explain the teachings of the Church in a way for these fallen-away Catholics to have understood? Because that is my concern as well. I’ve even thought about the idea of setting up a blog or weekly meetings that parishioners could attend with the sole purpose of answering questions from parishioners about the Catholic faith from the perspective of a lay person. My thought was that it might be less intimidating to ask someone like me rather than our priest. Just a thought I’m throwing around…

Thanks again for your thoughts.

-Ernie-

 

[reggieM]

Hi Ernie - great follow up questions. Thanks!

I’m going to boil everything down to this:

But, how do we enable this to occur with all of life’s busyness and so many other activities pulling for people’s time?

Whatever it is - using Laudate app, prayer, learning, action in community, lifestyle change – the same question applies.

First, what I think does not work, or has only limited effectiveness, is the thing we do most often, “make announcements, do promotions on a program”. What I mean by program is something that broadcasts “out there” to the parish. Flyers, talks, conferences, email blasts. All of that stuff where there is a presenter and an audience. That is exactly what we don’t need - and in fact, it’s that kind of thing that causes the loss of zeal and fire in the faith!

Yes, it has to be reduced way down. I think something like the Cursillo model is one way that works. But you can build your own - it’s not that difficult.

It starts from this: The one-to-one. It’s one person with a phone number, calling another. Yes, it takes time. But that’s how a friendship is built. Then, that person calls another. Eventually, you get ten people who know each other and who can talk together.

Ok, to retract what I just said - yes, a “program” is needed, but it’s done at the individual level. Small group Catholicism. Meeting weekly. It could even be a conference call by phone. Prayer together, sharing life stories (structured for time), working on challenges. Then, once a week a call with a sponsor or mentor for spiritual direction help on a particular virtue, getting ready for confession and Mass.

Some people would love to have this every day. A wake-up or breakfast call for 10 minutes. Share a prayer together. What was your hardship, temptation yesterday? How did you deal with it? Prayer and thanks to God - until tomorrow.

Eventually, you will motivate one person. Then ten or so. Then that will spread. The whole parish will be involved and very dynamic.