With my last blog post about '
What Is The Catholic Church?" I talked about the need for sharing the Gospel with others. So this blog entry I want to complete this process by talking about making disciples, that we are not only called to proclaim the good news by virtue of our baptism, but in Matthew 28 verse 15 Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples.
It was not a suggestion as all too many people believe. Moreover, the Church's primary mission is to make disciples, and to be an redemptive agency in the world, which is why it is so important for Catholics to attend Mass and learn about the faith.
Renewal is an invitation for every person and every parish here in the archdiocese of Chicago, as we are now in the Renew My Church process.
As the website says:
"Talk about your faith. That’s right – talk about it. Your relationship with Jesus. Your reliance on the sacraments. The joy and/or peace you find in prayer. You may be familiar with the saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Guess what – it’s time to use words. Your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your friends, coworkers, neighbors all need you to speak about the source of all love, truth, beauty and goodness at work in your life. They need you to talk about your faith in Jesus Christ and His Church. For the anxious and weary (and we are many), here is a helpful resource on how to share your faith - and more will be added!"
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world. According to the Pew Research Center, 78 percent of all Catholics say they are very happy with the church's role in their lives, while only about one-in-ten say they are not very happy.
This is why us Catholic men should take the lead in setting the tone or mission Imperatives for our family and parish, and other areas of society, where our Priest's and Sister's may not be present or even invited.
One thing to consider, for example, is to host a men's gathering at your parish, and with that you can walk through the CMCS Forum experience of presenting a topic or idea, and then facilitate a discussion for the men to compare notes on their spiritual faith journey. CMCS can provide you the 'play book' and support you with this.
The bottom line is that you should not be (feeling like your) doing this alone. Rather, as both Deacon John Rangel and I have seen, the way to make people and parishes grow in holiness is to foster lay-led pastoral care. A change of culture (and hearts) is needed.
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