Lent: The Journey Begins

Today marks the beginning of our Lenten journey this year, and it reminds me of so many other journeys I have experienced in my life.

As we often share with students on Confirmation retreats, the Mass is a kind of journey, a quest, with the prize of receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist as its end.

Our chaplain, Fr. Schuster, likes to use another Journey to help students fully engage in the retreat experience: He walks into the room with his guitar and plays the 1981 classic "Don't Stop Believin'", encouraging retreatants to sing along.

I made quite a journey myself to get here back in August, hopping on an airplane in Florida's busy Orlando International Airport and traveling all day to reach Mt. Tabor Center in Menasha, WI.

And speaking of long journeys, the longest trip ever taken by human beings (to the moon!) started from my hometown of Titusville, FL.

But it's another journey that we are called to reflect on during this season of Lent, a journey that in many ways dominates our experience of being Christians. This is the journey we remember and celebrate with every Mass, the journey that we find (if we dare to look closely enough) reflected in the course of each of our lives. It's the deceptively-simple journey of Christ as He carries His cross.

When we show The Passion of the Christ on Confirmation retreats, this is the part students watch. If we didn't already know the story, it would all seem so straightforward. A Man, already bruised and bloody, carries a heavy wooden cross on which He is to be crucified as a common criminal. He falters, too weak to go on, and another man is forced to aid Him. At every turn along the way, the cross-bearers and their Roman escort encounter resistance. When they finally reach the top of the hill on which the execution is to take place, the Condemned can barely find strength to stand.

But cut throughout this drama are sometimes-confusing scenes that hint to us that something more might be going on here. And there is something more: this Man is Jesus, fully human but also fully God. And He is innocent of the crimes for which He has been condemned. His death is for our salvation.

There is so much more going on during this journey than I can ever hope to describe, but one thing that always stands out to me is the other man, the one who helps Jesus carry His cross: Simon of Cyrene. Here is a man who wants nothing to do with Jesus, but, through walking beside Him, comes to love Him. Simon suffers with Jesus as they both struggle under the weight of the cross. At one point, Simon offers to endure anything the Roman soldiers can inflict upon him, only demanding that they stop ridiculing Jesus. I am always reminded that this Simon, who did not even know Jesus until shortly before the Crucifixion, went on to become a saint.

Lent offers us a time to walk with Christ to the Crucifixion, remembering always that the Resurrection waits just beyond. It allows us to suffer with Christ as we take up our own crosses of penance. It reminds us that in some ways, our entire lives must be a kind of Way of the Cross, as every day we die to self and learn to live more fully in Christ. Lent is the time when we reflect on this simple truth: if we wish to go where Christ goes, we must walk with Him.

"I like your shoes" - the power of affirmation

“And please do not just say, ‘I like your shoes.’”We always add that last instruction before we begin small group affirmations on retreat. Students chuckle, but it reminds them that we want them to focus on each other’s personal gifts rather than exterior things like footwear. Small group affirmations are one of my favorite parts of SPIRITUS retreats. It challenges the students to be real with one another. They aren’t used to being sincere and at first the idea of actually saying nice things about each other out loud intimidates them. They begin with superficial comments, but as we continue they relax and speak from their hearts. One particular small group recently reminded me an affirmations power to open hearts. At the beginning of the retreat my small group was very closed off. Most felt deprived of their weekend. They were skeptical that a religious retreat could be fun. I wasn’t sure how affirmations would go over.The Holy Spirit provided. As the retreat continued, I noticed distinctive, positive qualities about each student. One boy was incredibly funny. He knew how to put a smile on his classmates’ faces. Another of the girls was deeply compassionate. She was quick to note how what others said affected people. When the time came to begin small group affirmations, I was surprised by how much goodness I saw in those students. God gave me the gift of seeing them through His eyes. Despite their resistance to being on retreat, they were kind, caring, and even charming people. I was even more surprised by their change of attitude after affirmations. They went from being guarded to treating me like a friend. Our small group laughed together and several of them opened up and shared personal struggles, all because of a few kind words. It gave me a lot to reflect on. Do I let people know that I appreciate them? Do I take notice of their accomplishments and point them out? Do I remind people that I am thankful God put them into my life? Do I affirm from the heart rather than remaining on surface level? I know for sure God is calling me to say more than, “I like your shoes.”

Alive in the Holy Spirit!

Sometimes, we here at SPIRITUS have a very busy week.

This was one of those weeks. Between Faith on Fires, Confirmation Retreats, and a Shine Retreat, we have just survived nine different events, and we are not through yet! Tomorrow night we have our biweekly Bible Studies, Inspire! and Teen Disciples.

It is during weeks like these, when we are sometimes a little tired, that we see more than ever how much we depend on the Holy Spirit. Why? Because He gives us strength to not merely survive our busy weeks, but to absolutely thrive!

I can honestly say that while I am physically a little tired, I am also more spiritually energized than I have been in a long time!

We have met so many awesome students who are excited about their faith, from the middle school students at Seton to the Confirmation candidates of St. Margaret Mary and St. Patrick. A little farther from our home base in Menasha, we've also met young people from the Tri-Parishes in Sherwood/Stockbridge/Hilbert, St. John Catholic School in Princeton, St. Catherine of Siena in Ripon, and Holy Family Parish in Fond du Lac. As always, we are humbled and awed by the Holy Spirit's ability to use us to ignite faith and change lives everywhere we go.

Please continue to pray for us during this busy season that the Holy Spirit will continue to give us everything we need to continue to thrive in ministry.

God Bless,

Jared

Mahna Mahna

The title says it all! But, before I get into that, allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Erin Schuessler, a seasoned SPIRITUS veteran serving a third year with the program, now as the team coordinator.

It has been such a tremendous blessing to work with this year’s team. They bring such joy to my life! One of the highlights of my job is to see God’s divine providence unfold. It is so evident that He has called each one by name to live in this community and to serve in this ministry. Both aspects are absolutely flourishing…Praise the Lord!

Their growth as a community and individually reminds me of a song that is near and dear to the teams heart (the sisterhood’s heart anyways)…

“I look into these eyes and I don’t recognize the one I see inside. Its time for me to decide am I a man or am I a Muppet?”

For the sake of SPIRITUS, we’ll take a slightly different approach…” ...Its time for me to decide am I a man or am I an Evangelist?”

Each of the young adults on this team has taken a huge leap of faith in saying, “Yes” to serving or Lord. They are discovering that God’s call is transforming. Through their yes, they are uncovering more deeply who God has created them to be and how He is calling them to serve. We are all called to evangelize.

So, ask yourselves, “Are you a man, or are you an evangelist?”

Say “YES” to Christ!

Mahna Mahna,

Erin

What a busy month!

Hello,

It has been crazy this month to say the least, and judging by the blog posts(rather lack there of) from other Spiritus members I can assume I am right in saying we are more than busy. Stepping back a whole month-ish, that would still have us in the Christmas season, no snow, and Spiritus members literally all around the world. Trisha spent her Christmas in France; Alex, Jared, Dan, and Kelly all returned to their respective families in IN, FL, NY, and MI. Mark, Jonathan and Karissa, and Aaron all returned to their homes within WI.

Moving along this month, not a weekend has gone by where there wasn't at least 3 retreats from a Friday through a Sunday. We have been catching up on Faith on Fires(FoF) as well; little 90 minute weekday night retreats for CCD classes. As a mater of fact we will be having two again tonight. The month of February doesn't seem like its going to cut us any slack either. We did have a nice day off yesterday though and the guys saw the latest Mission Impossible film, currently in theaters, per suggestion from someone that it would be a great topic of discussion on how to stay always focused on "the mission." We know of course ours is to bring people to Christ, but a little adrenaline never hurts to keep us on our toes.

Lastly, about two weeks ago the Spiritus team had the great fortune to go on a retreat of our own at Monte Alverno Retreat Center here in Appleton. We enjoyed an overnight stay which included: silent time/prayer, oodles of praise and worship, private Lecio Divina (scripture "divine reading") and team discussion, and a theology lesson from our team chaplain Fr. Dan Schuster. We also got to spend an evening bonding in the snow (as it was one of the first snow falls) playing some touch football...girls included!

It has been a chaotic yet smooth, busy but short, cold but relatively healthy month(both spiritually and physically). Jared has a cough, but as it wanes I assume a first ever 5 foot snow man is in the making! Until next time, God bless!

Yours in Christ,
Dan

Mr. Advent....bring me a reef!

Oooopsy! I meant Wreath! Happy Advent to everyone! As the Advent Season comes to an end and as Christmas approaches so quickly, let us not fade in our preparation for the King to come! What are you doing to prepare for Christ? This is the question SPIRITUS posed to middle school students at Holy Family Parish (Sacred Heart location) a couple weeks ago. In great fashion, Mr. Advent Wreath and his candles (Violet, Lavender, Rose, Purple) took the students through a comical skit learning about the components of Advent: the meaning behind the colors of the Advent Wreath and its candles, and what we can do in prayer, repentance, and preparation for Christ's birth. Following that, in typical manner, we broke up into small groups and discussed the meaning of Advent in our families and what gifts we hope to get from Christ. Then sent them forth praising and worshiping the Lord through music. All of this done in hope that they can really attempt to encounter Christ in a different way this Christmas Season.

But for the rest of us, as we prepare for Christmas- what gifts are you hoping for this year? And I dont mean the new XBOX game, or I-phone, or new pullover sweater...I mean what gifts do we want Christ to give us! As we reflect and prepare, we should desire to bring gifts of "gold, frankincense, myrrh" and ourselves to Him; we should also ASK Christ for a gift this Christmas, whether it is a greater desire to know Him, more of an open heart, strength in a difficult situation or relationship, or a miracle. We should not be afraid to come to him like Jairus who begged the Lord to heal his daughter.

Let us all enjoy the thrills and excitement of Christmas, but let us also bring the spirit of Christmas and Christ's love to our family and friends. SPIRITUS wishes you all have a jolly 'ol Christmas and a Happy New Year! Praised be Jesus Christ!

Peace to all,

Mark

Distractions or Means of Attaining Heaven?

At a recent Sunday Mass I found myself in a familiar dilemma - in an effort to avoid being distracted by the countless people between my seat and the altar, do I close my eyes and fix the eyes of my heart on the miracle that is taking place or do I attempt to keep my eyes open and fixed on Jesus during the consecration and elevation of the Eucharist? It was a reoccurring question in my mind, but in a moment of grace God gave me a new perspective on the other people attending Mass with me.

The Gospel reading on this particular Sunday was Matthew 25:31-46, the separation of the sheep and the goats at the final judgment. The Son of Man comes in His glory and tells those on His right "Come...Inherit the kingdom...For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'" The righteous then ask the Lord when they did all this and He replies, "Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

The Spiritus women had discussed this passage at a faith sharing night and we had talked about how we are called to minister to every person we encounter as if he or she were Christ Himself. This discussion and the homily combined to give new meaning to the people in front of me, to those who were "distracting me" from the Eucharist. Yes, these people can be distracting, but they are also my means of getting to Christ. It struck me that it is in serving and ministering to them, and in seeing the least of them as Christ Himself, that I may arrive at Christ, that I may grow toward Him and toward eternal life. Our eyes must be fixed on Christ, but only in a way that allows us to see the people and opportunities for grace that will allow us to get to Him. The people in front of me are not simply distractions that must be put aside in order for me to focus on Christ. Rather, they are my means of encountering Christ, attaining growth in virtue and, ultimately, attaining heaven.

The Shrine with the One and Only... Father Jewel

Last Tuesday, the 22nd, by the grace of God, SPIRITUS visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion. It was an afternoon of prayer, Mass, Confession and learning about the new Mass changes, followed by a special treat: a tutorial on the arts of beat-boxing and break-dancing performed by the one and only Father Jewel.

I don't know if anyone has ever seen a beat-boxing, break-dancing priest (who "threw down" in his cassock, by the way), but it was pretty sweet. It's nice to see how individuals with extremely different backgrounds, talents, and gifts can use them to bring glory to God. Father Jewel is a great example of how God creates every human being so uniquely, and of how each and every one of us is special and how we are made to share our unique gifts with one another. It was a great gift and honor to spend the afternoon at the Shrine. Father Jewel, thank you for inspiring us.

So, moral of the story: If you don't think your gifts and talents can be used for the Church to bring glory to God and inspiration to your brothers and sisters in Christ... Think again.

What is the New Evangelization? (Part 2)

Last time [see Part 1, below], I presented a few things that I learned in a conversation at St. Pius Catholic Church in Appleton that I felt really needed to be addressed here, in particular that older generations of faithful Catholics don't always understand what the New Evangelization is or why it is so important. I feel that a detailed explanation is necessary because the New Evangelization involves the whole Church. We all need to be committed to fulfilling the call put out by Blessed John Paul II, whether on the front lines as missionaries, catechists, and DREs or as prayer warriors and supporters of their efforts. SPIRITUS is just one of the organizations that carries out the New Evangelization directly every day, and we can't do it by ourselves!

In a nutshell, the New Evangelization is a fulfillment of the mission Christ gave the Twelve Apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations", but it focuses specifically on those who have already heard some part of the Gospel and have either lost it (the seed was choked out by weeds), never become rooted in it (the seed was sown on rocky ground), or had it snatched away before they could truly receive it (the seed was eaten by birds). The New Evangelization uses "new" methods that are actually straight from the Bible.

First, we as evangelizers have to find out where the people we talk to are. Just as St. Paul in Athens began his testimony by speaking to the Greeks about the true nature of the "unknown god" they already worshiped, we also meet the youth and young adults right where they are. The most common difficulty we have encountered in our work with teens isn't that they don't know enough of what the Church teaches (though to be sure, this is frequently the case); it's that they don't even think there's a reason to consider that God exists! We have to come to them in their doubts and show them that faith truly does affect our lives before they will even listen to what we have to say about God.

Second, we can't just force students to accept the truth. If we simply stood up and read them the Catechism, many would not understand it, and even those who did would not accept most of what we told them. Jesus recognized this, and preached in parables. Even to His closest followers, much of what He said was clear only after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Like Jesus, we speak in terms that are understood and do not try to force students to learn what they aren't yet ready to comprehend. (That said, we are always faithful to the Magisterium of the Church and are careful to not give the impression that we believe in heresies when the truth is hard to understand.)

Third, we don't merely evangelize. We teach others to spread the Good News just as we have given it to them. St. Paul and the Apostles did this, fulfilling the Great Commission, and it is because of them that we have a Church today! We refer to this as discipleship, and it is one of the primary goals of our bi-weekly Bible studies (Inspire! and Teen Disciples).

I hope this post gives you a better understanding of the New Evangelization and why it is so critically important to the future of the Church. But also remember that the most important thing you can do for us as a SPIRITUS team and for the Church as a whole is to keep praying!

-Jared

What is the New Evangelization? (Part 1)

Last night, SPIRITUS dropped by St. Pius X Catholic Church in Appleton to attend Fr. Girotti's talk on his book A Shepherd Tends His Flock. While the talk was great and I would highly recommend his book (I'd buy it myself, if I had more spending money!), the most significant thing that happened last night for us was a great conversation we had with one of the other guests in attendance, a woman with a great love for the Catholic Church who had converted from Lutheranism and told us about several young people in her life with a great need to hear the truths the Church teaches.

This woman was looking for a place where she could send her son's girlfriend to learn about the Catholic Faith. She told us that there just aren't enough opportunities for young adults who have never heard the truth to learn it from the Church in a nonthreatening setting. RCIA is a fantastic place to learn about the Faith, but it's hard to convince a nonbeliever to go through a class that is designed with the idea that everyone who signs up for it is planning to enter the Church. And bringing a nonbeliever into Mass is tricky business at best, especially when there's a good chance that the homily is going to be about something other than basic apologetics; most nonbelievers or even Protestants would be more confused than enlightened by their first experience of the Mass!

What she really wanted was some kind of apologetics or catechesis class for adults who have neither a solid background in the Faith nor a desire to enter the Catholic Church at this point in their lives. In other words, this woman wanted to know where she could send someone who was merely curious about the truth.

The good news is that SPIRITUS now has a way to reach out to exactly the kind of person she described to us. It's called Inspire! and it's a Bible study for young adults. At Inspire! Bible studies on the first and third Monday of every month, members of SPIRITUS join other young adults in three locations (our home base at Mt. Tabor Center in Menasha, as well as locations in Green Bay and Fond du Lac) in getting to know Christ better by studying the Gospel of Matthew.

The bad news is that the woman we talked to had a hard time understanding how this would help her son's girlfriend learn the truths taught by the Catholic Church. After a Spirit-filled conversation, this is what became apparent to all of us:

1. There is a huge generation gap between the old and the young when it comes to faith and how we learn about it.

2. Old methods of catechesis aren't working on the younger generations.

3. This is largely because the youth are bombarded with so many distractions that make it impossible for them to recognize Truth when they hear it, distractions like media, materialism, and the pace of modern life. Youth and young adults today are trained to think in very concrete, rational terms. There is very little place in their lives for things they can't touch, see, and manipulate.

4. Young people are leaving and have left the Church in large numbers. They don't accept what they are told, but question everything. And if they don't feel that their questions are answered, they don't feel that they are being fed, and so they leave. Of course, many of them are trained to be so skeptical that they are barely willing to accept anything the Church says!

5. There is a huge need for what Blessed John Paul II called the New Evangelization, in which new methods are used to preach the Gospel to all peoples (particularly in areas where the Faith was once strong, but has now been weakened by secularization) in ways that they can understand and accept it.

6. The older generations of faithful Catholics don't always understand what the New Evangelization is or why it is needed.

It is this last point that I really want to address, and I'll discuss it in depth next time.

[To be continued]

-Jared