Cherish Every Gift

In my 3rd year of being a part of this ministry, now as the Coordinator of the team, I still very much am impacted by what we do and how I am being formed. Here is an excerpt of an article I recently wrote for our newsletter about the gifts that this ministry gives to us:

IMPACT!
I vividly remember Christmas as a child and being the first to run downstairs and see all the gifts.  At first sight, some of these presents were magnificent, extraordinary, but alas, only to be forgotten by me, and set aside days later.  I have since learned to not set my gifts aside and to always cherish those little gifts as well.

On SPIRITUS, we are challenged to grow closer to Jesus and unwrap the gifts He has for us.  If you are like me, you might wait for that big present in an answered prayer or a revelation or a sweet feeling, but I think it is the little signs of His love that help me grow closer to Him.  Through SPIRITUS, I witness team members, youth and young adults growing closer to Jesus and unwrapping new life.

In our Inspire and Teen Disciples bi-monthly gatherings, the youth and young adults are challenged to take their questions, and find the answers through the Scriptures, and teachings of our Church.  Sometimes it can have them reaching really deep inside confronting personal struggles.  One young adult recently expressed the struggles he faced.  SPIRITUS encouraged him to stay strong in faith and not to be discouraged for that is what Satan wants.  The new life that rushed into him was like a breath of fresh air.  This new awareness was a gift for this young man and a gift for the team to witness the new life that God gives.

The team recently traveled two hours away to give a daylong retreat to 3rd-5th graders and then back home in time to go to three different locations to give evening programs.  The team was tired and worn out, but you could see a definite sign of the Holy Spirit working in them filling them with life.  With new life they inspired teens and young adults to unwrap the gift of Jesus in their lives.  So let us anticipate with great joy the little gifts God wants to grant us and to experience His life in the Holy Spirit.

God Bless,

Mark Rose, SPIRITUS Coordinator

Lifelong Wait, Eternal Reward

Merry Christmas!

Yes, it is still Christmas. Like Easter, Christmas lasts for an octave--8 days. The season of Christmas lasts until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 13th. Yet, much of the secular world has already moved on. We live in a culture that can think of nothing but Christmas as soon as (or even before) Thanksgiving ends, but ends the celebration and starts planning to put away the tree and take down the lights as soon as the day is past. How different this is from our Catholic Faith!

Many of the students who come to us on retreat have fully bought into our culture of instant gratification and pleasure-seeking. They simply don't know any other way to live. Everything around them seems to say, "Do what makes you feel good now, and as soon as it stops making you feel good, find something else." A lot of them are, quite simply, not truly happy. One of the things that is missing is a sense of anticipation, of waiting for a great good rather than grasping at a lesser good.

When I was a child, Christmas was a day that the whole family anticipated. I couldn't WAIT to see what toys would be under the tree. (Yet somehow, I did.) And when I got those new toys, I kept playing with them for a long time. But then I got older, and realized I could sneak into my parents' room and find the toys before they were wrapped. Much of the anticipation was ruined. I started to put aside old toys more quickly. If that's growing up, suddenly Christ's command to be childlike makes so much sense.

Our Faith is very much a lifetime of waiting, waiting to enter into a joy that will last forever. Nobody is going to decide, after getting to Heaven, that it's already time to start shopping for Valentine's Day. But our Faith does not just consist of waiting. We wait in joyful hope, already possessing, in some mysterious way, the great good that we anticipate. Students see this in us, and they want it!

The key is often found in the discipline of waiting. Advent is a great opportunity to practice waiting in joyful hope, and celebrating Christmas throughout the entire Christmas season is a good opportunity to remind ourselves of just what it is we are supposed to be waiting for. A lot of pressure is placed on teenagers today to do anything but wait. By the witness of our lives, let's give them a reason to stand up against that pressure.

It has been a great four months here on SPIRITUS! I can already see how being a part of this ministry has impacted me.  I am learning so much from students on retreat, and I have a lot of fun with them.  I have also learned a lot from the other team members.   It has been great being surrounded by so many people who put their Catholic faith as a priority in their life. Being in an environment that helps nurture my own faith has really helped me to grow more in love with Jesus, and with being Catholic.

The opportunities for prayer that we have are amazing.  I love being able to go to Mass daily, and being in a community that prays together.  I really see how important personal prayer is to this ministry.  Being in closer communication with God has given me a stronger sense of who I am, and how I am meant to live my life.

One thing that helps me on this journey of SPIRITUS this year is seeing the difference in the students we see on retreat.  We get to spend time with students in smaller groups, and this is where we see the magic happen! Most students have a really strong desire to have a deeper relationship with God, and it is really inspiring how willing they are to share about their experiences, their prayer life, and their love of God!  I can’t wait to continue on in this ministry this year

The Blessings From These Past Four Months

I am not sure if I can put into words just how SPIRITUS has impacted me. It has only been four months but I can honestly say that I have found myself transformed in a more dramatic way than the other twenty two years of my life. I came into SPIRITUS hesitant that this ministry could make a difference in my life and that I could make any impact on the students that I would meet. Boy, was I wrong. SPIRITUS has helped me grow in ways that I didn’t think were imaginable. Our busy schedule filled with prayer, retreats, Bible studies and team bonding has rejuvenated my spirit and filled me with such joy. I find myself at a peace that I have never experienced before. Living and working in community has helped me to develop a servant’s heart and see Jesus in my wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. Being on retreats has been such a blessing because they have made me rely on the Holy Spirit when I feel unprepared or at a loss for words. The Holy 

Spirit always knows exactly what the students need.

One of the biggest impacts of SPIRITUS on me is seeing how our retreats can be that place where students encounter Jesus in a unique and personal way. I have seen many students leave our retreats with a new glimpse of who Jesus is and how much they are loved. I cannot tell you how many students, after having watched a portion of The Passion of the Christ, have come up to me saying that they can’t believe that Jesus would endure all that pain and suffering for them. Many students do not realize that they are loved with such an overflowing love by God. I know the Holy Spirit is working so immensely when a student walks away from a SPIRITUS retreat knowing that Jesus really does love them. I think that the most important thing a student can take away from a retreat is a personal relationship with Jesus where they find in Him a friend to help them weather whatever may come their way.

Unexpected Graces

As our Christmas break approaches, it seems like an appropriate time to look back on my time with SPIRITUS. When I started my first year, I didn’t really know exactly what to expect. I only knew that I would have an opportunity to serve, and through that service, to grow in my faith. What I didn’t realize was that in my first year with SPIRITUS, I would become more joyful, more open to the Holy Spirit, and more confident.

In my second year, I’ve seen growth as well. I’m learning more about the Church and more about how best to reach the youth. I’m continuing to develop skills that help me better minister to others. I’m finding an ever deeper desire in my heart to spread the Faith.

I’ve also seen a great response from the youth this year. Last year, learning and growing took up a lot of my focus, but this year I feel a little freer to really see what is happening in the hearts of the youth we minister to. On one retreat, a young woman in my small group expressed that she had no belief in God and did not feel like she could trust any of her peers. But she was willing to share her opinions, and just from that openness, God was able to break down some of the walls she had built between herself and others.

Transformed From The Inside Out

This Ministry is impacting students in so many different ways. Each retreat has left me in awe of how God works in incredible ways, seeing the changes in the students faces, in their attitudes and most importantly a change of heart. I see so much potential in the youth today, so much passion, and a craving for change in the world we live in, that's where this ministry has it biggest BAM! This ministry is full of variety with the personal stories of the team members, small groups (students opening up and sharing a little bit of their life with us), 1:1 prayer (allowing the Holy Spirit to be with us, letting Him guide us through prayer), praise and worship (allowing the students to be silly, and out of their comfort zone), in these essential ways of using our faith in everyday life. One student mentioned, "being here has been a wonderful experience, it has taught us how our faith really is." That right there is very necessary telling the truth about our Catholic faith, sharing the stories, those real personal stories, letting them see that they are not alone, there are others in their classroom, in this world that have similar struggles. There is hope, and most importantly life does change when you let Jesus into your heart.

Now where to even begin, on how this ministry has impacted me, its been 4 months with SPIRITUS, it has been busy-wonderful four months of my life thus far. It has been challenging in so many areas but very trans-formative in others. I have grown so much, in prayer, ministry, community, formation, direction and most importantly, I've experienced a change of heart. This is why I am such an advocate for experiences from Jesus’s heart to our own.  I've been changed from the inside out as we say on retreat. I am more open, I am letting people in (in community and students on retreat), I am more determined, peaceful, courageous, joyful and confident. In allowing Jesus to work in me, He is molding me with a heart for Ministry. For that I am eternally grateful. I'm here because of Him, to bring others to Him and our faith. 

Spiritus transformation for me and the youth

What has my life been since I started with this ministry?  It has been a struggle no doubt about that, but as the fourth month starts with SPIRITUS I am very glad that I am here.  This ministry has forced me to go deeper within myself then I have ever had to do before.  I am no longer afraid to speak to the youth which is a very big plus for me.  Also through prayer, ministry and community life I can tell that Jesus is challenging me to become the man Christ made me to be.  

I am very excited with this ministry.  Already I can see the difference of what we do in the hearts of these youth.  At the very least they come to us with a little flame for Christ so when they experience these retreats most of them literally transform in front of our eyes to a blazing furnace for Christ.  This ministry is definitely needed in our times to combat the Culture of Death that pervades every aspect of our society so I just want to a big "Thank You" to all of our supporters.  With your support we can ignite the flames of love for Christ in these youths as well cultivate leaders in nine young men and women for the armies of Christ.

May God bless you this Christmas,

Robert Jennings, SPIRITUS Team

The Most Fulfilling Four Months of My Life

When I first read about SPIRITUS on the internet, I really didn't know what to expect. Now that I have been able to be a part of the SPIRITUS Team, I can say with certainty that what has happened over the course of this Fall semester has been greater than I could have ever thought possible.

SPIRITUS has provided me with an opportunity that is extraordinary: I can center my life wholly and completely on Jesus Christ. From the time I wake up in the morning until the time I fall asleep at night, all that I do is centered on becoming closer to God and imitating Jesus in my life.

There have been struggles on the path, but these struggles are what help me grow so I can become closer to Him in my life. Living in community has kept me accountable for how I live and has helped me maintain my focus on Jesus.

I have grown tremendously as a result of continuous spiritual development and living in community with others who share the same Catholic faith as I do. From daily Mass, to reciting the Liturgy of the Hours, to participating in formation and spiritual direction, I have had the opportunity to grow in Christ and learn to let my soul "magnify the Lord."

And this is what our ministry is all about. While we could never live up to Mary's "magnificat" in its purest sense, we learn to grow closer to God through her and to imitate her in virtue and her devotion to God. By magnifying the Lord, we deliver the message of Christ to the students we meet on retreat, in youth ministry, and Bible study.

We show students an example of how to live an alternative life than the one's preached by the world. We ignite the faith in Catholic youth and kindle the flames for God within their hearts. And for those who do not know Jesus, we introduce them to Him through intellectual, spiritual, and personal experience.

Through evangelizing the youth, I am able to fully live out the Gospels and imitate Jesus Christ like I have never had the opportunity to do before. And for that, I am ever grateful!

Life Changing

When I applied for Spiritus, I had no idea how life-changing it truly would be.  Even to this day, it amazes me how transformed I'm really becoming by being apart of this ministry.  Not only does this ministry give us, the team members, a chance to meet and witness to students all throughout the state, but it calls us on to do even more with ourselves--to truly open our hearts to the workings of the Holy Spirit.

I am so grateful to be apart of this ministry! It has truly transformed me into the person I feel God wants me to be.  By being apart of formation days, meetings with my spiritual advisor, living in community, and daily prayer my love for Jesus Christ has truly grown to a depth that I never thought could exist.

What I learn and attain through formation and prayer on the team, I am able to attend to the needs of the students we see on retreat.  At the end of the day, the students are really craving for a real and true witness.  They want to see what "normal" people have gone through and why Jesus is so important.  They need something they can hold on to and grasp.  And that's what I try to do. I try to be completely and totally real with the students. I tell them the experiences I faced growing up and why I needed God in my life.

Majority of the time, I feel like the one being ministered to on retreat. I look at the students we see and it calls me on to love God even more. I am truly honored and blessed to be apart of this life-changing ministry!

It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas

True meaning of Christmas

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception :) the first week of Advent came and went by so quickly. What did you do? Did you take the time to slow down? Did you take that first step in growing closer to Jesus Christ? Did you take a moment to reflect on all the blessings the good Lord has blessed you with? As the new year is starting I've made a promise of my own, to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Allowing Him to lead me, to seeing things as they are beautiful, treating people with kindness and respect,  growing in obedience, growing in patience with my brothers and sisters, re-establishing the relationship with our Blessed Mother. Now I know that's a long list, but little by little it'll become apart of me. I've already taken the first step, the rest will be easy with the help and grace from God. After all Advent is the season of changing, learning, growing and molding us into the person Jesus wants us to be.

Happy Feast and Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother

 This week we've been blessed with busyness and Christmas decorating around Mount Tabor :) the week started off with Inspire/Teen Disciples on Monday we discussed 'Marian Apparitions' speaking about the importance of having a special relationship with our Blessed Mother for she is the way to her Son, the different areas where she appeared. Tuesday we were honored to have a luncheon-Celebrate with the Board Members and some of the Benefactors of SPIRITUS, they were a wonderful group. Shout out to TOM, thanks for the delightful conversation. Ended the great day, going to the YMCA, connecting the body and soul in exercise :) 

Nothing like playing Pictionary  with the brothers & sisters!

Wednesday night was spent at Nativity Parish in Green Bay with 6-8th graders, where they learned the importance of being the superheros in this world we live in. Following the example of those whom walked amoung us, the Saints, how each of us are called to be just that a Saint. Thursday brought Formation with Sr. Mary Ann and Sr. Julie Ann they spoke and walked us through the journey of Our Blessed Mother, noticing a pattern here? It was fantastic, and so needed, giving me that extra push in the right direction. Followed by Spiritual Direction where more goals were set, good discussions, prayers, beginning to stretch this soul of mine. Ending the night with ushering at Xavier High School and seeing Christmas Stars, full of Christmas spirit. Yesterday, Friday was filled with laughter, Christmas decorating, Christmas music on full blast, putting up the tree, and preparing this home for Jesus. Oh, and some of us got to spent the afternoon at Drop In (after school funnness, 6-8th graders from Seaton Middle School spend Friday afternoons from 3-5pm hanging out with members from the SPIRITUS team). Mass and Adoration at Fr. Carr's Place 2 B, concluding with playing Pictionary with the brothers and sisters (pictures below). Sounds like a wonderful, ever so blessed week to me. Happy Saturday and Happy Second week of Advent. Peace and God Bless! 

"Its a soul sister kind of thing."

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful...... -Colossians 3:12-17