God is good, ALL THE TIME

Praise the Lord!

It has been one heck of a week here at SPIRITUS; traveling to retreat locations, meeting a lot of young people, listening to raps about Saint John Paul II (Giovanni Paolo!), and spending sometime at the Salvatorian cottage in Calumetville. Right now I feel a lot like Patrick (see above photo for more details); a little run down. Sometimes the business of the world can get overwhelming and it becomes easy to lose our sight, to stop "seeing things the way God sees them," and to get caught up or tangled by the little things of life. That is why I love the Gospel of the Blind Beggar; " 'What do you want me to do for you?' He replied, 'Lord, please let me see.' " When life gets overwhelming it is really easy to "wrap up in ourselves" and lose sight of the Gospel, but it is precisely in these moments (when we feel like Patrick) where God can do the most work. In the times when we are very aware of our dependence on Him for everything, amazing things happen. I have had some of the best experiences on retreat this past week, even though I had no idea what was going to happen or how things would turn out and felt like panicking more than once; we can be assured of God's answer whenever we call on Him in sincerity and truth. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO FEEL OVERWHELMED; take courage! Trust in the Lord, let the psalm response from yesterdays (11/17/15) Mass saturate your own heart, "The Lord upholds me;" also, watch this video from Father Mike Schmitz (it is some "hot sauce"). Viva Cristo Rey!

Blessed

Blessed. That’s the one word that succinctly describes my first two months here on the Spiritus team.

When I first arrived at Mt. Tabor center back in August, I didn’t know what to expect. Even though I’ve known the Spiritus teams for five years, I still didn’t understand fully what the Spiritus team did on a day by day basis. What I knew about the Spiritus team was based on my interactions with the teams periodically throughout the months, especially in the Ignite and Inspire events, the Spiritus lead biweekly Bible studies for teens/young adults. However, I never would have been able to guess just how busy the Spiritus life is. Who would believe that running around prepping and giving retreats, receiving formation, and living in community would be so busy? Yet, even on the busy days, there is something so immeasurably beautiful and peaceful about being here. There isn’t more than a day that goes by without the song “Set a Fire” by Jesus Culture running through my head. It is truly amazing how God places a calling on our hearts and then equips us with all the tools necessary to succeed! Plus He provides an indescribable peace and joy just to top it off because He can. God is so good!

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Luke 1:46b-47


Please continue to keep us in your prayers.
God Bless!

 

 

Have fun today!

Retreat Season has begun? Bring it on!

Hi everyone!

Upon walking into Mount Tabor around this same time last week, anyone could tell that the team had the first retreat jitters. Yeah, I will admit, I was nervous even after all of the rehearsals and prayer, but after morning Mass before the retreat, the Holy Spirit really took over.

All of our sessions had a strong sense of power behind them and some of the details we had mentioned were not even originally planned! The students of Briggsville and Portage seemed closed off at the beginning of the retreat, but really opened up in small groups, and thereafter, almost every student went to Confession.

God is so good! This retreat exactly as He had planned and I am so blessed to be a part of it. The jitters are gone now, so bring on the next 149 retreats!

Hello!

I am truly blessed to be here on SPIRITUS! God is so good. When I was packing all my stuff into my car and preparing to make my way to Menasha, Wisconsin, I had no idea what amazing blessings God had in store. I am so thankful for the men and women on SPIRITUS Team 7. It's only been three weeks and I have already learned so much from them. A couple days after arriving at Mount Tabor, we had the opportunity to go to Camp Tek for a few days. During the time we spent at Camp Tek, we were able to get to know each other better and bond as a team. The atmosphere at Camp Tek was quite peaceful and allowed us to connect with God in a beautiful way.


As we prepare for the upcoming retreats, I pray that God use each one of us and the gifts we have been given, in order to bring the young people we encounter closer to Him. I am looking forward to growing deeper in faith with my team members and encouraging each other, as we prepare to serve the youth. May the praise and glory be given to God throughout this year!

Be encouraged!

Welcome Back!

This year has many new changes for me, I am coming back as a Servant Leader, I will have a new community, I took the boat over from Michigan instead of taking the train, and is just to name a few! The changes so far have been good, I have not met my new community yet but I have been filled with anticipation all summer long and I only have one week to meet them. But I have also been able to reconnect with a few of my community members from last year before everything starts again and that has been such a blessing as well!!!

I am so blessed and excited to have another year and opportunity to grow in holiness and be apart of something greater than myself. I love retreat ministry for many reasons, but I think the main reason is because I get to meet so many people and listen to them. I have learned many things this past year but one thing seems to stand out, we are all poor in some way. I get to listen and console the Heart of Jesus through being a loving presence to His children!!! I have never known a greater joy than living for others, and Spiritus is such an amazing avenue to love Christ in the hearts of so many people!

Here's to the Best Friendships!

Hello Blog Readers!

It's been pretty quiet here on the blog since all of Team 6 is gone except me. I'm working here at the Mount Tabor Center for another month as the Coordinator for the Totus Tuus program for the Diocese of Green Bay but also helping to prepare as Team 7 begins their journey of SPIRITUS in a little over a month and a half!!

As I'm sitting here in Menasha at the Mount Tabor Center, where I've spent most of my days these past three years, I am reminded of how blessed I am. How blessed these past three years have been. I can go on and on and tell you about how much I've learned about ministry, evangelization and leadership (because I've learned SO MUCH) but in reality, it's the relationships that come to my mind right now. The relationships with the students, of course, and the staff (they are all so awesome and we couldn't do this ministry without them!!!), but also with the young adults I've spent my time with in this mission. Some of the best friendships I've ever had are with my teammates from the past three years and I'm forever grateful for that. These friendships are based on faith, on joy, on loving one another the best we can. And to be honest, I'm not sure I believed these types of friendships existed until I found them on SPIRITUS. I even think about today and the fact that over the course of this morning I've talked to multiple of my teammates through texting, Facebook, email, snapchatting, and even making plans to hang out later this evening. Thank goodness for social media and the internet! Distance doesn't matter, because we have formed such a beautiful bond through SPIRITUS that has only continued to grow after we've gone our separate ways.

So if any of SPIRITUS Team 7 is reading this...get ready! You're entering a unique and wonderful community. Not only with each other as Team 7 but also with all of us alumni that have participated in the mission before you. It's a beautiful thing.

And if any of my friends from SPIRITUS Teams 4, 5, and 6 are reading this...I MISS YOU!

God is Good!

This year has been a blast. I am so deeply in love with Jesus and with His mother Mary. My life has been so blessed and the graces are just piling up and overflowing out of me. The family that has been formed and the community that has come from nine months is amazing.

The Lord knew what He was doing when He sent me here and honestly I had no idea what He was doing. That seems to be how it works a lot of the time. God’s will is something I could have never imagined and turns into a ocean of grace. I always find that whenever I am uncomfortable, God brings this amazing comfort to me for stepping out into an unknown abyss.

We just had our closing retreat and all I can say is that this year has been so Holy Spirit filled. If I could recognize Him working as much as He does in my life I would probably be sitting in this heaven like state. SPIRITUS is just God sent, this family is wonderful.

You can only get what you give, “Give and you shall receive”. The thing is, when you REALLY give, actually fully give of yourself, the Holy Spirit takes you on this ride that makes your heart just want to pour love on everyone because God is that good!

May God bless you all and may you truly know what is means to be a Missionary Disciple!

Love, Layne

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14

A pilgrimage The Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe

       A week ago, on one of our days off, we were able to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I was so struck by beauty. Everything was stunning, even the car ride there and back was stunning. There were rolling hills that slowly turned into bluffs. Spring was just beginning and there was a lot of green starting to burst forth from the ground and the trees. 

      The shrine itself, was one of the most beautiful things I have seen. It was massive, beautiful stone was everywhere. the alter was gorgeous and walking in there were first class relics of six amazing saints. When I first walked in, I had to stop and look around to take it all in. one of my teammates told me to look to my right, and there was a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux! She is one of my very favorite Saints, and have begone to really have a relationship with her this year. So needless to say I got VERY excited!!!

      After mass we went on a rosary walk, explored the area then drove to Lacrosse and grabbed some amazing food and ice cream! It was such a beautiful day!!! It is something I will never forget and I hope I have the ability to go back soon! And I strongly encourage you to go as well!

God bless you and keep you close!

Arthur

To Prospective Applicants [Or: Family and Brokenness]

Good day.
Today I would like to address you who are considering joining SPIRITUS in the coming year.

Perhaps you've heard that SPIRITUS is a "retreat youth evangelization team" based out of Menasha, Wisconsin. That we put on about one hundred fifty retreats over the last nine months. That we reached about 6,000 young people this year. That we live in community. We work in community. We eat in community. We pray in community... We do a lot of stuff in community.

To some extent, I don't know what else to tell you. As you may have been told already, "you just have to come and experience it to find out what it's like."

But I want to tell you, for me personally, it's been a rollercoaster. I don't think we would gain anything by pretending that every moment of every day has been a bed of roses. It's been difficult. In other jobs, you work for 8 hours a day, then you go home to your dog or other people. But we live with each other and often spend upwards of 15 hours a day together.

We intimately know each other's weaknesses and faults; each other's quirks, pet peeves, and habits; in a word, we know each other's brokenness. And sometimes I want nothing more than to go to my own room and get away from the family.


But that’s what it is: a family. In the midst of the frustrations and conflict, there is always a sense of family. In the last nine months, each of us has grown immensely as persons. In the words of my spiritual director, I have learned so much about myself because of the difficulties of living in this family – and thank God! Because of this family, I am a better man than I was a year ago. I am wiser, stronger, and OH so much humbler because of what I have learned about myself and my faults which have been made very clear to me. I have a family who I know will always be here for me, who for nine months has become my blood, and who has called me to a higher standard, held me accountable to that standard, and sometimes even dragged me when I didn't want to live up to that standard.

SPIRITUS is my family. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18) St. Paul is referring to the glory of heaven, but it’s also our temporal lives.
Yes, SPIRITUS was hard. I was hard-hearted. Jealous. Angry. Prideful. Even hateful… But my family loves me, and the difficulties we have all faced in this time are absolutely nothing compared to the beauty and glory - the family - that we have received.

If you’re on the fence, I cannot urge you enough. Sign up now. It will be hard and there will be times you will want to quit. But it couldn’t be more worth it.

Sam
spiritussam@gmail.com
facebook.com/theafrosam

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

This week SPIRITUS had the privilege of spending some time with Byzantine monks by going to Holy Resurrection Monastery in Saint Nazianz. First, we learned about the history of the Eastern Catholic Churches from Abbot Nicholas. During the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, the Roman Empire was divided into two parts. Rome was the capital of the west and the town of Byzantium, which was later called Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) was the capital of the east. Catholics in the east, like St. John Chrysostom, developed their own liturgies that reflected the culture of the eastern empire. Eastern Catholics still participate in the Divine Liturgy today, or Eucharistic celebration. The Divine Liturgy is part of the many Eastern Rites and there are 24 Rites in the Catholic Church (23 Eastern Rites and 1 Latin Rite which we use as Roman Catholics). The Rite used at the monastery is the Byzantine Rite.

Our time at the monastery fell during the Octave of Easter, so we celebrated Easter during the Divine Liturgy. During the liturgy several times the Abbot cried out “Christ is Risen” and we replied “Indeed he is risen!” We also chanted Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” while stomping on the ground. I loved the repetition of these two phrases becauses it made me reflect on the joy of Christ’s resurrection. Through the liturgy, I developed a more profound appreciation that Christ died for me, that he conquered sin and death, and wants me to be with Him in Heaven. This form of worship helped me enter into the joy of Easter, the joy I will carry on in my last month of ministry in SPIRITUS and beyond.

The Divine Liturgy also emphasizes worshipping God with our entire bodies. We processed around the worship space and the Abbot used incense and bells around various icons of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, the resurrection, and another of Jesus. Before each icon I bowed and then kissed the image. During the liturgy we also touched the ground before making the sign of the cross. For communion we bent our knees, tilted our heads back, and received the Eucharist from a spoon. This experience gave me a deep appreciation for the diversity of culture found within the Catholic Church. Even though some elements of the liturgy were different, the Gospel was proclaimed and we participated in the Eucharist. I hope I’ll have another opportunity to go back to the monastery for the Divine Liturgy, but for now I’ll continue to appreciate the beauty of the Latin Rite.

exult, I SAID EXULT!

     Holy week is awesome! So, as you may know SPIRITUS receives formation every Thursday; either through Cor Iesu or private formation sessions. The line up for formation this year has been incredible! We have been so blessed to receive formation from some priests who are on fire for the Lord, some awesome lay people, we even had a two hour formation session with Bishop David Ricken himself! His secretaries do not even get that much private time with him! One of the priests we are so blessed to receive formation from is Father Peter Mitchell, currently assigned to Saint Mary of the Immaculate in Greenville (go there!). With him we have covered spiritual warfare and how Our Lady totally just wins, Divine Mercy, and the Mass. So now that you have that background I can talk a little bit about Holy Week 2015, which was totally awesome! Long story short, I spent most of my time at Saint Mary the Immaculate in Greenville. On Holy Thursday we had an awesome Mass (you could not find any empty seat) followed by a Eucharistic Procession to the gymnasium, followed by a youth night shindig at Father Peter's (complete with Ice cream, dancing, and tiki torches), followed by adoration until midnight. Good Friday started with Liturgy of the Hours, followed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, followed by four hours in prayer, followed by Mass. Then came the pinnacle; the Easter Vigil. This year was my second time attending the Easter Vigil and let me just say, if you have never been, GO! Out of all the Masses I have ever been to in my short twenty years of life, this Easter Vigil took the cake as far as intensity goes. First, the fire was an actual bonfire and Father almost lit himself on fire trying to light the Easter Candle. We did seven Old Testament readings with a responsorial psalm and prayer for each one (woo salvation history!), then of course the Epistle, Gospel, and Homily were all ridiculously amazing, so we pretty much had the whole kitten kaboodle as far as the Liturgy of the Word goes. Then came the Baptismal Liturgy, I do not think I will ever forget this. The presence of God was so intense, the entire Church seemed to be shaking with the glory of God; I remember feeling like I had no idea what was going on but that whatever it was, it was awesome! Then the pinnacle of the pinnacle, I received the Eucharist, and everything was right with the world. All the times that I was frustrated and challenged in Lent were worth it, if only for this moment. The words of the Exsultet describe the experience of the Easter Vigil Mass at Saint Mary of the Immaculate in Greenville to a T; "Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, exult, let Angel ministers of God exult, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King's triumph! Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King, let all corners of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness. Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice, arrayed with the lightning of his glory, let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples." - The Exsultet: The Proclamation Of Easter
       How does this relate to SPIRITUS? Well, I had the greatest Holy Week of my life so far, and if it was not for the formation I have been so blessed to receive through SPIRITUS I would (probably) never have ended up at Saint Mary of the Immaculate in Greenville. Holy Week would probably still have been awesome, because I mean, it's Holy Week; but it was so providential that I wound up in Greenville with my family for Easter 2015, it was something we all needed desperately. Praise the Lord for the Catholic Church, for the Resurrection, for on fire priests, and for SPIRITUS! Viva Cristo Rey!

Practicing the Presence

One of my favorite parts about being on the Spiritus team is receiving weekly formation about different aspects of our faith. A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to spend some time with Bishop Ricken and we learned about practicing the presence of of God. This concept involves being aware of God’s ever loving presence in our everyday lives, and seeing Him in the present moment. This type of prayer allows us to pray without ceasing and to offer up our entire day as a prayer to God. I think sometimes I fall into the temptation that I can only pray if I’m in the chapel or at Mass. By practicing the presence of God, I can pray anywhere. I am more easily able to see Jesus in my teammates, the students I serve, and in the simple tasks of each day.

Bishop Ricken also talked about the Jesus prayer. You pray it by saying “Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner.” It can be simplified to “Jesus have mercy on me” or you can change it to whatever suits your needs like “Jesus I love you” or “Jesus thank you”.  There is no right or wrong way to pray the Jesus prayer. The Bishop had us sit in silence for about seven minutes, and repeat the prayer meditatively. This prayer has allowed me to become more receptive to Jesus’ great love for me. A lot of times I talk to students who say they are too busy to pray. By teaching them about practicing the presence of God and the Jesus prayer, I hope they will be able to integrate prayer into their everyday lives. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, check out The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, the basis for Bishop Ricken's talk.

I said YES!!!

I love the Triduum.  It is my favorite season in the Church, and it lasts only three days.  It’s the light at the end of the tunnel of 40 days of preparation where we know Victory wins! 

For those of you wondering what I said yes to… I’m engaged!  Now before you start freaking out, wondering if Eden changed the rules about the dating fast for SPIRITUS members, let me explain.  Actually, allow me to have Mike Donehey from 10^th Avenue North explain (make sure you also listen to the song “Beloved” right after).

Do you get it now?  On Holy Thursday, we begin the three holiest days in the liturgical year, starting with the Supper of the Lamb.  Yet, although the Triduum lasts only three days it doesn’t end there.  Every time we attend Mass, we relive the Last Supper where Jesus asks us every time: “Will you marry me?”  I said yes.  Will you accept?

Happy Holy Week!

Peace, love, and saying “I do,”

Katie

Anchored in Christ

  "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain..." 

Hebrews 6:19

   This past weekend God blessed me with an overwhelming amount of love and joy on retreat. I can honestly say I was not prepared to be so happy and so filled with the Holy Spirit. (Not that God's love should surprise me...but it always does!) I remember at the end of the retreat we were all sitting in the chapel, all (60+?) of us, and I just imagined the whole thing underwater and God encasing us with an anchor, and there we all were... Together, as a family that had just met 24 hours ago, we were anchored together in Christ. It is amazing to feel God’s unconditional love radiate from all the teens. 

     That is what the ministry is all about. The Holy Spirit taking hold and encasing us all in His love. Letting each one of us, each a unique child of God, understand just how perfect we are in God’s eyes! We may not always have these retreats that just “click” but when we do, SPIRITUS is so blessed to see the amazing fruits of the ministry! 

     This all being said, every single retreat has been a blessing. Each one has it's own moment that makes the rest of my week melt away and allows me to surrender everything to God. The teens are absolutely amazing. SPIRITUS is a true grace from God. I could not wish for a better place to be, God's will (as always) is better than I could have ever imagined. We are all all anchored in Christ, and He will always have our back.

In Awe

Hello blog readers!

You know the feeling where you are just so in awe of God's grace and thankful for how He takes care of everything even when you feel ill-equipped? Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I experienced that this past Sunday.

As we've mentioned before, we help with youth ministry programs at three parishes. I help at St. Patrick's in Menasha and I have been through my three years on Spiritus. It has been such a huge blessing to get to know so many at the parish, especially all the wonderful students there. We've done many events with the youth at St. Patrick's over the years but I've had this voice in my head that keeps saying, "these students need to go on a mission trip!" I went on three mission trips in high school and LOVED them all. They were monumental moments in my life where my faith grew tremendously. I've been wanting that for these students at St. Patrick's for awhile now.

Well finally it's happening! Four students from the parish are heading with the Diocese to Hancock County, Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief this June. I'm so excited for them!! I've been the one getting the ball rolling with the mission trip at St. Patrick's and although I've never taken the lead on a big trip like this, I've had the Holy Spirit helping me out so much.

Fundraising is a big part of trips and what I've been most anxious about. But the Holy Spirit provides! This past Sunday we had a stock sale fundraiser at the parish and it was amazing! The parish was so unbelievably generous and the students took ownership of the sale. Most of the time I just stood back in awe of the beauty of the scene; the beauty of generous hearts in both the parishioners and the students alike. This was a beautiful reminder to me to not worry about failing or being ill-equipped but to trust in the Lord and His goodness. Praise the Lord!

Simple Instrument

        I am only a simple instrument of the Holy Spirit, yet I have seen and encountered amazing things. On retreats I have seen the youth's hearts change. I have seen in their eyes the Holy Spirit giving them Wisdom and Understanding. I love watching Him work through prayer, one on one. In this form of prayer, I get to see how when I step back and let the Holy Spirit work, the students open up, share what is hurting them and holding them back spiritually. And then we pray and The Lord God touches their hearts and changes it and begins or continues to bring them into conversion of heart.

        The greatest blessing in the world is to feel the Holy Spirit burning in my heart when I speak. To receive Jesus everyday in the Eucharist and let Him thrive in my heart. "So this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30-To be lead into a relationship with the Father by Jesus and so to be in a beautiful relationship with the Holy Trinity. This is what the Lord desires for all of us! The best way to experience this is through Mary, our Holy Mother! The most Simple and Humble Instrument of the Lord God!

May God bless you,

Arthur Richardson

Love is a choice

Some of you may have seen this video by now. If you haven't, please check it out!

The video shows the true devotion of a husband for his wife when life start getting tough. The most heart-wrenching thing is that he does it without her even knowing. His love is a choice, and he chooses to love her every day. Even when she doesn't want to accept his love because of her own limitations of what she thinks marriage and love should look like because of how she's been raised and the beliefs she's constructed in her own mind.

How often are our own relationships limited because of how much love we are willing to accept, how much love we think we deserve?

This video made me cry because of how beautiful their loving relationship is despite the challenges life brings them. It makes me think, "Where can I find a man like that?" Because I bet every woman reading this blog wants a man with that kind of devotion. And I bet every man wants to find a wife with that kind of devotion too. The reality is that we are vulnerable creatures, and we desire to be known and loved by someone for who we are.

What I realized is that Jesus Christ is already the fulfillment of the perfect spouse for us. Women may be more readily able to see the spousal imagery because of our earthly gender relationships. But we can think of it another way: just like the husband in the video, Jesus Christ walks by our side each and every day, choosing to love us whether we want to accept it or not. How many times has he prevented our falling when we have not even realized it?! How great is His mercy for us! Sometimes we can be like the woman walking blind in the world, but Our Lord is right there with us every step of the way, and He wants to embrace us if we will only permit him. He waits for us and he loves us unceasingly.

I cried when I saw the video. But my heart wrenches even more now at the gratitude for the love Christ shows each and every one of us every day! This is the model for what true love should be, and it finds its fulfillment in Him! We can rest in peace knowing that even if we haven't met that person who can be that devoted spouse in marriage for us yet, we already have our perfect life companion. Even if we are not called to marriage, this is still the true reality for us--we are all called to the eternal love relationship with our merciful Savior.

How would each of us act differently if we knew we were loved, fully and completely, for who we are today? If we knew that we didn't have to search anymore, but that the person is walking right beside us, patiently, always? I challenge each of us (me included) to live out that reality right now! Praise God, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Life Lessons of the Past Three Weeks

These past three weeks have been a whirlwind for me: Parish ministry, retreats, retreats at my parish, and oh yeah—a weekend in the snowy, frozen tundra of South Bend, Indiana—and most recently, a weekend with my family and our dear friends celebrating a wedding on the sunny shores of Southern California. 

During my trips and travels, as well as with my time on SPIRITUS, I have been blessed to spend time in conversation and prayer with a number of wonderful people who have given me new insight and perspective.  These people have allowed me to step outside of myself and look at things objectively, rather than getting sucked into the monotony and hopelessness of the daily struggle.  When I begin to sink into the waters of despair—especially during these past months of winter blah—God, in His infinite love and mercy has sent these moments and these people into my life to pick me up from the waters and let me be surrounded in love.  So, I would like to share a few conclusions I’ve arrived at these past few weeks, and hope that they can impact your life as much as they’ve impacted mine.

1.       Life is what you choose to make it.  Choose joy.

“You get out of it what you put into it.”  Each day you have the chance to make it a great day!  Some days will be harder than others, but the choice is up to you.

2.       Problems are only as big as the amount of attention you give to them.

How many times have we gotten caught up in the little things and turned them into big things?  In the grand scheme of things, the little annoyances probably won’t matter.  Will this matter in 5 years?  In one year?  Choose to let them go and love through them.

3.       Work will always be there.  Family and friends won’t.  Choose what matters to you and invest your time there.

Death can come sooner than we expect.  We know neither the time nor the hour.  If you need more explanation on this one, listen to the song “Cat’s in the Cradle.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJobJBOtyew  ‘Nuff said.

4.       If you have a dream, go for it.  Life is passing you by while you keep dreaming.

What’s stopping you?  Money?  Sure, but that’s going to be an obstacle anywhere.  Don’t let the small things keep you from accomplishing the big things.  (Like joining and/or supporting SPIRITUS!) Need some inspiration?  Check out this article about dream jobs: https://www.themuse.com/advice/should-you-apply-for-that-slightlyoutofreach-jobor-not

5.       Love isn’t perfect.  Love chooses to love through the imperfections.  Love is a choice.

I most recently heard a beautiful form of this at a wedding.  Wouldn’t life be great if we went into all our relationships and interactions with this mindset?  Well, you can.  The choice is yours.  And when you feel like you can’t do it, ask God for help.  He has more than enough love to shower upon us so we can share His love with others and love through the imperfections—even within ourselves.

Peace, love, and rising above,

Katie

Holy Spirit

 If you know anything about my faith life, you probably know I am obsessed with the Holy Spirit. Every Catholic tends to have their "thing" they gravitate to. All the saints had a devotion to something... Well my heart lies with the Holy Spirit (which is no surprise to me considering the Spirit is literally the love between the Father and Son - so why wouldn't my heart want to be there?) The way I see it, when it comes to my spiritual life, if I am listening to the Holy Spirit, can anything really 'go wrong'? And let me just add into this mini speech that SPIRITUS means spirit, the breath of God. If I let the breath of God guide me, I think I should have some good understanding on what to do considering He created us all with His breath. 

Beyond my obsession though, I am writing about the Spirit because it is so good to me. I am in a deep love, a trance of grace, whenever I allow myself to melt into the Spirit's embrace. How beautiful is that? In this ministry the Spirit is so powerful. During retreats it is so amazing how I can feel the Spirit there, so excited to work through each team member (as well as the students themselves). 

 From one vessel of God to another, allow the Spirit to lead everything you do. Listen when you are being called on, and do not shy away. God calls you for greatness, not fear. Speak His words to others! 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law - Galatians 5:22-23

I pray you may come to know the Spirit as I have, to me there is no better love,

Layne 

This light gave me a glimpse of the very truth that all my efforts to bring souls to know the mercy of the Lord are very pleasing to God. And from this springs such great joy in my soul that I do not know whether it could be any greater in heaven, Oh, if souls would only be willing to listen, at least a little, to the voice of the conscience and the voice - that is, the inspirations - of the Holy Spirit! I say "at least a little" because once we open ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit, He Himself will fulfill what is lacking in us.

- St. Faustina's Diary, 359

Humble generosity

"What do you have that you haven't received? And if you've received it, why do you boast as if it were yours alone?" 1 Corinthians 4:7

All our gift are from God, why not give it back to Him by doing small or big acts of generosity for him? Are we all not children of God? Do we all not have Christ in us? Then let us show God our love for him by loving others. Will this not in turn make us realize how small we really are and how much bigger God is?

Doing things to make us feel as if we are better than others or to be seen and praised is not what our minds should be thinking. Our minds should be thinking how can I give back to my Lord, who has given me all these beautiful gifts and talents?

"Jesus' whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily acts of generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery of his divine life." - Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis

LET US IMITATE CHRIST

By the Grace of God

It is now Tuesday after what was possibly one of the busiest weeks of the year. Needless to say I was stressing out a little… a lot a bit. The week was busy enough as it was, but it was the weekend I was dreading. The whole ordeal felt a little like a roller coaster with the peak above the clouds. I was strapped in for this ride, and there was no getting off. Every inch closer to the top, the more worried I became that I couldn’t do it. Then Friday came along…

I woke up to Robbie knocking on my door asking me if I needed to be up. I looked at the clock and to my dismay found out that I had slept through my alarm. The thrill ride that was this weekend had officially started it’s fast decent downwards. With the help of God I was able to get dressed and to my school visit only 1 minute late. That’s when I remembered who I was working for, who my true boss was. I almost forgot in all my stress and worry that I had God on my side. The pit in my stomach had almost immediately disappeared. The downward spiral of the rollercoaster had flattened out, and I was excited for the rest. For all the sharp turns, the loops, the jerking of the rollercoaster slamming you into your friends.

With God on my side I had the courage to face this! I trusted that he would get me through this. After the school visits I had an overnight retreat and I was the Team Leader (the team member who makes sure everything goes off without a hitch, and fix something if it does go wrong.) I was worried that I wouldn’t be good enough, that I would mess everything up looking at this weekend beforehand. I started praying that God would give me the skills necessary to do such an important job. While there were a couple of loops; I was able to throw my hands in the air and enjoy it more than anything. I left that retreat with a smile on my face. Energized for the next retreat early in the morning.

That Sunday morning started off rough to say the least. I had forgotten important papers for the retreat, I couldn’t find the projector, and I slipped on the slick ice outside (my shoulder still hurts from that *sad face*). I was being jerked back and forth in the coaster car, and I knew immediately that I was under some sort of spiritual attack. So I prayed. I prayed for joy, for energy, for laughter, and that the Lord would protect us all on our retreat. He did just that! The retreat was just as fun and enjoyable as the first one! I don’t want to toot my own horn, but toot toot dang it! I was getting compliments on my talk left and right from the students and chaperones. After the retreat had ended Chelsea and I went straight to UWGB to set up for mass, and to socialize. The lord even granted me energy and joy during this. After UWGB I was finally done. But I still ended up hanging out with teammates until Midnight!

 I had done it! The restraints on the roller coaster were lifting, and I was off the ride. Unbelievably I made it through, and I had a huge grin! I forgot that I had God on my side, I let this weekend look bigger than God… I didn’t have faith at first. Then I turned to him. I trusted him. I asked him to help me through this. He not only helped me through this, but he got me through with a smile on my face and laughter in my heart! I was able to ride this roller coaster of a weekend, I was able to survive it all, but only by the Grace of God.

The new guy has arrived!

Hello! I'm a new addition to the team in Menasha. My name is Scott Dimler and I come from Los Angeles, CA. I was away for the first half of the year while finishing my B.A. in Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge. I was able to join the team a little late into the year, and at it's busiest time! Even though the pace of Spiritus at this time is quicker than normal I have been able to adapt very well thanks to all of the support I have received from the team! Giving talks, leading small groups, and running retreats seemed like something I could never do after missing so much time here, but my team members have been encouraging me every step of the way!

The team member here have been so friendly and willing to help me. I am amazed at the amount of growth in myself and the knowledge I have gained in only one short month! I look forward to the rest of the year and all of the other wonderful things I will learn as I continue on my journey with Spiritus.

Don’t Pet the Sweaty Stuff

Living in community is hard.  For anyone who has ever grown up in a family (almost all of us), you know this.  Many times, we take each other for granted, do the little things that we know will push the buttons of the people we live with, and become possessive about what’s mine.  We so often get caught up inside ourselves and our own worries or aspirations, that we don’t leave time or space for the others in our lives.  

Five days before I came to Wisconsin for SPIRITUS, a very dear friend of mine died unexpectedly.  When I first came to SPIRITUS, I was in a very deep state of mourning, and struggling through my own stages of grief.  Yet, even from the beginning, the not-yet-formed community of SPIRITUS Team 6 was there for me, ready to help me carry my burdens and provide companionship along the way.  

As we continue further into the year and become more comfortable with our new living/working situation and each other, we sometimes get caught up in the day-to-day little things, and lose sight of the mission to which God calls us: To love each other and help bring each other closer to Him.  

To satisfy my own curiosity, I am currently reading the book The Five Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman.  In this book, Dr. Chapman discusses what he believes to be the five ways that fill peoples’ ‘love tanks’: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.  Reading this book has brought me much insight as I’ve discovered new ways to show my teammates how much I care for them in a way that reaches their hearts and lets them be loved the way they need to be loved.  

What does all I’ve written have to do with each other?  A few days ago, I discovered an unread message in my inbox from my friend who died just before I came to SPIRITUS.  When I opened the message, I was able to relive some of our conversations from 2006 until his death.  As I was reminiscing, one of my teammates invited me to Adoration, which I accepted.   While at Adoration, I realized that I have received the gift of presence (which is the best gift someone can give to a person whose love language is gifts) from not only some friends from back home, but from my teammates as well.  Even though we struggle with each other, we struggle together.  When issues come up, we have to respect—literally “to look again”at—each other, and assume goodwill.  We have to believe there is good in the world.  Finally, as my uncle told me, we need to remember: “Don’t sweat the petty stuff, and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.” ☺  

Peace!

Katie

A Life Centered on Christ

God graced me with the opportunity to witness to young people again this past weekend at a confirmation retreat for a parish in Oshkosh, WI. I’m the type of person who would like to keep her interior world hidden. I can be a quiet person, and my experience of God is so personal for me. But I am reminded again and again in SPIRITUS that we are called to step outside of ourselves because what seems like something only we go through is actually very relatable to others. In each moment of the personal, there is an experience of the universal. Maybe that sounds a little abstract, but as I shared with high school teens about my experience discerning my vocation by traveling down to a convent in Nashville, TN, I could see that the Holy Spirit worked in our hearts to connect us.

I shared with them the nugget of wisdom I realized: our lives are not meant to be compartmentalized. Too often in teens' lives, they have such a steady flow of events and clubs to attend and assignments to complete that they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. When they do get a down moment, they just flop into bed, falling fast asleep. Not having enough time for prayer is a constant theme on these retreats. But isn’t it a constant theme for many of us? The Sisters in Nashville, TN, gave themselves over to God in a courageous way, and through the witness of their lives, we can see that it is possible to be crazy busy and still find time for prayer and recreation. They are some of the busiest, well-scheduled people I know. They care about their students with hearts almost bursting! The key is that everything they do is centered on Christ. Every moment is a moment for gratitude. Every moment is a moment we can love. When we give thanks and we love, that is when we are most fully alive and living in the present moment.

In our culture, we need to re-center ourselves on what is most important, reconnect the fragmentary parts of our lives into a rich fabric of our being, into the beautiful tapestry God has envisioned for us. God loves us abundantly and is with us all the time! When we live a life in Him, we are happier and more productive. I believe those teens on retreat wanted to be good and wanted to be happy, and I believe most of us do too. Let yourself relax into the presence of God. Take the risk of centering your thoughts on Him and letting Him take the reins throughout your day. Watch yourself come alive in the peace that is Christ’s love. You are loved. I thank those Sisters and the teens for reminding me of the grains of universal wisdom which can be found in the particular moments of my life when I have the courage to share them.

Life Matters

Friends,
The March for Life is tomorrow, January 22nd. This is the 42nd March for Life and it has now been 41 years since abortion was enshrined into law in the United States.

How is this year different? One third of my generation was killed through abortion, and it's still happening every day... and I still live day to day as if everything is fine. I have my petty arguments and pointless worries and silly miscommunications... and children are dying.

On SPIRITUS, we understand how important prayer is, and we pray every day for an end to abortion and for peace and healing for those poor women (and men!) who feel like they have no other option and have chosen or have considered choosing abortion. We pray for the poor and the sick and the hurting and the underprivileged and the forgotten.

Prayer is certainly the most powerful thing we can do to change the mentality of the culture. In the oft-repeated words of Pope Blessed Pius IX, “Give me an army saying the rosary and I will conquer the world.”

But praying isn’t enough. Just like in every part of our lives, prayer should spill over into action. We on SPIRITUS are unfortunately too busy (and poor!) to march in DC, but we got to participate in the send-off Mass at St Pius X in Appleton last night. What a glorious celebration for life!

What else can each of us do? Many blessed souls pray outside of abortion clinics, and that is an especially large sacrifice for those of you crazy enough to live in Wisconsin for years on end. Many write their congressmen and other government officials for the respect for all human life. Many serve at soup kitchens and shelters. Some visit the sick and imprisoned. Some teach young people the Gospel of peace and charity.

I chose three years ago to stop drinking all beverages besides water (and the Blood of Christ at Mass) until abortion ends. I’ve received reactions all over the board when I tell people. Some tell me I have an incredible commitment; some pretend what I said was ordinary. Some believe I will be drinking hot chocolate and sweet tea again within 10-20 years. Others are certain I am foolish because I will never drink anything besides water again. Some others ask me why I have to do something so overt and tell me I’m just trying to attract attention to myself.

Friends, I don’t care what you do to bring awareness and change to the lack of respect for human life in our world today. But each of us is responsible for doing something. More importantly, each of us is responsible for not backing down. Whatever you do, it isn’t insignificant.

SPIRITUS teaches me this every day. There is nothing insignificant. Because every decision has the capacity to bring you or others closer to God. Everything matters. Every person matters. Every moment matters. Live life like it matters.
(full blog post may be found here)

- sam
@TheAfroSam
facebook.com/TheAfroSam
spiritussam@gmail.com

Stories from Music City!

Hello Faithful Blog Readers!

I'm finally getting around to writing this blog post that I've been dying to write. I don't know how I'm going to contain all I want to tell you in a few paragraphs but I'll try really hard.

The beginning of 2015 was pretty memorable for a few of us team members. We spent it in Nashville at the SEEK2015 Conference. The conference was for college students from all over the nation (there were over 10,000 of them there!) and the days were filled with top Catholic speakers, Mass, confession, adoration, games, fun and more. Oh, I almost forgot, SO MANY priests and religious sisters and brothers were there. Praise the Lord! I don't know how you can see so many priests and religious and not smile. Plus, a few of the sisters across the hall from us brought a mini basketball hoop and a basketball. Who says being Catholic isn't fun?!

Are you wondering why SPIRITUS was there? Well, we had a booth to let the many, many, many college students know about this hidden gem of a ministry here in Wisconsin.We had a ton of students from all over the country come stop by our booth and learn more about SPIRITUS. It was a beautiful sight! Plus we gave away free t-shirts so who knows there could be someone states away wearing a blue SPIRITUS shirt at this exact moment. That'd be pretty cool!

Not only did we talk with many college students but we also had the opportunity to hear many of the amazing speakers. The wonderful speakers that I was lucky enough to see included Sister Mary Gabriel, Lisa Cotter, Matt Fradd, Abby Johnson, Dr. Timothy Gray, and more! We also heard Father Mike Schmitz talk on the Eucharist. It was incredible - here's the link to his talk: http://vimeo.com/115924659 (I might have been Father Mike Schmitz obsessed all conference!) The last night we even got to see comedian Jim Gaffigan! If you haven't heard of him - youtube him and then proceed to laugh nonstop.

Overall it was an AMAZING conference and I'm so blessed to have been able to attend. I'll leave you with a few pictures that I found from the conference...

                                                   The line for the Sacrament of Confession!

This is just the women!

                                                      

Evangelization is for Everyone

For formation the past two months we have been reading Pope Francis’ The Joy of the Gospel. In his Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Francis reminds us that everyone in the Church, not just priests and religious,has a duty to spread the Gospel. “All of us are called to offer others an explicit witness to the saving love of the Lord, who despite our imperfections offers us his closeness, his word, and his strength, and gives meaning to our lives” (121). We are not alone in our mission of spreading the Gospel, because the Holy Spirit strengthens and guides us. We are only able to evangelize be Christ is working through us, and it is ultimately His love that flows from our hearts into others.

Sometimes I think to myself, “I don’t have a crazy conversion experience like St. Paul, or I’m not as holy as the saints. How do I share my faith with others?” The Pope is asking us to share our everyday experiences of God’s love with those around us, no matter where we are at in our faith journey. Something I learned from my spiritual director that has helped me recognize God at work in my life is praying this prayer every morning. “God open my heart to the gifts you want me to receive, and open my eyes to recognize them”. At the end of the day I reflect on what God has done, and that way I have examples to tell other people.  

Going back home for winter break I was able to evangelize by talking with my family about my experiences at SPIRITUS. I shared how I’ve seen God working through my community members. Whenever I need an encouraging they always have the right things to say, and they treat me with love and compassion. My family also has taken in an exchange student from China, and this was her first Christmas. I had the opportunity to explain the meaning of Christmas to her. I don’t think she fully understood everything I told her, but that’s ok. Evangelization is not just talking about our faith, but also bringing Christ’s love to others. I was able to evangelize to the new member of my family by simply loving her- by treating her as a sister and spending time with her.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to evangelize by sharing what God has been doing in my life with family and friends, and I invite you to accept this challenge as well.