Young Adult Formation

Recently, our director Eden was invited to speak at the Pastoral Leadership Conference for the diocese on the formation of young adults. Myself and another second year team member, Mike Picard, were invited along to share some of the ways we have benefited from young adult formation through SPIRITUS. It was such a privilege to spend the day speaking with lay leaders from all over the diocese about the need for young adult programming in parishes. Young adults need space to develop internal prayer and good human habits, but also have an external call and place where they can contribute to the parish community in a meaningful way. Young professionals often receive practical and professional development from work place but lack human, spiritual, and ministerial formation. Society often also forgets that young adults still need guidance and close mentorship which then links them to the greater adult community in the parish and gives them examples of how to accompany and mentor younger members of the parish. Young adults need the parish to provide these things and to be fed by the faith and parishes definitely need young adults as well!!


-Brianna Trifiletti

Little Things Done With Great Love

Praise be Jesus Christ! October is my very favorite month of the year. Not only because I can wear boots, sweaters and scarves after the hot summer months, but especially because of all the incredible saint's feast days! Saint Therese, Saint Francis, Saint Faustina, and Saint Teresa of Avila just to name a few. The Saints have a very special place in our lives and are always desiring our friendships.
Therese came into my life when I was a Junior in highschool and has stuck with me ever since. I know I can count on her to intercede for me and help me to remain childlike and joyful.
I strongly encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit and I guarantee you will have a new friend in no time!

-Alexa Harbor

The Curiosity of Children

“Why did God make flowers?” Six-year-old Lucia asks while playing with her hair and simultaneously rocking back and forth on her heels. She is expecting the answer to be simple, like when she asks for me to read a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle story or which of the saints is my favorite, but my jaw narrowly misses hitting the floor as I realize the enormity of the question at hand. “You know Miss Lucia, I’m not sure, but I’ll pray about that and let you know when I have an answer.”

Months after this quick dialogue I found myself awake earlier than intended on a day when our SPIRITUS schedule allowed for a little bit of prudent free time, which is to say that I’d planned to sleep in, but this question hit me again like a ton of bricks. “Lord, why DID you create flowers?” At first all I could think is that flowers hold little nutritional value. After all, the difference between a flower and a weed is really just perspective, neither serve much of a purpose but one is considered pretty and the other invasive.

All at once my mind was abuzz with fully formed thoughts rather than groggy ponderings. God doesn’t make junk! In fact, everything that He creates speaks to the true, the good, and the beautiful, and St. Paul reminds us in Corinthians that these are things to which we ought to cling. A flower can’t lie, and something in its nature and beauty reminds us that its life has both value and purpose.

Somewhere along this rabbit trail I realized that we as human persons have a lot in common with flowers. The Lord didn’t have to create us, we aren’t necessary for the rest of Creation to operate; God made us for Himself! Depending on the perspective of any other person, we may be considered roses, dandelions, or even weeds but the life of every human person has dignity, value, and purpose. Some flowers are destined for bouquets, others for gardenscapes, some for the inspiration of poets, and still others are meant to bloom where they are planted. What kind of flower were you created to be?

-Annastasia Eftink

Thankful for SPIRITUS!

Hello dear sisters and brothers in the name of Jesus Christ! 

In this blog I want to share with you my happiness for being part of SPIRITUS Ministries.
I love SPIRITUS Ministries, and I thank God for the opportunity he is giving me to be part of this great ministry. I feel the presence of Holy Trinity in this team; the people are very Godly. Every day of the week we go to mass and visit different parishes around the Mount Tabor Center, including parishes in Neenah and Appleton. I love going to adoration every day in the chapel at the Mount Tabor Center, and during that time I also pray the Holy Rosary to our Blessed Mother, the Immaculate Virgin Mary. I thank you Mr. and Mrs. Foord, all the staff at Mount Tabor Center/SPIRITUS, and donors for their friendship and support in our mission for us to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the State of Wisconsin!

Thanks!

René Abrahan Martínez

You Don’t Have to Work for Love

Slow down, child

You don’t have to work for love

any more

One thing that I am being reminded of more and more lately is that I don’t have to work for love. I don’t have to be perfect, say or do the right thing in order to receive God’s love. God isn’t waiting for me to do the right thing to love me. Because he loves me in my brokenness.

But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

This isn’t always easy for me to remember. In the business of my daily life, living in community, and preparing for retreats and events, I often forget that I don’t have to impress the Father with my works. I simply have to be and to allow Him to love me. Unfortunately, sometimes He has to remind me in more dramatic ways that I am loved as I am for who I am, not for what I do. Thank goodness my salvation and His love don’t depend upon how good I am, because I would never be able to measure up.

So slow down, child.

Let Him love you.

You don’t have to work for His love.

Just be with Him.

Let Him love you.

Mikayla Uchytil