What about a missionary journey?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by the Bouchers

june23 127Suddenly, St. Paul’s missionary journeys have become an intriguing subject for us. According to Loyola Press, “Paul traveled over 10,000 miles proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. His journeys on land and sea took him primarily through present day Israel, Syria, Turkey, and Greece. .. [By road] there was constant danger of bandits.” And by sea, Paul experienced the devastation of shipwrecks.

We are interested in St. Paul because, we are undertaking a ‘missionary journey’ to NEW JERSEY in September. The trip will involve about 500 miles back and forth from our home in Massachusetts; five presentations or workshops in three cities and a little time with some New Jersey friends. Now, there is no way we can begin to compare ourselves to St. Paul on mileage.  But we can truly set out with the same fervor, born of confidence in the Holy Spirit.

What journeys will you take to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you hope to share faith with someone before or after a Sunday Mass? Do you ever visit a sick friend, hoping to say a little prayer? Do you ever turn on your computer hoping to tell others about God’s presence in your day? Do you ask Jesus to send you in his footsteps, on his mission of love and redemption each morning? “We as his disciples are also sent, with no less of a calling than that of a foreign missionary who leaves his country and family for the sake of the gospel. And even though you might only leave your front door, when you step out of that door, you are sent out in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That is why the last thing we hear at a Sunday liturgy is to ‘go in peace to love and serve the Lord’.” (excerpt from Sharing the Faith That You Love)

For a listing of offerings in New Jersey and beyond visit our CURRENT SCHEDULE page. And please pray for our journeys, as we pray for you in your response to God’s call.

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Praying with the Joy of the Gospel

Posted on July 8, 2014 by the Bouchers

P1030514Praying with the ‘Joy of the Gospel’ “If something should rightly disturb us… it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life.” 49

The art of spiritual reading is usually associated with reading and praying the Bible, but it can also be used with Church documents. Here are suggestions for reading of Pope Francis’ The Joy of the Gospel, so that seeds of the new evangelization can be sown in your heart.[i] We recommend that you start with Sections: 3, 5, 8, 10, 21, 24, 34, 47 and 49, using the steps below.

1. Pause: Take some time to relax and let go of the activities and concerns of the day. Second, gently focus your attention on Jesus, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner,” or pray the “Our Father”.

2. Pour Over: Read a paragraph or section of the document. Let the words pour over you, cleansing you from within, penetrating your heart. You might underline, circle, or highlight a word, a phrase, or image that strikes you as meaningful, hopeful, or challenging.

3. Ponder: Select one striking line of the text. [ It might be: consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ]. Enter it in a notebook with the section number. Paraphrase the line in your own words. How does it speak to you or about you? What does Jesus Christ want you to hear today from this reading?

4. Pray: You might write a short letter or prayer to Jesus, surrendering your thoughts and feelings to Christ. Then listen for Jesus’ voice, wait for his inner touch, however light or tenuous. [In our example:  we might write about a time of consolation from Jesus]

5. Proclaim: Find a way to share the “fruit” of your spiritual reading with a spiritual friend or small faith-sharing group in your parish.  [In our example: we might plan an act of spiritual consolation for someone who is suffering].

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Who wants ordinary?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by the Bouchers

ordinaryAfter Pentecost and after Christmas comes ordinary time. Ho hum. Who wants ordinary and why spend months and months in ordinary time? The Church’s understanding of ordinary is rooted in the word ordinal, meaning, counted or arranged, like the beginning fibers on a loom, the stitches in a knitted garment or the megabytes for downloading a photograph. The beauty of the ordinary is finishing the garment or sharing the photograph. The appeal of the ordinary is carrying forward what has happened to us during the Easter season and the Christmas season.  The joy of the ordinary is letting God’s love spill out beyond what one day, or even one holy season, can hold.

Jesus also consecrated the ordinary through his use of day-to-day objects. He healed and blessed people through a simple touch, or the waters of a pool, or the hem of his cloak, or a paste made of mud, or a herd of pigs. And he embraced the ordinary by living for thirty years as a carpenter. The life and the works of Jesus point toward God’s concern for the details of our lives. God is willing to build an intimate relationship with each of us, through the stuff of life, on a day in and day out basis. So bring on the ordinary, the time when little Pentecosts and little Christmases are just around the corner waiting for us.

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 PS.

The posted graphic is for ‘story webbing’.  Draw your own ‘ordinary’ circle. Then generate more words, until one word or phrase strikes you as a good beginning for a meditation.

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