EVANGELIZATION WORKOUT: Who is Jesus to You?

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Terry and John

There are four Christian words that even the most secularized, inactive Catholics may understand (at least in part): God, Jesus, Bible, and Church. Whatever the spiritual background, talking about JESUS, in particular, can be part of a shared conversation about the spiritual life. The following “Evangelization Workout” can be done by individuals, families, small groups, or large groups who want to explore faith together.

Individual Activity (5 min.) 

Consider some of these Scriptural titles used to describe Jesus. These ancient names can be used as prayers, in and of themselves. Several have been used for centuries as part of the “O-Antiphons” before Christmas.

Alpha and Omega            Anointed One       Jesus

Beloved One       Author of Salvation        Bridegroom

Bread of Life            Cornerstone        Chosen One      Morning Star         Our Salvation

Christ       Lord         Emmanuel               Faithful One               My Lord and My God

Glorious Lord             Friend               Holy One of God            Good Shepherd

Healer            I AM            High Priest             Holy Servant            Just One

King of Israel          Master          King of Kings               Image of the Invisible God

Holy One of Israel       Living Water           Messiah        Horn of Salvation     My King

Lamb of God                Lion of Judah          Lord of Glory     Judge of the Living

Light of the World          Living Bread           Key of David          Man of Sorrows

Rabbi                       Our Passover                Redeemer                    Prince of Peace

Resurrection            New Adam            Suffering Servant          Savior      Son of Mary

Shepherd                 Son of David       Son of Man      Son of the Most High        Teacher

Son of God         Word of God, Made Flesh        The Vine       Way, Truth and Life

 

Circle 3 titles that you find most meaningful as you pray, study, or speak to others about Jesus Christ.

  • Pause for a few moments. Close your eyes and step back in time. Imagine that Jesus is passing by you on the dusty road to Jerusalem. Call out to him using the title that suits you right now. Spend as much or as little time on that one name as you need. How might Jesus respond? What happens next?
  •    Try repeating one or two titles at quiet moments throughout your day.
  • Consider alternating the word “Jesus” with a few striking titles (ex. Jesus, Savior; Jesus, Lord)

Share this exercise with a family member, friend, or in a small parish group (3 or 4 people—10-20 min.)

(Encourage listening in a non-judgmental way, without offering advice. You might also ask, “How is your image of Jesus working for you?” If someone says, “I don’t believe in Jesus?” Then we might say, “Can you tell me more about the Jesus that you don’t believe in?” At some point in the conversation, share who Jesus is for us and how you came to believe this way.)

Share your responses to these questions:

  1. Which two or three of these Scriptural titles for Jesus encourage you the most?
  2. How do your favorite titles of Jesus color what it means for you to be a Catholic disciple of Christ?
  3. Which of these titles of Jesus are the most foreign or disturbing? How does this color your faith?
  4. Think of three people from your everyday life. What do think their favorite titles for Jesus might be?
  5. [For use is an explicitly religious group] Why is it important to understand people’s favorite titles for Jesus? How does this knowledge help us share faith or evangelize?
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Understanding Why Catholics Become Inactive

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Terry and John

Inactive Catholics can be family: parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces; as well as friends, neighbors, fellow workers. Though they may not be regular Sunday church-goers “YET,” they are still God’s children and our brothers and sisters in Jesus. And we  still share the same Baptismal call: to know the everlasting covenant love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Even though they have vacated our pews, we cannot assume what their reasons are. But rather respect their spiritual lives.

[WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE DECREASE AMONG CHURCHGOERS]

This means we are called to have a “deep” compassion for all who have decided to be absent from Sunday worship with us. This compassion is a crucial first step when reaching out to inactive Catholics. This concern is built upon living a missionary, evangelizing life-style. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops teaches that, “Every Catholic can be a minister of welcome, reconciliation, and understanding to those who have stopped practicing the faith.” (Go and Make Disciples, Section 40).

First of all, compassion means not using derogatory words to describe those who are not regular Mass-goers, such as: back-sliding, lapsed, fallen-away, baptized pagans, home-Baptists, lost souls, etc. Instead  we are called to approach inactive Catholics in respectful ways and offer Jesus-centered invitations to consider the active practice of Catholicism, when the time is right.

Secondly, we need to have humility. The simple truth is that all of us are both active and inactive in some parts of our Catholic Faith: conversion, prayer, study, sacraments, community, service, works of mercy, social justice, and evangelizing others. We are all converted and unconverted, saints and sinners in some parts of our lives. So, we can assume that we may have faced some of the same struggles with faith.

Extensive surveys and studies about Catholic beliefs and practices have been conducted over the past 25 years. These studies indicate that only 15-23% of Catholics in the United States are regulars at Sunday Mass (at least in our part of the country). Studies indicate that many Catholics are not regular churchgoers for one or more of the eighteen reasons listed below.

Individual Activity (3-5 mins.):

  1. Circle the top three reasons why people in your parish seem to have become inactive.
  2. Check issues below that you have struggled with in your own faith, even though you have remained active or returned to being active in your faith.

Reasons for Becoming Inactive:

  • Do not experience God’s presence in the Catholic community
  • Do not experience caring relationships in encounter with Catholics in a parish
  • Difficulty bonding with people who do not share the same culture
  • See Catholicism as complex and unrelated to their lives
  • Only had a weak Catholic identity in the first place
  • Catholic Faith and creed seem unrelated to daily life
  • “Spiritual, but not religious.” Turned off by organized religion
  • See self as on a private, not communal, quest for personal meaning
  • Experienced hurt from clergy or lay Catholics
  • Came into conflict with Church teachings
  • Misled by people who attack the Church
  • Are in marriages not recognized by the Church
  • Married outside of the Catholic faith (other Christian group or world religion)
  • Do not come due to chronic sickness or advanced age
  • Got busy and did not take the time to get involved
  • Relocated (new college, job, or home) and never reconnected with a Catholic parish
  • Unaware of a nearby Catholic community
  • Home parish closed/merged when diocese reconfigured parishes

Share with an active Catholic family member, friend, or in a small parish/neighborhood group (10-20 min.):

  • Invite three (3) active Catholic friends, family members, or acquaintances (individually or together) to read this article with you and share their top three reasons why they think some people in their parish seem to have become inactive.
  • Just listen. After the other person(s) give their answers, share what your top three reasons are.
  • Then share: “What has kept you living as an active Catholic or brought you back to being an active Catholic?” After they answer, give your own answer.
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Go and Find a Way to Evangelize

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Terry and John

We thank God for our friend and brother in evangelizing, Fr. Chris Aridas (Nov. 12, 1947 – Feb. 2, 2022). He was truly “led by the Spirit and driven by God’s Word”. We all met in 1986, when John began working with Fr. Chris, and others, on a diocesan level, to offer spiritual renewal to Catholic believers. The result was a dynamic approach that combined Catholic theology, adult catechesis and “the best of the Charismatic Renewal.”

Over the next fourteen years, secondary strategies emerged as we were “led by the Spirit and driven by God’s word.”

  1. Reimagining ways to train leaders of existing groups in how to evangelize, through more deliberate invitations and faith sharing. Leaders were from parish-based groups like Little Rock Scripture Studies (LRSS), RENEW International groups, and charismatic prayer groups.
  2. Sharpening the focus of large group parish events, most notably healing masses and Ash Wednesday services that led into Lenten missions; as well as week-long, summer Bible Institutes; and dozens of ongoing diocesan workshops.
  3. Ecumenical efforts to evangelize. In 1990, we assisted 70 parishes in offering a Catholic follow up to a regional Billy Graham Crusade. This included basic training in evangelization for 500-600 people and an influx of 600 participants into LRSS groups as follow-up.
  4. Intentional, free-standing training in person-to-person evangelizing. This program was first presented to 10,000 people as “Bringing Christ to My Everyday World” at the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelism. Additional versions of this training were condensed into a one-day workshop on Catholic evangelization called, “Simple Ways Catholics Can Share Faith”. It was offered in dozens of parishes.

We share these strategies to inspire a life-long passion for “no-holes-barred” innovations that stretch us to respond to people’s spiritual needs. We encourage you and to find ways to bring the Gospel to life, using both diocesan and parish approaches.

Here are excerpts from some of Fr. Chris’ writings and emails that speak of his burning desire to be led by the Spirit, to evangelize, and to enkindle faith.

[From a 2015 parish letter] Since the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Catholic strategy for building up the faithful has been childhood catechesis and sacramental initiation. Children’s classes and the Catholic school system were cutting-edge responses to the crisis of the Protestant Reformation. It was an extraordinary vision that worked for an extended period of time… Evidence today, however, suggests that what worked in the 17th century does not work in the 21st, now that most of our young adults become “unaffiliated” Catholics, who no longer find their way back to the Church, when they are ready to marry and have children. In fact, the number of marriages celebrated in the Church has decreased by 60% in the past 50 years, although the number of “Catholics” has increased by almost 17 million. Other sacraments have suffered as well.

So, now our goal for all of parish life is clear: proclaim the “Good News,” centered on the raising of Jesus from the dead. Tell everyone that God’s plan for new life includes all; invites all; and embraces all who are willing to follow the risen Lord as disciples [of all ages].

[from 2020 emails] Right now, my heart is being moved to intercessory prayer. It’s a natural spot since I have been taking my 96-year-old mother to doctor visits, the hospital and/or to a rehab unit…

Then later, I have pretty much been living at her condo, assisted by a full-time aide. Still, I am blessed to be with her during this time…

Since my mother’s death in May, I have been praying that I will be able to follow what the Lord wants me to do next, as I continue my service to Him. The Lord and I are in the process of discussing opportunities and timelines. Thus far, it appears that the Lord’s timeline is the one we’re going to work with for the time being. We’ll see how that pans out.

[Spring 2021] I have retired. But in the mornings, I still offer Daily Video Reflections for the people of Assumption Parish while we are all apart during the pandemic… And my heart is being increasingly moved to intercessory prayer. I spend most afternoons doing so. Now I have lots of time to follow the Spirit’s lead in praying for our church; which is in need of wisdom, courage, and new avenues for responding to the pastoral needs of its members. So, keep the prayers coming. I’m always willing to accept prayers at any time from anyone!

 

You may listen to A Sampling of Daily Reflections by Fr. Chris Aridas .

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