Pentecost Guidebook for Christ Renews His Parish. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 The manual used for Christ Renews His Parish provides one explanation of this component of the overall program as a restoration process [that] must come from the upper room of your parish. It reminds us that Pentecost was the Church s commencement exercise. The first graduating class was sent forth to restore all things in Christ. {Scripture Reference CCC} Table of Contents Pre-work Materials... 2 The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory... 2 First Evening of Pentecost... 2 Program Overview (25 min)... 2 Opening Scripture (20 min)... 3 The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory Analysis (120 min)... 3 Areas of Ministry and Mission (5 min)... 4 Holy Trinity Ministries and Lay Leadership (5 min)... 4 Prayer, Reflection, Study (5 min)... 4 Second Evening of Pentecost... 5 Opening Scripture (10 min)... 5 Reviewing the Call & Gifted Participant Handout (110 min)... 5 My Plan of Life (40 min)... 5 Next Steps (15 min)... 5 Closing Prayer (5 min)... 6 Handouts... 7 Pre-work: Spiritual Preparation and CGSI Overview... 7 Holy Trinity Mission Statement... 8 The Call and Gifted Workshop Participant Handout... 8 Plan of Life/Wheat: EWTN... 9 Meditation ( CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 1 of 10 September 2011

2 PRE-WORK MATERIALS The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory In preparation for optimizing the first Evening of Pentecost, each person will be given a folder with an introductory Spiritual Preparation sheet and a copy of the CSGI. Completing this inventory prior to attending the first night will allow for a much richer experience with team members during the two Evenings of Pentecost. FIRST EVENING OF PENTECOST Program Overview (25 min) Open with Acts 2:1-2 In the days following Pentecost, the temple was an old church hearing the new message of a young church. You are a young church. Your parish is a young church in action. You have completed the first two chapters in your own Book of Acts. We can only suggest the beginning of Chapter Three. [CRHP Manual Part V 9] The CRHP program suggests a focus on three areas of restoration: (1) personal growth, (2) ministerial development, and (3) committee responsibilities. Providentially, the mission statement for Holy Trinity, crafted around 1980, highlights the same three elements. As the guidebook for CRHP concludes its process, it makes way for each parish to discern how it contributes to the Great Commission (MT 28:19), quoted in our mission statement. The Continuation Committee at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas suggests two 3-hour evenings of Pentecost which will ultimately provide some guidance to assist each of you in developing an individual plan for spiritual growth which is outlined in the section below entitled My Plan of Life. The Glossary of the CC defines Pentecost on p. 893 as The CC Index, on p 832, refers to three different days of Pentecost Refer to HT Mission Statement The Apostolic Exhortation, EVANGELII NUNTIANDI (On Evangelization in the Modern World), of Pope Paul VI promulgated on December 8, 1975, the 10 th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council stated: In fact, it is only after the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that the apostles depart to all the ends of the earth in order to begin the great work of the Church's evangelization. Peter explains this event as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel: "I will pour out my spirit."[112] Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit so that he can speak to the people about Jesus, the Son of God.[113] Paul too is filled with the Holy Spirit[114] before dedicating himself to his apostolic ministry, as is Stephen when he is chosen for the ministry of service and later on for the witness of blood.[115] The Spirit, CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 2 of 10 September 2011

3 who causes Peter, Paul and the Twelve to speak, and who inspires the words that they are to utter, also comes down "on those who heard the word."[116] In the Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Inuente, at the close of the Great Juvilee of the Year 2000, Pope John Paul II stated the following: 52. Clearly, all this [work of the Church] must be done in a specifically Christian way: the laity especially must be present in these areas in fulfillment of their lay vocation, without ever yielding to the temptation to turn Christian communities into mere social agencies. In particular, the Church's relationship with civil society should respect the latter's autonomy and areas of competence, in accordance with the teachings of the Church's social doctrine. The conclusion states: Every Sunday, the Risen Christ asks us to meet him as it were once more in the Upper Room where, on the evening of "the first day of the week" (Jn 20:19) he appeared to his disciples in order to "breathe" on them his life-giving Spirit and launch them on the great adventure of proclaiming the Gospel. Opening Scripture (20 min) Use this section to take note of different types of preparation used as each person was asked to read Ephesians 4: 7-16 prior to completing the inventory. Ask someone to read the passage. Ask for a show of hands for those that took notes, wrote reflections, etc. Also see if anyone would like to share o o (A) what it meant when they first read it, and (B) what it seems to mean now. Create a segue to inventory discussion. The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory Analysis (120 min) 1. Make sure each person has completed the CSGI and is prepared to summarize their answer sheet. 2. Emphasize that a complete discernment of Charisms is a process requiring much prayer, meditation, awareness, feedback from others, journaling, etc. 3. This is one tool chosen by the CRHP CC to initiate that process for those entering into the Pentecost phase. 4. Hand out and discuss the Call & Gifted Workshop Participant Handbook. CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 3 of 10 September 2011

4 Areas of Ministry and Mission (5 min) All ministries within the Parish should be encouraged to incorporate all of these areas into their groups/committees/ministries/programs. Study (didache) to teach Mutual Support (koinonia) community Prayer (leiturgia) worship Faith Sharing (kerygma) 1 st proclamation Evangelization (evangelizo) preach the gospel Outreach (dikonia) service Holy Trinity Ministries and Lay Leadership (5 min) Review the Holy Trinity Parish Directory and highlight the listings of Ministries according to the four pillars. Also outline the Lay Leadership opportunities within the o Parish staff serving on committees, web design, staff support, volunteers o CRHP Continuation Committee, CC support roles, History Giving/Faith Sharing Facilitator, Evening of Discernment Facilitator, Pentecost Facilitator, Web master Prayer, Reflection, Study (5 min) Encourage review and further prayer and discernment. Announce next meeting. Close in prayer. CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 4 of 10 September 2011

5 SECOND EVENING OF PENTECOST Opening Scripture (10 min) Reading from the 22 nd Sunday in Ordinary Time ( ) Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27 Highlight the three requirements of a Christian (24) Reviewing the Call & Gifted Participant Handout (110 min) More to come after Errante attends the Archdiocese workshop on September 17. My Plan of Life (40 min) Many of us have daily routines that serve important purposes in our lives. We make plans for person and family events, plans for property and life insurance, and perhaps even occasionally update our retirement plans. Refer to Plan of Life/Wheat: EWTN But how much time have we ever seriously taken to create a Plan for Life (Eternal Life))? We would like to provide you with some time here tonight, to review the handout entitled Plan of Life/Wheat: EWTN. As you read this article, we suggest you begin with an outline of what small daily activities you could do within YOUR Plan of Life. As with any change, it will require at least days of consistent practice. Start small and as you find the joy and peace in these moments you spend with God, don t be too surprised if you find yourself adding a few more activities to your plan. In the handout, Fr. John McCloskey provides a list of THE SEVEN DAILY HABITS OF HOLY APOSTOLIC PEOPLE. The facilitator should offer a routine that he/she finds helpful and fulfilling. Suggest that rather than holding yourself accountable for every day initially, perhaps set a goal of 4-5 times each week. The ultimate goal would be to create a routine that works for every day of the week and ensures some private time with God. Next Steps (15 min) Reviewing your CRHP commitment sheets. What support is needed and available? CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 5 of 10 September 2011

6 Resources. o Monthly gathering for Men (third Thursday of each month) o Monthly gathering for Women (?) o Spiritual Directors Suggestions. Closing Prayer (5 min) CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 6 of 10 September 2011

7 HANDOUTS Pre-work: Spiritual Preparation and CGSI Overview Prior to attending your first of two nights of Pentecost on, at 6:30 9:30 PM in, please complete pages 3 20 of The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Prior to taking the minutes needed to complete this material, we ask that you recite the Prayer of The Holy Spirit used in CRHP and then read the following scripture verses to center yourself in the Holy Spirit. Space is provided beneath each verse to make any notes, capture reflections, etc. Acts 2: 1-4 Romans 12: 1-8 Ephesians 4: 7-16 CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 7 of 10 September 2011

8 Holy Trinity Mission Statement The Call and Gifted Workshop Participant Handout CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 8 of 10 September 2011

9 PLAN OF LIFE/WHEAT: EWTN Have you found that the daily quest for holiness called for in our Faith from the time of our Baptism is inextricably linked to our human search for happiness? Are you therefore searching for a practical way to live holy Faith in daily life -- to be happy here and in Heaven? Or do you perhaps have an interest in/attraction to certain devotions (Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Fatima, etc.) or spiritualities (Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Ignatian, etc.), but find yourself overwhelmed by the possibilities? Maybe this post may be of use to you. As I began my professional life after college, I gradually realized that I had to fan the spark of my love of the Faith into a fire of living the Faith in daily life. But, I soon discovered that one cannot dedicate herself to even a fraction of the absolute plethora of useful devotions and spiritual practices that the Church has gifted us with in the last 2,000 years. So, I set about selecting what would be most helpful for my spiritual life and growth in holiness. It's still a matter of trial and error, but I have a mostly workable Plan of Life (a daily/regular spiritual regimen), which I will likely post on at length. It would help to have a wise spiritual director (such as a gifted priest or sister) to guide me, but like many others, I have not yet found one who is available. So, I pray and search. Enter, again, our reliable guide, Fr. John McCloskey, this time providing us with: THE SEVEN DAILY HABITS OF HOLY APOSTOLIC PEOPLE Fr. McCloskey notes that integrating these habits into one s life is a gradual process that may require some modifications, but at the same time a priority overriding lesser things/timewasters. He estimates that the habits as he describes them will take about an hour-and-a-half per day, but will yield unexpected benefits. 1. morning offering (Rise promptly to offer your day to God, in your own words or with a formula.) 2. meditation for 15 minutes (Please see the next post, "Meditation." Or see page 2 of this.) 3. spiritual reading for 15 minutes (Please see the previous post, "On Drowning by the Page.") 4. daily Mass (If you cannot attend daily Mass, perhaps consider spending some time before the Blessed Sacrament or at home prayerfully reading the Mass readings and praying a spiritual communion (asking to receive Our Lord spiritually since you cannot receive His Body and Blood at Mass). The Mass readings, in text or in audio with a homily, can be found at EWTN. 5. Angelus/Regina Coeli (at midday; the former for all seasons but Easter, the latter for Easter) 6. Rosary 7. examination of conscience (Before bed: give thanks to God; ask His grace to know your sins; examine your thoughts, words and deeds in each part of your day, especially in light of the previous day s resolutions; pray an act of contrition; make specific resolutions to CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 9 of 10 September 2011

10 avoid these sins in the coming day; and pray an Our Father. This is a summary of the method of St. Ignatius.) I would be remiss if I didn't recommend here the greatest work of one of the greatest spiritual directors who ever lived, the Gentle Saint, bishop St. Francis de Sales.His Introduction to the Devout Life is very readable and practical, several hundred years after his death. Finally, in creating this post, I am greatly indebted to one of the foremost sites on the Web and TV for authentic Catholic spirituality, which I highly recommend: Mother Angelica's EWTN. Among the exhaustive resources there, you will find schedules, live feeds, and videos/podcasts of their excellent programming, including daily Mass and numerous spiritual shows. You will also find a very large library of texts, audio and video, and a religious catalog. Meditation ( This post is a continuation of the previous post, "Plan of Life/Wheat: EWTN." THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDITATION In his splendid book of detailed meditations on the entirety of all four Gospels, The Better Part, Fr. John Bartunek points-up the importance of meditation in our daily lives. He defines meditation as lifting the heart and mind to God through focused reflection on some truth of God s revelation. It involves the intellect, the imagination, the memory, the emotions the whole person (p. 21). When we use readymade meditation books, though, we easily slip into the spiritual reading mode: instead of using the points of reflection as springboards for focused personal reflection, attentive listening to the Holy Spirit, and intimate heart-to-heart conversation with Christ, [we] simply read, understand, agree, and move on yet, unless you learn to go deeper, to personalize your prayer more, you will limit your growth in virtue (p.24). A SIMPLE METHOD OF MEDITATION He describes a very simple and effective four-part method of meditation, summarized as: concentrate (Recall that God is present, seeing you and listening to you, and that He has something to say to you that you need and want to hear. Ask for whatever grace you need most.) consider (Read the text slowly and calmly until something strikes you; if you wish, perhaps read it again or read a commentary. If it s a Scripture, perhaps place yourself in the story to listen to God s word to you. If it s a commentary, perhaps ask what the words say about the Church, or you and your resolutions, or your responsibilities as a Catholic/spouse/parent/worker.) converse (Savor what God is telling you and talk to Him in your own words, perhaps of adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, or supplication [ACTS]. If you wish, when you response quiets, go back to the text for more.) commit (Make a specific resolution. Thank Christ for your meditation. Jot any insights down in your journal [perhaps noting the text you read]. Make a concluding prayer, perhaps an Our Father/Hail Mary/Glory Be.) CRHP Holy Trinity Pentecost Guidebook Page 10 of 10 September 2011