I am excited to offer a pre-introduction to the upcoming Stewardship of Time cards that will be offered to Crescent Parishioners in February. We have already had Stewardship of Talent and Treasure cards, why this continued talk of “stewardship” and yet another stewardship card?
Succinctly, God’s goodness to us—even as we experience difficulties, suffering, loss, and the Cross—is far beyond what we could ever imagine. Jesus leads us in this proclamation as he felt beset in suffering and “forgotten” by the Father. He knew he was loved and blessed beyond measure. His thankfulness and sense of blessedness from the Father triumphed over suffering and the grave.
Stewardship of Time, Lifelong Faith Formation With this blessedness in mind and heart, over the next weeks, we will be asked to consider our grateful response to God’s love and blessedness by asking, “How are we doing regarding lifelong faith formation?” Truly, it is my firm belief that as we understand and practice this and all dimensions of authentic stewardship, we will excel as a family of parishes, and we will meet with success in the unity to which Beacons of Light calls us! Let us look at a bit of history.
A Catholic Culture Cannot Be Assumed The Catholic Church in the United States has made many mistakes over its history. Among those mistakes is the assumption that there will always be a Catholic culture to support us. Let me assure you, brothers and sisters, after our U.S. Catholic Church was transformed from primarily an immigrant Church at the turn of the 20th century into an educated and affluent Church, all bets were off regarding the staying power of our Catholic Culture. What is a Catholic Culture?
Catholic Culture Having a Catholic Culture means that we live, eat, and breathe things Catholic, at every level of our being and relationships—as individuals, spouses, families, and friends—like the immigrant Church did and does! Unfortunately, for several generations now, coming into our own as Catholics, we have lost our desire to foster a Catholic culture and, even worse, have taken for granted that we still have it.
To consciously and powerfully counter the decline of Catholic culture, we need to regard lifelong faith formation very seriously, committing ourselves to growing in faith rather than allowing our faith to diminish due to lack of attentiveness. A positive response to lifelong faith formation means that we are always working to grow in faith, as we would have done in generations past, when immigrants knew they needed Jesus and his Church just to get by. Thanks to parishioners who are reading a few pages a day in their Christmas book. Thanks to the men of our parish who give a couple of early Saturday morning hours each week to be a part of That Man is You (TMIY). Thanks to Wednesday Wonderers and GriefShare participants! You are creating a Catholic Culture!
Over the next months, Crescent Parishioners will have ample opportunity to engage in some outstanding lifelong faith formation. For example, we will be offered an opportunity to grow in our experience of how the Rosary can transform our lives and the world through the “Rosary in a Year” daily study. We will be invited to the Parish Mission. We will be asked to choose things from a Stewardship of Time card that will change our lives and the world. Thanks to those who do so.
Crescent Parish Mission Our Crescent Parish Mission will be an especially outstanding lifelong faith formation opportunity. Be prepared to read about and be challenged to participate in a three-night mission and then a follow-up weekend. Let me say more.
Each night of the mission we will be invited to consider: 1. Our longing for something more 2. Our surrender to something more, particularly in the adoration of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar 3. Our call to experience and bring hope in Christ to the world.
Please pay close attention to the bulletin as we introduce this year’s parish mission led by layperson and evangelist Chris Bray, who is a husband and father of five girls. Chris is a Catholic speaker and celebrated Canadian musician whose ministry spans North America. He has received many honors for his music and has the ability to connect with people of all ages quickly and intensely. He is also the author of the book Resounding Truth, a best seller on Amazon. For more information, visit chrisbraymusic.com.
Joyful and Thrifty Some Catholic Parish Staffs pull out a few extra stops for a Christmas party, because, generally speaking, parish staff members are underpaid. As the Christmas Season has come to a close, I want to lift up Crescent Parishes Staff members for being both joyful and thrifty in our Christmas celebration, which occurred on January 10th, one of the last days of the Christmas season. Thanks to Linda Medcalf, Ginny Hans, and Matt Jackson for planning a Crescent Staff Christmas Party that was joyful and abundant without breaking the bank.