This is the most exciting part of our movement – helping one another to further integrate within a holy and virtuous Catholic community at large, as opposed to remaining trapped within a special-interest bubble of sorts. After all, if we become like the five people who we spend the most time with, it follows that we should be extending ourselves beyond those who might only affirm us and not challenge us – which is an inherent risk within any group. Further, if we are already at this site, reflecting a desire for us to grow from the limitations we have before placed upon ourselves, then we can assume that God has nudged our hearts in some ways. Our openness to this reveals, to some degree only known by God, the infusion of the virtue of faith, and with this sparkle of faith within our hearts, it is now a matter of exercising our free will to choose how to continually grow and manifest God’s love.
Before we start, however, let us look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for some things to consider and some points to ponder. (Emphasis added in bold).
| 153 When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood”, but from “my Father who is in heaven”. Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. “Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.'” |
Reflection: Let us accept the gift of faith from God and surrender our hearts to God as we navigate what to do with our lives. Let us also pray that others may open their hearts to activate God’s gift of faith.
| 1700 The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude (article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace they grow in virtue (article 7), avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son1 to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they attain to the perfection of charity. |
Reflection: Within our surrender to Christ, we open our hearts to growing in virtue. Not just some virtue, but the fullness of virtue. That includes:
1. The Theological Virtues (infused by God): Faith, Hope, Charity/Love
2. The Cardinal Virtues (moral virtues): Prudence (located in the intellect), Justice (the will), Temperance (in restraint), and Fortitude (also in restraint).
3. The Capital Virtues (moral virtues): Chastity (opposite of lust), Faith (opposite of worship of other gods)), Generosity (opposite of greed), Brotherly Love (opposite of envy), Sobriety/Temperance (opposite of indulgence/gluttony), Patience (opposite of wrath), Humility (opposite of pride)
| 30 “Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, “an upright heart”, as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God. |
Reflection: Within this ongoing surrender of our hearts to Christ, we must be sure to not let the desire to satisfy our emotional appetites win out over our desire to satisfy our intellectual appetites, lest our intellectual capacity become impaired by inordinate/excessive emotional attachment/fixation. The latter, which impacts the neurochemical environment of the brain, can being about patterns of behavior that are not only very difficult to break, but patterns that also prevent us from becoming the best man or woman that God has created us to be.
| 1007 Death is the end of earthly life. Our lives are measured by time, in the course of which we change, grow old and, as with all living beings on earth, death seems like the normal end of life. That aspect of death lends urgency to our lives: remembering our mortality helps us realize that we have only a limited time in which to bring our lives to fulfillment… |
Reflection: Our time here in this form is short. Let us remember to prudently plan as though we will live forever, but live as though we will die today. That means, since the souls will outlast the body, it means we get serious about prioritizing the state of our souls above the state of our bodies (while not neglecting our bodies, of course). Let us explore the impact of forgiveness and how that may free us from the chains weighing us down that have been heaped upon us from the actions of others. Let us ponder the reality of God’s love and how He does not want our souls to become muted through toxic shame and baseless guilt. Let us ponder how our prayer lives need to be prioritized… and that it is fitting to give God our first fruits as opposed to our leftovers – and this is related to the time we give him throughout the day. Let us also walk away from the guilt of not being perfect enough and understand that God desires the surrender of our hearts from right where we are, including the aspects of our hearts that are not perfect, or that we might even want to hide from Him.
| 1730 God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. “God willed that man should be ‘left in the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.” |
Reflection: We can trust that the more we cleave to God, as a result of our continuous striving to surrender, the closer to perfection we will become. Likewise, the closer in relation to God we will be, and, in the radiance of that love, we will experience ever-increasing joy, for as long as we continue along that trajectory.
| 1324 The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.” |
Reflection: Receiving the gift of the Holy Eucharist is one of the most intimate ways we can commune with God, and this reality is made clearer as we become more aware of Christ’s Real Presence in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the reality Christ died for us, even the most depraved of us, so that we may all have life. As such, let us ponder how we can attend to the state of our souls by striving to attend Holy Mass regularly, if not even daily, even if we still struggle with particular sins. Let us also, however, ponder the importance of confessing all of our sins with a contrite heart before receiving the Holy Eucharist so that we may receive Him in as worthy of a way that we possibly could. Let us ponder the degree to which we make our homes (and our bodies) fit for the King of all Kings.
| 1207 It is fitting that liturgical celebration tends to express itself in the culture of the people where the Church finds herself, though without being submissive to it. Moreover, the liturgy itself generates cultures and shapes them. |
Reflection: In striving to attend to our spiritual needs through the Holy Eucharist (and therefore also the Holy Mass), which gives us strength to exercise moral virtue, which helps us become the best versions of ourselves that we could be, let us ponder how our involvement and commitment to the Liturgy can shape the culture of our families, our parishes, and our communities. Let us ponder how the example of one holy and reverent person who is properly exercising the virtue of religion by striving to give to God the proper honor that is due (CCC 1807) may provide a spark in the heart of an earnestly seeking observer who might be yearning to discover their pathway to fulfillment in the Lord. Let us ponder how the Church gives men and women particular roles, and that we can play a part in the order established by the Church as we navigate the ways within which we can serve. Let us ponder how the transformation of culture may ripple outward indefinitely, for as long as people’s hearts continue to be touched by the love of God.
Now, let us act upon these ponderings and lead all actions with prayer.
Note: Books related to Liturgical Excellence
To assist people with the carrying out of this type of integration, the following resources will be helpful:
1. Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite – Bishop Peter J. Elliott
2. Ceremonies Explained for Servers – Bishop Peter J. Elliott
3. General Instruction of the Roman Missal – Vatican
4. Liturgy – Catholic Answers / Catholic Encyclopedia
5. Mass Revision – Jimmy Akin (Catholic Answers)
6. An English/Latin “Side-By-Side” Mass Guide with Gregorian Chant Notation (Missa De Angelis Setting) – FREE DOWNLOAD, FREE TO PRINT
Markers of Success Along the Journey
Some markers of success along people’s journey have included:
1. An increase in the desire to strive for excellence alongside a decreasing desire to somehow “be perfect.”
2. An increase in thinking that the Church is a hospital for sinners more than it is a place for people who are “holier than thou.”
3. An increase in the inclination to connect with others at Church as equals and a decreasing inclination to see people on a pedestal.
4. An increase in holy and virtuous acquaintances and friendships and a decrease in desire to pine for the affection of those whose lives reflect a rejection of the fullness of virtue.
5. An increase in understanding one’s worth through the lens of God, and a decrease in (subconscious) attachment to the idea that one’s worth is defined through relationships with others.
5. An increase in the desire to share one’s skills and talents within a community context, and a decrease in the tendency to be dominated by fear of rejection.
6. An increase in the desire to establish healthy and holy community within and beyond one’s parish, and a decrease in the feeling that one is present but not belonging.
7. An increase in the desire to establish oneself in a healthy community that will outlast changes to clergy appointments and or parish staff. is outside of.
8. An increase in the desire to be a community driver (in some way that is fitting, given one’s temperament) as opposed to only “consuming” events and special occassions.
9. An increase in the desire to properly order one’s time so that one can live more according to the Liturgical Calendar.
10. An increase in the desire for an ordered prayer life, focusing on regular attendance at Mass, regular Confession, Daily Rosary, and Liturgy of the Hours.
11. An increase in the desire to help other people come to know the beauty and richness of the Church, including Her Liturgy, prayers, and artistic/musical aspects.
12. An increase in the desire for Liturgical experiences that are more about what we can give to God rather that what the Liturgy can give to us.
13. An increase in the desire to make oneself available to others who are also just discovering the wellspring of God’s love and mercy.
14. An increase in the desire to strive to appropriately connect people with one another amidst the context of creating community.
15. An increase in the desire to serve in appropriate ways related to the Liturgy – Choir/Schola, Sacristan, Porter (door man), Welcomer, etc.
16. An increase in the desire to integrate with other Church communities in ways that enhance Liturgical efforts (shared choirs/scholas, servers, strategies, etc).
17. An increase in the desire to create spaces outside of Liturgy for community members to bond and grow, whether it be things like poker/cigar nights, fight club, golf tournaments, hunting mentorship/groups, sports teams, family sports/prayer nights, chant workshops, movie nights, faith talks, farm work experiences, craft fairs, farmer’s markets, canoe trips, etc.
18… Your story here!
Note: All of these point to successful integration within a broader community setting.
We would love to hear your story too! If you are on the road to something more beautiful, shoot us an email and tell us all about it!