As a member of my parish council, I get really frustrated at every meeting when the main topic of discussion is finances. There isn't enough money. How can we raise more? I realize that this is a necessary task that comes with the position, but the one issue that never really comes up for discussion is how to get others to come back to the faith, or to join in our faith. It seems to me that if we spent more time embracing our faith and welcoming others into it, then issues such as money would take care of themselves to a certain extent. If people are really hungry, as Kelly suggests, then why are we failing in this area? I listen to my friends who belong to other churches and faiths. Their bible/religious study groups fill up so they have to start another one. They give of themselves both locally and globally to serve others. The pews are filled at their services. What are they doing to bring others in and to get others to give of themselves? Is it possible that we can learn from them while still embracing our own beliefs and faith? How do we go from "Catholic" being a name to being a way of life instead?
Sandy Great insight. I do believe that this is what is missing in our Church. An understanding that it is more than just going to mass on Sunday. I too agree that the topic needs to be more than just finances. i would love to see these parishes get a business manager who handles that stuff and they begin to concentrate on building up the faith life of the people. I asked the priests to consider having their parish members read this book along with us but there were no takers. I am going to ask the school board members to join our discussion though.
I agree with both of your comments! I think good changes are coming! I'm a member of the parish council and think that there are so many good people in our community ready for action. After reading the intro and first chapter of this book, I felt challenged and uplifted. Knowing that Christians make up an incredible amount of people, with Catholics being a huge part, we should be able to shape the culture in positive ways. I liked how it was stated that ALL people are hungry for God. I'm challenged to look at and think of how I'm living. We need people standing up for what's right, and leading others by example. That is a challenge! Yet, a challenge that is worth striving for. I think many Catholics have become pretty comfortable and are fine with just showing up for Mass. We are often too embarrassed to speak openly about our personal relationship with Jesus and/or are afraid that we'll "lose" people if we challenge them and have the deep/hard conversations. Yet, that is exactly what people are wanting. Fr. Cain did an excellent job this past weekend by presenting our Church with 3 statements... "what are you doing?" and "will God know you?" "what goes around comes around!" People want to be loved and to know God. The Gospel message has survived the changing times and is still relevant to us all. How are we/I being "Catholic"? Why would people want to join our/my church?
I also was a member of the parish council and we always discussed finances as well, but we always tried to come up with new ideas to bring the parish community together more often. Sometimes the ideas worked and sometimes not. A question I have is are we doing enough now to get people to come back to the church? This is an area of focus that I think parish councils should be taking. On another note, our culture has become busy and tiresome. Sometimes, so tired that we go to church without truly listening to the readings or better yet, leave Mass and go our merry ways until Mass the following week. How can we understand the message and live it in our daily lives when this continues to happen. We are looking for the truth and people that are genuine. Is that how we ourselves are living? Are we living by what is good, true and noble? I like the saying "Don't tell me, show me."
The phrase that struck me while reading this chapter was when Gandhi stated that he would have become a Christian if he had ever met one. I often think about what truly makes someone a good Catholic. I look at some of the people in my life and the authenticity of their faith is so far removed that they don't even realize it.
I have one aunt that attends services every single weekend, is involved in bible groups, yet continuously treats people disrespectfully. Yet in her mind she is a good, practicing Catholic. She legitimately thinks she is a better person than her siblings who do not attend Mass simply because of that statistic. While her sister rarely, if ever, attends Mass. Yet she prays constantly and, in my opinion, probably has a more honest relationship with God. One woman is concerned with appearance, while the other is blunt about her lack of involvement in the actual Church but has a more authentic relationship with God. How many people out there are looked down upon for not attending services regularly when they may, in fact, live a life closer to the teachings of God?
There are so many arbitrary rules with the Church that I struggle to wrap my brain around, therefore making me question the integrity with which some teaching are upheld. I constantly argued with my junior high teachers about why I couldn't serve in Mass, simply because I was a girl. I still don't understand why wedding ceremonies can not be held outdoors. Is a man-made building really closer to God than his own creations in nature? I don't discount the teachings of the Church because of these differences in opinion, but there are times that the way teachings are presented give me pause. I strongly believe in every aspect of the Catholic Social Justice Teachings, but I feel like I rarely see them put into practice on a regular basis.
How do I reconcile or find answers for the aspects of the Church teachings that I don't personally find authentic? How do I continue to grow as a Catholic while upholding the truths that I believe Jesus wanted us to live?
I feel blessed to work with people who are on their parish councils!!! Sorry I can't relate to that. As I read I picked up on how complacent we have become as a society. We listen to the words of the gospel but do we really "digest them" I think we too forget about the fact that we must put God as number 1. Many Catholics. who continue to go to church each weekend are there in body but at times are thinking of their "to do" list for when mass is over. I felt it was wonderful to participate in the teaching mass as it helped me to understand and focus on certain things after that at mass. I know our parish also did it on a weekend. I think we need to find a way to get that hunger for the word back for the congregation.
The part that I related with was the part that discussed the younger generations not going to church. I know many people who are my age that do not go to church because they say they don't want to get up on Sunday morning for Mass and/or they don’t really get much out of Mass. In response to getting up every Sunday morning for Mass, I believe that we all need to make time for God, especially with all of the Mass times available on Saturday and Sunday. As far as not getting much out of Mass, I can understand that feeling. I love to hear homilies that I can learn something from or gain new insights. There are some homilies that really don’t catch my attention, so my mind wanders about the plans I have over the weekend or what I have to get done (like Deanne said). I believe that it is important for the homily to be something of substance, which gets our minds thinking and helps us to become better Christians. Another point that Deanne brought up is the importance of attending a Teaching Mass. I also believe that it is important for people of my age to attend one. It would help them to learn why and how certain things are done during Mass. If we have insightful homilies and Teaching Masses, I believe that more people of my age would come back to church. Having the younger generations come back to church needs to be a main priority for our parishes because the younger generations are going to be the ones who keep our churches and faith alive.
The one thing that really stuck out to me in this first assignment was when it talked about how easy it is for so many of us to tell others what the right thing is to do, but then we ourselves don't actually do those things. Most of us do not live by example not because we don't want to, but it isn't always an easy thing to do. Also, I agree with Sandy when she said that they talk about finances so much and not really on how to get more people involved at church. I get really tired of hearing about how much money we need and you should give more to the church every weekend when I attend mass. I attend mass and I am giving to the church, it is the people that aren't coming that aren't giving and I feel like only talking about money during the homily turns people away from attending church.
Deanne's point of about God being number 1 in our lives hit me. I find myself wrapped up in all the other things going on in my life or others lives that God is often put on the back burn. I go to church but again, some weeks I am there just filling my weekly commitment. But other weeks, I leave feeling energized and wanting to go do something to show others about my faith. I feel that we need to get our students energized about their faith and by doing this is, it will carry home and get the ball rolling.
The section of chapter 1 that spoke about cries for help stuck to me. There are many adults I know that have strayed away from the church but can't really say why they did. They struggle with their faith. They need someone to show them how to live an authentic life. We need to be a Christian that does more than fulfill our weekly obligation of going to church. We also need to set this same example for our students. As teachers, we need to show them how what we teach them are followed by what we do. We can hope they will follow our example throughout their life.
There is so much discussion on why young people don't attend mass on a regular basis or contribute to their church and nothing seems to change. I do think that one of the issues surrounding this is what people actually get out of going to mass. I like the idea of having a "teaching mass". I have gone to a catholic school K-12 and I'm pretty sure that just these past few years I have learned a few new things from Fr. Cain's teaching mass. If we have more things like this and people have a better understanding of the true meaning, the church may attract young people. Like anything else in life, if you understand what is behind the actions/words, you are more likely to pay attention and show interest.
Like Christie, I found Ghandi's quote interesting that if he had ever met a Christian he would have become one. I feel that it is my responsibility to be the Christian that other's may need to see. To be honest it is something that I'm not always working on. I find a lot of inspiration in my father in-law who we affectionately call "Holy Joe" I see him consistently trying to be Christ to others.
I also liked when Kelly talked about showing others what your faith and religion mean to you, not just telling them. As teachers and role models we should be doing this.
I too found Ghandi's quote intriguing. It made me realize just how important my actions are and how loud they can speak. I think we can all relate to the truly authentic people that we know and think wow, I need to be more like them. I often find myself thinking that I'm going to send a card to someone or help them out in some way but don't always follow through. It is a goal I will continue to strive to improve on. I also think Christians become complacent when going to church--they just go through the actions and don't always know or think about the meaning behind the things that they do. I think the idea of a teaching mass is great!
All of the above comments make perfect sense. I always try to figure out why our churches aren't busting at the seams and are hurting for money. When my kids were little, I helped with vacation bible school at the United Methodist Church. I remember the warm and welcoming feeling I had whenever I went there. I don't feel that same sense even at my own parish. I think that we all become busy chasing whatever it is we're chasing, whether it's survival or success, to have time to make faith-based relationships a priority. I also am constantly trying to figure out where I an on the "Catholic Continuum". Fundamental Catholics rub me the wrong way as do Catholic who say they are so but don't practice or help with a parishes survival. Here I am being judgmental now:( I wish I could fix it, but don't know how.
I liked what both Lisa had to say about homilies that catch you and make you think more about your faith, as well as what Deanne had to say about the teaching masses. I was lucky enough to hear Fr. Haugen's (chaplain from Loras) presentation about the teaching mass. First, he was so vibrant and made me want to hear more and how he presented the part of the mass was wonderful. While I don't think mass should be for entertainment purposes like it seems other church services sometimes aim for, I also think that what makes people want to come to mass and take it out there for others to see, is a vibrant, meaningful message.
Something that also struck me as I was reading chapter 1, was that I think many times people are afraid to show their Catholic Christian beliefs out of fear. So much of our society today is anti-God, as well as against the Church. Not saying that it is a legitimate excuse, but fear can do many things to people.
I agree with many of you that say people are afraid to share their Christian beliefs. I am from a family of nine children and we went to church every weekend without fail. However, many don't practice their faith today and I wonder why that is. Our family often gets into Religious conversations and I stay low because of possible conflicts. I feel very comfortable talking to my students about my faith and maybe God is calling me to do more.
Deanne said that we sometimes forget to put God first. This made me think of the homily I heard on Sunday. Fr. said that we need to love God first, even more then our own children or spouse. I was holding Evelyn at the time, and found it hard to comprehend how I am supposed to love God more than her. I have been thinking a lot about what Fr. said how I could do that better, but I still have a lot of questions.
I read these first couple of chapters right after inservice and thought it was difficult to post on the blog after waiting so long. Now I am experiencing what my students often do when they try to journal about their thoughts a week after reading! After reading all of the posts though, its easy to get my mind back wrapped around Kelley and his thoughts.
I felt challenged after reading only the first couple chapters of the book. I think the author is calling us to look at our own life. God calls us to love him, and to live a good life. The rest is rules that are man made.
I have a bad habit of being involved with way too many things at once. My mother always said when I was in high school that if I wasn't stressed out, I wasn't happy. I encouraged my students to reach out and get involved with as many things as possible. At the same time though, people in today's society, don't save time for the things that are truly important. As I think about the things that are MOST important in my life, my husband/family, friends, my faith life, I observe that they are also probably the things that I work the least at. Most of the things I'm involved in don't do anything to help me grow in these areas. I struggle to find the right balance...
I was unaware that world wide the Catholic church has clothed and housed more people in need than any other organization. I also agree that as a whole, we have become complacent with out faith and should get back on track. I would have to agree our generation is tired. There are 24 hours in the day and about 36 hours of work to do. People get worn out, and unfortunately the first thing to go is the participation if weekly mass. I think it is important to take time for yourself and family to become an active participant at church again.
For years I struggled with the concept of "putting God first". I knew that was what was expected of me but for some reason I never had the skills to do it. Working at Seton helped me to discover and rediscover my faith. My first years here were rather difficult for me. I didn't know what I was doing and it seemed so overwhelming especially with preparing 3 weekly masses. When I first started I did masses in all three buildings. As I struggled through the first years, I felt like I had to either believe very strongly in God or go nuts. It has been the hardships that helped me realize and put into action the words "Putting God First." I'm far from perfect, but I do believe I can put God first with my life.
As a member of my parish council, I get really frustrated at every meeting when the main topic of discussion is finances. There isn't enough money. How can we raise more? I realize that this is a necessary task that comes with the position, but the one issue that never really comes up for discussion is how to get others to come back to the faith, or to join in our faith. It seems to me that if we spent more time embracing our faith and welcoming others into it, then issues such as money would take care of themselves to a certain extent. If people are really hungry, as Kelly suggests, then why are we failing in this area? I listen to my friends who belong to other churches and faiths. Their bible/religious study groups fill up so they have to start another one. They give of themselves both locally and globally to serve others. The pews are filled at their services. What are they doing to bring others in and to get others to give of themselves? Is it possible that we can learn from them while still embracing our own beliefs and faith? How do we go from "Catholic" being a name to being a way of life instead?
ReplyDeleteSandy
ReplyDeleteGreat insight. I do believe that this is what is missing in our Church. An understanding that it is more than just going to mass on Sunday. I too agree that the topic needs to be more than just finances. i would love to see these parishes get a business manager who handles that stuff and they begin to concentrate on building up the faith life of the people. I asked the priests to consider having their parish members read this book along with us but there were no takers. I am going to ask the school board members to join our discussion though.
I agree with both of your comments! I think good changes are coming! I'm a member of the parish council and think that there are so many good people in our community ready for action. After reading the intro and first chapter of this book, I felt challenged and uplifted. Knowing that Christians make up an incredible amount of people, with Catholics being a huge part, we should be able to shape the culture in positive ways. I liked how it was stated that ALL people are hungry for God. I'm challenged to look at and think of how I'm living. We need people standing up for what's right, and leading others by example. That is a challenge! Yet, a challenge that is worth striving for. I think many Catholics have become pretty comfortable and are fine with just showing up for Mass. We are often too embarrassed to speak openly about our personal relationship with Jesus and/or are afraid that we'll "lose" people if we challenge them and have the deep/hard conversations. Yet, that is exactly what people are wanting. Fr. Cain did an excellent job this past weekend by presenting our Church with 3 statements... "what are you doing?" and "will God know you?" "what goes around comes around!" People want to be loved and to know God. The Gospel message has survived the changing times and is still relevant to us all. How are we/I being "Catholic"? Why would people want to join our/my church?
ReplyDeleteI also was a member of the parish council and we always discussed finances as well, but we always tried to come up with new ideas to bring the parish community together more often. Sometimes the ideas worked and sometimes not. A question I have is are we doing enough now to get people to come back to the church? This is an area of focus that I think parish councils should be taking.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, our culture has become busy and tiresome. Sometimes, so tired that we go to church without truly listening to the readings or better yet, leave Mass and go our merry ways until Mass the following week. How can we understand the message and live it in our daily lives when this continues to happen.
We are looking for the truth and people that are genuine. Is that how we ourselves are living? Are we living by what is good, true and noble?
I like the saying "Don't tell me, show me."
The phrase that struck me while reading this chapter was when Gandhi stated that he would have become a Christian if he had ever met one. I often think about what truly makes someone a good Catholic. I look at some of the people in my life and the authenticity of their faith is so far removed that they don't even realize it.
ReplyDeleteI have one aunt that attends services every single weekend, is involved in bible groups, yet continuously treats people disrespectfully. Yet in her mind she is a good, practicing Catholic. She legitimately thinks she is a better person than her siblings who do not attend Mass simply because of that statistic. While her sister rarely, if ever, attends Mass. Yet she prays constantly and, in my opinion, probably has a more honest relationship with God. One woman is concerned with appearance, while the other is blunt about her lack of involvement in the actual Church but has a more authentic relationship with God. How many people out there are looked down upon for not attending services regularly when they may, in fact, live a life closer to the teachings of God?
There are so many arbitrary rules with the Church that I struggle to wrap my brain around, therefore making me question the integrity with which some teaching are upheld. I constantly argued with my junior high teachers about why I couldn't serve in Mass, simply because I was a girl. I still don't understand why wedding ceremonies can not be held outdoors. Is a man-made building really closer to God than his own creations in nature? I don't discount the teachings of the Church because of these differences in opinion, but there are times that the way teachings are presented give me pause. I strongly believe in every aspect of the Catholic Social Justice Teachings, but I feel like I rarely see them put into practice on a regular basis.
How do I reconcile or find answers for the aspects of the Church teachings that I don't personally find authentic? How do I continue to grow as a Catholic while upholding the truths that I believe Jesus wanted us to live?
I feel blessed to work with people who are on their parish councils!!! Sorry I can't relate to that. As I read I picked up on how complacent we have become as a society. We listen to the words of the gospel but do we really "digest them" I think we too forget about the fact that we must put God as number 1. Many Catholics. who continue to go to church each weekend are there in body but at times are thinking of their "to do" list for when mass is over. I felt it was wonderful to participate in the teaching mass as it helped me to understand and focus on certain things after that at mass. I know our parish also did it on a weekend. I think we need to find a way to get that hunger for the word back for the congregation.
ReplyDeleteThe part that I related with was the part that discussed the younger generations not going to church. I know many people who are my age that do not go to church because they say they don't want to get up on Sunday morning for Mass and/or they don’t really get much out of Mass. In response to getting up every Sunday morning for Mass, I believe that we all need to make time for God, especially with all of the Mass times available on Saturday and Sunday. As far as not getting much out of Mass, I can understand that feeling. I love to hear homilies that I can learn something from or gain new insights. There are some homilies that really don’t catch my attention, so my mind wanders about the plans I have over the weekend or what I have to get done (like Deanne said). I believe that it is important for the homily to be something of substance, which gets our minds thinking and helps us to become better Christians. Another point that Deanne brought up is the importance of attending a Teaching Mass. I also believe that it is important for people of my age to attend one. It would help them to learn why and how certain things are done during Mass. If we have insightful homilies and Teaching Masses, I believe that more people of my age would come back to church. Having the younger generations come back to church needs to be a main priority for our parishes because the younger generations are going to be the ones who keep our churches and faith alive.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that really stuck out to me in this first assignment was when it talked about how easy it is for so many of us to tell others what the right thing is to do, but then we ourselves don't actually do those things. Most of us do not live by example not because we don't want to, but it isn't always an easy thing to do. Also, I agree with Sandy when she said that they talk about finances so much and not really on how to get more people involved at church. I get really tired of hearing about how much money we need and you should give more to the church every weekend when I attend mass. I attend mass and I am giving to the church, it is the people that aren't coming that aren't giving and I feel like only talking about money during the homily turns people away from attending church.
ReplyDeleteDeanne's point of about God being number 1 in our lives hit me. I find myself wrapped up in all the other things going on in my life or others lives that God is often put on the back burn. I go to church but again, some weeks I am there just filling my weekly commitment. But other weeks, I leave feeling energized and wanting to go do something to show others about my faith. I feel that we need to get our students energized about their faith and by doing this is, it will carry home and get the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteThe section of chapter 1 that spoke about cries for help stuck to me. There are many adults I know that have strayed away from the church but can't really say why they did. They struggle with their faith. They need someone to show them how to live an authentic life. We need to be a Christian that does more than fulfill our weekly obligation of going to church. We also need to set this same example for our students. As teachers, we need to show them how what we teach them are followed by what we do. We can hope they will follow our example throughout their life.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much discussion on why young people don't attend mass on a regular basis or contribute to their church and nothing seems to change. I do think that one of the issues surrounding this is what people actually get out of going to mass. I like the idea of having a "teaching mass". I have gone to a catholic school K-12 and I'm pretty sure that just these past few years I have learned a few new things from Fr. Cain's teaching mass. If we have more things like this and people have a better understanding of the true meaning, the church may attract young people. Like anything else in life, if you understand what is behind the actions/words, you are more likely to pay attention and show interest.
ReplyDeleteLike Christie, I found Ghandi's quote interesting that if he had ever met a Christian he would have become one. I feel that it is my responsibility to be the Christian that other's may need to see. To be honest it is something that I'm not always working on. I find a lot of inspiration in my father in-law who we affectionately call "Holy Joe" I see him consistently trying to be Christ to others.
ReplyDeleteI also liked when Kelly talked about showing others what your faith and religion mean to you, not just telling them. As teachers and role models we should be doing this.
I too found Ghandi's quote intriguing. It made me realize just how important my actions are and how loud they can speak. I think we can all relate to the truly authentic people that we know and think wow, I need to be more like them. I often find myself thinking that I'm going to send a card to someone or help them out in some way but don't always follow through. It is a goal I will continue to strive to improve on.
ReplyDeleteI also think Christians become complacent when going to church--they just go through the actions and don't always know or think about the meaning behind the things that they do. I think the idea of a teaching mass is great!
All of the above comments make perfect sense. I always try to figure out why our churches aren't busting at the seams and are hurting for money. When my kids were little, I helped with vacation bible school at the United Methodist Church. I remember the warm and welcoming feeling I had whenever I went there. I don't feel that same sense even at my own parish. I think that we all become busy chasing whatever it is we're chasing, whether it's survival or success, to have time to make faith-based relationships a priority. I also am constantly trying to figure out where I an on the "Catholic Continuum". Fundamental Catholics rub me the wrong way as do Catholic who say they are so but don't practice or help with a parishes survival. Here I am being judgmental now:( I wish I could fix it, but don't know how.
ReplyDeleteI liked what both Lisa had to say about homilies that catch you and make you think more about your faith, as well as what Deanne had to say about the teaching masses. I was lucky enough to hear Fr. Haugen's (chaplain from Loras) presentation about the teaching mass. First, he was so vibrant and made me want to hear more and how he presented the part of the mass was wonderful. While I don't think mass should be for entertainment purposes like it seems other church services sometimes aim for, I also think that what makes people want to come to mass and take it out there for others to see, is a vibrant, meaningful message.
ReplyDeleteSomething that also struck me as I was reading chapter 1, was that I think many times people are afraid to show their Catholic Christian beliefs out of fear. So much of our society today is anti-God, as well as against the Church. Not saying that it is a legitimate excuse, but fear can do many things to people.
I agree with many of you that say people are afraid to share their Christian beliefs. I am from a family of nine children and we went to church every weekend without fail. However, many don't practice their faith today and I wonder why that is. Our family often gets into Religious conversations and I stay low because of possible conflicts. I feel very comfortable talking to my students about my faith and maybe God is calling me to do more.
ReplyDeleteDeanne said that we sometimes forget to put God first. This made me think of the homily I heard on Sunday. Fr. said that we need to love God first, even more then our own children or spouse. I was holding Evelyn at the time, and found it hard to comprehend how I am supposed to love God more than her. I have been thinking a lot about what Fr. said how I could do that better, but I still have a lot of questions.
ReplyDeleteI read these first couple of chapters right after inservice and thought it was difficult to post on the blog after waiting so long. Now I am experiencing what my students often do when they try to journal about their thoughts a week after reading! After reading all of the posts though, its easy to get my mind back wrapped around Kelley and his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI felt challenged after reading only the first couple chapters of the book. I think the author is calling us to look at our own life. God calls us to love him, and to live a good life. The rest is rules that are man made.
I have a bad habit of being involved with way too many things at once. My mother always said when I was in high school that if I wasn't stressed out, I wasn't happy. I encouraged my students to reach out and get involved with as many things as possible. At the same time though, people in today's society, don't save time for the things that are truly important. As I think about the things that are MOST important in my life, my husband/family, friends, my faith life, I observe that they are also probably the things that I work the least at. Most of the things I'm involved in don't do anything to help me grow in these areas. I struggle to find the right balance...
Intro and Chapter 1
ReplyDeleteI was unaware that world wide the Catholic church has clothed and housed more people in need than any other organization. I also agree that as a whole, we have become complacent with out faith and should get back on track.
I would have to agree our generation is tired. There are 24 hours in the day and about 36 hours of work to do. People get worn out, and unfortunately the first thing to go is the participation if weekly mass. I think it is important to take time for yourself and family to become an active participant at church again.
For years I struggled with the concept of "putting God first". I knew that was what was expected of me but for some reason I never had the skills to do it. Working at Seton helped me to discover and rediscover my faith. My first years here were rather difficult for me. I didn't know what I was doing and it seemed so overwhelming especially with preparing 3 weekly masses. When I first started I did masses in all three buildings. As I struggled through the first years, I felt like I had to either believe very strongly in God or go nuts. It has been the hardships that helped me realize and put into action the words "Putting God First." I'm far from perfect, but I do believe I can put God first with my life.
ReplyDelete