Archive of Past Reflections...

We have been a Discipleship Parish since 2000. Every year, parishioners are invited to fill out a Discipleship Covenant, which is a tool to help us achieve "small steps" in a commitment to a lifetime of trying to do more than we are currently doing to follow Christ's teachings.

The seven components that make up the Discipleship Covenant are:

• PRAYER: Speaking to our Father
• REFLECTION: Listening to the still small voice of God's will for our lives
• CELEBRATION: Worshiping together as a community, celebrating the Sacraments and our love of one another
• RELATIONSHIPS: Striving to be loving and forgiving to ourselves and all others
• THANKSGIVING: To prioritize God over our material needs and to continue Christ's work on earth, returning to God the first portion of all He gives us
• MINISTRY: Serving others by sharing our God-given gifts of ability, empowered within us by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building God's Kingdom on earth
• WITNESS: Being willing to speak our beliefs as Christians, sharing with others the Good News of our faith

 

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PRAYER:

• Start every day with a simple greeting to God. Example: "Good morning, God. Please help me to do your will today."
• Say a short "Grace" before you begin to eat a meal. Or start small and say Grace just once a day before a specific meal (e.g. breakfast or dinner).
• Pick a short prayer that you will say silently each time you come to a red light while driving, are riding on an elevator at work each day, or even while you are showering or blow-drying your hair.
• Pick any routine chore that you do each day and use it to help you remember to say a specific prayer BEFORE you begin the chore. (Examples: while you are waiting for the computer to boot up; at the beginning of study hall; when you start to prepare a family meal.)
• Pick a specific time when, each day, you will stop everything and say the Lord's Prayer. (Example: 12:00 Noon or 6:00 p.m., or even 7:30 a.m.!)
• Place a prayer booklet of small prayers where it can be seen daily. Try to say just one.
• Use a prayer book to silently recite prayers while you lie down with your children until they fall asleep, or right before you go to sleep.
• Say a prayer whenever you are alone in the car. Or say a prayer in the car together with your children on a specific short trip that you do regularly. (Example: drive to school; to a certain lesson; to church, etc.)

REFLECTION:

• Listen to God through His word in the Bible. (Example: Read one line, or one verse from the Gospels each day; Get a "Bible Verse Calendar" and reflect on the daily verse.) Take one small step to read even just one line a day.
• Try a "listening prayer" by setting aside a brief daily quiet time when we do not do the talking – but let God talk.
• Try to hear God speaking to us through other people, especially through the Church – "the pillar and bulwark of truth." (1 Timothy 3:15) (Example: Take one small step to follow a church teaching we find difficult to follow in our lives; Read the Catholic Messenger weekly or another Catholic publication.)
• Listen for a prophetic word from God in the daily Eucharistic readings, which often speak to our daily needs.
• Listen for God's word in the events of our daily lives.
• Join a bible study that meets regularly; perhaps even by e-mail!
• Place a book of spiritual reflections or a "reflections calendar" where you can remember to read one brief reflection each day.
• Set a day of the week when you take time to stop into church for just one or two minutes of reflection, instead of just passing by.
• One small step is just staying in bed one minute before we rise or sleep, thinking of all we have to be grateful for. (Example: Make a "gratitude list" at a set time each day – this brings GREAT change! Or add to a daily meal prayer a silent time to reflect on all we have to be grateful for.)

CELEBRATION:

• Try to go meet your Sunday obligation by going to mass and receiving Eucharist with your faith community each week if you are not currently doing so. (Or, at least make it to mass one more week a month than you are now.)
• Make a special "date" with God: try adding in just one daily mass a month on your calendar. (Remember, there is mass on Saturdays as well as weekdays!)
• If you are often late for mass, take a small step to come five minutes early for prayer.
• Try to read and reflect on the Sunday Gospel BEFORE you come to mass each week so you can more deeply participate in the focus of that week's Celebration.
• If you have trouble listening or paying attention to any particular part of the mass, try to concentrate on that part as your small step.
• After receiving Communion, try to concentrate throughout the reflection time on our Lord's presence within you.
• If you have difficulty during mass reaching out to others duing the "handshake of peace," take a small step to warmly greet everyone you can during the time allotted.
• After every mass you attend, try to stay a few minutes to visit in the vestibule with other community members – especially those you do not already know.
• If you have children at home and getting ready for mass is often hectic and unpleasant, try a little harder to make the family experience of going to mass something positive that will encourage their future mass participation as adults.
• If your family often attends different Sunday masses, try Celebrating together more regularly.
• If you are not receiving Eucharist because of shame or guilt over a particular sin, free yourself for Eucharist by going to Reconciliation.

RELATIONSHIPS:

• Pick a time when you will always try to say, "I love you," or "God bless you," or "God and I love you very much." (Example: Pick a set time such as each time you greet or leave them, or before sleep, or even when you pick them up or drop them off in the car.)
• "Bless" them once a day or whenever you visit by touching them and saying, "I bless you in the name of Christ." (Example: Pick a set time or recurring circumstance for this.)
• Pray a short prayer alone with your spouse at least once a day. Pray silently together if you cannot bring yourselves to pray aloud. (Example: When you wake up or go to bed, or before work, or when you return home from work; On the phone at a set time each day if your work schedules keep you apart.)
• Pray a short pr ayer together with each child separately at least once a day.
• If you have an aging parent, pray a short prayer either together or for them in their presence – or at least say, "I love you," each time you come or go.
• Each time you see a person with whom you are not getting along, try to smile and greet them as you would greet Christ.
• Whenever you see a person whom you're not getting along with, try to do an "extra" kind act for them. (Example: A courtesy such as serve their coffee – or even empty a co-worker's wastebasket; Each separate time they have a specific tedious chore come up in your presence, offer to do it for them; Start being more polite with them such as saying "please" and "thank you" – and meaning it!)
• If you cannot do a loving action with a person, pray for that person to have all that you would want for yourself – and pray for yourself that God forgives your ill feelings toward them, regardless of their part.
• Be kind but spiritually honest with the person if you feel they may have a serious spiritual problem that interferes with your relationship. (Example: Drug or alcohol problem; physical or verbal abuse; unchecked anger acted out in direct or indirect punishing ways; chronic dishonesty.)
• Express your regret to a person with a problem that you are not closer. If the person does not have an addiction or severe imbalance, ask them what you can do to help the relationship – then listen. (We may not be able to meet all their needs but we can try to do for them those things that Christ would do.)

THANKSGIVING:

• Thanksgiving is more that just giving money to your Christian Community:
• Thanksgiving is sharing for the reasons Christ taught us as His Disciples:
• ...for our own spiritual growth and gratitude
• ...to fulfill God's work on earth
• And Thanksgiving in Discipleship is sharing in the way Christ taught the early Christians to share:
• ...it is not just giving because of need – it is sharing, honestly and generously, in thanksgiving of all God has given us and in trust of the Lord to always provide.
• ...it is prioritizing a set percentage of all we receive – sharing it first in faith and trust of God.
• In Thanksgiving, the early Christians shared at least 10% of their "first fruits" – and many shared everything!
• ...But a good first "small step" in Discipleship is to prioritize God over our money by just sharing FIRST, in ANY percentage that equals a little more than we are currently giving – no matter how small!
• If you already share first in Thanksgiving a percentage of all you receive, try this small step: Increase this percentage to a little more than you are comfortable sharing. Do this in faith and trust in the Lord – especially if it is scary to trust the Lord that much.
• If you already share your money first, already share from gratitude, and have no problem giving beyond a 10% tithe, then take a small step in your willingness as a Disciple: Try to also share your possessions in Thanksgiving, acknowledging this is why He gave them to you.

MINISTRY:

• Try to say, "Yes" whenever asked to share our time and talents for a small or one-time hospitality task for the parish.
• If you do not currently serve in a parish ministry, choose just one small ministry on your Census Form or call the Stewardship Office to volunteer for that ministry.
• Do a little more in a ministry to which you currently belong.
• Choose an extra small ministry for your small step.
• Decide to "lead" in a ministry, instead of just following.
• Step forward to serve one year on a parish Committee.
• Serve in a ministry for the sake of your own discipleship, whether or not there is an immediate need.
• Since all of our time on earth is a gift to us from God, make sure you are "tithing" your time and talents in thanksgiving: translate into a percentage the time you are willing to give back to God through ministry. Then measure how well you met the percentage each week.

WITNESS:

• Whenever someone tells you something good that has happened to him or her, use each opportunity to give some small thanks to God – out loud. (Examples: "You've been blessed!" "Thank God," "Praise God," or even "God is good!")
• Whenever someone tells you something bad that has happened to him or her, use each opportunity to remind him or her in some small way that God is there for him or her. (Examples: "God will help," "Don't forget that God loves you," "I will pray for you," or even, "God bless you.")
• Whenever someone gives of himself or herself to you, use each opportunity to remind them that they are doing what God loves. (Examples: "God bless you," "God loves you," or "You are such a good example of God's love.")
• Whenever someone shares that they are struggling with their faith, share with them a few of your own victories of faith.
• Whenever someone is in despair, give him or her hope with a simple sharing of God's blessings. (Examples: "Don't forget that God can heal this," or "God loves you, no matter what.")
• Whenever anything is referred to in conversation as "luck," decide to use the opportunity to speak the truth that "God works in mysterious ways."
• Wear a cross or religious medal where it can be seen by others, admitting – even though silently – that we want to be a disciple of Christ.
• When we are asked what we "believe" in, be at least willing to admit that we strive to be a disciple of Christ – that we have a personal faith, important enough, to be willing to share in His name.
• Just be willing to mention God in some small way, at any time, with anyone, who could possibly gain from the reminder.