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Called

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During Eucharistic adoration with my high school teens last Monday night, I was struck by the word, “called.” We had just finished singing “O Come to the Altar,” where the line “Jesus is calling” is repeated throughout the song. Meanwhile, I continued to sing, “O, He is calling,” over and over again.

After the song was over, a prayer just burst forth from my mouth. I knew He had called us to be present with Him that night. I know He had called every single one of those teens by name to show up. And so I prayed that these teens would embrace their calling and carry this attitude throughout each day of their lives.

Jesus still is calling them. Jesus was (and is) still calling myself, and the other adults present that night too. You see, we each have a calling. Our mission is to build up and proclaim and make present the Kingdom of God here on earth. To share in the mission and person of Christ. And while we each have the same calling, it is very, very different since we each bring our own unique gifts and talents which the Holy Spirit has given us. I work to build up the Kingdom of God different than anyone else.

Today’s Gospel, on the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, is the calling of the 12 apostles. Jesus called them each by name: “Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

They had the exact same mission that we currently have. And think about the ways in which they failed during and following Christ’s death! Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. None of the apostles except for John stood at the foot of the cross. The apostles cowered in fear in a locked room, afraid of being killed themselves for being followers of Jesus. Disciples encountered the risen Christ on the road and didn’t recognize Him. The apostles were human – so are we. We sin, we make mistakes. And yet, Jesus doesn’t take away our mission because we fail. Instead, He calls us to get back up and to keep working. Perhaps the call is even louder or maybe it is more loving in those situations. But, the point is, the call is still there.

Brothers and sisters, we are called, you and I. My prayer for you is the same prayer I offered for my teens last Monday night, that we embrace the calling the Lord has given us and live it out each day.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Mighty

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Through today’s first reading, responsorial psalm and Gospel, I see one consistent theme: the power of God.

How often do we sit down and reflect, really reflect, on God’s power? Could we even comprehend it, or would we be overwhelmed? Would we be terrified or comforted that He is all-powerful?

We see many instances of power in the first reading. God’s saving power through Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection, a saving power for all who believe. God’s mighty hand against wickedness, sin, and evil. His ability to create the world and to make Himself known through creation.

The whole theme of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is salvation through faith – the first two verses of today’s first reading make that evident. But what we see through the rest of the passage is what happens to idolaters, to those who don’t have faith or who direct their faith in wrong, well, directions. God has (and did execute) the power to hand them “over to impurity through the lust of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies.” Pretty serious stuff.

In the responsorial psalm, we see more of the power of creation as the heavens proclaim the glory of God. God is existence himself; He is outside of time and space. Through God, the universe and everything else came into being. God is evident; He can be seen and known through all of His creation. Therefore, all of creation points itself back to the creator.

There’s a different kind of power on display in the Gospel, however. Here, Jesus’s power is shown in compassion as he dines with one of the Pharisees. Another instance of His power is shown in His wisdom, knowing the depth of the heart of the Pharisee. But we also see the power to cleanse in the root of His message, “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” His message isn’t just for His disciples and faithful followers, it’s for everyone – Pharisees included.

What does God’s power mean for us today?

Most importantly, that He has the power to cleanse and heal us as well. That He knows the depths of our hearts. That He has the power to make all things new. That power shouldn’t scare us but give us tremendous joy and hope. It is a power that should be called upon in every aspect of our lives.

Thank you, God, for your power.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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A Call to Action

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As you sit here and read this post, I am preparing a night of Eucharistic adoration for my high school youth ministry, the first of many nights to come for this group.

You see, before I started at my new parish, I had been asked, “What is your favorite youth ministry moment?” The answer was easy: Eucharistic adoration. Any time my previous group came together in adoration, the Lord worked in many beautiful and mysterious ways among the teens. I saw such openness and receptivity to the Lord that was moving and inspirational to watch. So, naturally, I wanted to plan for times of Eucharistic adoration with my new parish and my new youth group.

Then a few different things happened. First, the Pew Research study that came out. This study revealed that only 31 percent of U.S. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist, meaning that 69 percent believe that the bread and wine are only symbols for the Body and Blood of Christ, including a majority of each age group.

My heart fell when I heard this news. So many of my brothers and sisters in Christ don’t believe that the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ.

Being a catechist, I feel responsible for this heart-breaking news and wonder where I might have gone wrong. But I also feel responsible to do whatever I can to rewrite the narrative of this study.

Secondly, I have felt called to focus the high school youth group this year on a personal encounter with Christ. What could be more personal than a face-to-face encounter with our Lord in the Eucharist? Hence the desire for adoration nights.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering what this all has to do with today’s readings.

The first reading from the Book of Ezra invites those who are a part of God’s people to go up to his house to be with Him. Meanwhile, the responsorial psalm repeats that “The Lord has done marvels for us.”

If we want to be with our Lord, to go to Him in His Church, where He is in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, let us go to Him in adoration. The Lord has done marvels for us, and so we should adore Him. The doors are always open to you.

If you aren’t sure where you are in your belief about the Eucharist, go to Him in adoration. Sit before Him in His presence and talk to Him about your belief (or your unbelief) and let Him speak into your heart.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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For the Sake of Suffering

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As I read through today’s readings in preparation for this post, one phrase hit me like a ton of bricks.

Redemptive suffering. It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard before but maybe didn’t really know much about. Maybe you know the concept but don’t really understand it.

Redemptive suffering, what even is that?

Right from the beginning of the first reading, St. Paul is talking about suffering, afflictions, labors, and struggles and rejoicing in them.

We all experience ups and downs, high points and low points, periods of consolation, and periods of desolation. That’s normal human life. But do we enjoy suffering? Not particularly. In fact, one that enjoys suffering might be labeled sadistic.

(St. Paul wasn’t sadistic, by the way.)

We usually think of suffering in terms of darkness, of sin and of evil. Illness, divorce, addiction, and unemployment, among others, come to mind as modern-day sufferings. Where is the light? Where is the joy in that?

That’s where the idea of redemptive suffering comes in. When we find ourselves in the midst of suffering, whatever it may be, we can unite our suffering to that of Christ’s on the cross.

Crucifixion was the worst death sentence one could receive. Most criminals who were crucified weren’t even nailed to the cross like Christ was. Jesus’ crucifixion was the ultimate suffering for Him who knew no sin. Yet he bore our afflictions and iniquities upon Himself for our sake.

The Passion, Death, and Resurrection redeemed humanity, reconciled sons and daughters to their Heavenly Father, but that salvation is ongoing due to the Spirit’s ongoing transformation in our lives. Redemptive suffering, uniting our suffering to Christ’s on the cross, is a way of participating in the work of salvation.

How can we do that? Start with a simple prayer from the heart, directed to the crucified Christ. The Holy Spirit will prompt you with the right words for your particular suffering.

Need something a little easier than that? Maybe start by offering up your suffering for someone in the world who is suffering more than you, or make it even more personal by intentionally praying for someone in your family or a friend who is suffering.

Redemptive suffering can do something beautiful in your life if you allow the Lord to work through it and through you. Take heart, brothers and sisters.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Be Delighted

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The Lord delights in you.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The Lord DELIGHTS in you. The Lord delights in YOU. Today, I invite us to reflect on the responsorial psalm and the way we can emphasize these two words in our lives: delight and you.

First, delight. Merriam-Webster defines delight as “to take great pleasure.” The Lord takes great pleasure in you. Our God is a God of great, big, unending, unfailing love. He loves us so much that He couldn’t imagine a life without us, despite the consequences of the fall and original sin. And, out of love, God sent His only Beloved Son to live among us, to suffer and die in order to reconcile us to the Father, to return us to His love and to eternal life with Him in that love.

When we live our lives according to His ways, His heart, His desires, He takes great pleasure in us. When we accomplish His works of sharing the Gospel and building the Kingdom of God here on earth, He takes great pleasure in us. When we work to bring others into the kingdom, He takes pleasure in us. When we remain faithful to Him in prayer and in the sacraments, He takes great pleasure in us.

But what about those other times when we are broken, bruised and damaged from sin, from the darkness that creeps into life? Can He really take pleasure in that?

Yes. He takes pleasure in our return to Him when we seek a way out of the messiness and into the light of His love. When we return to the open arms of a loving Father, no matter how slow and no matter how painful it may be, He takes pleasure in us. All He wants to do is to show us how much we are loved, to show us how He sees us in the eyes of love.

Second, you. Our identity is rooted in God. We are a beloved son or daughter in His eyes, nothing less. God wants to show us how much more He loves us, values us, cares for us than we do ourselves. There is nothing that we can do that can destroy our identity in Christ. The biggest, worst sin we could commit is nothing compared to the cross, to the sacrificial love that the Father showed us in Jesus Christ.

Many of us struggle with affirmation, with being told how good we are or how strong we are or how (insert anything here) we are. If we struggle to hear these words on a human level, what happens when we hear it from our Heavenly Father?

Take some time in prayer, brothers and sisters, before the Blessed Sacrament if you can. Sit before Him and bask in His love. Be affirmed that you are good in His eyes. Open up those spaces in your heart that have been hidden in darkness and self-condemnation and begin to delight in yourself as the Lord delights in you.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Praying with Peter

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“Thou art Peter and upon this rock, I shall build my church.”

These are the first words I saw when I walked into my new church. I had been offered my new job just a few days prior and wanted to attend Mass as I began to get to know my new parish. The words to this verse are written on an arc above the sanctuary.

When I took my seat in the pews, I finally got my first look at the sanctuary space and I was struck by the full image: a stone mosaic of Peter kneeling at the feet of Jesus, who is handing down the keys to the kingdom to the first Bishop of Rome as a miter falls on his head and the verse above it all.

You see, before I even started working at St. Peter Church, I’ve always been fascinated by this particular Gospel passage. There is such a stark contrast in the words spoken by Peter across the entire passage.

Today’s Gospel begins with a question posed by Jesus to the disciples, almost like a survey. I picture it in modern times with Jesus asking, “Hey, what’s the gossip? What’s the scuttlebut? What are people saying about me?” But then the question turns personal.

I’ve reflected on that personal question in prayer many times. Who do YOU say that I am? I feel like my answer depends on a lot of factors, where I’m at in my spiritual life. When things are going well, I’m not afraid to claim Him as Lord of my life who is abundant with blessings. On the flip side, during periods of desolation, I hope that I am able to turn to the Lord as Comforter.

Regardless, I find myself wishing I had the faith and courage shown in Peter’s response, confessing Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Look at how Peter is rewarded for his faith! With the great responsibility of being the rock, the foundation of the Church who holds the keys to the kingdom.

Peter continues to show that same, steady faith throughout the rest of the Gospels, right? He wishes! Just a few short verses later, Jesus proclaims Peter to be an obstacle to Him. “Get behind me Satan.” Where did that faith go?

We can learn just as much from these words as we can from Peter’s great confession of faith. We can learn not to be our own obstacle on our journey of faith and especially on the journeys of others.

Today, I encourage you to pray with Peter. Pray with this great extreme we see in his words, that we may always be able to proclaim in great faith that Jesus is our Lord and that we don’t follow the hard-heartedness and hard-headedness that becomes an obstacle to Christ’s plan of salvation.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Modern Day Wheat

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Upon reading the first few lines of today’s Gospel, I thought to myself, “Yes, the Parable of the Sower! I can write about this!” Then I kept reading, and I panicked. This parable, the “Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat” is not a Gospel passage I’m familiar with at all.

So I kept reading Matthew 13, a chapter full of parables and explanations of parables. Thankfully, verses 36-43 offered a far more intelligent explanation for the “Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat” than I could ever provide. I encourage you to read those verses if you are as confused as I was.

Taking all of these words of Scripture to heart, what I wish to offer you today is a modern-day take on this Parable.

Put yourself in the shoes of the man who sowed. Your good seed is the word of God, the good news of the Gospel, while your field may be your work, your school, or your community. While your back was turned, your enemy came and sowed weeds of hatred, intolerance, and every kind of evil and left. What is the result? You see good and evil at war within your “field,” both coming up together and intertwining in the hearts you are trying to reach.

Fellow disciples come to you, asking how evil got mixed in with your group. You recognize it as the work of the devil, of Satan, and so you come up with a plan. Then comes the time for repentance, the harvest time, where choices will need to be made. Times get tough for the man doing the sowing as he has to continue to share the good news in the face of adversity.

What are you going to do? Let your field – your work, your school, your community – get caught up in the works of evil, or will you bring them into the light, into a relationship with Christ?

We talk about evangelization a lot. I know it has been the subject of a few of my blog posts. But it is time for us to take responsibility and action. Let today’s Gospel be another call to action for us to evangelize, for the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The more that we share Christ with others, the more laborers we will have in the field.

Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Forgiven, Again and Again

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An IMDb search of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat comes up with the following description: “In this filmed adaptation of the long-running musical, we see the story of Joseph, son of Jacob. The favored son, he is betrayed by his jealous brothers and sold into slavery and driven to Egypt. Though beset with adversity, Joseph perseveres through wit and faith and becomes the Governor of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh.”

Many of us have probably seen this exact movie or maybe even the original musical itself. But what about the rest of the story? Today’s first reading from the end of the book of Genesis gives us a little glimpse!

We see the deaths of both Jacob and Joseph. We see fear and deceit from the brothers (smh) and forgiveness on the part of Joseph. Again.

What we don’t see in this passage is the blessing that Jacob imparted on his 12 sons prior to his death, which he then followed with instructions regarding his burial. Nor do we hear about Jacob’s funeral but we do get the emotional ramifications.

Almost as if they don’t know Joseph, the brothers become fearful of retribution. Will he kill them? Put them in jail? Starve them? They know deep in their hearts the wrongs they have committed against Joseph. The punishment must fit the crime, right? And so they resort to lies and conniving words to avoid consequences.

I step back and put this scene in perspective. Almost as if we don’t know our Heavenly Father, we become fearful of retribution. We know deep in our hearts the wrongs, the sins we have committed against Him. The punishment must fit the crime, right? But we forget time and time again of His endless love and mercy. All He desires, all He longs for, is for us to return to Him. To express forgiveness for our sins. Pope Saint John Paul the Great said, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking His mercy.”

Joseph embodies this spirit SO WELL. His brothers literally sold him into slavery in Egypt and he forgave them. His brothers seek to harm him again, this time by their words, yet Joseph forgives them AGAIN, saying, “Even though you meant to harm me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people.” Joseph then took his brothers in, cared and provided for them and their children.

Take heart, brothers and sisters. Sin will always be treated with forgiveness and mercy in the eyes of Our Lord. Praise Jesus.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Call Me John

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I’ll be the first to tell you: I had no idea that today’s feast day existed until recently. Hold off for a minute before you Google the answer.

A few days ago, I was sitting at my desk writing feast days and solemnities into my summer calendar (because feast days = great social media content #youthministrylife) and I saw today’s date in white on the USCCB website. So I started thinking …

What in the world is celebrated on June 24? Assumption? Nope, that’s in August. Ascension? That was earlier in the month.

Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. A solemnity. Wow. What was I missing?

Think about what we celebrate on Christmas – the Nativity of the Lord. John the Baptist is in elite company when it comes to the liturgical calendar.

There is so much beauty in today’s Gospel reading. Picture for just a moment being in Elizabeth’s shoes as she awaits the birth of her child. Any parent can testify to the joyful anticipation in that stage of life and that feeling had to have been magnified one hundred fold for Elizabeth. She had hoped and prayed for a child for many years and did not conceive until she was barren. Knowing her age, there also might have been a quiet sense of fear, of not wanting anything to happen to her little one before the end of her pregnancy.

Once John was born, it was an event to be celebrated as neighbors gathered together and rejoiced. The Lord had shown such kindness and mercy toward Elizabeth which was so evident, how could you not give thanks?

Eight days later, many of those same people, I would imagine, came together to circumcise the child and give him a name, presumably that of Zechariah. Yet Elizabeth declared that the boy would be named John, which confused the crowd. They then turned to Zechariah himself, assuming that he would overrule his wife and follow the tradition of keeping the child’s name in the family. Unable to speak for himself, Zechariah stood by his wife and the word of the Lord by declaring the child’s name to be John. At once, his tongue unraveled and he was able to speak again.

Joy. Longing. Anticipation. Listening and following the Lord. Simple yet necessary reminders from this Gospel and today’s solemnity. Take them to heart with you today and for the days to come.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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One and Two

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Peter and John. The rock and the beloved disciple. The first Bishop of Rome and the one whom Jesus loved.

Today’s Gospel reading is really intriguing with these two apostles. Intriguing but a little difficult to unpack.

We get so much background information about John yet the focus of the passage is on Peter’s conversation with Jesus. Both were following the Lord but where? We do not know. We feel like we are falling back in time to the Last Supper but we know this encounter takes place after the Resurrection. Not to mention, some of the language mirrors other well-known Gospel passages. Where do we even begin?

Verses 20-23 carry a subhead called “The Beloved Disciple” but from the viewpoint of Peter. It is Peter who notices John following Jesus. It is Peter who asks about John, “Lord, what about him?” It is about John whom the Lord answers initially but He turns the attention back toward Peter, saying, “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” But then the other disciples begin to whisper about John, that he would not die until Jesus returned. There is no mention of where they are going, where it is that Peter and John are following Jesus.

I mentioned the Last Supper because there is a direct reference in verse 20. In that background information about John, he is described as being “the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, ‘Master, who is the one who will betray you?’” Although we are aware that this Gospel passage we read today takes place after the Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it causes us to take pause. Perhaps to remind us of the events that lead up to this point, especially as we come to the end of the Easter season.

The last little bit of this Gospel that piques my interest is the line Jesus raises to Peter, “What concern is it of yours?” Earlier in the Gospel according to John, we find Our Lord saying similar words to His Mother at the Wedding at Cana: “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” Here, we know that his question followed with the sign of turning water into wine to mark the beginning of His public ministry, turning water into wine. With regards to Peter, Jesus is instructing him to keep his focus on the task at hand – a simple one of following the Lord.

Peter or John. If you look at both apostles right now, who do you relate to? I’m a little partial to Peter right now (I guess that’s what happens when you take a job at St. Peter Church). The Lord is constantly reminding me of the simple in nature yet difficult to follow task of just following Him. Everything else I’m called to do is all because I choose to follow Him.

Side note: I would highly encourage you to prepare for Pentecost this weekend by taking a look at the readings ahead of time. Pentecost is the third-ranking liturgy in the Roman Catholic calendar, inviting the Holy Spirit into the life of the Church to keep it alive. Some parishes will even be celebrating an extended vigil that is similar to the Easter vigil. Check it out if you are able.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Evangelization 101

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Evangelization seems to be a “buzz word” in the faith. Everyone’s heard it. A lot of people seem to be talking about it. We all know it’s part of our Catholic vocation, something we are called to do. But how often are we seeing evangelization in action? When was the last time you saw someone and said, “That’s evangelization. That’s how it’s supposed to be done”? If you don’t have an answer to that question, don’t worry.

Paragraph 905 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes evangelization as “‘the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.’ For lay people, this evangelization … acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world.’”

A few different things stick out to me here: “the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life” and “in the ordinary circumstances of the world.” We evangelize not only by what we say – the good news of Christ in the Gospels – but also how we act in accordance with His teachings. And we are called to do this in everyday life. Think of the most mundane ordinary circumstance you encounter in a day. Now think of how you can evangelize in that moment. If you need some help, we have a great example in today’s first reading.

Paul stood up in front of the Greek people, probably knowing he was going to experience resentment and dissension, and still began to share Christ’s life anyways. First, he started with what he knew about them, “I see that in every respect, you are very religious,” and then moves on and makes a connection by saying, “what therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.”

From that point on, he began to share what he knew about God with the Greeks: that God made the world, created everyone in it, etc. He continues by referencing poets who were known to have said “‘for we too are his offspring.’” Finally, Paul gets to the heart of his exhortation – that they not idolize divinity but rather repent. A harsh message that was probably not well received among the majority. In fact, some scoffed but others were intrigued by what Paul had said and joined him.

What can we learn about evangelization from Paul? A few basic things. 1) Start with what you know about your audience. One little thing, an aspect of comfort, can be your gateway. 2) Use that knowledge to establish a connection. 3) Share your message, perhaps starting with your more easily received points. Don’t hesitate and don’t dance around it. 4) Return to your knowledge as you continue to establish rapport. 5) Lay it all out on the table, including the most difficult news you may have to share. 6) Finally, extend an invitation to continue the conversation.

Evangelization is going to look different for everyone based on the audience. The way I evangelize to my coworkers is different than the way I evangelize to my youth group kids. It’s a difficult task but a necessary one, a task we all need to take more seriously.

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Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).

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Taking the Tough Stuff

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Martyr (n.): A person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle or cause. This is one of the many definitions I found on dictionary.com.

Today’s first reading tells us the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, who is widely recognized as the first Christian martyr. A deacon in the early Church, his teachings angered many people and so they desired to put him to death. Rather than renounce his beliefs and teachings, Stephen instead faced the cruelty of stoning.

Unfortunately, martyrdom is not some ancient, out-of-touch practice but something that has been present in modern times. Take the recent attack in Sri Lanka on Easter morning, for example. Or back in 2015, the Egyptian Coptic martyrs killed by ISIS.

The cold, hard reality is this – just how far are we willing to go for our faith? Are we ready, willing and able to follow behind Jesus with our crosses on the road to Calvary? Or are we lukewarm? Catholic when it’s convenient to us?

Martyrdom aside, we often face many difficulties and persecutions when it comes to sharing or even simply practicing our faith. Those persecutions can take many different forms – a child who says the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance in a public school gets reprimanded, an employee forced to work on a Sunday to cover a shift, among others.

The fear of persecution, however, can almost do more harm as we choose to stay silent instead, choose to follow the cultural norms. Wishing someone a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas,” just to name one. We’re fearful of offending someone and being labeled as insensitive or worse – being labeled a Christian.

Christianity isn’t easy, friends! Remember earlier when I asked, “Are we ready, willing and able to follow behind Jesus with our crosses on the road to Calvary?” It’s literally an invitation, an exhortation, from Jesus himself (Matthew 16:24). Persecution comes with the territory.

And sometimes we might not enjoy what is being told to us. We might even hate it. It might make us angry, infuriate us. But it is important that the message doesn’t fall on dead ears, like the elders and the scribes in the first reading. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves, stone in hand, ready to throw. This time, who will we be aiming at

Contact the Author

Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).