By Members of Our Lady's Warriors
Commentary Copyright 1999 by Our Lady's Warriors. All Rights Reserved.
Note: Watch words and phrases are underlined; commentary is presented following Renew 2000 text.
Place an open Bible, perhaps on a Bible stand, on a table. Place a number of small folded Scripture messages on the open pages. Use short Scripture quotes, for example, "God is love" (l Jn 4:16); "Choose life" (Dt 30:19); "I will not leave you orphans" Un 14:18); "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes 5:17).
If there are any newcomers, begin with introductions.
Begin with a few minutes of quiet reflection.
Pray together
God, our Father, we come together to share our faith and our lives. We need your encouragement, and we need the openness of each other. We are grateful for your presence, mindful of your Spirit among us. Give us the strength to be Good News at this special gathering and to all those we meet throughout our days.
Lord, Jesus, you are the Good News of our lives. Your Spirit sustains us. Give us the courage to witness to our faith, to speak your words with love. We ask this of you as our Lord and Savior. Amen.
If you wish to do so, sing an appropriate song (e.g., "These Words" by Tom Lowenthal, found in the Music Issue published by Oregon Catholic Press).
Share how you lived out your faith during the previous week. Tell your personal stories, how you found greater joy in your life and how you shared it with others.
A primary place of evangelization is within our families, with our co-workers, friends and acquaintances. What Good News are we sharing? How do we offer a personal witness? How do we tell our stories of faith? We begin where people are and notice their spiritual hungers and needs. We become friends who invite others to come and see what is happening when small communities of Christians come together to share their faith.
Please Note
As a concrete way to evangelize, each person in the small community is asked to invite a friend, relative or acquaintance to come to the next meeting. This will provide an opportunity to put evangelization into practice. This session provides some tools to help participants learn how to reach out to others.
Take a few minutes to read the following reflection silently or aloud. Jesus calls us to share the Good News of his love for us with others. Such a call involves more than human effort. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to us to enable us and to give us the courage to continue speaking his Word. We, as human beings, are God's voice in the world. In a very real sense, we are called to be little words of God. Most of us speak or write or even sing many words every day. Some are foolish, just for fun; others are serious. Some words create love and peace; others bring discord and pain. While some words are simple, clear and responsible, others are flattering, manipulative and irresponsible. Speaking God's message as best we can is often a formidable task. Choosing words carefully and honestly can demand tremendous energy. Being sensitive and and alert to people who are in pain and eager for God's love is a never-ending task for a follower of Christ. Jesus said, however, "I will not leave you orphans" ; (Jn 14: 18). The Spirit lives within us, empowering us to speak as God's instruments, witnessing to the truth. The Word of God has been entrusted to our care. We imbibe the Word in the community of the Church. It is imprinted on our hearts. What an exalted role we have. We are called to be instruments of God! We can offer comfort and love to others. Many people in our lives are hungry for God's Word, for God's love. We must be ever watchful for opportunities to share with others the wonders that God has done for us. Inviting others to our faith-sharing community can provide them with the opportunity to grow in their relationship with God and others.
Take a few moments of silence to reflect on the following. Then share your reflections.
Read Jeremiah 1:4-9, 20:9 and Luke 1:46-55 aloud. Pause for a few minutes of quiet reflection, allowing the Word of God to enter deeply into you.
Take a few minutes to read the following reflection silently or aloud. Words--both spoken and those left unsaid-are so powerful. People have said for centuries, "My word is my bond." The words of Christians can bring comfort, peace, love, support and challenge to others. Words can stand as barricades to evil. Words, along with deeds, speak our faith to others. The Word of God is fundamental to a prophet, for the prophet proclaims the Word, not as his or her own, but as God's messenger. God confides a message to the prophet, one that must be proclaimed. We best learn this intense relationship between God and the prophet from Jeremiah:
I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it (20:9)
As we grow more and more in our relationship with God, our hearts will become more like Jeremiah's and like Mary's. We will want to speak God's name and tell the great things God has done for us. We will, like Mary, find ways to proclaim the mercy, strength and power of God. We will know in the depths of our being what Mary knew, that God keeps a promise of love to all generations.
When we speak of evangelizing, we are not necessarily speaking about standing on a street corner with a megaphone and proclaiming the name of Jesus. Instead, we are talking about sharing our faith in Christ with those whom God gives us in our lives, telling the great truth of God's love for us. Evangelizing can be a normal part of any relationship. Above all, when we share our faith journey and invite others to share theirs, we need to have an attitude of openness and receptive listening. We do not manipulate or "convert" the other person but rather welcome that individual's story. Here are some approaches for evangelizing:
Attitude is so important when we invite others. If we believe that it is our responsibility to "save" the other person or control the outcome of the invitation, we will not be truly loving. If, however, we come to the situation with an attitude that we have something wonderful that we want to share and our hearts are burning to share it, our message of love will be more easily heard. Our call is to share the invitation; the response is up to the other person and to God's action.
Take a few moments of silence to reflect on the following questions. Then share your reflections.
No sharing would be complete without a commitment to putting our faith into practice. As you reflected on God's Word and shared insights with others in your small community, you were open to the grace of God. What is the specific action God is inviting you to take to change your own life or to respond to someone else's need? Choose a specific, concrete action that flows from your sharing. The examples below are given only as ideas to generate a creative response.
If you wish to do so, share your commitment with others in your small community.
Each person is asked to involve one other person to gather with this small community for the next session. Be prepared to share part of your own story of faith in a simple manner and decide how you will provide a welcoming environment for those who will come for the first time.
Each person is invited to come to the Bible table, take a folded Scripture message and read the message. Then the prayer leader calls the small community to prayer.
| Leader: | Mary, you are the star of evangelization. |
| All: | Mary, you responded with your whole heart to God's invitation. We ask you to guide us in presenting Jesus to those whom we meet. May your prayers strengthen us to share in your courage and faithfulness. May your prayers lead us to imitate your discipleship, your love for God and all people. May your compassion always be reflected in our hearts. |
| Leader: | Mary, you teach us how to evangelize. |
| All: | Mary, you carried Jesus in your womb. We pray that the fire enkindled in us by God's Spirit may lead us more and more to become disciples formed in the image of Jesus our Savior. |
| Leader: | Mary, help us to learn to become more faithful believers. |
| All: | Mary always followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, inspire us in our attempts to serve your people and offer them the witness of our faith. Help us to know in the very depths of our being, as did Mary, that you are our God, and we are your people. Amen. |
Please read and reflect on the upcoming session, Sharing Our Stories, before the next meeting so that you can come prepared to listen and share. Remember to invite new people and to prepare for their coming.
Excerpts from Renew 2000 text are presented in italics.
Place a number of small folded Scripture messages on the open pages
In week one of season 3 we see individual rocks representing the larger rock (the Catholic Church) and in week two we see individual sheets of paper representing the Bible. The effect encourages the notion of individual interpretation of Sacred Scripture, just as each of us are our own "rock" in week one, rather than Jesus and His Church being our Rock. This is Protestantism. For a more blatant form of this, see "Usurping Authority" below.
Lord, Jesus, you are the Good News of our lives. Your Spirit sustains us. Give us the courage to witness to our faith, to speak your words with love. We ask this of you as our Lord and Savior. Amen.
The original RENEW program was criticized by the US Bishops for placing too much emphasis on "immanence" and ignoring God's "transcendence". Therefore, care must be placed in reading statements which could imply that Godís spirit alone sustains us. Our Faith depends on our practice of it, that being listening to and reading of Godís written Word, the Scripture, and receiving His Sacraments to sustain us in a life of Grace. Without these, salvation is impossible. Of course, avoiding sin is a key task all during our life upon earth.
How do we tell our stories of faith?
We become friends who invite others to come and see what is happening when small communities of Christians come together to share their faith.
We, as human beings, are God's voice in the world. In a very real sense, we are called to be little words of God.
The Spirit lives within us, empowering us to speak as God's instruments, witnessing to the truth. The Word of God has been entrusted to our care. We imbibe the Word in the community of the Church. It is imprinted on our hearts.
A dictionary definition of imbibe is to absorb or assimilate ideas (besides drinking - perhaps the pun was intended?). Rather than to accept the gift of Faith as received and re-transmitted to laity by the teaching authority of the Church, the Pope and the Magisterium, Renew 2000 proposes that the source of Faith is sharing personal experience by absorbing (sharing) other people's "stories" or experience. Renew 2000 goes so far as to assert that our personal faith opinions and experience is as important as the very Word of God - the Gospel - by calling us "little words of God." Catholic teaching is different, as highlighted in Vatican II Lumen Gentium below. If Faith is based on experience, we end up with pluralism, where everyone believes something different because everyone has different experience.
Lumen Gentium #12. The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office: it spreads abroad a living witness to him, especially by a life of faith and love and by offering to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips praising his name (cf. Heb. 13:15). The whole body of the faithful who have an anointing that comes from the holy one (cf. 1 Jn. 2:20 and 27) cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) of the whole people, when, "from the bishops to the last of the faithful"[8] they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals. By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium), and obeying it, receives not the mere word of men, but truly the word of God (cf. 1 Th. 2:13), the faith once for all delivered to the saints (cf. Jude 3). The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life.
The Word of God has been entrusted to our care.
This is patently false for the Catholic Faith, but is what is practiced in the thousands of Protestant denominations. We are not the ones to interpret the Word of God, but rather we can call on the Holy Spirit to inspire our sharing with others. We can share how we "let go and let Rome" when it comes to understanding the truth of Scripture. Conversion stories of former Protestants seem to repeat this theme, the freedom they felt turning their will and their lives over to the care of the Godís one holy and apostolic Church. The CCC teaches the following, which references Vatican II Dei Verbum (also quoted):
CCC #85: "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. [referenced below] This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome."
Dei Verbum #10: "But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, [cf. First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Chap. 3 "On Faith:" Denzinger 1792 (3011)] has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, [cf. Pius XII, encyclical "Humani Generis," Aug. 12, 1950: A.A.S. 42 (1950) pp. 568-69: Denzinger 2314 (3886)] whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed."
We need your encouragement, and we need the openness of each other.
If Faith is based on personal experience, then we need "openness" since everyone has different personal experiences. The usual buzzword of "tolerance" has been softened here to "openness." This is simply pluralism.
This weekís reading speaks in abundance about Godís love for us, but scarcely mentions how that love is manifested. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonÖ". Christ suffered, was crucified, died and was buried to redeem the sins of the world, and through His Church He continues to cleanse our iniquity. "Sin" and "iniquity" are politically incorrect words today; they appear quite infrequently in Renew 2000 materials and have yet to be the focus.Jesus calls us to share the Good News of his love for us with others.
We will know in the depths of our being what Mary knew, that God keeps a promise of love to all generations.
Many people in our lives are hungry for God's Word, for God's love
With whom do I share the joy of God's good Word?
Instead, we are talking about sharing our faith in Christ with those whom God gives us in our lives, telling the great truth of God's love for us
Speak to people in your life whom you believe might have a spiritual yearning or need for God's loving Word
We must be ever watchful for opportunities to share with others the wonders that God has done for us
We will want to speak God's name and tell the great things God has done for us
Share your own story of what God is doing in your life.
Tell the individual how God has often helped you
A main focus of this week is what God has done for me. If one is not careful, this could lead to a human-centered, me-focused egotistical view. As the Bible tells us, we must have a God-centered view; "He [God] must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30) and "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal." (John 12:25) The joy of being Catholic lies in what we can do for our master, how we can use our time, talents and treasure to better serve Him. "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)" should be the modus operandi in our activities. In sharing what God has done for us, we can say that God has saved us from the sin of Adam, given us new life, and granted us peace in our hearts with the continual opportunity for salvation. In the secular world, a good example of the proper attitude would be John F. Kennedy's comment: "ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country."
Mary ... [ in several locations in the text ]
Notice that Our Lady is only referred to on an informal first name basis as Mary. She is never referred to as our Mother, or as Our Lady, the Immaculate Heart or as the Blessed Virgin Mary. Renew ignores the important roles of Our Lady, especially that of our Mother. If one is trying to leave an opening to position God as "Mother," then oppression of Mary as our Mother (and God as our Father as was common in season one) is a logical step. One would think that the pinnacle of all God's creation, Our Lady (feminists take note!), would be afforded the respect that has been given Her throughout the ages of the Church. In reading various saints writings, you will notice none of the informal first name only references.
Share how richly you are nourished by the Mass and the sacraments and how helpful the guidance of the Church is in your life.
Renew proposes that the Church teachings are a mere "helpful guidance." As discussed previously in "Personal Experience," the teaching authority Church proposes not mere guiding principles, but the very Word of God which must be obeyed for us to achieve salvation. Renew 2000 forgets to include the key point - that being to "obey." The Ten Commandments are not simply "the Ten Suggestions." Transgression of the Ten Commandments results in personal sin, and if serious enough and not repented before death, can lead to an eternity in hell. Just as "sin" is an oppressed, politically incorrect word today, equally so are "hell" and "obedience." Renew follows suit. Of course, with a Faith based on personal experience as promoted this week in Renew 2000, in that scenario the Church can only be a simple guide offering "suggestions."
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