JPII - The Early Years

Happy JPII Week!

The first feast day of Blessed John Paul II is this Saturday October 22nd.

Blessed John Paul II had an amazing life. And his story is really an amazing one from start to finish. We thought we would celebrate this week by blogging short biographies from different moments in his life.

Today, we look at his early years.

Blessed John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla (pronounced Voy-TEE-wah) in Wadowice, Poland on May 18th, 1920. He was the third child. Karol, also known as Lolek, had a sister who died in infancy an older brother who was 14 years his senior. His father was a career soldier while the mother looked after the family and did some sowing part time. While still a baby, his mother once remarked to her neighbors, "You'll see, my Lolek will be a great man someday."

Tragedy soon struck the Wojtyla family. At the age of eight, Karol's mother passed away. His father would never remarry. His childhood continued with a strong spiritual upbringing, solid friendships and a rigorous education. Karol studied multiple languages, became president of the Marian society, and excelled at school, especially in regards to poetry and acting.

Karol would finish at the top of his class and enroll at Jagiellonian University to pursue literature and theater.

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Check in later this week for more on the life JPII!

6 Blessed John Paul II quotes that changed the world

The First Feast of Bl. John Paul II is on Saturday October 22nd, but there is no reason to wait until then to start celebrating. Here are 6 JPII quotes that changed the world:

1. Proposing the New Evangelization: There is a situation... “where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. In this case what is needed is a ‘new evangelization’ or a ‘re- evangelizaiton.’”

2. Articulating the Theology the Body: “Man cannot fully find himself except through the sincere gift of self.”

3. His closing statement at the opening Mass of his Pontificate: “Do not be afraid.”

4. Preaching the Gospel in the modern world: “The question confronting the Church today is not any longer whether the man in the street can grasp a religious message, but how to employ the communications media so as to let him have the full impact of the Gospel message.”

5. The defense of life and family: “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

6. On having joy in the Christian life: “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”

What's your favorite JPII quote or memory?

Did Francis really say, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words”?

As Catholics, we have a number of phrases and sayings we use with one another on a consistent basis. One of the most common sayings is “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” This quote is popularly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. The saying is often used as a recommendation for how we should primarily or even exclusively evangelize. But, did St. Francis of Assisi really say this? And, did he really live this out as his primary means of evangelization?

Well, the truth is, there is no evidence that St. Francis said this. It is clear that St. Francis’ life and actions did provide a great deal of evangelization on their own. In the context of a society where many clergy lived extravagant lifestyles, St. Francis’ vow to poverty was a stunning image of the Gospel.

And yet, what is often lost amid a portrayal of a man who is usually pictured with animals is a saint who was not afraid to preach the Gospel verbally to others. It was said that he would go to the extravagant parties of the rich and preach the Gospel to them. When walking the paths of Assisi, St. Francis would often preach the Gospel to those he met. In fact, St. Francis is pictured with birds because the story goes that St. Francis even preached the Gospel to them. If he went so far as to preach to birds than surely he wasn’t afraid to preach to the men and women he met.

There is no doubt that our lives should proclaim the Gospel. But, we should also be able to articulate the Gospel to others. As Pope Benedict says in Verbum Domini, "It is not a matter of preaching a word of consolation, but rather a word which disrupts, which calls to conversion and which opens the way to an encounter with the one through whom a new humanity flowers (no. 93). St. Francis lived this both/and rather than an either/or. If he did ever say, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words” then he must have thought it was necessary to do so on a consistent basis.

Wait, why is a cloistered nun the patroness of a missionary organization?

St. Therese is the patroness of FOCUS and October 1^st is her feast day. St. Therese is one of the most popular saints and at first glance making her FOCUS’ patroness seems like a pretty normal thing to do...until you really think about. Why would an organization dedicated to missionary work chose a patroness who spent the entirety of her adult life in a convent far away from missionary work?

Three reasons

1. She prayed for and wrote to missionary priests.
When assigned to two missionary priests, she told her superior, “Mother, I did not know how to express my happiness.” She wrote to one missionary priest, “Let us work together for the salvation of souls…what encourages me is the thought that by your side I can be of some use.”

While it is helpful for the patron or patroness of an organization or cause to relate directly to it , the job of a patron or patroness is to provide prayer intercession. (St. Francis Xavier and St. Therese are the patron saints of missionary work and FOCUS).

2. She had an incredible heart for missionary work.

St. Therese once said, “I have the vocation of the Apostle (Paul). I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach Your Name and to plant Your glorious cross on infidel soul. But…one mission alone would not be sufficient for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all the five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years only, but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.”

3. She sought to save souls through her own pursuit of holiness.

One author writes, “The religious life seemed to her primarily a means of saving souls. She even thought at one time of becoming a nun in the foreign mission; but the hope of being able to save more souls by penance and sacrifice was responsible for her decision to enclose herself in Carmel.” (Carmel pictured left).

St. Therese’s missionary work continues today through others following her example and through her intercession.

St. Therese, pray for us.

All quotes are from St. Benedict & St. Therese: The Little Rule and the Little Way by Dwight Longenecker.

Bible Study Tips - Praying for your Bible Study

Since our battle for souls is first and foremost a spiritual battle, it is essential to pray for those in our study on a consistent basis. We must remember it is God who changes lives, not us.

One practical way to do this is by utilizing 3x5 note cards. At the end of each Bible study, ask each member to give a prayer request. It is fine if they ask you to pray for someone else (for instance, a sick loved one or a friend struggling with an addiction). At the same time, ask them to state a request specifically in regards to their own relationship with God (for example, a spiritual goal they are working on).

When the Bible study is over, take the 3x5 note card you have assigned to each member and write their prayer request on the note card. Then, during your prayer time each day, pull out your 3x5 note cards and express these intentions to God.

In the end, nothing can replace prayer as the foundation of your Bible study. Make it your first priority.

To read more on how to pray for your study, click here.

To read more on how to lead a Bible study, click here.

To read more on your own prayer life, click here.

Bible Study Tips - Hospitality

Hospitality - The Right Environment
As the day of your first meeting draws near, set up the right meeting spot for your Bible study. Have a place that is inviting and comfortable for your group to come each week. Here are some tips to help make this happen:

Find an accessible and informal location that can be used or reserved each week. Dorm rooms and possibly hall lounges can work well as long as they are free from distractions and noise (and as long as your roommates approve.) Be sure there is enough room for all the members to be comfortable and to see one another.

Schedule a time when all of your group members can attend. As a rule of thumb, Monday-Thursday nights usually work the best.

Provide food and refreshments, especially the first few weeks. What college student doesn’t like free food! It also gives a natural activity for people to participate in as they arrive and begin to converse.

Bring extra Bibles in case a member doesn’t bring one.

For more on how-to be hospitable or how-to lead a Bible study, click here.

The Pope Apologized for What?!

Each year, Pope Benedict gathers his former students together with him for a summer retreat that analyzes a specific topic. This year the topic was the New Evangelization as the Pope prepares for the Bishop's Synod on the New Evangelization in 2012. And along with this topic, the Pope made an interesting apology.

But, before we discuss the apology, let's review. The New Evangelization is the re-introduction of the Gospel to persons and cultures who were once Christian, but who have fallen away from an active living of the faith. For more on the New Evangelization, see our previous article.

Referencing a passage from Jeremiah and the theme of the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict prayed, "In this time of God’s absence when the earth of souls is arid and people do not yet know where the living water comes from, let us ask the Lord to show himself to us. Let us ask him to show those who are seeking the living water elsewhere..."

Then, Pope Benedict, who was surely still reflecting on World Youth Day, added, "Let us ask him, especially for young people, that the thirst for him may come to life within in them and that they may know where to seek the response."

Finally, the apology, "And let us, who have been acquainted with him since the days of our youth, ask forgiveness because we bring so little of the light of his face to others, and emanate so feebly the certainty that 'he is, he is present and he is the great and complete reality that we are all awaiting'".

The apology is striking. It is easy to make evangelization a extra-curriculur activity in the Catholic Church and have the attitude that "some are involved in Knights of Columbus, some help out with the Church festival, and some evangelize." In the end, evangelization is not an option; it is a requirement of our Baptism and Confirmation.

Failing to do so should cause all of us to repent.

For the full speech, click here.