Workshop 1B – Discerning Charisms, Discovering how the Holy Spirit enters our lives, our community and our world.

This workshop was led by Clara Geoghegan, co-director of the Catherine of Siena Institute . More information about her is available through LinkedIn and she is active on Twitter.

(NB. These notes are only rough.)

By discerning charisms we work out how the Holy Spirit is active in our lives. Our purpose and mission as Church is to preach the Good News. How do lay people take part? The laity, present and operative, make the Church present in those places where only they can go. Being on a parish roster is derivative of the mission of the clergy. The role of the laity is to go where the clergy can't go: shopping, workplaces, clubs.

Lumen Gentium 33b : The lay apostolate, however, is a participation in the salvific mission of the Church itself. Through their baptism and confirmation all are commissioned to that apostolate by the Lord Himself. Moreover, by the sacraments, especially holy Eucharist, that charity toward God and man which is the soul of the apostolate is communicated and nourished. Now the laity are called in a special way to make the Church present and operative in those places and circumstances where only through them can it become the salt of the earth. Thus every layman, in virtue of the very gifts bestowed upon him, is at the same time a witness and a living instrument of the mission of the Church itself "according to the measure of Christ's bestowal".

Where is God calling me? What is my mission? Do you know that God has a plan for you? Do you have the road map? The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation give us the equipment: gifts of sanctifying grace for us to keep; and charisms for us to give away. The charisms are a clue to our vocation in life. Once we know them it is easier to know what we are meant to do.

1 Corinthians 12:7-12 gives us a list of charisms, but it is not the only list.

'The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good. To one is given from the Spirit the gift of utterance expressing wisdom; to another the gift of utterance expressing knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit;  to another, faith, from the same Spirit; and to another, the gifts of healing, through this one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the power of distinguishing spirits; to one, the gift of different tongues and to another, the interpretation of tongues. But at work in all these is one and the same Spirit, distributing them at will to each individual. For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts -- all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body -- so it is with Christ.'

Other lists are found in the bible at 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:1-12, 1 Corinthians 12:28 and even they are not exhaustive - lacking celibacy, redemptive suffering, intercession and many other ways the Holy Spirit bestows charisms.

Supernatural gifts are meant to have supernatural results.

We read in the life of Caroline Chisholm how she prayed and fasted for the whole of Lent one year, begging God to bestow on her at Easter all the gifts needed for the task to which God was calling her. (More good information is available at https://mrschisholm.com/ )

“On Easter Sunday 1841, I was enabled, at the altar of our Lord, (at St Mary’s Cathedral) to make an offering of my talents to the God Who gave them. I promised to know neither country nor creed, but to try to serve all justly and impartially. I asked only to be enabled to keep these poor girls from being tempted, by their need, to mortal sin; I resolved that to accomplish this, I would in every way sacrifice my feelings – surrender all comfort – nor in fact consider my own wishes or feelings but wholly devote myself to the work I had in hand. I felt my offering was accepted and God’s blessing was on my work: but it was His will to permit many serious difficulties to be thrown my way, and to conduct me through a rugged path of deep humiliation.”

Faith is both capacity and choice
Virtus fidei – is the power or capacity to believe
Actus fidei – is the personal choice to respond to God's grace
It is that personal act of faith which transforms a person from 'can be a believer' to be a believer. By some estimates around 5% of the people in our pews are intentional disciples of Jesus.

Your charisms are a major indication of God's call.
If you are called, you will be gifted. If you are gifted, you are called.

Knowing your gifts helps you avoid ineffectiveness, frustration, failure and burn out. They are all caused by trying too hard to do things you are not gifted for. Knowing the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you makes it easier to make decisions, to avoid judging others and to reduce conflicts.

Different people are called to do different things in different ways. In the same parish there were 2 women who both had a charism of music. However they didn't appreciate each other's music. One of them used upbeat music, the other went for soothing music. It turned out that the first one had a gift of evangelisation with her gift of music, and the other had a gift of healing with her gift of music.

Charisms are the means by which God's provision will reach your neighbour and the means through which Christ will be revealed to your neighbour.

St Vincent Ferrer lived in Spain between 1350 and 1419. He became a priest of the Dominican Order. He had a special God-given gift of preaching. Many people were converted to God just by listening to him preach. St Vincent counted on God. He also asked for the prayers and penance of many people for the success of his sermons. He knew it was not his words or his talents that won people over. That is why he prayed before every sermon. But one day, when he knew that a very important person was going to listen to him, he worked harder than usual on his sermon. He ran out of time to pray. This sermon which he had prepared so carefully did not affect the nobleman much at all. God let that happen to teach Vincent not to count on himself. Another time, this same important person came to listen to Fr Ferrer preach. But this time the priest did not know it. He prayed and counted on God as usual. The nobleman listened to the sermon and was greatly impressed by what he heard. Vincent explained it like this: ‘In the first sermon it was Vincent who preached. In the second sermon, it was Jesus Christ.’ From 'Saints for Young Readers' Volume 1, April 5

From the Concluding document, 5th general conference of the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, Section 1.2, paragraph 29 (a.k.a, the Aparecida Document):

'We want the joy that we have received in the encounter with Jesus Christ, whom we recognize as Son of God incarnate and redeemer, to reach all men and women wounded by adversities; we want the good news of the Kingdom of God, of Jesus Christ victorious over sin and death, to reach all who lie along the roadside, asking for alms and compassion (cf. Lk 10: 29-37; 18:25-43). The disciple’s joy serves as remedy for a world fearful of the future and overwhelmed by violence and hatred. The disciple’s joy is not a feeling of selfish well-being, but a certainty that springs from faith, that soothes the heart and provides the ability to proclaim the good news of God’s love. Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered Him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.'

Discovering our vocation helps others to meet Jesus. There is no crisis in vocations, but there is a crisis in discerning vocations. We need to provide vocational discernment for every baptized Catholic.

When we are living out our vocation, and helping others to meet Jesus it becomes easier to share our story and to talk about Jesus. Sadly He is often 'He who must not be named' in our conversations even at parish level. This is what God wants: for us to be using our charisms and gifts to bring Christ's grace into ours and others' lives.

Gary Chapman's 'The Five Languages of Love' was recommended reading. http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

We then had an activity to do in small groups. We were given 2 sheets, one entitled 'Types of Charism' and the other had a list of extraordinary men and women together with the questions:
What methods did these people use to preach the Gospel?
Where did they preach their message?
What might their charism/s be?

It was our task to match the charisms to each extraordinary person. Start with the charism grouping they match with, then go deeper to individual charisms.

Types of Charisms
•Pastoral charisms:
Focus-nurture of individuals and community
Encouragement, Helps, Hospitality, Mercy, Pastoring
•Communication charisms:
Focus-communicating truth to change lives
Evangelism, Prophecy, Teaching
•Organizational charisms:
Focus-structuring an organization or group
Administration, Giving, Leadership, Service
•Lifestyle charisms:
Focus-a lifestyle and freedom for unusual ministry
Celibacy, Faith, Missionary, Voluntary Poverty
•Healing charisms:
Focus-channelling God's healing and restoration
Healing, Intercessory Prayer
•Insight charisms:
Focus-Understanding the ways of God and humanity
Discernment of Spirits, Knowledge, Wisdom
•Creative charisms:
Focus-creative activity that orders and beautifies
Craftsmanship, Music, Writing

Extraordinary People
St Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) http://www.biography.com/people/mother-teresa-9504160#death-and-legacy
Ven Caroline Chisholm https://mrschisholm.com/history-2/
St Damien of Molokai https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/DAMIEN.HTM
St Francis of Assisi https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/FRANCIS.htm
St Catherine of Siena https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/CATSIENA.HTM
St Therese of Lisieux http://www.littleflower.org/therese/
Dorothy Day http://www.catholicworker.org/dorothyday/life-and-spirituality.html
J R R Tolkien http://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/
Marjorie Liddy http://www.acountrypriest.com/marjorie-liddy-rip/
Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati http://www.bettnet.com/frassati/ https://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/blpiergiorgiofrassati.asp
St John Paul II http://www.jp2shrine.org/en/bio/index.html
Eric Liddell http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/heroic-death-chariots-fires-eric-liddell/

An example of someone with the charism of administration would be Florence Nightingale. It was her diligent keeping of medical records that enabled improvements in hospital care to happen. She was a channel of God's wisdom providing the planning and co-ordination necessary for good things to be accomplished. Part of that is getting resources where they need to be.

An example of someone with the charism of wisdom would be Caroline Chisholm. She came up with creative solutions to specific problems, and made good decisions. She was a channel of God's goodness to many. She had remarkable insight. When she arranged immigration ships from England to Australia, they were the first ships to arrive without a death on board because there was no overcrowding. During the Victorian gold rush Caroline organised shelter sheds at a day's walk apart to help people get to and from the gold fields safely.

An example of someone with the charism of mercy is St Pier Giorgio Frassati. His life was filled with practical deeds of compassion, so that the distress of those who suffer would be alleviated – helping them to experience God's love. Mercy is always practical. If a visitor came to see Mother Teresa she was more likely to tell them to 'go help mix the curry' than anything else.

An example of someone with the charism of teaching is St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She was a channel of God's truth and wisdom, enabling others to learn skills.

An example of someone with the charism of Helps is Brother Leo, who helped St Francis of Assisi and was called by him 'the perfect friar'. People with this charism serve in the background and not in the limelight. They use their talents and charisms to enable other people to be more effective in the roles and ministries to which God has allotted them. Thus they serve God and help God's people by being like the Brother Leo to St Francis and like the Bl Anne of St Bartholomew to St Teresa of Avila.

How to discern a charism
•How does it feel?
•Is it effective?
•Is it affirmed by others?

If people keep coming to you for something (eg encouragement), then that could be a charism.
If people keep asking you to do something, then they might be seeing a charism operate in you when you do that something.

Discovering how to use our gifts to make the love of Jesus present to our neighbour leads to growth in faith and in effectiveness – and helps us develop our personal evangelising style.

How does it feel? Eric Liddell (Chariots of Fire) said, 'When I run I feel His pleasure'. Hugh Jackman, the actor, dedicates his performances to God, and knows a pleasure when he acts that is both frightening and exciting – like falling in love. His prayer becomes 'allow me to surrender'.

Parish is where we are in the business of making disciples and equipping apostles. Parish is the place to form lay apostles.

Some of the best material on the lay vocation is found in St John Paul II's Christifideles Laici, and in particular sections 37-44 which have the headings Promoting the Dignity of the Person, Respecting the Inviolable Right to Life, Free to Call upon the Name of the Lord, The Family: where the Duty to Society begins, Charity: the Soul and Sustenance of Solidarity, Public Life: for Everyone and by Everyone, Placing the Individual at the Centre of Socio-Economic Life, Evangelising Culture and the Cultures of Humanity.

How come we have this 'Don't ask, Don't tell' culture about Jesus that exerts negative pressure? Is it a fear of appearing intrusive and judgmental? Is it a fear of imposing faith and implying a possible judgement on a person's spiritual condition? What is 'normative' in your parish? How do you treat your Daniel's? .Daniel has experienced a major conversion to Jesus. Is he odd or weird? Or is he merely on fire and excited about Jesus? Many disciples are not effective because they are trying to fit into a parish culture of non-discipleship.

The aim is to produce intentional disciples, where priorities change from action not out of guilt but out of relationship with God. There are several stages to this process, from seeker to disciple, and from disciple to apostle. In the Apostle stage, a person takes on responsibility for the mission of the Church, and becomes as Pope Benedict XVI put it, 'co-responsible, not just collaborators'.

From Pope Benedict XVI's 26 May 2009 Address to the Pastoral Convention of the Diocese of Rome:

'There is still a long way to go. Too many of the baptized do not feel part of the ecclesial community and live on its margins, only coming to parishes in certain circumstances to receive religious services. Compared to the number of inhabitants in each parish, the lay people who are ready to work in the various apostolic fields, although they profess to be Catholic, are still few and far between. Of course, social and cultural difficulties abound but faithful to the Lord's mandate, we cannot resign ourselves to preserving what exists. Trusting in the grace of the Spirit which the Risen Christ guaranteed to us, we must continue on our way with renewed energy. What paths can we take? In the first place we must renew our efforts for a formation which is more attentive and focused on the vision of the Church, of which I spoke and this should be both on the part of priests as well as of religious and lay people to understand ever better what this Church is, this People of God in the Body of Christ. At the same time, it is necessary to improve pastoral structures in such a way that the co-responsibility of all the members of the People of God in their entirety is gradually promoted, with respect for vocations and for the respective roles of the consecrated and of lay people. This demands a change in mindset, particularly concerning lay people. They must no longer be viewed as "collaborators" of the clergy but truly recognized as "co-responsible", for the Church's being and action, thereby fostering the consolidation of a mature and committed laity. This common awareness of being Church of all the baptized in no way diminishes the responsibility of parish priests. It is precisely your task, dear parish priests, to nurture the spiritual and apostolic growth of those who are already committed to working hard in the parishes. They form the core of the community that will act as a leaven for the others.'

Discernment of gifts/charisms is best done in the latter part of the discipleship stage. Discernment of vocation is best done in the latter part of the apostleship stage. Discerning gifts comes naturally after doing something like an Alpha course, or after going through RCIA. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) We need multiple, overlapping and diverse ways of encountering Jesus at parish level.

If the discernment of gifts and charisms is done at the right place on the faith development journey it will have the impact it should. If it is done too early – in the still seeking stage – it won't have that impact. That is another reason why we need multiple events during each year so that as people become ready, there is path to help them discern God's specific calling in their lives.

Where these things converge: church teaching, your uniqueness, your time, your place, the things you are passionate about – that is where you will find your vocational call.

'If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire.'
St Catherine of Siena

The Catherine of Siena Institute offers a three part Called & Gifted discernment process. The first part is a 10 hour workshop. The second part is a Spiritual Gifts inventory and interview. The third part is Discernment in Depth with 5 small group sessions. Specialized versions are available.
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​My response

It was refreshing to hear that lay vocations outside the church walls are important. Why is it so easy for us to fall into the mentality that only those roles with direct links to the parish's operation matter (counters, lectors, catechists, wardens, sacramental preparation, altar servers, church cleaning, musicians, choir, parish council etc)? Faith filled nurses, doctors, teachers, accountants, politicians, business owners, carpenters, lawyers, and front line customer service people do untold good in our communities and often bring many souls back to Jesus. (Don’t you just breathe a huge sigh of thanks when you discover that your surgeon prays as he operates?!) Why don't we celebrate and acknowledge them more?

Does your parish have pathways for parishioners to discern their gifts with? It can't be seen as an 'optional extra' any longer. If we are serious about doing God's will in our lives, then discovering what He has given us to serve Him with becomes essential. Some gifts will be for building up the body of Christ, and some will be for external outreach. All of us are called to both ministry (internal) and mission (external).

With regard to the groupings of charisms, anyone I have known with a more than ordinary gift of prophecy has also had the gift of intercession. They are like two halves of a whole. Think of the story in Genesis 18 where God tells Abraham what He wants to do to Sodom and Gomorrah (prophecy) inviting Abraham to bargain with Himself (intercession).

Earlier this year a copy of the Spiritual Gifts inventory was made available to me, and I answered the questions. Some gifts have a more wide ranging group of questions than others. For example the gift of music questions seemed to focus exclusively on those who wrote original music and not on other ways a charism of music might manifest itself. For me the inventory results were not as useful as those that came from doing the transferable skills exercise in 'What Colour Is Your Parachute?' and the Clifton StrengthsFinder questionnaire.

Let me explain that better. The results from Parachute and StrengthsFinder confirmed each other. The results from the inventory were all over the place. But that's only for me, it could be different for you. If we believe what St Thomas Aquinas taught, ie 'Grace does not destroy but perfects nature' then charisms should take some of our natural talents to supernatural levels when we co-operate with the Holy Spirit. Knowing what our nature level gifts are (from both nature and nurture) will be the best road map to discovering where our charisms can be found.

Here are the one liners that stood out for me, and that I'd like to see become mainstream ideas in parish life:
The charisms are a clue to our vocation in life.
Supernatural gifts are meant to have supernatural results.
If you are called, you will be gifted. If you are gifted, you are called.
Discovering our vocation helps others to meet Jesus.
We need to provide vocational discernment for every baptised Catholic.
​
As much as I loved remembering the lives of the Saints in the workshop activity, it was the story of Daniel that cut to my heart. So often we forget that the lives of the Saints show us what ordinary Christian living looks like. Over the years I have seen many Daniels come and go. By and large we have done a poor job of helping them ground the life-changing spiritual experiences they have had with community, catechesis, sacraments and prayer. Without that grounding, it is hard for anyone to persevere when the well of spiritual experiences starts drying up and God starts inviting them to love Him for Himself rather than for His gifts. All too often we have a successful RCIA, Alpha or parish mission and then haven't planned any follow-up bible studies or small group activities to assist in the 'grounding' process. Instead of seeing our Daniels as disrupters, let us see them as God's gifts sent to help shake us out of our mediocrity of response to His love.
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In the next issue will be notes from the very good Workshop on Evangelising Parishes through the Family and the Couple with Francine and Byron Pirola.

​The principal celebrant for this Mass at Our Lady of Dolours, Chatswood, was Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane and member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He is active on Twitter, Facebook and wrote an inspiring blog during the second Synod on the Family in 2015.
 
The readings were taken from Thursday Week 22 Ordinary Time Year II
 
Opening hymn: Praise to You, O Christ, Our Saviour
 
The first reading was from 1 Corinthians 3: 18-23, a passage where we are told that have to learn to be a fool before we can truly be wise. The Lord knows how useless the thoughts of wise men are. Anything human has no reason to boast.
 
The responsorial psalm was part of Psalm 23(24), one of the Davidic psalms used when entering the Temple, with the sung response 'To the Lord belongs the earth, the earth and all that fills it.'
 
The Gospel reading was from Luke 5: 1-11 about Jesus standing by Lake Gennesaret, and getting into the boat of a fisherman (Simon Peter's) to sit and teach those listening on the shoreline. Afterwards Jesus tells Simon to put out into deep water and let down his nets to fish. The catch of fish fills two boats to almost sinking point. Jesus tells them not to be afraid, because from now on it is men they will catch.
 
Archbishop Coleridge
In the Bible the question of who knows what is always decisive. The difference between God and humans was understood differently by pagans and believers. For believers, God knows everything and us, we do not. For pagans it was a case of who lives longer determined who was divine and who was human. Peter was a professional fisherman. He knows this lake like the back of his hand. He caught nothing all night long, therefore there are no fish. This Rabbi doesn't know what he is talking about. The professional fisherman doesn't have a clue. Jesus knows and Peter doesn't. Surprise. Surprise. Peter thinks God can have nothing to do with sinful human beings. He thinks he knows God's law, and expects that God relates to sinners with 'go away, you are incompatible with Me'. Jesus does not walk away. He embraces the sinner and says 'Come follow Me'. He does the exact opposite. The real God doesn't walk away, He says 'You come and walk with Me'. Let us listen to the only One who does know the truth in this Year of Mercy. Let us listen to Him, Who can teach us who God is, who we are, and what our relationship is. We live in a world that thinks it knows, and in fact knows so little and at times knows nothing. We come to listen to the foolishness of God and to find a far greater wisdom so that we can find Christ and belong to Him Who belongs to God.
 
Offertory Hymn: Psalm 130(131) I have not gone after marvels too great. My soul in silence and peace rests as a child in its mother's arms.
 
Communion Hymns: 1.We have been told :2. The Servant Song
 
Recessional Hymn: The voice of God goes out through all the world.
 
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My response
 
It is always a special gift to celebrate Mass together with the other conference participants, bishops, clergy, religious, laity from Oceania and locals. When a bishop preaches the Word of God gets opened up at a deeper level than usual; and when the people of God gather together as representatives of the nation and region, God speaks through the readings and the homily to the nation and to the region. In some ways the conference Mass is God's daily Keynote address to us.
 
Coming straight after Cardinal Wuerl's talk, these readings had a special resonance. The message seemed to be, 'The time of preparation and learning is done. It is time to act. Get out there and put what you have learned into practice. I promise your efforts will be extraordinarily fruitful. You won't be working alone, I will be side by side with you.'
 
This time I also included the hymns, because in them, too, God speaks to us.
 
Jesus still used Peter's fishing skills and expertise, but got him to use them in a place outside Peter's usual comfort zone. What wasn't working in the shallows and medium waters, did work out in deep water.
 
But let us pray for each other, since some of us are still in the 'I've been fishing all night with no result' situation – wondering where God is and whether He has abandoned us; whether He cares that all our efforts for Him and His lost ones have been so fruitless; and why we should bother continuing to try. Sometimes He keeps silence and with Newman we have to hope that even our perplexity may serve Him, until He reveals what He is about.
 
Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.
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In the next issue will be notes from the very good Workshop on Discerning Charisms with Clara Geoghegan.

The title of Cardinal Wuerl's Keynote address was Pope Francis, Renewal and Parish Evangelisation
His Archdiocese of Washington bio.
His Wikipedia page.
He can be found online at Twitter using @Cardinal_Wuerl and on his regular blog http://cardinalsblog.adw.org/

Thank you for your kind introduction. It is pleasant to be a part of Proclaim 2016. So much of the renewal and evangelisation is in the lived experience in our parishes. That's where every kind of action takes place. Our Pope speaks of his experience of parish in Evangelii Gaudium 28:
'The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”. This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people, and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few. The parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration. In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach.'

Amoris Laetitia 202: 'The main contribution to the pastoral care of families is offered by the parish, which is the family of families, where small communities, ecclesial movements and associations live in harmony'.

How do we see that each parish carries out these many missions?

There is a new spirit of welcome evident today. Pope Francis is reaching people. We can see the development of his thought through Evangelii Gaudium, the Synod, Laudato Si and Amoris Laetitia. He writes from the perspective of a pastor of souls, so they are not theological treatises but words from a pastor of souls.

So what does the Church/Christ offer us today? What do we bring to the world of today? A while back I was giving a keynote address at Harvard University on the topic of the Role of religion and faith in a pluralistic society. Following the address there was time for questions. A lawyer, in full garb, named Albert had his hand up. 'What do you people, and religion in general, think you bring to our society?' My answer was a return question, 'What do you think the world would be like without the voices of the religious traditions in our world – reminding us You Shall Not Kill, You Shall Not Steal etc, - reminding us that someday we must answer to God for our actions. How much more harsh would this culture be? 'His answer, 'It would be a mess.'

The Christian Gospel teaching us about right and wrong and about God's love may seem to being eclipsed by secular voices. At the Synod for the New Evangelisation one of the speakers described secularism as a cultural tsunami that has washed across our world, taking with it so many cultural markers and frames of reference: on marriage and family, on right and wrong.

The present energy and focus in the Church is towards openness and outreach. That level of energy has increased with Pope Francis' smiling face of welcome to the world. What is the New Evangelisation? St John Paul II spoke of the need for a New Evangelisation, new in ardour, new in method and new in expression. Pope Benedict renewed this call for a new evangelisation, seeing it as a prophetic task of love to evangelise the whole world. Pope Francis calls us all to the work of the new evangelisation. It is a hallmark of his ministry and preaching. 'Go Out, Go Out', he says, 'Go Out and share the beauty of the Gospel and the amazement of the encounter with Jesus.'

Outreach is especially involved in parish ministry. Blessed Paul VI taught us that we have to do more than just speak the words, we have to be modern examples of them: we only listen to teachers if they are witnesses.

How do we invite people? Sometimes it is just a matter of actually doing it. As I went down the street yesterday a Church of Scientology brochure was offered to me. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have run into a Catholic lady handing out parish bulletins? On a plane recently I had an aisle seat, and the person sitting next to me asked,
'Have you been born again?'
'Yes'
'When?'
'At Baptism.'
'Oh, you're a Catholic'.
She had a lot of bags, so I asked her whether she had a bible. She didn't, but she did have some 3"x5" cards with scriptural texts on them. One had the passage from Matthew 16 where Jesus tells Peter that he is the rock on which He will build His Church. She asked me, 'Tell me about this church thing'. So I did. But I was struck by how much we take for granted. So many people have no idea about anything about the Church, the sacraments and the Eucharist. Afterward the man across the aisle leaned over and said, 'Hey Father, I'm a Catholic, and I didn't know that.'

Renewal requires these elements:
•Renewal of personal faith. Not just the assent of the mind, but prayer asking the Holy Spirit to fill us.
•To stand confident in the truth. We don't have to apologise for our Risen Lord.
•The desire to share it.

The evangelising disciple has to know and be confident in the message.

In 1962 Vatican II began with the goal of preparing the Catholic faith and mission to shine forth to bring people to receive the Church's love. The purpose was to present better the precious deposit of Christian doctrine, and to make it more accessible to Christian people and people of goodwill and to show the strength and beauty of the doctrine of the faith.

Looking back over the time from the mid-1960s until now, we can see the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pathways of renewal began, some consistent with the Gospel, some not and they introduced confusion into the liturgy and catechesis. Even before becoming Benedict XVI, Cardinal Ratzinger began to work on the hermeneutic of renewal and against the hermeneutic of discontinuity. This need for a deeper appreciation of our faith - so that we can be prepared to speak it - has been verified by a whole line of pontiffs.

Paul VI stood up for the truth despite the times of turmoil around him. John Paul II's task was to implement Vatican II and he spent 27 years doing that. Benedict XVI's writings renewed our appreciation of scripture and patristics – the profound roots going back to the revelation of Jesus Christ. With Pope Francis we are the beneficiaries of 50 years of preparation for this time of fresh perspective. Pope Francis brings his own emphasis to this renewal – that the role of the laity in the renewal is absolutely essential. 'Go out, encounter people, accompany them on the journey so that more people may experience Jesus Christ.'

Collegiality – working together collaboratively and co-operatively- is also for parish, reinforcing the message of the college of bishops. Amoris Laetitia gives us a perspective on renewal and its content shows us how to do what Pope Francis invites us to do – to listen. The Synod on the Family, in its two parts, was a time to listen, to talk, to dialogue. Out of that experience, and consensus, came the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. In it is a focus on the human person as the object of an invitation to faith, speaking more about grace and less about law and obligation. The shallow happiness with which many are content falls short of the joy that should be the sustenance of every believer.

We can now actually hear, understand and be willing to share our faith, as a result of these post Vatican II years. We need to hear that God is a loving forgiving God. While we might get tired of asking for forgiveness, He never gets tired of granting it. At the same time we have to be aware of these words of Jesus, and do them: 'You will be My witnesses; go out, and make them disciples'. God's mercy and our conscience leads us to focus on living our lives as an expression of mercy and love.

The principle attributes of a missionary disciples are:
•Listening
•Accompanying
•Discerning
•Evangelising

The Synod on the Family was preceded by extensive consultation. Pope Francis understands this process of listening to the faithful. This synodality, this journeying together is essential for the Church today. Not just listening, but accompanying. We are going at this together. This involves a change of style and intensity which has implications for parish life and personal outreach. Pastors need to do more than just teach Church doctrine, they must take on the smell of the sheep and realise that we are here to serve. Our liturgy does not have to be so complex that it is off-putting.

Not too long ago I was in a cab in Rome. The traffic was chaotic and the cabbie was the type to drive while looking at you. 'Have you met this Pope?' 'Yes!' 'You can understand him when he speaks, not like you people.'

We need to present the faith, the kerygma, in all its clarity. In Pope Francis' morning homilies at Mass we see a continuous renewal of the kerygma of faith made simple.

We have to help our people discern what does it mean to say Christ is Risen.

Amoris Laetitia 37: 'We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were providing sufficient support to families, strengthening the marriage bond and giving meaning to marital life. We find it difficult to present marriage more as a dynamic path to personal development and fulfilment than as a lifelong burden. We also find it hard to make room for the consciences of the faithful, who very often respond as best they can to the Gospel amid their limitations, and are capable of carrying out their own discernment in complex situations. We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.'

People respond as best they can to God's call within their limitations. We are called to help form their consciences. We need to do this so that we can all grow closer together to Christ. As we do this, we all draw closer to Christ.

What kind of qualities do our new evangelisers need to have?
It is a moment of grace. Calling parish a neighbourhood of grace is a beautiful description. We are living in a new moment – given the history of the Church and the special emphasis that Pope Francis brings.

Courage & Boldness
In the Acts of the Apostles, before Pentecost we see the apostles timid. Afterwards we see them bold. Peter and Paul both boldly preached Jesus, and this boldness was born of the confidence in the truth of the message.

Connectedness to the Church
We are not individuals, we are members of the Church. Renew this revelation, recognise it. Our membership of the community that passes on the good news of Jesus is our authentication. Children get to the heart of things much better than we do. For 30 years I have kept a letter I received from a child called Dominic who was then in Year 4: 'Dear Bishop, I find it amazing that you knew somebody, who knew somebody, who knew somebody, who knew somebody…..who knew Jesus.' It is our living continuity with the disciples who knew Jesus that matters.

Sense of Urgency
We are not passive bystanders. We have to be involved, and play our part in the New Evangelisation. It is our turn now. Others will take it up later. When we look at the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth we see what urgency looks like in action – she went in haste on a long and difficult journey.

Joy
It is alright to smile. The Gospel is a glorious announcement. Christ is risen, truly risen. He is with us. 'You should see Me in the faces of the people you care for.'

We are called to reinvigorate our faith every day, to share it, and to be open to the movement and outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we try to bring the Good News to others: as we share the simple announcement: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
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We were then given a discussion question: What is one thing that struck you about Pope Francis' vision of evangelisation for your parish?
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My response

Cardinal Wuerl is even more impressive in person than on paper. He went out of his way (just like Pope Francis) to greet and chat to as many non-dignitaries as possible. Even sitting still he still exuded the presence of the Holy Spirit.

There is a lot to unpack from this talk, and it bears reading and re-reading several times. However the part that stayed with me the longest was that we are living in a privileged time of grace, prepared by God during the last half-century and that we need to respond to God's call for us Now. When I think about all this the picture of a big wave of grace comes to mind, building and building - a bit like a tsunami-, and that we need to ride that wave as it begins to move. But the time is short, and if we are too slow to respond, then we will miss that wave of grace.

The call to 'Go Out' is one we need to hear and work out how to respond to. Frequently we put on programs and expect people to come to us, and to come to the parish buildings. As was recalled to me recently, Jesus did not sit in a synagogue and wait for people to come to Him. He went to every town and village He could get to. Somehow we need to get out of our parish building mindset and set up outreach in the community, where people go and gather. Granted, there is a significant amount of red tape (paperwork) and money that local Councils want these days for setting up a street stall – or to get a pop-up stall in a shopping centre – but our commitment to mission has to find ways through these obstacles.

On the good news side, it isn't necessary 'to reinvent the wheel'. St Paul Street Evangelisation is doing great work, and training people too. Their Twitter feed is worth following @spstreetevan . Faith on Tap @FaithOnTap, Theology on Tap and Spirituality in the Pub are all doing their outreach in venues where schooners and middies available. The very good work 40 Days For Life does as a public witness against the evils of abortion cannot be underestimated from an evangelical perspective either.

Anyone who has listened to Pope Francis over the past few years has heard that we need to do more to truly listen to people and accompany them where they are at. The next step, of helping them discern how best to respond to God in the concrete circumstances of their lives, hasn't had much 'air-play' up until now. But we do need to plan for it, otherwise it won't happen. Maybe we will hear more about that when we start getting the listening and accompanying going.

That Roman cab driver sure issued a challenge! It is all too easy to forget that we speak in what to the ears of others is 'unintelligible church-speak'. To get any traction with our listeners, we are going to have to learn the local patois, just like Our Lady did when she came to speak to St Bernadette at Lourdes.

I loved Cardinal Wuerl's description of the Church as a community of believers who have passed on their knowledge of Jesus from the first disciples to us today. Viewed that way, Church isn't an option extra but is the way we meet the living, breathing Jesus.

Urgency: I can't tell you how often my memory replays for me Warwick Neville saying 'The Gospel message is always urgent'. If it doesn't bother us that the things we have failed to do today may have stopped someone encountering Jesus, then it should. But for that encounter there is a chance he or she could be eternally lost. Hmmm, that parish Facebook page that I started pushing for over a year ago, just think how many people might have been reached or at least have had a thought about God cross their brains if it had happened back then.

For myself, I am making a point of trying to get into conversation with anyone who crosses my path whether it be waiting at the chemist, sitting on a train or bus, or trying to make sure that the stranger who came to church this morning was acknowledged as a person. So far the openings haven't come to speak directly of faith in Jesus, but hopefully these 'practice runs' will eventually produce that kind of fruit. On the plus side, every person has been memorable and in quieter moments prayed for afterwards.
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In the next issue will have the homily from the opening Mass of the conference with Archbishop Coleridge presiding. I often find that the conference homilies contain the true keynotes of conferences like these.

A reminder that these notes are indeed rough. Many times I may not have caught Cardinal Wuerl's thought correctly or have mis-decoded my hasty scrawls. Apologies for any errors.
 

Recently, from Thursday 1 September to Saturday 3 September, I had the privilege of attending the Proclaim 2016 Conference at Chatswood organised by Broken Bay diocese on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. This was the third conference of this nature, the first one being held in 2012 and the next in 2014.

Since I am a copious note taker, and the content of the Conference deserves a much wider audience, I will dedicate the next series of blog posts to sharing these rough transcripts and the thoughts they engendered. How long that will take is in God's hands, depending on Him to provide the time. Hopefully there should be some more content every few days until I run out.

Welcome Messages, Monday 1 Sep 2016

Bishop Peter Comensoli
Good morning and welcome to Proclaim 2016, a special welcome to Chatswood and a welcome to Spring. We are hoping for a World Youth Day feel, despite the lack of parish flags and matching t-shirts. Happily we have a wonderful gathering of parish faithful from across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. We are an expression of the Church in microcosm in our gathering today. On behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and the diocese of Broken Bay I extend a warm welcome to you all. This is the third Proclaim conference, the others we held here in 2012 and 2014. In these conferences we bring together laity, religious, clergy and movements dedicated to parish and mission. We are all called and sent by God to go and make disciples. Our parishes are the heart and soul of this mission.

Message from Pope Francis
The Most Reverend Peter A. Comensoli,
Bishop of Broken Bay
The Holy Father asks you kindly to convey his cordial greetings to all assembled in the Diocese of Broken Bay for the third National Conference on Evangelisation, Proclaim 2016: Mercy. He trusts that in this Holy Year, devoted to the preaching and practice of Mercy, the Conference will contribute to a more effective proclamation of the Gospel message of forgiveness, redemption and interior renewal. In a world increasingly wounded by alienation, fragmentation and forgetfulness of God, he urges Christian families and young people in particular to be missionary disciples, radiating in their homes, parishes and communities the joy of the Gospel and the hope it offers for the building of a society of true solidarity and freedom. He likewise prays that, in crossing the threshold of the Jubilee Holy Door, God's People in Australia will experience a renewed encounter with Jesus, the door (John 10:7) leading to life and salvation, and thus be confirmed in the prophetic mission received in baptism. With these sentiments, His Holiness commends the Conference to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
23 August 2016

The two masters of ceremonies for the Conference were David Patterson and Alison Newell , both of Broken Bay diocese.

Uncle Neil Evers a direct descendant of the Guringai clan that lived in this area gave the Welcome to Country address.

I draw upon and acknowledge the strength and courage of the traditional custodians of this land. The word that we use for 'Welcome to Country' means 'Come Together'. Welcome to Country is a rite of showing respect to the custodians of country, whether you were going through their land or to their land. Otherwise it would be like going into someone's house uninvited. If you have seen a map of the Aboriginal language groups of Australia, you would know that there were at least 350 language groups. Each one represented a different country. Everyone knew the boundaries of each country, because they were clearly marked. You only went in with permission and with respect to the rules of the country you were in. This wasn't political correctness, but age old tradition. Imagine how it was before European colonisation, with everything crystal clear, an abundance of wildlife, with designated hunting, gathering and hunting grounds. They didn't own the land, they were custodians of it. When we 'come together' we can be strong, we can make a difference. The more we learn, the more we understand. On behalf of them, elders and custodians past and present, I welcome you to this beautiful country.

David P: This conference is about helping Catholics to engage in the New Evangelisation. Parishes play an essential role in evangelization. Pope Francis wrote this about parishes in Evangelii Gaudium 28:

'The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”. This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people, and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few. The parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration. In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach. We must admit, though, that the call to review and renew our parishes has not yet sufficed to bring them nearer to people, to make them environments of living communion and participation, and to make them completely mission-oriented.'

In these words of Pope Francis are vision, and tools, for moving our parishes from maintenance to mission, and an invitation to both personal and cultural change.

Dignitaries were acknowledged, apologies from archbishops and bishops noted, and sponsors and exhibitors thanked. Professor Dermot Nestor of ACU, executive Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy spoke briefly before Archbishop Coleridge led the Conference in Morning Prayer.
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My response

The blessing and message from Pope Francis for the Conference was an unexpected bonus.

It was sad that the Apostolic Nuncio and many of the bishops who came in 2014 were unable to attend in 2016. Speculating on causes, three come to mind:
•That with the National Office for Evangelisation (which worked on the 2012 and 2014 conferences) seeking a director, Broken Bay diocese stepped in to pull the conference together in around 7 months. Normally there would be 2 years of planning, and most bishops' diaries are booked out more than 7 months in advance.
•It was a World Youth Day year, and most diocesan resources went towards getting young people and clergy to Krakow, not leaving much left over.
•The pulling power of the writers of Rebuilt to get people to sign up for Proclaim 2014 was immense, and not easily replicated.
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The Welcome to Country speech was an eye-opener for me. Prior to it I had viewed the Welcome to Country stuff as a nice thing to be done, but dripping with political correctness. Now I can see it as true diplomacy and necessary respect. So many good things would happen if we stopped seeing ourselves as owners and started seeing ourselves as temporary custodians.
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In the next issue will have the Keynote speech of Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington. who put the calls of Pope Francis within the context of the last 50  years since Vatican II and outlined what we need to do to respond to those calls.