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Author: Suraj

Today St. Paul reminds us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves. By this he does not mean that we should regard ourselves in a lowly fashion, but to place the importance of others ahead of our own. Instead of having an attitude of judgment toward others, we should develop an attitude of mercy, just as the Lord has mercy toward us. It is critically important to develop this attitude of mercy and of placing the needs of others ahead of our own in a welcoming community. Welcoming cannot be only a program for gaining new members, or something temporary. It must become a deep characteristic of the culture of a community -- if the community is to be sustained over time. In such a Christian community, the needs of others are placed at the head of the line, while not neglecting the needs of the rest. What are the spiritual wounds of those who don’t feel welcome? As the Lord is kind and merciful toward us, so let us be toward others. Call to action: Many churches still report that they are at about 80% of where they were before the Covid emergency. That means there remains much to do in reaching out to the de-churched, as well as the unchurched. Your GC Smart Tools can help you to identify many of those no longer participating. In some cases, they may have moved away, or there may be some other legitimate reason they are no longer in your parish. In this case, GC Smart Tools can help you update your lists. If you are not sure how to do this, call us GiveCentral! We will be happy to walk with you in this process of using the tools you already have, wisely and well! Pastoral Action Points If you are like many of us in the world of pastoral ministry, you are an “analogue person living in a digital world.” In other words, all these GC SmarfTools might feel overwhelming. Reach out to us! We are happy to answer your questions and walk with you while you learn. If you need help email teresa@givecentral.org Our GC Webinars can give you lots of information. Please join us! You can find the next scheduled webinar on your admin dashboard. Plus, you’ll meet other people with similar questions and needs. Let’s become a helping community toward one another. Templates! We’ve got templates! And they are free for you. If you are sending a church-wide email you are welcome to use GiveCentral templates and adapt them to your local needs. Just look in your Communications Portal! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 11, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 4

Putting Others First: The Call to a Christ-Centered Community

Today St. Paul reminds us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves. By this he does not mean that we should regard...

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Recall that the Church already existed when the gospels, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were written down. Thus, the parable of the workers in the vineyard gains an even fuller meaning, for new members were joining the Church constantly, and older members may have assumed that they were more privileged than newer ones. In truth, there has always been tension in the Church between older members and newer members. Even in today’s parishes sometimes older members, though happy to see more people, are not always happy to share space or influence with the newer ones. Just as the New Testament Church had to examine itself about its spirit of welcome toward its new members, so must we today. Being with the Lord is a privilege, but it does not make us more privileged because we have been with Him longer. Our souls, hearts and our arms must be open to those who are new to Christ and His Church. Call to action: Part of developing the spirit of welcome in a parish community is by asking the long-standing organizations and ministries to encourage new members, to receive their ideas, and make them feel valued. This can be hard, because it requires groups to move beyond old thinking and the spirit of “we’ve always done it this way.” It requires a deep examination of conscience and an openness to the “new means and methods” called for by the New Evangelization. Unless we take the risk of deepening our spirit of welcome, there will be no new laborers for the vineyard. Pastoral Action Points Fall is a wonderful time to invite parishioners to join the various ministries, services, and organizations in your parish. Some parishes have ministry fairs or parish town hall meetings where the organizations and ministries can be highlighted. Use your GC Smart Tools to communicate an awareness of your groups and ministries by creating emails or direct mailings about them. Is your parish engaged in GC’s 20 for 20 campaign? If it is, stay in touch with Give Central throughout the campaign and look for our weekly webinars offering support and instruction. Have you started thinking about Advent? It’s a great time to encourage your parishioners to invite others to join them at mass. Take some time to plan a special welcoming experience for those “sometime” Catholics to get them re-engaged. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 11, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 1

Breaking Down Barriers: Fostering Unity Between New and Old Parish Members

Recall that the Church already existed when the gospels, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were written down. Thus, the parable of...

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Anger, in its proper use, is meant to protect us or someone who is dear to us. But so often anger builds a home in the heart and begins to poison it by turning into rumination, the desire for vengeance, and making one a bitter person. Prophets and sages of old learned to let vengeance belong to God, and not to us, because “the Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and full of compassion.” Anger, which was intended to enforce justice, instead becomes a source of injustice, self-righteousness, and embitterment. The antidote to anger gone afoul is mercy. Mercy is a loving gift, not something that can be earned or bought. This is illustrated so clearly in today’s gospel proclamation. The master has mercy on his servant, but the same servant compounds his own injustice by having no mercy for another servant. All of us wish to receive mercy, but we must ask ourselves honestly if we are willing to give it. If we have trouble giving mercy to another person, let us ask the Lord to help us become merciful by the grace of His own mercy and example in forgiving us! Call to action: The Sacrament of Reconciliation through the Rite of Penance is intended to celebrate a change of heart that has already begun. First, we recognize the need for forgiveness within our hearts, then we ask for God’s mercy with sincere intentions. Let us invite our people to the seat of mercy by encouraging them to come for confession and reconciliation. Let them know that confession is a moment of celebrating mercy and for allowing a change of heart to take place. Question: are your parish’s times for reconciliation truly convenient for your people? Can you adjust the time, or add additional times for reconciliation? Pastoral Action Points A parish is a local family of faith. We rejoice in each one’s victories and grieve each other’s sorrows. Use your GC Smart Tools so that parishioners can send in their prayer requests. If you want to know how, just contact Teresa Meyer at teresa@givecentral.org GC’s 20 for 20 campaign is in kick-off mode! If you want to know more about it look here: https://www.givecentral.org/20-for-20-campaign Have you formed your welcoming ministry yet? It is critical to your parish’s growth. It’s not too late to start one now! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 11, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

The Power of Mercy: Overcoming Anger and Embracing Forgiveness

Anger, in its proper use, is meant to protect us or someone who is dear to us. But so often anger builds a home in the heart and begins to...

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The Church has a prophetic mission to tell the truth to the world. This mission is not an easy one because it means pointing out the faults and errors of both individuals and social systems. In the ancient world of Israel, prophets were often scorned by the community because they said things people didn’t want to hear. Today when the Church points out violations of human rights, or violations of individual conscience, she can receive scornful rejection. Yet, the point of the prophetic role is not to condemn others, but to call for a change of heart – a conversion or renewal of the heart and soul! Ultimately it is a call to love! Thus, as St. Paul tells us in today’s Second Reading, “the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” St. Peter also tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” The Church’s goal in her prophetic mission is not to condemn, but to move individuals and the world to the love of God and neighbor. Call to action: Many people have stayed away from Church because they fear condemnation or rejection. They may be in an irregular marriage, or have been through a painful divorce, or are dealing with some other personal issue. Take this Sunday as an opportunity to invite people to meet with you pastorally. Very often there are both formal and informal pastoral solutions they don’t know about. There is a place for everyone in the Church whose heart is open to the love of God – even if conversion comes about slowly. Think about offering a parish workshop on annulments and marriage reconciliation. Use your GC Smart Tools to announce it by text, email, or direct mail. This weekend is also Grandparents’ Day weekend for those who deferred it from the feast of Sts. Ann and Joachim. Recognize and bless the grandparents who are present. Use your GC Smart Tools to send a quick email or text to remind your parishioners of this celebration. GC has templates for Grandparents’ Day you can find them under the communications portal. Pastoral Action Points Be sure to refresh your pew cards and have your QR codes available for your parishioners and visitors. Parishioners can update their information very quickly (in seconds, literally) using our GC Smart Tools. If you need assistance getting your pew cards ready please email teresa@givecentral.org Fall is the best time to invite parishioners to greater engagement with the parish community. Invite your seniors to be “telephone evangelists” by asking them to make a quick call to other parishioners. You can use your GC Smart Tools to make smaller phone lists that can be delegated to your senior volunteers. Provide a short phone script for them saying they are calling on behalf of the parish to thank them for being part of the community, and to see if they have a need with which the parish can help. Later, have a thank you party for your volunteers. Many of us in pastoral ministry are not “techies.” We don’t use many of the tools available to us because we don’t know how to use them. Join GiveCentral’s Bridget Daly for a great webinar on this topic on September 14 at 1PM Central Time. Claim your seat here! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 11, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

Speaking Truth in Love: The Church’s Role in Guiding Hearts

The Church has a prophetic mission to tell the truth to the world. This mission is not an easy one because it means pointing out the faults...

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Both our first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, and the Responsorial Psalm text from Psalm 63 speak in visceral terms, terms felt at the gut level of the body. The Word of God burns within Jeremiah, and he can contain it no more. The Psalmist is longing and pining for God, like a dry weary land without water. The human conditions of both Jeremiah and the Psalmist speak to the modern person, as well. In our time there is a great spiritual longing and a search for God and life’s meaning. Searching people are often referred to as seekers, because they are looking. Jesus will make clear that the fulfillment the human person seeks will be found in the embrace of the cross. This is not an embrace of suffering for suffering’s sake, however. Rather, it is the embrace of the cause of divine love in a world so much in need of healing, forgiveness, and peace. Call to action: This is also Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of the summer season. Take some time to recognize the value of the labor your people do, whether it is the work of children doing their chores around the house or apartment, the labor of students dedicated to their studies, and the labor of adults who work manually or in an office. All are contributing to the good of their own families, as well as the good of the world. St. Thomas says the human person is a co-creator along with God in making our world! Laet us be, as the Second Vatican Council called us to be “artisans of a new humanity” in Christ. You can use your GC Smart Tools to send an email or text to your families recognizing their labors and honoring them. Pastoral Action Points With families returning to school this is a great time to reach out using your GC SmartTools and inviting your families to greater participation in your parish. There are families you haven’t seen since Covid – invite them back now! Do you have a fall festival or parish event coming up? At GiveCentral, we remove the donor friction by allowing you to create an event with these features: • Raffles, auction, paddle raise, and ticket sales • Able to recognize your donors and user-friendly for them • Bidding within seconds • Guest preregistration • Easy check out • Capable of adding dynamic photos and content • Advanced reporting post event To learn more or to get ready for your BIG event email teresa@givecentral.org. Keep up the work of your evangelization through developing the spirit of welcome in your parish! Have a welcoming committee or ask your Pastoral Council members to serve as special ministers of welcome. Use your GC Smart Text or QR codes to help visitors and new parishioners get connected. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 1

The Spiritual Hunger of Our Time: Finding Fulfillment in Christ’s Embrace

Both our first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, and the Responsorial Psalm text from Psalm 63 speak in visceral terms, terms felt at the...

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Who Do You Say I Am? Understanding Jesus in Today’s World

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

Who Do You Say I Am? Understanding Jesus in Today’s World

Jesus asks this question of his apostles in today’s reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel. If the question was relevant in Jesus’ own...

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Breaking Barriers: God’s Invitation to All Peoples

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

Breaking Barriers: God’s Invitation to All Peoples

God’s intent, throughout the sacred story of the scriptures, was that the One True God should be known to all the nations of the earth!...

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In our search for faith, we often enough look for God in grand and large things. We look for signs “of biblical proportions,” like earthquakes or great winds. However, we can learn from the Prophet Elijah that God is more often found in the still, small things. The quiet voice in the heart. The soul that has stilled its anxieties and listens in peace. It was in the quiet that Elijah “hid his face,” because he knew he was in the presence of the Almighty. Life has its storms and other upsetting experiences. Jesus never said we would not have these problems. But as with Peter, Jesus bids us to trust Him to bring us peace and to still the storms. Church should be a place where, in the presence of the Holy Eucharist, we may find peace. Yes, it's also a place of community and encounter! However, in our Catholic faith we also have a long tradition of respecting people’s sense of quiet within the sanctuary. It is from the quiet of the heart that our fears and anxieties can be released to the Lord, and from Him that we may find our peace. Call to action: As we welcome new parishioners, visitors, and even skeptics to come into our parish and to join our community, let us also invite them into a deeper spiritual life. We don’t need to be slavish in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, but we can convey the traditions of quiet respect, both for the Holy Eucharist itself, and for those who engage in quiet prayer in Our Lord’s presence. As we spend these next months educating our people about the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, let us also teach our people to commune with Christ, heart to heart, in peaceful contemplation. Pastoral Action Points The celebration of the Assumption of Our Lady is celebrated this Tuesday. You can use your GC Smart Tools to inform your parishioners about mass times and any special events you may be having. GiveCentral also offers free templates you can adapt and use in your emails, texts, and direct mail. You can find them under global templates. School is starting! Use your GC Smart Tools to connect with your school aged families. This is a great time to reach out and help them to reconnect with the parish! GC Smart Tools make it a snap to reach hundreds of people in seconds! Last call to get into GiveCentral’s 20 for 20 Campaign! We are using the last 20 weeks of the year to help you increase your parish members’ levels of participation and giving by at least 20%. Find more information about 20 for 20 here: https://www.givecentral.org/20-for-20-campaign Connect with GiveCentral Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

Listening for the Divine: The Peace of Christ in the Stillness

In our search for faith, we often enough look for God in grand and large things. We look for signs “of biblical proportions,” like...

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Pastoral Reflection There is an irony in the juxtaposition of the first reading and the gospel. Abraham, who thinks he must “give up” his son (after years of having no heir) is able to keep him, whereas God the Father’s Son will be the one sacrificed for human sin. All these events happen on mountain tops, which are spiritual images for peak experiences. However, what stands out in today’s gospel passage from St. Mark are the words of the Father, “this is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” Listening, by which is meant deep listening, is no easy thing. Our minds are ablaze with our thoughts, our “to do” lists, and, let’s be honest, our own prejudices. We tend to filter everything we hear through the thick haze of our own preoccupations. Yet, if we will settle down, calm down, and turn the inner noise down, we might then be able to “listen to Him.” When we listen to God, we are in the act of being obedient. The word obedient comes from the Latin roots meaning “to listen to.” Someone who is disobedient, therefore, is someone who isn’t listening. They are filtering – as we all tend to do. The disciplines of Lent are meant as a gift to help us de-clutter, to cut the “noise,” and to listen to the Lord deeply. Call to action: At Give Central we keep pressing the point about becoming welcoming parishes. Why? Because if we listen to the numbers only 15 to 18% of Catholics are attending mass or being active in some way in their parishes. We must be obedient to the Lord when he told His disciples to out to all the nations and spread the Good News! Our churches must become sanctuaries of welcome where the brokenhearted can find rest and renewal in Christ. As Easter approaches and many “sometime” Catholics will attend our masses please take advantage of your GC Smart Tools, like GC Smart Text and QR Code to “capture” the contact information from your visitors, then follow up by contacting them and making them feel welcome. Once again, form a welcoming ministry, or ask your youth groups and/or senior citizens group to become welcomers. You can also set up a small kiosk in your entry area with information for visitors and guests. Pastoral Action Points Keep your pews equipped with your parish’s pew cards all through Lent to make engaging and giving easy for your donors! GC Guru is launching soon! This your GC AI assistant! You have questions? GC Guru has the answers! You will soon see the GC Guru upon logging into your admin account. If you have not signed up for SmartGive Elite for Lent & Easter - - now is your chance to signup! Time is running out, click here to sign up! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

The Power of Silence: How Lent Helps Us Hear God’s Voice

Pastoral Reflection There is an irony in the juxtaposition of the first reading and the gospel. Abraham, who thinks he must “give up”...

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Pastoral Reflection The Epiphany of the Lord, and tomorrow’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord bring to a conclusion our Christmas seasonal celebrations. The gifts brought by the Magi signify a transition in the story of Jesus’ birth by pointing to his future as King, his divine nature, and his death for our freedom. And we know that this story marks a transition for Joseph and Mary who will have to go haste, once again, to exile in Egypt to save the life of this child. Our lives are filled with transitions, aren’t they? Some are joyful, like the birth of a child, and some are full of anxiety, like the flight into Egypt and wondering what the future may hold. Whether our transitions are joyful or anxious, we can turn to the one whose name is Emmanuel -- “God is with us.” Jesus has come to accompany us in all our joys and sorrows, hopes and griefs. Jesus accompanies us especially in his Word, the gospels; his living body, the Church; and most especially in the Holy Eucharist, where, in his body and blood, he continues to enter our humanity so that we might share in his divinity. Emmanuel -- “God is with us.” Call to action: In the United States we are in a special year devoted to a deepening of our understanding of the Holy Eucharist. It is a special time of catechesis and an invitation to encounter Our Lord in the mystery of his Sacramental Presence – body and blood, soul and divinity. Use this year as a time of invitation. Let the beauty of the mystery of the Lord’s Eucharistic presence speak to the hearts of his people – especially those who have been away. The Church has understood that there are three important “portals” that open the door of the soul to an encounter with God. They are sometimes referred to as the transcendentals: goodness, truth, and beauty! Through telling the stories of the Eucharistic saints we may demonstrate the power of goodness. Through clear but gentle catechesis we may demonstrate the truth of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. But most especially through beauty will the hearts of believers and non-believers alike be opened to the love of Christ made known in the Holy Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI, of blessed memory, said that it was beauty, in the end, that would save the Church. Then let your Eucharistic celebrations be beautiful, and Christ will speak for himself! Pastoral Action Points Use your GC Smart Tools as a means for educating your people about the Holy Eucharist through texts, emails, and direct mails. There are many who, for various reasons, may not be able to receive the Eucharist at this time. Yet, they can still attend mass and adore the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Take advantage of the opportunities for Holy Hours and Benedictions, and even Eucharistic processions as ways to include the many. GiveCentral has some exciting new tools coming your way later this month! Stay tuned for more information. As always, GiveCentral stands ready to assist you in using the full array of GC Smart Tools to make your ministry more effective and easier. If you need some help or just want to know more, contact us at support@givecentral.org. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes • Views: 0

Finding God in Every Transition: Lessons from the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord

Pastoral Reflection The Epiphany of the Lord, and tomorrow’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord bring to a conclusion our Christmas...

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