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Written by • August 9, 2024• 2:20 pm• Pastoral Notes

Journeying Through Lent: Aligning Our Hearts with Christ

Pastoral Reflection Although Sts. Matthew and Luke give us more detail about Jesus’ desert experience, St. Mark notes that it is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the world. He is announcing good news: “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The response he is looking for: “repent and believe the good news!” As has been mentioned before, repentance means a change of heart, or literally, to change the heart’s general direction. Lent is a time for those who live the Christian life to take some time out, to review and reflect, and, if necessary, to change our direction. We are drowning in a sea of secularity, and before you know it the ways of the world seep into your thoughts, decisions, and way of living. However, to be a disciple of Jesus is to be in this world in a different way – a salvific way. A way that leads us deeper into the heart of the God who loves us so. It is a special time for those who are preparing to celebrate the Easter sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. Having studied the Christian faith and being sponsored by the faithful of the community they are making their 1st full commitment to Christ in the fullness of the Catholic faith. It is then, for their sakes and ours that embark on this penitential journey of 40 days we call Lent. Call to action: The catechumens and the candidates who are preparing for their big night at the Easter Vigil are not only sponsored by individual Christians, but, in fact, the individual sponsor stands in place for the sponsorship of the community of the Christian faithful. Do your parishioners know the names of those who are joining the faith? Is the whole of the community praying and fasting for them? You can use your GC Smart Tools to communicate with your parishioners and unite them more closely as members of the Body of Christ. Invite them to connect their Lenten journey with those of the catechumens and candidates. Pastoral Action Points Be sure to have your pew cards updated for Lent. We have free templates you can adapt for your use. Explore Pew Cards Now! Lent is a wonderful time to re-engage with your community. For many parishes, the number of active donors has been decreasing. We can help with this. We have created tools that help with engagement that can be put in your bulletin and in your pews. On your dashboard, we call them pew cards but they are more than that. We also have tools to help identify all of those donors that aren't signed up for Easter who can be as many as 50%+ of your donors. Please let us help. We will help you send out a SmartGive communication which allows those donors to set up their Easter gift in less than 10 seconds. Please let us help you make it easier to engage and re-engage those praying with your community and those who are most likely to financially support you. You can join us for a webinar. You can have your team learn. Even better....You can ask us to do it for you. Email teresa@givecentral.org with the subject line--Please help us with Lent and Easter SmartGive. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

Pastoral Reflection

Pastoral ReflectionAlthough Sts. Matthew and Luke give us more detail about Jesus’ desert experience, St. Mark notes that it is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the world. He is announcing good news: “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The response he is looking for: “repent and believe the good news!” As has been mentioned before, repentance means a change of heart, or literally, to change the heart’s general direction. Lent is a time for those who live the Christian life to take some time out, to review and reflect, and, if necessary, to change our direction. We are drowning in a sea of secularity, and before you know it the ways of the world seep into your thoughts, decisions, and way of living. However, to be a disciple of Jesus is to be in this world in a different way – a salvific way. A way that leads us deeper into the heart of the God who loves us so. It is a special time for those who are preparing to celebrate the Easter sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. Having studied the Christian faith and being sponsored by the faithful of the community they are making their 1st full commitment to Christ in the fullness of the Catholic faith. It is then, for their sakes and ours that embark on this penitential journey of 40 days we call Lent.Call to action: The catechumens and the candidates who are preparing for their big night at the Easter Vigil are not only sponsored by individual Christians, but, in fact, the individual sponsor stands in place for the sponsorship of the community of the Christian faithful. Do your parishioners know the names of those who are joining the faith? Is the whole of the community praying and fasting for them? You can use your GC Smart Tools to communicate with your parishioners and unite them more closely as members of the Body of Christ. Invite them to connect their Lenten journey with those of the catechumens and candidates.Pastoral Action Points Be sure to have your pew cards updated for Lent. We have free templates you can adapt for your use. Explore Pew Cards Now!Lent is a wonderful time to re-engage with your community. For many parishes, the number of active donors has been decreasing. We can help with this. We have created tools that help with engagement that can be put in your bulletin and in your pews. On your dashboard, we call them pew cards but they are more than that. We also have tools to help identify all of those donors that aren't signed up for Easter who can be as many as 50%+ of your donors. Please let us help. We will help you send out a SmartGive communication which allows those donors to set up their Easter gift in less than 10 seconds. Please let us help you make it easier to engage and re-engage those praying with your community and those who are most likely to financially support you. You can join us for a webinar. You can have your team learn. Even better....You can ask us to do it for you. Email teresa@givecentral.org with the subject line--Please help us with Lent and Easter SmartGive.Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

Sts. Matthew and Luke offer more details about Jesus’ time in the desert, but St. Mark highlights that this moment marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. He announces the good news: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” His message is clear: “Repent and believe the good news!”

Repentance, as we’ve discussed, means a change of heart or a shift in direction. Lent offers us a time to pause, reflect, and, if needed, change our course. In today’s world, it’s easy to get caught up in secular trends. Before we know it, the ways of the world influence our thoughts, decisions, and actions. But to follow Jesus means living in this world in a different way—one that leads us closer to the loving heart of God.

Lent is especially meaningful for those preparing to receive the Easter sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

Through study and the support of the community, these catechumens and candidates make their full commitment to Christ and the Catholic faith. Their journey is also ours, as we all embark on this 40-day penitential journey together.

Call to Action:
The catechumens and candidates preparing for their Easter Vigil commitment are not only supported by individual sponsors but by the entire faith community. Do your parishioners know the names of those joining the faith? Is the whole community praying and fasting for them?

You can use GC Smart Tools to connect with your parishioners and bring them closer as a united Body of Christ. Invite them to support the catechumens and candidates on their Lenten journey.

Pastoral Action Points:
Make sure your pew cards are updated for Lent. We offer free templates you can customize for your parish.

Lent is the perfect time to re-engage with your community. Many parishes have seen a decline in active donors, but we’re here to help. Our tools can enhance engagement, and we’ve created pew cards that can be used in your bulletin or pews.

On your dashboard, you can also identify donors who haven’t signed up for Easter gifts. As many as 50%+ of your donors may not be registered. Let us help make it easy for them to contribute. With our SmartGive communication tool, donors can set up their Easter gift in just 10 seconds.

We are here to assist you in engaging both your community and potential donors. Join our upcoming webinar or ask us to do it for you. Email teresa@givecentral.org with the subject line: “Please help us with Lent and Easter SmartGive.”

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Last modified: November 9, 2024

← Pastoral Reflection (based on the reading for mass at dawn) The shepherds referenced here by St. Luke were remarkably simple people who lived in the fields among the sheep. We have romanticized the idea of the shepherds and turned them into cute Knick Knacks for our nativity sets. But what is said by St. Luke is actually shocking! “All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds!” And what the shepherds told the people was the message they had received from the angels; namely, that the Christ (messiah) had been born. The fact that people were amazed does not mean they believed the shepherds! Swarms of people did not come out from Bethlehem to see him. The only other account we have of visitors were the magi in St. Matthew’s gospel. Proof once again that God uses the simple people of the earth to tell His story, to tell of His might and glory. Most people who come to our churches feel that they are simple people. They are not famous, nor do they wish to be. Their lives are not perfect, and they humbly rely on God’s grace to bring about a perfection which we humans, unaided, can never achieve. Let those who feel simple and in need of God’s grace be welcome in our church, just as the visiting shepherds were at the manger. Call to action: With so many visitors, family members, and former parishioners visiting this weekend it is a critical moment for connection with them. Please do use your GC Smart Tools to assist you in making these connections. Use your text number, your QR code, your pew cards, banners, bulletin announcements, greeters, pulpit announcements – every means you have to get the information you need for growing your parish and widening the circle of relationships among your people! These next few days are busy, but GiveCentral stands ready to help! Don’t be afraid to call us or contact us at support@givecentral.org with any question or request you have. Pastoral Action Points Make sure your ushers/greeters/staff personnel are ready and keep the pew cards restocked for each mass and service this weekend. You don’t get second chances to make first impressions. Have your staff or volunteers ready to keep your lavatories clean and well stocked between each mass or service! You want your church to look great and be welcoming. Ask your High School aged youth to get involved as extra greeters and information ambassadors for this weekend! It will be a wonderful experience for them, and it will help visitors feel wanted and welcome. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Previous Story
God’s Simple Messengers: The Shepherds’ Lesson for Our Parish Community
→ Pastoral Reflection Notice that when Jesus encounters the man with the unclean spirit, he does not condemn the man so afflicted. Rather, he has compassion for him, and his wrath is turned toward the unclean spirit afflicting him. Jesus confronts evil and its power directly and immediately throughout the Gospel of Mark. Please notice that Jesus makes a distinction between the person and that which is afflicting the person! His compassion is for the suffering person, but his judgment is upon what afflicts him. Do we sometimes judge others as persons without regard to their circumstances or “what afflicts them?” There is that wonderful saying that goes something like this: “every person you see is fighting silent battles within you know nothing about.” As Christians we need to get beyond making judgments about others based on superficial appearances or circumstances. We don’t know why people are in the situations they are in or why they think or act the way they do. First, we must see them as God’s child, a human being who has dignity before God. Then, we must both pray and work for their wellbeing! Call to action: Are all people welcome in your church? Maybe not everyone is ready for communion, but are they still welcome? Does your congregation foster a welcoming attitude toward others? Or, through sour facial expressions, or an unwillingness to create room in the pew display an attitude of judgment, a spirit of unwelcome? Judgmentalism has been a plague within the church from the earliest days, and it festers and pops up all too easily. It’s time to call it out, and push it out, just like Jesus casting out the unclean spirit! Resolve that as Lent approaches your parish will become more dedicated to developing the spirit of welcome. Pastoral Action Points Resolve that your parish will be a place of welcome, solace, and pastoral love. In this year of Eucharistic education, plan events that allow people to open their hearts to Christ in his sacramental presence. Use your GiveCentral GC Smart Tools to get contact information from new parishioners and visitors, then follow up with an email, a text, or a call within 24 to 48 hours! If you need assistance in setting this up please contact the GC Implementation Team at implementation@givecentral.org Plan for Lent now, if you haven’t already! Ask your teens to be welcomers at masses. Ask your senior citizens to run a “welcome booth” near your main doors! The 2024 GiveCentral Webinar Schedule is now available! Save your seat to attend a webinar, expert insight, parish roundtable discussion, onboarding or reboarding training session! Click here to save your seat. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Next Story
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