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Written by • August 11, 2024• 11:37 am• Pastoral Notes

Transfiguration and Mission: Transforming Our Parishes for the World

The Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated because it allows the Church, through the experiences of Peter, James, and John, to have a dazzling glimpse of the future as all is fulfilled in Christ. We can only begin to imagine how small and inadequate these apostles must have felt in this moment. Peter feels that he must do something, so he wants to set up “boothes,” or altars, for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. But nothing is needed save for them to “listen to the voice” of the beloved Son of God. It is the Church’s work in our time to offer that same dazzling glimpse of all things transformed and transfigured in Christ. The work of transfiguration begins when we listen to the voice of Christ as He calls us. Our job is to make as many hear His voice as possible! Call to action: Even the story of Christ’s Transfiguration contains a sense of the urgency of mission! We can no longer think of our parishes as sedate and stable places, rather, we must re-envision them as mission stations set in the midst of a hurting and unbelieving world. Pope Francis has asked the Church to conceive of herself as a “field hospital” where the hurting and injured may come for healing and succor. Ask yourself whether, as a skeptical visitor, you would feel welcome in your own parish? What needs to change? What needs to be added? Are you using your GC Smart Tools to reach out as effectively as you can? GiveCentral offers many webinars to help your parish reach out and grow. Look for our upcoming webinars here and sign up today! Pastoral Action Points School will reopen soon! Use your GC Smart Tools to welcome families back to school and back to parish life. Nearly 20% of Catholics active before Covid have not returned to regular attendance at mass or in volunteering for parish activities. This presents a great opportunity for reaching out! The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated in 9 more days. GiveCentral has email templates you can adapt for use in your parish for free. You can find them under Global templates in the New Communications Portal. Connect with GiveCentral Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org
The Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated because it allows the Church, through the experiences of Peter, James, and John, to have a dazzling glimpse of the future as all is fulfilled in Christ. We can only begin to imagine how small and inadequate these apostles must have felt in this moment. Peter feels that he must do something, so he wants to set up “boothes,” or altars, for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. But nothing is needed save for them to “listen to the voice” of the beloved Son of God. It is the Church’s work in our time to offer that same dazzling glimpse of all things transformed and transfigured in Christ. The work of transfiguration begins when we listen to the voice of Christ as He calls us. Our job is to make as many hear His voice as possible! Call to action: Even the story of Christ’s Transfiguration contains a sense of the urgency of mission! We can no longer think of our parishes as sedate and stable places, rather, we must re-envision them as mission stations set in the midst of a hurting and unbelieving world. Pope Francis has asked the Church to conceive of herself as a “field hospital” where the hurting and injured may come for healing and succor. Ask yourself whether, as a skeptical visitor, you would feel welcome in your own parish? What needs to change? What needs to be added? Are you using your GC Smart Tools to reach out as effectively as you can? GiveCentral offers many webinars to help your parish reach out and grow. Look for our upcoming webinars here and sign up today! Pastoral Action Points School will reopen soon! Use your GC Smart Tools to welcome families back to school and back to parish life. Nearly 20% of Catholics active before Covid have not returned to regular attendance at mass or in volunteering for parish activities. This presents a great opportunity for reaching out! The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated in 9 more days. GiveCentral has email templates you can adapt for use in your parish for free. You can find them under Global templates in the New Communications Portal. Connect with GiveCentral Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

The Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated because it allows the Church, through the experiences of Peter, James, and John, to have a dazzling glimpse of the future as all is fulfilled in Christ. We can only begin to imagine how small and inadequate these apostles must have felt in this moment. Peter feels that he must do something, so he wants to set up “boothes,” or altars, for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. But nothing is needed save for them to “listen to the voice” of the beloved Son of God. It is the Church’s work in our time to offer that same dazzling glimpse of all things transformed and transfigured in Christ. The work of transfiguration begins when we listen to the voice of Christ as He calls us. Our job is to make as many hear His voice as possible!

Call to action: Even the story of Christ’s Transfiguration contains a sense of the urgency of mission! We can no longer think of our parishes as sedate and stable places, rather, we must re-envision them as mission stations set in the midst of a hurting and unbelieving world. Pope Francis has asked the Church to conceive of herself as a “field hospital” where the hurting and injured may come for healing and succor. Ask yourself whether, as a skeptical visitor, you would feel welcome in your own parish? What needs to change? What needs to be added? Are you using your GC Smart Tools to reach out as effectively as you can? GiveCentral offers many webinars to help your parish reach out and grow. Look for our upcoming webinars here and sign up today!

Pastoral Action Points

  1. School will reopen soon! Use your GC Smart Tools to welcome families back to school and back to parish life. Nearly 20% of Catholics active before Covid have not returned to regular attendance at mass or in volunteering for parish activities. This presents a great opportunity for reaching out!
  2. The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated in 9 more days. GiveCentral has email templates you can adapt for use in your parish for free. You can find them under Global templates in the New Communications Portal.
 
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Last modified: November 8, 2024

← Pope St. John XXIII was known to tell people that we had a “cheat sheet” for the final judgment; it is found in St. Matthew’s Gospel in the 25th chapter – today's Gospel proclamation. How we should conduct ourselves as Christians is no mystery. Whatever else our faults may be, and whatever our sins in need of reconciliation, we can be charitable and kind to those who hunger and thirst, to those who are sick or imprisoned. (As St. Peter tells us in his epistles, love covers a multitude of sins!) However, the call of Matthew 25 isn’t directed at only the individual Christian! It is directed at the Church, corporately! Another Pope of blessed memory, Benedict XVI, reminded us that the Holy Eucharist finds its fulfillment when the Church goes forth from the Sacred Liturgy and puts love into action in the world! In the first reading today, the prophet Ezechiel tells us what sounds like a job description for the Church. “The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.” That’s why we need to welcome the lost and strayed back into our churches Call to action: This is a good time to remind your people about their end-of-year giving! Use your GC Smart Tools to send an email or direct mail to your parishioners about end-of-year giving, or to make a commitment for their giving for the coming year of 2024. It’s a best practice to let them know the impact of their giving from this past year and to thank them for their generosity with time, prayer, and financial giving! (Did you know there is research from neuroscience about what’s called “giver’s glow?” More on that later.) Finally, Advent and Christmas are great seasons for welcoming back Catholics who have slipped in their participation, or potential new Catholics who are seekers in faith. Be careful about judging the lapsed! It might be better to be curious about why they’ve been away! Pastoral Action Points Are you ready with new, seasonal pew cards for Advent? You can find free templates for Advent pew cards in our Communication Portal. Not sure how to use it? Contact Teresa at teresa@givecentral.org or Edgar at edgar@givecentral.org Over 85% of Americans, including the elderly, now use smart phones. More Americans use smart phones than computers! Make sure your GiveCentral Smart texting phone number and GC Smart QR Codes are ready to go! Again, you can email Teresa or Edgar for more information or training! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Previous Story
Embracing the Mission: The Transfiguration of the Lord and Parish Renewal
→ 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 1. Keep your pews equipped with your parish’s pew cards all through Lent to make engaging and giving easy for your donors! 2. 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. 3. 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 Next Story
Listening to God: Embrace Obedience and Welcome in Your Parish

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