+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
For a couple months now you have heard the announcement of Encounter the Heart of Jesus, the adoration time before the Blessed Sacrament the first Sunday evening of each month. As part of that announcement, you hear that there are confessions available, and I am usually the one in the confessional – but sometimes, a guest priest. Then you hear that there is a prayer ministry team available during that hour as well. The prayer ministry team is a new addition as of this fall. It is comprised of at least one of the deacons, and then a few laypeople who have some experience in this area, and received a bit of teaching from me. The team hangs out in the “family room” (formerly the Blessed Sacrament chapel at the back of the church near the confessional). The basic idea is that you can have a group of people focusing on you for some particular need, with prayers that are said aloud by the group on your behalf, right there with you present. It can be a pretty powerful experience, actually!
What happens when you walk into the ministry team room? You'll be invited to have a seat. One of the team members will say a prayer to the Holy Spirit. You'll be invited to say specifically what it is you would like prayer for – but always with sensitivity and discretion, not forcing you to say anything you do not want to say. You could, in fact, go in and ask for prayer in general, without specifying anything precise about which to pray. Somebody on the team might ask you if you'd be comfortable having a hand laid on your shoulder during the prayer, but that is not necessary to do. It's just somewhat common. Feel free to say you'd be more comfortable without that. The team leader might stop from time to time to see if you are having anything come to mind. Is there anything you think the Lord is doing or saying that you can sense as they are praying? Also, a team member might offer some sense or words he or she thinks the Lord wants you to hear. It's not a perfect science. You can simply consider the words at your convenience to see if they seem to resonate with you as from the Lord. We aren't perfect at hearing the Lord. But, He is known to give some words of knowledge from time to time. Eventually the team leader will close the prayer time up, and you'll be free to go. It's really that simple.
On another, but related, note: For about the last decade, many parishes in our Diocese have begun to focus on mission – reaching out to people around us who are not yet part of the church. A significant reason for the Church's existence is to be on mission for the Lord to the rest of the world. You know that focus began at our parish well before I arrived. Currently, the pastoral leadership team and I are reading another book on the topic of mission. How do we best reach out to people around us? How is the parish on mission? Most importantly, it's about each parishioner reaching out to somebody in his or her own sphere of relationships.
To help you in your task, we have a number of activities to which you can invite newcomers. Sometimes the Mass is too much for somebody brand new. You can discern that with them. But there are certainly a number of things to which you can invite somebody who has little experience, or who hasn't been to Church in a long time. There are the Encounter the Heart of Jesus evenings, which I mentioned above. We have the Lenten Tuesday soup and bread sessions. We have Catholic chat sessions that are very low-key, not requiring any commitment beyond one session, although people are certainly invited to come to them all. We have the Rescue Project in the fall. And, the Rescue Project begins RCIA, the course for people who are far enough along to consider the Faith more seriously, even consider entering the Church. Anybody is welcome to the Rescue Project, even if he or she is not planning on going through RCIA. How does the parish best do mission? You, our parishioners, ask the Lord whom He wants you to help draw closer to Him, and how He wants you to be His instrument. Consider if one of these parish offerings might be the way. Jessica Pehmoeller is always available to answer any questions you might have about a program or event you think the Lord might be asking you to attend with a guest.
Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Father Poggemeyer