DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:
80. Many responses describe a Church strongly engaged in the work of transformation by being present among people and within society. The younger Churches are working to enliven parishes which are oftentimes extensive, animating them internally through a program, depending on geographic and ecclesial contexts, called “Basic Christian Communities” or “Small Christian Communities.” Their stated purpose is to foster a Christian life which is better capable of sustaining the faith of their members and illuminating, through their witness, various areas of society, particularly in large, sprawling cities. The older, more-established Churches are reviewing their parish programs which are being administered with increased difficulty as a result of a decrease in the number of the clergy and a decline in Christian practice. They are seeking to avoid the danger that their work become merely bureaucratic and administrative and lead to undesired effects, namely that particular Churches, already too busy with operational problems, might, in the end, become exclusively concerned with themselves. In this regard, many responses refer to the idea of a “pastoral unity” as a means of combining a parish renewal program with a cooperative endeavor among other parishes, so as to create a more community-minded particular Church.
81. The new evangelization is a call to the Church to rediscover her missionary origins. According to many responses, the new evangelization can devote work in this area to leading Christian communities to be less concentrated on themselves inwardly in the midst of the changes already taking place and more engaged in proclaiming the faith to others. In this regard, much is expected from parishes that are seen as an entryway, open to everyone in every place on the globe, to the Christian faith and an experience of the Church. In addition to their being the place for ordinary pastoral life, liturgical celebrations, the dispensation of the sacraments, catechesis and the catechumenate, parishes have the responsibility to become real centers for propagating and bearing witness to the Christian experience and places for attentively listening to people and ascertaining their needs. Parishes are places where a person receives instruction on searching for the truth, where faith is nourished and strengthened and where the Christian message and God’s plan for humanity and the world is communicated. They are the prime communities for experiencing the joy that comes from being not only gathered together by the Spirit but prepared to live one’s proper vocation as a missionary. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 80-81)
81. The new evangelization is a call to the Church to rediscover her missionary origins. According to many responses, the new evangelization can devote work in this area to leading Christian communities to be less concentrated on themselves inwardly in the midst of the changes already taking place and more engaged in proclaiming the faith to others. In this regard, much is expected from parishes that are seen as an entryway, open to everyone in every place on the globe, to the Christian faith and an experience of the Church. In addition to their being the place for ordinary pastoral life, liturgical celebrations, the dispensation of the sacraments, catechesis and the catechumenate, parishes have the responsibility to become real centers for propagating and bearing witness to the Christian experience and places for attentively listening to people and ascertaining their needs. Parishes are places where a person receives instruction on searching for the truth, where faith is nourished and strengthened and where the Christian message and God’s plan for humanity and the world is communicated. They are the prime communities for experiencing the joy that comes from being not only gathered together by the Spirit but prepared to live one’s proper vocation as a missionary. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 80-81)
The Lord gave them bread from heaven. (Psalm 78:24, Mass).
Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you
as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you
as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Today and tomorrow’s selections from the Instrumentum Laboris addresses “Parish Transformation and the New Evangelization,” a topic that many people are feeling as dioceses once known for their large numbers are having to consolidate parish schools, operations and even the parish itself. Yet at the same time, news of vibrant communities experiencing explosive growth dots the ecclesial radar throughout the world. Paragraph 80 references “Basic Christian Communities” as instrumental in helping to foster Christian living. Many of these communities flourish throughout the world, particularly in areas marked by poverty and/or persecution. It does raise a question though – why is there growth in poor, persecuted areas and, generally speaking, decline, apathy and indifference in ‘traditionally Catholic’ areas? These paragraphs also provide another valuable contribution to current pastoral activity: a description, beyond canonical language, of who and what constitutes parish identity. The Instrumentum Laboris describes parishes as “places where a person receives instruction on searching for the truth, where faith is nourished and strengthened and where the Christian message and God’s plan for humanity and the world is communicated. They are the prime communities for experiencing the joy that comes from being not only gathered together by the Spirit but prepared to live one’s proper vocation as a missionary.” Such a quote can serve a parish well in mapping an experience of renewal as opposed to planning for a parish’s closure.
Consider:
Consider:
- How have you described parish prior to reading today's selection from the Instrumentum Laboris?
- How can insights expressed in these paragraphs assist your parish right now?
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