Don’t miss the mission!

Takeaways for becoming a Missionary Disciple

The best way to get a taste of the takeaways from the Convocation of Catholic Leaders is simply to take them and savour them oneself.  We are blessed to be part of a great mission.

Here are some quotes and videos from the speakers that resonated with the members of our own Regnum Christi Delegation and paint the picture of what God is asking of the Church and the Regnum Christi Movement as we go forward from this historic occasion.

 Charting the Landscape and the Mission Field

 “The Jesus here now in our midst calls us to discipleship, summons us to unity, imparts to us joy, and sends us on mission.” – Cardinal Timothy Dolan

“We are not living in an era of change, but in a change of era.”  – Cardinal Timothy Dolan

“Don’t leave the discussion of religious freedom to the constitutional argument.  Talk about the beauty of the outreach to the family that the Church will do with that freedom!”- Dr. Helen Alvare

“Hispanic youth don’t need the Church to give them a program, they need the Church to give them a HOME.” –Father Agustino Torres

The Radical Call to Missionary Discipleship

“Radical missionary discipleship is an uncompromising commitment to bring the gospel to the world. The word ‘radical’ comes from the Latin radix– meaning the root- so it means first of all a deep rootedness in Christ.”- Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut

“The five characteristics of an evangelizing disciple are boldness, connectedness to the Church, a sense of urgency, compassion and joy.”- Cardinal Donald Wuerl

“There is a gift you have that someone else needs.  Your ‘yes’ matters. It is a matter of life and death to someone else.”- Sherry Weddell

“Vital Christian community life is a profound witness in a world longing for connectedness.” Sister Agnes SOL

Mercy and Renewal for the Mission

“Pope Francis reminds us that God put us here to take care of each other and witness to his mercy and love.”- Cardinal Sean O’Malley

“Mercy is the medicine that cures sadness in the heart of the one who receives it, and in the heart of the one who gives it.” Cardinal Sean O’Malley

Going into the Peripheries with the Mission

“We are made free when we at long last allow the Lord to touch the wounds of our existence.” – Archbishop William Lori

“The Church is called to go out into the peripheries where there is pain, injustice, sin, and misery.  The peripheries are cultural and existential, sociological and geographical.  They are where there is material or spiritual poverty.  They are the new mission territory.”- Archbishop Gomez

“Where there is suffering, Jesus is there. And where Jesus is, we must be also. Jesus is already at the peripheries. The question is if he will be there alone or if we will go there with him.” – Supreme Knight Carl Anderson

If we go deep enough into the peripheries, the boundaries between us begin to disappear and we may see that we ourselves are the first periphery, not our neighbor.” – Supreme Knight Carl Anderson

“Evangelization is about making God’s love real to someone who may have seen it as something very distant.” – Supreme Knight Carl Anderson

Evangelizers Equipped for Excellence

“Steven Covey talks about a circle of concern and a circle of influence. The circle of concern has all the things I am worried about in it. The circle of influence has the things that we can impact in it. We need to make sure we focus on our circle of influence which includes: your personal holiness, the people closest to you, and the health of your own organization.”- Pat Lencioni

“We’re talking about fighting the good fight. Our three great obstacles are scientism, the culture of ‘meh’ and the culture of self-invention, but our three great opportunities are truth, beauty and goodness.”- Bishop Robert Barron

A Spirit of Mission

“We are in a very, very significant time in our Church and in our Country. Today’s Gospel, John 17, reminds me of how contemplating we are going to have to be if we are going to be active. Never are you more active than when the Word of God is overpowering you… I can only think of a poem that’s been with me the last 10 days. I give it to you….

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,

If I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:

Love said, You shall be he.

I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,

I cannot look on thee.

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

My dear, then I will serve.

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:

So I did sit and eat.”

– Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, homily of the closing Mass of the Convocation of Catholic Leaders