Hello, all. First of all, thanks to everyone who helped out when I had to leave yesterday. As Julien of Norwich said, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." It is/has been quite a year for the St. Raphael community. There have been some great, exciting moments, and some moments filled with fear and stress. I don't know about everyone else, but there have been a ton of moments where I just don't know what to do. So, what I am going to do, and what I want to invite anyone who would like to do as well, is pray a healing novena to St. Raphael. A novena is a nine-day bout of prayers with specific intentions in mind. In this case, we will be asking for healing of all sorts, whatever sort of healing the community needs. It is very appropro to pray to St. Raphael; not only is he the patron of our school, he is also the healing angel...just what we need! The name Raphael even means "God heals" in Hebrew. For this novena, we will be praying the Chaplet of St. Raphael. A chaplet is a personal devotional that uses prayer beads. For the Chaplet of St. Raphael, there are 12 beads and a medal. Here is the jist of how to pray it, but, of course, the prayer is more important than the format, so feel free to do your own thing. (You don't need a physical chaplet to pray this...just use your fingers!) I'll put all this on my blog so you can refer to it there if you'd like. I'm going to start the novena tomorrow, so that it ends on Friday, May 11, but you can start and stop at any time. With prayer, Sam Medal: Prayer to St. Raphael You are Raphael the Healer, You are Raphael the Guide, You are Raphael the Companion, ever at human sorrow's aide. 3 beads: Hail Mary (Mary is the Queen of the Angels!) 9 beads: Prayers in honor of the Angels (one for each group of angels: Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Principalities, Powers, Cherubim, Seraphim) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Glory be to the Father; Glory be to the Son; Glory be to the Holy Spirit! End on the Medal: Prayer to St. Raphael St. Raphael, angel of health, of love, of joy, and light, pray for us.

Chicken and Dumplings

I've been doing a lot of experimenting lately. 

No, I haven't gotten into hard drugs or dubstep, I've just been making up dinner recipes, trying to be thrifty, healthy, and quick all at once.

Tonight I made an easy version of chicken and dumplings, and Trista gave me the great idea to share it. (Check out Trista's blog and the rest of the Bright Maidens, too!)  So, here's how I did it:

1. I put just a touch of oil in the bottom of my big spaghetti pot and let it heat up while I salt, pepper, and garlic powdered two chicken breasts.

2. I cooked the chicken over medium/medium high heat, making sure each side was golden and delicious looking.

3. I let the chicken sit on my cutting board while I wiped out any excess oil (but left the chicken bits stuck to the pot). 

4. I put a beer glass full of water in the pot (this is called deglazing maybe?) as well as a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. At this point, I wish I would have added some other veggies like squash, because I'm obsessed with squash right now. But, alas, I stuck to the classic green bean, carrot, pea, corn combo.

5. As the veggies were heating up, I added a can of "healthy" cream of chicken soup and a can of "healthy" cream of mushroom soup (simply because I only had one cream of chicken can). And I stirred.

6. I opened a can of pilsbury biscuits (the pop always freaks me out) and pulled off little pieces of dough and dropped them into the pot. I did five biscuits worth of dime-ish sized pieces, which meant that we had 3 biscuits left to enjoy with our meal...which is great because I love biscuits.

7. As everything was simmering away, I cut up the chicken into bite sized chunks and threw that in, too.

8. When it was all in the pot, I seasoned with salt, pepper, a bay leaf, garlic powder, some dried parsley, and just a touch of celery salt. I put on a lid and let it simmer for um, I really have no idea. I think maybe half an hour or so? It should thicken up nicely and the dumplings should become dumplings consistency.

It wasn't my grandma's made from scratch chicken and dumplings, but it was pretty good, and easy enough for a weeknight. J said it was make again worthy, and then he killed a scary camel cricket for me, so I will probably be making it again relatively soon.

Let me know if you have any ideas!

preview!

i wrote a little quip for a new book coming out (by David Kinnaman...check him out!) here is a preview of what might be in the upcoming text (still workingn on revisions and such, im sure):

Throughout scripture, prophets have preached counter-cultural, and sometimes counter-traditional messages, usually upsetting both secular and church leaders. These prophets saw past the human corruption and dug to the scriptural and moral roots of their faith. They simply begged people to return to the way of God and be good to each other. Young people are the prophets of today. Able to see both the secular world and the church as outsiders, our critiques can find the holes in teachings, hypocrisies, and inefficiencies.

Young people often have a save the world mindset. While we might be extremely idealistic, we also have a great ability to get things done. In a world of instant gratification, we are not satisfied with letting the injustices of the world work themselves out over time, but want to do something to help. Now. Neither are we satisfied with easy answers or sugar-coated truths. We need to explore the world and how we fit into it for ourselves, to challenge the rules and systems already in place, and to have our findings listened to and respected.

This is not to say that we young people have all the answers; far from it. Our idealism can be naïve at times, and our goals can be fickle and short lived. We need mentors, guides, and role models to whom we can bring our successes and failures and be comforted, applauded, and, most importantly, led into reflection, all without feeling judged or inferior.

We have infinite choices to look to for these mentors: millions of people throughout the world—all instantly accessible and preaching their own slice of the truth. Overwhelmed with decisions, we are not necessarily enamored by tradition, nor swayed by the promise (or threat) of salvation. In a world more diverse and connected than ever before, we see salvation in the faces of others, and we seek those who treat others well and who—like us—are working to make an immediate and permanent difference by fostering a mutual respect with all.

The flight of young people from our churches should encourage us to examine what we are doing to make sure that we have pure intentions and that we are working to the best of our ability. Young people recognize the ability to get things done, and seek those who listen to the word of the Lord.

the support song

i've had this stuck in my head since the other night at the brown theater... definitely worth a listen.  

made my day.

your mountain is waiting

I think yearly readings of this classic Dr. Seuss book should be mandatory for all people.  I was reminded by this great article by Christina Capecchi just how much sense Dr. Seuss makes, and how easy it is to get stuck in "the waiting place."

No matter what stage of life I am in, I run across things that about scare me right out of my pants.  But whether we call it pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, making a conscious decision to be happy, or putting ourselves in God's hands, only we can make ourselves start happening, too.

So, without further ado (or, hopefully, any lawsuits), I give you the unequivocal Dr. Seuss:

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

the nuts and bolts of young adult ministry

Last week, the Louisville Archdiocese had the wonderful privilege of hosting Paul Jarzembowski of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association for several workshops focused on ministering to 18-39 year olds.  I took some (very rough) notes which I am reporting to my staff (in hopes they'll start taking some to heart), and thought I could share with all of you as well.  If you would like any more info. or for information on having a speaker from NCYAMA come to your parish/diocese/organization (doesn't have to be a church!), hit them up for sure (this doesn't do justice to the fantastic, inspirational and dynamic presentations in the least.).

website: www.ncyama.org

facebook: www.facebook.com/ncyama

twitter: @ncyama

The Nuts and Bolts of Young Adult Ministry

presented by the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA), which exists to help and resource anyone who works with young adults (that’s everyone in a parish!)

I. Initial Concerns

            A. Diversity: “young adult” is a frustrating term because it includes such a wide variety of life situations.  All 18-39 year olds do not have the same needs.

            B. Four Unifying Characteristics

                        1. Transitional

                                    a. many “firsts”: first job, first apartment, first baby, etc.

                                    b. lack of stability: many jobs in short amount of time,  frequent moves

                                    c. always thinking of next thing

                                    d. average 7 jobs between 18-35

                        2. Mobile

                                    a. global access, think multinational corporations

                                    b. always active

                                    c. socially networked=new definition of “community”

                        3. Digital

                                    a. technologically conscious

                                    b. google speed, can have instant access to information

                                    c. wiki generation: we can all contribute

                                    d. expect to be accessed as well as access

                                    e. interactive

                        4. Absent

                                    a. 26% of Millenials not connected whatsoever

                                    b. only 15%-17% active young adult Catholics

II. What’s Working with the 85%

            A. Moments of Return

                        1. Family oriented holidays: Christmas, Easter

                        2. Sacraments for oneself/family: weddings, baptisms

                        3. Sacraments of friends: others’ weddings, baptisms, funerals

                        4. Lent and Ash Wednesday 

                                   a. 61% of millenials abstain from meat during Lent

                                   b. 50% of Millennials receive ashes on Ash Wednesday

III. Why Does It Work?

            A. Catholic Tradition

                        1. Catholic subconscious/imagination/identity

                        2. parents & family relationships

                        3. experience rather than education, easy to understand

                        4. youth and campus ministry

            B. Refuge and Rest

                        1. more young adults are unemployed/in poverty than since Great Depression

                        2. career loss and tinkering is stressful and causes unrest

                        3.  it is a time to let go and abstain

                        4. during Lent the Church is welcoming “come to me and I will give you rest”

            C. They like Jesus

                        1. profound prophetic and historical figure

                        2. he was Spiritual but not Religious

                        3. Christian/Spiritual values

                        4. No condemnation

                        5. like Jesus, not Church rules

IV. Best Practices for the 85%

            A. Capitalizing on Lent/Ash Wednesday

            B. Pastoral Care

            C.  Spirituality Programs

                        1. Spiritual Direction or Companionship

            D. Ministry Pathways

                        1. Invite people to participate in ministries already present in the Church

            E. Targeted Outreach

                        1. Have programs for a narrowed down audience, not just “young adults”

                        2. Target demographics, such as college students or a budgeting workshop

            F. Technology and media

V. Active Young Adults (15%)

            A. Silent Yet Willing

                        1. need to be noticed

                        2. less proactive: need to be asked very directly

                        3. usually willing to participate if asked

            B. Seeking Answers and Meaning

                        1. insatiable curiosity

                        2. want apologetics, fine details

                        3. top questions: basic cath. beliefs, Mass, sacraments, Mary & the Saints, reading                    the Bible, other religions, social teachings

            C. Catholic ≠ Parochial

                        1. Church shopping

                        2. Catholicism is Global!

                        3. Starbucks model: can go to different Starbucks locations, still Starbucks loyal

                        4. movements rather than parishes

                        5. collaborative efforts with other parishes/organizations

VI. Best Practices for the 15% and beyond

            A. Preferential option in parish leadership

                        1. Empowering young adults to tell us what they need from the Church

                        2. visibility makes the environment more welcoming for other young adults

                        3. many yas are in transition and won’t wait for 3 year requisite to be on council

            B. Service, volunteer, and justice opportunities

                        1. young adults really identify with this aspect of Church

                        2. advertise other ministries as service

            C. Vocation discernment

                        1. not necessarily ordained

                        2. help thinking about the future and goals

            D.  Young Adult Catechesis

                        1. can be young adult specific by talking about certain topics

                        2. keep specific

                        3. also make current programs young adult friendly; don’t reinvent the wheel

            E. Multi-parish clusters

VII. The Catholic Response to Young Adults: Sons and Daughters of the Light

            A. Developing Catholic Outreach Efforts

                        1. Peer Evangelization Team: look for popular, dynamic, Alpha Dog types

                        2. Market Creatively: one step marketing, technology!

                        3. Technology and Social Media

                                    a. blogs

                                    b. links to blogs on social networks (Facebook, Twitter)

                                    c. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE VIRTUAL MINISTRY

                                    d. actively comment on fb, twitter=pastoral care

                                    e. what would Jesus tweet?

                        4. Moments of Return

                                    a. Lent/Ash Wednesday

                                    b. greet and direct newcomers at funerals, etc.

                                    c. show how welcoming Church is

                                    d. use teaching moments, such as wedding rehearsals

                                    e. reach out to guests, not just those receiving sacraments

                        5. Integrate social culture

                                    a. American secular culture is a culture just like a foreign culture

                                    b. think of perspective: to the Church, a cohabitating couple may be too                                                 worldly, but to their friends, getting married in the Church might be                                             ridiculously conservative and old fashioned.

                                    c. accept and foster baby steps

                        6. Tap into Youth and Campus Ministry Pathways

                        7. Parents of Young Adults

                                    a. minister to parents

                                    b. help parents be compassionate and affirming to young adults

                                    c. a good place to look for funding

                        8. Targeted Outreach

                        9. Young Adult Oriented Youth Ministry

                                    a. role models

                                    b. prepare them for what comes next

                                    c. young adult ministry fair

            B. Parish Integration and Pastoral Strategies

                        1. Host parish summit on young adults

                        2. Parishioner Awareness of Young Adults/Issues

                        3. Welcoming and Hospitality

                                    a. young adults want older role models, but have to be in touch w/culture

                                    b. accept where people are and work from there

                        4. Enhancing/Adjusting Existing Programs to be more YA friendly

                        5. Visible Leadership Roles

                        6. Assess Pastoral Care

                                    a. young adults need pastoral care, too

                                    b. break-ups, job losses, growing up, etc in addition to all other situations

                        7. Develop Support Programs for Transitional Times

                        8. Personally invite the quiet

                                    a. Young Adult Ministry is not a silo

                                    b. all areas of ministry should invite young adults to participate

                        9. Be conscious of the suffering young adults in the midst of the parish

                        10. Offer Spiritual Direction/Companionship

            C. Implementation, Execution, and Funding

                        1. Intentionally lay out vision and strategies

                                    a. research enculturation

                                    b. a missionary effort

                                    c. not separate from vision of the parish, but integrated

                        2. Build Alpha Dog Team

                                    a. ask people to do certain tasks with specific timeline

                                    b. not only young adults minister to young adults

                        3. Go beyond the parish walls

                                    a. ministry is not a 9-5 office job

                                    b. your welcoming/hospitality/acceptance represents the church

                        4. YA Ministry ≠ YA Minister’s job

                                    a. any ministry that touches YAs is YA ministry

                                    b. YAs should be involved in all ministries of the Church

                                    c. it is the parish’s job to minister to and be YA friendly

                        5. allocate your funds based on % of potential outreach

                                    a. missionary effort, not based on current numbers

                                    b. charge a little for programs

                                    c. get parish donors

                                    d. parents of YAs are a good group to ask

                                    e. share resources with other ministries/parishies

                                    f. grants

                                    g. fundraise

                        6. Call forth gifts from Parish Roster and Young Adults

                                    a. look to parishioners for presentation topics (i.e. financial planning, etc.)

                                    b. donations from parishioner/YA workplaces

                        7. Have patience, don’t break

                        8. Keep focus on the Mission, not the #s

                                    a. know when to let a particular event/activity/method die

                                    b. wholistic, not just wine and cheesers, but MINISTRY

                        9. Evaluate, fix, and rise again