Typically,
I try not to copy the ideas and thoughts of other bloggers but today, I am
making an exception. In August, I heard
Indianapolis Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Coyne preach and I have been following
his blog – Let’s Walk Together, Thoughts of a Catholic Bishop - since. He usually posts something very timely once a
week. On his last post, he offers 25 suggestions for actions that we might
consider if we are serious about evangelizing in 2013.
Originally,
I was going to blog about five of the options that really spoke to me. I can't choose five! There
are so many great suggestions, that all of them are listed below. I think my
favorite is “to talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a
day”. If you want to read his entire
post, click on http://thoughtsofacatholicbishop.blogspot.com/.
Quote from "Thought of a Catholic Bishop" Blog
As a Catholic Christian
committed to the Church and the work of the new evangelization, I resolve with
the love of Christ in my heart and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
- to strive to grow in my love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church everyday.
- to be someone who seeks opportunities to invite others to faith in Jesus Christ and then seizes those opportunities when they come.
- to try and talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a day.
- to strive to live as someone who seeks to love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul and to love my neighbor as I would seek to be loved.
- everyday to wake up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, and before I stand up, bow my head in praise to God for all that he has done for me.
- everyday as I prepare for bed, to sit or kneel at my bedside and thank God for the blessings of the day and seek His forgiveness for any of my human transgressions.
- to attend Sunday Mass every week, arriving at least 15 minutes before Mass starts so I can properly prepare myself to listen to the Word of God and celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
- every time I eat, regardless of where I am, to give thanks to God for the food I am about to receive.
- to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation at least once a month or more as needed.
- to meditate on the daily Mass readings.
- to pray the Rosary once a day.
- to be someone who seeks to judge less and understand more.
- to remember that,"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters." (Blessed Mother Teresa)
- to balance the way I talk about the Church. If I have to complain about something I do not agree with or like about the Church, I will remember to say something about what I love about the Church, especially around others who may not believe as I do.
- to chose one night per week in which I will not watch TV, use my computer, play on my phone, laptop, or tablet, text, tweet, or FB or anything like that. Instead, I will become involved: involved with my church, a charity, a neighbor, whatever the opportunity and the desire leads me.
- to "tithe" some part of myself (time, treasure, and talent) to furthering God's kingdom in this world.
- to meditate seriously on the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Spiritual Works of Mercy and to strive to live them.
- to be meek but not "milquetoast."
- to comfort those who mourn.
- to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
- to be pure of heart in thought, word, and deed.
- to be merciful.
- to be a peacemaker but to also be courageous.
- to be righteous before God and others.
I resolve to be a child of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
- to strive to grow in my love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church everyday.
- to be someone who seeks opportunities to invite others to faith in Jesus Christ and then seizes those opportunities when they come.
- to try and talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a day.
- to strive to live as someone who seeks to love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul and to love my neighbor as I would seek to be loved.
- everyday to wake up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, and before I stand up, bow my head in praise to God for all that he has done for me.
- everyday as I prepare for bed, to sit or kneel at my bedside and thank God for the blessings of the day and seek His forgiveness for any of my human transgressions.
- to attend Sunday Mass every week, arriving at least 15 minutes before Mass starts so I can properly prepare myself to listen to the Word of God and celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
- every time I eat, regardless of where I am, to give thanks to God for the food I am about to receive.
- to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation at least once a month or more as needed.
- to meditate on the daily Mass readings.
- to pray the Rosary once a day.
- to be someone who seeks to judge less and understand more.
- to remember that,"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters." (Blessed Mother Teresa)
- to balance the way I talk about the Church. If I have to complain about something I do not agree with or like about the Church, I will remember to say something about what I love about the Church, especially around others who may not believe as I do.
- to chose one night per week in which I will not watch TV, use my computer, play on my phone, laptop, or tablet, text, tweet, or FB or anything like that. Instead, I will become involved: involved with my church, a charity, a neighbor, whatever the opportunity and the desire leads me.
- to "tithe" some part of myself (time, treasure, and talent) to furthering God's kingdom in this world.
- to meditate seriously on the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Spiritual Works of Mercy and to strive to live them.
- to be meek but not "milquetoast."
- to comfort those who mourn.
- to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
- to be pure of heart in thought, word, and deed.
- to be merciful.
- to be a peacemaker but to also be courageous.
- to be righteous before God and others.
I resolve to be a child of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
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