Jonathan F. Sullivan

Director of

Catechetical Services,

Diocese of Springfield

in Illinois

Originally from

Kansas City

Married, 6 (+1)

children

www.JonathanFSullivan.co

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A few reminders…

This series will not

just be

“information

delivery”

More personal,

reflective

Opportunities to

respond – so

please participate!

Overview

10/13: Jesus

10/20: Scripture & Tradition

10/27: Christian Community

11/3: Liturgy & Prayer

11/10: Vocation & Mission

VOCATION

Vocation

Vocare – to call

Three types of vocation

Common Christian vocation

State-in-Life

Personal Vocation

Common Christian Vocation

Holiness!

Vatican II: Universal

Call to Holiness

State-in-Life

Clergy

Bishops

Priests

Deacons

“Principally and

expressly ordained to

the sacred ministry”

State-in-Life

Consecrated

Religious

Monastic

Mendicant

“Give outstanding and

striking testimony that

the world cannot be

transfigured and

offered to God without

the spirit of the

Beatitudes”

State-in-Life

Laity

Marriage

Single Life?

“It belongs to the laity

to seek the kingdom of

God by engaging in

temporal affairs and

directing them

according to God’s

will.”

Personal Vocation

“Unique combination of commitments, relationships, obligations, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses that a particular individual who is trying to know, accept, and do God’s will uses as the material of his or her life living out the common Christian vocation and a state in life.”- Russell Shaw, Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church

Question:

If asked, how

would you

describe your

personal

vocation?

Charisms

Gifts of the Holy

Spirit

Differ from natural

talents and

strengths

Given to build up the

Kingdom

Many different types

of charisms

Discernment

Process by which we discern

God’s will

Clues:Pull of the heart

Affirmation of others/the community

Observable results

Congruence with Church teaching

MISSION

Evangelization

“[The Church] exists

in order to

evangelize.” – Pope

Paul VI

Community Context

Witness and Proclamation

“[E]ven the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified - what Peter called always having "your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have" - and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.

- Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi no. 22

Witness

Photo by Jesslee

Cuizon under a CC-BY

license.

Proclamation

Photo by spDuchamp

under a CC-BY license.

Works of Mercy

1. To feed the hungry

2. To give drink to the

thirsty

3. To clothe the naked

4. To shelter the

homeless

5. To visit the sick

6. To visit the

imprisoned

7. To bury the dead

1. To instruct the ignorant

2. To counsel the doubtful

3. To admonish sinners

4. To bear wrongs patiently

5. To forgive offences willingly

6. To comfort the afflicted

7. To pray for the living and the dead

Corporal Spiritual

Questions:

What aspect of

the Church’s

mission speaks to

you?

How have you

participated in

evangelization or

the Works of

Mercy?

Q&A

Video and slides available tomorrow at

bit.ly/BetterDisciple