Report of the United States National Coordination Council

Of the Union of Catholic Apostolate – January 2015

The Variation and Growth of the UAC in the USA Over the Past Three Years

The UAC in the United States is comprised of 10 Local Coordination Councils. The councils are located in the following areas, the Upper Mid-West, (Wisconsin 3 LCC’s), the Northeastern area (New Jersey 3 LCC’s, New York 2 LCC’s), and the mid-Atlantic area (Maryland 2 LCC’s). Wisconsin’s membership has remained stable. New York has admitted two new members and New Jersey has remained stable. Maryland is showing some signs of renewed growth and currently has 5 new member candidates. Our LCC’s are supported by the Priests and Brothers of the Immaculate Conception and Mother of God Provinces and the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Province

The Areas of Pastoral  and Apostolic Mission of the UAC and the Diverse Forms of Apostolic Commitment of the Members

The LCC’s in the United States are involved in various forms of apostolic outreach programs. Members are engaged in ministering to the poor, the mentally challenged and providing support for children with serious and sometimes fatal illnesses. The purchasing by UAC members of coats, hats and gloves for poor inner city children is one example of outreach under taken this winter. Visiting Veteran’s Hospitals to read, write letters, converse or just watch television with the patients is another. Members visit with abused women and children in shelters, work in soup kitchens and are involved in various apostolic ministries in their respective dioceses. UAC members are active in their parishes as special ministers of the Eucharist at Mass, visiting hospitals and shut-ins at home to pray and serve the Eucharist. They serve on parish councils are active in their church choirs, volunteer as lectors, ushers, RCIA catechists and cantors. Many volunteer in the daily life of their parishes by transporting the elderly who can no longer drive to church; to help them shop and provide transportation to parish members for medical visits.

The members of the Core Communities of the UAC are present in the United States in two provinces, three delagatures, and one special local community of priests and brothers, a province of the CSAC and a province of the Missionary Sisters.  They are engaged in parishes, retreat work, education, evangelization, health care, and domestic and international missions.

The Horizons, Prospects and Perspectives of the National Coordination Council in the United States

Church attendance is a problem we all are facing. We are enthused by work of the New Evangelization and its potential to renew the spiritual life of Catholics, both active ones and inactive ones as well as draw others into greater engagement in the life of faith.  The Catholic Apostolate Center, a ministry of the Immaculate Conception Province of the priests and brothers, is working directly in this area at the national and diocesan levels of the United States and also assists the UAC in the English-speaking world through its web-based resources and publications.  The Center also provides presentations and retreats at their location, but does these activities and missions at the diocesan and parish levels, and online.  Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. is the Director of this Center.

A new Local Coordination Council is being formed in the state of Michigan by one of our NCC members Fr. Noel O’Conner, SAC. Father O’Connor currently has four to six active Catholic men and women who are working with him in this endeavor.

Our outlook for the future is very positive; our hope is that collaborating in the Church’s work of the New Evangelization, particularly by assisting active Catholics in becoming apostles so that they can bring people back to active life in parishes.  Those who are formed in this way are perfect potential members the UAC.

Robert H. Gay

President

USNCC/UAC

December 06, 2014

Apostles For Today April 2015

Apostles For Today 

 April 2015

PEACE AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE (EG 238-258) – Spiritual preparation for the General Congress of the Union in July 2015

We might agree that peace is the deepest human desire. We all want peace, we all want to live in peace. But we might ask ourselves: what is peace? What is that peace which we desire?

Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter Populorum Progressio noted that "peace is not simply the absence of warfare, based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by efforts directed day after day toward the establishment of the ordered universe willed by God, with a more perfect form of justice among men"[1].

Here we have a first element for understanding what peace is: justice. Therefore, we can affirm that there is no true peace without justice. Continuing with this affirmation, we could say that there is no justice without equality between people and a world which permits the integral development of all people.

Let us take a brief detour to look at the life of our holy founder and discover that he was very committed in promoting the social unity of the people of his time. One of the first apostolates of Saint Vincent Pallotti in the field of education was when, in the year 1819, while still very young, he began to work in a night school and then founded another school for artisans, because he understood that these schools provided an opportunity to give illiterate Roman young people a real possibility to prepare themselves better for an uncertain future.

The second element for understanding the nature of peace is: dialogue. In such a way that it is also possible to say that there is no true peace without dialogue. And dialogue will be necessary until each one of us is able to look at and recognise others as equals with the same dignity. In olden times, Socrates believed that dialogue was the path to encountering truth.

Dialogue allows us to see that differences enrich rather than impoverish or lead to division. The fact that we are different from each other makes dialogue an opportunity to enrich ourselves, and to accept that others are different.

Without this second element being clearly present, we cannot fulfil what is proper to the apostolic charism left to us by Pallotti. In the exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, the Holy Father Francis reminds us that evangelisation implies a path of dialogue[2].

When someone finds themselves faced with a problem, they are not so much interested in resolving it as in communicating it, needing to share it, and this gives relief. And so the need for a capacity for empathy. That is, to put oneself in the other’s place in order to discover the reason for their attitudes, their needs. Not recognising differences, the opportunity is often lost to comprehend, to understand, to accompany, and above all, to interpret the feelings of another. This can be easily transferred to the field of religion. The Christian or any other person, whether or not they profess a faith, should not mock the beliefs of others simply because they are different from their own.

It often happens that certain intellectuals and educated people tend to be in favour of complementarity and dialogue, but some claim to demonstrate a cognitive monopoly which leaves no room for others. This is a key point in the dialogue between science and faith. It is necessary to avoid the various “imperialisms” which seek to attribute a monopoly of truth to a particular approach, however important or noble it may be, forgetting that objective truth can be arrived at by different paths and that the sincere search for truth requires mutual respect between those who seek it.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, who taught us to love each other deeply, so that we might be happy in our lives. We must understand that every situation in life is an occasion to love one another, to give ourselves to each other, to seek the truth together, also in the way in which we desire to build our fraternal relationships, sustained by a love which manifests itself in our dialogue. Help us to be mature in dealing with differences of opinion, because we want to grow while being held by your hand. Amen.

Reflection:

1.      In what places and situations in the society in which I live do I discover that peace is not present because justice is lacking?

2.      How is our dialogue with our brothers and sisters who profess a faith different to ours? Do we lock ourselves into our approaches, or do we seek ways to open dialogue?

3.      Remember a moment in which our dialogue brought us from a position of distance to a new and positive experience.

4.      What things do not promote dialogue on religious matters?

5.      Propose a goal to improve dialogue in the family.

                                             Fr. Fernando Bello SAC,

                                             National Formation Promoter,

                                             Argentina

____________________________________________________

Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, Roma, Italia    uac@uniopal.org

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[1] Cf. Enc. POPULORUM PROGRESSIO, n° 76.

[2] Cf. EVANGELII GAUDIUM, n° 238

Apostles for Today

March 2015

The Inclusion of the Poor in Society (EG 186-216) – Spiritual preparation for the General Congress of the Union in July 2015

Spiritually, the “poor” is a very rich and broad term not within our human capacity to grasp fully. It is part of the mystery of the economy of salvation. Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3) In the ordinary sense, the poor are not blessed. Poor in this text is a blessed state and it refers to one’s spirit of total detachment from things of the world to be free for God and for his people. Anyone who has attained that blessedness will love those who suffer from the worldly poverty which leads to many basic deprivations – of food, shelter, opportunities for development, etc. - and be at their service with joy. We can see that St. Vincent had developed such a deep sense of detachment from things that even as a child he would give away things - his coat, shoes, food, etc. - to the needy. Such a love and concern is what God wants from His true worshipers. God himself is deeply concerned about the poor and needy (Is.41:17). True righteousness is to share your food and clothing with the needy (Is. 58:7) and God will bless and strengthen the hands of those who perform such services for the poor (Is. 58:10-12). Love of the poor will be the measure used in the final judgment (Mt. 25:34-40).

There are also other dimensions of poverty in human lives. In Gn. 4:5 Cain’s offering was poor and unacceptable before God because he was self-conceited and arrogant (v.9). He wanted to be accepted on his own terms. God showed him the way to make also himself pleasing before God (v.7). In spite of that, Cain not only refused to love and be concerned about his brother, but murdered him. God comes to him with great concern. “Where is your brother? What have you done?” (vv.9-10). Cain did not show any regret for his action, inviting God’s wrath on himself. This is the poverty of those who have too much and are self-centred and always driven by greed for power, self-glory and possessions. We find such people everywhere and often they become the reasons for depriving others of their rights and legitimate needs and for maintaining unjust social/human systems. This happens in families, in presbyteries, in religious communities, in parishes, in organizations and between nations.

Pallotti saw in his time that even within the Church some were running around for their own glorification and leaving the people in a lot of misery. He founded the UAC as a possibility for people of all walks of life to feel at home and to feel cared for, to help bring joy and happiness to all without cravings for oneself and with the sole aim of the infinite glory of God.

I have known from UAC groups which I have met in different parts of the world, that many have found a way in some measure to create homely communities of people of all walks of life. One such memory is from the year 2000, walking with our UAC members in Berlin on a cold night with hot soup and blankets to meet the poor sleeping on the street pavements; another was of being with the UAC members in Calicut in Kerala India, who collected Rs. 3.5 million (c. €49,500/US$56,000) to build a house for the abandoned. These are people in the Union who belong to the “blessed poor”.

When UAC members refuse to accept and cooperate with other members of the Union they show something of the attitude of Cain and reveal their poverty of UAC spirit.

Meditate

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3)

“I was hungry and you gave me food …” (Mt. 25:35-36).

“The Catholic Apostolate is common to all classes of people and consists in doing whatever anyone can and should do for the greater honour of God and for our own and our neighbour's eternal salvation” (OOCC III, p. 143).

Are all people welcome and happy in our UAC groups and gatherings?

Prayer

Lord, may the UAC communities everywhere become places of acknowledging your wonders in our midst and of glorifying your name. May we always remember our own misery and sin and praise you for your infinite mercy to call us to the Catholic Apostolate together with our brothers and sisters of other walks of life in the Union. Forgive us for the times we did not welcome them with warm love and offer our wholehearted cooperation. In your infinite mercy, include us among the “blessed poor” in your kingdom as we welcome all with totally detached and selfless love so that Christ may dwell in our inner selves, that rooted and grounded in love, we may have the power to know the breadth and the length, the height and the depth of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:17-19). Inflame our hearts with the same love of Christ to enrich all members of the Union to be zealous apostles of Jesus, the Apostle of the Eternal Father. St. Vincent, our inspirer and model and Mary Queen of Apostles, our Patroness, intercede for us that we will be freed from pride and self-conceitedness and be filled with that charity which flows from the Cenacle. Amen

                                             Fr. Thomas Vijay SAC,

                                             National Formation Promoter,

                                             India

____________________________________________________

Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, Roma, Italia    uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for today

Prayer and Reflection

February 2015

_________________

Thoughts on preparing to proclaim the gospel in a liturgical homily – Spiritual preparation for the General Congress of the Union in July 2015

       For a number of years now I have preached in dialect – that is, the Swiss dialect. When proclaiming the gospel I like to speak the language of the hearers, the language of the faithful in my parishes. Thus I am almost guaranteed to be understood. Only in my own mother tongue, that is, in dialect, can I be fully authentic and credible. The participants in the service experience that I am one of them. I allude to themes which are not necessarily themes of my personal daily life as a priest: problems in families, crises of married couples, difficulties with their sons and daughters going through puberty, fears about their livelihood etc. I also speak about personal experiences and concerns which weigh me down. I can speak about my emotions, things that make me feel sad, questions for which I, too, as a priest, have no answers, or things that I can't understand. Yes, I like to speak from the heart to the heart of others in a way that allows my enthusiasm for an event to be felt by them.

       I often begin my homily with a pointed question or statement designed to somewhat disturb the hearers while stimulating them to listen carefully. This opening thought frequently develops into the central thought which I repeat in the middle of the sermon and certainly at the end– as if it were a word to take home. The last sentence must be full of hope and encouragement.

       When I was ordained deacon almost 40 years ago, I received the following commission from the bishop: “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

       It is the good, the joyful news that I am commissioned to proclaim, and the thoughts and words spoken to people. at a wedding, for instance, should fill them with joy.

       At the preparation of a funeral ceremony I try to put myself in the situation of the mourning relatives. I like to speak in images. Pictures are easy to imagine and keep in mind. Instead of the traditional biography of the deceased, I look at a photo album and contemplate important situations in the life of the deceased, such as the bridal couple in love, the christening of the first child or, describe the loving smile a grandchild for the grandfather. By looking at an album I can soothe mourning a little and give prominence to good memories.

       I like to pray the following prayer of the Catholic Hymnal of Switzerland:

       Lord, we ask you for our pastors: Let them be people full of compassion and understanding, full of hope and confidence in the future. Help them to understand the signs of the times and to share the joy and grief of others.

Jesus Christ, you have said: Whoever wants to be first among you, shall be last of all.   After all, you did not come to be served but to serve and to give your life for others. Fill them with your sentiments of humility and love.

       Jesus Christ, we ask you for priests: Teach them to proclaim your good news in a way that our hunger for life and truth may be satisfied. Fill them with courage so that they may proclaim fearlessly what your Spirit teaches them. Be their support and refuge so that they may be able to sustain the faith of their brothers and sisters. Let their lives make visible that your message is love that sets us free. Strengthen them in gratitude that you have reconciled them to yourself and entrusted them with the ministry of reconciliation.        Make us thankful that we can celebrate with them the mystery of your death and resurrection in the Eucharist. Let there be in your Church no lack of people who care for the building-up and unity of communities, until you will come in glory. Amen.

(Katholisches Gesangbuch der Schweiz 658.1-3)

Thoughts regarding the preparation of the proclamation in the daily testimony of faith

       Besides the official preaching in the homily on Sundays and public holidays, there is the more personal proclamation in the witness of faith of everyday life. There, too, I am asked to tell others what I have been given in my Christian faith and hope, as is said in the First Letter of Peter: “Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply, with gentleness and respect” (1 Pt 3:15).

       The differences between proclaiming the Gospel in liturgy and in everyday conversation are obvious: The preacher speaks to a believing community. Normally people are listening to his words with religious interest, desiring to experience a deeper relationship with God. This cannot be presumed in a spontaneous exchange in the street or at table, where a solemn atmosphere of faith is not a given. Rather, the climate is often determined by the hardships of life, by questions and doubts, perhaps even by fear and rejection.

       The homily is prepared in silence; the preacher delves deeply into the theme and knows exactly what he wants to say. Such direct preparation for proclamation in daily life is not possible. Naturally I don't know in advance the concerns of those who approach me.

       Nevertheless some preparation is possible. Even if not direct, there is still indirect preparation. Everything that helps me to believe in way that is lively and true to life is, in the broadest sense, a preparation to strengthen others in their faith.

       First and foremost are the experiences of life mentioned, experiences of fulfilment and joy, of disappointment and sorrow. These experiences unite all people. We must help others to be true to their emotions.

       I have already mentioned how much people appreciate when one talks about personal joys and sorrows during liturgy. This encourages the listeners to find a means of expressing their own emotions. And just as in the liturgy, so it is in the interpersonal sharing of faith; when talking with others I can only be truly helpful and strengthen their faith if I myself am close to what touches people deeply, to their experiences of life.

       It is equally important that those to whom I am talking to do not lose themselves in their emotions, that they do not get bogged down in grief and mourning, and so we to give particular care to their experiences of faith. These are not far from experiences of life, but are, rather, are experienced in the midst of them. Experience of faith includes all that truly comforts us, that gives us strength and encouragement – the quality and beauty of creation, human dignity, the Saviour's grace and, in all of this, God himself as the mystery of love.

       Whenever I bear witness to my experiences of faith in talking to others, I make it possible for those who are entrusted to me not to forget their own experiences of faith, but to reconnect with them – and sometimes even to have further experiences of God and of faith.

       In this way I allow my heart (with all its experiences) to speak to the hearts of others. This was already important in the first part on the homily; it becomes even more important in this interpersonal proclaiming. Whenever others sense that I am not in touch with my own heart, I won’t be able to touch their hearts either.

       When our witness to faith is very close to life, life also draws closer and closer to faith. Detached evangelisation which is far from life does not reach the people of today. This does not mean that a more difficult train of thought should not sometimes be expressed. But it must always be rooted in a feeling for life with its ups and downs.

       However, what is the deepest reason that talk about faith has to be very close to life as experienced and endured? The reason is to be found in the incarnation of God in his son Jesus Christ. Since God not only speaks to humans, but himself becomes human, then it is clear that I cannot find God beyond human life. God is to be met, to be found and to be loved in and through human life. Consequently, when I want to help those entrusted to me to find God, then I should not lead them away from life, but rather must help them to come very close to their own life in order to come close to God.

       In Christ, God himself, God's Word became man. This is clearly shown in the way the Gospel speaks of Christ. It does not conceal the fact that Jesus' “sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground” (Lk 22:44). It emphasizes that even the Redeemer shed tears – for example, at the grave of his friend Lazarus (Jn 11:35) Moreover, it also shows us that in the midst of all his human fear and mourning, there remained a connection with God which nothing could destroy.

       To sum up: There are many similarities between the liturgical homily and a simple daily witnessing. I have mentioned that the last sentence of a homily must be full of hope and encouragement. That is no less important at the end of a conversation about faith. The crucial point is that we release the other person into the presence of God. In God, I and the other remain united, even if we are separated in time or in space, even if we never again meet and talk together in this life.

                                                         Fr. Erich Schädler SAC,

                                                         National Formation Promoter,

                                                         Switzerland

____________________________________________________

Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, Roma, Italia    uac@uniopal.org

A message from Fr. Rory

Greetings to you all. The UAC General Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the Union, will be in session from the morning of Saturday January 9th to the evening of Tuesday January 13th, 2015. The Assembly will consider issues relevant to the life and apostolate of the Union throughout the world, choose the 10 elected members of the new General Coordination Council and decide on policies to be implemented in the next 3 years. Please keep this most important event in the life of the Union in your prayers very specially in these days, that it may be a true Cenacle experience of the fullness of life and light and love of the Holy Spirit which will bear good fruit for the life and apostolate of the entire Union in its service of God's kingdom in the Church and the world.

Wishing you every blessing in this holy time of the Octave of the Epiphany and for 2015. 

Fr. Rory Hanly SAC

General Secretary

Apostles for Today

January 2015
_________________

During Christmas we contemplated the mystery of the Incarnation, we focused our gaze on Emmanuel, God with us, his presence has filled us with profound joy and hope and renewed our strength for the New Year. Let us contemplate him constantly so that he be “Jesus, a joy ever new, a joy which is shared” in our personal and communal experience.

Seeing ourselves as part of the whole Church which evangelises - Spiritual Preparation for the General

Congress of the Union in July 2015

 “Being Church means being God’s people, in accordance with the great plan of his fatherly love. This means that we are to be God’s leaven in the midst of humanity. It means proclaiming and bringing God’s salvation into our world, which often goes astray and needs to be encouraged, given hope and strengthened on the way. The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium, 114).

       On this path of our spiritual preparation for the General Congress, let us think about ourselves as Church in today's time. In the midst of a contemporary world characterized by a permanent socio-cultural-religious transition, a marked pluralism and a predominance of individualism, how is the Church to be understood today? How does she see herself? As an organic and hierarchical institution, a multinational with a famous religious leader; a structure or a building in our neighbourhood, a place where people gather to pray and profess a faith; a privileged group that practises a religion? These questions will evoke many responses, both in those who are part of her and those who are distanced from her. Ultimately, the question arises: is the Church a response to the lack of meaning and the suffering of those who have been losing hope and the joy of living?

The Church is, first and foremost, a people on pilgrimage towards God, a mystery which has its roots in the Trinity, because “the mystery of the Trinity is the source, model and goal of the mystery of the Church: ‘a people united by the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit’, called in Christ ‘like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race” (Aparecida Document, 155). This mystery of the Church which also exists concretely in history in a pilgrim and evangelising people (EG 111), a people that is chosen and called by God. “Jesus did not tell the apostles to form an exclusive group, an elite group. Jesus says, “Go and make all peoples my disciples” (Mt 28:19)” (EG 113), so the Church is sent by Jesus Christ as a sacrament of salvation offered by God, and through her evangelising activity, cooperates as an instrument of divine grace to proclaim salvation to all (EG 112) and continues the saving mission of Jesus Christ in history.

“The Church exists to evangelise” (Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14) and what is her programme of evangelisation? “The programme already exists. It is the plan found in the Gospel and the living Tradition. It focuses, ultimately, in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, to live in the Trinitarian life and with him transform history until its fulfilment in the heavenly Jerusalem. It is a program that does not change with shifts of times and cultures, but takes account of time and culture for a true dialogue and effective communication” (John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29).

All the baptised participate in this programme, since “in all the baptized, from first to last, the sanctifying power of the Spirit is at work, impelling us to evangelization ” (EG119) given that:

“in virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization” 

(EG 120).

Let us remember the words of St. Vincent Pallotti on the universal apostolate, which encourage us to an active participatory co-responsibility in the task of evangelisation: “Therefore let every Catholic who lives in the Church of Jesus Christ be consoled because, whether priest or lay person, if with their talents, learning, wisdom, capacities, relationships, profession, words, material and worldly goods, and if with nothing else at least with their prayers they do whatever they can so that faith in Jesus Christ be spread throughout the world, and charity be rekindled among believers and spread throughout the world, they will acquire the merit of the apostolate, and all the more they employ for this purpose money, belongings, talents, works, prayers ...” (OOCC III 145-146).

Francis reminds us that every baptized person is an evangeliser!: “it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized” (EG 120) This personal involvement involves “a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we meet, whether they be our neighbours or complete strangers. This is the informal preaching which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home. Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey” (EG 127)

It is important that the Church grow as an evangelising agent, that she be constantly evangelised so that the entire Church may evangelise: therefore “we ought to let others be constantly evangelizing us. But this does not mean that we should postpone the evangelizing mission; rather, each of us should find ways to communicate Jesus wherever we are”(EG 121). Also, we should keep in mind that the Holy Spirit equips us for this, enriching us with different charisms, gifts to renew and build up the Church, which “are not an inheritance, safely secured and entrusted to a small group for safekeeping; rather they are gifts of the Spirit integrated into the body of the Church, drawn to the centre which is Christ and then channelled into an evangelizing impulse. A sure sign of the authenticity of a charism is its ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of God’s holy and faithful people for the good of all”(EG 130).

Conclusion:

The Church understood as the entire People of God which evangelises must be constantly evangelised, called to live in the image of the Trinitarian community, enriched by the gifts of the Spirit and with the active personal involvement of each one of the baptized.

Questions for personal and/or community reflection:

•         Do I feel myself to be part of the People of God, chosen and called by him to continue the saving mission of Jesus Christ in history?

•         As a baptized person I am called to grow as an evangelizer and to be constantly evangelised. Do I know, love and imitate Jesus Christ? Am I willing to establish relations of communion with others? By my actions do I contribute to the transformation of my surroundings (family, community, work)? Do I allow others to evangelise me?

•         As a baptized person, am I an evangelising person who explicitly proclaims Jesus Christ? How am I doing in this?

•         Am I using the gifts I have received from God to serve the community, to build up the Church?

Concrete action:

In this coming year, let us recognize the ecclesial spaces where we can evangelise and be evangelised in order to put the gifts we have received from the Lord at the service of the Church.

                                                                  Diana María Guzmán, UAC,

                                                                  National Formation Promoter,

                                                                  Colombia.

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, Roma, Italia    uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for today

December 2014

“Overcome every temptation through the joy of the Gospel” Spiritual Preparation for the General Congress of the Union in July 2015

“I am aware that we need to create spaces where pastoral workers can be helped and healed, “places where faith itself in the crucified and risen Jesus is renewed, where the most profound questions and daily concerns are shared, where deeper discernment about our experiences and life itself is undertaken in the light of the Gospel, for the purpose of directing individual and social decisions towards the good and beautiful”. (Evangelii Gaudium 77)

       Pope Francis invites us to create spaces for renewal, in order to motivate and to heal. During our monthly spiritual reflection, I think that it is worthwhile for each one of us to reflect on our own spaces for renewal where we draw the strength and determination for apostolic action, where we are renewed and discern our own path in life, in life in and with the Church for which we are responsible through our baptism. This space for renewal for each one of us is Jesus, who is with us every time we meet in his name. For this reason our General Statutes speaks of being in communion with God in art. 23. “The members of the Union, in order to deepen and preserve communion with God and with each other in following Jesus Christ as St. Vincent Pallotti did: study, meditate on and share Sacred Scripture as their source of inspiration; make the celebration of the Eucharist the centre of their lives; are assiduous in personal and community prayer; share reciprocally their experiences of life and of faith; live forgiveness and reconciliation as a pathway to permanent conversion”.

Without doubt, there are many wonderful apostolic activities which we share in the Church and about which we can boast. Nevertheless, we need to stop and think about the temptations to which we are exposed (EG 17 b).

We all well remember what beautiful ideals accompanied Saint Vincent Pallotti in his foundation of the Union (cf. OOCC IV, pp.17-23), and with sorrow we must admit that the temptations of which Pope Francis speaks in Evangelii Gaudium also affect our Union.

The first temptation is an inordinate concern for personal freedom and relaxation, which leads us to see our apostolic work as a mere appendage to our life, as if it were not part of the very identity of those involved in pastoral ministry; which leads to a heightened individualism, a crisis of identity and a cooling of fervour. These are three evils which fuel one another. Also, a lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security, or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost, rather than giving their lives to others in mission. In this way, the task of evangelisation is lived without enthusiasm, with only a minimum of effort limited in time.

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm! (EG 78-80)

Saint Vincent yearned to fulfil the commandment of love which is without limits and desired that all might know and love Christ. For this reason, our love for Jesus cannot remain simply our own private secret, hidden from the eyes of the world, not allowing it to be shared with those who do not know him.

Sometimes we are afraid that someone will invite us to carry out an apostolic action; and thus we try to distance ourselves from every commitment which could deprive us of our free time which we guard obsessively … as if the task of evangelisation were a danger rather than a joyful response to the love of God which calls us to mission and makes us fully realised and fruitful. The problem is not always an excess of activity, but rather activity undertaken badly, without adequate motivation, without a spirituality which would permeate it and make it pleasurable. Today’s obsession with immediate results makes it hard for pastoral workers to tolerate anything that smacks of disagreement, possible failure, criticism, the cross. The biggest threat of all is “the gray pragmatism of the daily life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness”.

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization! (EG 81-83)

The joy of the Gospel is such that it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything (cf. Jn 16:22). One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, “sourpusses”. Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand. In some places a spiritual “desertification” has evidently come about, as the result of attempts by some societies to build without God or to eliminate their Christian roots. We can also become a spiritual desert. Our family or workplace can also be a parched place where faith nonetheless has to be preserved and communicated. In the desert people of faith are needed who, by the example of their own lives, point out the way to the Promised Land and keep hope alive”.

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope! (EG 85-86)

Today, when the networks and means of human communication have made unprecedented advances, we sense the challenge of finding and sharing the depths of a life of communion. We experience being together with our differences, initially perhaps a little chaotically, which however can become a genuine experience of fraternity, a caravan of solidarity, a sacred pilgrimage. To go out of ourselves and to join others is healthy for us. To be self-enclosed is to taste the bitter poison of isolation. The Gospel tells us constantly to run the risk of a face-to-face encounter with others, in a community of faith. The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness. In some parts of our society, we see the growing attraction to various forms of a “spirituality of well-being” divorced from any community life, or to a “theology of prosperity” detached from responsibility for our brothers and sisters. The solution to our problems will never be found in fleeing from a personal and committed relationship with God which at the same time commits us to serving others. It happens today in our parishes that as believers seek to hide or keep apart from others, or quietly flit from one place to another or from one task to another, without creating deep and stable bonds. This is a false remedy which can cause spiritual sickness. It is far better to learn to find Jesus in the faces of others, in their voices, in their pleas. There indeed we find true healing, since the way to relate to others which truly heals us is a mystical, contemplative fraternal love, capable of seeing the sacred grandeur of our neighbour, of finding God in every human being, of tolerating the nuisances of life in common by clinging to the love of God, of opening the heart to divine love and seeking the happiness of others just as their heavenly Father does.

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of community! (EG 87-92)

We must also beware of spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even love for the Church. It consists in seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being. This leads us to replace evangelical fervour with complacency and self-indulgence. Those who have fallen into this worldliness look on from above and afar, they reject the prophecy of their brothers and sisters, they discredit those who raise questions, they constantly point out the mistakes of others, they neither learn from their sins nor are they genuinely open to forgiveness. This stifling worldliness can only be healed by breathing in the pure air of the Holy Spirit, who frees us from concentration on ourselves and opens us to the presence of God.

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the Gospel! (EG 93-97)

Spiritual worldliness leads some Christians to war with other Christians who stand in the way of their quest for power, prestige, pleasure and economic security. Beware of the temptation of jealousy! We are all in the same boat and headed to the same port! Let us ask for the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all. Saint Paul’s exhortation is directed to each of us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). And again: “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right” (Gal 6:9).

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love! (EG 98-101)

We should recognize that despite the present crisis of commitment and communal relationships, many young people are making common cause before the problems of our world and are taking up various forms of activism and volunteer work. How beautiful it is to see that young people are “street preachers” (callejeros de la fe), joyfully bringing Jesus to every street, every town square and every corner of the earth! A lack of contagious apostolic fervour in our communities results in a cooling of enthusiasm and attractiveness. Wherever there is life, fervour and a desire to bring Christ to others, genuine vocations will arise. Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment!

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigour! (EG 106-109)

Conclusion:

Joy is truly a great strength, because it is a sign that the Lord is truly with us. This is why Saint Vincent, speaking of the members of the Union, desired that joy and spiritual happiness would radiate from their faces, in their modest gaze, in all of their activity, behaviour, in the reciprocal encounter in community, and in particular with people coming from outside, encountered in pastoral ministry  (cf. OOCC VII, 171).

The Gospel, hope, community, the ideal of fraternal love, the missions … all of this is a way of being Church. It is for this that we meet together, that we strengthen each other, so that the Union may be always ready to bring Jesus, the joy which is ever new, the joy to be shared... .

Questions for personal and/or community reflection:

• How do I nourish my faith and my being in communion with God?

• What temptations do I experience as a cause of paralysis in my apostolate?

• What apostolic initiatives can we take as a National Coordination Council, as Local Coordination Councils, as members of communities and groups of the Union, in order to create a space for encounter with families to help them to discover and/or deepen evangelical joy and hope in their lives?

Fr. Vladimir Peklansky SAC

 Promotore Nazionale della Formazione,

 Slovacchia

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, Roma, Italia      uac@uniopal.org