1 Spirituality for Pastoral Councils 50 years ago, Pope John XXIII asked us to engage the world and transform it.

2 Why is spirituality essential for Parish Pastoral Councils? Our spirituality is more than our prayer. Our spirituality comprises our worldview, attitudes, and behavior. We take in the values of our culture. God is the lens or focus we use.

3 Our spirituality engages us with our own truest self. It is the response of the whole self to the whole life we live in relationship to God and to others. We wear it like our skin – 24-7.

4 What are the foundations of Catholic spirituality? It is rooted in our Baptism It is anchored in the Word of God It is Incarnational, centered on Jesus It is empowered by the Paschal Mystery – the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

5 We have definite practices: The Eucharist is #1 – “Source and Summit” The Parish Council meeting table is an extension of the Eucharistic table Outreach is #2 – the fundamental option for the poor. #3 – the reason the Church even exists is for evangelization.

6 Faith Sharing at a deeper level will bond us. Be still – focus – pray the Jesus Prayer – linger on the Word – attend more to God’s presence. New insights will come which are not simply my own – they belong to us. This moves us toward discernment and decision making.

7 Creating Community We are already united at a profound level because of our Baptism and celebrated each Sunday at Eucharist. A parish does not exist for itself – but for the mission of Christ. Therefore a parish’s mission is not turned in on itself. It is not maintenance-oriented but mission-oriented.

8 Creating Community Jesus was not a Lone Ranger – he called disciples to accompany him. He gathered a community and animated them with his mission and left his word, Spirit and Eucharist. We do not create community for its own sake but, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to renew the face of the earth.

9 Our Mission Our call is to form people for mission and provide opportunities for the baptized to do this. People give life to the parish: they want to be invited into a simple plan for this. Even youth may say “Stop talking about us and start talking with us.”

10 We are called to be Reconcilers As the healing presence of Christ for each other, we seek to bring peace and comfort rather than hostility and antagonism. We seek to mend whatever in our parish and community keeps us apart.

11 Parish Council members share in a special way the ministry of Jesus Christ. Parish Council members are called to be outstanding in living their Christ life, not just to do more for the parish. It is a ministry of service, even to the point of suffering for those served, as Jesus did. Parish Council members are called to serve in a more prominent way in their Christian community by the example of their lives and leadership.

12 Prayerful discernment is an attitude of being continually attuned to God's call. Parish Council members are called to an even deeper prayer life, to the life of prayerful discernment. Most simply expressed, God’s call to us is to live the Christ-life, to become transformed into "another Christ."

13 Parish Council members are invited to discern how God is calling them to become more deeply Jesus Through this gradual process, we grow to spontaneously respond as Jesus would in any situation. His attitudes become our attitudes; his heart, our heart; his hands, our hands. Through prayer and reflection, we listen to the people, events and things that come into their lives, to hear how the Father is calling them, and us, to act.

14 The purpose of a Parish Council meeting is to discern how God is calling the parish. When we come together as a group for parish council meetings, we bring with us that sensitive discernment. A parish council member looks for God's will, not his or her own. This means that prayerfulness is pervasive at a council meeting and doesn't just begin and end the meeting.

15 The Process is more important than the Plan. Make sure you are all on the same page – same ecclesiology - Vatican II. We may have to ask ourselves, why are we making this plan in the first place? You will begin to experience the fruitfulness of your prayer and faith sharing Renew your focus on the vision frequently!

16 Decisions are primarily faith decisions, responses to the call of God. Parish councilors are not primarily management people. They are faith-filled people. Parish councils may at times find God calling them to embrace suffering and the Cross. This is perhaps the most important reason for a prayerful parish council. Only prayer can see wisdom in the Cross. Only prayer can discern God calling us to new life through apparent death.