2.2 Missionary Disciples: Accompaniment (1 of 4 Skills - To Encounter, To Accompaniment, To do all as a part of the evangelizing Community and To Send others forth)
2.2.1 Accompany Others on Their Journey
Julianne Stanz is the Director of Discipleship and Leadership Development for the Diocese of Green Bay and a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization. Julianne infuses her talks, retreats, and seminars with humor, passion, and insights from her life in Ireland. A popular speaker, storyteller, and author, Julianne is married with three children and spends her time reading, writing, teaching, and collecting beach glass. She is the author of Start with Jesus: How Everyday Disciples Will Renew the Church, Developing Disciples of Christ, and co-author, with Joe Paprocki, of The Catechist’s Backpack.Discuss: What do these three terms speak to you: the "Joy of the Gospel", "art of accompaniment", "remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other"?
I love that image of removing our sandals before the sacred ground of the other. But it's not just a beautiful sentiment or image. It's really an urge for us all to go out and share with others the love of Jesus Christ that has been shared with us. It's been said by various authors and writers that all relationships move at the speed of trust. And discipleship, which is a relationship, is no different. At the heart of accompaniment is building relationships of trust with others. To help people grow in relationship and friendship with Jesus, we must first enter into relationships of genuine trust with others. Without the foundation of trust, all other aspects of the discipleship process will falter. You cannot introduce someone to Jesus Christ if Jesus has not really walked with you in your own faith life too. You cannot catechize someone if you haven't really been catechized yourself. So the first step in this discipleship process is really taking stock of where you are in your faith so that you can better help someone on their journey.
Discuss: Consider the Apostles going out and sharing the "love of Jesus" with others? Put yourself in their shoes, standing and listening to Jesus, talking among themselves about this. - What would they have thought and felt? Why do you think that they were willing to go out and share? Where they equipped and ready to do that? Why would they have been willing to do this? Julianne says that "the first step in this discipleship process is really taking stock of where you are in your faith." Where are you on your journey of faith in God, in Jesus? What makes you want to hold back on "sharing the love of Jesus with others"? What would help you move beyond where you are now? Do you think that baseball players might have similar feelings about their ability to be pro ballplayer? What might they do for help here?
Love and genuine care for others is always the building block of encounter. When other people feel loved, and in fact, when we feel loved and cared for, we can trust others to help us walk on their path of faith and we can encounter Jesus in a renewed way. We're never too old for this work and we're never too new for this work. It's really important to know that accompaniment is not just accompaniment for accompaniment's sake, but it's always at the service of evangelization and mission. "Living as Missionary Disciples" reminds us that, to create a culture of encounter and witness, we must live lives of discipleship. We are called not only to believe in the Gospel, but to allow it to take a deep root in our lives that leaves us incapable of silence. We cannot help but go out and announce the Gospel in word and deed, and we have to do so with joy.
Discuss: What does Julianne say are the "building blocks of encounter" What is she saying that we can learn to trust others to do? And for what purpose are we accompanying??
Accompaniment recognizes that each person always brings something of who they are to the conversation. They give to us just as we give to them. Whether they are the one being evangelized or the evangelizer themselves, we all learn from each other. That's a beautiful walk. "Where two or three are gathered in my name," Jesus tells us, he is with us, so of course, he is our ultimate guide in accompaniment. "Living as Missionary Disciples" also emphasizes that an important part of accompaniment is reaching out to those who are struggling in any way, especially those who are suffering, feeling broken, or marginalized. This is a core part of the work of accompaniment, is reaching out to those who are broken. And a great point for you in this is that listen for the point of pain as you walk with people because that point of pain is a place where you can speak the Gospel and Jesus Christ into that place of pain and that place of brokenness so that you can lead others in holiness to experience the love of Jesus Christ.
Discuss: What does Julianne call "a beautiful walk"? What part does she say a person's pain plays in accompaniment?
I also want to mention that, as you walk with others in faith, deep listening is going to be a skill and a tool that you should use quite frequently. The first step of listening is not actually being quiet. I used to think that was the case. If I was quiet, I was listening. But really, the first step of listening is being present, being present to the one that you are walking with. It's listening, it's being attune to where they're at, and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to them.
Discuss deep listening? What part does having the ability to listen have in this? What are obstacles to our really listening to another?
As we walk with others on their journey of faith, an underutilized skill I think a lot of times is asking questions. Jesus asked questions all the time. In fact, he often would be asked a question and then he would speak back that question to the person. As we become really comfortable with practicing active listening and praying with others, it's really important that we allow people to ask those questions, share their doubts, share their patterns of brokenness and pain with us so that we can be present to where the Lord is leading them. I think that's a really important tool, and I want to share that with you, that questions are hugely important for you. We find that in the Scriptures, Jesus used this to help people understand who he was. And some of the questions that he used, "Who do you say that I am?", "What do you want me to do for you?", "How much to you love me?", those are all questions that you can use as tools to help guide people in faith.
Discuss: Do you agree that asking questions is an important tool? Can we re-phrase Jesus' question to make them into questions that we can use in accompanying someone?
It might be helpful to know though, I think that this is not any kind of a perfect process at all. Pope Francis calls this an art, not a science. There is no perfect way to accompany someone. It largely progresses at its own pace and so we need to be patient and trust the Holy Spirit. I have a really simple analogy for you that has been hugely impactful for me as I think of the art of accompaniment. We must become people who are like spiritual tourist guides as we accompany others as they move through their journey of faith rather than travel agents who dispense information and resources,
Discuss the difference between a tourist guide and a traveling agent.
- kind of pointing the way for where people should go instead of walking with them. Our young adults especially want people to walk with them in their journey of faith rather than just tell them what to do and how to do it. They want to see that who and why of Jesus Christ lived in our witness, and so walking with others as spiritual tourist guides gets us into a mental frame of mind to better accompany people through the process of conversion. Accompaniment is not optional anymore, and it really never has been. Mentoring, coaching, working one-on-one with others, or in small groups all need to be a part of our formation efforts so that they are truly evangelizing. One of my favorite quotes from the "General Directory of Catechesis," it's an oldie but a goodie, tells us that Jesus formed his disciples through his relationship with them. He prayed for them, prayed with them, called them, invited them, walked with them, shared stories, laughed with them, taught them, challenged them. Ultimately, he loved them. But then he sent them out on missionary apprenticeship. "Living as Missionary Disciples" has a whole section with reflection questions that you can use as you reflect on accompaniment and what that might mean for you. And it's got tons of ideas and resources and a bibliography full of resources that you can use as you seek to practice the art of accompaniment. This isn't that complicated, but we can all do better to have tools at our fingertips that helps us to go forward to reach more people. God bless, my friends, and thank you so much.
2.3 LIVING AS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES: Accompany Source: USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis “The Church will have to initiate everyone—priests, religious and laity—into this ‘art of accompaniment’ which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5).” 75 The Good News of Accompaniment The parish must provide experienced missionary disciples who can accompany those who are returning to the Church and guide them throughout their journey. In accompanying others, the disciple possesses a love for others and the Church by being welcoming and hospitable. The disciple must be willing to walk with others, share the Good News, and help others grow in their faith and live in solidarity with others. Reconciliation offers the experience of God’s grace and mercy. Catechesis should include formation on the Creed, the seven sacraments, the moral and social teachings of the Church, prayer based on the kerygma, and missionary discipleship. This formation should utilize the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, and the Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church. Questions for Reflection: In what ways am I accompanied on my journey of faith? Who accompanies me and my family? How do I accompany others on their journey of faith? Do we plan parish activities keeping the art of accompaniment in mind? What opportunities for accompaniment are offered in support of the faith of parishioners? What areas can be improved?
{END OF SESSION THREE}
2.3 Missionary Disciples: Encounter (1 of 4 Skills - To Encounter, To Accompaniment, To do all as a part of the evangelizing Community and To Send others forth)
2.3.1 A Deeper Encounter with Christ: Formation for Discipleship
| Birth name | Frank Joseph Caggiano |
|---|---|
| Born | March 29, 1959 Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Previous post | Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn (2006-13) Titular Bishop of Inis Cathaig (2006-13) |
| Education | Regis High School |
| Alma mater | Yale University Cathedral College Pontifical Gregorian University |
9-Minute Video on Missionary Disciple Skill: To Accompany
Transcript - Encounter: Bishop Frank Caggiano
My friends, my name is Bishop Frank Caggiano, and I am the Bishop of Bridgeport in Connecticut. And it is my honor to join you and break open this concept of evangelization that is found in our document "Living as Missionary Disciples".
{For us, to first break open the meaning of one’s personal encounter with God in the person of Jesus. And then we can move beyond that to encountering the other person in Jesus. Or perhaps the reverse is true: Somehow I come to see the person of Jesus in another and through that, I come to see Jesus on my own.}
“Most especially, it's first and most important moment, which is the moment of encounter. If we were to look at the dictionary, the definition of encounter is to meet another person. And in this context, when we speak of evangelization, that is, bringing the good news of Jesus, we're talking about meeting in a living, vibrant, personal, and loving way the person of Jesus Christ. All evangelization begins at that most basic moment.” (ethereal music)
{Name some different ways in which you and another person can be together (a) in the same room (b) without being in the same room. Explain what you get or miss by each way of being present. What does Bishop Caggiano mean when he says that “All evangelization begins at that most basic moment.”}
You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have
“My grandmother used to say, "You cannot give what you do not have." In this case, we cannot bring this Lord to others, excite them joyfully if we ourselves do not know him and have fallen in love with him.”
{What do you know about falling in love. (We’ve talked about this before.) How do you fall in love with God? {In a way one falls in love with another person.} Where did we get that capacity? Why do you think we were given it? Who nurtured it? How does one fall in love with God? Do any of you think that you have begin this process? Can you remember when it started? Any moments along the way that you would like to share?}
“Now, in our ordinary lives, we use the word encounter in many different ways, because I can encounter lots of people on the subway or on the street, and most of that is passing glances, that is not what we are talking about. But we are talking about a far more intimate, and profound, and deeply personal touching of mind and heart, where Jesus is no longer an historic figure, where we no longer simply speak about him, but we speak in knowing him. Where he has captivated our minds and our hearts and claimed our hands and our service so we can become his voice, his feet, his heart in the world.”
{What words in the Bishop’s last sentence “grab” you? Why? Do these things happen to you often during the day? If so, when? What makes that happen? What keeps it from happening? What can you do to have more happening moments and fewer hindering moments? Do you really want to do this? Why?}
Consider for a moment, in your own life, as I can in mine, when we actually have fallen in love with someone else. Recall what that was like, how that felt. Recall what happened within us, how we deeply desire to know everything about this person, because they've captivated us. Where we tried as best we could to spend time with them because they filled us, they filled the need we could not even perhaps express in words and we wanted to spend time with them. So to by analogy, when we speak of encountering Christ, we're seeking the same thing for ourselves and those around us in the power of the Holy Spirit to allow the circumstances around us to be the conduit where the Spirit can help us to connect to this great Lord, Savior, Christ, our King, who could then, in this moment of falling in love with him, we will have a fire in our belly like the fire of the disciples on the road to Emmaus when they recognized him. It's this deep desire to know him, and to know the faith and the truths of the faith because we've encountered the truth, who is Jesus Christ. And as we would literally do anything for a person we deeply loved, so to the Lord we would do or go anywhere as his missionaries, to make his presence known so the person we love of this can fall in love with. That is the foundation of what evangelization is all about. It's this mystery of personal encounter, and this mystery of allowing others to encounter the same Lord.
{What “analogy” is Bishop Caggiano speaking of? In the light of this paragraph, what is evangelization? {Note that no verbal communication is mentioned here}}
So how do we foster this encounter? Well, my friends, there are many different ways. Christ is already present in our midst, is he not? In the great Sacrament of the Eucharist where we come together at Sunday Mass, where we enter into the mystery of his death and resurrection, he's fully, truly present there. Body and blood, soul and divinity, when we sit in adoration before the Eucharist, it is the Lord himself, who is here asking us to encounter him, seeking to touch our eyes, our minds, our hearts. (ethereal music)
{Do you believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist? Why? How? Explain what you believe and why. How would you explain this to a non-believer? What helps you to recognize and enter into the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist? What keeps that from happening? Do you want to do something to make the encounter more real and genuine? What might help?}
Each time we read the Scripture in prayer, he comes to us in encounter. Each time we live a life of charity, and mercy, and forgiveness with our neighbors and friends and even those we do not like, Christ is present.
{Once again ask yourselves the above set of questions (1) about reading Scripture “in prayer” and (2) “living a life of Charity, mercy and forgiveness with our neighbors and friends and even those we do not like.}
{ from Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel):
-
- Reading the Scriptures also makes it clear that the Gospel is not merely about our personal relationship with God. Nor should our loving response to God be seen simply as an accumulation of small personal gestures to individuals in need, a kind of “charity à la carte”, or a series of acts aimed solely at easing our conscience. The Gospel is about the kingdom of God (cf. Lk 4:43); it is about loving God who reigns in our world. To the extent that he reigns within us, the life of society will be a setting for universal fraternity, justice, peace and dignity. Both Christian preaching and life, then, are meant to have an impact on society. We are seeking God’s kingdom: “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33). Jesus’ mission is to inaugurate the kingdom of his Father; he commands his disciples to proclaim the good news that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 10:7).
And it seems to me that for us it is in our two families where we meet the Lord perhaps in the most intimate and powerful ways, and what are these two families? First and foremost, what I call our natural families. We call parents the first and best teachers of the faith, not because the expectation is that they will teach the theological language, or the scriptural exegesis, or all the finer details of Catholic faith. They are the first and best teachers, because they can help their children to truly understand that they are lovable and they are loved by them. That my friends, becomes the conduit to encounter Jesus Christ. It is the most intimate and powerful way to do that. And therefore, our parents are at the frontline of evangelization, for they allow that encounter to occur.
{What does the Bishop say is the most important evangelization task for parents? Did you expect that? Do you agree with his assessment? Do you think today’s parents see the connection of this task of parenting as acts of evangelizing? Can and should we remind them of this? How can we do that? Why do you think this? Any suggestions?}
But we also have a second family, do we not? And we call that our parish community. They are our family in grace because we are all adopted by the same heavenly Father in the power of the Holy Spirit through Baptism and Confirmation, are we not all one family? And so when the parish comes together, whether it's at sacrament, or in prayer, or in social events, or in works of justice or charity, whatever it may be, Christ is there present. And they become powerful ways to help foster this moment of encounter with those around us, those we invite, even those who have goodwill, who are seeking, looking for more in life. Family is the bedrock of society, family is the bedrock of the Church and whether we speak of the natural family, or whether we speak of our family in grace, our parishes, and even school communities, whether we speak of one of the other, they are the principal places where encounter with Jesus Christ can occur. And therefore, they are the places where in your work and mine to seek this New Evangelization of the world where we need to spend our time in prayer and ask for the grace that they both be renewed in Christ power.
{Why does Bishop Caggiano say that spending time on community is important? }
So you see my friends, many times evangelization may seem to be a very complicated task. And perhaps in the other moments of evangelization, which you will hear in other videos, there is certainly things to learn, and there are things to do, and techniques and training for us, all of us. But when we speak of encounter, we are speaking of something quite subtle, almost sublime, very basic. It is to meet the Lord. And he is the one who extends his hand first to us. And in these variety of ways, which we have seen together, he's always there present, seeking, finding, calling, inviting. We begin evangelization by recognizing that hand, that loving presence and accepting it. Thank you and God bless you.
How can encounter be all of these: “subtle, almost sublime and very basic”?
2.3 LIVING AS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES: Encounter
Source: USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis
All Christians are invited to a “renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.” Evangelii Gadium, No. 3
The Good News of Encounter
Christ calls all people to himself in his Body, the Church, through the workings of the Holy Spirit, so that we can enter into a personal relationship with God the Father. “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples.” 74 Reflective reading, lectio divina, and the study of Scripture will aid in deepening the encounter with Christ. The Sunday homily breaks open the Word of God by stirring the hearts of people, deepening our knowledge of the faith, renewing our participation in the Church and her sacraments, and strengthening us for the daily challenges of life. By participating in Mass, learning common prayers, and practicing personal and public devotions, Christians appropriate the teachings of the faith into their own lives and are sent forth to witness Christ. Discipleship involves helping people enter into a personal encounter with Christ through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, works of mercy, and faith formation.
Questions for Reflection:
Do I have a relationship with Jesus Christ? In what ways do I cultivate this friendship with Jesus and his Church? How do I help others grow in their relationship with Christ and the Church? What opportunities does the parish provide to cultivate ongoing encounters with Jesus? In what ways does the parish accompany our family, friends, and community through the journey of conversion? Are there opportunities that are not in place in our parish ministries that we may need to provide?
{END OF SESSION THREE}