Catholic Conference 2006
Shaw Conference Center
Edmonton, Alberta
March 17, 18, 19, 2006
Hearts On Fire - Light To The World
The following are summaries of sessions I attended and the messages that I received and wish to share!
Jesse Manibusan –
Fire or Smoke? Light or Illusion?
Fire and Smoke: How to ignite or Extinguish the Faith!
How do we have/keep our (spiritual) HEARTS on FIRE?
Remember and use these affirmations DAILY:
(Keep our) Hearts on Fire – (Be a) Light to the World
God is Great – All the Time
We are… Children …. of God
… Servants of the … Lord
… Friends of … Jesus
FAITH – FULL-NESS… requires DEDICATION, PURPOSE, DIRECTION
Belief is a LEVER – once you pull it… you CHANGE!
- thinking
- behaviour
… EVERYTHING!
Differences don’t make us APART… - it OPENS US wider!
Loving and understanding our enemies is FIRE!
SOLIDARITY is EVERYTHING!!!
Singing …
is not a ‘performance’ in our FAITH… it is one way we PERFORM IN our FAITH!
Have a sense of HUMOUR
In AFFIRMATION there is……… INVITATION!
AFFIRM OTHERS -… “I SEE you!” “I HEAR you!” “What do you NEED?”
Be Passionate – Tell the Truth – Make Contact
(with life, with others, with CREATION)
“How do we LIVE our FAITH in COMMUNITY?”
Catholic means……in UNION!
But remember…
Set BOUNDARIES for your LIFE (and your family and friends)
Boundaries are IMPORTANT and NECESSARY for growth and respect to occur.
Remember…
“Children are not a problem to be solved… they are a GIFT!”
Sister Jose Hobday –
Keeping the Fires of Faith Alive
“When the grey dust of everyday living seems to be settling on your heart, how do you get the fire back?”
“Blow on the coals!”
“How much ‘darkness’ and ‘hum-drum’ can YOU tolerate?
Keeping your ‘HEART on FIRE’ … keeps you ALIVE!!!
FIRE brings CHANGE (melting down of hum-drum)
Our Catholic Calendar (of the year) is circular…
This repetitive cycle was NOT meant to be RUT-building…
Instead…
It is meant to LIFT US HIGHER and HIGHER!
Sr. Jose’s TRUTHS…
PAIN is an inevitable part of life.
Nobody was put on this earth to ‘entertain you’.
You are your own… ‘CLOWN’ in this life!
We need to have a “CONSPIRATORIAL Mentality’ when it comes to getting the things we want out of life! (established STRUCTURES can KILL us!)
……………..Have the TENACITY of a TERMITE!
Afterall …
JESUS put LOVE over LAW!!!
He was AGAINST LEGAL… that hurts/crushes people!
In order to have the POWER to SEE what is going on INSIDE of us
(like an X-RAY)…
and…
To receive INNER LIGHT/FIRE…
we NEED:
- to read the GOSPELS EVERYDAY!!!
Reading the gospels will allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate us and keep our ‘MORAL COMPASS’ in fine tuning! When we reflect on the GOSPELS… we find the knowledge/wisdom/understanding WE NEED to get through life’s daily questions/struggles/challenges
- SIP and SHARE the GOOD NEWS!!!
Reading scripture daily will enlighten, inspire, broaden, and expand our life experience living as a member of God’s family. Share what comes to mind …with others! Carry a bible with you AT ALL TIMES… so you can pull it out and read it WHENEVER! It will become a ROUTINE you can’t (and shouldn’t) live without!
- MUSIC in our DAILY ROUTINE!!!
Music can be a place to relax, reflect, get inspired, and renew the living spirit within each of us!
- Get in touch with CREATION!!!
Go outside and BE IN IT!!! Take time to SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TOUCH, and TASTE LIFE that is going on around you!
- REFLECT on the story of your life…throughout the day!!!
Every couple of hours and at the VERY LEAST… at the end of the day… ask yourself these questions:
“What just happened to me?”
(time for memories)
“What was done to me today?”
(time to forgive)
“What was done for me today?”
(time to give thanks)
“What did I do for others today?”
(time to evaluate)
“What did God want me to learn today?”
(time to listen)
- Put yourself in a ‘POSTURE of RECEPTIVITY’
Keep yourself OPEN to new ideas, experiences, thoughts etc.
THINKING REGENERATES THINKING!!!
The diminishment of the BODY will ENRICH SPIRIT!
In other words… if you let go of FOCUS in one area… you will have room for something new!
Sister Jose Hobday lives her MOTTO…
“PRAY…………PLAY…………..GIVE AWAY!!!”
LIFE needs to be FUN!!!
If your life is not fun………“WAKE UP!”
Make sure that your life is not so SERIOUS that you grow old before your time!
Remember… “If you don’t still do the ….‘Hokie-Pokie’ once in a while…
Then guaranteed… your life’s ‘FIRE and SMOKE’ will go out!”
Father Stefano Penna –
Mentor as Visionary: Harnessing a “Benedictine” Energy
At the end of the mass… the blessing tells us to ……..
“Get out!’ “Go away!” “You’re dismissed!”
What is role then?
As it is, according to the 1/3 principle (1/3 devout, 1/3 part-time, 1/3 non-practicing)…
HOW do we act as MENTORS and keep our FAITH strong/together/growing?
SCHOOL has a GREAT INFLUENCE!
The practicing life of a TEACHER… is the GREATEST role model for our FAITH for our children/students. The TEACHER will determine the future environment of our Catholic FAITH.
TEACHERS must act as PUBLIC WITNESSES for our Catholic faith.
TEACHERS act ‘in loco parentis’ (in place of the parents) … and in a lot of cases… are the only way the child is exposed to the practices of our FAITH.
SCHOOLS have become disconnected with the PARISH.
FAMILIES have become disconnected with the PARISH and the FAITH.
SCHOOLS and TEACHERS are the future for healing these connections!!!
We need to practice ‘RAMPART CATHOLICISM’
and set up ‘Base Communities of Prayer’
… where we STUDY SCRIPTURE TOGETHER as a COMMUNITY
“The fullness of LIFE is found in Christ the Lord and in His WORD!”
START WITH THE WORD OF GOD!!!
“What does your bible SMELL LIKE?”
Begin today by spending time each day reading the GOOD NEWS.
Take your BIBLE with you – and OPEN IT UP DAILY!
Be the START of building stronger COMMUNITIES of FAITH…
So we never lose our Catholic FAITH, our Catholic Schools, and our Catholic identity.
Bishop Frederick Henry
– Pursuing Wellness –
The GLORY of GOD…………is…………MAN ALIVE !!!
Love your neighbour as yourself!
That means… we NEED to have a HEALTHY regard for ourselves …
as we are made in GOD’S IMAGE !
Physical Wellness –
Life expectancy has increased in record amounts this century (30 years longer or more).
People are living YOUNGER than before (not just in perspective)
People are getting married OLDER – longer life staying young/independent
Quality of living has increased BUT there are MORE health hazards.
HOW we live determines HOW LONG we live!!! (diet, pollution, habits, stress)
We must practice living in responsible way!
We’ll get INNER PEACE, HAPPINESS, HEALTHY LIFE
We need to KEEP STRUGGLING to make ourselves BALANCED!
Psychological Wellness –
We don’t need to have a PURPOSE… ALL the time (WORK)… we also need to PLAY!
We NEED to have FUN!
We NEED to keep LEARNING! Be a perpetual student to keep our minds active!
What is our response to STRESS? Do we FIGHT or FLIGHT?
Sometimes we get NO RELEASE… so we RE-LIVE the stress over and over again!
How do we DEAL with STRESS?
- Say… “I’m too BLESSED…………to be STRESSED!” (and believe it!)
- PROBLEM SOLVE
- Do a ‘COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL’ (get a new attitude, outlook, view, ideas…)
- TALK to a friend
- PRAY
“STRESS RELIEF may just be the difference between your knees and the floor!”
- MUSIC – learn to relax while you listen to it!
- LEARN from it – “What do you need to do/change?”
SPIRITUAL WELLNESS –
Whatever calls you to ‘self-transcendence’ will improve your spiritual wellness.
When you ABSORB others’ pain… you DECREASE their suffering WHILE you INCREASE your own VALUE/WORTH… which will lead to your INCREASE in happiness.
Take time for increasing your knowledge of God and through reading scripture, practicing our FAITH, and taking time to preserve the gift of your life.
Your LIFE is up to you………… How’s your BALANCE?