Becoming One With Christ
Pastoral Priorities
In the wake of the historical Eucharistic revival in the United States, the Church is now being called to a greater sense of mission — one that springs from an encounter with Christ Himself who teaches us who we are. Further, it is a mission that flows through the heart of every Catholic Christian, inviting us to lower our nets to retrieve the treasures of deep faith and profound charity. It is through this mission that we engage the world with hope — because it is Jesus Himself who is sending us.
Encounter † Deepen † Engage
In all this movement — into our own hearts, through the heart of Christ and into the heart of the world — we are invited to become one with Christ. Becoming One with Christ is the title Bishop Siegel has given to the Pastoral Priorities outlined for the Diocese of Evansville for the next 5 years. This will be a focused time of Encountering Christ in a profound way, Deepening our relationship with Him and our Catholic faith and Engaging intentionally as witnesses and missionary disciples in our community.
To encounter Christ is not to limit life, to close it in with moral codes or ideologies, but rather to open it up to all that is good, true and beautiful. For this reason, discipleship must always begin with an encounter. Nothing can replace the power of an encounter with Christ.
To deepen our union with Christ is to root ourselves in the certainty of being created in love, redeemed through sacrifice and raised up in hope. By casting our nets into the depths of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as well as the richness of communal life, we can discover the fullness of what God has done for us and experience a peace the world cannot give.
Many are unknowingly waiting for this encounter with the Lord. Many who have bought into lies of self-sufficiency and bowed before the gods of power, fame and wealth, are secretly longing to be liberated from those chains. Many in the Church also wait for the Lord to show them something new, something that will help them to discover the hidden capacity of their hearts. It is only in mission that this secret is revealed, it is only in giving that we receive.
In all this movement — into our own hearts, through the heart of Christ and into the heart of the world — we are invited to become one with Christ. Becoming One with Christ is the title Bishop Siegel has given to the Pastoral Priorities outlined for the Diocese of Evansville for the next 5 years. This will be a focused time of Encountering Christ in a profound way, Deepening our relationship with Him and our Catholic faith and Engaging intentionally as witnesses and missionary disciples in our community.
To encounter Christ is not to limit life, to close it in with moral codes or ideologies, but rather to open it up to all that is good, true and beautiful. For this reason, discipleship must always begin with an encounter. Nothing can replace the power of an encounter with Christ.
To deepen our union with Christ is to root ourselves in the certainty of being created in love, redeemed through sacrifice and raised up in hope. By casting our nets into the depths of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as well as the richness of communal life, we can discover the fullness of what God has done for us and experience a peace the world cannot give.
Many are unknowingly waiting for this encounter with the Lord. Many who have bought into lies of self-sufficiency and bowed before the gods of power, fame and wealth, are secretly longing to be liberated from those chains. Many in the Church also wait for the Lord to show them something new, something that will help them to discover the hidden capacity of their hearts. It is only in mission that this secret is revealed, it is only in giving that we receive.
Becoming One with Christ will unfold first on the Diocesan level, then on the Parish level, followed by individual ministries provided by Parishes. God is calling us. He is calling us to Himself in love and He is calling us to go out on mission, both for our own salvation and that of our brothers and sisters.
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Lord Jesus Christ,
help us encounter you: to rest in you through Word and Sacrament and to care for you through acts of charity. Deepen our knowledge and love of you: Give us wisdom to know your truth and wonder to appreciate your beauty. Send us out to engage the world with courage to share our faith, both for our sake, and for the good of those in our community. May we be faithful disciples and may our hearts be filled with your Presence. May we all become one with you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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