Repost: Mission Statement: Unashamed by Patrick Madrid

 Worth the repost. Blessings, Charlotte

MISSION STATEMENT: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

I AM A PART of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God’s hands. I am finished and done with low living, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith. I lean on Christ’s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God’s grace.

My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I am a Catholic. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

Adapted from the original (author unknown) by Patrick Madrid

The Lent we choose, the Lent God gives us

 

Faithful Friends:

I don’t often borrow a reflection, but this one struck me as particularly challenging. The gospel is Jn 2:13-25.

Borrowed with permission from Mike Day, President NACFLM (National Association of Catholic Family Ministers)

“I’ve often quipped that there’s two Lents: there’s the Lent we choose and the Lent God gives us. There have been many years I’ve charged into the season with grand ideas for penances only to find the most difficult were the sufferings I did not anticipate life throwing my way.

“For the 3^rd Sunday in Lent, the Gospel tells of Christ purging the temple of moneychangers. By pointing out that He did so with a whip made of cords clarifies that this was not some reactionary moment of human weakness. He had time to discern and spent that time in preparation for a response. Christ was consumed by a “zeal for his house” and the sign given for doing this was the temple of His own body which would be destroyed but raised again.

“Through reception of the Eucharist, the “house” in which Christ resides is our very selves. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit and, like the literal temple, Christ is consumed by zeal for us. For however well-intentioned and insightful our Lenten penances may be, God knows us more intimately than we know ourselves and He desires to drive out from us all that diminishes our worth, dignity and beauty. It is not always a peaceful process and can, like this moment with the moneychangers, be unsettling, tense, and frustrating.

“This is not only true within ourselves but relationships as well. Whether with our spouse, children, extended families or even co-workers, there may be conflicts that threaten to drive us apart. But the virtue of patience can afford us the space and time needed to see the work of purification Christ is doing within us.

“As we cross the halfway point of our Lenten journey, with all the blessings and challenges that have come our way, let us take heart and behold, for Christ makes all things new."

Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Mike Day, President NACFLM"

Blessings on your Lenten Journey, Charlotte