The Making Disciples Today Blog has reflections to help you grow in your journey of missionary discipleship, reviews on recommended Catholic evangelization resources, and practical insight on how to evangelize in your daily life.
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- Written by: Burning Hearts Team
While it can sometimes be treated as a primarily mental or seasonal activity, the reality is that following Christ is a full-time, full-contact way of life. But effort alone does not make a disciple. Discipline only forms us when it is ordered toward relationship with Jesus Christ.
As Father Sergius Halvorsen points out, St. Paul often uses sports imagery when speaking about what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.
He says that he does not run aimlessly, nor does he "box as one beating the air." Rather, he "pommels" his body and subdues it. (1 Cor 9:24-7)...[he] encourages us to "run with perseverance the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1) because our goal is a heavenly prize.
St. Paul points out that athletes exercise self-control in all things in order to be victorious (1Cor 9:25). If athletic discipline was obvious in St. Paul’s day, then it should be even more obvious in our culture with its preoccupation with professional sports. The athlete cannot pigeonhole his or her athletic life.
St. Paul’s point is not intensity for its own sake, but intention. Discipline without direction does not lead to the prize.
Cardio Training: Prayer
Prayer does not begin with technique or duration. It begins with encounter – with the decision to turn toward Jesus and remain with Him.
If prayer feels confusing, performative, or hard to sustain, How Do You Pray? offers a starting point focused on encounter rather than output.
In the same way that cardio-vascular exercise strengthens our physical heart, prayer strengthens our spiritual hearts. To pray means taking time each day to turn our attention toward Jesus – to listen to Him in silence and Scripture, and to speak honestly in return. Over time, this kind of prayer deepens attentiveness and availability, not performance.
Prayer opens our hearts and minds to the love of God, and allows us to be filled with the grace which God abundantly pours out upon us.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Life makes many demands on today's families and lives are often full and hectic. Finding the time for prayer can seem difficult - especially if you aren't sure where to begin or how to pray as a family. Praying and growing together as a family is a gift that will sustain each member of your family throughout the storms of this life and one that will prepare you all for the next life.
Tip #1: Foster Your Own Prayer Life
From the newborn who sticks out her tongue after watching Mom do it, to the toddler who snags dad's phone and pretends to send a text, to the child who gathers his friends to play school, children learn best through imitation. It is no different with prayer.
Making time to foster your own prayer life and letting your children see you pray does more to teach them about the value of prayer than any book, DVD, or religion class lesson ever can...
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- Written by: Maureen Anderson
The Story Of How We Came To Be
My husband and I fell in love all over again.
This time we fell in love with Jesus and the richness, depth, and beauty of our Catholic faith.
Over the past few years, I discovered my life changing drastically. Retirement, moving, becoming an empty-nester, and an abundant blessing of grandchildren brought change in my circumstances that caused changes in my faith life as well. I started to become more aware of the questions I had about my faith and was confronted with questions from other Catholics and non-Catholics that I realized I could not answer.
With much help from my husband, I started pouring myself into trying to find the answers. The more I studied, the more I wanted to study. As a cradle Catholic, I was shocked and embarrassed at how much I didn't know. I was also grateful to discover how many good solid Catholic resources there were available to aid me in my learning. For example, my husband showed me how to listen to podcasts and download MP3's. This technology made it so easy to fit in the time for prayer and learning about my faith in our very busy lives. Even better - many of these resources, like the podcasts, were free or nearly free.
The more I studied, the more my faith grew, and the more I fell in love with Jesus. I became very passionate and on fire with wanting to share this 'new love' with friends and family. I was convinced that if other Catholics could learn what I had, they too would be on fire for Jesus and the Catholic faith...
