Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School

There is an undeniable sense of excitement and re-creation that comes through the scripture readings in the early days of our Easter Season. On this “Third Sunday” of Easter, the energy of St. Peter is palpable in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Luke has Peter addressing the crowd in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day, and Peter is warming to his theme of “witness”. The witness of the believer is a very strong theme in these scriptures that surround the resurrection of Jesus: “The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15).

This sense of witness is also present in the second reading from the First Letter of John. Here it takes on a nuance, however: “whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.” It becomes clear that our “witness” is about what we do, and not about what we say. We glorify God with our lives, as the dismissal rite from mass reminds us. Faith, for the believer in Jesus, is something active, rather than passive, something we do more than something we say. In times past, Christians were called the “People of the Way” (of Christ). In other words, those who looked at Christians saw a people who chose to live their lives “after the example of Christ, and at his command” (EP for Various Needs IV). Our witness to our faith is best demonstrated in how we live.

People sometimes ask me about how they can live better lives, how they can live their own human vocation in life. In other words, they are asking how best they can live the life that God desires for them? Often we want to do right in the world, we want to do right by God, but sometimes feel at a loss to take first steps into exploring this for ourselves. Here at Lourdes, we are blessed to be able to bring a team to be with us who have extensive expertise in facilitating a retreat-style workshop that focuses on exploring our gifts and how we can use them in life.

The “Called & Gifted” workshop helps us to explore in our own life, the purpose God has in store for us. Our faith teaches that we all have a unique purpose in life, and learning for ourselves what this purpose is can be challenging at times. This opportunity provides us with a great context within which to explore these questions in the company of others who are also growing to deepen their understanding of God’s purpose for them in life.

Participants in the “Called & Gifted” experience benefit from exploring God’s plan for them at their particular time and place in life. Parents have shared that the experience has helped them to engage their children in deeper ways about the questions of faith that inevitably arise. It has also helped them to talk to their children about discerning their own gifts and God-given talents, and how those gifts reveal something of our hopes and dreams for life. The “Called & Gifted” experience is also of great help to those who are contemplating transition in either their personal or professional lives. New “empty-nesters”, those approaching retirement, those looking for a career change, and many others in transition benefit greatly from their participation in the experience.

“Called & Gifted” also works well for those who are trying to figure out what it means to be an adult in an adult church. All too often we hear about friends and family members who never really grew up in their faith. They never transitioned to a stage in their faith development where they had the freedom to explore with other adults what it might mean to live a life of faith as a mature man or woman desiring a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This experience is a wonderful gift and opportunity to which I would encourage you to consider inviting someone, or better still, consider accompanying someone.

The power of the Resurrection overflowed in the experience of Pentecost and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit in our world. Consider gifting yourself or someone you care about with participation in the “Called & Gifted” experience. It’s a first come, first served opportunity, and we’re giving our own parishioners a “head start” on registration. Look for details elsewhere in the bulletin.