 Many people do not like to wait. Western culture is instant. Waiting in line or waiting for something to arrive often creates impatience. The oft said line “patience is a virtue,” seems not to apply. We want whatever the thing is according to our schedule. God’s time, though, is not our time. We can be as impatient as we wish, but God will decide when the time is right. We need to decide if we are willing to wait, trust, and prepare. Christ is in our lives and wants to deepen his presence in us. Advent offers us a time to patiently wait for Christ who will come at the end of time and the one who is already incarnate among us which is what we celebrate at Christmas. The time of Advent also offers an opportunity to give thanks for all that Christ has done for us in our lives. It is a call to conversion of heart and deeper life in him. This is part of our preparation as we patiently wait. Conversion of heart may be a call to the Sacrament of Penance, so that we can receive the Eucharist in fuller love and openness. The Catholic Apostolate Center provides many resources for the Advent and Christmas seasons. We invite you to explore them and hope that they assist you in your preparation and waiting. For those in the United States, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving. For all, may you have a good and prayerful beginning to the Advent season. In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
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 As the Church arrives at the first session of the Synod on Synodality, it is important to look at the three words associated with it – communion, participation, and mission. These are at the center of the dialogue and discernment that will occur. They are part of an ongoing reflection on the role of the baptized in the life of the Church, particularly from the Second Vatican Council onward. We are in communion with the Most Holy Trinity and each other in the Body of Christ, the Church. The baptized are called to deeper participation in the life of the Church by going forth on mission in the world. Each is co-responsible for the mission of Christ and the Church. As Pope Francis notes, “The Synod has three key words: communion, participation, and mission. Communion and mission are theological terms describing the mystery of the Church… Participation is a requirement of the faith received in baptism” (Address for the Opening of the Synod). The whole synodal process is a discernment in the Holy Spirit to examine how we as Church are on mission in the world. Have we closed ourselves off by becoming self-referential or are we moving outward as witnesses of Christ? Pope Francis is clear about what this discernment of the Synod is and is not. “I want to say again that the Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit is not present, there will be no Synod” (Address for the Opening of the Synod). We at Catholic Apostolate Center offer many resources to learn more about the upcoming first session of the Synod of Synodality, which will begin on October 4th and continue throughout the month, including a recent episode of our podcast, On Mission, with Dr. Susan Timoney, Associate Dean for Graduate Ministerial Studies in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. Dr. Timoney gives an overview of the synodal process thus far and what is to come. It is worth taking the time to listen! Please keep all those involved in the Synod in your prayers. May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Both of my grandmothers had great devotion to the Blessed Mother. I remember going to their homes and seeing statues of Mary and other saints, prayer cards, and crystal and silver rosaries. I learned much from them and my mother about devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Back in 1901, on this day, the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, my grandmother, Millie Donio, was born. During my childhood, though, I did not know that it was a feast day, because with the reform of the liturgical calendar in 1969, the feast was removed. Restored by Blessed John Paul II in 2002 in the revised Roman Missal, it is now an optional memorial. Interestingly, there is only one other feast related to the name of a person, the Most Holy Name of Jesus, celebrated on January 3rd. This feast day was restored in 1996. The name, Mary, could mean “sea of bitterness” or, possibly, “beloved”. Consider for a moment how many situations Mary found herself in that could have resulted in bitterness. When the unwed young Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she was pregnant by the “power of holy Spirit,” she did not focus on her own situation, but made herself available to her cousin Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-40). When her son, Jesus, went off preaching suddenly at age 30, the scriptures show no evidence of her complaining about it. Instead, she says, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). No bitterness there. When she is at the foot of the cross watching her son die before her eyes, powerless to do anything about it, she accepts being given over the care of the Beloved Disciple, he as her son, she as his mother (John 19:26-27). Sorrow, yes. Bitterness, no. A “sea of bitterness” around her, but she, being the perfect disciple, shows us the way to be. She shows us how to live as beloved by God. My grandmothers showed me how to live as one beloved by God. They each had their various hardships in life – physical sufferings, emotional difficulties, financial challenges – but each held firm to her faith and it was faith in God that sustained them. They each moved outside of themselves and cared for others, even in the midst of their own struggles. I will never forget going with Grandmom Donio quietly dropping off bags of fruits and vegetables at the back doors of the homes of people she knew were in need of them, but were not able to ask others for help. No words exchanged, we were not even seen, just an action done for good because the other is beloved by God. Being beloved by God does not mean there will be no suffering or challenge in life. Being beloved by God, called by our name in Baptism, which claimed us for Jesus Christ, we are not left alone to simply move through life. We have the ones we call by name, Mary who intercedes for us with the other person we call by name, Jesus, who is also the Son of God. We call also on the names of the other baptized in the community of faith, the Church. We call out with all of our needs as we live in what can seem at times like a “sea of bitterness.” But, we are not meant to be bitter in life, no matter what we experience. Pope Francis offers us encouragement to move out of ourselves toward others: “Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day; let us not yield to pessimism or discouragement: let us be quite certain that the Holy Spirit bestows upon the Church, with his powerful breath, the courage to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelization, so as to bring the Gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8)” (Audience with the College of Cardinals, March 15, 2013). What are we to do then? Not live in bitterness, but witness as ones beloved. We are to call others by name and assist them in being good disciples of Jesus Christ, following the pattern of life and asking the intercession of the one called Mary. **This blog was originally posted on September 12, 2013.**
 “When we become creatures of habit and grow bored, and the mission becomes a ‘job’, it is time to open our hearts to that second call of Jesus, for he never stops calling us. He calls us to make us set out; he calls us to remake us. Do not be afraid of this second call of Jesus.” - Pope Francis, Homily for Vespers with Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians, and Pastoral Workers, World Youth Day, Lisbon, Portugal, August 2, 2023 Many people who read our newsletter engage in some type of ministry within the Church, full-time or part-time. Others engage in various types of apostolic work. All are serving the mission of Christ and the Church, each in the way in which they are called. Sometimes, as Pope Francis points out, “mission becomes a ‘job.’” We may need to recognize a “second call of Jesus.” He calls us to himself most profoundly in the Eucharist, whether at Mass or in adoration. In prayer and encounter with Christ, we are called to move out of ourselves, our routine, and into deeper life in the community of faith and with the world, especially with those most in need of our presence and accompaniment. Each of the reflections below given by seven bishops, including the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, is not simply for the time of World Youth Day. They are quite relevant to all on mission for Christ as we commit ourselves daily to living for him. We invite you to listen to them as part of your time of prayer or as you journey to others on mission. May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In Christ, Apostle of the Eternal Father, Fr. Frank
 The theme for World Youth Day 2023 is “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39). This celebration is not simply for those who go to Lisbon, Portugal, but also for all young people and those who work with them. It is an invitation, an opportunity, to enter into a spiritual and evangelizing experience. As the official website for World Youth Day 2023 remind us: “ “Leaving in haste represents the attitude depicted in Pope Francis’ indications for WYD Lisbon 2023: ‘may young people’s evangelization be active and missionary, for this is how they will recognize and witness the presence of the living Christ.’” “Leaving in haste” means that young people and all the baptized are called to go forth and witness Christ. Staying only where we are and with people with whom we are comfortable can result in our becoming complacent in our spiritual lives. We need to be missionary, including in our prayer. Is our prayer simply about ourselves or do we take the example of the Blessed Mother and be less concerned about ourselves and more concerned about others and doing the will of God? She left in haste to go to her cousin, Elizabeth, who in her advanced age was pregnant with St. John the Baptist. The main announcement of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary was that she also was pregnant, but in a miraculous way by the Holy Spirit, carrying the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ. Instead of dwelling on her own situation, she went forth bearing Christ to Elizabeth whose child leap in the womb for joy! When we bear Christ to others – when we witness Christ – some may reject us, but others will receive us with joy. Their joy is not about us, it is about Christ. Young people have an opportunity, not simply during the time of World Youth Day, but always, to go forth and “witness the presence of the living Christ” to the world. May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 The National Eucharistic Revival in the United States moved into its second, or parish, year on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In July 2024, the Church in the United States will hold a National Eucharistic Congress. We at Catholic Apostolate Center continue to work with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Eucharistic Congress organization to assist all in moving out on mission from our encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. On Monday, June 19, Pope Francis met with the organizers of the Congress and offered these and other important insights. His words are quoted here at length and should be reflected on often. “It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord’s great gift of himself and to spend time with him in the celebration of the Holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament…. I likewise trust that the Congress will be an occasion for the faithful to commit themselves with ever greater zeal to being missionary disciples of the Lord Jesus in the world… This is the sense of a missionary spirit. You go to the celebration of Mass, receive communion, adore the Lord and then what do you do after? You go out and evangelize. Jesus asks this of us. The Eucharist, then, impels us to a strong and committed love of neighbor. For we cannot truly understand or live the meaning of the Eucharist if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor, suffering, weary or who may have gone astray in life” (Pope Francis, Greeting to the Organizing Committee of the National Eucharistic Congress in the United States of America). May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 We can never forget that the Holy Spirit provides us with the ability to do what we do on mission for Christ. We can begin to think that what we do is simply of our own making. It is not. As with those in the Cenacle or Upper Room at Pentecost, we, too, have the power of the Holy Spirit moving and guiding us. We are called to discern what the Holy Spirit wants us to do and the way in which it is to be done. This part is a challenge. We want direct answers to our questions. When something gets difficult, we often want God to move those obstacles out of the way since we are doing the mission of Christ. And yet, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is wisdom, which teaches us that we are not in control, God is. As human beings, we so love to be in control, but we are not. God is and we, as believers, have faith which teaches us to trust in God and in God alone. Easier said than done. Being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4), means that other things that fill us need to give way, especially the belief that we are in control. Instead, we are in what St. Vincent Pallotti called, “holy cooperation” with God. As baptized, we are co-responsible for the mission of Christ and the Church. He gave the mission to the Apostles to “go and make disciples” (Mt 28:19). We share in that same mission until Christ comes again! May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles, intercede for us and the Charity of Christ urge us on! In Christ, Apostle of the Eternal Father, Fr. Frank
 The hope of the Resurrection is the cause of our rejoicing during the Easter season. The Risen Christ offers us peace, as he did to the frightened disciples locked in the Cenacle or Upper Room. The Cenacle itself becomes then a place of deeper community that leads to mission. The mission Christ gives is not our own. It is his. We share in it. We go forth as witnesses of the Risen Christ from the community, are sent by the community, and return to the community. This must be done in integrity through not only saying what we believe but living it. Pope Francis recently provided some reflection on this: “Many Christians only say they believe, but they live something else, as if they did not. And this is hypocrisy. The opposite of witness is hypocrisy.” (General Audience on March 22, 2023) No one wants to be accused of being a hypocrite. Few of us will perfectly live the life of faith. Witnessing Christ is not about being perfect, but by being perfected by him through ongoing conversion of heart and mind. This is accomplished through the grace of the Sacraments provided by the community of faith, the Church. As St. Vincent Pallotti taught, we are called to cooperate with this grace so that we can witness the Risen One more authentically to the world as apostles. May the charity of Christ urge us on! Blessed Easter, Fr. Frank
 The tenth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis was on March 13th and anniversary of the inauguration of his Petrine Ministry was on March 19th. As we commemorate these special anniversaries, it is worth reflecting on his continual call to all the baptized to share responsibility for the mission of Christ and the Church as missionary disciples. He is simply restating the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Living this mission is part of our call to holiness. Pope Francis describes holiness in Gaudate et Exultate “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by laboring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain” (14). Prayer, both communal and individual, along with the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, which Pope Francis has emphasized often, will aid us in living holiness in the way that he describes. Lent is the perfect time to deepen our efforts, always done with the grace of God. Ad multos annos, Pope Francis! May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Lent is not a diet program nor is it a spiritual competition. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are means to an end, not ends in themselves. They are the recommended ways for us to deepen our encounter with Christ and grow in holiness. We seem to know this but when a food that we have given up for Lent is placed before us, do you say, “NOOOO, I have given it up for Lent!”? Of course, this is an exaggeration to make a point. Pope Francis in his 2023 Lenten Message focuses us on the purpose of penance during Lent. “Lenten penance is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross. To deepen our knowledge of the Master, to fully understand and embrace the mystery of his salvation, accomplished in total self-giving inspired by love, we must allow ourselves to be taken aside by him and to detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity. We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice, and concentration.” Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving do take “effort, sacrifice, and concentration.” They are also “sustained by grace.” We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that we are doing this on our own. What we are doing is cooperating with the grace of Christ who wants us to deepen our encounter with him. The Church offers us these traditional Lenten practices and penances so that we may come into greater life in him in and through our daily lives. As Pope Francis reminds us, “While our ordinary commitments compel us to remain in our usual places and our often repetitive and sometimes boring routines, during Lent we are invited to ascend ‘a high mountain’ in the company of Jesus and to live a particular experience of spiritual discipline – ascesis – as God’s holy people.” May the charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Seeking God. Seems simple. We seek God. But, more significantly, God seeks us. Similar to the lost sheep, we sometimes go astray. We want to live our call, but that can be sometimes a challenge if we try to do it on our own. God is calling us first. God is seeking us first. We are offered the grace of Christ and are called to respond. Respond to what? St. Vincent Pallotti, whose feast day is January 22nd, tells us. We are called to be apostles of Jesus Christ. We are sent by Christ to help all come to know him in and through the Church. Pallotti promoted this inspired understanding, his charism, in the mid-1830s in Rome. How do we live it in 2023 where we are? One way is by seeking God as St. Vincent Pallotti suggests: “Seek God and you will find God. Seek God in all things and you will find God in all things. Seek God always and you will always find God.” When we seek God in this way, then we will move beyond ourselves and go forth as apostles. May the charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Christmas approaches. We are nearly through our Advent waiting. What has this time been for us? As we enter the joyful season of celebration of the Incarnation, we have an opportunity to embrace the humble simplicity of the scene. Only the shepherds were made aware on that night and came to adore. As St. Vincent Pallotti notes, it was as God wanted it to be. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the instructions and signs given to the shepherds, allowed himself to be found as a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger” (OOCC, II, 66). Eventually, those with faith in him came to know him as Emmanuel, God is with us. We know him. We believe in him. We witness him to others. Christ is with us. May we proclaim him as the angels did to the shepherds! Please know that the prayers of the Catholic Apostolate Center team are with you at Christmas and always. May you have a blessed Christmas! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Advent offers us a time of waiting, but we sometime do not accept this offer. We are busy with preparations for Christmas and with other things. The time moves by with maybe a few fleeting Advent thoughts and aspirations. Yet, interestingly, one of the most popular resources pages that we at Catholic Apostolate Center created is the one on Advent. We find there is a desire to enter into this season in an authentic and prayerful way. As you will see below, we have some new Advent resources to share. What would you like to do during the soon to arrive Advent season? Here are a few suggestions: Live in hope Live in joy Live in peace Live in love Hope, joy, peace, and love are not greeting card sentiments. They are rooted in life in Christ and our living for him. When we live them, we live Advent. Each of us will have our own way of living them. May Advent be a time to live them more deeply and fully. May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 Reviving faith, rekindling charity, and forming apostles are what we do at Catholic Apostolate Center. We do it because that is what St. Vincent Pallotti did in Rome in the first half of the nineteenth century and what his spiritual children have done for 187 years. As we conclude our tenth anniversary celebration, we offer gratitude to God, the Infinite Love, for all the blessings that we have received in this ministry. Synodality is now a common word in the Church. From the beginning, the Center team journeyed together with the Holy Spirit in a co-responsible and collaborative way. This way of being is not unique to Catholic Apostolate Center but is at the core of the witness of St. Vincent Pallotti and his spiritual legacy, the Union of Catholic Apostolate. Our second decade has begun well with many new resources and expanded collaboration with various national and international Catholic organizations. There is much more to come for active Catholics who want to live as apostles, as missionary disciples. We look forward to where the Holy Spirit moves this ministry. We discern this in the Cenacle with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles, and then go forth as apostles in service to Christ and the Church. Thank you for your support over this past decade and know that our prayers are with you. May the Charity of Christ urge us on! In Christ, Apostle of the Eternal Father, Fr. Frank
“Filled with the love of Christ, young people are called to be witnesses of the Gospel wherever they find themselves, by the way they live.” (Christus Vivit, 175)
Missionary discipleship is most fruitful through the witness of the baptized. Many are profoundly moved, particularly by the witness of young people. People often comment on who is not active in the life of faith. How often do we put our attention on those who are? These are the people, including many young people, who live their faith and go forth daily as missionary disciples of Christ. Pope Francis teaches that “missionary disciples accompany missionary disciples” (Evangelii Gaudium, 175). The baptized do not become missionary disciples on their own, they need accompaniment. This is true for young people and true for all. Young people do need accompaniment toward missionary discipleship, but that can only happen if others are well-formed disciples. Part of this formation includes learning more about ministry with young people, particularly young adults.The Center has an online course in this area that is described in an article below. Many young people evangelize others through their witness of faith in word and deed. Sometimes this is a story that is not told. They live well their faith through missionary discipleship and have brought others to Christ and his Church. They need our support, accompaniment, and prayers. May the charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
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