'Announce . . . the message that I will tell you'

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Stefanie Jenkins

The Word of the Lord is ever so powerful. Like Jonah, we are called each day to put our lives entirely in the hands of God.

Our Lord commands that we "announce the message" - the message of love in both our words and our deeds. Significantly, Jonah set out to tell the people of Nineveh of God's infinite love and mercy without knowing at that moment what to say.

We are called each day to say "yes" to the Lord as Jonah had - going where He sends us, proclaiming His love.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jan. 22, 2006) Jon 3:1-5, 10 Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 1 Cor 7:29-31 Mk 1:14-20

When we say yes to the Lord, we not only receive such graces as peace and patience, but also the hope that God will bestow graces on those we encounter.

Each day I enjoy praying for those I pass on the street, hoping that my prayers may make their time on earth a little more enjoyable. Specifically, I pray for an increase in prayer and love for Our Lord, hoping that our hearts undergo conversion each day.

May we take the advice Paul gives to the Corinthians, mindful that "the time is running out . . . the world in its present form is passing away." The more time spent in the presence of God - whether before the Blessed Sacrament, during Mass, or in prayer - the more dissociated from the world I feel. The anxieties, fears, and loneliness associated with the world lessen as I put more trust in God's will for my life.

	Reflection questions • Just as the Ninevites turned from their evil ways, do you repent before the Lord, begging for mercy in this time of need? • Do you have hope and trust that God knows what is best for us and that He will provide if only we stay in deep prayer with Him? • How do you serve God in your actions, in your words, in your thoughts?

Furthermore, the act of repenting allows us to make conscious our sins and our weaknesses. I ask for forgiveness and request that God create in me a new heart, a heart devoted to following Him unconditionally. I seek to put more of God at the core of who I am.

With God's presence in our lives, may we be open and trustworthy enough to let Him move us according to His will. Only then will we be able to minister to Jesus' command: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel."

The Good News will certainly reach many hearts if we humble ourselves and say with confidence, "Yes, Lord, I believe."

Stefanie Jenkins, an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, loves leading Bible studies at St. Paul University Catholic Center.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive!

In a Nutshell In 1990 there were 21,569 parish lay ministers in the United States; in 2005, 30,632 parish lay ministers worked at least 20 hours a week in paid positions. The "formation" of a lay ecclesial minister includes human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions. This formation occurs in Catholic colleges, seminaries, schools of theology; some formation is co-sponsored by dioceses and academic institutions; some is offered online. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   "We are grateful that laypersons have responded to the call to ecclesial ministry in such great numbers," the U.S. bishops say in their November 2005 resource document on lay ecclesial ministers titled "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord." "The same God who called Prisca and Aquila to work with Paul in the first century calls thousands of men and women to minister in our church" today, the bishops say. Of course, they note, most lay people work toward the world's transformation in the secular realm, but some work in and for the church as catechetical or youth ministry leaders, or pastoral music directors, for example. What is lay ecclesial ministry? The document explains: -- "The ministry is 'lay' because it is service done by laypersons. The sacramental basis is the sacraments of initiation, not the sacrament of ordination. full story   Who are these people called "ecclesial lay ministers"? By Sister Amy Hoey, RSM Catholic News Service At their November 2005 meeting, the U.S. bishops approved a statement titled "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry." It was 25 years ago that the U.S. bishops first identified a relatively new phenomenon in the church in the United States. In a document titled "Called and Gifted: The American Catholic Laity," they said: full story  The formation of lay ecclesial ministers By H. Richard McCord Catholic News Service If your parish has a lay minister directing the religious education program or a staff member in charge of youth ministry, have you ever wondered how he or she got into professional church work? Priests are ordained after a seminary education. Deacons and women religious follow a prescribed path of preparation. But what preparation process is necessary for lay ministers who collaborate closely with priests, deacons and religious? full story  The life of a lay ecclesial minister By Sheila Garcia Catholic News Service "No two 24 hours are alike," says Anne Keough, director of Adult and Family Ministry at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Duncanville, Texas, an outer suburb of Dallas. When I talked with Keough, she was supervising a first reconciliation service for 102 children and had just helped two families prepare funeral liturgies. Keough oversees 28 areas of parish ministry. She teaches, leads a women's spirituality group and assists with family-centered sacramental preparation for reconciliation, First Eucharist and confirmation. She is the first point of contact for all couples wanting to marry in the parish. She provides ongoing parent education and trains catechists and youth ministers to present programs on human sexuality. A major responsibility is to offer enrichment and direction to the many volunteers on whom she relies. full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: As a lay ecclesial minister, what do you do? How did you prepare for this role?     Selected Response From Readers:
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