OCTOBER 11, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CONVOCATION
2 WELCOME
Convocation: A family affair
“I
t’s good to have all the family together tonight,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann exclaimed as he kicked off the “Enflame Our Hearts: Be Disciples, Make Disciples” convocation held at the Overland Park Convention Center Oct. 3. And he wasn’t kidding. “The first miracle of the convocation is that all of our parishes are represented,” said the archbishop. “I don’t think that’s ever happened in any of our initiatives.” The energy was palpable as the archbishop spoke about the days to come. “We never know what the Holy Spirit’s going to do,” said the archbishop. “He’s always going to do greater things than we can imagine.” But he asked delegates to enter into Enflame in search of an answer to an important but simple question: “What does it mean to be a missionary disciple?” “It means being so grateful for the gift of your friendship with Jesus, for your Catholic faith, for the meaning, the hope, the purpose, the joy that it brings to your life — that you want to share that gift with others,” he explained.
The archbishop didn’t shy away from addressing the obstacles the church faces that make discipleship challenging. “We’re painfully aware of the humanity of the church, of the weakness of its leaders,” he said. The archbishop noted that, although it’s “a time when many want to hide their identity as Catholics, it’s also a time when our culture and society never needed more the truth, the beauty, the goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” And then, the archbishop presented a request. “I ask you to pray with me during these days that our hearts will be open to welcome the Holy Spirit and to allow him to empower us as he did that original tiny band of disciples,” he said. A group, he added, that didn’t have the numbers or resources we have today. “And Jesus had given them this impossible mission to go and to share the Gospel with all the world,” he said. “And yet, remarkably, they were able to do so, even though they seemed totally unqualified.” The archbishop concluded by urging the delegates to pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “Let us, during these days, let go and let God make this time what he desires for each of us,” he said.
OPENING
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New evangelization is ‘no easy task’
he mission of the church has always been to evangelize, said Father Gary Pennings at the opening of the “Enflame Our Hearts: Be Disciples, Make Disciples” convocation. But now the church must learn to announce the good news with a new ardor, new methods and new expressions — a new evangelization, he said. More than 1,500 delegates from every parish in the archdiocese were there to be equipped and inspired at the three-day event, and then return home to evangelize. “Archbishop Naumann has called us as leaders of this local church together in this convocation for prayer, dialogue and prayerful listening,” said Father Pennings, chairman of the convocation planning committee. “He’s called us to build a culture of evangelization across northeastern Kansas,” he added, “and that’s no easy task.” The church has always been called to share Christ’s message, but it must announce the Gospel anew to every generation. Throughout the convocation, he told the delegates, they would go through three progressions. The first would be to focus on their own heart. “As my heart is transformed by my encounter with divine love, my encounter with Christ, how can I not share this experience with others?” he asked. “Our first prayer is: Enflame Our Hearts.” The second focus would be on the family — our own homes, or what is often referred to as the domestic church. “As individual hearts are transformed, homes and families change,” said Father Pennings. “We are speaking of family homes, yes, but also parish homes . . . [So], our second prayer is: Enflame Our Homes.” The third progression of the flame will be from home to community. “The church has a single intention,” said Father Pennings, “that God’s kingdom may come and that the salvation of the whole human race may come to pass. “Our third prayer is: Enflame Our Communities.” “For each of these three progressions — heart, home and community — we will explore ways and methods to create opportunities for the Holy Spirit to bring his transformative fire,” continued Father Pennings. “We invite you to be open to God’s inspiration while you are here. “Let us welcome the Holy Spirit as we pray, study and plan together. Let us entrust ourselves to that same Holy Spirit so that our hearts, our homes and our communities may indeed be enflamed with the joy of the Gospel.”
“THE CHURCH HAS A SINGLE INTENTION — THAT GOD’S KINGDOM MAY COME AND THAT THE SALVATION OF THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE MAY COME TO PASS.”
Father Gary Pennings, vicar general for the archdiocese