How We Engage Discipleship:
Each Catholic Passage event and activity is designed with five qualities in mind. These characteristics are essential to all that we do. We call them the Five Ds. When our participants give themselves over to each of the Five Ds, we believe that they can better unite their lives to Jesus through the “Big D” of Christian Discipleship.
In Romans 12:2, St. Paul writes, “Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” The following Five Ds are meant to help us conform our lives to Christ, and in so doing, become passageways of the Father’s blessing to those around us, especially the young. All of the Steps of the Disciple begin with the Lord at Baptism, are sustained by the source and summit of our faith, the Holy Eucharist, and are taken with and in the community of the Church.
1. Dependence on God
God is the center of everything, the origin of every gift, and our loving guide. We depend on Jesus to bear fruit through us. Therefore, at the beginning of each Catholic Passage effort, we seek communion with Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God gave us the gifts of natural reason and supernatural faith. Our efforts are guided by Sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. In cooperating with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we live out the sanctifying grace of our baptismal identities as adopted sons and daughters, sharing in Jesus’ mission. Catholic Passage events and activities begin with prayer and reflecting upon God’s Revelation through Sacred Scripture. God’s love for us and all His children is our inspiration to serve.
2. Dialogue in Community
We dialogue in community because where two or more are gathered in Jesus’ Name, Jesus is there. Dialogue is more than a conversation; it is a pursuit of the truth. It is not about debating or fixing. It is about being won over to what is good, true, and beautiful. In dialogue, each person has something to offer and receive.
As a community of faith, we engage in dialogue around a chosen topic as an act of love for one another and God. Dialogue opens us to receive and reflect upon truths of life. We ask the Holy Spirit – The Spirit of Truth – to guide our dialogues so that we can come to encounter truth in any given topic of conversation. Since truth is not merely a concept, but a Person (John 14:6), encountering the Truth demands our response. Therefore, fruitful dialogue leads to an ascent of faith with the accompanying invitation to conversion and transformation in the Holy Spirit: being who God created us to be!
3. Determination of Will
When we encounter the truth, we must determine whether to reject or accept it. This acceptance or rejection happens through the will. Catholic Passage leads participants to determine, with their own free wills, to let the truth bear influence in their lives – to let the Truth mark the path upon which they walk. We show participants how to call on the Holy Spirit, who will strengthen their determination. This determination shapes their understanding and attitude and brings about real-life application. Determination is where the discovered truth becomes conviction, because the truth has won us over. We say yes to the Lord transforming us interiorly through prayer and then through us, His light can shine upon the children before us.
4. Decisions Lived
Real-life application of learning happens in the decisions of daily ordinary life. Catholic Passage guides participants to reexamine their decision-making in the light of their newfound convictions. Whether it is in their own interior lives or in their interactions with children or students, our participants are challenged to put their conviction into action. For example, when a teacher accepts the truth that every child is inherently good and sometimes behaves poorly, the teacher decides daily not to name call, but to remind the student to be the good person he or she is. Jesus likens hearing his words and acting on them to a man building his house upon rock instead of sand (Matthew 7:24). Catholic Passage aims to help adults build their lives and efforts on a firm foundation, so that the children in their care have a strong shelter in which to grow in life and holiness.
5. Differences Made
Differences are made when decisions are lived lovingly and consistently. Every adult woman and man have the power to build up a child in faith and life, now and for eternity. Decisions are like raindrops on a lake; the ripple effect always surpasses the point of impact. God will never be outdone by our generosity. We need only depend on Him and try. As with everything, we can trust the fruitfulness of our decisions to the wisdom and goodness of God our Father. In thanksgiving for his graces, we lift up hymns of praise and present our gifts to Him at His altar at every Mass. Adults being the good difference in children’s lives is the goal of Catholic Passage!