Zombies vs. Jesus

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y2BrmcVf6c&w=640&h=360] I'm back from a glorious Texas vacation visiting my wife's family and a few friends from college.  And just in time for Spirit Juice Studios to release Zombies vs. Jesus, a short film about... well... just watch it.

What do you think?

Memento Mori!

***Stay tuned for my longest post yet, "We Need More Death", to be posted today or tomorrow.

All Hipsters Eventually Become Catholic

If you've been living in a bomb shelter under your parent's house since 1990 and don't know what a hipster is, then go here and read up to get a rough idea. I think they're Catholics.

Hipster refers to a subculture of contemporary young adults. They like independent music and wearing unpopular clothing styles. Hipsters love things that aren't mainstream, and they love irony and paradox. They love having their own art, culture, and hipster jargon. They love reading the books no one recognizes and listening to the music you wouldn't know about.

Lots of people I know have opinions of hipsters. Some flat out hate them. They have been called names like "the embodiement of postmodernism" by critics. Some turn their noses up in contempt, but secretly (or not so secretly) dress like them. In fact, a hipster would turn up his nose if you called him a hipster.

The Word on Fire blog gives some good insight into how to evangelize this subset of our modern culture, but I don't think we have to be too worried:

Hipsters eventually become Catholic.

This is less of a fact and more of a prophecy. But haven't you felt the same way deep down?

Aren't you, as a Catholic, somewhat charmed and intrigued by hipsters?

Next Generation Hipster Manifesto

Isn't it true that living out the Catholic faith in modern society is the ultimate anti-mainstream life of non-conformity and going-against-the-flow? And the Catholic culture we've inherited provides a wealth of uncool topics to chose from.

Eventually all the dingy coffee shops will be places where you can spot a guy wearing skinny jeans, an impractical scarf, and donning a green tattoo of St. Basil on his arm.

The new hispter loves going to daily Mass at his parish, where the pews are filled with no one under the age of 50. He did it before it was cool.

That guy in the corner with the thick rimmed glasses and bowling shoes sipping a chai latte? He's wearing a St. Benedict crucifix while reading a leather bound copy of “Medieval Religion and Other Essays” with yellowed pages. He’s been on a Christopher Dawson kick these past months. (If you don't know about him, you aren't a Catholic hipster and you should really look into him.)

You can tell the likes of the Next Generation of Hipsters by their out of place lingo. They use words like "interretium" when referring to the internet, are known to dance and shout "Veni, veni, veni Locamowae cum me", and have stickers on their bikes that say "Sona si Latine loqueris".

Latin is a "dead" language you know. How much more not mainistream can you get?

They form book clubs and meet in the back of the local open-mic cafe to chuckle over G.K. Chesterton - you wouldn't understand.

They argue about how Tantum Ergo should be chanted, and have Gregorian Chant for all Seasons as a channel on Pandora.

They believe whole heatedly in subsidiarity, and they pick up their vegetables from a local farm CSA program wearing their paradoxical clothing.

They date seriously and are excited to live a life of chastity and monogamy. Being single and sleeping around is so safe and boring and mainstream anyways. It's a cowardly garden-variety life running from responsibility, never risking rejection or failure, and being too timid to attempt the challenge of choosing the one you will spend the rest of your life loving in total selflessness. And try raising other human persons for 18 years at a time once you are married.

The next generation of hipsters refuse the mediocrity of self-indulgence. The popular existence of floating from one drunken party to another memory-less night, that's easy. It takes no thought or self-reflection or individuality. What a familiar story. Getting consistently high is too simple - what a lame and bland existence.

Try to make a decision that lasts the rest of your life - get married. That's risky. Have a child and try to get him to heaven. What a lofty goal. Live through the ups and downs and feel the pains and joys of REAL life experienced to the full with the wide spectrum of human emotion and experience.

These Catholic Hipsters of the New Generation don't accept the widespread belief that suffering (and therefore life) is pointless.  These hipsters have the radical notion that they are in a love affair with a God that is bigger than the universe, knows them better than they know themselves, and longs for them and their perfection like a deer pants for water. Now there is the premise of an outside-the-box life worth living.

Because Jersey Shore and the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the average has so been done before a GAHJILION times.

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This is part of a series of posts called the Catholic Hipster Manifesto.

**Comment and add some of the activities and interests of the Ultimate Catholic Hispter.  I know you've seen one.  Of course you're not one.

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Engage Volunteers in Ministry with WHY

Getting people in your parish to support your ministry or to volunteer their time can be extremely taxing, stressful, and full of rejection. In this video, Simon Sinek gives an inside look at what makes leaders inspiring, and how the best are so effective at recruiting people to support their mission - why some leaders are able to inspire and others aren't.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4&feature=player_detailpage]

Why is Apple so popular, when plenty of other companies make products comparable or better than what Apple puts out?

Why did Martin Luther King become so popular, when there were plenty of other talented orators for the civil rights movement at the time?

Bottom Line for Your Ministry: Start with WHY, not how or what, because people don't buy what you do they buy WHY you do it.

EXAMPLE: What This Looks Like in Youth Ministry: Starting with What: We have youth group on Sundays, retreats, pizza parties, dodgeball, and lots of fun. We do praise and worship and camping trips. We need your help.

Starting with How: We try to build relationships with teens and love them where they are at. We try to witness with our lives and catechize in a fun way. We try to give the teens a life changing experience of God. We need your help.

Starting with Why: We believe that Eucharistic based ministry has the power to transform teens, transform parishes, and transform culture. (hat tip to Life Teen) We believe the culture teens are exposed to is a culture of death and mediocrity, and that Christ is the only thing worth giving their lives to. We believe Jesus entrusted us with the mission of presenting to teens the full truth of the Catholic faith, in all its rigor and vigor, and we believe that with the Holy Spirit God will work amazing miracles in the lives of these teens. We need your help.

Which one sounds more exciting to you? People don't buy what you do they buy WHY you do it. Skip telling people what your ministry does and how it does it, and be passionate about WHY you do ministry. Like Simon says (pun acknowledged), Dr. King didn't tell people what needed to be changed in America, he told people what he believed. He gave the "I have a dream speech", not the "I have a plan speech".

What are the best ways you have found to get people involved in your ministry? Share your insights below in the comment box.

**Caveat** It's all useless without prayer.

He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.'" Luke 10:2

"Behold the heart that has loved so much!"

"I know of no devotion better suited to lead a soul in a short time to the summit of perfection" St. Margaret Mary

"The Heart of Jesus is not only radiant with love for us, but it is a wounded heart, encircled by thorns, and pierced- this is a Heart that we tried to kill, a love that we tried to extinguish. But our attempts were frustrated by the willingness of Christ to love us even more." Fr. Steve Grunow

Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus everyone!

For more info on the devotion to the Sacred Heart and enthronement in your home, visit: www.sacredheartapostolate.com

Counter Punch the Devil in the Face

(photo ElMarto)

In boxing you are either throwing a punch or dealing with a punch being thrown at you.

Most people would think winning in boxing means focusing only on throwing good, accurate, and strong punches. But a good defense is pivotal in boxing - and a counter-punch while on the defensive can end a match.

Check out Mike Tyson, who is known for his raw power and also his defense. A lot of his knock-out blows came as a counter to a punch thrown at him. He had amazing defense and was a counter-punch expert.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYZzMPsm6c4&feature=related]

The counter is extremely effective for a few reasons:

1.) In taking a shot at you, your opponent is risking his guard in order to land a blow. When your opponent is throwing a jab with his left hand, his arm and hand are no longer defending his face and body. Countering can be a game changer when a boxer dodges an attack and then capitalizes while his opponent is partially off-guard. He turns a situation where he is on his heels into an advantage.

2.) Your opponent's momentum works to your advantage. When your opponent lunges forward to throw a right cross, you have an opportunity to counter-punch as he lunges forward. If you understand physics, this creates a scientific phenomenon known as "intensified oucheyness". Countering uses a drastic change in momentum to deliver an ouchey.

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a soldier before he had his huge conversion to Christ. He knew battle very well and even suffered a debilitating injury to his leg. In his writings on the spiritual life, he talks about how the soul can only ever be moving in one of two directions: towards God or away from God.

Notice St. Ignatius does not add a third position for the soul: temptation. Temptation is not a neutral situation. Temptation either works to move you closer to God or further from Him.

When the tempter throws an attack your way, you can either sit back and get knocked out or you can counter-punch him in the face. There is no third option.

St. John of the Cross talks about dealing with temptation, and mentions a way to counter the devil by an act of raising our attention and love to God.

From The Spiritual sayings of St. John of the Cross (Peers, vol. III, pp. 289-291)

"When we feel the first movement or attack of any vice, - as soon as we are conscious of it, we should meet it with an act or movement of anagogical love directed against this vice, and should raise our affection to union with God, for by this means the soul absents itself from its surroundings and is present with its God and becomes united with Him, and then the vice or the temptation and the enemy are defrauded of their intent, and have nowhere to strike; for the soul, being where it loves rather than where it lives, has met the temptation with divine aid, and the enemy has found nowhere to strike and nothing whereon to lay hold, for the soul is no longer where the temptation or enemy would have struck and wounded it..."

When you are facing temptation, you could focus on the opposite virtue that would combat the vice.  For instance, when tempted to lust you could combat it by meditating on the virtue of charity.  In this way we are blocking the attack with the virtue.

But a better way, says St. John of the Cross, is to slip out of the way of the strike all together, raise your attention and love up to the Father, and deliver a counter right to satan's smug chin using the temptation as an opportunity to grow closer to God. Just what the devil doesn't want.  He tries to dish it out on you and BAM! you counter by reminding yourself of God's presence and lifting up your gaze and love to the Father.  

St. John is saying that by not focusing on the temptation the devil is throwing at you, evading it, and countering by raising ourselves up to God, "the enemy has found nowhere to strike and nothing whereon to lay hold".

1.) In taking a shot at you, your opponent is risking his guard in order to land a blow.  When the devil throws temptation your way, he is risking the opportunity for you to become aware of the temptation.  When you become aware of temptation, you have the opportunity to react by moving towards God and away from the temptation.

2.) Your opponent's momentum works to your advantage. The stronger the temptation, the stronger the surge of the heart towards God needs to be. In this way, temptation gets thrown back in the face of satan like swinging a golf club at a land mine.

So the next time you experience temptation, don't stand there and take it - go for the knockout.

The First Steps Out the Door

Welcome to the results of a favorite past time of mine: productive procrastination.

In college I was not the type to drop studying for a 10 hour video game binge. But I would get sidetracked from my homework for hours at a time to read a spiritual classic, learn about roughness, attempt to make graham crackers, or teach myself graphic design.

This list of recreation might sound dreary but to me (and many in my generation), learning first became one of my favorite avenues for the vice of procrastination - and then a passion.

The term paper can wait - I have got to read Dawson! Quiz tomorrow? I wonder how St. Patrick would do youth ministry...? Project due? Benjamin Zander would make a great Catholic... Final coming up, better finish Henri de Lubac. Spanish? (Okay, so I liked Spanish.) Me gusta!

Over the years this has evolved from vice to hobby to discipline.

I constantly keep a notebook on me to catch my thoughts, questions, and ideas. I often think of how unproductive it is to keep these matters private. Maybe they are the most foolish of ideas and thoughts, but if they could at least be a small benefit to one other then it would be worth sharing.

For the past year I have been sitting on this blog debating and praying about whether to make it public. I have come to the conclusion to suspend judgement and dive headlong into the wild of blogging and judge this tree by its fruits. (Luke 6:44) I think the saying should go: "If its worth doing, its worth doing badly the first time."

A lofty goal would be to hope that something I write would bring you closer to Christ; and I very seriously do. But if you would be entertained in the least I would count it as a gain.

This blog is a step out of the comforts of my house. Thanks for indulging me.

"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." --Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

+JMJ

Profession of Faith & Oath of Fidelity

I. PROFESSION OF FAITH

I, Edmund Mitchell, with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the Symbol of faith: namely:

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the Word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by a solemn judgement or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium, sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed.

I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.

Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act.

II. OATH OF FIDELITY ON ASSUMING AN OFFICE TO BE EXERCISED IN THE NAME OF THE CHURCH

(Formula to be used by the Christian faithful mentioned in Canon 833, nn. 5-8)

I, Edmund Mitchell, in assuming the office of Catholic Blogger, promise that in my words and in my actions I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church.

With great care and fidelity I shall carry out the duties incumbent on me toward the Church, both universal and particular, in which, according to the provisions of the law, I have been called to exercise my service.

In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church, I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it.

I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the entire Church and I shall maintain the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law.

With Christian obedience I shall follow what the Bishops, as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith, declare, or what they, as those who govern the Church, establish.

I shall also faithfully assist the diocesan Bishops, so that the apostolic activity, exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church, may be carried out in communion with the Church.

So help me God, and God's Holy Gospels on which I place my hand.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Edmund Mitchell June 03, 2012 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Profession and Oath Taken from : Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

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NOTE: Canon 833, Nos. 5-8 obliges the following to make the profession of faith: vicars general, episcopal vicars and judicial vicars; "at the beginning of their term of office, pastors, the rector of a seminary and the professors of theology and philosophy in seminaries; those to be promoted to the diaconate"; "the rectors of an ecclesiastical or Catholic university at the beginning of the rector's term of office"; and, "at the beginning of their term of office, teachers in any universities whatsoever who teach disciplines which deal with faith or morals"; and "superiors in clerical religious institutes and societies of apostolic life in accord with the norm of the constitutions."

I am not any of these, however I do deeply love and respect my Church and voluntarily bind myself to this profession and oath.

The Sweetest WordPress Themes Around.

Moneyball, Ministry, and Success in the Spiritual Life

I am guilty of being a fan of Brad Pit. It's true. I genuinely think he is a great actor. Fr. Robert Barron mines some spiritual gold out of a recent favorite movie of mine, Moneyball.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ih21RkUwp1Q]

Fr. Barron mines some spiritual gold out of a movie I really enjoyed.

Summary:

The most important thing in a leader is clarity of vision. (Proverbs 29:18) Second is willingness to do what it takes to achieve that end. President Lincoln's one goal was to preserve the union. In every decision he was focused on that goal. "What do you want?" Jesus asks in John 1:37 of the disciples following Him. "Clarity in the spiritual life is indispensable in success in the spiritual life." What do you want? To become a saint, eternal life, salvation, heavenly reward, etc. What is required to achieve this end? We can get off track by being distracted and pulled in too many directions, or by giving up when criticized. We must see clearly what we want, and then have the courage and the willpower to stay on it. How many dioceses or Bishops could answer the question "What do you want [for your Diocese]?" decisively and unambiguously? What is your primary goal for your own personal spiritual life?

In Ministry:

What do you want for your ministry, in one sentence? Or, what has God revealed as the goal for youth ministry in your specific situation and parish? If parents/parish staff/pastoral counsel asked you why your ministry exists (what is it you want?), would you be able to answer quickly, succinctly, and in a way that inspires? In one sentence?

AT&T Taught Me How To Deal With Angry Parents

"I've been trying to get ahold of someone for weeks now."  This Mom was not letting me off easy.  Her son missed the first three weeks of middle school youth group due to basketball practice and she spent those weeks trying to get in contact with anybody about make-up work. "This doesn't seem to be very organized, and have you not received any of my emails?  My son needs makeup work and no one has contacted me about anything.  I thought tonight ended at 7:00!"  To make matters worse, she thought youth group would end thirty minutes before it is normally scheduled to end, and those thirty minutes of waiting in the car left her livid.

This was the first time a parent was this angry with me, and it would happen again the next day over the phone with a different mother.  What's a youth minister to do?

In both situations I recovered from the initial attacks, refrained from reacting, and (Thank God) the thought immediately popped into my head :

WWAT&TD? or What would AT&T do?

AT&T taught me how to effectively apologize, quickly diffuse, and confidently resolve an issue with angry and unsatisfied customers. (Parents, core members, teens, your wife, etc.)  Apologize, Empathize, and Correct.

Let me explain.

Flash back to four months prior.  I had just moved off on my own after college, and was feeling the weights of various new responsibilities on my graduated shoulders.  One of which was the first cell phone I actually had to pay for myself.  But there was a problem - my new phone was all sorts of messed up.  The contacts list was perpetually stuck loading, and I kept receiving text messages even though I wasn't paying for text messaging and got it blocked. (You're thinking: No text messaging?  You must also wear bell-bottoms or use a cane.)

So I called the AT&T customer support.  I was extremely frustrated and not the most Christ-like person at this point.  This happened twice for the same reasons and each time the conversation went something like this:

AT&T: Hello Edmund this is Tracy.  How can I help you this evening?

Edmund:  I'm extremely frustrated and not the most Christ-like person at this point.  My contact list is frozen and I keep getting text messages even though I told you guys multiple times to block it.

AT&T: Wow Edmund, I am very sorry you are experiencing these issues. (Apology)

Edmund:  Yeah... (Anger subsiding)

AT&T:  I know this must be very frustrating to deal with and again I apologize. (Empathy)

Edmund: (Feeling better) Um... Yes. Yes it is.

AT&T:  Let me pull up your account information, fix that right now, and ensure that this never happens again. (Correcting the situation)

Edmund: (Thank goodness)  Okay, great!

Holy customer service Batman, they are good.  So what is it about this conversation (which happened twice) made me incapable of venting angrily at an AT&T employee?  First, she apologized genuinely for the inconvenience I was having.

Second, she empathized with my situation, showing me she cared and understood how frustrating the situation was.  This is the most important part.  It is crucial to reflect back the reasons the situation is difficult or upsetting.  I don't mean repeating exactly what was said, but showing that you understand what is going on.

Lastly, she wasted no time lingering on the issue (which would have given me a chance to be angry) and moved us quickly toward a resolution.  Both times I called, talking to two separate AT&T reps, and the same thing occurred.  Even when I knew what was being done it is hard to argue with someone who apologizes, reflects back to you your frustration, and then moves to a good and reasonable solution.

Moral of the phone call: Apologize, Empathize, and Correct.

I've used this approach several times when dealing with angry exploding parents.  And most times it is not their fault they are exploding, they really are in a frustrating situation and don't see anyone caring or doing anything about it.  When you lovingly apologize for the rough situation someone is in, show that you understand and care, and move to correct it, it is hard to stay angry.  Even if the angry person happens to be your wife.

What is the best way to lovingly talk with upset parents?