Sharing the Real Presence
This newsletter features two stories from the missionaries from our encounters in our ministry with teaching and healing, some upcoming events and those who you can keep in prayer. Please continue keeping us and those we are ministering to in your prayers. We hope these newsletters can encourage you and our readers to grow in faith and in zeal for the work of the salvation of souls that is so needed in our church.
In this newsletter
Teaching is not My Thing
Encountering Jesus’ Healing Power
Upcoming Events
Prayer Intentions
Teaching is not my thing by Griffin Rain
I remember when I first started to discern religious life, I was completely closed off to certain orders because of the teaching charism. The Jesuits were one community that had a profound impact on my life and coming back to the Catholic faith while in high school, but since they were mostly teachers, I was not open to joining them. While I still do not believe that is my calling, God has been softening my heart to teaching and helping me to grow in the ability to teach.
It is quite amazing how when we are seeking to grow closer to Christ and go wherever he goes, he asks for me to teach. He has been stripping me of my attachments and drawing me closer to himself who was in fact a teacher.
Street Evangelization is exciting and there are always interesting things that happen out in the mission field. It is easy to love God when things are exciting, but he often asks us to do the non-exciting work that is often much harder for us and more tedious than the initial step of meeting the person and bringing them into the church. Now we have been at St Catherine's for 9 months and there are 12 people who we have met that want to learn more about the Catholic church and become Catholic and even more who just want to learn more about the faith, but there is nobody to teach them. I recall one man who stopped classes because he had many questions about the faith and we didn't have the time to answer them all and so he started searching online and started watching all sorts of conspiracy theory and protestant propaganda against the Catholic Church. It is difficult to see this, but when the laborers are so few for such an abundant harvest, sadly some of the harvest will not be able to be harvested. I strongly encourage you to pray for each person on our list below.
This has been quite difficult for me as the fruits of the labor are evident and because of the lack of laborers and my own weaknesses, there are people who want to learn more and we can't keep up with regular classes with each of them.
Over the past few months, I have heard God telling me that I need to take up the cross more and do things that I do not want to do. He is asking, if you love me then teach as well as other things that I am not good at or dislike doing.
I definitely do not believe I have the teaching Charism, but am realizing that this is part of our community’s charism. There are many gifts needed in our community that we do not have here now. I invite you to discern if you have a gift that you would like to share with us to work for the salvation of souls. If you don’t think you are called, pray about it some more and at the very least pray for others to take up this call. Maybe you will realize he is in fact calling you. Lord who are you going to send?
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” Isaiah 6:8
Encountering Jesus’ Healing Power by Robert Pauly
Seeing people’s struggles with faith in the neighborhood around St. Catherine’s Parish, I knew that areas in my own life that needed healing so that the Lord could use my story to become a better missionary. It is not easy sharing details about any experience with pain or trauma with another person.
When the Lord showed me these painful memories, I used to lock them up so that they didn’t break out and cause more pain and misery to share with others. Locking up these memories is a tactic the enemy tempts us with because he does not want us to share these experiences and allow God to bring forth His Light into these moments. When we are vulnerable in sharing these memories with God, His Love pours into us and allows us to become His Light for people who have been living in similar memories.
In those moments, the enemy wants us to barricade these memories and then forget God’s Mercy and Love. Whenever this happens, I take a moment to pray, which puts the Lord first, then offer these experiences to the Lord. While mentally offering these memories helps bring healing; sharing it from the heart lets Him show you where he was in that moment; which heals it through different spiritual and physical movements.
The book, Be Healed: A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life
by Bob Schuchts, who also leads a retreat called, “Healing the Whole Person,” showed me how to break down the barriers through journaling, healing prayer, the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Allen came to the table the missionaries sponsored at the Seek Conference at the beginning of January. He wanted to learn more about the history of the Catholic Church particularly in the earliest eras. As he asked questions regarding how Jesus changed aspects of the Jewish faith, I could see the answers given were having an effect on his mind, but the heart had trouble trusting the information.
I saw the pain and mistrust surrounding his heart; he needed additional support and prayers to build a relationship with God. I remembered that a person from another organization at the Conference had a course on the Fathers of the Church that he could take without cost. As we walked to the table he could tell that I was sincere in faith, and he wanted to learn more about the Catholic Church. The woman at the table listened to his questions and felt the need to pray with him. After a few moments of looking back into the past through prayer, he shared a dream that caused him to fear bringing God into his heart through the mind.
While looking back at his memories, Allen feared for a grandparent who passed away because of a different faith tradition, which caused a rupture in his heart to change faiths. In middle and high school, his friends didn't trust him and bullied him as a result. After reviewing these painful memories, the woman leading the prayer asked Allen to renounce the fear so that it would reduce the hold on his heart. As he said it the first time, it came from the mind. I encouraged him to say the phrase again and feel it come from the heart. As he said it the second time, I could tell that progress was made. The woman said use the same motions and emphasis to release the hold.
After the prayer ended, Allen felt exhausted, but less tense; happier and upbeat because healing prayer takes time and effort. He opened up a bit more regarding other events and will continue studying the Catholic Church. Please keep him in prayer as he continues to look into the Catholic Church's history, teachings, prayer, and worship.
Upcoming Events
Come and See Discernment Weekend - We are hosting a come and see discernment weekend Friday March 17th through Sunday March 19th. This will be open to men and will be a great opportunity to pray, work and experience the life of the Missionaries of the Real Presence. Please email vocations@realpresencemissionaries.org to register or if you have questions. If you would like to come, but can't make this weekend, email us when you can come and we can organize an individual come and see.
Missionary Associates - Join us this Thursday January 19th for this months meeting of the Missionary Associates. This is for people who volunteer with the missionaries or are interested in volunteering/supporting our work. We hope that this continues building up the community around the missionaries, get to know others and energize more people to start working for the salvation of souls here in Milwaukee. This occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
The schedule for the event is as follows:
Evening Prayer 5:30pm - 5:45 pm
Short talk by one of the missionaries 5:50 pm - 6:10 pm
Dinner and socializing 6:15 pm onward
Feast Day Celebrations - Every feast day or solemnity that falls on a Monday through Saturday, we will have games set up in the Visitation House community room. We start with breakfast at 9:30 am and games to follow. Upcoming feast days may be found here
Prayer Intentions
We would encourage our readers to pray for those who we have been working with in our outreach ministry. There is much fruit happening with the missionaries and we need your prayers!
Please keep those who have expressed interest in learning more about Catholicism in prayer
Cornell, Edward, Michael, Timayah, Myricle, Stephanie, Christine, Tina, John, Queda, Sarah, Jonnie, Jordan, Tony, Ashley, Juan, Jahi, Sherice, Mario, Timisha, Charlos, Candy, Johnny, Jerry , Jordan, Lance, Matthew, David, Jerry, Valerie, Nicholas, Elijah, Kelly, Charlos, Erica, Amanda, Gail, Annie, Monique, Christopher, Eve, Christopher, Page, Kevin, Roshawnda, Clenzo, Keter, Howard, Marquez, Cathy, Janett, Debarla, Anthony, Lance, Sebastian, Colleen
Please keep those who have started individual catechism classes and are preparing to become Catholic in prayer
Shaela, Matthew, Candy, Darien, Ohmad, David, IC, Jamie, Curtis, Antoine, Taylor, Micah
Please keep those who are fallen away Catholics that we have met and those who have expressed desire to come back to confession and church in prayer
Shantae, Storm, Treesha, Max, Wilson, Blessing, Terrie, Johanne, Ken, O, Jack, Deja, Dolly, Alicia, Jennie, Ed, Bob, Ken, Tom, Jenny, Jack, Anthony, Deja, Catherine, Mary, Jodee, Jerry, Diana, Georgia, Thorne, Mike, Johanne, Lisa, Joyce, Dawn, Wayne, Tracy, Fae, Lettie, Terri, Joe, Thorne, Jennie, Ed, Arturo, John, John, Teresa
Please keep those who have recently returned to the Catholic Church and the Sacraments
Natalie, Tom, Terri
Those who are in special need of prayer
Jake, Bud, Deshawn, Anthony
Please pray for any men who are discerning becoming a missionary
Click Here to pray for those who we met in our first year while at St Rose of Lima Parish
About the Missionaries of the Real Presence
The Missionaries of the Real Presence are a group of lay men who live in common at the Visitation House next to St. Catherine Catholic Parish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as they discern a charism for a new religious community. We are dedicated to prayer through daily recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours in the church open to the public, Evangelization to the neighborhoods surrounding our parish and running a hospitality center next to our parish.
Support the Mission, Join the Mission
If you appreciate the work we are doing, consider supporting our mission financially Here.
Volunteer with us with our street ministry and with the Visitation House Here
If reading about some of our stories inspires you, come and see what life as a missionary is like and visit us for a day or longer for prayer and ministry as you discern Here.
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