Sharing the Real Presence
This newsletter features two stories from the missionaries on where we have been limited in our encounters in our ministry, some upcoming events and those who you can keep in prayer as well as an article written about us in the Catholic Herald. 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
If You Build It, They Will Come
Reflection on The Need For Study
Upcoming Events
Prayer Intentions
Catholic Herald Article
If you build it, they will come by Griffin Rain
With the cold weather finally here, I wasn't sure if our move of our daily lunch inside would result in a decreased attendance since it is not as visible from the street and random people may not stop by. While there have been fewer people that will randomly see us and stop for food, there have been about as many people or more attending our daily lunches and they have been staying longer and having great conversations about the faith with us and others. It is clear that there are many people that see the Visitation House as a second home. Many people will just stay around after the lunch and have conversations about faith, life and all sorts of other good things. Since so many have been sticking around, we have started some inquiry classes following the lunch every Wednesday where we will prepare a 5 to 10 minute talk on some aspect of faith and then open it up for questions afterwards. It continues to be so clear to me that many people once they arrive here, find community, conversation, activities and they will stay for some time and come back bringing friends, coworkers and neighbors. There are many people who are now attending the lunches because their friend came and enjoyed it and invited them.
We are trying to build up the local church and put it at the center of the neighborhood we are present in. It is clear to me that if the church has activities going on and we are faithful the the church’s mission, people will come. The church is here for our salvation and people who are coming to us after their friends invite them to join are often in a very broken place and are looking for God to help them change their lives. Right now one of the toughest things for me is how many people are coming and desiring to learn more about God and want to join the church and we just don't have enough people or time to be as present to them as we desire. I keep thinking back to the gospel of Matthew and relating it to our work. We are going out into the city and preaching the gospel, seeing people who have been abandoned without a shepherd and coming to the church to be healed, but there are not enough laborers for the Lord. So, let us keep praying for the Master to send more laborers for his harvest.
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
There is so much more we can do, but cannot do it with you. Will you labor for the Lord in his harvest?
Reflection on the need for study by Robert Pauly
This past month, I realized how important it is to know my Catholic faith and how it differs from other beliefs. I had an encounter with a man who was a retired Baptist pastor visiting his son and we got talking to them regarding the sacraments. He said that sacraments are not needed because Baptism saves us and we don’t need further gifts from God to get us to heaven. While I knew this understanding was deficient, I had no idea how to respond to how we are justified. It is good that we go in twos because the other missionary with me did know how to respond and challenged him on his statements.
After this encounter, Steven and I had a conversation about this since he noticed something I responded to the man was lacking. I did not know where exactly he was incorrect about his statements or how to effectively share the Catholic view of justification and grace. This was not an area I had read up on or was explained in any classes I had taken in college or explained in Catholic religious education classes. When we came back to the Visitation House, the other missionaries and I studied the Catechism to understand this teaching better and know how to explain it to people in the neighborhoods. I am thankful that we spend at least an hour a week studying and discussing the catechism as part of our formation for missionaries and at this time I realized my need to do some extra study. Many Catholics including myself were not taught the Catholic Faith well regarding knowledge of the Scriptures and defending the faith using the Catechism, which explains how the Church interprets the Scriptures from the beginning of history even up to today. There is a lot of humility and patience needed to walk through God’s justice and how humanity returns to that friendship and maintains it throughout their life. I encourage all Catholics to study the catechism so that they can know how God works through his Church.
Upcoming Events
Come and See Discernment Weekend - We are hosting a come and see discernment weekend Friday November 18th through Sunday November 20th. 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.
Missionaries going to SEEK conference - The Missionaries are going to the SEEK conference in Saint Louis, MO January 2-6. We will be having a table there and encouraging men from across the country to come and join us in our mission. There are an expected 20,000 young adult Catholics in attendance and we are hoping that some men there may join us. Please consider supporting us financially so we can attend this event. The cost is $2700 + possible cost for housing if we can't find a place to stay. You may donate here
Missionary Associates - Join us Thursday November 17th for the third 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 be grilling out from around 10 am onward with games set up in the church yard. If weather does not permit grilling, we will have games set up in the Visitation House community room. With the weather getting colder, it is looking like this will be the case more often. 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
John, Queda, Candy, 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
Ohmad, David, IC, Jaime, 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
Max, Wilson, Blessing, Terrie, Johanne, Ken, O, Jack, Deja, Dolly, Tom, Alicia, Jennie, Ed, Bob, Ken, Tom, Dolly, Jenny, Jack, Anthony, Deja, Terri, Catherine, Mary, Jodee, Jerry, Diana, Georgia, Thorne, Mike, Johanne, Lisa, Joyce, Dawn, Wayne, Tracey, Fae, Lettie
Those who are in special need of prayer
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
Missionaries Featured in the Catholic Herald
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 vocation 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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