Faith Formation - Dewitt Jones - "Celebrate What’s Right With the World”

Remember when you were a kid, you would spend hours playing with simple things? Recall when the world was a constant source of wonder? Consider the engaging following childlike perspective . . .

Circumstances around us have greatly changed in a variety of ways especially, we all live in the same world.  Maybe it’s us that have changed and transformed.  Due to a rapidly changing world couple with very busy schedules, we seem to have become complacent with the beauty in our surroundings.  We seem to take the simplest of offerings for granted and are less amazed by every little thing we come across. For example, the middle picture in the above slide features a picture of my son during a tennis match when he was a toddler.  To put it very bluntly, he was captivated and more concerned about a beautiful lady-bug that was near him on the court than the tennis ball that whizzed on by him.  To him this beautiful creature was more important . . . and he took a break to see the beauty in the world. As the other images in the slide state, we can learn a lot from the children in our world who see the world with a different perspective and lens.

But that does not mean we cannot revert to a state of being able to appreciate the immense beauty that we usually take for granted. It just takes a bit of concentration, mindfulness and perspective … As simply stated by Dewitt Jones, one just needs to adopt the following mindset… ”Change your lens…change your life”.

Dewitt Jones is a world-renown National Geographic photographer, an award-winning film director, and writer. And now, with his renown “Celebrate What’s Right With the World”, he is a sought-after speaker, transforming hearts and minds with his powerful message of how “reframing the world” or changing our lens on the world can transform our lives!

Dewitt Jones knows a few things about reframing the world around him. As a professional photographer for National Geographic, he travelled the globe capturing and bringing the wonders of the world to millions of people. During his time, he learned some profound lessons about the way we perceive the world. These are powerful insights that allow us to live a life of joy and possibility.

Take time to view his Ted Talk at the following link.  In these few minutes, you will rediscover the wonders and possibilities that surround us every day just waiting to be noticed and celebrated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD_1Eh6rqf8 - CELEBRATE WHAT’S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD! | Dewitt Jones

Here are two important “takeaways” that resonate with me for our daily lives from Dewitt’s message:

1. We can choose what we celebrate by giving it our attention.

• Dewitt Jones states . . . “Our vision controls our perception and our perception becomes our reality . . . The more that I went out and just celebrated the best in humanity the more I could see it.”

2. There is more than one right answer.

• Dewitt Jones states . . . “So many things begin to change when we come at the world with the more than one right answer perspective. There are a thousand ways to come at any problem.”

“Celebrating what’s right” begins with recognizing these two central beliefs. They help us reframe how we look at the world. And by practicing them, we can understand the world in better balance with its very real beauty and wondrous complexity. Together, this reframing begins to compound that feeling that the world is full of boundless opportunity.

When we manage what we are looking for very carefully (look for things to celebrate, even in tough situations), we will see more of the best in the world around us. Imagine how “reality” will shift if more people reconsidered their lenses!

  

 

Dewitt Jones reminds me that we live in an amazing world.  However, the world is hungry for a “lens of celebration” instead of a lens which highlights the problems that exist. Dewitt Jones challenges us to find delight and passion… or fall in love with the world by changing our lens. We can change the future by changing what we give our attention to and focusing on the good news. While we can’t deny the problems in the world, we can position ourselves to be able to put those problems into a larger, more balanced picture or view. Such a view that includes the beauty of the world. Only there we can see that there is far more right with the world than what is wrong with it!

Dewitt’s message has me recall the following quote from Albert Einstein which is a healthy prescription of how we can approach life. We should strive to internally liberate ourselves by widening our perception and engaging different lenses as we live life. As he once stated, “There are two ways to live life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

But for me, it is difficult to separate this philosophy from my faith and my spiritual mindset which prompts the need to be mindful of the gifts bestowed by God in our lives.  Let us continue as we proclaim and reflect on the following words with prayerful and thankful hearts . . .

Dear God,

We are here to express our gratitude for all your blessings.

You have given us so much,

not only providing what we need to live,

but in giving us yourself.

We are richly blessed, and it is right to acknowledge

that you are the source of all good things.

Teach us to savor the moments we have with one another,

to rightly remember what we have lost,

but also to look forward in hope

to what we have promised in the future.

We say again, ‘Your love is better than life.’

Thank you for all your blessings,

for even through trials and loss you always,

somehow reveal your goodness.

In Jesus we pray. Amen

During this time of uncertainty, we are reminded in different ways of how powerful perspective and a thankful heart can be in our lives.  Though at times we may be faced with some challenging moments, we need to be in awe of God’s grace with the wonderful world that He created with us in mind!  This is especially true as we reflect and show gratitude for “what is right with the world” in addition to those things (particularly people) in our lives that matter most!  In light of this, please take a few minutes to enjoy a reprise of one of my all-time favourite songs – done in a rather unique way by Raymond Crowe.  The second version of the song was done by talented musicians and artists from the Aussie Pops Orchestra as a project to raise money to many who lost livelihoods due to the Covid -19 Pandemic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ5MJqB9myA  - What A Wonderful World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hc_1c_Ask0 - Aussie Pops Orchestra - What a Wonderful World

Faith Formation -"World Catholic Education Day - Understanding Our Catholic Mission as Witnesses"

Today is a special Thursday edition of Faith Formation as we are celebrating World Catholic Education Day!

In Alberta, we are blessed to be one of three remaining Canadian provinces which has publicly funded Catholic education.  This makes our role and vocation even more significant. We all must work to preserve and enhance the precious gift of publicly funded Catholic education in Alberta. We need to embrace it as an opportunity for Catholic schools and our faith communities to promote their important and distinctive mission.  As I said in my last reflection, it is not only “WHO” and “WHAT” we are but more importantly…. It is a vital part of our “WHY”!  Fundamentally, we individually and collectively need to understand our “WHY”!

Pope St. Paul VI highlights the important “WHY” to our role as Catholic educators as living witnesses of Christ’s love.  We, as faithful Catholic educators, are entrusted to ensure our children are immersed in Catholic teachings throughout their education.  Their true education starts and ends with the witnesses and role models that are before them. Let us remember that our call to become more actively engaged as witnesses of God on a mission to impart and share our faith with others that is one that allows our own faith to be strengthened. 

With prayerful hearts and in a spirit of GrACE we turn to God and say . . .

Heavenly Father,

Pour forth your Holy Spirit to inspire me with words from Holy Scripture.

Stir in my soul the desire to renew my faith and deepen my relationship with your Son,

our Lord Jesus Christ so that I might truly believe in and live the Good News.

Open my heart to hear the Gospel and grant me the confidence to proclaim the Good News to others. Pour out your Spirit, so that I might be strengthened to go forth and witness to the Gospel in my everyday life through my words and actions.

God, our Father,

I pray that through the Holy Spirit I might hear the call of the New Evangelization

to deepen my faith, grow in confidence to proclaim the Gospel

and boldly witness to the saving grace of your Son, Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Please take a few moments to view a reprise of the following clips highlighting Fr. Rob Galea which too relate to and reinforce the important Catholic mission that we have been afforded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDfXdcMwNsk&t=71s - “What Does It Mean to Be Catholic”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xbZ-pGg6B4 - “To the Ends of the Earth”

As we commemorate World Catholic Education Day, let us remember that our call to become more actively engaged as missionary disciples extends beyond today’s date.  In fact, it is the hope of Pope Francis that we continue on our mission to impart and share our faith with others that our own faith is strengthened. This is especially as important as we strive to fulfill our mission in life and in Catholic education in support of the students and families we serve.

Blessings for a wonderful World Catholic Education Day!

Faith Formation: Catholic Education Week – May 18-22, 2020

In Alberta, we are blessed to be one of three provinces in Canada to have publicly-funded Catholic education.  May 18-22, 2020 is Catholic Education Week and on May 21 we are celebrating World Catholic Education Day.  We are grateful that we have the opportunity to educate our children with a faith-based approach. It’s “who” and “what” we are but more importantly…. It’s a vital part of our “why”!  This occasion is a chance to reflect upon the five characteristics of a Catholic school: 

• 1) Each child is precious, gifted and loved; 
• 2) Catholic worldview is evident in physical space, liturgical celebrations and prayer life;
• 3) Our faith permeates every aspect of education including learning outcomes and teaching strategies; 
• 4) Catholic educators are living witnesses to the Gospel 
• 5) Catholic schools are safe and caring communities.

We are celebrating the work that we do in support of Catholic education for all our students. All district staff, no matter their roles, support the education of our students… so we celebrate together.  We are all called to advocate for the children and all in our school community and surrounding area.  This ties in very well to the nature of our spiritual vocation as followers of God and our overall role in the church especially in the modern times we live in.  It becomes a big piece of “our why”!

Please be mindful of this and the following Prayer of the Faithful for Catholic Education…

• That our Catholic schools may be a source of hope for the young, we pray to the Lord.
• That our Catholic schools may fill students with a love for learning and a desire to change the world for the better, we pray to the Lord.
• That our Catholic schools may be always able to draw excellent and faith-filled teachers to serve in the classroom, we pray to the Lord.
• That our Catholic schools may be a blessing to families through their work with the young, we pray to the Lord

With gratitude and prayerful hearts we turn to God and say . . .

Faith Formation -"We Are the Church / ”Build Your Kingdom Here"

God has called us, His followers, to be an active part of His church. What does this look like in this contemporary age! 

Obviously, God does not expect all of us to become pastors, or deacons, sisters or worship leaders. In the local church, God has ordained for these gifts to be primarily exercised by those called to this vocation. However, he has given each of us with a faith-filled responsibility and role that is inherent to our own calling, gifts, and skill set.

In this age, and in times like these especially, it is important to discover our gifts so that we can find out what role God wants us to fulfill in His church.  We collectively are the “church”. Our individual and collective roles in the church should glorify Christ and be a part of building His Kingdom here on earth. 

With that being said, I am reminded of a lively worship song that speaks to such an involvement in God’s Church. It is called “Build Your Kingdom Here” by Rend Collective.  Rend Collective is an amazing Christian experimental, folk rock, worship band originating from Bangor, Northern Ireland. Their music is part of that movement of Ecumenism bridging the faiths of different Christian denominations closer together. Have a listen on the link below and enjoy… you may wish to turn up the volume!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zcjIdUm2JQ Rend Collective - Build Your Kingdom Here
                        

When asked about the message behind the song. member Gareth Gilkeson commented that “it's actually a bit of a prayer”.  “This song came from a place of calling the Church back to the place of praying for revival. Jesus sent the disciples out in twos to proclaim the Kingdom. Yes, pray for God to build His Kingdom here, but also say, yes God, I'll be the hands and feet and I'll be the vehicle for Him to build His Kingdom. “ He further explained that the chorus is filled with our prayers for God's building of His Kingdom which are important to us. The verses are us asking God to prepare our hearts for His work for us. One of the lines that's the most powerful in the song that gets me every time is at the end of the third verse, "We are Your church / We are the hope on earth."  He then went on to connect the song to scripture:

• Colossians 3:14-16: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
• Matthew 6:33-34: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
• Matthew 10:7: "As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'"

Here is the story behind the song as told by lead members of Rend Collective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-TeXSPJiGU&feature=youtu.be: Build Your Kingdom Here Story

Let us continue as we proclaim and reflect on the following words with prayerful hearts as we embrace and use the gifts working build your kingdom on earth . . .

In closing, the idea of “We are the Church” which was the impetus behind the song  "Build Your Kingdom Here" is that wherever you are, at school, at work, at home, that here is exactly where you are right now. It's right here, right now. … especially geared for times like these and beyond.  God's Kingdom is His church… and you are an essential part of the church as modern-day evangelists to bring Jesus to all through your words and actions. Especially reflect on what you can do in our community to celebrate God’s gifts and to be beacons of Christ’s light to all we serve as messengers and prophets of God. 

 PS . . . “We are Your church . . . We are the hope on earth." 

Ascension Parish YouTube Channel Subscribe Request

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On another note, the Catholic priests in the Diocese of Calgary are on a virtual retreat May 25-29.  During that time, daily masses will still be live-streamed but confessions will be cancelled. Personal prayer will occur from 11-3pm.  Please keep our priests in your prayers.