It is not uncommon to encounter individuals in our Catholic communities who appear to be Catholics who just “go through the motions” and practice the faith out of obligation, without much thought.
We may have heard friends and family say, or even believed ourselves, “I received my sacraments because I am Catholic and that is just what we do.”
But our sacraments are actually moments of profound grace and encounter with our Lord.
From the moment we are Baptized, we begin our journey to heaven as disciples of Jesus.
Baptism sets us on a course to live a life that reflects our life in Christ in all things.
By the nature of our Baptism, we are called to follow Jesus and to share his “rescue plan” with the world. Perhaps up until now, many have not heard the basic Gospel in a compelling or life-changing way.
An invitation
Over the past three years in the Diocese of Madison, we have been taking time and devoting attention to re-proposing the Gospel to all the faithful through Go Make Disciples initiatives in our parishes.
As a result, many people have been embracing a new and fruitful love of the Lord and our Catholic faith.
But for many of us, we may not feel confident and competent to pick up the missionary dimension of our discipleship.
To help bridge that gap, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison invites everyone in the diocese to attend Go Make Disciples (GMD) Live.
GMD Live, presented by the Diocese of Madison in collaboration with The Evangelical Catholic, is an opportunity to grow in understanding of our Baptismal call and to become equipped with the skills necessary to take the Gospel message to the world.
Participants in GMD Live will learn practical and pastoral evangelization skills tailored to their individual lives and “mission”.
Go Make Disciples Live has three main components:
First is a Great Commission Workshop. Choose one of four different options to attend a Great Commission Workshop which will be held in April.
Each of the four options follows the same schedule from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., with Mass and lunch included. You only need to attend once.
- St. Thomas Aquinas, Madison, on Saturday, April 15
- St. Joseph, Baraboo, on Saturday, April 15
- St. Clement, Lancaster, on Saturday, April 22
- St. Joseph, Fort Atkinson, on Saturday April 22
After attending the workshop, you will be invited to a Mission Training Group. Groups will meet virtually or in person for three sessions. Those three meetings will occur from May 1 to May 15.
Finally, there will be a Culminating Workshop and Commissioning Mass with Bishop Hying on Saturday, May 20, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Monona, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Call to participate
The topics of the various workshops and small group sessions include:
Light and darkness, the lay apostolate, relationship skills, prayer, and fasting as fundamental to evangelization, meeting people where they are at, and discovering a personal mission.
This opportunity will equip all attendees with practical skills to live out their lay apostolate in the world.
Every participant must register individually.
Register on the GMD Live page madisondiocese.org/gmd-live
For more information contact the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at [email protected]