|
 HEN
WE BOLDLY live our Catholic faith, Jesus' tender love
and mercy reaches out to touch those we meet.
 The
Catholic Church throughout the years has raised up many holy
women and men of God as examples to inspire us in our faith.
Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa are two modern day
people who radically live the Gospel. They have surrendered
their lives in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ, and this
surrender has poured the victory of God's love, mercy and
hope upon all those they serve.
These
examples of faith have inspired us greatly, but perhaps even
more importantly, the everyday examples of ordinary
Catholics can inspire us to walk more closely with the Lord.
These people include religious, parish priests, teachers,
co-workers and parishioners.
In
my own life, my faith really was sparked when I met a group
of people who had decided that the most important thing in
their lives was to follow Jesus. I was in rather desperate
straights when I met them, and was willing to try
anything... even faith.
This
group was a community of Catholics who strived
wholeheartedly to embrace Christ's call. The community's
apostolate began with prayer, which strengthened them to
offer service, particularly to the poor and downtrodden,
offering them hospitality by opening their hearts to them
and sharing their homes with them.[1]
This
conviction caused families in the community to open their
homes to anyone willing to live a Christian lifestyle. Many
came and experienced the tender mercy of God for the first
time in their lives. However some of these people needed
special care which could not be provided in a family
environment.
In
1980 the community approached the Chancellor of the
Archdiocese, Monsignor Norman Chartrand, with a request for
a building to used as a rehabilitation centre. Mgsr.
Chartrand responded by giving the community an old hospital.
The community operated the Agape Centre for the next three
years. The grace of God blessed the Centre and those who
lived there were touched by the love of Jesus.
I
was seventeen in January 1982 when I came to the Agape
Centre. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, I had nowhere to
live except the streets. I did not want to live that way,
and my former school principal knew someone at the Agape
Centre. The community accepted me without hesitation even
though I did not meet the eighteen year old age requirement,
and had no money to support myself.
The
hospitality, love and mercy I received from each member of
the community during my stay at the Agape Centre brought
about my own conversion. I admired how each person was
convinced Jesus loved them, and was committed to spreading
the Gospel of Jesus. They showed a strong faith and hope in
salvation as they abandoned themselves to his providential
care. I was also touched by how important Church teachings
were in their personal lives, especially the Church's
teaching regarding the openness to life. As one person
happily remarked, "There is always room for one more!"
The
time came to close the doors of the Agape Centre. For the
next 10 years Jesus blessed our community with a time for
deepening our faith in God and strengthening family
life.
From
February 1992 to December 1995, we went out from St.
Joseph's parish into the surrounding impoverished
neighbourhood, sharing the Gospel to fallen away Catholics,
and inviting them to the Church. As we listened to people
express their hurts, we could invite them to be reconciled
to God and each other.
Being
able to go out on home visits was a great blessing to us.
The stories of how Jesus moved during these visits inspired
the whole community. We saw that when we step out to share
our faith in love we can expect Jesus to be present and
touch those we meet and pray for.
In
1993, we began publishing Olive Leaf Journal, which is being
circulated throughout the Winnipeg Archdiocese. Olive Leaf
is "dedicated to building up the Church by faithfully
proclaiming her teaching."[2]
This is an ongoing challenge, especially considering Olive
Leaf is given away free of charge and the publishers have
embraced a life of poverty. Olive Leaf relies to a large
extent on the generosity of its members who give freely what
they are able. If members cannot give financially they give
through their prayers or by volunteering their services.
Various benefactors also share in Olive Leaf's mission
through their financial support. Recently the community
established an Olive Leaf homepage on the Internet (thank
you for visiting us here!). Our conviction that Jesus has
called us to evangelize the world [3]
is becoming more a reality. We are all excited about the
endless possibilities of the Internet for spreading the
Gospel worldwide!
We
also are very grateful for the opportunity to share in the
mission of St. Joseph's parish. Our service includes the
weekly Friday night prayer meeting, lectors, ushers and
music for Sunday Mass, working in the parish council and
committees and teaching a unique marriage preparation course
based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Other
ministries include chemical dependency counselling, informal
services to the poor, speakers for various functions, and
parish missions.
Our
faith in Jesus Christ opens wonderful doors to minister with
his mercy and love. The year 2000 promises to be a "new
springtime in Christianity." What a blessing we have as
Catholics to be radically living out our faith and
witnessing the wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on
his people, uniting them to the Father through Jesus
Christ!
|
Return
to Table of Contents