My Farewell to the CCC

I've just posted my homily from this past Sunday. When I go to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel I'm hoping I'll be able to record my homilies there as well. They're going to be more frequent and probably shorter. I'll have to fit them in to the usual time for a parish Sunday liturgy.

A blog I recommend

Jim Herrington has been a real mentor for me. I've just read his blog and I'd recommend it. Any of his recent posts are worth reading. You can start with the most recent blog and then read from the bottom to get a sense of what he is critiquing when he mentions cultural Christianity. My heart resonates with Jim when he talks about wanting to be the kind of pastor that brings about the Kingdom rather than keeping cultural Christianity in place.

For those who have been working with me you will see some familiar themes like the call to discipleship and community. Jim comes from the experience of Protestant Christianity. Does what he say apply to Catholics as well? I'm about to become a pastor again. What is it that my parishioners will expect of me? How does that compare with what God is asking me to be as a pastor.

For those looking for resources to help discern their personal vocations I can recommend a few different resources. I highly recommend the Called and Gifted workshop offered by The Catherine of Siena Institute. You can order tapes and CD's and do the workshop on your own or with some friends. You can also check their calendar to see if it might be offered in your area.

Their are other Catholic resources that I've looked over but never used personally: Personal Vocation: God Calls Everyone by Name by Germain Grisez and Russell Shaw; LifeWork: Finding Your Purpose in Life by Rick Sarkisian and Living Your Strengths from the Gallup organization. I've seen a Catholic version but I couldn't find it online. Would anyone know where to find that?