Category: Weekly Blog

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Weekly Blog

Living in the Bubble

I’ve come to believe most (maybe all) things we truly engage in are about encounter and community. Take sports or a hobby…we have a first encounter or introduction, most often followed by support like training, coordination, events, i.e. games. Experienced in person or online, community is affirming.

The same is true with our faith. To be truly engaged, there’s been an encounter…with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Encounter can then also be one on one with others. Examples of community are worshipping together (for Catholics…Mass), small groups, like-minded friends, ministry or mission work, etc. All are affirming.

I have the privilege of working at Franciscan University of Steubenville, in the Office of Outreach and Evangelization. As part of my work, I travel the country for our Steubenville Conferences. I get to associate with the best of the best Catholic authors and speakers, all holy people. I’m honored to call our regional partners friends, all joy-filled people committed to sharing the love of Christ. Every year, I see literally thousands and thousands evangelized.

I run into others outside of work who I’m connected to through my faith. Our church, even with its challenges, has so much to offer. Pre-COVID, my wife and I were part of a vibrant Parish (we need to get back to that). I belong to a small group, a free, online Steubenville Discipleship Quad. All of my friends are on my same journey of loving God, loving others, and sharing our faith.

I fondly refer to all of the above as my “bubble”, the bubble. I love living in the bubble. In that bubble, I have encounter…with Jesus and with others one on one. I also have community…all of us heading in the same direction, the right direction.

 

It’s a Crazy World

We live in a crazy world, that has gotten crazier over the last six months. I refer to it as bizzarro world. What’s going on is unimaginable…or at least it was 12 months ago for most Americans.

Given society’s challenges, I thank God for the bubble. I’m incredibly appreciative of my encounters (including and especially with Jesus) and my community. It’s hard to imagine life without both. My bubble is my safe place, the joy filled experiences, where authentic relationships live, where common bonds are had because common beliefs are shared.

All of us are called to go outside the bubble as well, where we love God, love others, and share our faith. It’s our call from Jesus in the Great Commandments and Great Commission. It’s also our passion, given the gift of Christ we’ve been given. While I love being in the bubble, I know I have to go outside it…to help it grow.

Given that you’re reading this blog, I assume you have your version of the “God” bubble. Maybe the above is suggesting a new or expanded context for you. Go outside your bubble. It’s our calling. That said, embrace your bubble. Grow the relationships within your bubble. Engage. Encounter. Enjoy community and be affirmed by it. God is great. Your bubble is a great place to experience Him and others on the journey.

As always, feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God made you for GREATNESS!!!

Mark Joseph

 

 

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Weekly Blog

Memorial Day and Jesus

Memorial Day is when we remember and mourn the loss of all those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. These are men and women who gave their lives for ours’. Most who have served over our country’s history, have gone into the military voluntarily. That means that they made the conscious decision to willingly sacrifice their lives for ours’. Wow!!!

As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Memorial Day seems to be even more of a reminder of sacrifice. I recall hearing stories of people whose lives so changed when those planes hit the twin towers, that they signed up to go fight overseas. We had hundreds of first responders run towards danger, not away from it on September 11th, 2001, many of whom lost their lives.

We see the same thing in our police officers, who have been under attack lately. Yet every morning, they get up, put on the uniform, and leave their homes for what could be the last time. When others are in danger, they run towards it, never knowing the eventual outcome…running towards the danger nonetheless.

We’re further reminded of the sacrifice by all the veterans who come home significantly wounded. They’ve lost limbs, in addition to friends in battle. Although scarred more than just physically, they’ve not lost their spirit. All of them, every single one, says they’d do it again.

So how does all of this relate to Jesus. When beginning to write this blog, my mind immediately went to John 15:13, where Jesus says, “no one has a greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”. In verse 14, Jesus states that we are His friends, followed in verse 16 where He says, “you have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you…I have appointed you so that you may go bear fruit”.

In the Great Commandments (Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), which I love siting, Jesus “commands” us to love God, love our neighbors, and share our faith. Not mere suggestions from our Lord, they’re our greatest call. Jesus is our greatest example of sacrifice, with His torturous death on the Cross. He’s also our best example of the Great Commandments and Great Commission…love God, love others, and share our faith.

Our veterans and first responders are also great examples of the Great Commandments. You can’t run towards danger without a love of God. And they certainly love their neighbors.  Our veterans, including those who lost their lives, are true heroes. So are our first responders.

That doesn’t mean that the rest of us don’t have the same opportunities to serve. There are numerous heroes in our society, many who aren’t veterans or first responders. The question is, are you among them? Am I among them? Are we willing to lay down our lives, to bear fruit? We do so by loving God, loving our neighbors, and sharing our faith. And in doing so, not only are you a hero, often unspoken of course, but you’ll be living a life of peace, joy, and fulfillment!!!

As always, please contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with questions, comments, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God Made You for Greatness!!!

Mark Joseph

P.S. If you’d like to support our veterans and first responders, my wife and I love the Tunnels to Tower Foundation (https://t2t.org).

 

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Weekly Blog

We’re All Broken

Years ago, I gave my testimony at a Catholic Men’s Fellowship event. Following me was a man whose name I don’t recall. However, he asked a question that I’ve never forgotten, that is “you know when you ask someone how they’re doing and the say ‘good’; do you know they’re lying?”

How true is the above? So many of us rarely share our true feelings, instead putting forward a gruff exterior…believing that we’re unique in our challenges. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is…we’re all broken. 

This issue is central to my ministry. Praise God…Jesus is the answer to our universal brokenness. Only in following Him leads us to a path of peace, joy, and fulfillment.  

Matthew West sings a song, Truth Be Told, which speaks to our brokenness and always lying about it. It could be the theme song of Mark Joseph Ministries.  

I’d encourage you to close your eyes and listen to Matthew sing it here. Then pray through the lyrics, which are below. 

Truth Be Told

Lie number one you’re supposed to have it all together
And when they ask how you’re doing
Just smile and tell them, “Never better”

Lie number 2 everybody’s life is perfect except yours
So keep your messes and your wounds
And your secrets safe with you behind closed doors

Truth be told
The truth is rarely told

Now I say I’m fine, yeah I’m fine oh I’m fine, hey I’m fine but I’m not
I’m broken
And when it’s out of control I say it’s under control but it’s not
And you know it
I don’t know why it’s so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

There’s a sign on the door, says, “Come as you are” but I doubt it
‘Cause if we lived like it was true, every Sunday morning pew would be crowded
But didn’t you say the church should look more like a hospital
A safe place for the sick, the sinner and the scarred and the prodigals
Like me

Well truth be told
The truth is rarely told
Oh am I the only one who says

I’m fine, yeah I’m fine oh I’m fine, hey I’m fine but I’m not
I’m broken
And when it’s out of control I say it’s under control but it’s not
And you know it
I don’t know why it’s so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

Can I really stand here unashamed
Knowin’ that your love for me won’t change?
Oh God if that’s really true
Then let the truth be told

I say I’m fine, yeah I’m fine oh I’m fine, hey I’m fine but I’m not
I’m broken
And when it’s out of control I say it’s under control but it’s not
And you know it
I don’t know why it’s so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
Yeah I know

There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

 

Thank you, Matthew for such a great song. Thank you, God for loving us more than we’ll ever know, no matter what we’ve ever done. 

As always, feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests. 

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God made you for GREATNESS!!!

Mark Joseph

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Weekly Blog

What Church Could Be Once Again

Pre-COVID, what’s your experience of Church? Were the pews full? Do entire families attend? Is there a vibrancy?

Many of us are old enough to remember when the Parish was central to family life. As I recall, most of the people on our street attended my boyhood Parish. So did many more, who we got to bond with every Sunday as entire families. With the Masses full, we didn’t just jet out of the parking lot after, but engaged with other families, often around the donut table. Sacraments were flourishing. My parents would go to the New Years’ Eve and Valentine’s Day dances at the Parish with their many friends. There was the summer Parish picnic and other events throughout the year. Father used to come over for dinner and my parents would volunteer at the Parish.

For most of us, those memories are of the past. Christianity has suffered from dramatically decreasing numbers over the last several decades. This trend includes the Catholic Church, with Masses being much less crowded. In many Dioceses, some Parishes are closing or clustering. Statistically our numbers are way down, whether it’s the number of weddings, baptisms, or first communions. Add to that the reduced number of Priests and Religious Sisters. What is on the rise is the number of Parishes without a resident Priest, now 1 in 5 in the U.S., up five-fold over the last several decades.

What the Local Church Can Become

Imagine Parishes where Churches are full for every Mass. Parishioners participant in vibrant and engaging liturgies, in Parishes that are known for their hospitality. The number of volunteers at the Parish is only exceeded by those in small groups. There’s an atmosphere of “family ministry”, where programs not only exist for the entire family, but youth and adults of all ages, at all stations of life. In addition:

  • Religious Education classes are full, led by engaged teachers, who share the love of Christ with their students while providing strong Catholic orthodoxy in a compelling way.
  • With a culture of evangelization and discipleship, the RCIA program ushers in numerous people to the Church every year.
  • Based in a deep spirituality, there is a culture of generosity which includes Parishioners’ time, talents, and treasures, both within the Parish as well as providing service to the community.
  • Parishes are known for their outreach to those in need, attracting people to the faith, and accompanying their Parishioners in their spiritual growth.
  • Parishes are the center of activity for Parishioners and others in the community.
  • Not only are vocations to religious life no longer in short supply, but the elderly are cared for, marriages are thriving, and families are growing in holiness.
  • Significantly more people are living their faith, have hope, and know their purpose in life.

You think the above is a thing of the past, a pipedream? Think again. It can be done. Although they are not in significant number, there are Catholic Parishes, with strong Pastoral leadership, as well as non-denominational Churches, which are “re-envisioning Church” and renewing the spiritual lives of their Parishioners.

What Can We Do?

I don’t know about you, but the parents and grandparents I know who are actively engaged in their faith (me included) have one primary desire, in addition to pursuing our faith. That is passing along the faith to their kids and grandkids. Friends too. It’s Jesus’ desire too, giving us the Great Commandments and Great Commission.

Consistent with Vatican II and the New Evangelization, the laity are called to work with our Clergy, who cannot do it alone. Our Priests need support, assistance, and collaboration in revitalizing our Parishes, making them places of vibrant worship and missionary discipleship.

What do you see as your role? How can you help? What can you do? There’s a lot. Feel free to reach out to me. Happy to chat about it. We can have what we had years ago and to my way of thinking, it’s a pursuit worth pursuing. Amen!!!

As always, feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God made you for GREATNESS!!!

Mark Joseph