As the Directory of Catechesis (75) tells us, "At the center of every catechesis is the living encounter with Christ." As catechists, we are called to help others get to know Jesus, to have that true Encounter with Christ --- Come and See."
I have become more comfortable spending time in quiet meditation. By allowing time during and after prayer, I am able to feel the connection with Jesus. I have been reminded through Advanced Ministry Studies that we all received Jesus through baptism and we are reinforced in our faith and connection with Jesus through the Eucharist. He lives inside each one of us; waiting for us to answer his call and allow his light to shine through us by using the gifts he has given us.
I have been praying lately during my mental meditation to let Jesus' light and compassion shine through me...to allow me to represent him well through example, more by deeds than by words. Some days I do better than others. I am reinforced when I encounter Jesus through other people who shine Jesus' light upon me at the right time and place. The encounter is one of deep mutual love and affection. This personal encounter, allows us to see things through the lens of Jesus. Where we may have experienced negativity, more often we will be able to see the positive side and use those positive points to develop ourselves and others according to the situation.
As a dear priest once told me, there are no bad people in this world, only good people who sometimes make poor choices (Father Gregory King). What Pope Francis tells us in Evangelii Gaudium has never rung so true "when we live out a spirituality of drawing nearer to others and seeking their welfare, our hearts are open wide to the Lord's greatest and most beautiful gifts. Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God."
"A sign of this willingness to listen is the time we are ready to spare for others. More than the amount of time we spend, it is about making others feel that my time is their time, that they have all the time they need to say everything they want...." Pope Francis, Christus Vivit, 292.
