2. Eight days?? How is that possible in our day and age??
Believe it or not, the busiest people can participate in MISSION with some pre-planning! It begins and ends on Saturdays at Blessed Sacrament. So the actual weekdays/workdays/schooldays involved are a relative few. If you think about it, something is taking up your evening every day now. A commitment to make MISSION puts the evening into the hands of God. It's hard to describe how quickly the week goes once you get started, probably because when you give that chunk of time to God, He brings you through it! In virtually every parish I've worked that has MISSION, I always hear people at the 7th or 8th night say they don't know what they'll do the next night.....because they'll miss it!!
Some people have had friends offer to babysit part of the week or pick up their neighbor's kids for sports practices, scouts, etc. to make it easier. Others have decided to use a week of vacation time from work. During the day, they catch up on errands, relax a bit and think about the previous night's MISSION talks/prayer/activity.
3. What happens at MISSION?
In a nutshell, each evening has a format that leads the participants on a spiritual journey. It's a Catholic retreat, basically, but you get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night!
The Holy Spirit guides the local team, your fellow parishioners who have completed the week in prior years. Some familiar speakers are part of the program, and some creative, thought-provoking, meditative and peaceful prayer services are included. Music, food and fellowship are the remaining pieces of the pie. The evenings are full, and designed not so much to be classroom-like but more like a relaxed retreat setting. People have told me they see a different side of the some of the speakers in this environment. I personally attend each of the eight nights, and it's a wonderful way to get to know the people of the parish and anyone else who wishes to join us. During the process, people are asked to simply open themselves to God's work in their hearts. The journey is within, though we do travel from Fr. Cotter Hall to Church and back for the liturgies.
4. Who can "make MISSION?"
Really, anyone willing to try is encouraged to sign up and experience the week. One does not have to be Catholic, and, in fact, some people who make MISSION find themselves inquiring about how to join our faith community! The age of a MISSION participant needs to be based on maturity; I've seen high school freshmen benefit from the experience, and others in their twenties, thirties and beyond. Young children need to have something to look forward to. So we do not sign up anyone younger than high school age.
Catholics who attend Sunday Masses regularly enjoy this process immensely, but so, too, have those who have fallen out of the practice. Very often the engine-overhaul happens, along with a tune-up and warranty renewal (see the automotive analogy in the answer to Question # 1).
The most obvious answer to "Who can make MISSION?" is....you can, probably! But you need to sign up, and show up for eight consecutive nights. This year, our LENT MISSION goes through the week of Ash Wednesday, Sat. Feb. 13th to Sat. Feb.20th. In some cases, people might ask: "How many nights could I miss and still complete the retreat?" I generally say no more that 2 nights....and definitely do not miss the last night!
Of course, any missed night will find you missing something that others are enjoying growing through. Pray that you won't miss any!
5. Is this thing going to make me a religious fanatic???
Sounds kind of silly, but I do believe a lot of people avoid renewal programs because they don't want to become so religious that they no longer fit in among their friends and family. Or they're irrationally afraid that this is a cult where we'll get you to a certain point and ask you to shave your head or "drink the Kool-Aid." No way! There are refreshments....but they're NOT "spiked" with anything! However, the Holy Spirit has been known to move in people's hearts and make them more free in their expression of faith in ways they might have previously thought "weird." But that's growth in discipleship, being a "fool for the Lord." It's only strange to those who do not know His ways!
Undoubtedly, if you know someone who "made MISSION" who came out of it changed, it makes you un-easy. But cannot our world use more Catholics who KNOW why we believe what we do, who are not ashamed to proclaim Jesus? That kind of thing is not just for Evangelical Christians, but Catholic Christians seeking to be "on fire" with the Holy Spirit. MISSION is not the only renewal program in the Catholic Church, but it has become one of the most effective ones. I do not think less of people who don't feel called to participate. But I have a wonderful time getting to know those who do, and hearing what they say when they tell me how God surprised them and how this week brought them a special joy, a spiritual healing or a deeper awareness of God in their lives. Honestly, it did the same for me in 1989....or I wouldn't be such a proponent of MISSION! In encouraging the hesitant, all I can say is: I love it, and recommend it. Is God calling you to give it a try? Ask Him!
