Real Life Disciples: New year, same direction!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break with your families and loved ones. As much as I loved the holidays and the time off, I feel a little desperate to get back to it. I’ve been joking with my wife for the past several days that our kids are going to have a huge struggle with the return of school. You mean they can’t sleep in past Noon EVERY day?! Ahh, rhythm and routine – the welcome friends of wannabe disciples.
 
But, with a new year comes a fresh start. You may have heard the buzz words, “New Year, New Me!” For some reason it seems to be more predominant this year than what I remember. Everyone is setting goals, making resolutions. It’s just that time of year.
 
I’ve been fairly consistent over the years with exercise, making it to the gym or on a run several times a week. This time of year is always a little obnoxious at the gym. The place is chock full of new people, and you can’t find any equipment open for use. What used to be a 45-minute to 60-minute workout is now taking way more than an hour. We call them the “resolutioners.” Most folks who are more consistent know that if you can just endure the first 2-3 weeks of the new year, they will all go away. New Year’s resolutions tend to not stick for most people, at least not past the critical 21-day time frame. Not to discourage you from making a new resolution to go to the gym, so if that’s you, I want to encourage you to gear up for the long haul. You have to do something for at least 21 days to form a new habit.
 
In the face of all this newness, there is something exciting to share that may sound a little “old hat.” Archbishop Coakley has been working for several months on a new pastoral letter. The draft of this new letter was released to priests, deacons, religious and other key lay leaders at the end of November. It is now in the final stages of printing for public release on Jan. 25. It’s exciting news for the archdiocese!
 
Jan. 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, archbishop’s namesake, which makes the day even more special. We are planning a simple release ceremony during 11:30 a.m. Mass Jan. 25 at the Catholic Pastoral Center. Please join us!
 
What’s most interesting, I think, about this new letter is its title, “Go Make Disciples! Building a Culture of Conversion and Discipleship for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.”  Sound familiar? You may be scratching your head a bit thinking, “Wasn’t the last letter the archbishop wrote called “Go Make Disciples?” Yes, it was – his first pastoral letter that was released in October 2013 was under the same title.
 
New year, same direction! Releasing the new pastoral letter under the same title does a couple things: 1) It acknowledges the significant strides that have been made over the past five years since his last letter. The 2013 pastoral letter established goals in three key areas – the new evangelization, faith formation and Hispanic ministry. Huge accomplishments have been made in those areas, which Archbishop Coakley elaborates upon in his new letter. 2) It makes clear the future pastoral vision and direction of the archdiocese is tightly connected to what it always has been. We’re getting more clarity and intentionality about the direction of the archdiocese for the next 12 years.
 
During numerous readings of the letter, I have been moved by the spiritual vision and passion for conversion that Archbishop Coakley has for our archdiocese. I’m excited for the letter to be released publicly, so many more people can be blessed by it in the same way I have been.
 
Many others are working with me to develop study guide materials that will help dig into this letter and fully grasp all that the archbishop is saying. We hope to have these materials available by the end of January with translations prepared in various languages and for various age groups. I know it would bring great joy to Archbishop Coakley to see people of all ages and backgrounds studying this letter and digging in to all that it has to teach us.
 
To facilitate that, my staff and our offices at the archdiocese are preparing to bring the letter to all corners of the archdiocese. We will be setting up six regional gatherings/listening sessions throughout the spring and summer. And, we are beginning plans for a large archdiocesan convocation sometime this fall to set a clear pastoral vision – what Archbishop Coakley is calling Vision 2030. You can find many more details and information at www.archokc.org/vision2030.
 
We look forward to meeting you at one of the regional gatherings! Dates and further details coming soon!