On this episode, Fr. Pullis and Beth unpack each of the good habits of our local Church described in 3.4 of Unleash the Gospel. They share some of the challenges associated with adopting them, how they’ve seen them lived out in ministry, and identify saints who embodied them as well.

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Shownotes:

(00:12) Fr. Pullis and Beth open up by talking a bit about Lent and looking forward to Easter. They recap briefly what they discussed last month and introduce this month’s topic of the good habits of our local Church described in 3.4 of Unleash the Gospel.

(05:37) They start by unpacking the habit of docility to the Spirit and identify saints who illustrate this habit in their lives, including St. Philip Neri and Our Blessed Mother. They talk about the nature of the Holy Spirit as advocate and counselor and share how the Spirit has guided them in their own roles in ministry.

(11:33) They talk about the good habit of a spirit of cooperation and highlight the ways in ministry we need to be willing to give all of our ideas and preferences to God and let his will be done. They also discuss the good habit of a spirit of innovation, and the invitation to shed old structures for the sake of mission. They discuss how challenging this can be in ministry when it feels that change is imposed, rather than sought out. They identify St. Maximilian Kolbe as a saint who displayed this good habit through his innovation in print media.

(20:13) They introduce the good habit of confidence in God and share how the renewal of our Archdiocese is the work of God in which we participate, not our work to complete. They share where they have struggled with this habit in ministry, and offer encouragement to listeners to seek opportunities to renew their confidence. They highlight St. Teresa of Calcutta as a saint who embodies this habit.

(27:41) They highlight the attitude of gratitude as the antidote to discouragement and share how impactful practicing gratitude has been in their own lives and in ministry. They discuss how Bl. Solanus Casey and St. Faustina embody this habit. They talk about how these good habits interact with one another and offer suggestions on how to practically incorporate this habit into the life of ministry.

(42:04) They introduce the good habit of apostolic boldness, bringing to mind St. Joan of Arc. They highlight the reality that Jesus gave us his Spirit to empower us in boldness. They offer encouragement to listeners to not be afraid and to remember that God will not abandon them. They also discuss how St. Katherine Drexel embodies this habit as well. They note that God is raising up men and women today, for our times, to be saints living apostolic boldness and they encourage listeners to celebrate and affirm them when we see them doing so.