📸 Following the advice in this book could begin a revolution in our spirituality.

The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic

How Engaging 1% of Catholics Could Change the World

By Matthew Kelly and summarized by Paul Gencarella Jr

Chapter 1: Incredible Possibilities

Transforming people one at a time is at the heart of God's plan for the world. The Catholic Church is a sleeping giant. If you take 1,000 parishioners, you would only need to transform 10 to becoming highly engaged. Just 1% is all it takes to move the needle. Continuous Improvement in a long-term approach that seeks to achieve small incremental changes. The changes at the time seem so insignificant but over time they become enormous.

The four signs of a dynamic Catholic:

  1. Prayer
  2. Study
  3. Generosity
  4. Evangelization

Wherever you are in your journey, you should look to take the next step…not leap…just a step. If at any point you feel overwhelmed, you have misunderstood the message. Every task you should be able to say, "I can do that". You don't stumble upon greatness…it is cultivated from your mind to your soul. Let's breakdown the 4 signs…are you ready?

Chapter 2: Prayer

When we're spiritually healthy nothing bothers us. The most dominant quality among DCs is routine prayer. Prayer is a priority that is scheduled daily and practiced consistently. Their routine is done in a specific manner. It may include spiritual reading, scripture, formal prayers etc. In addition to a set prayer time, most DCs begin and end their day with prayer.

God speaks to us in the silence. Spending time in the classroom of silence is indispensable for our quest for spiritual growth. The Prayer Process is a 7-step tool designed to help us develop a routine of prayer and a routine within a routine. Prayerlessness is one of the greatest dilemmas of all time. Every family needs a prayerful giant.

DCs are convinced that a life with prayer is better than a life without. Most Catholics have never been taught how to develop a daily routine of prayer. DCs see a connection between joy and fulfillment of their lives and praying. Just like physical exercise to the body, prayer is to the soul. Prayer is a form of mental exercise.

The Prayer Process

  1. Gratitude
  2. Awareness
  3. Significant moments
  4. Peace
  5. Freedom
  6. Offer
  7. Say The Our Father

Chapter 3: Study

Jesus challenged the worldview and spiritual view of everyone He encountered. God has a plan or will for each of us. He wants us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. Life is about saying yes to the things that make you become the best version of yourself and saying no to those that don't. Growing in holiness is a major part of becoming the best version of yourself.

A world without truth would be a world without joy and meaning. Relativism is true to a point but you must know that there are absolute truths in life. Relativism can make no room for truth or wisdom which we all must discern. Folks deserve real answers to their questions especially those regarding Faith. Unfortunately, many Catholics have little knowledge about their faith. Highly engaged Catholics are continuous learners. They seek to be students of Jesus.

Dynamic Catholics make a routine not only for their prayer life but for their learning. Spending 15 minutes a day reading spirituality-based books overtime will not only bring you closer to God but in a deep relationship with our Lord. If you asked Catholics to read 228 books it would be too overwhelming as it would be for most people. However, spending 15 minutes a day reading will make the impractical possible. You may have no idea the impact that reading only minutes a day will have on you over time. The change is simple, practical, powerful and transformative.

Chapter 4: Generosity

 The happiest people in the world are also the most generous people. God is generous and generosity is at the heart of the Christian life. Generosity begins with gratitude. Dynamic Catholics live in a state of gratitude. They know how blessed they are.

The world draws us in with all we don't have. God invites us to share all that we do have. We're at our best when we are grateful. When we speak of generosity at church we are reminded of stewardship and its 3 categories: time, talent and treasure. One day we'll have to account for these 3 categories to God.

Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do. Dynamic Catholics have generosity as their central value system. They think in terms of how they can do the best with what they have at their disposal. Folks that are the most generous are so by their praise, appreciation and their encouragement. They encourage people all around them and it reaches every aspect of their lives.

It's important to establish generosity goals. Give 1% more of your income this year than last. Continue doing so until you reach 10% or until its no longer feasible. Goals bring out the best in us as does giving. We have goals for everything…let's set some generosity goals.

Chapter 5: Evangelization

The world is the way it is today because of human behavior which is no surprise. The world is changing for better or for worse depending on who you speak to. What does the future hold? That depends on how we live our lives today.

Imagine all of the heartache and misery we could avoid if we only followed the 10 Commandments. This would actually mean that we would all be sinless if we did but the point is if we all tried to follow them, we would be so much better off. It only takes you to try.

Every civilization has asked the question…How is the best way to live? Unfortunately, today we as a society are more interested in how we want to live than what is the best way to live. Asking God doesn't even seem to be an after thought these days. In the quest to discover the best way to live, we discover 3 universal principles:

  1. The First Principle: You are here to become the-best-version-of-yourself.
  2. The Second Principle: Virtue is the ultimate principle whether it be a person's life, marriage or nation.
  3. The Third Principle: It is better to live with self-control than without it,

The way Jesus responded to living the best way was simple. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 26: 37-39)

God wants to love you with His love and wisdom; God wants to build you up spiritually to have the knowledge and habits to walk in His ways. There are three ways to win people over…through truth, beauty and goodness. About 90% of highly engaged Catholics said they experienced a conversion of sorts that brought them to a more engaged relationship with God.

God wants us to develop spiritually of course that works within us so to speak. It's not enough to hope this happens. We must be intentional and deliberate with a plan as well as a process to follow. Friendship is the most effective way to share the faith with others. Essentially people fail because they don't know how to succeed. Highly engaged Catholics feel good about being Catholic. They are inspired Catholics. Of the four signs of an engaged Catholic, Evangelization is the weakest link in the chain.

On a scale of 1 to 10 for each of the four signs, Dynamic Catholics ranked Prayer, Study and Generosity at a 6.8 but Evangelization only came in at a 4.9. The top six answers given by Dynamic Catholics on how they shared the faith were:

  1. Pass around books and CDs.
  2. Invite People to Catholic Events.
  3. Bring a godly perspective to conversations.
  4. Gaining knowledge and understanding of the faith to be able to share and defend it.
  5. Help provide answers to those in question.
  6. Be an example of God's love and mercy.

Astoundingly, 99.4% of Dynamic Catholics were never taught how to evangelize. Evangelization is to the Church what breathing is to a person. The objective is to try and do one thing each week to share the faith with another you come across. Just like trying to eliminate a certain behavior you should try to add one as well.

Chapter 6: A New Level of Thinking

If you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze.   -St. Catherine of Siena

The way to a vibrant future requires a deep honesty about our strengths and weaknesses as well as a willingness to grow. The starting point is a simple evaluation of where you are today. The tide is going out on Catholicism in America and we can't operate the same way we have been over the years.

What would make your parish the absolute best in the area? What would it take to be the talk of the town and everyone wanting to come for a visit? These are just some of the questions that megachurches spend on marketing and desirability. They target particular groups including Catholics. These megachurches seem to be on a different wavelength compared to Catholics. It's safe to say that Catholics need a new way of thinking.

Unless the Church has an epiphany of sorts, there will still be that downward slide. Proverbs 29:18 states clearly…Where there is no vision the people will perish. The concepts illustrated in this book represent that new level of thinking. It would be practical to implement them in your personal life first. Many of us have one or two of these concepts already and it would be a joy to have them expressed in our own parishes. The Church needs a game changer as well as us as individuals when it comes to our spirituality.

Imagine what would happen if the Church developed everything it does around the Four Signs. Imagine from cradle to grave the Church focused on developing Catholics with those Four Signs. Are you ready to let Jesus take you to the next level of your life? If enough people answer in the affirmative, we will have a vibrant and growing Church once again. Real hope for the future involves giving everything to the present. If we give of ourselves generously then God will transform us. This transformation will not only happen to ourselves and our parishes but to the whole world. Let us act in solidarity as well as unison in seeking the Lord's grace.

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