One of our human tendencies is that we like to give ourselves relatively high marks in self-evaluations. This is particularly true when it comes to rating our religious practices. After all, how many of us don’t consider ourselves to be "good" Catholics or Christians?
Matthew Kelly is a popular motivational Catholic writer and speaker who challenges his readers and listeners to become a "better-version-of-yourself." He does so by helping us first to know and appreciate our Catholic Faith and then to live it and share it. He has put his ideas in writing in two very easy to read books.
The first is Rediscover Catholicism in which Mr. Kelly gives an overview of the basics of Catholic beliefs and practices in an engaging style that generates in the reader a greater appreciation for the gifts that Jesus left for us in His Holy Catholic Church. The second is The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic in which the author identifies four typical qualities of "dynamic" Catholics.
The signs that are characteristic of a Dynamic Catholic, according to Matthew Kelly, are: prayer, study, generosity and evangelization. He singles out people who do not seek to do the mere minimum required to be considered Catholic. Rather, these dynamic Catholics strive to be the best possible disciples they can be, each and every day.
What this means is that prayer is a daily activity that takes priority over many superficial activities. Dynamic Catholics are lifelong learners, doing whatever they can to grow in knowledge and understanding of the Faith. These folks are known also for their generosity in time, talent and treasure shared with God and His Church. And, finally, their love for Jesus is evident in the various ways that they share their faith with others.
Most of us probably would like to be known as dynamic Catholics. So what is stopping us? We don’t want to stand out in the crowd. We’re too busy. We don’t have what it takes. These typical excuses cause us to be unmotivated to take a step forward in our spiritual life. Oftentimes this is the result of thinking we have to make radical changes all at once. Mr. Kelly suggests that we take one small step at a time, which will reap great spiritual rewards over time.
Begin with a commitment of just a couple minutes (or extra minutes) of prayer each day. Add just five pages of daily reading from a good Catholic book. Deliberately plan to incrementally increase financial support of the parish and charity until reaching a full 10% tithe, while also stepping up the time and talent offered to God. Finally, try to share your faith in some way just once each week. Any serious well-intentioned Catholic should be able to say, "I can do that!" All that is required to get started is the firm intention to improve. We all took baby steps in learning to walk, and then learned to run. We can surely do the same in beginning to live as dynamic Catholics.
Matthew Kelly claims that less than one out of ten Catholics could be described as "dynamic," but he proposes realistic ways to increase those numbers. Many Catholics are dutiful--that is, they attend Mass regularly and are active in their parishes. But the "New Evangelization" needed to revitalize the Church in our day requires that dutiful Catholics step up and become "dynamic" so that the Church may not only preserve its influence in society, but may also begin to transform it in radical ways.
The reform of the world must begin with the reform of individuals. Matthew Kelly provides us with helpful hints for moving forward in our quest for holiness--that is, by becoming the-best-version-of-ourselves. Hopefully, taking one small step at a time, we are all ready to say, "I can do that!"
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