Digging Deeper

My wife recently went to a local “fast food” place for a taco salad but when she tried to enter there was a sign indicating that, due to a shortage of workers, she had to order online and then drive up to the window when she received a message that her order was complete. In front of the business was a sign that read “Help Wanted: Immediate Job Offers Available!”

We recently celebrated the Ascension of the Lord when we heard a “job offer” from Jesus, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” You could say we all applied at our baptism. Pope Francis, in the Joy of the Gospel, wrote “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples.” Thus, you have been “offered the job,” or really given the vocation and ministry, of being a missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

As I travel the diocese speaking about this, I get some questions that are very practical in nature. People want to know, “What does this mean for my life? One Catholic, I will call her “Teresa,” put it something like this:

Teresa: “What does it mean for ME to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ? Could you give me a “job description?”

Deacon Mark: “Well, the complete job description is found in the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

Teresa: “Is there anything shorter?” 

Deacon Mark: “What about reading Pope Francis’ Joy of the Gospel?” 

Teresa: “No thanks, just give it to me in one sentence, what does it mean to be a missionary disciple?”

Deacon Mark: “Well Teresa, you are to pray, discern and prepare to encounter Jesus and to live as a priest, prophet and king as you accompany others as they grow in their relationship with Jesus and His Church.”

Teresa: “Huh? What does that mean?” 

Deacon Mark: “I know, trying to capture the Gospel, the Catechism and the two thousand plus years of tradition in one sentence is tough!”

While I suggest that the “one sentence” I gave to Teresa can serve as a basic guide for what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ, allow me to use my next few columns to explain what this means. You will find in Holy Scripture and the tradition of the Church (e.g. Lumen Gentium from Vatican II) that all followers of Christ are called to be “priest, prophet and king” as we live the Christian life. To do this, we need to center our lives in the Mass and other prayers, we need to discern God’s call, and we need to prepare ourselves to witness the Good News in the world. And we do this to practice, what Pope Francis calls, the “art of accompaniment,” serving as a spiritual friend and guide with others as they become closer to Jesus.

During our conversation, Teresa knew what we each have to do. She put it this way, “We can’t wait for people to come to the Church so we have to go get ’em.” Christ has put out the “Help Wanted” sign for missionary disciples and we were all “hired” at our baptism. It is overly simplified, but you could say that the “job description” of a missionary disciple could look something like this:

Wanted: Missionary Disciples

Job Description: Live as a priest, prophet and king reflecting the Love of Jesus Christ in the world.

Job Duties: Pray, Discern, and Prepare as you Accompany others into a closer relationship with Jesus.

I know there is so much more to living the Christian life than what you read above, but over my next few columns I will write about the different elements of the “ministry description” (as I like to call it) for a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized, you have applied and were given the position. And just think of the “compensation:” Love and peace in the world and the joy of heaven in the life to come.

Deacon Mark Krejci
Originally published in:
Our Northland Diocese
June 18, 2021

Every August a friend of mine makes his yearly “prophecy.” When asked, “How do you think the Minnesota Vikings will do this year, his prediction is always, “They are going to win the Super Bowl!” If you follow Viking football you know that he is not a very good prophet – his prediction has never come true – and dare I say not even close in recent years. But, every year, he makes the same claim with enthusiasm. Will we say of him, if the Vikings ever win the Super Bowl in his lifetime, he was a prophet? No, we will say that if you keep making the same prediction it is bound to be right at some point (well, maybe not with the Vikings). 

When we think of prophets in sacred scripture or in the life of the Church, we should not think about making predictions about the future. After all, the Greek word “prothetes” means “one who speaks for another.” You see, the prophets are people who speak on behalf of God. I once read that the biblical prophets were not focused on making predictions concerning the future but spoke on behalf of God about the present. 

In my current series of columns, I am writing about what it means to be a missionary disciple. Last month I wrote that we are all called to imitate Christ and be priest, prophet and king. That column focused on being a “priest” by bringing “holy presence” in the world. In this column, let me describe to you what it means for you to be a “spokesperson for God” i.e. a Christian prophet in the lives of others. 

I had two people act as prophets in my life this week. These two women shared a bit of their faith story with me and each said something that has helped me better understand how all Catholics can follow Christ and live as prophets. I believe the Holy Spirit sent these two into my life this week to help me better understand what it means to be a prophet and a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. What prophetic words did they share with  me? Let me set the scene.

A group of us were talking about why many Catholics are hesitant to share their faith story and why some have never developed a desire to do so. To be missionary disciples of Jesus, we knew that it is important for us to share our faith story, but some data we were looking at indicated that Catholics do not do this very often. I ended by proposing to those gathered that they should seek to share their faith story with others and thus serve as models of how to share the story of Jesus with others. 

After the meeting, one of the “prophets” asked me, “What do you mean by ‘my faith story?’ I don’t have “A” faith story but many stories about my faith.” She went on to describe one of these stories, how someone suggested to her one day that she should read the Bible every day and that, for some reason, she acted on the suggestion and doing so changed her life. Wow – what a great faith story to share with others and I thank that person for being a prophet to me in that conversation; freely sharing a bit about her relationship with Jesus made a big impact on me.

The other prophet sent me an email after the meeting in which she wrote that she has never shared her “faith story” with others but does offer to pray with and for other people. Wonderful – what a great faith story to share with others, that she is a person of prayer who will pray with others. Her prophetic mission is not to share with others an elaborate faith story but to ask a simple and powerful question: “Do you want to pray?” 

If you read the beginning of this column, and thought to yourself, “I am not a prophet” or “I don’t know how to speak for Christ” remember that being a prophet does not mean you have to share the entire Gospel, you do not need to be the source of new revelation, you do not have to have a long and elaborate faith testimony. Rather, as a prophet of Jesus Christ you are called to speak the name of Jesus to others and how he and his Church have touched your life. Just think what would happen in your hometown if every Catholic, one time each week, would share just a 
small piece of a faith story with another: “I love the Mass,” “I will pray for you,” “Have you thought about reading the Bible?” “Father had a great Homily this past Sunday,” “Would you like to come to our parish block party?” “I find peace in Jesus,” “I love receiving the Eucharist at
Sunday Mass,” “The Catholic Church is a great home,” “I don’t know what I would do without my faith life,” etc. etc. etc.

Think of these as prophetic statements, words of a prophet sharing Jesus Christ. When you think of prophets you might think of Biblical authors such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul or John. You might think of great Catholic Saints such as St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila or St. Perpetua. My brothers and sisters, be sure to also think of yourself as a prophet. Rather than great works of Biblical or saintly writing, you are prophets called to share your faith with others one little story at a time.

Deacon Mark Krejci
Originally published in:
Our Northland Diocese
August 18, 2021

There was once a series of TV commercials for a product called “Imperial Margarine” that came to mind as I sat down to write this column. Someone in the commercial would put the margarine on a piece of bread or corn-on-the-cob and take a bite.

You would then hear a trumpet flourish and see a royal crown appear on their head. The Imperial Margarine company was trying to give people the message that by eating this margarine they would feel like royalty.  

You could say Catholics believe we all are royalty. We were given a royal mission through our baptism for, when the newly baptized Christian’s head is anointed with the sacred Chrism, the priest or deacon says, “He now anoints you with the Chrism of salvation so that you may remain as a member of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King, unto eternal life.”

In my current series of columns, I am writing about what it means to live as a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. My previous two columns looked at being “priest” and “prophet.”

So, as I expect you figured out by now, this column will look at our “kingly” or “royal” office in Jesus Christ. All Catholics “... share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal ...” mission of Jesus Christ and so let me take some time to tell you why you are called to the “sacred duty of a king.”

Let me first address one thing — I am going to use the word “king” because it is used in the Bible and the documents of the Church and so I will not use king/queen. Just know both men and women are called to share in the “royal office” of Jesus Christ.

And what is this office; this sacred role we have to play in the world? Keep in mind many countries and peoples have, over many centuries, believed in something known as the “divine right of kings.”

This meant the king or queen had been ordained by God to lead the kingdom. This did not mean the king had power to do whatever he wanted.

On the contrary, the “divine right” had more to do about responsibility than power. For the king or queen in the Christian world was meant to organize their kingdom in the way that God intended.

Royalty were to use the office they were given by God to bring about the Kingdom of God in their kingdom. Some kings and queens did this in such an extraordinary and holy way that they are recognized as saints. As someone with Czech ancestry I have a special fondness for St. Wenceslaus associated with the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslaus.”

Your royal office, your sharing in the Kingship of Christ, means that you are to order your world to Jesus Christ. We are to bring our faith into our work, our friendships and the way we interact with strangers so that the world becomes more aligned with the good news of the Gospel.

Now this does not mean the place that employs you must be a “Christian business” but rather you are to bring a “Christian presence” into work. You do not have to have only Catholic friends, but you should bring a Catholic understanding into your relationships with them. You also do not need to approach every stranger and bless them or pray a rosary with them, but every stranger should see a reflection of the love of God through the way you interact with them.  

Aligning our world to the Gospel is often done through small statements, gestures, decisions, and acts of love. I know someone who started a business and employs many people of many faiths and those with none.

But he founded the company knowing that every worker would be treated by him with justice and dignity, that the employees were expected to interact in a positive and affirming manner, and that his customers would receive a good product at a just price. He wanted his company to be part of his kingly mission as a Christian.

There are many other examples when a Christian can align their world to Christ. I know a public-school teacher who understands she cannot talk about her faith in the classroom but loves every one of her students and expects the best out of them because each of her students are created in the image of God.

I know a group of friends who get together for parties and also for prayers. I know a woman who brings a smile and sense of joy into her interactions with everyone in her day even though she might be experiencing pain that often accompanies her waking hours.

What do you do? How do you align your daily life in the world to follow your “royal duty” of bringing forth the kingdom of God on earth?

The laity are to bring Jesus into the secular world of their daily lives. We are to “... seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs (the affairs of society) and by ordering them according to the plan of God.” (Lumen Gentium 31)

How did we receive this royal duty? It wasn’t by eating some brand of margarine. It was through our baptism where we are each given the mission of “priest, prophet and king” as disciples of Jesus Christ that we are to live in the world.  

Deacon Mark Krejci
Originally published in:
Our Northland Diocese
September 15, 2021

My first job outside of working for my Dad and Grandpa on the farm was at the old Valley Golf Course — the original 9-hole course — in East Grand Forks. I was hired to be a greenskeeper at the golf course and there were three of us in that role.

The first day when I showed up for work, I knew what my job title was, but I was not really sure what I was supposed to do.  Jim, the retired farmer who was my boss, told me I would have three areas of responsibility: irrigation, mowing the roughs, and maintaining the sand traps.  After explaining these three areas of responsibilities, Jim had to show me how to do each of these things — the old irrigation system was a unique challenge.

Over my previous four columns I have been writing about what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. I started this series using the “job” metaphor and shared a “job description” of a missionary disciple.

In summary, my previous four columns provided you with a “job description” for a missionary disciple and that your “areas of responsibility” are “Priest, Prophet, and King.” Perhaps, after reading these columns, you are wondering what I was thinking on that first day of work at the golf course: “How do I do these three things?”

My next columns will begin to answer this question. How do we live the three-fold mission of being a “Priest, Prophet, and King?”

In short, you will read that to be a missionary disciple of Jesus you should live as a “Priest, Prophet, and King” in the world. One path to do this is through prayer and discernment as you seek to accompany others into a deeper relationship with Jesus. These next columns will not be works of theology but are meant to be practical in their focus.

Let me explain why I start with prayer. Prayer is the foundation of a missionary disciple.  Without individual prayer, prayer with others, and of course the prayer of the Mass, we will find our lives as missionary disciples to be tiresome, we will fade with time, we will become self-centered and then we will simply give up.

You see, without prayer, you are trying to be a missionary disciple all on your own.  Without prayer, you think YOU can figure out how to accompany someone else in their relationship with Jesus.

And so, my brothers and sisters, I invite you to pray that you will be open to the Holy Spirit who will guide you as a missionary disciple and I invite you to pray for all Catholics because, through our baptism, we are all called to be missionary disciples.

Let me suggest to you a prayer resource focused on Missionary Discipleship. It is a free PDF prayer booklet 31 Prayers for Missionary Disciples.

You can pray one prayer each day of the month, asking God to guide you and others to spread the love and name of Jesus to the world. This booklet can be found on the Diocese of Crookston website by placing your pointer on “Discipleship” and then clicking on “Going Forth As Disciples” on the menu.

Scroll down that page, and click 31 Prayers and the booklet will open up for you. I invite you to pray one of these prayers each day and, when the month ends, start again on Day 1.

Let me invite you right now into prayer through these words from Pope Francis calling on the intercession of Mary for our missionary ministry:

Lord, you left your mother in our midst that she might accompany us. May she take care of us and protect us on our journey, in our hearts, in our faith. May she make us disciples like herself, missionaries like herself. May she teach us to go out onto the streets. May she teach us to step outside ourselves. May she, by her meekness, and by her peace, show us the way. Amen.

Prayer guides and fortifies us on our missionary journeys. I encourage you to keep in mind what Bishop Emeritus Victor Balke said of prayer, “We just don’t understand the mystery of prayer, but we know that God in his goodness will listen to us, respond to us, because he is a good and gracious God.”

Deacon Mark Krejci
Originally published in:
Our Northland Diocese
October 20, 2021

Suppose you are driving down a rural northwest Minnesota highway in winter and you drive into snow so thick you can only see two car-lengths ahead and the road is covered with snow and ice. What would be the best thing to do: A. Slow down OR B. Speed up?

Now imagine you are walking down a sidewalk or rural lane and you see a cellphone on the ground. When you pick it up you see a driver’s license in an outside pocket and recognize this cellphone belongs to one of your neighbors.

What would be the best thing to do: A. Return it to your neighbor OR B. Throw the cellphone into the garbage?

One more — say that your employer asked you to do something at work by the end of the week. What would be the best thing to do:  A. Complete the task on time OR B. Spend the week on your phone watching goofy videos?

The right answer is clear — you should choose A in each of the above situations.

As you read each of these I suspect you thought, “It is pretty easy to discern which option to follow.” Well, perhaps you did not actually use the word discern, but think about this word for a bit.

The Latin origin for discern means to separate in the context of separating the good or true choice from the bad or false choice. As Christians, we use this word often within the context of discerning God’s way or discerning God’s call for us.

So, let me ask you to do some discernment right now. What would God want you to do: A. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength OR B. Ignore God and perhaps do not even believe?

Let me ask you to discern one more. What would God want you to do: A. Love others or B. Be mean, vindictive and spiteful to others?

The right answer is clear, you should choose A because that is what Jesus teaches us to do (see Mark, 12:28-34). Presented as they were in the previous paragraph I hope deciding the right choice was pretty easy to discern.

You are to love God and love people. Of course, in our daily lives the correct options may not be this easy to discern. We are not always given options clear as A or B.

What does it mean to love God every day of our lives? How does this impact the way we live our daily lives?

How are we to love everyone we meet? What does it mean to “love the sinner but hate the sin?”  How are we supposed to act out of love for people?

These are questions you need to discern but make sure you do NOT discern all on your own.  In my previous column I wrote about the importance of prayer in the life of the missionary disciple of Jesus.

We are all to be missionary disciples and prayer helps us discern how God wants us to love others and live as priests, prophets and kings in the world. In case you have not read some of my previous columns on missionary discipleship, I wrote that God has made us his missionary disciples and we are to live like Christ as priest (fostering holiness with others), prophet (speaking about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Catholic Church), and king (aligning the world to the truth of the Gospel).

Let me have you discern a bit more while you read this column. For living your priestly mission, what does God want you to do: A. Pray every day and help others grow in their relationship with Jesus OR B. Occasionally pray and let other people take care of their own relationship with Christ and his Church?

Here is another one, for living your mission as a prophet, what does God want you to do: A. Share one of your faith stories with another person this week OR B. Never talk about Jesus with other people?

And a final one: for living your kingly or royal mission, what does God want you to do: A. At work or school treat others with respect and dignity so that you reflect the love of Jesus to everyone, OR B. Be mean, cranky, and only take care of yourself or just your group of friends at work or school?  Again, I hope it is easy to discern you should choose A.

I hope God’s way is something you want to follow and you are able to discern God’s way for your life. The subtle choices in your life are perhaps not as apparent as the ones offered to you in this column, but this is why we are called into prayer and discernment.

Turn to Jesus who will show you the way.  Is Jesus calling you to: A. Live as his missionary disciple OR B. Live a life that rejects this call? The answer is clear — we are all called to discern how to live A every day of our life.

Deacon Mark Krejci
Originally published in:
Our Northland Diocese
November 17, 2021