by: Deborah Happ

What would happen if you have five pieces of wood in a fireplace and they are all spread out, could you keep a fire going?  What if you have those same pieces of wood built up in a way where they were so close that the fire from one would catch to the other? That is the idea of the mount. It is a time each month where all of the UIC FOCUS missionaries and student leaders come together, listen to one of the missionaries give a talk on a specific topic and then together as a group we discuss. The mount is a time where we share in fellowship that fosters growth to be better disciples, disciplers, bible study leaders, evangelizers and overall better Catholics.

When Jesus gave the Great Commission “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19), he said that to His disciples only after He had invested in them, developed them as leaders and equipped them to go and change the world. In His three years of ministry, Jesus frequently took his beloved 12, stepped away from the crowds, brought them all together and prepared them in an intentional way, that they were so encouraged, that the love inside of them was uncontainable and compelled them to go out and share in this radical love, ultimately establishing the Church.  Jesus not only gave that order to His disciples, but to each and every single one of us. Matthew 28:19 is the mission of our Catholic Church and the mount is that formation time that readies us as student missionaries to boldly live out the New Evangelization mirroring Pentecost.

This is why the mount is one of my favorite nights of the month! Our last one was specifically designated to evangelization and bringing God’s love to others.  The talk given by Molly was exactly what I needed to hear to channel the fire inside of me inspired by the Holy Spirit and desire to fearlessly love everyone I meet and bring people to Jesus. To me, this mount was like the team huddle before the game or at halftime where you gather round and get charged up – ready to live out the Great Commission, winning souls for Christ as all Christians are required to do. I am so thankful for this set aside time each month at the mount and see the sparks it creates within us, and am grateful to have the FOCUS missionaries at our Newman Center to be our reliable team captains who give us the pep talks and teach by example in order to win the game – going to heaven and bringing others with us.

Thank you for your support and contributions to the Newman Center! I will be praying for each of you and ask for your continued prayers for all of the students, missionaries, and staff!