As we mature and age, we tend to remember people and events in fragments, especially during Thanksgiving family gatherings. We also recognize that these fragments of memory are more important to us than remembering everything.

Here’s hoping that the Thanksgiving fragments you receive, as well as those you create, are grace-filled and treasured.

In his September 7th general audience, Pope Francis offered the following. “There is a history that precedes one who discerns, a history that is indispensable to know, because discernment is not a sort of oracle or fatalism, or something from a laboratory, like casting one’s lot on two possibilities. The great questions arise when we have already travelled a stretch of the road in life, and it is to that journey that we must return in order to understand what we are looking for.”

With this statement, Pope Francis wrote the introduction to the Powerful Question retreat in Petoskey on October 14-16th . We will be doing just what he suggests and in doing so find the purpose we were born to serve.

There are a few openings left. But act soon before the retreat is filled.

As I drove the five hours “downstate” from my home in the Upper Peninsula I thought about the apostles and how they were sent to distant lands to preach the Gospel. They did not have modern cars or class A highways. What they did have was the fire of the Holy Spirit to keep them going. I pray that this same spirit will keep me going.

This past week I had the privilege of being interviewed by Curtis and Karen Herbert on their podcast titled The Midlife Catholic. Their theme was finding purpose, a nice fit with finding Your Most Powerful Question. I would recommend their podcast to any person of faith who wants to know what God wants of them next. I hope you check them out.

I would also note that The Word Among Us magazine recently began advertising my book, Your Most Powerful Question. Praise God!

There are still openings for the October Powerful Question retreat, but room is limited and the discount rate expires at the end of this month. Don’t miss out. Registration for this event is found right here on this web site.

If you have questions contact me at johnolesnavage@gmail.com

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We are all made numb by the endless string of mass shootings happening across the country. We can pray that our elected leaders take meaningful steps to stop these horrible tragedies. And, there is another thing we can do. We can start asking the young, the confused and the misled what they need and want most. They live in our towns, they live next door, they live in our basements. Then, we can help them find life-giving, not life-taking answers.

Discernment is an adult skill, one that seeks understanding through self-reflection and divine guidance. Discerning the powerful question embedded in our own life story moves us beyond the lessons we have been taught and enables us to engage in an adult relationship with God. Isn’t that what evangelization is all about?