Top 11 for 2011

On January 3rd, I did a music/speaking gig at St. Joan of Arc parish in San Ramon, Ca. There I unveiled something called the Top 11 of 2011 which are 11 tips for 2011 to help guide young people (any person really) in living simply to build the kingdom, paving the roads with character. My Lifeteen Core Team also shared it at our first Lifenight of 2011. It was inspired by Bo Sanchez’s 29 tips for the New Year (some of these tips come straight from him, but with my spin). For 2011, let us resolve and stand resolute, and be bold.

1. Unplug

2010 was the year of the smartphone, these devices of course allow us to be connected, to never skip a beat when it comes to being plugged in. Our social networks are always within reach. Text messaging, emailing, tweets, status updates…all tools of technology, yes, but also tools that hinder us from honest face-to-face, voice-to-ear presence. One time, I took a picture of 3 people crammed in my office, all on their phones. There were 4 of us there, but nobody was really there. The challenge is to unplug (even for just a little bit), so that we can spend quality time, be present in the here-and-now, so that we don’t let what’s real pass us by. Have you ever accidentally left your phone at home? Didn’t life seem a bit less stressful? Makes me wonder…unplug.

2. Invest Your time, talent, treasure in ministry

When I was a Freshman, I chose to be Confirmed in my faith. I can honestly say that I didn’t fully grasp the gravity of it all, not until I started serving. The investment in ministry allowed me to truly connect the dots with what I knew, with what I believed. Ministry enriches our faith, it enriches our lives.

3. Come to Mass early and sit in the presence

In our faith we have such a great opportunity every week to worship God in the Holy Mass, but sometimes we take that for granted. Sometimes we aren’t prepared to listen, or give of ourselves. The challenge is to come early to church, and simply sit, pray, and listen in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in the Eucharist, in the real presence of Christ. It’s a life-changer.

4. Do Justice

While ministry enriches our lives, justice through ministry enriches life itself. It’s so important to do what is needed, to do what needs to be done. It’s unjust for a child to starve. It’s unjust for anybody to starve really, when there’s so much abundance. My life was changed when we started serving the poor, and your life will too. Pick up a hammer, pack some food, shake a hand, love those unloved, do justice, live justice. while you may think that you are the one doing the loving, you’ll soon learn that you are the one that is loved. Do Justice. Read: http://jonmanongdo.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/there-is-one/

5. Find a mentor, Be a mentor

I met Fr. Phil McCrillis 7 or 8 years ago; I was a mere wet-behind-the-ears Twenty-something while he was a not so wet-behind-the-ears Sixty-something. He used to joke that we met each other a little late in the game and that I was on my way in while he was on his way out. Nonetheless, that relationship taught me a lot about myself, it has taught me how important it is to believe in the gifts in others; he believed in me. He challenged me to think, to get off my butt, to take charge, to live, to be happy. He was my mentor. Now I am a mentor to others. It truly is a beautiful cycle…it’s certainly how Fr. Phil lives on. Pay it forward.

6. Date your parent(s)

I get the same “ewww” reaction every time I present this idea. For a teen, who seeks independence this is a difficult concept, but it’s one that must be celebrated. Whether the child is 2 or 22 or even 42, the need of a parent (in it’s basic form) is still the same, we want to feel important in the lives of our children, we want to know that they still love us. That will never change. So go up to your parent(s), ask if they’d like to go to dinner or get some froyo, and spend real genuine non-pretentious quality time with them. They will appreciate it more than you know. Hopefully, your son or daughter one day asks you to go out on a date as well.

7. Read up on the Saints

In the church, we are given so many opportunities and methods, to live in the light of Christ. One of my favorites is the communion of Saints, past and present. We are not alone as the Saints continue to storm the heavens with prayers for us. The Saints are heroes that have lived boldly for Christ, they play on God’s team, and we are so blessed to be given their playbooks. We are all called to be Saints, to be fierce, to be bold, to write our stories in the light that is Christ, much like Mary Queen of Saints, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Maria Goretti. Learn their stories, write yours.

8. Listen to understand, not to reply

People don’t know how to listen anymore. We live in a culture of instant gratification and reality shows. We want answers but more so we want to give answers but we can dish but cannot take. In this day and age, we have status updates, tweets, blogs, re-blogs and any other technological soapbox you can come across. My wife suggests that these social networks are our own reality shows, and we want that audience. We do so much talking and updating, we don’t listen anymore. But people need others to understand, not to reply. We need to regain the idea that we are suppose to be present for the other. We need to understand their plight, their story, not for us, but rather for them. In doing this, our methods of communication will improve, our relationships will improve, our love for each other improves, our society improves, we improve.

9. Find God in the Ordinary

Our faith has so many examples of God and the ordinary. In the Eucharist, we experience Jesus become simple bread and wine so that we can partake in His feast. We celebrate God the Son, in the face of a baby in the gift of His incarnation. The divine becomes simple, the extraordinary becomes ordinary so that we can intimately understand how very real God is in our lives. In our ordinary forms we are called to be extraordinary. We consume the Eucharist in order to become living tabernacles, with Jesus at the essence of our being. Seeing God in the ordinary, within each other, will help us gain a better sense of how God is working in our lives. It allows for peace, mercy, hope, and love.

10. Walk with Intention, not with excuses

Make good and loving choices and walk with purpose and intention every step of the way. Don’t make excuses for your mistakes. Don’t blame other people. Blaze the trail with purpose and confidence, don’t fall behind in a wake of excuses. The world is not against you, God gave you the world and every opportunity to live out your potential, but you need to live it with intention.

11. Be bold for Christ

This isn’t easy. Christ was the greatest leader in history. Jesus came to make things new, to flip the world on it’s ear, to challenge the status quo, in order to tell the world of God’s love. He didn’t use force, He used love. His actions sparked a following, a faith, a religion, a movement, a relationship. Jesus was bold. There are 2.1 Billion Christians worldwide, all because a man walked the earth 2000 years ago, and died so that we might live. We are called to be like Him, to be bold like Him and for Him. We are called to boldly live the Gospel, because it’s life-giving. Sometimes we are so destructive, of each other of ourselves. Today’s society lives a culture of death..challenge that within you because we are so called to LIVE; live boldly with faith, hope and love. How would our world, our families, our lives be if we did this?

* * *

Really, how would our lives be if we really lived this Top 11 of 2011? I can answer it with one word: Blessed. These are the steps to spiritual maturity, to healing, to loving ourselves and each other and to building the Kingdom. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stand resolute. Reflect the love of God and shine. Shine on.

Have a blessed 2011!!