Email Blog YouTube

Ten Pillars

Christocentric Life

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
- A spiritual house is a place for communion between God and man. When a person, family, or community builds their life and activity around Christ, they begin to see all physical and spiritual realities in relation to Him. They benefit from the Father's love, protection, and provision. Their souls become rooted in God's will, preserved in God's presence, and formed in the mind, heart, and spirit of God.
- Centrality of Jesus
  
  God designed all creation to center itself around Jesus Christ. The events of history lead to Jesus' coming into the world, the word made flesh. Man’s redemption and salvation come through Jesus' life, passion, death, and resurrection. For the rest of time and eternity we proclaim Jesus as Lord and King of the Universe. Even the planets reflect this Truth by orbiting the sun. God has given mankind the choice to cooperate with his design and center every part of our life around Jesus. If we do, our whole human experience will be illuminated by the virtues of faith, hope, and love and the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
- Built on Christ
  
  In the Kingdom of God, our work, rest, and relationships are oriented toward the Glory of God by participating in the activity of Christ. We develop our Christian lens through a process similar to our physical development. First, we are exposed to the activity. Then, we experience the activity. Next, we practice the activity. Finally, we live out the activity because it has been incorporated into our lives. When we encounter Christ's activity in different spiritual houses, the Truth is reinforced and we develop a firmness of the faith. Over time, our life will be built upon the Christocentric pillars of prayer, liturgy, culture, hospitality, formation, fellowship, stewardship, discipleship, inreach, and outreach.
Ten Pillars
of a Spiritual House

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”
(John 12:26)
- Prayer
  
  Friendship with Christ
  
  “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (John 14:21)
  
  Prayer is entering a sacred space and bringing our presence before God's presence. A sacred space can be a church, our hearts, or a gathering place in the name of Jesus. In this sacred space, we recognize Jesus' love for us in life's blessings and express our love for Jesus through our faith, words, and actions. We develop the pillar of prayer when we talk to God on a daily basis. We seek to obey His commands out of love. We spend time in his Eucharistic presence because he has offered us his body and we offer him our life. We practice the spiritual devotions he invites us to.
- Liturgy
  
  Sacrifice of Christ
  
  “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
  
  Liturgy is celebrating Jesus’ offering of his life as the final sacrifice in reparation for our sins out of obedience to the Father’s Will. We participate in the eternal sacrifice by going to Mass or offering our bodies to Jesus so that he may suffer in us and continue his redeeming work. We develop the pillar of Liturgy when we practice the rhythm of his life, passion, death, and resurrection in our prayers, activities, and calendar and recognize the Paschal rhythm in our seasons of life, work, and relationships.
- Culture
  
  Creating with Christ
  
  “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.” (John 1:3)
  
  Culture is using the resources in the world to create something that is true, good, beautiful, or unitive. We use our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits to express and appreciate the gift of our humanity for the praise and glory of God. Co-creating with Jesus builds a channel for God to reveal himself to us because we engage in the very reflection of his character. We develop the pillar of culture when we spend time in the arts, music, theatre, literature, nature, fitness, science, language, dialogue, craft, skill, or social gatherings as a way to encounter God. When we create, we seek to praise Him and reveal Him to the world, again, in a new way.
- Hospitality
  
  Receiving Christ
  
  “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40)
  
  Hospitality is having a warm and welcoming disposition to those we encounter and receiving them as we would Jesus. We break from the usual routine to welcome others into our home and ensure their rest and refreshment. We develop the pillar of hospitality when we kindly and patiently respond to the interruptions throughout the day and show ourselves to be approachable and available, encountering Jesus in the other. We value good manners and practice being gracious guests and warm hosts. We develop the basic skills for planning, preparing, and executing an event or gathering. We offer our home to travellers.
- Formation
  
  Growing with Christ
  
  “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
  
  Formation is facilitating the growth of the whole person into Christian maturity with respect to uniquely becoming who God has created us to be. We take care to develop our physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, relational, and apostolic life in light of the Truth in Jesus. We develop the pillar of formation when we first choose to be who God wants us to be and pray for God’s will before making a decision about our education, activities, work, and friendships. We trust that God will bring the opportunities we need and will provide the resources in order for us to participate so that we become who he wants us to be. We patiently wait to bloom in God’s time and bear the fruit of His will.
- Fellowship
  
  Communion with Christ
  
  “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
  
  Fellowship is showing love for our brothers and sisters in Christ and encountering Christ in one another. We spend time together to appreciate and validate the unique gift of each person. We form bonds of belonging on the journey of faith and life. We offer each other spiritual accompaniment, encouragement, enlightenment, correction, and enrichment. We develop the pillar of fellowship when we engage in conversation with those in our community and show our interest in their lives or concern for their needs. We participate in groups where we can intentionally pray, learn, serve, and have fun together.
- Stewardship
  
  Gift of Christ
  
  “So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them” (Romans 12: 5-6)
  
  Stewardship is using our physical and spiritual gifts to contribute to the life and work of the community, to build up the Kingdom of God, and to value the unique reflection of God that is each person. The operations, communal activity, and spiritual nourishment are designed to function according to the gifts of the members of the community. We develop the pillar of stewardship when we recognize that we are made for others: we are the stewards of the resources, talents, and time given to us in order to serve other’s needs. The dispense of grace comes when we ask the one with the gift to provide for our need or we give freely and generously without expecting a return.
- Discipleship
  
  Teaching of Christ
  
  “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
  
  Discipleship is teaching the truths of the faith in the activities of the church by the cycle of Christian leadership according to Jesus’ model. We develop the pillar of discipleship when there is a way for new people to engage in an activity. Leaders develop relationships with newer members. They offer their accompaniment and mentorship, giving them opportunities to step into leadership roles. Eventually, the work will be handed onto these members or they will be sent out to do the same elsewhere.
- Inreach
  
  Serving Christ
  
  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me…whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)
  
  Inreach is providing for the corporeal and spiritual needs of those within our own community and those who are in close proximity to us. We can serve them through word, deed, and prayer. We develop the pillar of inreach when we serve our family, friends, and neighbors in times of need by providing meals, financial support, household items, our spiritual nourishment or assistance with grocery shopping, household chores, or driving to appointments. We support them by calling, visiting, or praying with them. We encourage them by speaking of the promises of God. We walk with those who are losing their loved ones. We celebrate the gift of life, even in death, together.
- Outreach
  
  Light of Christ
  
  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
  
  Outreach is collaborating with grace to go to the places of darkness that are waiting for the light of Christ to come. The darkness can be found in parts of the world or in the hearts of each other. We develop the pillar of outreach when we do as we are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Promptings may lead us to talk to someone who is sitting by themselves, to give our lunch to the man on the street, to pray for the person who comes to mind, to communicate a specific message to someone, or to join a group and carry out a specific mission.
Practical Application

Developing A CHristocentric Life
- Jesus is the Way
  “And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)
  
  The word “predestined” can stir up questions and curious debate. What is predestined, for whom and how? But instead of dissecting the concept, what if we reflect on the simplicity of its direction? Our destination has been predetermined: we are journeying to heaven to be with God and the saints forever. This reality is true for all of us. But to be welcomed into heaven, we must first be washed clean, purified, and made holy. The next reality is that we are not capable of doing that because of the fall of man and original sin. Our life is held in tension: we are destined for heaven but can’t get there. It is the impossible dream.
  
  The journey of life is made up of our labor, leisure, and love. When healthy, our natural inclination is to seek ways to live well, ordered, and rightly for each person. The education, opportunities, methods, theories, resources, mentors, and friends we engage with shape our mentality, spirituality, personality, and life.
  
  In God’s Creative Genius, we are all given the make up of a unique reflection of Him. The personality types of the heart, mind, and spirit are placed in each soul in a unique combination and lived out uniquely through each body, resulting in a unique and unrepeatable story. It is known that each personality type has strengths and weaknesses. The strengths reveal our natural tendencies in how we engage with our labor, leisure, and love. The weaknesses shed light on the type of motivation, thought, or activity that is not natural to us. The strengths and weaknesses are not good or bad in and of themselves. What qualifies them is how they are used.
  
  The experience of being “held in tension” relates to other life examples such as braces on crooked teeth or an authoritative adult who expects good behavior from children. If we engage in the “tension” of life, we allow our minds, hearts, spirits, and bodies to be reformed so that we live our strengths and weaknesses virtuously and excellently (exercised in the right place, with the right person, at the right time, and in the right way).
  
  By the grace of the sacraments, we are infused with the gifts of faith, hope, and love. We have the potential to see what is unseen, to believe that we will arrive at our destination of eternal happiness, and to treasure the unique gift of each soul. We are called to see, believe, and live that Jesus is the way to what is promised in these virtues. Jesus has crafted the path, unique for each individual, that will increase these virtues in us. As we journey, Jesus will bring the methods, resources, activities, and people we need in order to grow into who he’s created us to be and engage in our labor, leisure, and love in the manner that gives Glory to God. Our personality strengths and weaknesses are the casing in which Jesus’s presence is brought into the world in a way that has never been before.
  
  The challenge is that we have to keep choosing the person of Jesus himself. If we find the right fit for our bodies, souls, relationships, and work in order to live well and be true to who we are, it is easy to attach the activity, method, person, or resource to “the way”. We, then, engage in disputes with others about what is right and wrong and remain held in the tension of the world.
  
  The spiritual reality is that the Father has given Jesus to be the “tension” so that we can arrive at our predetermined destination. Jesus calls us to an opportunity or relationship because he is waiting to love us through it. The “tension” that is Jesus will help us break from the attachments, judgements, preferences, or comparisons of the flesh, and fill us with supernatural virtue. In time, our mentality, spirituality, personality, and life will be refined and justified to be one with Jesus, while remaining uniquely who we are through our gifts, strengths, and weaknesses.
  
  The self denial, detachment, and refining draws us into deep union. It becomes Jesus who lives, loves, suffers, dies, and rises through our mind, heart, spirit, and life. We start to let go of the tension between us and others (the tension of the world) and embrace the tension that is Jesus. Our life becomes a unique song of trust in the Lord because the path has never been walked before and no one has lived the story before. Courageously, we give the gift of ourselves through our strengths and we await the power and love of Jesus to enter through our weaknesses.
  
  We journey alongside those who belong to God. Jesus, the treasure our hearts desire, draws near to us through the hearts of one another. He will bring out in us what he wants to refine (frustration, anger, or judgement are common indicators because the strengths of the flesh are challenged by what is weak). We only know our own experience so we are blind to the experience of how Jesus lives and moves and acts in another. It takes prudence to see the treasure of Jesus in another because the weakness of the flesh will want to claim our understanding. It takes justice to embrace the treasure of Jesus in another because he is encased in the weakness of the flesh. It takes fortitude to seek the treasure of Jesus in another because we will be met by the dragon of the flesh. It takes temperance to accept the treasure of Jesus in another given or taken away according to God’s will. In time, we will prize the treasure that is each other because it is Jesus who leads, loves, and lives through us. The impossible dream is made possible: Jesus is the way and we are given tastes of the eternal union, even now.

Ten Pillars

“Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (John 14:21)

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

“All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.” (John 1:3)

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them” (Romans 12: 5-6)

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me…whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)

The Spiritual Family Methodology by Annie Buehnerkemper