Today is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, and one of my favorite quotes of his is:
With this mandate of St Ignatius in mind, and on this, his feast day, I want to declare publicly to each of you what it is that drives my ministry and is the foundation upon which the Say Yes community is built.
I pray that these statements may resonate with you, and inspire you to strive for holiness each and every day of your life, so we may ALL become the living, breathing, wonder-working saints God created us to be!
The SAY YES Manifesto
• We believe that when we SAY YES we find our true purpose, deep peace, unimaginable abundance, and lasting happiness, not just for now, but for all eternity—regardless of the challenges and struggles of daily life
• We believe that every person, in their unique, unrepeatable way, is called to inspire, encourage, and empower others to SAY YES to Love Himself as we become the saints who God created us to be
• We believe that the foundation upon which all efforts to SAY YES must be built upon the daily habit of prayer and meditation, frequenting the Sacraments, striving to grow daily in virtue, and abandoning oneself to God’s will more fully each day
• We believe that the world desperately needs saints, and the time is NOW. We must SAY YES to the mission to raise up the next generation of saints, and waiting “to do something” is simply a shirking of our God-entrusted responsibility
• We believe that the key components to SAY YES to the mission of saving souls and making saints is in conformity to why, what and how Jesus teaches in Scripture and through His Church
• We believe in possibilities—that God can do anything with anyone and with any situation if we SAY YES to doing His will in humility and obedience
• We believe that the Church and the Holy Spirit has given us all that we need in this moment in time, and in our particular place within His vineyard, to bring about His glory in the world if we SAY YES to being used as His instruments
• We believe the mission to help others SAY YES is only possible when the ENTIRE Body of Christ— parents, families, godparents, sponsors, mentors and parish community—is involved in the mission according to their particular role to encounter, engage, accompany and mentor souls into holiness
Christina Semmens is a Roman Catholic author, blogger, speaker and mentor. She currently lives in Fort Payne, Alabama where she strives to live out a life of authentic discipleship in the pursuit of holiness while encouraging, teaching and accompanying others in striving to do the same. You can find out more about Christina and her ministry efforts at www.sayyestoholiness.com. Or sign up up for her weekly Say Yes to Holiness newsletter here.
