Hundreds Spend Three Evenings

More than 300 people of various beliefs came from the greater Evansville area to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Daylight May 19-21 to experience the music, laughter, and prayer of John Michael Talbot – with the internationally known man himself!

A Catholic-Christian composer, musician and singer, he has released 53 CDs. He is a best-selling author and has written 28 books. He is a highly in-demand motivational speaker and travels all over the country for 10 months of the year, sharing his gifts and the joy of the Gospel.

More than 35 years ago, he founded the religious order of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage in Arkansas, which has been thriving ever since. He now has his own television show called “All Things are Possible,” which airs weekly on The Church Channel.

‘…curse the darkness or light a candle’

The first night of the mission, Talbot began his talk by focusing on the United States, saying that Catholics are on a “fast track to Western Europe” – meaning that there is a great decrease in the amount of people who are faithful Catholics attending Mass and helping out in the community. “We can either curse the darkness or light a candle,” he added, and reinforced the responsibility of each Christian to be healing to a world in great need of the love of God. He encouraged attendees to step out of their safety zones and share their own encounters of Jesus with each other, and to remember that we are united together as the body of Christ.

He talked about his own personal experiences and his conversion to Catholicism. Before he came to the Church, he studied many different religions in search of the truth. This and his Methodist-Presbyterian upbringing helped him to appreciate more the beauty and richness of the Catholic Church. He felt as if God was speaking to him and saying that the Catholic Church is sick and nearly dying, and it was his mission to raise her up and kindle the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Praying as if breathing

On the second night, Talbot focused on praying without ceasing and reminded attendees to share the joy of the Gospel.

Something we do constantly without even thinking about it is breathing; he encouraged everyone in the audience to unite their prayer to their breathing so that they can always remember to pray continuously. He taught what he called “The Jesus Prayer, a life-changing prayer,” and the people sang it together with him. He asked everyone to inhale the words of all that is good: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God;” then exhale the negative things in life: “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

He also went into great detail comparing the process of making bread from wheat to the different stages we face in life. We are the wheat, he said, and God has to cut us down to experience a fuller life.

The night that lingers

Talbot said the last night of his mission is the one that “stays with them the most.” On this night, he offered a very detailed walkthrough of the Mass. He encouraged everyone to have a deeper experience of the Mass by singing louder, listening to the homily more attentively, and by better preparing oneself to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

“If you ever hear a homily and Jesus doesn’t speak to you personally,” he said “it’s because you weren’t listening.” He reminded attendees that we shouldn’t want to go to Mass to be entertained; we should show up and be engaged in what is taking place.

He talked about how receiving Jesus at every Mass is “the greatest altar call.” When we become that which we receive, it is an action of love responding to love. He said the experience of the Mass is “personal, powerful, and intimate” – but also “communal and life-changing.”

He also reminded everyone that we should be a part of the revival – to constantly die to our old selves and rise in Christ. He dared the audience to believe that all things are possible with God.

Father Jason Gries, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, attended the mission, and he joined Talbot for the opening and closing prayers each night. He said he enjoyed Talbot’s blend of humor and prayer, saying he was quite impressed by the mission.

“John Michael Talbot brought a great challenge for better music and better preaching,” Father Gries said. “Those challenges weren't for music ministers, priests or deacons though. The challenge was to the person in the pew – to sing more and to listen for God's word for them within the homily.

            Ultimately, the challenge was to be more engaged and to encounter Christ,” Father Gries continued. “To encounter Christ in the music, in the preaching and in the Body and Blood of Christ Himself in the Eucharist.”