The Catholic Church is a community of believers, and as Catholics, we should have spiritual role models, Bishop Michael Izen said. This practice of being spiritual role models goes back to the Old Testament, Bishop Izen said.
“In the Old Testament there’s talk about the elders and how they passed on the rituals or even the covenant,” Bishop Izen said. “We want a relationship with Jesus Christ. We want to be in relationship with those around us. I think that’s where it starts. … If there’s an elder or a mentor or a godparent who can guide us in the faith, then that’s the kind of person we want a relationship with.”
Bishop Izen explained on the “Practicing Catholic” radio program set to debut at 9 p.m. Aug. 8 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM that as Catholics, the faithful want spiritual mentors to be people who have gone beyond them in the faith and can lead them to where the mentors are now. When it comes to choosing a godparent, for example, Bishop Izen said he has seen parishioners picking as if it was just an honorary title.
“They’re going to pick a good friend or even maybe a family member,” Bishop Izen said. “(The) better question is: ‘Who will be a good spiritual role model for your child?’ Are they going to help you as parents raise this child in the faith?”
Beyond being a godparent, Bishop Izen said, anyone can be a spiritual role model, including relatives, coaches and teachers. Bishop Izen said that being a priest in a Catholic school provides opportunities to be a good spiritual example.
“We’re going to think of them as spiritual children,” Bishop Izen said. “Of course, our preaching or teaching at school Masses, the way we interact with kids on the playground, those are all opportunities to be a spiritual example and a spiritual father.”
Most Catholics, Bishop Izen said, are Catholic because they were born into the Church. But faith can only take root if they’re more than just born into it, Bishop Izen said. His own godmother, he said, played a pivotal role in his spiritual growth as she stayed in touch with him, sent gifts and letters, and acted as a spiritual presence in his life.
“She made a mark and not just with me, but with my whole family,” Bishop Izen said. “She remembered me, and she remembered me in a spiritual way that has stuck with me for over 50 years now.”
To hear the full interview with radio show host Patrick Conley, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. Aug. 9 and 2 p.m. Aug. 10.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Marcus Roesler, parishioner of St. Francis Xavier in Shafer, who shares how a visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, sparked a journey back to the Church and eventually to his wife, Jenna. Also, Matt Gerlach, headmaster of Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, shares the fruit of the past school year and how the school’s mission shapes the students’ hearts and mind for Christ.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
