By Emily Priolo

Picture in your mind, our beautiful Black Hills — full of forests and streams and wildlife – and now imagine that the only people who are allowed to go hiking in our national forest are those who are professionals sponsored by Patagonia Outdoor Gear. No average man or woman is allowed to walk and explore the Black Hills and soak in its beauty. Only those outdoorsmen who are so skilled that Patagonia pays them to be professional hikers are permitted. Of course, that would be outrageous. Hiking — like woodworking, or cooking, or singing — are natural human activities that people enjoy, whether trained, sponsored, or not. These activities are good in and of themselves. They express something of God’s life and creativity within us!  In fact, the word, “amateur” comes from the Latin word amator, which means, “one who loves.” And to the person who is doing something, “for the love of the game,” it doesn’t matter whether or not he is a professional.

The example of the hiker comes from this year’s Pastoral Ministry Day’s presenter, Dr. Zena Hitz, from her book, “Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of the Intellectual Life.” It is an inspiring book about the joy and fulfillment that comes from fostering our intellectual life, the life of the mind.

Unfortunately, the idea of the “intellectual life” is one that we can easily believe belongs only to the professionals — famous writers, university professors, and podcast guests. But to Dr. Hitz, the intellectual life — a life of curiosity, wonder, and thought — is for all people, and perhaps especially for those of faith.

In her PMD presentation on March 15-17, entitled, “Faith Seeking Understanding in the life of the pastoral minister,” Hitz will be with us to discuss how the intellectual life feeds the life of faith and helps it to grow and flourish. For Dr. Hitz, the intellectual life of a Catholic is not simply about knowing a bunch of facts; it is about seeing the world, including the spiritual realm, with curiosity and wonder. It’s one thing to know what the word “transubstantiation” means, but it’s another thing to ponder the mystery of how it could be that Jesus allows himself to enter such a humble form every Mass — what sort of a God is this? Do I believe this is true? If it is true, what kind of example does my God give me? If eating normal food changes me, how does receiving the Eucharist change me?

And Dr. Hitz tells us that these questions are not just for the theologians who teach seminarians in Rome. These questions are for the amateur, for all of us. Whether a volunteer in children’s ministry, a cantor, an OCIA catechist, or a Knight of Columbus, we serve out of a love for Christ and his Church, and that love is the root of intellectual life.

As St. John writes, “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” To love God with our heart, we must know him with our mind. And the more we come to know him, the more we love him. Join us for this year’s Pastoral Ministry Days to grow our hearts and minds together for the glory of God in our diocese!