About You:
Living Faith: Describe your vocation in life.
Jennifer Christ: My vocation in life is first to be the best wife, mother and grandmother I can at this time and in my current circumstances. My spiritual vocation, I believe, is to be an encourager and companion to the people around me, raising them up and helping them to be aware of God present in their everyday lives.
LF: Offer a new general bio here…
JC: I am 70 years old, wife, mother of four adult children and grandmother to five. I am nearly retired (one more retreat to preach this spring) from 35+ years of ministry in parishes—in various programs of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee—and in my spiritual direction practice. I now volunteer as a docent at the Milwaukee Art Museum and at historic Forest Home Cemetery.
LF: Do you reach out to readers online via a website or social media?
JC: I don’t use social media much. I prefer to keep technology to a minimum and to spend more time in nature on hikes, bike rides and in my garden.
LF: Share a little about your ministry or daily work. (A day in the life looks like…?)
JC: I like to write early in the morning in my pj’s with a cup of tea, a chunk of dark chocolate and classical music.
LF: How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
JC: I believe I have been writing for Living Faith for about 10 years. I have also written four books, a newspaper column, catechetical materials for families and numerous educational materials for adult/family programs in our archdiocese.
LF: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
JC: Having to hone my reflection down to 180 words.
LF: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite? If you haven’t written a book, name a favorite that you’ve enjoyed.
JC: I have written 4 books and my 2011 work, A Deep, Abiding Love: Pondering Life’s Depth with Julian of Norwich, has deep, personal meaning for me.
LF: Where do you live today, and is that different from where you grew up?
JC: I have lived in Milwaukee with my husband for 40+ years. I grew up in various communities in Wisconsin and California.
LF: Three words your best friend would use to describe you.
JC: Listening, affirming, compassionate.
LF: One additional thing you would want a Living Faith reader to know about you that we haven’t covered above. (A hobby, something silly or fun, an accomplishment, or an interesting fact?)
JC: I feel my work at the art museum is a ministry of a different kind than I did during my paid working years. I love introducing beauty and creativity to children and adults through the museum’s collection. God is the creator and the source of our desire to create, so without using theological terms, I feel it is a ministry.
About Faith:
LF: When did you first know that God loved you?
JC: As a child.
LF: Describe a prayer practice that is meaningful to you.
JC: I have kept a prayer journal since I was 17 years old. It is my favorite way of talking to God.
LF: What’s something you’ve learned from the Bible or from the Mass or the Sacraments that has always stayed with you?
JC: How much God loves us, no matter what.
LF: What excites you about being a Catholic?
JC: I love religious art and architecture, and our tradition has expressed its beliefs abundantly throughout the world using these means.
About the Bible:
LF: Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
JC: John 10:10: “I came that they would have life and have it to the full.” I’ve come to learn that fullness of life is both the sunshine and the shadows and that God is with us every step of the way.
LF: Do you have a favorite Gospel? If so, which one? Elaborate if you wish.
JC: The Gospel of John.
LF: If you could spend a day with a person (besides Jesus) mentioned in the Bible, whom would you choose?
JC: His mother, Mary.
About Living Faith:
LF: How long have you been writing for Living Faith?
JC: I am not positive, but I think it must be near 10 years now.
LF: Do you ever get to meet your Living Faith readers? What do you talk about?
JC: Yes, I do! Quite often in fact. Women on my retreats, people in my parish, directees in spiritual direction have commented on my reflections. I have gotten phone calls and personal notes from strangers who connected with something I said, and they reached out to thank me. I have been astounded by how many people read and pray with this little booklet!
LF: What is one thing you love about Living Faith?
JC: It is small, has a variety of writers, and people can often pick it up for free in the back of church.
*The interview was edited for clarity and conformity to style. No meaning was altered in the process.
