About You:
Living Faith: Describe your vocation in life.
Jonathan F. Sullivan: I am a husband, a father of ten, and a lowly servant in the Church (that is, I’m a diocesan bureaucrat).
LF: Offer a new general bio here, if you wish something other than what is listed here.
JS: I’m originally from the Kansas City area. I received my bachelor’s degree in theology and pastoral ministry from Quincy University and my master’s degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology. My wife and I have been married 23 years; we have ten children. My “day job” is with the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, where I serve as the manager of the Offices of Catechesis and Divine Worship.
LF: Do you reach out to readers online via a website or social media?
JS: I have not been active on social media for several years.
LF: Share a little about your ministry or daily work. (A day in the life looks like…?)
JS: I direct the Offices of Catechesis and Divine Worship for the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. One of the things I like about diocesan work is that there is rarely a “standard day”—sometimes I’m hosting a formation event at one of our parishes, sometimes I’m preparing a diocesan liturgy and sometimes it’s nothing but back-to-back meetings! What I enjoy most, though, is the opportunity to assist folks in our parishes as they reach out through their ministries and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
LF: How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
JS: I’ve enjoyed writing for years, including blogging beginning in the early 2000s.
LF: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
JS: I’m tempted to say that just finding time to write is a struggle! But my biggest obstacle, as many writers have encountered, is the blank page. Once I start to get ideas on the page, the writing becomes easier, but that initial start can be daunting!
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.
JS: I have not written any books (yet), but a personal favorite is Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth. It is a wonderful example of Catholic scriptural reflection and a beautiful introduction to the person of Jesus Christ.
LF: Where do you live today, and is that different from where you grew up?
JS: I currently live in North Central Indiana, although I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City. Life here is much more rural, although I’m blessed to be near a major university with a large international student population, so there are plenty of great restaurants in town!
LF: Three words your best friend would use to describe you.
JS: Faithful, thinker, creative.
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?)
JS: I’m a huge fan of tabletop games (that is, board games, card games, etc.). There is a wonderful social aspect to them as people gather around the table that I never find in other types of entertainment.
About Faith:
LF: When did you first know that God loved you?
JS: The love of God was always present in a vaguely impersonal way for as long as I can remember, but I don’t think it was until I became a father that I began to understand the profoundly personal nature of God’s love for us. Each time I’ve held one of my children for the first time, it’s been an opportunity to reflect that, as much as I love this new person I’ve just met, God’s love is infinitely more intense for me.
LF: Describe a prayer practice that is meaningful to you.
JS: I pray Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer) from the Liturgy of the Hours each day. I find that praying the Hours centers my day and helps me to focus on offering my life and work to the Lord.
LF: What’s something you’ve learned from the Bible or from the Mass or the Sacraments that has always stayed with you?
JS: From the Sacraments, I learned that God is found in the simple, earthy things of life. Too often we think that God is only found in the grand, the larger-than-life and the extraordinary. And yet it is through simple water, oil, bread and wine that God transmits such tremendous grace.
LF: What excites you about being a Catholic?
JS: I love how Catholicism seeks the good, the true and the beautiful in everyday things and never denies those things, even if they come from outside the Church.
I also love to read the writings of the saints. They inspire me to begin again when I fail and encourage me to reach for greater heights in loving and serving others.
About the Bible:
LF: Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
JS: I’ve always loved the narratives of the Old Testament. If I had to pick a favorite, Moses’ encounter with the burning bush would be near the top. It reminds us of the unfathomable strangeness of God who, despite being beyond our understanding, seeks to draw us near to him.
LF: Do you have a favorite Gospel? If so, which one? Elaborate if you wish.
JS: I have a special affinity for Mark since, while studying Biblical Greek, we spent an entire semester translating his Gospel.
LF: If you could spend a day with a person (besides Jesus) mentioned in the Bible, whom would you choose?
JS: Probably Mary (and Joseph) of Nazareth.
About Living Faith:
LF: How long have you been writing for Living Faith?
JS: I was invited to write for Living Faith a little over a year ago.
LF: Do you ever get to meet your Living Faith readers? What do you talk about?
JS: I’ve met a few, and I was pleasantly surprised that a former co-worker of mine is a daily reader of Living Faith!
LF: What is one thing you love about Living Faith?
JS: I love the variety of voices, vocations, and perspectives brought by Living Faith’s writers. They represent the great creative diversity found in the Church.
*The interview was edited for clarity and conformity to style. No meaning was altered in the process.
