Nicholas Pizana | The Michigan Catholic

WHITE LAKE — An internationally known Catholic author told parishioners at St. Patrick Parish recently that one of the keys to fulfillment was to work to become their “truest selves” through their faith.

Matthew Kelly, known primarily for his bestselling book “Rediscover Catholicism,” gave a presentation called “Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose” to a packed audience at the White Lake parish Nov. 10. During his talk, Kelly emphasized the difference between “engaged” and “disengaged” Catholics, calling on the audience to consider ways in which they could become more active in their parishes and communities. He also stressed a “hunger for best practices,” the importance of hard work and a commitment to continuous learning.

Although focused on spirituality, Kelly’s message could be applied to several aspects of life. He talked about hearing the voice of God in our own lives through our needs and talents, and ignoring the false wants created by society.

“You simply can never have enough of what you don’t really need,” Kelly said. “That’s why so many people aren’t content in our culture. It’s not about what you want, it’s about what you need.”

He suggested listeners seek quiet to gain the clarity needed to reflect on themselves and on God’s role in their lives. He instructed listeners to find the strength to say to no to these distractions by finding a deeper “yes” in identifying God’s true call to be “your truest, best self.”

Kelly also focused on the differences between happiness and pleasure.

“Pleasure cannot be sustained beyond the activity producing it, whereas happiness requires delayed gratification. You cannot be successful at anything without being willing to delay gratification — it is the only key to success,” he said.

Kelly not only called on audience members to be the best Catholics they could be, but encouraged them to be proud of their religion as well. Although he acknowledged the often-negative narrative associated with Catholicism in modern media, Kelly reminded listeners of the rich history of Catholicism and its impact as an innovator in fields such as health care and education.

“We’ve got a great story to tell, we’ve just got to tell it.” Kelly said.

Despite this proud legacy, Kelly noted dropping numbers in active attendance for Catholics, especially among those age 20 to 30.

“We as a Church need to step it up a notch, which means parishes need to step it up a notch, which means we as Christians need to step it up a notch,” Kelly said.

Parts of the presentation were broken up with acoustic performances by singer/songwriter Eliot Morris.

Kelly, founder and president of the Dynamic Catholic Institute, released a new book Nov. 1. “The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic” examines what Kelly calls the difference between engaged and disengaged Catholics along the lines of prayer, study, generosity and evangelization.