5. How can we speak about God? (CCC 39-43, 48-49)
a) we cannot speak about God since God is infinite
b) in a limited way when we speak about that which God created
c) by recognizing the inability of our language to fully express the mystery of God
d) both b and c
 
CHAPTER TWO: God Comes to Meet Man: The Revelation of God
6. What does God reveal to man? (CCC 50-53, 68-69)
a) God reveals Himself
b) God reveals His plan of loving goodness
c) God reveals that all are to share in divine life
d) all of the above


7. What are the first stages of God's Revelation?(CCC 54-58,70-71)
a) creation of the sun, stars, and moon
b) Jesus Christ
c) Adam and Eve and Noah and his family
d) none of the above


8. What are the next stages of God's Revelation? (CCC 59-64, 72)
a) creation, self, nations
b) Cain, Ishmael, King Saul
c) angels, prophets, priests
d) Abram, Israel, Moses, King David   


(Answers at end)


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Advent Calendar

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Advent site for advent calendar, advent definition, advent readings, and advent devotions to use during christmas, christmas holidays, and Advent 2013.

​WHY IS PURPLE THE LITURGICAL COLOR FOR ADVENT?​

WHAT DO WE AS A CHURCH FOCUS ON DURING ADVENT?​

WHAT ARE THE GREAT "O" ANTIPHONS?​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
First Sunday of Advent - December 1, 2019


The First Reading- Isaiah 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Reflection
In the Church, all nations stream to the God of Jacob, to worship and seek wisdom in the House of David. From the Church goes forth His word of instruction, the light of the Lord—that all might walk in His paths toward that eternal day when night will be no more (see Revelation 22:5). By our Baptism we have been made children of the light and day (see Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5–7). It is time we start living like it—throwing off the fruitless works of darkness, the desires of the flesh, and walking by the light of His grace.
Adults - What does it mean to be “children of the light?”
Teens - How can you live as a child of the light this Advent?
Kids - What are some good deeds you can do this Advent?

Responsorial- Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Reflection
-As we sing in today’s Psalm, let us go rejoicing to the House of the Lord. Let us give thanks to His name, keeping watch for His coming, knowing that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Make an extra effort to be thankful this Advent season.


The Second Reading- Romans 13:11-14
Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
Reflection
In today’s Epistle, Paul too compares the present age to a time of advancing darkness and night.
Is there a sin in your life that you can work on removing from you life this Advent?


The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
Reflection
Jesus exaggerates in today’s Gospel when He claims not to know the day or the hour when He will come again. He occasionally makes such overstatements to drive home a point we might otherwise miss (see Matthew 5:34; 23:9; Luke 14:26). His point here is that the exact “hour” is not important. What is crucial is that we not postpone our repentance, that we be ready for Him—spiritually and morally—when He comes. For He will surely come, He tells us—like a thief in the night, like the flood in the time of Noah. Though we sit in the darkness, overshadowed by death, we have seen arise the great light of our Lord who has come into our midst (see Matthew 4:16; John 1:9; 8:12). He is the true light, the life of the world. And His light continues to shine in His Church, the new Jerusalem promised by Isaiah in today’s First Reading.
Adults - What are some practical ways to “keep awake” and be ready for the Second
Coming of Christ?
Teens - We truly do not know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return. Why then should we always be prepared for it?
Kids - What does it mean to say that Jesus is the light of the world?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK!
As Blessed John Henry Newman reminded us in a homily for the Advent Season: “Advent is a time of waiting, it is a time of joy because the coming of Christ is not only a gift of grace and salvation but it is also a time of commitment because it motivates us to live the present as a time of responsibility and vigilance. This ‘vigilance’ means the necessity, the urgency of an industrious, living ‘wait’. To make all this happen, then we need to wake up, as we are warned by the apostle to the Gentiles, in today's reading to the Romans: ‘Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rm 13:11). We must start our journey to ascend to the mountain of the Lord, to be illuminated by His Words of peace and to allow Him to indicate the path to tread (cf. Is 2:1-5). Moreover, we must change our conduct abandoning the works of darkness and put on the ‘armor of light’ and so seek only to do God’s work and to abandon the deeds of the flesh (cf. Rm 13:12-14). Jesus, through the story in the parable, outlines the Christian life style that must not be distracted and indifferent but must be vigilant and recognize even the smallest sign of the Lord’s coming because we don’t know the hour in which He will arrive (cf. Mt 24:39-44)
- Pope Benedict XVI, Celebration of First Vespers of Advent, Vatican Basilica, December 2006
 


5. How can we speak about God? d) both b and c
By taking as our starting point the perfections of man and of the other creatures which are a reflection, albeit a limited one, of the infinite perfection of God, we are able to speak about God with all people. We must, however, continually purify our language insofar as it is image-bound and imperfect, realizing that we can never fully express the infinite mystery of God.///CHAPTER TWO: God Comes to Meet Man: The Revelation of God
6. What does God reveal to man? d) all of the above
God in his goodness and wisdom reveals himself. With deeds and words, he reveals himself and his plan of loving goodness which he decreed from all eternity in Christ. According to this plan, all people by the grace of the Holy Spirit are to share in the divine life as adopted “sons” in the only begotten Son of God.
7. What are the first stages of God's Revelation? c) Adam and Eve and Noah and his family
From the very beginning, God manifested himself to our first parents, Adam and Eve, and invited them to intimate communion with himself. After their fall, he did not cease his revelation to them but promised salvation for all their descendants. After the flood, he made a covenant with Noah, a covenant between himself and all living beings.
8. What are the next stages of God's Revelation? d) Abram, Israel, Moses, King David
God chose Abram, calling him out of his country, making him “the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5), and promising to bless in him “all the nations of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). The people descended from Abraham would be the trustee of the divine promise made to the patriarchs. God formed Israel as his chosen people, freeing them from slavery in Egypt, establishing with them the covenant of Mount Sinai, and, through Moses, giving them his law. The prophets proclaimed a radical redemption of the people and a salvation which would include all nations in a new and everlasting covenant. From the people of Israel and from the house of King David, would be born the Messiah, Jesus.


​

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
         Everyone generally likes the pageantry of Kings, I think.  Perhaps only those who have not lived under kings or those who never knew a bad king.  But a king is not everyone’s idea of a good time. 
 
         The prophet laying out the consequences when Israel rejects God as their king and desires to have an earthly king over them says that the sons of families must sign up for military service and taxes will now be levied for war and the king’s city.  Trade, craftsmans, building, and much more will be directed by the king so that his plans and construction of the kingdom can take shape and many more changes so that an earthly king can rule in Israel.  Also, all will now be SERVING THE KING.
 
         Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, is a different sort of king.  He starts by SERVING US.  He walks our walks, and talks our talk.  He gives us words of life to live by.  He cures the sick, drives out demons, and calls us to be more than ourselves.  He dies our death, to give Himself as food in the Holy Eucharist so that we might live forever in Heaven.
 
         And those of us that would make Him the king of their hearts, He only asks that we live like Him by His strength.  We must of course, “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.”  But He helps us with grace to deny ourselves.  He helps us to take up and carry our cross and to follow Him.  To follow Him to heaven, and with Him to lead all to their ultimate and true happiness: with God forever.
 
         Who is going to be your king this Sunday and the rest of your life?
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This coming Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King, the 34rd and last Sunday of Ordinary Time and the Church year!  The readings can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112419.cfm   (Readings with reflections and questions are at the end of the e-weekly.)
​

Part One: The Profession of Faith - Section One: “I believe” – “We believe”

​

1. What is the plan of God for man? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1-25)
a) for us to be slaves
b) for us to do whatever we want, whenever we want
c) to know, love, and serve Him, and be happy with Him forever in heaven
d) to discover Him on our own accord if we want to


CHAPTER ONE: Man's Capacity for God -  “You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised [...] You have made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” (Saint Augustine)
2. Why does man have a desire for God? (CCC 27-30, 44-45)
a) God has written it on our hearts
b) if it is ignored, God still will draw by this desire
c) this intimate bond confers on us our fundamental dignity
d) all of the above


3. How is it possible to know God with only the light of human reason? (CCC 31-36, 46-47)
a) one can look at one’s self, and know that self is destined for more than death
b) one can look at one’s self, and see humanity has brought about humanity
c) it is not possible
d) Nothing is clear with only human reason


4. Is the light of reason alone sufficient to know the mystery of God? (CCC 37-38)
a) the light of human reason can shine sufficiently on all the mysteries of God
b) since God has made us, he has made us to be able to figure out all we need to know about Him by reason
c) both a and b
d) neither a and b   

​ (Answers below)

​

​by ChurchPOP Editor - Nov 21, 2019 

How beautiful! Have you ever seen anything like this before?
Catholic speaker, podcaster, and television personality Stacey Sumereau shared an experience she had with her husband at her wedding reception – and the post went completely viral!
Instead of throwing her garter, her husband washed her feet.
Sumeraeu explained that “the garter toss signifies Eros,” which is “sexual attraction and a public hint of the private intimacy the newlyweds will enjoy.”
Her husband washed her feet because it signifies Jesus’ sacrificial love.
“Jesus washed his disciples’ feet the night before he gave his life for them on the Cross…Husbands vow to love their brides like Christ loves the Church. 🏼 To be the leader of our family is to be a servant.”

​Here’s her full post below:

Here’s the full text of Sumereau’s post:“My husband washed my feet at our wedding reception instead of tossing a garter.
“The garter toss signifies Eros- sexual attraction and a public hint of the private intimacy the newlyweds will enjoy. Physical attraction is a wonderful and beautiful part of marriage. However, I LOVE that my groom chose to surprise me with something different… 🤩
“Jesus washed his disciples’ feet the night before he gave his life for them on the cross. That kind of love is agape: sacrifice.
“Husbands vow to love their brides like Christ loves the Church. 🏼 To be the leader of our family is to be a servant. Whether it’s prioritizing my desire of where we go to dinner or getting up with the babies early when I’m exhausted, John lays down his life for me every day.
“And the beautiful thing is that you don’t gotta worry one tiny bit about erotic love disappearing when you work for agape love. 
“So often our culture gets it backwards: ‘test drive,’ ‘try before you buy,’ cohabitation.
“But now that I’m living marriage day-to-day, I see that sustaining a relationship purely with Eros is like trying to live on cake: the sweetness can disappear in an instant, but it’s working together that lasts.
“We didn’t need to ‘try before you buy’ to have the both depth of agape and the sweetness of Eros together. I don’t feel ‘in love’ every second of every day. (And anyone who expects that is going to be disappointed!)
“But I trust my husband and feel security in his love. That allows for joy, laughter, and a peaceful relationship.”
“Listen to Dan and Amber DeMatte’s episode of my podcast, Called and Caffeinated, for LOTS more on how to sustain a strong marriage.
“Single friends, don’t buy what the culture is selling you! You deserve to be cherished–not just for a time, but forever.”
Let us all pray for the strength to love sacrificially!

A bit of humor…


Little Johnny to his mom: “I shot 4 goals at the soccer match today!”  Mom: “Wonderful, looks like your team won, right?”  Little Johnny: “Not really, we played 2:2.”

Teacher asks, “Who can tell me the chemical formula for water?”  Little Johnny pipes up, "HIJKLMNO"!  The teacher is puzzled, “What on Earth are you talking about, Johnny?”  Little Johnny looks hurt, “But sir, you yourself said yesterday that it's H to O!”  


 Some Thoughts  

-I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.  
-Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.  
-If Bill Gates had a penny for every time I had to reboot my computer…oh wait, he does.  
-Money talks…but all mine ever says is good-bye.
Blessed Are...“What’s wrong, Bubba?” asked the pastor.
“I need you to pray for my hearing,” said Bubba.
The pastor put his hands on 
Bubba’s ears and prayed. When he was done, he asked, “So how’s your hearing?”
“I don’t know,” said Bubba. “It isn’t until next Tuesday.”
Father TimeThe last time we changed from daylight saving time, a preacher friend posted, “For those who habitually show up 15 minutes late to church, allow me to remind you that tonight is the night you set your clock back 45 minutes.”

 

Holy Family in a Plane 
A Sunday school teacher asked her students to draw a picture of Jesus' family. After collecting the drawings, she noticed that one little boy's drawing depicted an airplane with four heads sticking out of the windows. "I see you drew three heads to show Joseph, Mary and Jesus," she said to the boy. "But who does the fourth head belong to?" 

The boy replied, "That's Pontius the pilot."
========
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.
"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."
The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."
========

Be Careful What You Say To Children
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?'
Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mommy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'

Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.​

The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1241

+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 24th, 2019


The First Reading- 2 Samuel 5:1-3
In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: "Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'" When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel.
Reflection
Here is recorded one of the pivotal points in the history of salvation, indeed, a pivotal point in the history of human civilization. David had been Saul’s son-in-law and commander of the army. Upon Saul’s death, David was made king of the sprawling southern tribe of Judah, but the northern tribes remained loyal to Saul’s son Ish-ba’al (a.k.a. Ishbosheth). Ish-ba’al was assassinated by his own men, however, making David the last viable successor to Saul. The northern ten tribes then came to David and make him their king. Note the phrase the Israelites use to approach David: “Here we are, your bone and flesh.” Literally: “Look here! Your bone and your flesh we are.” These words recall the statement of Adam to Eve in Genesis 2: “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” The parallel is not accidental, nor is it without significance. Many scholars agree that the phrase “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (or variants thereof) was a performative utterance used in covenant making rituals. It was not so much a recognition of a physical relationship as a declaration that from now on a kinship relationship exists between the two parties. Adam is declaring Eve to be his family. Based on the echo of Genesis 2 in 2 Samuel 5, we can say that there is a nuptial aspect to the covenant that is formed between David and the people of Israel. The people of Israel present themselves as David’s “bone and flesh”, that is, as Eve to his Adam, as Bride to his Groom, as the Church does to Christ.
Adults - What does it mean that the Church is the “Bride of Christ?”
Teens - How is the relationship between Christ and His Church similar to a marriage?
Kids - In what ways are is the Church a family?

Responsorial- Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
R.Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Reflection
-This beautiful psalm reflects the golden age of Israel under the reign of Solomon, David’s successor. The Temple, the “House of the LORD,” has been built in Jerusalem, and all twelve tribes of the Kingdom of Israel are able to go up to the royal city to worship and seek justice from the princes of the House of David.
Christ dwells bodily in the Church - do you approach Him with joy?




The Second Reading- Colossians 1:12-20
Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Reflection
This text of Paul emphasizes the cosmic nature of Jesus’ kingship. Christ is at the beginning of creation, and he is the principle of creation. All visible authorities (presidents, generals, dictators) and invisible authorities (angelic and demonic hosts) owe their existence to him and only rule with his permission. The implication of this teaching is that Christianity is the universal religion. If Christ is the one through whom all things were created, then his claims rest on all human beings. There is no compatibility of this teaching of Paul with religious relativism.
What is relativism and how does it affect Christianity in our world today?


The Holy Gospel according to Luke 23:35-43
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."


Reflection
At first this Gospel reading seems like a sharp contrast with the previous Readings, which emphasized the glory and power of the Son of David. Here we see the Son of David mocked, reviled, humiliated, and killed. Yet there is paradoxical truth here. The cross is Jesus’ throne. His kingship is expressed in his death. He reigns from the cross. His is a kingdom of “redemption, the forgiveness of sins,” and sins cannot be forgiven unless he pays the price for them with his own blood. So here the king pays for the offenses of his subjects, in order “to make peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20). Eventually, every person must decide whether they are going to lead their life by following their own desires, or surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, the suffering King who will judge at the last day.
Adults - Do some research on the Catholic teaching of redemptive suffering this week.
Teens - What does it mean to follow Christ?
Kids - What would you say if someone asked you why you love Jesus?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - With an ever-growing desire, all Advent awaits the "coming King"; in the chants of the breviary we find repeated again and again the two expressions "King" and "is coming." On Christmas the Church would greet, not the Child of Bethlehem, but the Rex Pacificus — "the King of peace gloriously reigning." Within a fortnight, there follows a feast which belongs to the greatest of the feasts of the Church year -- the Epiphany. As in ancient times oriental monarchs visited their principalities (theophany), so the divine King appears in His city, the Church; from its sacred precincts He casts His glance over all the world....On the final feast of the Christmas cycle, the Presentation in the Temple, holy Church meets her royal Bridegroom with virginal love: "Adorn your bridal chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ your King!" The burden of the Christmas cycle may be summed up in these words: Christ the King establishes His Kingdom of light upon earth! — Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M.
 



1. What is the plan of God for man? c) to know, love, and serve Him, and be happy with Him forever in heaven   
God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. In the fullness of time, God the Father sent his Son as the Redeemer and Savior of mankind, fallen into sin, thus calling all into his Church and, through the work of the Holy Spirit, making them adopted children and heirs of his eternal happiness.
2. Why does man have a desire for God? d) all of the above   
God himself, in creating man in his own image, has written upon his heart the desire to see him. Even if this desire is often ignored, God never ceases to draw man to himself because only in God will he find and live the fullness of truth and happiness for which he never stops searching. By nature and by vocation, therefore, man is a religious being, capable of entering into communion with God. This intimate and vital bond with God confers on man his fundamental dignity.
3. How is it possible to know God with only the light of human reason? a) one can look at one’s self, and know that self is destined for more than death    
Starting from creation, that is from the world and from the human person, through reason alone one can know God with certainty as the origin and end of the universe, as the highest good and as infinite truth and beauty.
4. Is the light of reason alone sufficient to know the mystery of God? d) neither a and b    
In coming to a knowledge of God by the light of reason alone man experiences many difficulties.  Indeed, on his own he is unable to enter into the intimacy of the divine mystery.  This is why he stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not only about those things that exceed his understanding, but also about those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the grasp of human reason, so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error.

​

​Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
 
Dedication of a Church
"Can it indeed be that God dwells among men on earth?"... "May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;"… "Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer in this place." (I Kings 8:27,29,30)
 
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
        Why is a church dedicated, set apart, made holy through sacred rites?  For whom and for what purpose is a church anointed, consecrated, washed, and clothed as if it were a living being?  For GOD that He may live there, and for the purpose of saving and the making holy of human persons!  Why?  So that they can become living temples carrying God to family, work, indeed the whole world that God may do there what He does in His Temple, His church!
 
      The Church has some great Feasts of Dedication, namely, the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Latern, the Pope's Cathedral (this past Nov. 9th), (no, the Pope's Cathedral is not St. Peter's Basilica) and the Feast of the Dedication of the Churches of St. Peter and St. Paul (coming this Nov. 18th).  These days mark the moment when these buildings were set apart for the service of God.  So important that a day on the Roman Calendar is taken just to commemorate this event!


        Every Catholic Church is either Blessed or Dedicated for sacred use, which means that it is set aside for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the celebration of the Sacraments.  If consecrated with sacred chrism, the church can only be used for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  And as I said above, if God does this for mere stone, wood, and steel; how much more holy, sacred, and precious is your body & soul and mine made a Temple of the Holy Spirit by our yes and the power of the Church's Sacraments.
 
     When the tempter knocks at the door of your soul, or you are tempted to use your body for something other than the glory of God, think of these things and then pray and strive like crazy to keep holy the place that God dwells in you so that you may continue to be the Temple which brings Him to your family, your school, your work, indeed to all the world who needs Him so desperately now!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S.  This coming Sunday is 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time.  >> Readings



P.S.S. Also, at the end of this e-weekly are the readings with reflections and questions for further reflection.

"Helpful Hints of Life"


Ways to Save Energy During Winter
*Decide on a setting for your thermostat and leave it there. Adjust your clothing by wearing layers. This will stop your heating unit from constantly turning on and off which will run up your bill.
*If your appliances are over ten years old, you can bet on a savings by replacing them with newer energy saving products such as those with high Energy Star ratings.
*Double paned windows are a win, win purchase. These windows have two panes with a layer of gas sandwiched in-between, which acts as insulation to slow the transfer of heat or cold through the window. 
*Installing a heat pump might be your best bet depending on the mean temperature where you live. Check out the advantages as well as the disadvantages of owning one and always find out how long it will take to get your investment back in savings before buying.
*Have your furnace checked out the duct-work cleaned on a regular basis. Change the filters when the manufacturer recommends and don't place furniture to block air vents.

"Certain blessings have a lasting importance because they consecrate persons to God, or reserve objects and places for liturgical use. Among those blessings which are intended for persons - not to be confused with sacramental ordination - are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins and widows, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). The dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern objects."
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1672

Vatican City, Nov 15, 2019 / 04:06 pm (CNA).- On a rainy Friday in Rome, Pope Francis popped over to St. Peter’s Square to greet the poor and homeless receiving treatment at a mobile medical clinic this week.
A now-annual tradition leading up to the World Day of the Poor, the mobile clinic offers free visits with specialists to Rome's poor and homeless population.
During his brief “Mercy Friday” visit to the clinic Nov. 15, which took place around 4:40 p.m., Pope Francis also greeted and thanked the health care workers and doctors who donated their time to the clinic this week.


According to a Vatican press release Nov. 15, the health clinic has been seeing hundreds of patients each day, most of whom hear about it through word of mouth.
During his visit, Pope Francis was greeted with applause from the patients in the lobby and medical offices.
“The Holy Father spoke with everyone; a smile and a word of support for each,” the press release states.
He also said a short prayer during the encounter.
The services offered include general medicine, cardiology, infectious diseases, gynecology, obstetrics, podiatry, dermatology, rheumatology, and ophthalmology. A laboratory for clinical analysis is also present.


Afterward the pope stopped for a few minutes at a new location of the Apostolic charity office, located just outside St. Peter's Square on extra-territorial Vatican property.
Pope Francis established the annual World Day of the Poor at the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016.
This year, the pope will celebrate the third World Day of the Poor with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Nov. 17, followed by a lunch at the Vatican with over 1,000 poor and homeless people invited as guests.
The theme is taken from Psalm 9: “The hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”

A bit of humor…
-Teacher: Tell us, Johnny, where is your father staying on business?   Johnny: In Vishakhapatnam.  Teacher: How interesting. And now tell us all how it is spelled.  Johnny: Oh, I just remembered he got reposted to Goa.
-Little Johnny comes home and his father sighs, "Alright, boy, out with your report card."  Johnny says, "I don't have it, dad."  "What? Why not?" asks his father.   "I borrowed it to my friend. He wanted to freak out his parents."


Some Thoughts:
-When in doubt, mumble.  
- I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure. 
-  I like work. It fascinates me. I sit and look at it for hours.  
-  If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you!


New Generation
I was visiting a friend who could not find her cordless phone. After several minutes of searching, her young daughter said, “You know what they should invent? A phone that stays connected to its base so it never gets lost.”
 
Where You Want to Be

"Where is Pearl Harbor?" I asked my fourth-grade history class. "Here’s a hint: It’s a place where everyone wants to go." One student blurted out, "Candy Land!"


UNANSWERED PRAYER?              The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father
always paused and bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon.
One day, she asked him why.
 
              "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so
observant of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good
sermon
               "How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.
 
 
UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER:
 
              During the minister's prayer, one Sunday, there was a loud
whistle from one of the back pews. Tommy's mother was horrified.  She
pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, "Tommy, whatever made you
do such a thing?"
 
              Tommy answered, soberly, "I asked God to teach me to whistle,
and He just then did!"
 
TIME TO PRAY:
 
              A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.
 
              "Yes, sir," the boy replied.
 
              "And, do you always say them in the morning, too?" the pastor asked.
 
              "No sir," the boy replied.  "I ain't scared in the daytime."
 ​

PRAYER FOR DECEASED LOVED ONES
O most merciful and eternal Father, Whose will it is that all should be saved, Who did send Thy Son to the lost and did pour out Thy Life-giving Spirit: Have mercy on our relatives and those who are near and dear to us who have fallen asleep, and on all who have died throughout the ages; forgive and save them, and by their intercession visit us, that with them we may shout to Thee, our God and Saviour, the song of victory: ALLELUIA. (said 3 times)
 
 
 
 
 
"In the work of teaching and applying Christian morality, the Church needs the dedication of pastors, the knowledge of theologians, and the contribution of all Christians and men of good will. Faith and the practice of the Gospel provide each person with an experience of life "in Christ," who enlightens him and makes him able to evaluate the divine and human realities according to the Spirit of God. Thus the Holy Spirit can use the humblest to enlighten the learned and those in the highest positions."  -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2038



+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 17th, 2019




The First Reading- Malachi 3:19-20a
Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.


Reflection
This Sunday is a celebration of endings. It’s almost the end of the Church year. We contemplate the end of the world. And this reading is from the end of the last prophet, Malachi. Let’s look carefully at the passage read for this Sunday. The prophet proclaims the coming day of judgment of the LORD, which has two different consequences: it will be a day of wrath for “the proud and all who do wickedness” (literally from the Hebrew), but a day of consolation for those who “fear my Name.” For them, the “Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings” (literally from the Hebrew). Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness who will rise with healing in his wings, and he longs to gather Jerusalem under those wings of healing. However, Jerusalem will refuse, and that is the point of our Gospel Reading below, which concerns the judgment that will fall on unrepentant Jerusalem in AD 70. However, since Jerusalem is the center of the earth, the destruction of that city portends the destruction of the world. And so Malachi’s prophecy may be taken not only with reference to the judgment on Israel’s capital, but also with reference to the end of the world. If we wish to escape being set on fire like stubble, we must “fear the Name of the LORD.”
Adults - Is there a healing that Jesus is trying to bring to your life that you are resisting?
Teens - What do you think it means to “fear” God?
Kids - How does the Lord console you?




Responsorial- Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R.The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
he will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Reflection
-The relationship of the psalm to the rest of the liturgy is clear: it is a song of praise to God for his imminent arrival as the judge of the earth.
Spend some time reflecting on the relationship between mercy and justice.




The Second Reading- 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.
Reflection
St. Paul’s exhortation here directly addresses Christians who were using the expectation of the end of the world as an excuse to quit working and live at the expense of others. St. Paul describes them with a Greek phrase which corresponds very closely to this English rendering: “they are not busy, but busybodies.”
What does it mean to be a busybody? How can you avoid this?




The Holy Gospel according to Luke 21:5-19
While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."


Reflection
Here Jesus prophecies things we find fulfilled in the Book of Acts, when, during the AD 50’s and 60’s, the Apostles were seized, persecuted, handed over to synagogues and prisons, led before kings and governors, and some put to death. All these things took place before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. At the same time, these persecutions have been characteristic of the Church throughout history, and will recur in a particularly intense way just before the Second Coming. Since Jesus acknowledges that some will be put to death, his statement “not a hair on your head will be destroyed” cannot be taken in a simple sense, to the effect that no physical harm will come to those persecuted for their faith in Christ. Rather, “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed” must be understood as an eschatological statement, that no ultimate damage will be sustained by the Christian because his entire body will be restored at the resurrection. Thus, we tie in the theme of resurrection, which dominated last week’s Readings. Perseverance is a form of the virtue of fortitude, an ability to endure under the stress of pain and hardship. Let’s pray at this Mass for God to grant us the perseverance we are going to need to endure the persecution that is brewing for us in this culture, in order that we remain faithful to the end and receive back our bodies at the resurrection, without a single hair missing.
Adults - Are you ever ridiculed for your faith? How do you respond?
Teens - What do you say when someone asks you why you believe in Jesus Christ?
Kids - How can you grow closer to Jesus?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - "Today if you hear God's voice harden not your heart" the scripture warns us. Today you have heard Him speak to you. He has reminded you that your end is coming, that you should put your spiritual accounts in order. This is an act of God's mercy. He does not need you, It is you who need Him. Your eternal future will depend on whether you listen to His call today, as tomorrow may be too late. You can put your accounts straight this very day. Why take a risk with your own eternal welfare? The Christian who wants to die in the state of grace, that is, in the friendship of God (and can there be any real Christian who would not want to?) has but one way of making sure of this. He is to try to live always in God's friendship. The man who does this by living his Christian life daily need not fear death. It may be a sudden death, but it will never be an unprovided-for death. — Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M.






595. How is forgiveness possible? c) it is only possible if we ourselves learn how to forgive
Mercy can penetrate our hearts only if we ourselves learn how to forgive – even our enemies. Now even if it seems impossible for us to satisfy this requirement, the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit can, like Christ, love even to love’s extreme; it can turn injury into compassion and transform hurt into intercession. Forgiveness participates in the divine mercy and is a high-point of Christian prayer.


596. What does “Lead us not into temptation” mean? d) all of the above   We ask God our Father not to leave us alone and in the power of temptation. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us know how to discern, on the one hand, between a trial that makes us grow in goodness and a temptation that leads to sin and death and, on the other hand, between being tempted and consenting to temptation. This petition unites us to Jesus who overcame temptation by his prayer. It requests the grace of vigilance and of final perseverance.


597. Why do we conclude by asking “But deliver us from evil”? d) “evil” indicates the person of Satan who opposes God and is “the deceiver of the whole world.”  “Evil” indicates the person of Satan who opposes God and is “the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Victory over the devil has already been won by Christ. We pray, however, that the human family be freed from Satan and his works. We also ask for the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance as we wait for the coming of Christ who will free us definitively from the Evil One.


598. What is the meaning of the final Amen? a) ‘so be it’   “At the end of the prayer, you say ‘Amen’ and thus you ratify by this word that means ‘so be it’ all that is contained in this prayer that God has taught us.” (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)

Bishop blesses the body of a deceased Priest before they go to the cemetery.

​

The Marriage Minute
​

The Path of Virtue
“Growth in Christian marriage and in Christian family life means growth in virtue, in holiness. Marital and familial love involves sacrifice in everyday situations for one’s spouse and children, in imitation of Jesus’ self-giving love.” -Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades
 
A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good.  A virtue is a holy habit that leads us to God.  The goal of a virtuous life is union with God.


Take some time to read a little on virtue (Colossians 3:12-15) and reflect on what it means to live the virtues in your marriage?
​

 Best Parish Practices
​

Corpus Christi, Texas, Nov 9, 2019 / 02:01 pm (CNA).- This week, Bishop Michael Mulvey of Corpus Christi reflected on bone marrow donations and the life of the mother whom he helped save.
Before he became a bishop, Michael Mulvey joined the Be the Match Registry, the world’s largest register for bone marrow transplants (BMT), which is run by the National Marrow Donor Program.
After the organization discovered a match, South Texas Catholic reported, Mulvey, 70, traveled to San Antonio to make a peripheral stem cell donation. He had matched with a mother who had been diagnosed with a type of blood cancer.


Although Mulvey has never met the woman, he said he was humbled by the experience and expressed gratitude to be able to contribute to the well-being of this mother and her family.
“Knowing that because of the life I have been given by God – I was able to give back and make a big difference in this person’s life, in the life of her children and her family is something I have thought of quite often,” he told South Texas Catholic Nov. 5.
Mulvey said he was introduced to Be the Match in 2004, while he was a priest of the Diocese of Austin. There, he had met Leticia Mondragon, a donor development and engagement specialist with GenCure who partners with Be the Match.
“When I was assigned in Austin years ago, one of our very charitable and active parishioners was signing up people for Be the Match,” said Bishop Mulvey, according to South Texas Catholic. “I appreciated her commitment and dedication to this cause, and after hearing more about the registry, I signed up.”
BMT replaces unhealthy bone marrow with healthy marrow from an outside source. The procedure is used to cure cancers in the blood as well as diseases in the bones and immune system. Among other illnesses, BMT has been used for leukemia, aplastic anemia, and sickle cell disease.
According to South Texas Catholic, Mondragon said the process to sign up is more convenient than in the past, noting that people may apply through their smartphone.
Unlike blood donations, a match for BMT does not focus on blood type, but ethnicity. Mondragon expressed hope that the new system will add more “people of all ethnic backgrounds” to the registry.


She stressed the importance of BMT donors, stating that life-threatening disorders are discovered every few minutes, and thanked the bishop for his contribution.
“Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with a life-threatening blood cancer or blood disorder, such as leukemia or lymphoma,” said Mondragon, according to South Texas Catholic.
“We are thankful Bishop Mulvey wanted to share his story because it is so important that we have leaders like him promoting our global life-saving mission,” she further added.
Bishop Mulvey described the experience not only as an opportunity for charity but as a spiritual encounter.
“St. Matthew says what you have received as a gift, give as a gift,” said Bishop Mulvey, South Texas Catholic reported. “We must always remember that everyone’s life is a gift and true gratitude is expressed when you are willing to give back and share what you have.”

​

The future of the Church and the world is dependent on the good of the family, said Pope Francis in a video message Saturday. 

“The love between a man and woman is one of the most generative human experiences, it is the ferment of the culture of encounter and brings to the present world an injection of sociality,” the Pope said.

“The family born of marriage creates fruitful bonds, which reveal themselves to be the most effective antidote against the individualism that currently runs rampant.”

Quoting his 2016 apostolic exhortation, Amoris laetitia, he emphasized, “Indeed the good of the family is decisive for the future of the world and of the Church.”

The Pope sent a video message to participants in the third international symposium on Amoris laetitia, organized by the Italian bishops’ conference. Taking place in Rome Nov. 11, the theme of the meeting was: “The Gospel of love between conscience and norm.”

Speaking about the role of the properly formed conscience, Francis warned against the temptation to turn to a sort of egoism or “cult of self.”

“The contemporary world risks confusing the primacy of conscience, which is always to be respected, with the exclusive autonomy of the individual in relation to the relationships he lives,” he said.

This is why, he said, there is a need to form consciences – not substitute them – and to accompany spouses and parents in learning to “apply the Gospel to the concreteness of life.”

In the reality of the family and of marital love, there may come situations which require “arduous choices,” he continued, and these should be made “with righteousness.” Therefore, divine grace, “which illuminates and strengthens married love and parental mission,” is absolutely necessary for spouses and the family.

Pope Francis’ video message echoed his recent keynote address to a major conference on the future of the European Union, in which he spoke out against abortion and said the Christian understanding of the family can serve as a model on which the European continent can base its identity as it faces a changing and uncertain future.

In the family, “diversity is valued and at the same time brought into unity,” Francis said Oct. 28, explaining that the family “is the harmonious union of the differences between man and woman, which becomes stronger and more authentic to the extent that it is fruitful, capable of opening itself to life and to others.”




General Audience: The Importance of Forgiveness in the Family
Vatican City, 4 November (VIS) – Giving and mutual forgiveness, without which no love can be lasting, were the theme of the Pope's catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience.
Before examining this issue in depth, the Holy Father recalled that the recently concluded assembly of the Synod of Bishops had reflected at length on the vocation and mission of the family in the life of the Church and in contemporary society. “It was an event of grace. At the end the Synod Fathers submitted to me the text containing their conclusions. I wanted this text to be published, so that everyone could participate in the work we have been devoted to together for two years. This is not the moment to examine the conclusions, on which I myself have to reflect”.
 
“In the meantime, however, life does not come to a halt, and in particular the live of families does not stop! You, dear families, are always journeying. And you already continually write in the pages of concrete life the beauty of the Gospel of the family. In a world that at times becomes arid of life and love, every day you speak of the great gift that is marriage and the family”.
 
The Pope went on to introduce the central theme of his catechesis, reciting the words of the Lord's Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. “It is not possible to live without forgiveness, or at least you cannot live well, especially in the family. Every day we wrong each other. We must take account of these errors that we make due to our fragility and our selfishness. However, what is required of us is to heal the wounds we make straight away, to immediately weave again the threads we have broken. If we wait too long, it all becomes more difficult. And there is a simple secret for healing wounds and undoing accusations: never let the day finish without apologising. … If we learn to say we are sorry immediately and to offer mutual forgiveness, the wounds are healed, the marriage is strengthened, and the family becomes an increasingly solid home, that resists the shocks of our evils, great and small”.
 
“If we learn to live this way within the family, we will also do so outside, wherever we find ourselves. It is easy to be sceptical about this. Many – Christians included – think it is an exaggeration. … But thanks to God this is not the case. Indeed, it is precisely by receiving God's forgiveness that, in turn, we are able to forgive others. … And it is essential that, in an at times pitiless society, there be places such as the family where we can learn to forgive each other”.
 
“The Synod also revived our hope in this regard: the capacity to forgive others and oneself forms part of the vocation and mission of the family. … The Church, dear families, is always beside you to help you build your home on the rock Jesus spoke of”, exclaimed Francis. “And I assure you that if you are capable of journeying ever more decisively along the path of the Beatitudes, learning and teaching to forgive each other, then in all the great family of the Church the capacity to bear witness to the renewing power of God's forgiveness will grow”.
“Otherwise, we will give beautiful sermons and perhaps even cast out the odd demon, but in the end the Lord will not recognise us as His disciples, as we have not been able to forgive or to allow ourselves to be forgiven. Christian families can truly do much for today's society, and also for the Church. … Let us pray that families may be increasingly able to live and build concrete roads to reconciliation, where no-one feels abandoned to the burden of his own trespasses”.
 
Finally the Pope, accompanied by the with the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, repeated the phrase from the Lord's Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
 Knights of Columbus Donate 500th Ultrasound MachinePope Considers Lesson of Zacchaeus in Angelus Address By Kathleen Naab  Baltimore, Md., Nov 8, 2014 / 09:27 am (EWTN News) - More pregnant women can see their unborn babies thanks to a five-year-old Knights of Columbus program that has provided 500 ultrasound machines to pro-life pregnancy centers. 

“Not only has this program saved the lives of countless unborn children, but it has saved many mothers – and fathers – from a lifetime of regret,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said Nov. 4.

Anderson and Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, the fraternal order’s supreme chaplain, presented the program’s 500th ultrasound machine to the Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns for use at its facility in Dundalk, Md. 

The presentation took place at the Baltimore Hilton during an annual meeting of the order’s leaders from around the world.

Anderson credited the program’s success to “the generosity of brother knights from coast to coast.”

The Catholic fraternal order began the ultrasound program in 2009, encouraging state and local councils to fund half the cost of ultrasound machines for qualified pregnancy resource centers. The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council’s Culture of Life Fund then provided matching funds to buy the machines, which can cost over $20,000 each.

The organization has now purchased machines in all 50 U.S. states, Jamaica and Canada. The machines’ collective value is almost $26 million. The program has also begun to fund mobile ultrasound machines that can be used in multiple communities.

Knights of Columbus groups in Texas have funded the most ultrasound machine purchases of any state, totaling 40, followed by Missouri, Florida, California and Michigan. 

The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal order, was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 by Venerable Michael J. McGivney, a parish priest. It has 1.8 million members worldwide who perform volunteer service and works of charity and fraternity.  

​

-Little Johnny was sent back to bed for the tenth time that evening and his mommy is not amused. She says, “Johnny, if I hear one more time ‘Mommy, I want this, mommy, I want that’, you will be in big trouble! I don’t want to hear the word mommy again tonight. Now off to bed you go!” There’s a short pause, after which Johnny says hesitantly, “Mrs. Lambden, I want a glass of water, please.”
-Teacher: “If you had two dollars and you asked your daddy for another dollar, how many dollars would you have in the end?”  Without hesitation, Johnny answers, “Two dollars.”  Teacher isn’t happy, “Come on, Johnny, you don’t know how to count.”  Johnny shrugs, “Maybe, but I do know my dad!”

SOME THOUGHTS:
-I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
-My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right.
- Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
- I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, “I’m going to mop the floor with your face.” I said, “You’ll be sorry.” He said, “Oh, yeah? Why?” I said, “Well, you won’t be able to get into the corners very well.”
 

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said; "I'm sorry, your duck (Cuddles) has passed away." The distressed woman wailed; "Are you sure?" "Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead." replied the vet. "How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around, and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table, and sniffed the duck from top to bottom.

He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot.

The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, and strolled out of the room. The vet looked at the woman and said; "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck." The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried; "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!?" The vet shrugged; "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but... with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

 
A little boy was overheard praying: 'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.   I'm having a real good time like I am.'
 
A father as at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. 'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.   'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.   The boy thought a moment and then said,  'Did God throw him back down?'
 
One particular four-year-old prayed, 'And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'
 
 

"God revealed the resurrection of the dead to his people progressively. Hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead established itself as a consequence intrinsic to faith in God as creator of the whole man, soul and body. The creator of heaven and earth is also the one who faithfully maintains his covenant with Abraham and his posterity. It was in this double perspective that faith in the resurrection came to be expressed. In their trials, the Maccabean martyrs confessed: 
The King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws. One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him."  -Catechism of the Catholic Church #992









+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 10th, 2019


The First Reading- Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14


It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."


Reflection
The Books of Maccabees are seldom read in Mass, but they chronicle a critical and dire period of the history of God’s people Israel. During the middle of the 100s BC, the survival of the Jewish people was threatened by the Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, which was the middle portion of Alexander the Great’s once-world-wide kingdom. Antiochus IV was a crazed egotist, and tried to force the subjects of his empire to follow Greek religion. This involved the forcible paganization of the Jews. Many Jews cooperated out of fear for their lives, but a resilient minority resisted. This was one of the first times in the history of the people of Israel when faithfulness to the true God meant almost certain death. During this time, a theology of martyrdom grew rapidly.
Adults - Our faith can be tested in many ways. What is something that has tested your faith, and how did you respond?
Teens - Do you ever struggle with your faith? Are there Church teachings you find difficult? How can you start the search for answers?
Kids - What would you say if someone asks you why you believe in Jesus?




Responsorial- Psalm 17: 1, 5-6, 8, 15


R.Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.


Reflection
-Psalm 17 is a cry of justice from David over against his oppressors. It suits the situation of the righteous suffering martyrs of the First Reading. In light of Christian faith, we can see that the “sleep” from which the psalmist will “awake” is the sleep of death (cf. John 11:11). When he awakes, he will be “satisfied with beholding [God’s] form,” the beatific vision. Spend some one on one time with Jesus in Adoration this week.




The Second Reading- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5


Brothers and sisters: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do. May the Lord direct your hearts.


Reflection
Second Thessalonians was written by Paul to a local church that was very concerned with the last things and the second coming of Christ, so it is appropriate that we read from this epistle at the end of the Church year. Fittingly, this excerpt shows St. Paul comforting Christians in the face of persecution: “may we be delivered from perverse and wicked people.” The Lord will “guard you from the evil one.” The virtues we want to have are “the love of God and the endurance of Christ.” Christ’s “endurance” refers to his fortitude when undergoing the painful martyrdom of his passion. How can you imitate Christ’s endurance?




The Holy Gospel according to Luke 20:27-38


Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, ' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
Reflection
The Sadducees were the elite sect of Jews who controlled the Temple and the government. They rejected all sacred books except the Pentateuch, the five Books of Moses. Since the resurrection is not clearly taught in the Pentateuch, they refused to believe in it, although the majority of Jews did. The Sadducees come with a story designed to prove that the resurrection of the dead would leave to insolvable conundrums; therefore, it cannot be true. The example the Sadducees choose, of seven brothers married to one woman who all die, sounds suspiciously similar to the account in our First Reading. It may be that the Sadducees were inspired by this famous narrative in popular culture, and modified it to pose the question to Jesus. Jesus responds several ways. First, the resurrected no longer marry. Since there is no longer death, there is also no longer the need to procreate to maintain the race. In that respect, we are like the angels—but we do not become angels, and in other respects we remain different from the angels (for example, we retain physical bodies). Secondly, Jesus proves the reality of a life after physical death from the heart of the Penateuch itself—the only part of the Bible the Sadducees accepted as authoritative. At the key point of Exodus (Exod 3:1-15) where God reveals his name (and thus his nature), we find God identifying himself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exod 3:6). Now it is unthinkable that the living God, the all-powerful creator, would be identified by his relationship to three dead men. So, following the theological logic in use by the Jews of his own day, Jesus succeeds in proving to the Sadducees what the Pharisees had never been able to prove to them, namely, that Moses himself affirms the life to come, in the Pentateuch, by identifying the LORD as the God of the patriarchs. Had they ceased to exist, Moses would have had to say, “the LORD, who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Adults - Are you familiar with the methods of reading Scripture in light of Church teaching? Look into a Catholic Scripture Commentary this week, even online, and use it when you study Scripture.
Teens - Have you heard of the YouCat and DoCat books? They explain the faith for teens and young adults. Look into them this week! Kids - Who should you ask when you have questions about the Church?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - Let each one of us look into our own conscience this morning. Let us ask ourselves, how we would fare if death should claim us tonight. If there are sins on my conscience, which I would not want there when facing my just Judge, I still have time to approach the merciful Father. The Christian who does this daily, or even weekly, will not worry when death calls. He can rest assured that it is the beginning of the true and everlasting life, planned for him by God before time began. Let us live with that knowledge this week! — Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M.
 


592. What is the sense of the petition “Give us this day our daily bread”? c) it is the daily nourishment that helps us recognize how good God is  
Asking God with the filial trust of children for the daily nourishment which is necessary for us all we recognize how good God is, beyond all goodness. We ask also for the grace to know how to act so that justice and solidarity may allow the abundance of some to remedy the needs of others.  
593. What is the specifically Christian sense of this petition? d) all of the above   
Since “man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), this petition equally applies to hunger for the Word of God and for the Body of Christ received in the Eucharist as well as hunger for the Holy Spirit. We ask this with complete confidence for this day – God’s “today” – and this is given to us above all in the Eucharist which anticipates the banquet of the Kingdom to come.   
594. Why do we say “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”? c) we acknowledge that we are sinners and yet proclaim his mercy   By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim his mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). Still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first.

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