In this e-weekly:
-BEST PARISH PRACTICE is a section of the e-weekly (see below)
-Funniest Headlines (A bit of humor…)
- Living Simply ("Helpful Hints of Life")
-Surprise Hit "Lourdes" Documentary Coming to US Theaters Captures Miracles of a Different Sort (News)
-BEST PARISH PRACTICE is a section of the e-weekly (see below)
-Funniest Headlines (A bit of humor…)
- Living Simply ("Helpful Hints of Life")
-Surprise Hit "Lourdes" Documentary Coming to US Theaters Captures Miracles of a Different Sort (News)
Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
SILENCE-Inside and Outside
"When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven
for about half an hour." Revelation 8:1
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
SILENCE-Inside and Outside
"When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven
for about half an hour." Revelation 8:1
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On the subject of Lent, the Pope indicated that "it should also be a time to abstain from words and images, because we have need of a little silence. We need to create a space free from the constant bombardment of images, ... a silent space for ourselves, without images, in order to open our hearts to the true image, the true Word".
We live in such a noisy world: car radio; music while on hold; talking here and there; our own minds racing with worries, deadlines, and more…it is no wonder people wonder where God is or even if He exists at all.
"In the eternal silences of the Holy Trinity, God spoke one Word, and He had nothing more to say."
The one Word is JESUS CHRIST! Yet God still communicates with us through the silence. Yet, we must bring about silence inside and outside ourselves that we might be able to listen. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta offers:
"If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart, God speaks. Jesus spent thirty years out of thirty-three in silence, began His public life by spending forty days in silence, and often retired alone to spend the night on a mountain in silence. He who spoke with authority, now spends His earthly life in silence. Let us adore Jesus in His Eucharistic silence!
Yes, Jesus is always waiting for us in silence. In that silence He will listen to us, there He will speak to our soul, and there we will hear His voice. Interior silence is very difficult, but we must make the effort. In silence we will find new energy and true unity. The energy of God will be ours to do all things well. We will find the true unity of our thoughts with His thoughts, the unity of our prayers with His prayers, the unity of our actions with His actions, and the unity of our life with His life."
Why wait until the next time you go to Adoration, enter the inner silence of prayer now to find true unity with HIM!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm
P.S.S. Please look to the end of the e-weekly for Reflections and Questions on the Sunday Readings.
On the subject of Lent, the Pope indicated that "it should also be a time to abstain from words and images, because we have need of a little silence. We need to create a space free from the constant bombardment of images, ... a silent space for ourselves, without images, in order to open our hearts to the true image, the true Word".
We live in such a noisy world: car radio; music while on hold; talking here and there; our own minds racing with worries, deadlines, and more…it is no wonder people wonder where God is or even if He exists at all.
"In the eternal silences of the Holy Trinity, God spoke one Word, and He had nothing more to say."
The one Word is JESUS CHRIST! Yet God still communicates with us through the silence. Yet, we must bring about silence inside and outside ourselves that we might be able to listen. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta offers:
"If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart, God speaks. Jesus spent thirty years out of thirty-three in silence, began His public life by spending forty days in silence, and often retired alone to spend the night on a mountain in silence. He who spoke with authority, now spends His earthly life in silence. Let us adore Jesus in His Eucharistic silence!
Yes, Jesus is always waiting for us in silence. In that silence He will listen to us, there He will speak to our soul, and there we will hear His voice. Interior silence is very difficult, but we must make the effort. In silence we will find new energy and true unity. The energy of God will be ours to do all things well. We will find the true unity of our thoughts with His thoughts, the unity of our prayers with His prayers, the unity of our actions with His actions, and the unity of our life with His life."
Why wait until the next time you go to Adoration, enter the inner silence of prayer now to find true unity with HIM!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm
P.S.S. Please look to the end of the e-weekly for Reflections and Questions on the Sunday Readings.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1285-1288, 1315)
a) there is nothing connected with it in the Old Testament
b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
c) the Holy Spirit was just for the Apostles
d) none of the above
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? (CCC 1289)
a) because it is an anointing with chrism
b) because it is the confirming of baptismal grace
c) because it is strengthens baptismal grace
d) all of the above
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? (CCC 1290-1301, 1318, 1320-1321)
a) choosing a Confirmation name
b) having the perfect sponsor
c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
d) speaking in tongues while being prayed over
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1285-1288, 1315)
a) there is nothing connected with it in the Old Testament
b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
c) the Holy Spirit was just for the Apostles
d) none of the above
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? (CCC 1289)
a) because it is an anointing with chrism
b) because it is the confirming of baptismal grace
c) because it is strengthens baptismal grace
d) all of the above
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? (CCC 1290-1301, 1318, 1320-1321)
a) choosing a Confirmation name
b) having the perfect sponsor
c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
d) speaking in tongues while being prayed over
silence (from Latin silere "to be still, noiseless")
- in spiritual terms, the conscious effort to communicate with God or the invisible world of faith
[It is, therefore, not the mere absence of sound or physical stillness, except as wither a precondition for recollection of spirit or the perceptible effect of being recollected.]
Listening to the voice of the Lord "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be"
(Pope Benedict XVI to seminarians, Feb. 2, 2008).
- in spiritual terms, the conscious effort to communicate with God or the invisible world of faith
[It is, therefore, not the mere absence of sound or physical stillness, except as wither a precondition for recollection of spirit or the perceptible effect of being recollected.]
Listening to the voice of the Lord "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be"
(Pope Benedict XVI to seminarians, Feb. 2, 2008).
"Helpful Hints of Life"
Theresa A. Thomas
Living Simply
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I once was visiting a beautiful home, finely furnished with exquisite furniture, lovely artwork and impeccable décor. However, the heavy draperies around the windows blocked most of the natural light in the rooms, and left an atmosphere of heaviness and, quite frankly, suffocation. Although the home was beautiful I couldn't wait to leave and enjoy the freshness and plainness of the light and air outside.
I can't help but think, as we enter into this season of Lent, about the "heaviness," the complications of everyday life, that have the potential to snuff out the fresh light and air of Christ in our lives.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about living simply. Obviously Lent is a time for penance, reflection, renewal. It's a time for introspection and consideration of things eternal. What I'm proposing this Lent is paring down life, getting rid of the 'heavy draperies' so that things eternal can shine into our daily thoughts and lives.
How can simplicity of life be accomplished? I'm going to offer a formula set forth by philosopher and professor Peter Kreeft in his classic 1990 book, Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions. (It's rated a full five stars on Amazon.com. Buy it there or at your local Catholic bookstore. I promise you won't be disappointed.)
First, attain mastery over time. The clock should not be our god. It is true we need to watch the clock to make it to work, keep our dentist appointments, and get to Mass on time. However, American society is too focused on schedules. Take time to get at eye level with your child and really listen. Make time for 'date night' with your mate. Do one thing at a time. Do not worry about work when you are home with your family or your home projects when you are at work. Think about the one thing you are currently doing and do it well. (Kreeft bluntly tells his readers to stop "octopussing" — trying to do eight things at once. I might add that some of us are likely even "jellyfishing." Did you know some jellyfish have hundreds of tentacles?) Slow down and here's the biggie: pray... without watching a clock. God is the creator of time, reminds Kreeft. God can multiply time, but first we must offer our time to Him. And it is good to remember that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will take our sacrifice and bless us a thousand fold. A good place to start this Lent is going to Confession and attending other Catholic devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration or Stations of the Cross. Like the Nike commercial advocates, "Just do it."
Second, live more naturally. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier, following nature's cycle of darkness and light. Kreeft says this aids in simplicity because the things people do in the morning are usually simple things — walking, praying, and tidying up. And the things people do in the evening or more complicating (or time-wasting) — busywork, attending parties, watching television. Spend more time outdoors (yes, even in the winter!) Breathe in the fresh air. And take walks frequently. Kreeft writes, "[When you walk] you will begin to recapture the natural rhythms of the body...It attunes us with the earth and air...It is a symbol of life, the road to eternity... And it gives us an opportunity to think."
Third, recognize that often less is more. Don't just give up sweets this Lent. Take less food. Chew it slowly. Savor its flavor deliberately. Enjoy it more. We've all seen women who have overdone it in the jewelry and make-up departments. They have baubles and beads on every limb, and layers of gold or silver around their necks. Heavy eye shadow and lip color emphasizes their faces. Who can deny that this actually detracts from a woman's natural beauty? Contrast that image with simple cleanliness and light makeup, a plain cross necklace and a pair of simple earrings on a female. One young woman I knew in college gave up make-up for Lent. That's probably considered radical in our American culture, and I don't know very many women who would do that for forty whole days, but it is a good idea to eliminate extra things. Less truly is often more.
Fourth, decrease expenses. We don't need half of what we want anyway. Love of money is the root of all evil. See what you can do without.
Fifth, embrace silence. Kreeft calls silence "the unknown power source...the great untapped resource." He says that silence is more, not less than noise. Cultivate inner silence by eliminating outer noise. Turn off the television. Skip the radio in the car. Listen more. Talk less. God speaks to us all the time, but often with the cacophonic sounds intruding into our lives we just don't hear Him.
Simplifying life truly is like pulling back or even taking down thick draperies in a stuffy, dark room. In removing the fabric that blocks luminosity we will find more light, more freshness, and quite likely more room for God.
Theresa Thomas, a freelance writer and columnist for Today's Catholic resides in northern Indiana with her husband David and their nine children. She has been home schooling since 1994
"Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love." Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2717
Theresa A. Thomas
Living Simply
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I once was visiting a beautiful home, finely furnished with exquisite furniture, lovely artwork and impeccable décor. However, the heavy draperies around the windows blocked most of the natural light in the rooms, and left an atmosphere of heaviness and, quite frankly, suffocation. Although the home was beautiful I couldn't wait to leave and enjoy the freshness and plainness of the light and air outside.
I can't help but think, as we enter into this season of Lent, about the "heaviness," the complications of everyday life, that have the potential to snuff out the fresh light and air of Christ in our lives.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about living simply. Obviously Lent is a time for penance, reflection, renewal. It's a time for introspection and consideration of things eternal. What I'm proposing this Lent is paring down life, getting rid of the 'heavy draperies' so that things eternal can shine into our daily thoughts and lives.
How can simplicity of life be accomplished? I'm going to offer a formula set forth by philosopher and professor Peter Kreeft in his classic 1990 book, Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions. (It's rated a full five stars on Amazon.com. Buy it there or at your local Catholic bookstore. I promise you won't be disappointed.)
First, attain mastery over time. The clock should not be our god. It is true we need to watch the clock to make it to work, keep our dentist appointments, and get to Mass on time. However, American society is too focused on schedules. Take time to get at eye level with your child and really listen. Make time for 'date night' with your mate. Do one thing at a time. Do not worry about work when you are home with your family or your home projects when you are at work. Think about the one thing you are currently doing and do it well. (Kreeft bluntly tells his readers to stop "octopussing" — trying to do eight things at once. I might add that some of us are likely even "jellyfishing." Did you know some jellyfish have hundreds of tentacles?) Slow down and here's the biggie: pray... without watching a clock. God is the creator of time, reminds Kreeft. God can multiply time, but first we must offer our time to Him. And it is good to remember that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will take our sacrifice and bless us a thousand fold. A good place to start this Lent is going to Confession and attending other Catholic devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration or Stations of the Cross. Like the Nike commercial advocates, "Just do it."
Second, live more naturally. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier, following nature's cycle of darkness and light. Kreeft says this aids in simplicity because the things people do in the morning are usually simple things — walking, praying, and tidying up. And the things people do in the evening or more complicating (or time-wasting) — busywork, attending parties, watching television. Spend more time outdoors (yes, even in the winter!) Breathe in the fresh air. And take walks frequently. Kreeft writes, "[When you walk] you will begin to recapture the natural rhythms of the body...It attunes us with the earth and air...It is a symbol of life, the road to eternity... And it gives us an opportunity to think."
Third, recognize that often less is more. Don't just give up sweets this Lent. Take less food. Chew it slowly. Savor its flavor deliberately. Enjoy it more. We've all seen women who have overdone it in the jewelry and make-up departments. They have baubles and beads on every limb, and layers of gold or silver around their necks. Heavy eye shadow and lip color emphasizes their faces. Who can deny that this actually detracts from a woman's natural beauty? Contrast that image with simple cleanliness and light makeup, a plain cross necklace and a pair of simple earrings on a female. One young woman I knew in college gave up make-up for Lent. That's probably considered radical in our American culture, and I don't know very many women who would do that for forty whole days, but it is a good idea to eliminate extra things. Less truly is often more.
Fourth, decrease expenses. We don't need half of what we want anyway. Love of money is the root of all evil. See what you can do without.
Fifth, embrace silence. Kreeft calls silence "the unknown power source...the great untapped resource." He says that silence is more, not less than noise. Cultivate inner silence by eliminating outer noise. Turn off the television. Skip the radio in the car. Listen more. Talk less. God speaks to us all the time, but often with the cacophonic sounds intruding into our lives we just don't hear Him.
Simplifying life truly is like pulling back or even taking down thick draperies in a stuffy, dark room. In removing the fabric that blocks luminosity we will find more light, more freshness, and quite likely more room for God.
Theresa Thomas, a freelance writer and columnist for Today's Catholic resides in northern Indiana with her husband David and their nine children. She has been home schooling since 1994
"Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love." Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2717
Catholic Answers
https://www.catholic.com/
Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. It helps Catholics and everyone better understand the Catholic Faith, and directly answers challenges and questions.
https://www.catholic.com/
Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. It helps Catholics and everyone better understand the Catholic Faith, and directly answers challenges and questions.
BEST PARISH PRACTICES
BULLETINS FROM SURROUNDING PARISHES
Post bulletins from surrounding parishes in your church vestibule or gathering space.
BENEFITS:
Making available bulletins from nearby parishes blesses your parish in many ways. It helps keep you informed of the prayer, work, and news of nearby Catholics. It offers their Mass times/Confession schedule, if parishioners cannot make your parish's. It gives a broader Church perspective to let parishioners see that Catholicism is bigger than 'my parish.' It can give good ideas to your parish and parishioners.
HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest if this is okay to do. The parish can then contact nearby parishes to send their bulletins via e-mail or direct one to them online. Then they can be printed out (or nearby parish may mail them to you) [even just one to read is enough] and placed in the church vestibule or gathering area and people can be made aware of their presence for reading and edification.
Post bulletins from surrounding parishes in your church vestibule or gathering space.
BENEFITS:
Making available bulletins from nearby parishes blesses your parish in many ways. It helps keep you informed of the prayer, work, and news of nearby Catholics. It offers their Mass times/Confession schedule, if parishioners cannot make your parish's. It gives a broader Church perspective to let parishioners see that Catholicism is bigger than 'my parish.' It can give good ideas to your parish and parishioners.
HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest if this is okay to do. The parish can then contact nearby parishes to send their bulletins via e-mail or direct one to them online. Then they can be printed out (or nearby parish may mail them to you) [even just one to read is enough] and placed in the church vestibule or gathering area and people can be made aware of their presence for reading and edification.
By Zelda Caldwell
Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2023 / 05:00 am
The French documentary film “Lourdes” will be shown in 700 theaters in the U.S., for a special two-day screening, on Feb. 8 (in French with English subtitles) and Feb. 9 (in Spanish with English subtitles).
The film presents a unique and affecting view of the Catholic pilgrimage site as seen through the eyes of several of the sick pilgrims and their caregivers.
A surprise hit in France among critics and audiences, the award-winning documentary follows several sick and disabled pilgrims who travel to Lourdes in search of consolation, if not miracles, at the Marian shrine in the French Pyrenees. It was there on Feb. 11, 1858, that 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed the first of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
The filmmakers received unprecedented access to the sacred site from the Catholic Church. The sick and disabled pilgrims are seen praying at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, worshipping at the grotto where the visions took place, being immersed in the baths, and perhaps most affectingly, being cared for and assisted by volunteers or “hospitaliers.”
The U.S. tour follows the film's debut in France, where in 2020 it was nominated for best documentary at the Cesar Awards. Tickets for the Feb. 8 and 9 showings can be purchased online at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices.
As many as 6 million people visit Lourdes each year to pray and to touch, bathe in and drink from the spring water that flows under the grotto where the apparitions of the Virgin first took place. More than 7,000 cures have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, with 70 officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A 15-minute long “bonus” film following the presentation of the movie, distributed by Spain’s Bosco Films, features a Catholic physician discussing the miraculous cures attributed to Lourdes.
The movie “Lourdes,” however, is not exactly a movie about miracles. Audiences eager to be blown away by visible proof of the existence of a loving God who answers prayers may at first be disappointed when they realize it is not that kind of movie. What follows are miracles of a different sort: the gift of faith that makes possible peace and even joy through suffering, and the exercise of loving one’s neighbor in charity and compassion.
“Lourdes” is not always easy to watch – not only because it’s uncomfortable to see suffering at such close range, but because the unfamiliarity with that feeling is an indication that one tends to go through life avoiding being exposed to it.
A despondent teenage girl has come on an annual pilgrimage with her unemployed father to bathe in Lourdes’ spring water. Her father hopes to cure her of the cysts forming in her arm, but she prays before the statue of the Virgin Mary for relief from the kids who bully her at school.
A mother and father travel by bus with their 40-year-old son who can’t stand or feed himself, as his mother confesses that she still blames herself for the accident that changed their lives forever.
A father and his son, who himself is sick, seek healing for a terminally ill younger brother suffering from a painful skin condition. The faith of the two is palpable as is that of the boys' mother who manages to radiate joy as she sees them off.
A man afflicted in the last stages of ALS explains that he is grateful for the gift of peace he feels he has been given.
A group of prostitutes from Paris makes a solemn annual “Magdalena” pilgrimage to Lourdes in the company of a Catholic priest who gently counsels one to consider giving up his way of life.
Another man communicates by pointing to letters on a sheet of paper. The wry, intelligent look on his face seems to invite people to engage in conversation with him. We later learn that he has attempted suicide twice.
The inspiration for the movie came from its writer, veteran journalist Sixtine Léon-Dufour, who first went to Lourdes as a volunteer, very reluctantly, on the occasion of her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Once there, she was profoundly moved by the work, bathing, dressing, feeding, and talking to the pilgrims, and now returns with her family every year.
When she is volunteering at Lourdes, she told CNA that she is struck by the faith of the pilgrims, who, she said, come for consolation more than for a cure.
“What they all say is that when you go to the grotto and you spend some time praying — or not — at the feet of this statue of the Virgin Mary, you find peace, a real peace,” she said.
While Léon-Dufour is Catholic, the film’s directors, Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, are non-believers, she said.
In the months they spent interviewing people to feature in the movie, she said, the directors would always ask the same question: “You’re very Catholic, you pray a lot. Tell me, you are absolutely looking for a miracle, right?”
“And each time all the people you saw in the documentary, they said, ‘No, no!”
“No matter how hard I tried to explain that people come to Lourdes not especially looking for a miracle they would not understand that it was much more about faith and being together to find some comfort,” she said.
And despite the directors’ initial confusion and purported lack of faith, they managed to capture traces of the divine in the interactions between the sick and the volunteers who assist them. The word “miracle,” comes from the Latin miraculum or “thing of wonder,’ which perfectly describes these encounters.
The film shows the sick and disabled pilgrims light up when they are with others who treat them with love and respect. Volunteer nurses are seen engaging with their charges, talking to them, and drawing them out. For some pilgrims, it is clear that just being touched or held as they are bathed and dressed delights them.
For other sick pilgrims, it is the conversation that brings them joy. A sad-looking woman in her nineties appears completely transformed after talking with a young volunteer who engages with her as she would a friend. At first quiet and guarded, the encounter leaves the woman smiling, telling stories, and even singing.
Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2023 / 05:00 am
The French documentary film “Lourdes” will be shown in 700 theaters in the U.S., for a special two-day screening, on Feb. 8 (in French with English subtitles) and Feb. 9 (in Spanish with English subtitles).
The film presents a unique and affecting view of the Catholic pilgrimage site as seen through the eyes of several of the sick pilgrims and their caregivers.
A surprise hit in France among critics and audiences, the award-winning documentary follows several sick and disabled pilgrims who travel to Lourdes in search of consolation, if not miracles, at the Marian shrine in the French Pyrenees. It was there on Feb. 11, 1858, that 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed the first of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
The filmmakers received unprecedented access to the sacred site from the Catholic Church. The sick and disabled pilgrims are seen praying at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, worshipping at the grotto where the visions took place, being immersed in the baths, and perhaps most affectingly, being cared for and assisted by volunteers or “hospitaliers.”
The U.S. tour follows the film's debut in France, where in 2020 it was nominated for best documentary at the Cesar Awards. Tickets for the Feb. 8 and 9 showings can be purchased online at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices.
As many as 6 million people visit Lourdes each year to pray and to touch, bathe in and drink from the spring water that flows under the grotto where the apparitions of the Virgin first took place. More than 7,000 cures have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, with 70 officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A 15-minute long “bonus” film following the presentation of the movie, distributed by Spain’s Bosco Films, features a Catholic physician discussing the miraculous cures attributed to Lourdes.
The movie “Lourdes,” however, is not exactly a movie about miracles. Audiences eager to be blown away by visible proof of the existence of a loving God who answers prayers may at first be disappointed when they realize it is not that kind of movie. What follows are miracles of a different sort: the gift of faith that makes possible peace and even joy through suffering, and the exercise of loving one’s neighbor in charity and compassion.
“Lourdes” is not always easy to watch – not only because it’s uncomfortable to see suffering at such close range, but because the unfamiliarity with that feeling is an indication that one tends to go through life avoiding being exposed to it.
A despondent teenage girl has come on an annual pilgrimage with her unemployed father to bathe in Lourdes’ spring water. Her father hopes to cure her of the cysts forming in her arm, but she prays before the statue of the Virgin Mary for relief from the kids who bully her at school.
A mother and father travel by bus with their 40-year-old son who can’t stand or feed himself, as his mother confesses that she still blames herself for the accident that changed their lives forever.
A father and his son, who himself is sick, seek healing for a terminally ill younger brother suffering from a painful skin condition. The faith of the two is palpable as is that of the boys' mother who manages to radiate joy as she sees them off.
A man afflicted in the last stages of ALS explains that he is grateful for the gift of peace he feels he has been given.
A group of prostitutes from Paris makes a solemn annual “Magdalena” pilgrimage to Lourdes in the company of a Catholic priest who gently counsels one to consider giving up his way of life.
Another man communicates by pointing to letters on a sheet of paper. The wry, intelligent look on his face seems to invite people to engage in conversation with him. We later learn that he has attempted suicide twice.
The inspiration for the movie came from its writer, veteran journalist Sixtine Léon-Dufour, who first went to Lourdes as a volunteer, very reluctantly, on the occasion of her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Once there, she was profoundly moved by the work, bathing, dressing, feeding, and talking to the pilgrims, and now returns with her family every year.
When she is volunteering at Lourdes, she told CNA that she is struck by the faith of the pilgrims, who, she said, come for consolation more than for a cure.
“What they all say is that when you go to the grotto and you spend some time praying — or not — at the feet of this statue of the Virgin Mary, you find peace, a real peace,” she said.
While Léon-Dufour is Catholic, the film’s directors, Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, are non-believers, she said.
In the months they spent interviewing people to feature in the movie, she said, the directors would always ask the same question: “You’re very Catholic, you pray a lot. Tell me, you are absolutely looking for a miracle, right?”
“And each time all the people you saw in the documentary, they said, ‘No, no!”
“No matter how hard I tried to explain that people come to Lourdes not especially looking for a miracle they would not understand that it was much more about faith and being together to find some comfort,” she said.
And despite the directors’ initial confusion and purported lack of faith, they managed to capture traces of the divine in the interactions between the sick and the volunteers who assist them. The word “miracle,” comes from the Latin miraculum or “thing of wonder,’ which perfectly describes these encounters.
The film shows the sick and disabled pilgrims light up when they are with others who treat them with love and respect. Volunteer nurses are seen engaging with their charges, talking to them, and drawing them out. For some pilgrims, it is clear that just being touched or held as they are bathed and dressed delights them.
For other sick pilgrims, it is the conversation that brings them joy. A sad-looking woman in her nineties appears completely transformed after talking with a young volunteer who engages with her as she would a friend. At first quiet and guarded, the encounter leaves the woman smiling, telling stories, and even singing.
A volunteer at Lourdes pilgrims sharing a laugh with a pilgrim. Bosco FilmsThe young faith-filled boy who is at Lourdes to pray for his sick brother seems to know what these pilgrims need. He makes a habit of reaching out to hold the hands of those who seem barricaded in their wheelchairs, eliciting shy smiles on their faces.
When a disabled woman begins to thrash and cry and it’s explained to the group of volunteers with her that she is sad to be leaving Lourdes, the young women soon have tears rolling down their cheeks.
Léon-Dufour told CNA that she thinks the sick and disabled find Lourdes a respite from what can be a cruel world.
“To be able to be in that place without any judgment from society because you are surrounded by disabled people, sick people. The poor, ‘the invisibles’ are on the front stage, which doesn't happen in our real lives. Here in Lourdes, you don't have any judgment. So I think that the first cure you can get is that you don't have ‘funny eyes’ on you.”
“And oh, all the people you will find on your way! Either they're as sick as you or as poor as you. Either. They're here just to help you,” she said.
The volunteers, many of whom are college students, usually stay for one week and receive training upon arriving at one of the welcome centers. The film shows a group of new volunteers being instructed on how to bathe their patients, how often to change their urinary incontinence pads, and the importance of drying them off completely. Many of the female volunteers wear nurses’ uniforms, complete with starched caps, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century, Léon-Dufour said.
“It was a matter of hygiene, and it was also because you used to have a lot of people, and especially women, from the French aristocracy [volunteering]. They didn't want to have any difference, between the, let's say the farmer and the aristocrats, so we kept these uniforms,” she said.
Lourdes, she said, is one of “the rarest places in the world,” because the volunteer nurses continue to come from all walks of life as do the pilgrims, she said.
“You have to give the showers, you have to dress the people, you have to entertain them, etc. And so, it's one of the places in the world where you will see a very successful CEO giving a shower to, let’s say, a maid. And it's great sometimes to have this kind of reminder, you know?” she said.
In making a movie about Lourdes, Léon-Dufour hoped to share with others something she discovered as a reluctant volunteer years ago.
“It's about giving back. Of course, you can give back everywhere — you can give back when you see a homeless person or whatever, but I think that you receive so much joy spending one week [at Lourdes],” she said. “I can assure you that that is very, very rewarding. The thing is that you keep going back because you receive much more.”
Cut and paste this like to watch trailer:
When a disabled woman begins to thrash and cry and it’s explained to the group of volunteers with her that she is sad to be leaving Lourdes, the young women soon have tears rolling down their cheeks.
Léon-Dufour told CNA that she thinks the sick and disabled find Lourdes a respite from what can be a cruel world.
“To be able to be in that place without any judgment from society because you are surrounded by disabled people, sick people. The poor, ‘the invisibles’ are on the front stage, which doesn't happen in our real lives. Here in Lourdes, you don't have any judgment. So I think that the first cure you can get is that you don't have ‘funny eyes’ on you.”
“And oh, all the people you will find on your way! Either they're as sick as you or as poor as you. Either. They're here just to help you,” she said.
The volunteers, many of whom are college students, usually stay for one week and receive training upon arriving at one of the welcome centers. The film shows a group of new volunteers being instructed on how to bathe their patients, how often to change their urinary incontinence pads, and the importance of drying them off completely. Many of the female volunteers wear nurses’ uniforms, complete with starched caps, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century, Léon-Dufour said.
“It was a matter of hygiene, and it was also because you used to have a lot of people, and especially women, from the French aristocracy [volunteering]. They didn't want to have any difference, between the, let's say the farmer and the aristocrats, so we kept these uniforms,” she said.
Lourdes, she said, is one of “the rarest places in the world,” because the volunteer nurses continue to come from all walks of life as do the pilgrims, she said.
“You have to give the showers, you have to dress the people, you have to entertain them, etc. And so, it's one of the places in the world where you will see a very successful CEO giving a shower to, let’s say, a maid. And it's great sometimes to have this kind of reminder, you know?” she said.
In making a movie about Lourdes, Léon-Dufour hoped to share with others something she discovered as a reluctant volunteer years ago.
“It's about giving back. Of course, you can give back everywhere — you can give back when you see a homeless person or whatever, but I think that you receive so much joy spending one week [at Lourdes],” she said. “I can assure you that that is very, very rewarding. The thing is that you keep going back because you receive much more.”
Cut and paste this like to watch trailer:
 | Zelda Caldwell is News Editor at Catholic News Agency based in Washington, DC. She previously worked for Aleteia, as News and Culture editor. |
 |
By Francesca Pollio
Denver, Colo., Feb 3
Seventh graders CeCe and Abby start off each month by waking up early to say the rosary with their fellow classmates.
“We think it is important to be part of Lions for Life to pray for mothers who are thinking about aborting their babies,” they told CNA. “We hope our prayers will help them decide to choose life."
They, along with more than 300 other students, attend St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colorado, a Denver suburb. The mission of the grade school is to “bring the whole person to Jesus Christ” and “prepare students to serve the Church and community now and in the future” through a quality education. It also offers students the opportunity to take part in several groups, programs, and extracurricular activities.
One of these groups is the Lions for Life. Open to students from all grades, the prayer group meets once a month before school starts to pray the rosary for the protection of babies in the womb and for an end to abortion. Kira Weiland, a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, runs the group.
Weiland explained that she inherited the group in 2015 from a former teacher who started the program more than 10 years ago.
The students meet on the first Thursday of the month at 7:10 a.m., before classes begin. The students say it’s time well spent.
Jonathan, a seventh grader in the group, told CNA that “Getting up extra early to join prayer at Lions for Life is a worthy cause because we honor God with our prayers."
Weiland expressed that this is part of what makes running the group so rewarding.
“The fact that they are willing to get up early, come in and pray for babies in the world and that they care deeply about that enough to come early. It's really that the rewarding part — is seeing them living out their faith,” she said.
Weiland explained how they prayed the special rosary.
“Each mystery has a specific prayer for it that has to do with praying for respect for all life,” she described. “We'll go through and pray those specific prayers and then I have the kids lead it so it's really their ownership of it.”
“It’s really, really sweet to watch,” Weiland said. “We'll have the little kids and then all the big kids, and big kids lead the rosary … probably third through eighth will volunteer to lead the rosary.”
Other teachers emphasized their support for the group.
“The prayers of children through the intercession of Mary, the mother of all, are some of the most powerful weapons in the fight for the unborn,” expressed middle school teacher Katherine Abar.
With the life issue a debated topic, Weiland addressed the importance of instilling a respect for life from a young age.
“I think the earlier you start creating that love for neighbor, the longer lasting it is going to be and the more impactful they're going to be in going out into serving the world because they're going to say, ‘No, this is something that I know to be true from a young age,’” Weiland said.
She continued, “And when they're little, I think they get it the most — how precious the child is because they're children. And I think that's the beauty of the large range of our group now is because they get to see, ‘Oh, this little kindergartener is praying the rosary. We should be excited about that and pray with them.’”
Denver, Colo., Feb 3
Seventh graders CeCe and Abby start off each month by waking up early to say the rosary with their fellow classmates.
“We think it is important to be part of Lions for Life to pray for mothers who are thinking about aborting their babies,” they told CNA. “We hope our prayers will help them decide to choose life."
They, along with more than 300 other students, attend St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colorado, a Denver suburb. The mission of the grade school is to “bring the whole person to Jesus Christ” and “prepare students to serve the Church and community now and in the future” through a quality education. It also offers students the opportunity to take part in several groups, programs, and extracurricular activities.
One of these groups is the Lions for Life. Open to students from all grades, the prayer group meets once a month before school starts to pray the rosary for the protection of babies in the womb and for an end to abortion. Kira Weiland, a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, runs the group.
Weiland explained that she inherited the group in 2015 from a former teacher who started the program more than 10 years ago.
The students meet on the first Thursday of the month at 7:10 a.m., before classes begin. The students say it’s time well spent.
Jonathan, a seventh grader in the group, told CNA that “Getting up extra early to join prayer at Lions for Life is a worthy cause because we honor God with our prayers."
Weiland expressed that this is part of what makes running the group so rewarding.
“The fact that they are willing to get up early, come in and pray for babies in the world and that they care deeply about that enough to come early. It's really that the rewarding part — is seeing them living out their faith,” she said.
Weiland explained how they prayed the special rosary.
“Each mystery has a specific prayer for it that has to do with praying for respect for all life,” she described. “We'll go through and pray those specific prayers and then I have the kids lead it so it's really their ownership of it.”
“It’s really, really sweet to watch,” Weiland said. “We'll have the little kids and then all the big kids, and big kids lead the rosary … probably third through eighth will volunteer to lead the rosary.”
Other teachers emphasized their support for the group.
“The prayers of children through the intercession of Mary, the mother of all, are some of the most powerful weapons in the fight for the unborn,” expressed middle school teacher Katherine Abar.
With the life issue a debated topic, Weiland addressed the importance of instilling a respect for life from a young age.
“I think the earlier you start creating that love for neighbor, the longer lasting it is going to be and the more impactful they're going to be in going out into serving the world because they're going to say, ‘No, this is something that I know to be true from a young age,’” Weiland said.
She continued, “And when they're little, I think they get it the most — how precious the child is because they're children. And I think that's the beauty of the large range of our group now is because they get to see, ‘Oh, this little kindergartener is praying the rosary. We should be excited about that and pray with them.’”
Sister André Randon, France 3 Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur, YouTube
Daughter of Charity Sister André Randon just turned 116.
She is the oldest person in Europe and the second-oldest person in the world. 117-year-old Japanese woman Kane Tanaka is the only person to surpass her in age.
Born Lucile Randon on Feb. 11, 1904, Sr. André converted to Catholicism at age 19. At age 25, she began caring for elderly and orphans at a French hospital. She later entered the Daughters of Charity at age 40.
Although she joined the convent late in life, her vocation has lasted for 76 years!
Sr. André moved in 2009 to Sainte-Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon, France, where she spent her 116th birthday with family and friends.
She is the oldest person in Europe and the second-oldest person in the world. 117-year-old Japanese woman Kane Tanaka is the only person to surpass her in age.
Born Lucile Randon on Feb. 11, 1904, Sr. André converted to Catholicism at age 19. At age 25, she began caring for elderly and orphans at a French hospital. She later entered the Daughters of Charity at age 40.
Although she joined the convent late in life, her vocation has lasted for 76 years!
Sr. André moved in 2009 to Sainte-Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon, France, where she spent her 116th birthday with family and friends.
Sister André Randon, Vatican NewsAdditionally, for her 115th birthday, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter, along with a blessed Rosary.
Sr. Andre’s SecretHer secret recipe for happiness?
“Pray and drink a cup of chocolate every day.”
She also said her “daily happiness is being able to go and pray.”
Although blind and in a wheelchair, Sr. André never loses her sense of humor and always asks for prayers, saying that she “hopes God won’t be too slow to let her wait any longer…”
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http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/despite-grave-problems-the-lord-will-never-abandon-his-church
Sr. Andre’s SecretHer secret recipe for happiness?
“Pray and drink a cup of chocolate every day.”
She also said her “daily happiness is being able to go and pray.”
Although blind and in a wheelchair, Sr. André never loses her sense of humor and always asks for prayers, saying that she “hopes God won’t be too slow to let her wait any longer…”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/despite-grave-problems-the-lord-will-never-abandon-his-church
Despite Grave Problems, the Lord Will Never Abandon His Church - ncregister.com
THE EDITORS What to Expect From the Vatican Summit? CARDINAL WILFRID NAPIER Love, Care and Justice Must Be Paramount: MARIE COLLINS Plea for Commitment and Transparency
www.ncregister.com
THE EDITORS What to Expect From the Vatican Summit? CARDINAL WILFRID NAPIER Love, Care and Justice Must Be Paramount: MARIE COLLINS Plea for Commitment and Transparency
www.ncregister.com
Father Robert <roman.catholic.good.news@gmail.com>Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 11:10 AM
To: Robyn McLean <veracityimaging@gmail.com>
In this e-weekly:
-BEST PARISH PRACTICE is a section of the e-weekly (see below)
-Funniest Headlines (A bit of humor…)
- Living Simply ("Helpful Hints of Life")
-Surprise Hit "Lourdes" Documentary Coming to US Theaters Captures Miracles of a Different Sort (News)
Man listening in the prayerful silence before Jesus
Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
SILENCE-Inside and Outside
"When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven
for about half an hour." Revelation 8:1
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On the subject of Lent, the Pope indicated that "it should also be a time to abstain from words and images, because we have need of a little silence. We need to create a space free from the constant bombardment of images, ... a silent space for ourselves, without images, in order to open our hearts to the true image, the true Word".
We live in such a noisy world: car radio; music while on hold; talking here and there; our own minds racing with worries, deadlines, and more…it is no wonder people wonder where God is or even if He exists at all.
"In the eternal silences of the Holy Trinity, God spoke one Word, and He had nothing more to say."
The one Word is JESUS CHRIST! Yet God still communicates with us through the silence. Yet, we must bring about silence inside and outside ourselves that we might be able to listen. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta offers:
"If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart, God speaks. Jesus spent thirty years out of thirty-three in silence, began His public life by spending forty days in silence, and often retired alone to spend the night on a mountain in silence. He who spoke with authority, now spends His earthly life in silence. Let us adore Jesus in His Eucharistic silence!
Yes, Jesus is always waiting for us in silence. In that silence He will listen to us, there He will speak to our soul, and there we will hear His voice. Interior silence is very difficult, but we must make the effort. In silence we will find new energy and true unity. The energy of God will be ours to do all things well. We will find the true unity of our thoughts with His thoughts, the unity of our prayers with His prayers, the unity of our actions with His actions, and the unity of our life with His life."
Why wait until the next time you go to Adoration, enter the inner silence of prayer now to find true unity with HIM!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm
P.S.S. Please look to the end of the e-weekly for Reflections and Questions on the Sunday Readings.
P.S.S.S. For more, please visit: www.RomanCatholicGoodNews.com
CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS
Getting to Know Catholicism Better
(Answers at very end.)
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1285-1288, 1315)
a) there is nothing connected with it in the Old Testament
b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
c) the Holy Spirit was just for the Apostles
d) none of the above
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? (CCC 1289)
a) because it is an anointing with chrism
b) because it is the confirming of baptismal grace
c) because it is strengthens baptismal grace
d) all of the above
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? (CCC 1290-1301, 1318, 1320-1321)
a) choosing a Confirmation name
b) having the perfect sponsor
c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
d) speaking in tongues while being prayed over
Catholic Term
silence (from Latin silere "to be still, noiseless")
- in spiritual terms, the conscious effort to communicate with God or the invisible world of faith
[It is, therefore, not the mere absence of sound or physical stillness, except as wither a precondition for recollection of spirit or the perceptible effect of being recollected.]
Listening to the voice of the Lord "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be"
(Pope Benedict XVI to seminarians, Feb. 2, 2008).
SACRED SCRIPTURE CORNER
The Sermon on the Mount
"A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14
The Gospel reading today (Matthew 5:13-16) is part of a larger discourse by Jesus known as the Sermon on the Mount. From the details and imagery used in this reading we see Jesus fulfilling several Old Testament figures. For instance, Jesus’s act of climbing a mountain and then teaching people divine truth calls to mind at least two figures of the Old Testament who did the same: Moses, who climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God and deliver it to Israel (Exodus 19-24), and Solomon, who took his throne on Mt. Zion and from there dispensed divine wisdom to all the nations (1 Kings 4). Jesus is both a New Moses and a New Solomon, a divine legislator and a king imbued with heavenly wisdom. In content his teaching often resembles (and corrects!) the law of Moses, but in form he uses imagery, literary devices, and word play, as Solomon did in his famous “proverbs.”
Further Reading: Luke Chapter 2
"Helpful Hints of Life"
Theresa A. Thomas
Living Simply
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I once was visiting a beautiful home, finely furnished with exquisite furniture, lovely artwork and impeccable décor. However, the heavy draperies around the windows blocked most of the natural light in the rooms, and left an atmosphere of heaviness and, quite frankly, suffocation. Although the home was beautiful I couldn't wait to leave and enjoy the freshness and plainness of the light and air outside.
I can't help but think, as we enter into this season of Lent, about the "heaviness," the complications of everyday life, that have the potential to snuff out the fresh light and air of Christ in our lives.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about living simply. Obviously Lent is a time for penance, reflection, renewal. It's a time for introspection and consideration of things eternal. What I'm proposing this Lent is paring down life, getting rid of the 'heavy draperies' so that things eternal can shine into our daily thoughts and lives.
How can simplicity of life be accomplished? I'm going to offer a formula set forth by philosopher and professor Peter Kreeft in his classic 1990 book, Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions. (It's rated a full five stars on Amazon.com. Buy it there or at your local Catholic bookstore. I promise you won't be disappointed.)
First, attain mastery over time. The clock should not be our god. It is true we need to watch the clock to make it to work, keep our dentist appointments, and get to Mass on time. However, American society is too focused on schedules. Take time to get at eye level with your child and really listen. Make time for 'date night' with your mate. Do one thing at a time. Do not worry about work when you are home with your family or your home projects when you are at work. Think about the one thing you are currently doing and do it well. (Kreeft bluntly tells his readers to stop "octopussing" — trying to do eight things at once. I might add that some of us are likely even "jellyfishing." Did you know some jellyfish have hundreds of tentacles?) Slow down and here's the biggie: pray... without watching a clock. God is the creator of time, reminds Kreeft. God can multiply time, but first we must offer our time to Him. And it is good to remember that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will take our sacrifice and bless us a thousand fold. A good place to start this Lent is going to Confession and attending other Catholic devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration or Stations of the Cross. Like the Nike commercial advocates, "Just do it."
Second, live more naturally. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier, following nature's cycle of darkness and light. Kreeft says this aids in simplicity because the things people do in the morning are usually simple things — walking, praying, and tidying up. And the things people do in the evening or more complicating (or time-wasting) — busywork, attending parties, watching television. Spend more time outdoors (yes, even in the winter!) Breathe in the fresh air. And take walks frequently. Kreeft writes, "[When you walk] you will begin to recapture the natural rhythms of the body...It attunes us with the earth and air...It is a symbol of life, the road to eternity... And it gives us an opportunity to think."
Third, recognize that often less is more. Don't just give up sweets this Lent. Take less food. Chew it slowly. Savor its flavor deliberately. Enjoy it more. We've all seen women who have overdone it in the jewelry and make-up departments. They have baubles and beads on every limb, and layers of gold or silver around their necks. Heavy eye shadow and lip color emphasizes their faces. Who can deny that this actually detracts from a woman's natural beauty? Contrast that image with simple cleanliness and light makeup, a plain cross necklace and a pair of simple earrings on a female. One young woman I knew in college gave up make-up for Lent. That's probably considered radical in our American culture, and I don't know very many women who would do that for forty whole days, but it is a good idea to eliminate extra things. Less truly is often more.
Fourth, decrease expenses. We don't need half of what we want anyway. Love of money is the root of all evil. See what you can do without.
Fifth, embrace silence. Kreeft calls silence "the unknown power source...the great untapped resource." He says that silence is more, not less than noise. Cultivate inner silence by eliminating outer noise. Turn off the television. Skip the radio in the car. Listen more. Talk less. God speaks to us all the time, but often with the cacophonic sounds intruding into our lives we just don't hear Him.
Simplifying life truly is like pulling back or even taking down thick draperies in a stuffy, dark room. In removing the fabric that blocks luminosity we will find more light, more freshness, and quite likely more room for God.
Theresa Thomas, a freelance writer and columnist for Today's Catholic resides in northern Indiana with her husband David and their nine children. She has been home schooling since 1994
"Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love." Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2717
The Marriage Minute:
Put God First – Everything Flows From HimChoose, as a couple, to love God more than you love each other. Only when God is the true king of your two hearts, can your one married heart, beat properly. Only when you love God first, can you love and treat each other and your children properly.
Ask yourself, do I love anyone or anything more than God, and make the needed changes.
Catholic Website of the Week
Catholic Answershttps://www.catholic.com/
Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. It helps Catholics and everyone better understand the Catholic Faith, and directly answers challenges and questions.
BEST PARISH PRACTICES
BULLETINS FROM SURROUNDING PARISHES
Post bulletins from surrounding parishes in your church vestibule or gathering space.
BENEFITS:
Making available bulletins from nearby parishes blesses your parish in many ways. It helps keep you informed of the prayer, work, and news of nearby Catholics. It offers their Mass times/Confession schedule, if parishioners cannot make your parish's. It gives a broader Church perspective to let parishioners see that Catholicism is bigger than 'my parish.' It can give good ideas to your parish and parishioners.
HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest if this is okay to do. The parish can then contact nearby parishes to send their bulletins via e-mail or direct one to them online. Then they can be printed out (or nearby parish may mail them to you) [even just one to read is enough] and placed in the church vestibule or gathering area and people can be made aware of their presence for reading and edification.
Helpful Hints For Life Communication
A great way to start a conversation about communication breakdowns is to ask the question “What did you hear me say?” This lets the other person explain their perception and where they are coming from. As you begin addressing the issues, keep in mind the three purposes to having the conversation: 1)To learn their story 2)Hear their feelings 3)To problem solve
Diocesan News AND BEYOND
Surprise Hit ‘Lourdes’ Documentary, Coming to U.S. Theaters, Captures Miracles of a Different Sort
The documentary "Lourdes," showing in theaters on Feb. 8 and 9, follows the experiences of sick and disabled pilgrims who often seek consolation rather than cures. | Bosco Films
By Zelda Caldwell
Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2023 / 05:00 am
The French documentary film “Lourdes” will be shown in 700 theaters in the U.S., for a special two-day screening, on Feb. 8 (in French with English subtitles) and Feb. 9 (in Spanish with English subtitles).
The film presents a unique and affecting view of the Catholic pilgrimage site as seen through the eyes of several of the sick pilgrims and their caregivers.
A surprise hit in France among critics and audiences, the award-winning documentary follows several sick and disabled pilgrims who travel to Lourdes in search of consolation, if not miracles, at the Marian shrine in the French Pyrenees. It was there on Feb. 11, 1858, that 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed the first of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
The filmmakers received unprecedented access to the sacred site from the Catholic Church. The sick and disabled pilgrims are seen praying at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, worshipping at the grotto where the visions took place, being immersed in the baths, and perhaps most affectingly, being cared for and assisted by volunteers or “hospitaliers.”
The U.S. tour follows the film's debut in France, where in 2020 it was nominated for best documentary at the Cesar Awards. Tickets for the Feb. 8 and 9 showings can be purchased online at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices.
As many as 6 million people visit Lourdes each year to pray and to touch, bathe in and drink from the spring water that flows under the grotto where the apparitions of the Virgin first took place. More than 7,000 cures have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, with 70 officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A 15-minute long “bonus” film following the presentation of the movie, distributed by Spain’s Bosco Films, features a Catholic physician discussing the miraculous cures attributed to Lourdes.
The movie “Lourdes,” however, is not exactly a movie about miracles. Audiences eager to be blown away by visible proof of the existence of a loving God who answers prayers may at first be disappointed when they realize it is not that kind of movie. What follows are miracles of a different sort: the gift of faith that makes possible peace and even joy through suffering, and the exercise of loving one’s neighbor in charity and compassion.
“Lourdes” is not always easy to watch – not only because it’s uncomfortable to see suffering at such close range, but because the unfamiliarity with that feeling is an indication that one tends to go through life avoiding being exposed to it.
A despondent teenage girl has come on an annual pilgrimage with her unemployed father to bathe in Lourdes’ spring water. Her father hopes to cure her of the cysts forming in her arm, but she prays before the statue of the Virgin Mary for relief from the kids who bully her at school.
A mother and father travel by bus with their 40-year-old son who can’t stand or feed himself, as his mother confesses that she still blames herself for the accident that changed their lives forever.
A father and his son, who himself is sick, seek healing for a terminally ill younger brother suffering from a painful skin condition. The faith of the two is palpable as is that of the boys' mother who manages to radiate joy as she sees them off.
A man afflicted in the last stages of ALS explains that he is grateful for the gift of peace he feels he has been given.
A group of prostitutes from Paris makes a solemn annual “Magdalena” pilgrimage to Lourdes in the company of a Catholic priest who gently counsels one to consider giving up his way of life.
Another man communicates by pointing to letters on a sheet of paper. The wry, intelligent look on his face seems to invite people to engage in conversation with him. We later learn that he has attempted suicide twice.
The inspiration for the movie came from its writer, veteran journalist Sixtine Léon-Dufour, who first went to Lourdes as a volunteer, very reluctantly, on the occasion of her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Once there, she was profoundly moved by the work, bathing, dressing, feeding, and talking to the pilgrims, and now returns with her family every year.
When she is volunteering at Lourdes, she told CNA that she is struck by the faith of the pilgrims, who, she said, come for consolation more than for a cure.
“What they all say is that when you go to the grotto and you spend some time praying — or not — at the feet of this statue of the Virgin Mary, you find peace, a real peace,” she said.
While Léon-Dufour is Catholic, the film’s directors, Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, are non-believers, she said.
In the months they spent interviewing people to feature in the movie, she said, the directors would always ask the same question: “You’re very Catholic, you pray a lot. Tell me, you are absolutely looking for a miracle, right?”
“And each time all the people you saw in the documentary, they said, ‘No, no!”
“No matter how hard I tried to explain that people come to Lourdes not especially looking for a miracle they would not understand that it was much more about faith and being together to find some comfort,” she said.
And despite the directors’ initial confusion and purported lack of faith, they managed to capture traces of the divine in the interactions between the sick and the volunteers who assist them. The word “miracle,” comes from the Latin miraculum or “thing of wonder,’ which perfectly describes these encounters.
The film shows the sick and disabled pilgrims light up when they are with others who treat them with love and respect. Volunteer nurses are seen engaging with their charges, talking to them, and drawing them out. For some pilgrims, it is clear that just being touched or held as they are bathed and dressed delights them.
For other sick pilgrims, it is the conversation that brings them joy. A sad-looking woman in her nineties appears completely transformed after talking with a young volunteer who engages with her as she would a friend. At first quiet and guarded, the encounter leaves the woman smiling, telling stories, and even singing.
A volunteer at Lourdes pilgrims sharing a laugh with a pilgrim. Bosco FilmsThe young faith-filled boy who is at Lourdes to pray for his sick brother seems to know what these pilgrims need. He makes a habit of reaching out to hold the hands of those who seem barricaded in their wheelchairs, eliciting shy smiles on their faces.
When a disabled woman begins to thrash and cry and it’s explained to the group of volunteers with her that she is sad to be leaving Lourdes, the young women soon have tears rolling down their cheeks.
Léon-Dufour told CNA that she thinks the sick and disabled find Lourdes a respite from what can be a cruel world.
“To be able to be in that place without any judgment from society because you are surrounded by disabled people, sick people. The poor, ‘the invisibles’ are on the front stage, which doesn't happen in our real lives. Here in Lourdes, you don't have any judgment. So I think that the first cure you can get is that you don't have ‘funny eyes’ on you.”
“And oh, all the people you will find on your way! Either they're as sick as you or as poor as you. Either. They're here just to help you,” she said.
The volunteers, many of whom are college students, usually stay for one week and receive training upon arriving at one of the welcome centers. The film shows a group of new volunteers being instructed on how to bathe their patients, how often to change their urinary incontinence pads, and the importance of drying them off completely. Many of the female volunteers wear nurses’ uniforms, complete with starched caps, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century, Léon-Dufour said.
“It was a matter of hygiene, and it was also because you used to have a lot of people, and especially women, from the French aristocracy [volunteering]. They didn't want to have any difference, between the, let's say the farmer and the aristocrats, so we kept these uniforms,” she said.
Lourdes, she said, is one of “the rarest places in the world,” because the volunteer nurses continue to come from all walks of life as do the pilgrims, she said.
“You have to give the showers, you have to dress the people, you have to entertain them, etc. And so, it's one of the places in the world where you will see a very successful CEO giving a shower to, let’s say, a maid. And it's great sometimes to have this kind of reminder, you know?” she said.
In making a movie about Lourdes, Léon-Dufour hoped to share with others something she discovered as a reluctant volunteer years ago.
“It's about giving back. Of course, you can give back everywhere — you can give back when you see a homeless person or whatever, but I think that you receive so much joy spending one week [at Lourdes],” she said. “I can assure you that that is very, very rewarding. The thing is that you keep going back because you receive much more.”
Cut and paste this like to watch trailer:
Zelda Caldwell is News Editor at Catholic News Agency based in Washington, DC. She previously worked for Aleteia, as News and Culture editor.
Meet Catholic School Students Who Pray The Rosary for the Unborn
Members of Lions for Life at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colo. | Kira Weiland
By Francesca Pollio
Denver, Colo., Feb 3
Seventh graders CeCe and Abby start off each month by waking up early to say the rosary with their fellow classmates.
“We think it is important to be part of Lions for Life to pray for mothers who are thinking about aborting their babies,” they told CNA. “We hope our prayers will help them decide to choose life."
They, along with more than 300 other students, attend St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colorado, a Denver suburb. The mission of the grade school is to “bring the whole person to Jesus Christ” and “prepare students to serve the Church and community now and in the future” through a quality education. It also offers students the opportunity to take part in several groups, programs, and extracurricular activities.
One of these groups is the Lions for Life. Open to students from all grades, the prayer group meets once a month before school starts to pray the rosary for the protection of babies in the womb and for an end to abortion. Kira Weiland, a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, runs the group.
Weiland explained that she inherited the group in 2015 from a former teacher who started the program more than 10 years ago.
The students meet on the first Thursday of the month at 7:10 a.m., before classes begin. The students say it’s time well spent.
Jonathan, a seventh grader in the group, told CNA that “Getting up extra early to join prayer at Lions for Life is a worthy cause because we honor God with our prayers."
Weiland expressed that this is part of what makes running the group so rewarding.
“The fact that they are willing to get up early, come in and pray for babies in the world and that they care deeply about that enough to come early. It's really that the rewarding part — is seeing them living out their faith,” she said.
Weiland explained how they prayed the special rosary.
“Each mystery has a specific prayer for it that has to do with praying for respect for all life,” she described. “We'll go through and pray those specific prayers and then I have the kids lead it so it's really their ownership of it.”
“It’s really, really sweet to watch,” Weiland said. “We'll have the little kids and then all the big kids, and big kids lead the rosary … probably third through eighth will volunteer to lead the rosary.”
Other teachers emphasized their support for the group.
“The prayers of children through the intercession of Mary, the mother of all, are some of the most powerful weapons in the fight for the unborn,” expressed middle school teacher Katherine Abar.
With the life issue a debated topic, Weiland addressed the importance of instilling a respect for life from a young age.
“I think the earlier you start creating that love for neighbor, the longer lasting it is going to be and the more impactful they're going to be in going out into serving the world because they're going to say, ‘No, this is something that I know to be true from a young age,’” Weiland said.
She continued, “And when they're little, I think they get it the most — how precious the child is because they're children. And I think that's the beauty of the large range of our group now is because they get to see, ‘Oh, this little kindergartener is praying the rosary. We should be excited about that and pray with them.’”
The World’s Oldest Nun Celebrates 116th Birthday – Here’s Her Secret to Happiness
Sister André Randon, France 3 Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur, YouTubeDaughter of Charity Sister André Randon just turned 116.
She is the oldest person in Europe and the second-oldest person in the world. 117-year-old Japanese woman Kane Tanaka is the only person to surpass her in age.
Born Lucile Randon on Feb. 11, 1904, Sr. André converted to Catholicism at age 19. At age 25, she began caring for elderly and orphans at a French hospital. She later entered the Daughters of Charity at age 40.
Although she joined the convent late in life, her vocation has lasted for 76 years!
Sr. André moved in 2009 to Sainte-Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon, France, where she spent her 116th birthday with family and friends.
Sister André Randon, Vatican NewsAdditionally, for her 115th birthday, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter, along with a blessed Rosary.
Sr. Andre’s SecretHer secret recipe for happiness?
“Pray and drink a cup of chocolate every day.”
She also said her “daily happiness is being able to go and pray.”
Although blind and in a wheelchair, Sr. André never loses her sense of humor and always asks for prayers, saying that she “hopes God won’t be too slow to let her wait any longer…”
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http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/despite-grave-problems-the-lord-will-never-abandon-his-church
Despite Grave Problems, the Lord Will Never Abandon His Church - ncregister.com
THE EDITORS What to Expect From the Vatican Summit? CARDINAL WILFRID NAPIER Love, Care and Justice Must Be Paramount: MARIE COLLINS Plea for Commitment and Transparency
www.ncregister.com--------------------
The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. -Catechism of the Catholic Church #533
To: Robyn McLean <veracityimaging@gmail.com>
In this e-weekly:
-BEST PARISH PRACTICE is a section of the e-weekly (see below)
-Funniest Headlines (A bit of humor…)
- Living Simply ("Helpful Hints of Life")
-Surprise Hit "Lourdes" Documentary Coming to US Theaters Captures Miracles of a Different Sort (News)
Man listening in the prayerful silence before Jesus
Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
SILENCE-Inside and Outside
"When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven
for about half an hour." Revelation 8:1
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On the subject of Lent, the Pope indicated that "it should also be a time to abstain from words and images, because we have need of a little silence. We need to create a space free from the constant bombardment of images, ... a silent space for ourselves, without images, in order to open our hearts to the true image, the true Word".
We live in such a noisy world: car radio; music while on hold; talking here and there; our own minds racing with worries, deadlines, and more…it is no wonder people wonder where God is or even if He exists at all.
"In the eternal silences of the Holy Trinity, God spoke one Word, and He had nothing more to say."
The one Word is JESUS CHRIST! Yet God still communicates with us through the silence. Yet, we must bring about silence inside and outside ourselves that we might be able to listen. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta offers:
"If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart, God speaks. Jesus spent thirty years out of thirty-three in silence, began His public life by spending forty days in silence, and often retired alone to spend the night on a mountain in silence. He who spoke with authority, now spends His earthly life in silence. Let us adore Jesus in His Eucharistic silence!
Yes, Jesus is always waiting for us in silence. In that silence He will listen to us, there He will speak to our soul, and there we will hear His voice. Interior silence is very difficult, but we must make the effort. In silence we will find new energy and true unity. The energy of God will be ours to do all things well. We will find the true unity of our thoughts with His thoughts, the unity of our prayers with His prayers, the unity of our actions with His actions, and the unity of our life with His life."
Why wait until the next time you go to Adoration, enter the inner silence of prayer now to find true unity with HIM!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm
P.S.S. Please look to the end of the e-weekly for Reflections and Questions on the Sunday Readings.
P.S.S.S. For more, please visit: www.RomanCatholicGoodNews.com
CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS
Getting to Know Catholicism Better
(Answers at very end.)
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1285-1288, 1315)
a) there is nothing connected with it in the Old Testament
b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
c) the Holy Spirit was just for the Apostles
d) none of the above
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? (CCC 1289)
a) because it is an anointing with chrism
b) because it is the confirming of baptismal grace
c) because it is strengthens baptismal grace
d) all of the above
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? (CCC 1290-1301, 1318, 1320-1321)
a) choosing a Confirmation name
b) having the perfect sponsor
c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
d) speaking in tongues while being prayed over
Catholic Term
silence (from Latin silere "to be still, noiseless")
- in spiritual terms, the conscious effort to communicate with God or the invisible world of faith
[It is, therefore, not the mere absence of sound or physical stillness, except as wither a precondition for recollection of spirit or the perceptible effect of being recollected.]
Listening to the voice of the Lord "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be"
(Pope Benedict XVI to seminarians, Feb. 2, 2008).
SACRED SCRIPTURE CORNER
The Sermon on the Mount
"A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14
The Gospel reading today (Matthew 5:13-16) is part of a larger discourse by Jesus known as the Sermon on the Mount. From the details and imagery used in this reading we see Jesus fulfilling several Old Testament figures. For instance, Jesus’s act of climbing a mountain and then teaching people divine truth calls to mind at least two figures of the Old Testament who did the same: Moses, who climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God and deliver it to Israel (Exodus 19-24), and Solomon, who took his throne on Mt. Zion and from there dispensed divine wisdom to all the nations (1 Kings 4). Jesus is both a New Moses and a New Solomon, a divine legislator and a king imbued with heavenly wisdom. In content his teaching often resembles (and corrects!) the law of Moses, but in form he uses imagery, literary devices, and word play, as Solomon did in his famous “proverbs.”
Further Reading: Luke Chapter 2
"Helpful Hints of Life"
Theresa A. Thomas
Living Simply
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I once was visiting a beautiful home, finely furnished with exquisite furniture, lovely artwork and impeccable décor. However, the heavy draperies around the windows blocked most of the natural light in the rooms, and left an atmosphere of heaviness and, quite frankly, suffocation. Although the home was beautiful I couldn't wait to leave and enjoy the freshness and plainness of the light and air outside.
I can't help but think, as we enter into this season of Lent, about the "heaviness," the complications of everyday life, that have the potential to snuff out the fresh light and air of Christ in our lives.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about living simply. Obviously Lent is a time for penance, reflection, renewal. It's a time for introspection and consideration of things eternal. What I'm proposing this Lent is paring down life, getting rid of the 'heavy draperies' so that things eternal can shine into our daily thoughts and lives.
How can simplicity of life be accomplished? I'm going to offer a formula set forth by philosopher and professor Peter Kreeft in his classic 1990 book, Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions. (It's rated a full five stars on Amazon.com. Buy it there or at your local Catholic bookstore. I promise you won't be disappointed.)
First, attain mastery over time. The clock should not be our god. It is true we need to watch the clock to make it to work, keep our dentist appointments, and get to Mass on time. However, American society is too focused on schedules. Take time to get at eye level with your child and really listen. Make time for 'date night' with your mate. Do one thing at a time. Do not worry about work when you are home with your family or your home projects when you are at work. Think about the one thing you are currently doing and do it well. (Kreeft bluntly tells his readers to stop "octopussing" — trying to do eight things at once. I might add that some of us are likely even "jellyfishing." Did you know some jellyfish have hundreds of tentacles?) Slow down and here's the biggie: pray... without watching a clock. God is the creator of time, reminds Kreeft. God can multiply time, but first we must offer our time to Him. And it is good to remember that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will take our sacrifice and bless us a thousand fold. A good place to start this Lent is going to Confession and attending other Catholic devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration or Stations of the Cross. Like the Nike commercial advocates, "Just do it."
Second, live more naturally. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier, following nature's cycle of darkness and light. Kreeft says this aids in simplicity because the things people do in the morning are usually simple things — walking, praying, and tidying up. And the things people do in the evening or more complicating (or time-wasting) — busywork, attending parties, watching television. Spend more time outdoors (yes, even in the winter!) Breathe in the fresh air. And take walks frequently. Kreeft writes, "[When you walk] you will begin to recapture the natural rhythms of the body...It attunes us with the earth and air...It is a symbol of life, the road to eternity... And it gives us an opportunity to think."
Third, recognize that often less is more. Don't just give up sweets this Lent. Take less food. Chew it slowly. Savor its flavor deliberately. Enjoy it more. We've all seen women who have overdone it in the jewelry and make-up departments. They have baubles and beads on every limb, and layers of gold or silver around their necks. Heavy eye shadow and lip color emphasizes their faces. Who can deny that this actually detracts from a woman's natural beauty? Contrast that image with simple cleanliness and light makeup, a plain cross necklace and a pair of simple earrings on a female. One young woman I knew in college gave up make-up for Lent. That's probably considered radical in our American culture, and I don't know very many women who would do that for forty whole days, but it is a good idea to eliminate extra things. Less truly is often more.
Fourth, decrease expenses. We don't need half of what we want anyway. Love of money is the root of all evil. See what you can do without.
Fifth, embrace silence. Kreeft calls silence "the unknown power source...the great untapped resource." He says that silence is more, not less than noise. Cultivate inner silence by eliminating outer noise. Turn off the television. Skip the radio in the car. Listen more. Talk less. God speaks to us all the time, but often with the cacophonic sounds intruding into our lives we just don't hear Him.
Simplifying life truly is like pulling back or even taking down thick draperies in a stuffy, dark room. In removing the fabric that blocks luminosity we will find more light, more freshness, and quite likely more room for God.
Theresa Thomas, a freelance writer and columnist for Today's Catholic resides in northern Indiana with her husband David and their nine children. She has been home schooling since 1994
"Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love." Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2717
The Marriage Minute:
Put God First – Everything Flows From HimChoose, as a couple, to love God more than you love each other. Only when God is the true king of your two hearts, can your one married heart, beat properly. Only when you love God first, can you love and treat each other and your children properly.
Ask yourself, do I love anyone or anything more than God, and make the needed changes.
Catholic Website of the Week
Catholic Answershttps://www.catholic.com/
Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. It helps Catholics and everyone better understand the Catholic Faith, and directly answers challenges and questions.
BEST PARISH PRACTICES
BULLETINS FROM SURROUNDING PARISHES
Post bulletins from surrounding parishes in your church vestibule or gathering space.
BENEFITS:
Making available bulletins from nearby parishes blesses your parish in many ways. It helps keep you informed of the prayer, work, and news of nearby Catholics. It offers their Mass times/Confession schedule, if parishioners cannot make your parish's. It gives a broader Church perspective to let parishioners see that Catholicism is bigger than 'my parish.' It can give good ideas to your parish and parishioners.
HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest if this is okay to do. The parish can then contact nearby parishes to send their bulletins via e-mail or direct one to them online. Then they can be printed out (or nearby parish may mail them to you) [even just one to read is enough] and placed in the church vestibule or gathering area and people can be made aware of their presence for reading and edification.
Helpful Hints For Life Communication
A great way to start a conversation about communication breakdowns is to ask the question “What did you hear me say?” This lets the other person explain their perception and where they are coming from. As you begin addressing the issues, keep in mind the three purposes to having the conversation: 1)To learn their story 2)Hear their feelings 3)To problem solve
Diocesan News AND BEYOND
Surprise Hit ‘Lourdes’ Documentary, Coming to U.S. Theaters, Captures Miracles of a Different Sort
The documentary "Lourdes," showing in theaters on Feb. 8 and 9, follows the experiences of sick and disabled pilgrims who often seek consolation rather than cures. | Bosco Films
By Zelda Caldwell
Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2023 / 05:00 am
The French documentary film “Lourdes” will be shown in 700 theaters in the U.S., for a special two-day screening, on Feb. 8 (in French with English subtitles) and Feb. 9 (in Spanish with English subtitles).
The film presents a unique and affecting view of the Catholic pilgrimage site as seen through the eyes of several of the sick pilgrims and their caregivers.
A surprise hit in France among critics and audiences, the award-winning documentary follows several sick and disabled pilgrims who travel to Lourdes in search of consolation, if not miracles, at the Marian shrine in the French Pyrenees. It was there on Feb. 11, 1858, that 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous witnessed the first of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
The filmmakers received unprecedented access to the sacred site from the Catholic Church. The sick and disabled pilgrims are seen praying at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, worshipping at the grotto where the visions took place, being immersed in the baths, and perhaps most affectingly, being cared for and assisted by volunteers or “hospitaliers.”
The U.S. tour follows the film's debut in France, where in 2020 it was nominated for best documentary at the Cesar Awards. Tickets for the Feb. 8 and 9 showings can be purchased online at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices.
As many as 6 million people visit Lourdes each year to pray and to touch, bathe in and drink from the spring water that flows under the grotto where the apparitions of the Virgin first took place. More than 7,000 cures have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, with 70 officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A 15-minute long “bonus” film following the presentation of the movie, distributed by Spain’s Bosco Films, features a Catholic physician discussing the miraculous cures attributed to Lourdes.
The movie “Lourdes,” however, is not exactly a movie about miracles. Audiences eager to be blown away by visible proof of the existence of a loving God who answers prayers may at first be disappointed when they realize it is not that kind of movie. What follows are miracles of a different sort: the gift of faith that makes possible peace and even joy through suffering, and the exercise of loving one’s neighbor in charity and compassion.
“Lourdes” is not always easy to watch – not only because it’s uncomfortable to see suffering at such close range, but because the unfamiliarity with that feeling is an indication that one tends to go through life avoiding being exposed to it.
A despondent teenage girl has come on an annual pilgrimage with her unemployed father to bathe in Lourdes’ spring water. Her father hopes to cure her of the cysts forming in her arm, but she prays before the statue of the Virgin Mary for relief from the kids who bully her at school.
A mother and father travel by bus with their 40-year-old son who can’t stand or feed himself, as his mother confesses that she still blames herself for the accident that changed their lives forever.
A father and his son, who himself is sick, seek healing for a terminally ill younger brother suffering from a painful skin condition. The faith of the two is palpable as is that of the boys' mother who manages to radiate joy as she sees them off.
A man afflicted in the last stages of ALS explains that he is grateful for the gift of peace he feels he has been given.
A group of prostitutes from Paris makes a solemn annual “Magdalena” pilgrimage to Lourdes in the company of a Catholic priest who gently counsels one to consider giving up his way of life.
Another man communicates by pointing to letters on a sheet of paper. The wry, intelligent look on his face seems to invite people to engage in conversation with him. We later learn that he has attempted suicide twice.
The inspiration for the movie came from its writer, veteran journalist Sixtine Léon-Dufour, who first went to Lourdes as a volunteer, very reluctantly, on the occasion of her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Once there, she was profoundly moved by the work, bathing, dressing, feeding, and talking to the pilgrims, and now returns with her family every year.
When she is volunteering at Lourdes, she told CNA that she is struck by the faith of the pilgrims, who, she said, come for consolation more than for a cure.
“What they all say is that when you go to the grotto and you spend some time praying — or not — at the feet of this statue of the Virgin Mary, you find peace, a real peace,” she said.
While Léon-Dufour is Catholic, the film’s directors, Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, are non-believers, she said.
In the months they spent interviewing people to feature in the movie, she said, the directors would always ask the same question: “You’re very Catholic, you pray a lot. Tell me, you are absolutely looking for a miracle, right?”
“And each time all the people you saw in the documentary, they said, ‘No, no!”
“No matter how hard I tried to explain that people come to Lourdes not especially looking for a miracle they would not understand that it was much more about faith and being together to find some comfort,” she said.
And despite the directors’ initial confusion and purported lack of faith, they managed to capture traces of the divine in the interactions between the sick and the volunteers who assist them. The word “miracle,” comes from the Latin miraculum or “thing of wonder,’ which perfectly describes these encounters.
The film shows the sick and disabled pilgrims light up when they are with others who treat them with love and respect. Volunteer nurses are seen engaging with their charges, talking to them, and drawing them out. For some pilgrims, it is clear that just being touched or held as they are bathed and dressed delights them.
For other sick pilgrims, it is the conversation that brings them joy. A sad-looking woman in her nineties appears completely transformed after talking with a young volunteer who engages with her as she would a friend. At first quiet and guarded, the encounter leaves the woman smiling, telling stories, and even singing.
A volunteer at Lourdes pilgrims sharing a laugh with a pilgrim. Bosco FilmsThe young faith-filled boy who is at Lourdes to pray for his sick brother seems to know what these pilgrims need. He makes a habit of reaching out to hold the hands of those who seem barricaded in their wheelchairs, eliciting shy smiles on their faces.
When a disabled woman begins to thrash and cry and it’s explained to the group of volunteers with her that she is sad to be leaving Lourdes, the young women soon have tears rolling down their cheeks.
Léon-Dufour told CNA that she thinks the sick and disabled find Lourdes a respite from what can be a cruel world.
“To be able to be in that place without any judgment from society because you are surrounded by disabled people, sick people. The poor, ‘the invisibles’ are on the front stage, which doesn't happen in our real lives. Here in Lourdes, you don't have any judgment. So I think that the first cure you can get is that you don't have ‘funny eyes’ on you.”
“And oh, all the people you will find on your way! Either they're as sick as you or as poor as you. Either. They're here just to help you,” she said.
The volunteers, many of whom are college students, usually stay for one week and receive training upon arriving at one of the welcome centers. The film shows a group of new volunteers being instructed on how to bathe their patients, how often to change their urinary incontinence pads, and the importance of drying them off completely. Many of the female volunteers wear nurses’ uniforms, complete with starched caps, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century, Léon-Dufour said.
“It was a matter of hygiene, and it was also because you used to have a lot of people, and especially women, from the French aristocracy [volunteering]. They didn't want to have any difference, between the, let's say the farmer and the aristocrats, so we kept these uniforms,” she said.
Lourdes, she said, is one of “the rarest places in the world,” because the volunteer nurses continue to come from all walks of life as do the pilgrims, she said.
“You have to give the showers, you have to dress the people, you have to entertain them, etc. And so, it's one of the places in the world where you will see a very successful CEO giving a shower to, let’s say, a maid. And it's great sometimes to have this kind of reminder, you know?” she said.
In making a movie about Lourdes, Léon-Dufour hoped to share with others something she discovered as a reluctant volunteer years ago.
“It's about giving back. Of course, you can give back everywhere — you can give back when you see a homeless person or whatever, but I think that you receive so much joy spending one week [at Lourdes],” she said. “I can assure you that that is very, very rewarding. The thing is that you keep going back because you receive much more.”
Cut and paste this like to watch trailer:
Zelda Caldwell is News Editor at Catholic News Agency based in Washington, DC. She previously worked for Aleteia, as News and Culture editor.
Meet Catholic School Students Who Pray The Rosary for the Unborn
Members of Lions for Life at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colo. | Kira Weiland
By Francesca Pollio
Denver, Colo., Feb 3
Seventh graders CeCe and Abby start off each month by waking up early to say the rosary with their fellow classmates.
“We think it is important to be part of Lions for Life to pray for mothers who are thinking about aborting their babies,” they told CNA. “We hope our prayers will help them decide to choose life."
They, along with more than 300 other students, attend St. Thomas More Catholic School in Centennial, Colorado, a Denver suburb. The mission of the grade school is to “bring the whole person to Jesus Christ” and “prepare students to serve the Church and community now and in the future” through a quality education. It also offers students the opportunity to take part in several groups, programs, and extracurricular activities.
One of these groups is the Lions for Life. Open to students from all grades, the prayer group meets once a month before school starts to pray the rosary for the protection of babies in the womb and for an end to abortion. Kira Weiland, a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, runs the group.
Weiland explained that she inherited the group in 2015 from a former teacher who started the program more than 10 years ago.
The students meet on the first Thursday of the month at 7:10 a.m., before classes begin. The students say it’s time well spent.
Jonathan, a seventh grader in the group, told CNA that “Getting up extra early to join prayer at Lions for Life is a worthy cause because we honor God with our prayers."
Weiland expressed that this is part of what makes running the group so rewarding.
“The fact that they are willing to get up early, come in and pray for babies in the world and that they care deeply about that enough to come early. It's really that the rewarding part — is seeing them living out their faith,” she said.
Weiland explained how they prayed the special rosary.
“Each mystery has a specific prayer for it that has to do with praying for respect for all life,” she described. “We'll go through and pray those specific prayers and then I have the kids lead it so it's really their ownership of it.”
“It’s really, really sweet to watch,” Weiland said. “We'll have the little kids and then all the big kids, and big kids lead the rosary … probably third through eighth will volunteer to lead the rosary.”
Other teachers emphasized their support for the group.
“The prayers of children through the intercession of Mary, the mother of all, are some of the most powerful weapons in the fight for the unborn,” expressed middle school teacher Katherine Abar.
With the life issue a debated topic, Weiland addressed the importance of instilling a respect for life from a young age.
“I think the earlier you start creating that love for neighbor, the longer lasting it is going to be and the more impactful they're going to be in going out into serving the world because they're going to say, ‘No, this is something that I know to be true from a young age,’” Weiland said.
She continued, “And when they're little, I think they get it the most — how precious the child is because they're children. And I think that's the beauty of the large range of our group now is because they get to see, ‘Oh, this little kindergartener is praying the rosary. We should be excited about that and pray with them.’”
The World’s Oldest Nun Celebrates 116th Birthday – Here’s Her Secret to Happiness
Sister André Randon, France 3 Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur, YouTubeDaughter of Charity Sister André Randon just turned 116.
She is the oldest person in Europe and the second-oldest person in the world. 117-year-old Japanese woman Kane Tanaka is the only person to surpass her in age.
Born Lucile Randon on Feb. 11, 1904, Sr. André converted to Catholicism at age 19. At age 25, she began caring for elderly and orphans at a French hospital. She later entered the Daughters of Charity at age 40.
Although she joined the convent late in life, her vocation has lasted for 76 years!
Sr. André moved in 2009 to Sainte-Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon, France, where she spent her 116th birthday with family and friends.
Sister André Randon, Vatican NewsAdditionally, for her 115th birthday, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter, along with a blessed Rosary.
Sr. Andre’s SecretHer secret recipe for happiness?
“Pray and drink a cup of chocolate every day.”
She also said her “daily happiness is being able to go and pray.”
Although blind and in a wheelchair, Sr. André never loses her sense of humor and always asks for prayers, saying that she “hopes God won’t be too slow to let her wait any longer…”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/despite-grave-problems-the-lord-will-never-abandon-his-church
Despite Grave Problems, the Lord Will Never Abandon His Church - ncregister.com
THE EDITORS What to Expect From the Vatican Summit? CARDINAL WILFRID NAPIER Love, Care and Justice Must Be Paramount: MARIE COLLINS Plea for Commitment and Transparency
www.ncregister.com--------------------
The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. -Catechism of the Catholic Church #533
A bit of humor…
Some Thoughts:
-Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
-Don't trust atoms, they make up everything.
- We live in an age where mentioning you read a book seems a little bit like you're showing off.
- I just let my mind wander, and it didn't come back.
- If it ain't broke, I haven't borrowed it yet.
THE YEAR'S BEST [actual] HEADLINES
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
[No, really?]
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
[Now that's taking things a bit far!]
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
[No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so!]
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
[Well if nothing else works!]
War Dims Hope for Peace
[I can see where it might have that effect!]
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
[Tell me some more of your deep thoughts.]
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
[We need more evidence before you go jumping to conclusions!]
Some Thoughts:
-Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
-Don't trust atoms, they make up everything.
- We live in an age where mentioning you read a book seems a little bit like you're showing off.
- I just let my mind wander, and it didn't come back.
- If it ain't broke, I haven't borrowed it yet.
THE YEAR'S BEST [actual] HEADLINES
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
[No, really?]
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
[Now that's taking things a bit far!]
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
[No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so!]
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
[Well if nothing else works!]
War Dims Hope for Peace
[I can see where it might have that effect!]
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
[Tell me some more of your deep thoughts.]
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
[We need more evidence before you go jumping to conclusions!]
A Prayer for Silence
Lady, Queen of Heaven,
pray me into solitude and silence and unity,
that all my ways may be immaculate in God.
Let me be content with whatever darkness surrounds me,
finding Him always by me, in His mercy.
Let me keep silence in this world,
except in so far as God wills and in the way he wills it.
Amen.
-Thomas Merton
Lady, Queen of Heaven,
pray me into solitude and silence and unity,
that all my ways may be immaculate in God.
Let me be content with whatever darkness surrounds me,
finding Him always by me, in His mercy.
Let me keep silence in this world,
except in so far as God wills and in the way he wills it.
Amen.
-Thomas Merton
Homily from Ash Wednesday
[SILENT PAUSE FOR ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS]
In the eternal silences of the Trinity God spoke one Word and He had nothing more to say.
Silence…it can be a scary place. Whether it's in an elevator with someone else you're wondering if you need to say something to break the silence, or you're at the stoplight and you have time before it changes, the silence of a car trip, or whether it's at Mass at some point before or after, there is silence in our lives.
However, most of us are uncomfortable with silence. We think we have to fill it say with some words, turn on the radio, or think of something to occupy the time as if it is wasted in silence. Even the short silence that I had before this I heard somebody whispering I saw people looking around. We don't know what to do with silence, but it is to the silence that we must go to during this Lenten season. We must find that which is to be found therein, more importantly Who is to be found in the silence.
In the silence in the eternal silences of the Trinity God spoke one Word and He had nothing more to say.
That one Word is Jesus…Jesus…Jesus. He who spends Himself in silence…The silence of the Eucharist…The silence of the 40 days in the desert. The silence of the one who does not speak in the Sacred Scriptures, who is silent until someone speaks them in a word of proclamation.
Silence is where you and I must go these 40 days. Silence must be the place that we strive to penetrate. It will take courage; it will take faith, but if we do, dear brothers and sisters, we will find Jesus; we will find conversion; we will leave our selfish selves to become the generous givers to God and neighbor and then we will no longer fear the silence, (or any one or anything.)
"Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #635
+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, February 5th, 2023
The First Reading- Isaiah 58:7-10
Thus says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
Reflection By the time the prophet Isaiah composed this oracle, the ancient Jubilee Year was a dead letter, a sacred “blue law.” No longer were servants and property released every fifty years, to be returned to their ancestral owners. No longer was every family and clan in Israel excused of their debts and re-united on their own familial property at least once in a lifetime. Nonetheless, the ideals of the Jubilee Year, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, seem to be inspiring the prophet as he speaks to Israel on behalf of God. Although the ancient laws of justice and mercy were no longer enforced, the people could still practice the principles of justice and mercy in their own lives: care for the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and attending to the needs of their own family members. These actions will draw the presence of God, described as “light,” down to his people, and remove the darkness and “gloom” (=sadness) of the community.
Adults – Justice and mercy are something we as Christians are called to. How do you practice justice and mercy in your life?
Teens – What is the relationship between justice and mercy?
Kids – Why does God want us to practice mercy?
Responsorial- Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
His justice shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
Reflection -This psalm praises the just man who is generous with his goods, giving to the poor: in other words, the kind of man who takes the prophetic exhortation of the First Reading to heart. As in the First Reading, there is “light” for those who put mercy and justice into practice. By being a blessing to others, they come to experience blessing themselves.
Lent is coming quickly. Have you considered what type of almsgiving you will practice for Lent?
The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 -
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Reflection
St. Paul was not a trained Greek orator, but the Greeks placed high value on the art of rhetoric, especially in ancient and wealthy seats of Greek culture like the city of Corinth. In this passage, the Apostle defends himself against those who ridiculed him and his message because his Greek was common and his thought shaped by Jewish rather than Hellenic standards of argument. St. Paul points out that the power of the Good News of Jesus is not dependent on rhetoric or literary devices, but on reality. The Holy Spirit has the power to transform lives, to forgive sins, to heal sickness of body and soul, to lead us into eternal life with God. These are realities, facts, not word-pictures or theatrical oratory.
-Moses, when called by God told Him he was “slow of speech and tongue,” and here we see St. Paul being judged for speech as well. Both of them were great giants of the faith. Is there something you struggle with that keeps you from proclaiming the faith? Talk to God about how to overcome it!
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
R Reflection
In this passage about the disciples as “salt” and “light,” Jesus makes generous use of Temple imagery that goes unnoticed by most contemporary readers. The image of “salt” is related to the Temple, because the priests made heavy use of salt, sprinkled on the sacrifices and elsewhere as a symbol of purity and as a seasoning and preservative for the sacrificial meat intended for human consumption. Apparently it was also used in covenant rituals, because the Chronicler speaks of the kingdom of the LORD being given to the House of David by a “covenant of salt” (2 Chr 13:5; see also Num 18:19). So salt is rich in ideas of purity, preservation, covenant fidelity, proper worship, and savor. “Salt that loses its savor” would be salt from which any true sodium has leached out, leaving behind only other minerals and impurities, fit only to be used for traction on roads. “Light” was also associated with the Temple, for on the basis of prophecies like Zech 14:7-8, the Jews believed that in the end times the Temple would be the source of continual (24-7) light for the people of Israel. This belief was enacted each year at the great Temple feast, the Festival of Tabernacles, during which the Temple courts were lit up twenty-four hours a day by huge menorah that had to be lit by young men on ladders. Jewish tradition describes “no shadow being in Jerusalem” during these ancient celebrations. It was during or just after this Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) that Jesus taught his disciples, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). For each of us at Mass this weekend, we need to consider how we may let the light of our own personal good deeds shine before others as a witness to the Gospel, inspiring people to “glorify the Father,” that is, come to worship the true God. This text, in other words, is calling us to “lifestyle evangelism.” Is my own life a radical enough expression of God’s love that my co-workers and neighbors can notice something about me, something that gives them joy and hope?
Adults – What are some concrete examples of how you can be salt and light to another person?
Teens – How often do you credit God for the gifts you have to share with others? This can be a powerful form of evangelization!
Kids – What do you think it means to bring light to others?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - Let us be salt and light, by our smiles, kindness, and courage!
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the awaited Messiah and on the entire messianic people. The whole life and mission of Jesus were carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit. The apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and proclaimed “the great works of God” (Acts 2:11). They gave the gift of the same Spirit to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands. Down through the centuries, the Church has continued to live by the Spirit and to impart him to her children.
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? d) all of the above
It is called Chrismation (in the Eastern Churches: Anointing with holy myron or chrism) because the essential rite of the sacrament is anointing with chrism. It is called Confirmation because it confirms and strengthens baptismal grace.
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
The essential rite of Confirmation is the anointing with Sacred Chrism (oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by the bishop), which is done by the laying on of the hand of the minister who pronounces the sacramental words proper to the rite. In the West this anointing is done on the forehead of the baptized with the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”. In the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine rite this anointing is also done on other parts of the body with the words, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
[SILENT PAUSE FOR ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS]
In the eternal silences of the Trinity God spoke one Word and He had nothing more to say.
Silence…it can be a scary place. Whether it's in an elevator with someone else you're wondering if you need to say something to break the silence, or you're at the stoplight and you have time before it changes, the silence of a car trip, or whether it's at Mass at some point before or after, there is silence in our lives.
However, most of us are uncomfortable with silence. We think we have to fill it say with some words, turn on the radio, or think of something to occupy the time as if it is wasted in silence. Even the short silence that I had before this I heard somebody whispering I saw people looking around. We don't know what to do with silence, but it is to the silence that we must go to during this Lenten season. We must find that which is to be found therein, more importantly Who is to be found in the silence.
In the silence in the eternal silences of the Trinity God spoke one Word and He had nothing more to say.
That one Word is Jesus…Jesus…Jesus. He who spends Himself in silence…The silence of the Eucharist…The silence of the 40 days in the desert. The silence of the one who does not speak in the Sacred Scriptures, who is silent until someone speaks them in a word of proclamation.
Silence is where you and I must go these 40 days. Silence must be the place that we strive to penetrate. It will take courage; it will take faith, but if we do, dear brothers and sisters, we will find Jesus; we will find conversion; we will leave our selfish selves to become the generous givers to God and neighbor and then we will no longer fear the silence, (or any one or anything.)
"Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #635
+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, February 5th, 2023
The First Reading- Isaiah 58:7-10
Thus says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
Reflection By the time the prophet Isaiah composed this oracle, the ancient Jubilee Year was a dead letter, a sacred “blue law.” No longer were servants and property released every fifty years, to be returned to their ancestral owners. No longer was every family and clan in Israel excused of their debts and re-united on their own familial property at least once in a lifetime. Nonetheless, the ideals of the Jubilee Year, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, seem to be inspiring the prophet as he speaks to Israel on behalf of God. Although the ancient laws of justice and mercy were no longer enforced, the people could still practice the principles of justice and mercy in their own lives: care for the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and attending to the needs of their own family members. These actions will draw the presence of God, described as “light,” down to his people, and remove the darkness and “gloom” (=sadness) of the community.
Adults – Justice and mercy are something we as Christians are called to. How do you practice justice and mercy in your life?
Teens – What is the relationship between justice and mercy?
Kids – Why does God want us to practice mercy?
Responsorial- Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
His justice shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
Reflection -This psalm praises the just man who is generous with his goods, giving to the poor: in other words, the kind of man who takes the prophetic exhortation of the First Reading to heart. As in the First Reading, there is “light” for those who put mercy and justice into practice. By being a blessing to others, they come to experience blessing themselves.
Lent is coming quickly. Have you considered what type of almsgiving you will practice for Lent?
The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 -
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Reflection
St. Paul was not a trained Greek orator, but the Greeks placed high value on the art of rhetoric, especially in ancient and wealthy seats of Greek culture like the city of Corinth. In this passage, the Apostle defends himself against those who ridiculed him and his message because his Greek was common and his thought shaped by Jewish rather than Hellenic standards of argument. St. Paul points out that the power of the Good News of Jesus is not dependent on rhetoric or literary devices, but on reality. The Holy Spirit has the power to transform lives, to forgive sins, to heal sickness of body and soul, to lead us into eternal life with God. These are realities, facts, not word-pictures or theatrical oratory.
-Moses, when called by God told Him he was “slow of speech and tongue,” and here we see St. Paul being judged for speech as well. Both of them were great giants of the faith. Is there something you struggle with that keeps you from proclaiming the faith? Talk to God about how to overcome it!
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
R Reflection
In this passage about the disciples as “salt” and “light,” Jesus makes generous use of Temple imagery that goes unnoticed by most contemporary readers. The image of “salt” is related to the Temple, because the priests made heavy use of salt, sprinkled on the sacrifices and elsewhere as a symbol of purity and as a seasoning and preservative for the sacrificial meat intended for human consumption. Apparently it was also used in covenant rituals, because the Chronicler speaks of the kingdom of the LORD being given to the House of David by a “covenant of salt” (2 Chr 13:5; see also Num 18:19). So salt is rich in ideas of purity, preservation, covenant fidelity, proper worship, and savor. “Salt that loses its savor” would be salt from which any true sodium has leached out, leaving behind only other minerals and impurities, fit only to be used for traction on roads. “Light” was also associated with the Temple, for on the basis of prophecies like Zech 14:7-8, the Jews believed that in the end times the Temple would be the source of continual (24-7) light for the people of Israel. This belief was enacted each year at the great Temple feast, the Festival of Tabernacles, during which the Temple courts were lit up twenty-four hours a day by huge menorah that had to be lit by young men on ladders. Jewish tradition describes “no shadow being in Jerusalem” during these ancient celebrations. It was during or just after this Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) that Jesus taught his disciples, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). For each of us at Mass this weekend, we need to consider how we may let the light of our own personal good deeds shine before others as a witness to the Gospel, inspiring people to “glorify the Father,” that is, come to worship the true God. This text, in other words, is calling us to “lifestyle evangelism.” Is my own life a radical enough expression of God’s love that my co-workers and neighbors can notice something about me, something that gives them joy and hope?
Adults – What are some concrete examples of how you can be salt and light to another person?
Teens – How often do you credit God for the gifts you have to share with others? This can be a powerful form of evangelization!
Kids – What do you think it means to bring light to others?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - Let us be salt and light, by our smiles, kindness, and courage!
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
265. What place does Confirmation have in the divine plan of salvation? b) Old Testament prophets announced the Spirit on the Messiah
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the awaited Messiah and on the entire messianic people. The whole life and mission of Jesus were carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit. The apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and proclaimed “the great works of God” (Acts 2:11). They gave the gift of the same Spirit to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands. Down through the centuries, the Church has continued to live by the Spirit and to impart him to her children.
266. Why is this sacrament called Chrismation or Confirmation? d) all of the above
It is called Chrismation (in the Eastern Churches: Anointing with holy myron or chrism) because the essential rite of the sacrament is anointing with chrism. It is called Confirmation because it confirms and strengthens baptismal grace.
267. What is the essential rite of Confirmation? c) “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
The essential rite of Confirmation is the anointing with Sacred Chrism (oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by the bishop), which is done by the laying on of the hand of the minister who pronounces the sacramental words proper to the rite. In the West this anointing is done on the forehead of the baptized with the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”. In the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine rite this anointing is also done on other parts of the body with the words, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
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