In this e-weekly:
-First Ever Multi-Season Series of Life of Jesus Changing Lives (Church News and More)
-Mobile (Cell) Phone Etiquette (Helpful Hints for Life)
-Homily on Mental Prayer is at end of e-mail
-CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS is a new section of the e-weekly is back (see below)
- BEST PARISH PRACTICE is also Back! (see below)
-First Ever Multi-Season Series of Life of Jesus Changing Lives (Church News and More)
-Mobile (Cell) Phone Etiquette (Helpful Hints for Life)
-Homily on Mental Prayer is at end of e-mail
-CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS is a new section of the e-weekly is back (see below)
- BEST PARISH PRACTICE is also Back! (see below)
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Pray, Pray, PRAY. Ok, so we know that we must pray, but how do we do it. Is one way more effective than another? How did the saints pray? What gave them their 'power'? "Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with the love of God. All the saints have become saints by mental prayer" (St. Alphonsus de Liguori).
Mental Prayer/Meditation (see term below) is the difference. Mental Prayer/Meditation is interior prayer engaging the mind, heart, soul, and strength. Vocal Prayer (see term below) is more exterior. One can offer Vocal Prayer and perhaps remain in sin. One who constantly offers Mental Prayer will either give up sin or give up Mental Prayer.
Next week, I will give you the steps to offer mental prayer.
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. A former Sunday's homily is in written form at the end of the e-weekly.
P.S.S. This coming Sunday is the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072824.cfm
P.S.S.S. Readings with questions for self or family reflection found at the end of e-weekly.
Pray, Pray, PRAY. Ok, so we know that we must pray, but how do we do it. Is one way more effective than another? How did the saints pray? What gave them their 'power'? "Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with the love of God. All the saints have become saints by mental prayer" (St. Alphonsus de Liguori).
Mental Prayer/Meditation (see term below) is the difference. Mental Prayer/Meditation is interior prayer engaging the mind, heart, soul, and strength. Vocal Prayer (see term below) is more exterior. One can offer Vocal Prayer and perhaps remain in sin. One who constantly offers Mental Prayer will either give up sin or give up Mental Prayer.
Next week, I will give you the steps to offer mental prayer.
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. A former Sunday's homily is in written form at the end of the e-weekly.
P.S.S. This coming Sunday is the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072824.cfm
P.S.S.S. Readings with questions for self or family reflection found at the end of e-weekly.
538. In the Old Testament, what relationship do the king and the temple have to prayer?
(Catechism of the Catholic Church-CCC 2578-2580, 2594)
a. God came to be with the people through the temple
b. The king only prayed for himself
c. God directed everyone to just pray in the temple
d. The king was the only one who prayed for his people
539. What is the role of prayer in the mission of the prophets?
(CCC 2581-2584)
a. After prayer the prophets led the people
b. The primary job of the prophets was to continually offer sacrifice to God
c. By prayer they brought God’s message to the people and the people to God
d. The prophets were the ones who lived the exact life God wanted His people to live
540. What is the importance of the Psalms in prayer?
(CCC 2579, 2585-2589, 2596-2597)
a. They are the crowning moment of prayer in the Old Testament
b. They are where the Word of God become the prayer of man
c. Christ prayed the Psalms and brought them to fulfillment
d. all of the above
PRAYER IS FULLY REVEALED AND REALIZED IN JESUS
541. From whom did Jesus learn how to pray?
(CCC 2599, 2620)
a. He taught Himself
b. His mother and the Jewish Tradition
c. the created world around Him
d. none of the above
(Answers at end.)
(Catechism of the Catholic Church-CCC 2578-2580, 2594)
a. God came to be with the people through the temple
b. The king only prayed for himself
c. God directed everyone to just pray in the temple
d. The king was the only one who prayed for his people
539. What is the role of prayer in the mission of the prophets?
(CCC 2581-2584)
a. After prayer the prophets led the people
b. The primary job of the prophets was to continually offer sacrifice to God
c. By prayer they brought God’s message to the people and the people to God
d. The prophets were the ones who lived the exact life God wanted His people to live
540. What is the importance of the Psalms in prayer?
(CCC 2579, 2585-2589, 2596-2597)
a. They are the crowning moment of prayer in the Old Testament
b. They are where the Word of God become the prayer of man
c. Christ prayed the Psalms and brought them to fulfillment
d. all of the above
PRAYER IS FULLY REVEALED AND REALIZED IN JESUS
541. From whom did Jesus learn how to pray?
(CCC 2599, 2620)
a. He taught Himself
b. His mother and the Jewish Tradition
c. the created world around Him
d. none of the above
(Answers at end.)
Term Review
prayer (from Latin precārius "obtained by entreaty") [entreaty = earnest request, appeal, beg]
-the raising of one's mind and heart to God
Vocal Prayer (from Latin vocalis, from voc-, vox "voice" = "obtain by entreaty with voice")
-set prayer offered exteriorly (by mouth) by an individual
[The use of some set formulas a person employs using verbal expressions that are not, at the time, the immediate product of communication with God.]
Mental Prayer (from Greek menos "spirit" = "obtain by entreaty with spirit")
(also from Late Latin mentalis, from Latin ment-, mens "mind,")
-one's own prayer offered interiorly with mind, heart, soul, and strength
[In mental prayer the three powers of the soul are engaged: the memory, which offers the mind material for meditation; the intellect, which ponders or directly perceives the meaning of some religious truth and its implications for practice; and the will, which freely expresses its sentiments of faith, trust, and love, and (as needed) makes good resolutions based on what the memory and intellect have made known to the will. Mental Prayer is a form of meditation consisting in the application of the various faculties of the soul, memory, imagination, intellect, and will, to the consideration of some mystery, principle, truth, or fact, with a view to exciting proper spiritual emotions and resolving on some act or course of action regarded as God's will and as a means of union with Him.]
Contemplative Prayer (Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari, from com- + templum space marked out for observation of signs from God = "awaiting a sign or gift from God after obtaining by entreaty")
-gift of 'prayer' from God given to the one who perseveres in prayer
[Contemplative Prayer is a gift from God and cannot be acquired or forced. It might be viewed as intimate communion with God.]
Helpful Hints For Life Communication -True communication starts inside. We can all look at the same thing and see/hear something different. Perceptions vary among people, and we often assume that other people perceive things exactly the way we do, which is often not the case.
prayer (from Latin precārius "obtained by entreaty") [entreaty = earnest request, appeal, beg]
-the raising of one's mind and heart to God
Vocal Prayer (from Latin vocalis, from voc-, vox "voice" = "obtain by entreaty with voice")
-set prayer offered exteriorly (by mouth) by an individual
[The use of some set formulas a person employs using verbal expressions that are not, at the time, the immediate product of communication with God.]
Mental Prayer (from Greek menos "spirit" = "obtain by entreaty with spirit")
(also from Late Latin mentalis, from Latin ment-, mens "mind,")
-one's own prayer offered interiorly with mind, heart, soul, and strength
[In mental prayer the three powers of the soul are engaged: the memory, which offers the mind material for meditation; the intellect, which ponders or directly perceives the meaning of some religious truth and its implications for practice; and the will, which freely expresses its sentiments of faith, trust, and love, and (as needed) makes good resolutions based on what the memory and intellect have made known to the will. Mental Prayer is a form of meditation consisting in the application of the various faculties of the soul, memory, imagination, intellect, and will, to the consideration of some mystery, principle, truth, or fact, with a view to exciting proper spiritual emotions and resolving on some act or course of action regarded as God's will and as a means of union with Him.]
Contemplative Prayer (Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari, from com- + templum space marked out for observation of signs from God = "awaiting a sign or gift from God after obtaining by entreaty")
-gift of 'prayer' from God given to the one who perseveres in prayer
[Contemplative Prayer is a gift from God and cannot be acquired or forced. It might be viewed as intimate communion with God.]
Helpful Hints For Life Communication -True communication starts inside. We can all look at the same thing and see/hear something different. Perceptions vary among people, and we often assume that other people perceive things exactly the way we do, which is often not the case.
"Helpful Hints of Life"
Mobile (Cell) Phone Etiquette
Mobile phones are wonderful tools and can even save lives, but as Grandma used to say, all things in their proper order. Here are some essentials:
1) Love the person you are with. Do NOT answer a mobile phone while with someone OR do NOT put someone on hold unless necessity demands that you take that call. In that case, try to tell the person, you might get a call when you are with them that you may have to take.
2) Leave your phone in the car or at home. Do NOT take your phone with you when going to places of worship, public leisure or performances, or visiting others. (Or for an emergency use sake, set the phone to silent.)
3) Be prudent when using mobile phone appropriately out of the house. Be careful not to talk loud, get emotional, or reveal things that should be kept hidden while talking to someone else in public locations. Give your time and attention to the one you are speaking to on the phone. Make sure your ring tones are not too loud.
4) Drive your car while you are driving. If you need the ability to use your cell phone while in your vehicle, pick up a headset, ear bud, bluetooth, etc to leave your hands and eyes available for the road. You can also find a safe place to pull off the road and use your cell phone.
Mobile (Cell) Phone Etiquette
Mobile phones are wonderful tools and can even save lives, but as Grandma used to say, all things in their proper order. Here are some essentials:
1) Love the person you are with. Do NOT answer a mobile phone while with someone OR do NOT put someone on hold unless necessity demands that you take that call. In that case, try to tell the person, you might get a call when you are with them that you may have to take.
2) Leave your phone in the car or at home. Do NOT take your phone with you when going to places of worship, public leisure or performances, or visiting others. (Or for an emergency use sake, set the phone to silent.)
3) Be prudent when using mobile phone appropriately out of the house. Be careful not to talk loud, get emotional, or reveal things that should be kept hidden while talking to someone else in public locations. Give your time and attention to the one you are speaking to on the phone. Make sure your ring tones are not too loud.
4) Drive your car while you are driving. If you need the ability to use your cell phone while in your vehicle, pick up a headset, ear bud, bluetooth, etc to leave your hands and eyes available for the road. You can also find a safe place to pull off the road and use your cell phone.
A Beginners Guide to Catholic Mental Prayer
http://www.beginningcatholic.com/christian-meditation
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-pray
This is a practical guide to explain and assist you through the steps to this powerful means of union with God.
[For those traveling this summer and needing to get to the Holy Mass.]
MASS TIMES AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES throughout the US
http://www.masstimes.org/
When traveling this Summer maybe add some religion to your trip.
Perhaps stop at a monastery or Cathedral you come across.
There are many Catholic historical sites. Or visit http://www.catholicshrines.net/ for a shrine near your vacation destination.
http://www.beginningcatholic.com/christian-meditation
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-pray
This is a practical guide to explain and assist you through the steps to this powerful means of union with God.
[For those traveling this summer and needing to get to the Holy Mass.]
MASS TIMES AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES throughout the US
http://www.masstimes.org/
When traveling this Summer maybe add some religion to your trip.
Perhaps stop at a monastery or Cathedral you come across.
There are many Catholic historical sites. Or visit http://www.catholicshrines.net/ for a shrine near your vacation destination.
Best Parish Practices
DONUT (FRESH FRUIT) FELLOWSHIP SUNDAY WITH PARISH GROUPS HOSTING
After Sunday Mass, host a time of fellowship (once a month or every week) that is run by the parish organizations that includes, donuts, fruit, breakfast bars or other food. For Saturday night, maybe a soup supper can be hosted by 5-6 people supplying the soup, sandwiches.
BENEFITS:
People join in fellowship and get to know each other and grow from the food of the Eucharist (Holy Mass), by then sharing a meal together. Parish organizations can get their name, their work, who they are and recruit members by speaking with those who come through the line. Banners or information can be available on tables where people sit for people to take or pass on.
HOW?
Consult and ask if it is okay with your Parish Priest. The Pastoral Council or a staff member might be able to schedule and coordinate groups to rotate doing the setup, serving and clean up. The coordinating person can give written instructions and remind the organization's leader each time or hand them a schedule. Organization leader then gets people at a monthly meeting. Parish can pay for the donuts, fruit, food, or the organization can. Cups, napkins, etc. can be supplied by the parish possibly bought in bulk and used each time Donut Fellowship Sunday is had.
DONUT (FRESH FRUIT) FELLOWSHIP SUNDAY WITH PARISH GROUPS HOSTING
After Sunday Mass, host a time of fellowship (once a month or every week) that is run by the parish organizations that includes, donuts, fruit, breakfast bars or other food. For Saturday night, maybe a soup supper can be hosted by 5-6 people supplying the soup, sandwiches.
BENEFITS:
People join in fellowship and get to know each other and grow from the food of the Eucharist (Holy Mass), by then sharing a meal together. Parish organizations can get their name, their work, who they are and recruit members by speaking with those who come through the line. Banners or information can be available on tables where people sit for people to take or pass on.
HOW?
Consult and ask if it is okay with your Parish Priest. The Pastoral Council or a staff member might be able to schedule and coordinate groups to rotate doing the setup, serving and clean up. The coordinating person can give written instructions and remind the organization's leader each time or hand them a schedule. Organization leader then gets people at a monthly meeting. Parish can pay for the donuts, fruit, food, or the organization can. Cups, napkins, etc. can be supplied by the parish possibly bought in bulk and used each time Donut Fellowship Sunday is had.
by ChurchPOP Editor -
The Chosen, YouTube / The Chosen, Official WebsiteThis is such a beautiful series!
The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season television show depicting the lives of Jesus and His apostles.
After the first episode launched, the series become the #1 media and film crowdfunding project of all time. More than 15,000 people invested over $10 million to fund this project.
Here’s the trailer below:
https://youtu.be/K1-FoFj8Jbo
The Chosen, YouTube / The Chosen, Official WebsiteThis is such a beautiful series!
The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season television show depicting the lives of Jesus and His apostles.
After the first episode launched, the series become the #1 media and film crowdfunding project of all time. More than 15,000 people invested over $10 million to fund this project.
Here’s the trailer below:
https://youtu.be/K1-FoFj8Jbo
Click here if you cannot see the video above.
Director Dallas Jenkins told ChurchPOP that the idea stemmed from a short film he created about Jesus’ birth from the shepherds’ perspective. While filming this project for his church, the idea of a multi-season show came to mind.
“I think really digging into the characters, spending time with them, and getting to know them in a show, as opposed to a quick movie, is an interesting idea,” Jenkins told ChurchPOP.
“People started catching onto the vision, and that’s when they came up with the crowdfunding idea, and here we are.”
Jenkins worked in Hollywood for about 20 years. He presented the idea to some of his contacts, but could not receive the proper funding needed for the project.
However, the streaming video company VidAngel expressed interest, and moved forward with the show. It is now available through their website.
Jenkins said show’s response has been “overwhelming.” He said both kids and parents say they “watched each episode multiple times,” and he “didn’t necessarily think kids would get into the show.”
“Every day we get dozens of people saying it changed their lives or relationship with God—that they’re seeing Jesus in a whole new way,” Jenkins said.
“It’s really powerful seeing how the show’s impacted people’s relationship with God. And especially seeing that from kids is an incredible thing.”
Jenkins hopes the show will run for at least six seasons, with eight episodes each. The first four episodes are now available, and episode one is available for free on YouTube.
The complete first Three Seasons have been released, all free. The Fourth Season was released earlier this year, 2024.
6 Ways to Keep the Eucharistic Revival Alive
COMMENTARY: The 10th National Eucharistic Congress was a sight to behold. The faithful must carry this fervor beyond Indianapolis — and beyond the 2025 conclusion of the Revival.
COMMENTARY: The 10th National Eucharistic Congress was a sight to behold. The faithful must carry this fervor beyond Indianapolis — and beyond the 2025 conclusion of the Revival.
Clockwise from top left: Christ is adored in downtown Indianapolis July 20; Bishop Andrew Cozzens blesses the faithful with the Blessed Sacrament from the Indiana War Memorial July 20; the Host is elevated at Mass and adored at Lucas Oil Stadium on Day 2 of the NEC. (photo: Jeffrey Bruno)
Maria CintorinoCommentaries
July 22, 2024
The 10th National Eucharistic Congress was a sight to behold. The fervor over the Real Presence which U.S. Catholics have displayed since the 2021 kickoff has been astounding.
And with the Pentecost send-off of thousands of pilgrims from the four major points on the compass, converging in Indianapolis for five days July 17-21, the stage seems to be set for an outpouring of God’s grace that the Church in the U.S. sorely needs.
The faithful must carry this fervor beyond Indianapolis — and beyond the 2025 conclusion of the Revival.
How do we keep the momentum of revival going?
Has the Church become more rooted in its Eucharistic identity, and has understanding of and participation in the sacramental life increased? Are the faithful deepening their love for the Eucharist and encountering the Eucharistic Lord through the liturgy and private prayer? What areas of catechesis are still needed?
Recent polls disclose churches are still struggling to regain their pre-pandemic Mass attendance. Though a 2023 Gallup study reveals more Catholics believe in the Real Presence (64% as opposed to the 33% reported by the 2019 survey), only a small percentage — one-third — attend Sunday Mass. This suggests a disconnect between the faithful’s belief in the Eucharist and their understanding about the Mass, its mysteries, and their participation in the Church’s sacramental life. It necessitates that the Eucharistic Revival’s work includes further Eucharistic preaching and catechesis, even after the Revival ends.
In 2007’s Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI outlined six practical strategies to foster Eucharistic devotion that the Church can implement to keep the Eucharistic Revival alive.
1. Continue Eucharistic preaching, focused on instruction on the liturgy and its beauty.
The Mass, the highest form of prayer, is perhaps the most misunderstood prayer. Hence, preaching must center on the liturgy, its mysteries and its prayers to develop a deeper appreciation for God’s work in the liturgy and in one’s own life. This fosters a deeper Eucharistic reverence, for, as Eucharistic people, we are meant to live the Mass. Through preaching and offering resources such as The Mass Explained, the faithful, touched by the liturgy’s beauty, will desire participation in God’s salvific work and hunger to receive the spiritual food that never perishes.
2. Renew the sacrament of penance.
As one must be in the state of grace to receive Communion, the Eucharist and penance must not be separated. St. Irenaeus preached that “the glory of God is man fully alive.” On the cross, Christ suffered and died for man to experience the life, glory and vision of God. The more we live in the state of grace, the more we live in union with God. The more we receive Christ in the Eucharist, becoming connatural with him, the more we are fully alive. This is true freedom, and losing sight of this has dire consequences.
Pope Benedict XVI warned that “the loss of consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of God’s love.” By disregarding sin and its harmful effects, we separate ourselves from God and mar our understanding of God’s love that we encounter in the Eucharist.
3. Foster the practice of gaining indulgences.
Obtaining indulgences reinforces truths of the Eucharist and the sacrament of penance: that we are united to each other and that by ourselves we cannot repair the temporal punishment incurred by our sins.
Pope Benedict instructed that because “the conditions for gaining an indulgence include confession and receiving sacramental communion, this practice can effectively sustain the faithful on their journey of conversion and in rediscovering the centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian life.”
4. Pray with God’s word.
Pope Benedict teaches that God speaks in the present, as his presence in the liturgy attests. Lectio divina (prayerful reading of Scripture) and praying the Liturgy of the Hours immerses the faithful in God’s word, nurturing receptivity in finding and listening to God through Scripture.
This attentiveness to God’s word enriches one’s participation in the liturgy, as the faithful will hear God speak to them through the readings and prayers of the Mass.
5. Reinstate Sunday as a day of rest.
Observing the Lord’s Day recalls that we are made for the heavenly banquet and aids us in reorientating our week to God. Centered upon the Eucharist and sharing in the communal life of the Church, Christians rediscover “the Eucharistic form which their lives are meant to have” and respond by making their lives a continual self-offering to God.
6. Offer and encourage private prayer before the Eucharist.
Parishes must catechize the faithful on the beauty of Eucharistic adoration and must nourish the souls of the faithful by making the Eucharist accessible to their parishioners.
Parish Holy Hours, weekly adoration, First Friday all-night adoration, annual 40 Hours devotion and Eucharistic processions provide opportunities for the faithful to meet the Eucharistic Lord in prayer and rest in his presence.
By catechizing the faithful and implementing these six practices, the Church will, long after the mountaintop experience of the Eucharistic Congress and Revival, continue to build a greater belief, reverence and love for the Eucharist, while inciting the desire for all Catholics to live their faith by participating in the sacramental life of the Church.
Maria CintorinoCommentaries
July 22, 2024
The 10th National Eucharistic Congress was a sight to behold. The fervor over the Real Presence which U.S. Catholics have displayed since the 2021 kickoff has been astounding.
And with the Pentecost send-off of thousands of pilgrims from the four major points on the compass, converging in Indianapolis for five days July 17-21, the stage seems to be set for an outpouring of God’s grace that the Church in the U.S. sorely needs.
The faithful must carry this fervor beyond Indianapolis — and beyond the 2025 conclusion of the Revival.
How do we keep the momentum of revival going?
Has the Church become more rooted in its Eucharistic identity, and has understanding of and participation in the sacramental life increased? Are the faithful deepening their love for the Eucharist and encountering the Eucharistic Lord through the liturgy and private prayer? What areas of catechesis are still needed?
Recent polls disclose churches are still struggling to regain their pre-pandemic Mass attendance. Though a 2023 Gallup study reveals more Catholics believe in the Real Presence (64% as opposed to the 33% reported by the 2019 survey), only a small percentage — one-third — attend Sunday Mass. This suggests a disconnect between the faithful’s belief in the Eucharist and their understanding about the Mass, its mysteries, and their participation in the Church’s sacramental life. It necessitates that the Eucharistic Revival’s work includes further Eucharistic preaching and catechesis, even after the Revival ends.
In 2007’s Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI outlined six practical strategies to foster Eucharistic devotion that the Church can implement to keep the Eucharistic Revival alive.
1. Continue Eucharistic preaching, focused on instruction on the liturgy and its beauty.
The Mass, the highest form of prayer, is perhaps the most misunderstood prayer. Hence, preaching must center on the liturgy, its mysteries and its prayers to develop a deeper appreciation for God’s work in the liturgy and in one’s own life. This fosters a deeper Eucharistic reverence, for, as Eucharistic people, we are meant to live the Mass. Through preaching and offering resources such as The Mass Explained, the faithful, touched by the liturgy’s beauty, will desire participation in God’s salvific work and hunger to receive the spiritual food that never perishes.
2. Renew the sacrament of penance.
As one must be in the state of grace to receive Communion, the Eucharist and penance must not be separated. St. Irenaeus preached that “the glory of God is man fully alive.” On the cross, Christ suffered and died for man to experience the life, glory and vision of God. The more we live in the state of grace, the more we live in union with God. The more we receive Christ in the Eucharist, becoming connatural with him, the more we are fully alive. This is true freedom, and losing sight of this has dire consequences.
Pope Benedict XVI warned that “the loss of consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of God’s love.” By disregarding sin and its harmful effects, we separate ourselves from God and mar our understanding of God’s love that we encounter in the Eucharist.
3. Foster the practice of gaining indulgences.
Obtaining indulgences reinforces truths of the Eucharist and the sacrament of penance: that we are united to each other and that by ourselves we cannot repair the temporal punishment incurred by our sins.
Pope Benedict instructed that because “the conditions for gaining an indulgence include confession and receiving sacramental communion, this practice can effectively sustain the faithful on their journey of conversion and in rediscovering the centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian life.”
4. Pray with God’s word.
Pope Benedict teaches that God speaks in the present, as his presence in the liturgy attests. Lectio divina (prayerful reading of Scripture) and praying the Liturgy of the Hours immerses the faithful in God’s word, nurturing receptivity in finding and listening to God through Scripture.
This attentiveness to God’s word enriches one’s participation in the liturgy, as the faithful will hear God speak to them through the readings and prayers of the Mass.
5. Reinstate Sunday as a day of rest.
Observing the Lord’s Day recalls that we are made for the heavenly banquet and aids us in reorientating our week to God. Centered upon the Eucharist and sharing in the communal life of the Church, Christians rediscover “the Eucharistic form which their lives are meant to have” and respond by making their lives a continual self-offering to God.
6. Offer and encourage private prayer before the Eucharist.
Parishes must catechize the faithful on the beauty of Eucharistic adoration and must nourish the souls of the faithful by making the Eucharist accessible to their parishioners.
Parish Holy Hours, weekly adoration, First Friday all-night adoration, annual 40 Hours devotion and Eucharistic processions provide opportunities for the faithful to meet the Eucharistic Lord in prayer and rest in his presence.
By catechizing the faithful and implementing these six practices, the Church will, long after the mountaintop experience of the Eucharistic Congress and Revival, continue to build a greater belief, reverence and love for the Eucharist, while inciting the desire for all Catholics to live their faith by participating in the sacramental life of the Church.
CNS photo/Paul Haring
It is a tremendous joy and blessing to have two sons attending St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. Brendan Jr. entered the seminary as part of the new school's inaugural class in the fall of 2011. James followed him in the fall of 2014.
When Brendan entered, I knew I did not control his vocation and learned to simply let go. I asked the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary to guide him in his discernment and spiritual formation.
Since then, I have not experienced any anxiety about what the future holds for my two sons because God is so evidently with them. My wife, Beth, and I are incredibly joyful as we witness our sons' response to God's call. Their openness is truly inspiring. There was a time when I helped teach and guide them in their faith, but now I learn from them - a role reversal that has been both humbling and rewarding.
Some say there is a crisis of vocations, but I believe the real crisis is in responding to the call. With two of my boys on the path to priesthood, I am sometimes asked for my "secret." I respond that three persons are most responsible - the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary and my wife. Brendan and James were both homeschooled through high school, and my wife was their first and most important catechist. Her love and knowledge of the faith planted the seed, and her wisdom and devotion taught them how to live the faith daily by word and deed. In addition, I cannot overemphasize the importance of family prayer for fostering vocations, whether to the priesthood, religious life or marriage.
About 20 years ago, I first heard the family described as a "domestic church." This spoke deeply to me and changed how I viewed family life. While I am my sons' biological father, their creator and spiritual father is the Lord. My role is to pass on the faith to them by instruction and example. When Brendan first told us that he was applying to seminary, my spirit rejoiced. His heavenly Father knew better than I what he should do with his life, and my expectations for him were no longer relevant.
For James, the path was less direct. He entered The Catholic University of America as a physics major, switched to math, and then decided to enter seminary at the end of his junior year while spending a semester in Ireland. While we were aware that he was considering the priesthood, God led James to that decision in his own time, and that fact also brought us much joy.
One thing that has helped to foster our sons' vocations has been to invite priests and religious into the home. My wife has done this exceptionally well. Her invitations and hospitality to priests and religious sisters resulted in the boys seeing them as ordinary men and women who opened their lives to God's grace. They didn't view priests as distant figures on the altar with whom they had no connection; rather, they learned what life as a priest was like, and the extraordinary impact that one man can have on the parish community and beyond.
In the seminary, Brendan and James receive wonderful human and spiritual formation and a solid academic education. They are taught by dedicated priests who inspire them by example, and they share their lives with brother seminarians who are also a source of grace, fellowship and wisdom.
I encourage parents who may be unsure or anxious about how to respond to a child's interest in the priesthood or religious life to remain confident that the Lord knows what their vocation should be. He will lead them if you prepare and encourage them to respond to the call. Remember what Mary said to the servants at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5).
BRENDAN GLASGOW lives in Olney, Md., where he is a member of Father Peter Paul Maher Council 6793. He and his wife, Beth, are the parents of seven children.
It is a tremendous joy and blessing to have two sons attending St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. Brendan Jr. entered the seminary as part of the new school's inaugural class in the fall of 2011. James followed him in the fall of 2014.
When Brendan entered, I knew I did not control his vocation and learned to simply let go. I asked the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary to guide him in his discernment and spiritual formation.
Since then, I have not experienced any anxiety about what the future holds for my two sons because God is so evidently with them. My wife, Beth, and I are incredibly joyful as we witness our sons' response to God's call. Their openness is truly inspiring. There was a time when I helped teach and guide them in their faith, but now I learn from them - a role reversal that has been both humbling and rewarding.
Some say there is a crisis of vocations, but I believe the real crisis is in responding to the call. With two of my boys on the path to priesthood, I am sometimes asked for my "secret." I respond that three persons are most responsible - the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary and my wife. Brendan and James were both homeschooled through high school, and my wife was their first and most important catechist. Her love and knowledge of the faith planted the seed, and her wisdom and devotion taught them how to live the faith daily by word and deed. In addition, I cannot overemphasize the importance of family prayer for fostering vocations, whether to the priesthood, religious life or marriage.
About 20 years ago, I first heard the family described as a "domestic church." This spoke deeply to me and changed how I viewed family life. While I am my sons' biological father, their creator and spiritual father is the Lord. My role is to pass on the faith to them by instruction and example. When Brendan first told us that he was applying to seminary, my spirit rejoiced. His heavenly Father knew better than I what he should do with his life, and my expectations for him were no longer relevant.
For James, the path was less direct. He entered The Catholic University of America as a physics major, switched to math, and then decided to enter seminary at the end of his junior year while spending a semester in Ireland. While we were aware that he was considering the priesthood, God led James to that decision in his own time, and that fact also brought us much joy.
One thing that has helped to foster our sons' vocations has been to invite priests and religious into the home. My wife has done this exceptionally well. Her invitations and hospitality to priests and religious sisters resulted in the boys seeing them as ordinary men and women who opened their lives to God's grace. They didn't view priests as distant figures on the altar with whom they had no connection; rather, they learned what life as a priest was like, and the extraordinary impact that one man can have on the parish community and beyond.
In the seminary, Brendan and James receive wonderful human and spiritual formation and a solid academic education. They are taught by dedicated priests who inspire them by example, and they share their lives with brother seminarians who are also a source of grace, fellowship and wisdom.
I encourage parents who may be unsure or anxious about how to respond to a child's interest in the priesthood or religious life to remain confident that the Lord knows what their vocation should be. He will lead them if you prepare and encourage them to respond to the call. Remember what Mary said to the servants at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5).
BRENDAN GLASGOW lives in Olney, Md., where he is a member of Father Peter Paul Maher Council 6793. He and his wife, Beth, are the parents of seven children.
-An angry man comes to his neighbor: “Is that your cat that in my garden, digging out my carrots?” The neighbor replies: “Of course. Do you think I would have time for that?”
-Two friends are walking in a park when they’re suddenly stopped by a mugger with a gun. “Give me all your money!” demands the mugger. Both get out their wallets, but one of the friends slaps his forehead, “I totally forgot, Joe, I still owe you 150 dollars! Here you are!”
Deep Thoughts
-If you got into a taxi and he started driving backwards, would the driver end up owing you money?
-Why is it called a tv set if you only get one?
-Why is abbreviation such a long word?
-Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
I marked the spot - Two friends rented a boat and fished in a lake every day. One day they caught 30 fish. One guy said to his friend, "Mark this spot so that we can come back here again tomorrow." The next day, when they were driving to rent the boat, the same guy asked his friend, "Did you mark that spot?" His friend replied, "Yeah, I put a big 'X' on the bottom of the boat." The first one said, "Oh my goodness! What if we don't get that same boat today!?!?"
A Child's Point of View!
The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's Sunday School class. Following the story, the children were asked to draw some picture that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front seat was a man and in the back seat, a man and a woman. The teacher was at a loss to understand how this illustrated the lesson of Adam and Eve. Little Bobby was prompt with his explanation. "Why, this is God driving Adam and Eve out of the garden!"
Falling Off The Horse
The old time pastor was galloping down the road, rushing to get to church on time. Suddenly his horse stumbled and pitched him to the ground. In the dirt with a broken leg, the pastor called out, "All you saints in Heaven, help me get up on my horse!
Then, with superhuman effort, he leaped onto the horse's back and fell off the other side.
Once again on the ground, he called to Heaven, "All right, just half of you this time!"
Whose Calling?The Pastor had just put up his "Shut OFF all Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices" sign in the back of church during the week. At Mass, a cell phone rings in the assembly. The embarrassed person does not reach to shut it off not wanting to draw attention to himself.
The priest finally says out loud, "That better be God calling!"
How to Deal With The Issue
A friend of mine recently sought counsel for an issue in his life, and came back to me with this funny report...
"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start.
So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a chocolate cake.
I feel better already."
-Two friends are walking in a park when they’re suddenly stopped by a mugger with a gun. “Give me all your money!” demands the mugger. Both get out their wallets, but one of the friends slaps his forehead, “I totally forgot, Joe, I still owe you 150 dollars! Here you are!”
Deep Thoughts
-If you got into a taxi and he started driving backwards, would the driver end up owing you money?
-Why is it called a tv set if you only get one?
-Why is abbreviation such a long word?
-Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
I marked the spot - Two friends rented a boat and fished in a lake every day. One day they caught 30 fish. One guy said to his friend, "Mark this spot so that we can come back here again tomorrow." The next day, when they were driving to rent the boat, the same guy asked his friend, "Did you mark that spot?" His friend replied, "Yeah, I put a big 'X' on the bottom of the boat." The first one said, "Oh my goodness! What if we don't get that same boat today!?!?"
A Child's Point of View!
The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's Sunday School class. Following the story, the children were asked to draw some picture that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front seat was a man and in the back seat, a man and a woman. The teacher was at a loss to understand how this illustrated the lesson of Adam and Eve. Little Bobby was prompt with his explanation. "Why, this is God driving Adam and Eve out of the garden!"
Falling Off The Horse
The old time pastor was galloping down the road, rushing to get to church on time. Suddenly his horse stumbled and pitched him to the ground. In the dirt with a broken leg, the pastor called out, "All you saints in Heaven, help me get up on my horse!
Then, with superhuman effort, he leaped onto the horse's back and fell off the other side.
Once again on the ground, he called to Heaven, "All right, just half of you this time!"
Whose Calling?The Pastor had just put up his "Shut OFF all Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices" sign in the back of church during the week. At Mass, a cell phone rings in the assembly. The embarrassed person does not reach to shut it off not wanting to draw attention to himself.
The priest finally says out loud, "That better be God calling!"
How to Deal With The Issue
A friend of mine recently sought counsel for an issue in his life, and came back to me with this funny report...
"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start.
So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a chocolate cake.
I feel better already."
Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!
+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, July 28th, 2024
The First Reading- 2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat." But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred people?" Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat." "For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
Reflection
God always gives us more than we need. Today’s Scriptures tell us two stories about God giving people more food than they needed. The first reading is the story of the Prophet Elisha feeding 100 people with only 20 barley loaves. The Lord said that there would be food leftover - and there was! This is a type of the miraculous feedings of Christ, and also ultimately of the Eucharist.
Adults - We can sometimes feel stretched thin with the demands of everyday life. Ask the Lord’s help in multiplying your patience and fortitude, or whatever virtue you need at the moment, as you go through the day.
Teens - God worked through Elisha benefit others. Ask God to show you where he can use your gifts to the fullest potential to build the Body of Christ. Can you cantor at Mass? Work with the younger kids of the parish? Help decorate for the liturgical year?
Kids - What gifts has God given you to help others?
Responsorial- Psalm 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18
R.The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Reflection
This Psalm is a litany of praise to God for HIs many interventions in forming, guiding, and protecting His people throughout history. His works of Creation are magnificent, but his most prominent attribute is His boundless mercy to us. -Pray at least one Rosary for a specific need this week.
The Second Reading- Ephesians 4: 1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Reflection
Paul is teaching us that we are called to an exquisite banquet - the banquet of the Lord, and wants us to know how to carefully prepare. He makes it clear that just believing is not enough - that belief must transform into action in the way we live our lives. Unity with the Lord and with each other is maintained through the practice of virtue.
Ask the Lord to guide you in discerning what vriture you may need to work on in your life.
The Holy Gospel according to John 6: 1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Reflection
The miraculous feedings Christ performs point forward to the miracle of the Eucharist. Having experienced this miracle the crowd goes from what was possibly a shallow belief in Jesus as a wonderworker to concluding that He is the Messiah. They wish to carry Him off and make Him king, but He withdraws. Jesus is not going to be the king the people expect. He is going to follow His Father’s plan for His kingship. This is a lesson for the Church today. We are to be the Church that the Father wills, not that the world wills.
Adults -How have I experienced God’s extravagant, overflowing gifts? How do I use them to feed others?
Teens -Do you feel like God has given you everything you need to represent him in your world? If not, what is lacking? If so, what is your greatest asset?
Kids - Do you ever waste anything? Do you get in trouble for it? Why?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “We must rest assured then that Christ is intimately interested in our daily lives on earth. We must not expect that this interest of his will remove all shadows from our path. This would not be for our eternal good—and our eternal happiness is Christ's first interest in us. It should also be our own first and principal interest too. It will help us, too, to bear with our lot, if we look about us and see so many others who are worse off, or at least as badly off as we are especially with regard to the snags of life. Christian charity will move us to help them; we may not be able to give them any material help, but we can help to lighten their load by showing our sincere interest in them and by offering words of comfort and consolation. This is the only charity that the poor have to offer to their fellow sufferers, but if it is Christ-inspired its effects will reach to heaven. -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
Homily Introducting to Mental Prayer
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity. -Second Reading
Where is the quiet and tranquil life? Are we offer prayer and supplications?
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. -Second Reading
Men, MEN, you are the ones in the family that are to say, 'its time to pray,' or 'let's get ready for Mass.' Men, it is your job, not your wife or children to say. Men are to be the leaders of prayer in the family!
Pray together, stay together
Couples, do you pray together. If not, why not
God at the center Who is at the center of your life?
Pray simply and humbly
My dad recently said to me, "Only strong families are going to make it today." You know there might have been a time when we could go through the motions of life, do the minimum be Catholic in name only and get by, but those times are past. Only strong families, and only strong prayer is going to make it today.
"The Eucharist . . . is the greatest gift in the order of grace and of sacrament that the divine Spouse has offered and unceasingly offers to His spouse" (John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae 121. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the source and summit of the whole Christian life and contains the entire wealth of the Church (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5). Yet it is possible for one to attend Mass and 'get nothing out of it.' Why is this?I don't get anything out of Mass. Why do I have to go to Church?
People pray Rosary, attend Mass often, do good works, but still struggle with vice, addiction, habitual sin, no change. Prayer does not seem to be enough. What is needed? MENTAL PRAYER
The reason: people do not know how to meditate; they do not know how to engage in mental prayer.
"Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with the love of God. All the saints have become saints by mental prayer" (St. Alphonsus de Liguori).
Vocal Prayer - External intention and direction to God
Mental Prayer - What we give to God
Contemplative Prayer - What God gives us
The Church's Canon Law says that "Priests . . . are to be conscientious in devoting time regularly to mental prayer" (Canon 276, §2). Holy Mother Church also teaches lay people to travel the way of mental prayer in the Second Vatican Council's decree on the laity: "Only by the light of faith and by meditation on the Word of God can one always and everywhere recognize God in Whom 'we live, and move, and have our being' (Acts 17:28), seek His will in every event, see Christ in everyone" (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 4).
What is Mental Prayer?
-Keep attention on God
-Heart, mind, soul, and strength on God
-Engage mind in imagination to paint more real picture
-Attention is kept
-Meditation
[Meditation is a form of mental prayer consisting in the application of the various faculties of the soul, memory, imagination, intellect, and will, to the consideration of some mystery, principle, truth, or fact, with a view to exciting proper spiritual emotions and resolving on some act or course of action regarded as God's will and as a means of union with Him.]
The function of mental prayer then, is to study the features of the life of Jesus and to beg the Holy Spirit to fashion our lives according to this resplendent pattern.
Keeping constantly in mind who you are and whom you are addressing.
Prayer Mental Prayer everyday
10 Minutes in the classroom of silence.
Either your will give up vice or sin, or you will give up Mental Prayer
CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS
538. In the Old Testament, what relationship do the king and the temple have to prayer? a. God came to be with the people through the temple
-The prayer of the People of God developed in the shadow of the dwelling place of God – the Ark of the Covenant, then the Temple – under the guidance of their shepherds. Among them there was David, the King “after God’s own heart,” the shepherd who prayed for his people. His prayer was a model for the prayer of the people because it involved clinging to the divine promise and a trust filled with love for the One who is the only King and Lord.
539. What is the role of prayer in the mission of the prophets? c. By prayer they brought God’s message to the people and the people to God
-The prophets drew from prayer the light and strength to exhort the people to faith and to conversion of heart. They entered into great intimacy with God and interceded for their brothers and sisters to whom they proclaimed what they had seen and heard from the Lord. Elijah was the father of the prophets, of those who sought the face of God. On Mount Carmel he achieved the return of the people to the faith, thanks to the intervention of God to whom he prayed: “Answer me, O Lord, answer me!” (1 Kings 18:37).
540. What is the importance of the Psalms in prayer? d. all of the above
The Psalms are the summit of prayer in the Old Testament: the Word of God become the prayer of man. Inseparably both personal and communal, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, this prayer sings of God’s marvelous deeds in creation and in the history of salvation. Christ prayed the Psalms and brought them to fulfillment. Thus they remain an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church suited to people of every condition and time.
PRAYER IS FULLY REVEALED AND REALIZED IN JESUS
541. From whom did Jesus learn how to pray? b. His mother and the Jewish Tradition
Jesus, with his human heart, learned how to pray from his mother and from the Jewish tradition. But his prayer sprang from a more secret source because he is the eternal Son of God who in his holy humanity offers his perfect filial prayer to his Father.
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, July 28th, 2024
The First Reading- 2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat." But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred people?" Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat." "For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
Reflection
God always gives us more than we need. Today’s Scriptures tell us two stories about God giving people more food than they needed. The first reading is the story of the Prophet Elisha feeding 100 people with only 20 barley loaves. The Lord said that there would be food leftover - and there was! This is a type of the miraculous feedings of Christ, and also ultimately of the Eucharist.
Adults - We can sometimes feel stretched thin with the demands of everyday life. Ask the Lord’s help in multiplying your patience and fortitude, or whatever virtue you need at the moment, as you go through the day.
Teens - God worked through Elisha benefit others. Ask God to show you where he can use your gifts to the fullest potential to build the Body of Christ. Can you cantor at Mass? Work with the younger kids of the parish? Help decorate for the liturgical year?
Kids - What gifts has God given you to help others?
Responsorial- Psalm 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18
R.The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Reflection
This Psalm is a litany of praise to God for HIs many interventions in forming, guiding, and protecting His people throughout history. His works of Creation are magnificent, but his most prominent attribute is His boundless mercy to us. -Pray at least one Rosary for a specific need this week.
The Second Reading- Ephesians 4: 1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Reflection
Paul is teaching us that we are called to an exquisite banquet - the banquet of the Lord, and wants us to know how to carefully prepare. He makes it clear that just believing is not enough - that belief must transform into action in the way we live our lives. Unity with the Lord and with each other is maintained through the practice of virtue.
Ask the Lord to guide you in discerning what vriture you may need to work on in your life.
The Holy Gospel according to John 6: 1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Reflection
The miraculous feedings Christ performs point forward to the miracle of the Eucharist. Having experienced this miracle the crowd goes from what was possibly a shallow belief in Jesus as a wonderworker to concluding that He is the Messiah. They wish to carry Him off and make Him king, but He withdraws. Jesus is not going to be the king the people expect. He is going to follow His Father’s plan for His kingship. This is a lesson for the Church today. We are to be the Church that the Father wills, not that the world wills.
Adults -How have I experienced God’s extravagant, overflowing gifts? How do I use them to feed others?
Teens -Do you feel like God has given you everything you need to represent him in your world? If not, what is lacking? If so, what is your greatest asset?
Kids - Do you ever waste anything? Do you get in trouble for it? Why?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “We must rest assured then that Christ is intimately interested in our daily lives on earth. We must not expect that this interest of his will remove all shadows from our path. This would not be for our eternal good—and our eternal happiness is Christ's first interest in us. It should also be our own first and principal interest too. It will help us, too, to bear with our lot, if we look about us and see so many others who are worse off, or at least as badly off as we are especially with regard to the snags of life. Christian charity will move us to help them; we may not be able to give them any material help, but we can help to lighten their load by showing our sincere interest in them and by offering words of comfort and consolation. This is the only charity that the poor have to offer to their fellow sufferers, but if it is Christ-inspired its effects will reach to heaven. -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
Homily Introducting to Mental Prayer
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity. -Second Reading
Where is the quiet and tranquil life? Are we offer prayer and supplications?
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. -Second Reading
Men, MEN, you are the ones in the family that are to say, 'its time to pray,' or 'let's get ready for Mass.' Men, it is your job, not your wife or children to say. Men are to be the leaders of prayer in the family!
Pray together, stay together
Couples, do you pray together. If not, why not
God at the center Who is at the center of your life?
Pray simply and humbly
My dad recently said to me, "Only strong families are going to make it today." You know there might have been a time when we could go through the motions of life, do the minimum be Catholic in name only and get by, but those times are past. Only strong families, and only strong prayer is going to make it today.
"The Eucharist . . . is the greatest gift in the order of grace and of sacrament that the divine Spouse has offered and unceasingly offers to His spouse" (John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae 121. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the source and summit of the whole Christian life and contains the entire wealth of the Church (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5). Yet it is possible for one to attend Mass and 'get nothing out of it.' Why is this?I don't get anything out of Mass. Why do I have to go to Church?
People pray Rosary, attend Mass often, do good works, but still struggle with vice, addiction, habitual sin, no change. Prayer does not seem to be enough. What is needed? MENTAL PRAYER
The reason: people do not know how to meditate; they do not know how to engage in mental prayer.
"Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with the love of God. All the saints have become saints by mental prayer" (St. Alphonsus de Liguori).
Vocal Prayer - External intention and direction to God
Mental Prayer - What we give to God
Contemplative Prayer - What God gives us
The Church's Canon Law says that "Priests . . . are to be conscientious in devoting time regularly to mental prayer" (Canon 276, §2). Holy Mother Church also teaches lay people to travel the way of mental prayer in the Second Vatican Council's decree on the laity: "Only by the light of faith and by meditation on the Word of God can one always and everywhere recognize God in Whom 'we live, and move, and have our being' (Acts 17:28), seek His will in every event, see Christ in everyone" (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 4).
What is Mental Prayer?
-Keep attention on God
-Heart, mind, soul, and strength on God
-Engage mind in imagination to paint more real picture
-Attention is kept
-Meditation
[Meditation is a form of mental prayer consisting in the application of the various faculties of the soul, memory, imagination, intellect, and will, to the consideration of some mystery, principle, truth, or fact, with a view to exciting proper spiritual emotions and resolving on some act or course of action regarded as God's will and as a means of union with Him.]
The function of mental prayer then, is to study the features of the life of Jesus and to beg the Holy Spirit to fashion our lives according to this resplendent pattern.
Keeping constantly in mind who you are and whom you are addressing.
Prayer Mental Prayer everyday
10 Minutes in the classroom of silence.
Either your will give up vice or sin, or you will give up Mental Prayer
CATHOLIC QUESTIONS AND CATHOLIC ANSWERS
538. In the Old Testament, what relationship do the king and the temple have to prayer? a. God came to be with the people through the temple
-The prayer of the People of God developed in the shadow of the dwelling place of God – the Ark of the Covenant, then the Temple – under the guidance of their shepherds. Among them there was David, the King “after God’s own heart,” the shepherd who prayed for his people. His prayer was a model for the prayer of the people because it involved clinging to the divine promise and a trust filled with love for the One who is the only King and Lord.
539. What is the role of prayer in the mission of the prophets? c. By prayer they brought God’s message to the people and the people to God
-The prophets drew from prayer the light and strength to exhort the people to faith and to conversion of heart. They entered into great intimacy with God and interceded for their brothers and sisters to whom they proclaimed what they had seen and heard from the Lord. Elijah was the father of the prophets, of those who sought the face of God. On Mount Carmel he achieved the return of the people to the faith, thanks to the intervention of God to whom he prayed: “Answer me, O Lord, answer me!” (1 Kings 18:37).
540. What is the importance of the Psalms in prayer? d. all of the above
The Psalms are the summit of prayer in the Old Testament: the Word of God become the prayer of man. Inseparably both personal and communal, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, this prayer sings of God’s marvelous deeds in creation and in the history of salvation. Christ prayed the Psalms and brought them to fulfillment. Thus they remain an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church suited to people of every condition and time.
PRAYER IS FULLY REVEALED AND REALIZED IN JESUS
541. From whom did Jesus learn how to pray? b. His mother and the Jewish Tradition
Jesus, with his human heart, learned how to pray from his mother and from the Jewish tradition. But his prayer sprang from a more secret source because he is the eternal Son of God who in his holy humanity offers his perfect filial prayer to his Father.
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