In this e-weekly:

- Things You Should Always Remember (Helpful Hints for Life)
- Some of the Best Headlines You Will Ever Read (A bit of humor… smiling cat)
- BEST PARISH PRACTICE is a section of the e-weekly (see below) ​

Religious Sisters quietly assisting at the Holy Mass
​

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
      It has happened gradually, and nobody really means disrespect by it or to be an interruption to others, but needless talking before, during, or after Mass IN CHURCH has become too commonplace today to our detriment.
 
      But some say, Father, sometimes we have to talk in church.  Yes, even I have to sometimes direct the servers, parents have to direct their kids, we should be courteous to those we meet in church, but we can do so quietly with a whisper.
 
       Fellowship and gracious words are also an essential part of the Catholic life, but they only take on their full meaning and effect if they be in God and come from a communal union with God at Mass with reverent quiet always while IN CHURCH.  Why, because separate from God, we always fail or are very limited, and God is found in silence, especially of the Holy Eucharist!
 
"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."
-Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
 
       Speak plainly and visit outside the body of the church, but always honor God, honor those good nuns and teachers that taught us, honor mom and dad who taught us to be reverently quiet before, during, and after the Holy Mass IN church to the degree we can, please.
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert


P.S.  Two past week's homily written out are found at the end of this e-weekly.  Read or listen to the last one for more on the above e-weekly topic.
P.S.S.  This coming Sunday is the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021625.cfm

Homily is written out at end of e-weekly
​

​"Does not the physician do his greatest work on the patient as they rest, how much more will the Divine Physician (Jesus Christ) do his greatest work on us if we rest in Him.
​
-St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (The Little Flower) when speaking about accidentally falling asleep while praying.

"Helpful Hints of Life"
 
Things To Always Remember

• Your presence is a present to the world.
• You're unique and one of a kind.
• Take the days just one at a time.
• Count your blessings, not your troubles.
• With God you'll make it through whatever comes along.
• Understand, have courage, be strong.
• Don't put too many limits on yourself, and none on God.
• God commanded, "Do not worry."-Matthew 6:25
• The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
• Receive God's peace, the peace the world cannot give.
• Remember that a little love goes a long way.
• Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
• Life's treasures are people -- together.
• Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
• Have health and hope and happiness.
• And don't ever forget – God love YOU very much!

 
"Adoration is homage of the spirit to the "King of Glory," respectful silence in the presence of the "ever greater" God. Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications."  
​- Catechism of the Catholic Church #2628

MAKE AVAILABLE DAILY MEDITATIONS AND MASS PRAYER BOOKLETS

From The Word Among Us to The Magnificat to the Give Us This Day, there are wonderful resources that contain daily meditations to the full Mass Readings, parts of the Liturgy of the Hours and more.  When the Catholic faithful take time to spend with the Lord, or pray closely with the Church, all are blessed and benefit.  

BENEFITS:
Couples especially can pray them together, families can hear the meditation after or before a time of prayer.  Parishioners pray with the Church and get closer to Christ and one another.

HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest if this is something the parish can do.  A parish can purchase these for groups in the parish or make them available in the back of church.  Or they can take orders from parishioners and place bulk orders that might help for those who may not otherwise afford it.  Or if you are part of a prayer group or Men's or Women's Group ask if they would like to get it individually or bulk subscriptions.

Some Thoughts:  
:  -Did Noah include termites on the ark? 
-I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.  
-I grew a beard thinking it would say "Distinguished Gentleman." Instead, turns out it says, "Senior Discount, Please!" 
- My mom's favorite part of my birthday is describing my birth in detail to an 18 year old waitress who is just there to get our food order.  
- I asked my mother where I have been born when she told me in a hospital. I responded: "Mom was I ill?"  
- Me: "How much for the baby dragon?" Pet store clerk: "Sir, that's a lizard." Me: *not listening* "When do they start breathing fire?"  
- *Puts down phone* OH MY GOODNESS, I HAVE ANOTHER HAND!

SOME OF THE  BEST [actual] HEADLINES YOU WILL EVER READ


Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
[You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?]

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
[he probably IS the battery charge!]

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
[Pound per pound they have to match?!]

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
[Taste like chicken?]

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
[Do you really think this will keep them in school!]

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
[Boy, are they tall!]

And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
[They better double check the bodies for to be absolutely sure.]

​Do you want to be happy?  Do you want to be blessed?  When I was in Catholic grade school we were taught the Beatitudes as, "Happy are those, Happy are those."  Today many people think they will be happy if they have enough money, or enough material possessions, or power, or some other things or someone other than God.  And while these may bring happiness, it is a limited and incomplete happiness.  There is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but when we make them gods in our lives they take us away from the one true God, the only One who can make us truly happy and blessed.
 
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their ears as the kingdom of heaven.
Poor in spirit…which means poverty in spirit, not material poverty, but poor in spirit…humility, being humble.  You want patience with your kids?  Get humility.  You want to be charitable to your spouse? Get humility.  You want to stop being angry or to obtain some virtue? Get humility.  Humility is the acknowledge of the truth.  Humility is the acknowledge of the truth. Primarily of the truth of who God is and who we are in the light of God.  Humility is the acknowledgment of who God is and who we are in the light of God.  Who is God?  God is the author and founder of the cosmos God all-powerful.  Who am I in light of God?  A spec, a mere nothing.  But God loves the spec. God treasures my nothingness.  Humility is to consider these things, and to respond thereby.
 
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
This past Thursday marked the 16th anniversary of January 31, 1992…the day on which a good friend of mine, Jeremy, died.  It was our eighth grade year in Catholic grade school.  He was there one day, and the next day he was dead.  We were in class early morning when we found out.  I remember many things from that day.  We did not do much, we didn't really study, and we were with our teacher.  I remember we even tried to play a little volleyball for PE to get up and do something.  I remember the funeral a few days later as we lined up for the last time to pass by Jeremy's casket which was Oak to say our final farewell.  Jeremy's death was particularly sorrowful to me, because I had never known the death of someone so close.  I was too young when my grandparents passed away to have known them so well and my parents and brothers and sisters are still living thank the Lord.  And all the other deaths I've experienced were not as close as Jeremy.  One of the things that came out of this life event was that our class has stayed close together as an eighth-grade school class, and we've all been particularly close and stayed in contact with Debbie, Jeremy's mom.  So even in my sorrow, I have been comforted.
 
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Meekness.  Meekness is God's power working in us under God's control.  Meekness is God's power working in us under God's control.  We have God's power in us because we are made in his image and likeness.  But most of the time we tend to be in the driver's seat and if we do give everything to God we too often take it back.  But letting God's power work in you under God's control will let you inherit the land of heaven.
 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
How many in today's world seek that injustice be corrected, or that evil be averted.  If you are among these, keep hungering, keep thirsting…you will be truly satisfied.
 
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
I want my sins forgiven, and I'm sure that most of you want your sins forgiven.  I must be merciful, you must be merciful, then we will be shown mercy, that our sins will be forgiven.
 
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
The clean of heart, the pure of heart, the chaste.  People say today, 'where is God? why isn't God working? why can't I see him today?"  Are we clean of heart?  Are we pure of intention that our eyes may behold the good God who is all cleanliness, all purity, all holiness.  You want to be clean of heart, you want to be pure of heart, be humble, acknowledged the truth of who God is and who you are in the light of God.
 
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Peacemakers know that only Jesus will bring peace.  I saw a bumper sticker a few years ago.  It said:  NO Jesus NO Peace; KNOW Jesus KNOW Peace.  Those who seek to have peace in their homes, in their families, in their communities, and in the world, they shall be the true children of God, because they bring Jesus to their homes, Jesus to their families, Jesus to their communitys, and Jesus to the world.
 
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Do people get upset because you're Catholic?  Do people not like you because you do Christians things and say Christian things?  Now I'm not saying that we should get people mad at us, or that we should be in-your-face-Catholics.  But if no one ever gets upset, or even worse if no one could tell that you are Catholic or Christian by what you say or what you do, that is not a good thing!  This world is quickly coming to a point that it will not tolerate God or those who follow him, especially in our society.  So you and I have to make the decision now or very soon, will we be blessed and happy in the sight of God, or will we accept the false happiness of the world by going with the crowd.
 
There is one more Happy are those...
We hear it every time we come to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  It follows the words of John the Baptist at the Jordan:  This is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.  The priest holds up the consecrated host and continues:  Happy are those who are called to his supper.  Revelation 19:9, the book of showing, is where this part of the Mass comes from.  It translates it as: happy are those who are called to the Lamb's supper.  And this may be the translation that we are getting from the Pope in a few years as the parts of the Mass are more accurately translated for the benefit of our worship and the effect of salvation on our souls.  Happy are those who are called to the Lamb's supper.  It's the Lamb's supper because Jesus is the lamb that was slain silent before the shearers as the prophet Isaiah says.  And it's the Lamb's supper because it's the wedding feast of the lamb.  Jesus, the bridegroom, gives his life, his very body, for his beloved bride, the Church, you and I. 
I remember hearing some priests say, 'happy are we too are called to his supper,' or 'happy are you who are called to the supper.'  Now I'm sure that it is an honest mistake that these priests are saying the words this way, for Vatican II says that no one, not even a priest, can change the Mass for any reason.  The Mass is of God given as a gift to His Church for you, and you as Roman Catholics have the right to the Mass as it is given by God Himself through His Church.  But I think what has sadly crept in is perhaps a self focus a single to view an NT orientation.  But as this Sacred Scripture say happy are those for the Mass is not just about you and me, it's not just about our parishes, it is about all who were called.  And ALL are called to the Lamb's supper.  However, God depends on you and I to sometimes extend the invitation explicitly to those who do not yet join us on Sunday, those who do not know the joy and the intimacy of the Lamb's supper, maybe it's you and I, ourselves, who have not read and realize that true happiness lies only in Jesus Christ, fully made present to us in the Mass and only will be made clearer when He is unveiled in heaven, that that is what the Mass is.  Happy are those who are called to his supper.
 
You want to be happy? You one of the blessed?  Don't pursue happiness as the world counts it as Saint Paul noted, count it as the Lord shows it to us as He Himself made it visible.  Do the things of heaven!
 
 
 
 
"Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2628


+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, February 16th, 2025

The First Reading- Jeremiah 17: 5-8
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.
Reflection
In the first reading, Jeremiah, who really has a way with words, shows us the difference between what happens when you put expectations on people versus when you put your trust in God. One leaves us desolate and burnt out, the other is life giving and nurturing. Our Psalm echoes that theme, singing, “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
Adults -Why is God more trustworthy than human beings?
Teens - Do you bring your daily cares to the Lord in prayer?
Kids - What do you talk to God about?

Responsorial- Psalm 1: 1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R.Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reflection
-What strengthens your hope in the Lord? How do you keep hope in the Lord in time of trouble?


The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20
Brothers and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Reflection
The second reading takes us to the crux of the First Letter to the Corinthians—chapter 15. Paul calls out those who don’t believe in the resurrection saying that if Jesus didn’t raise from the dead, and if we don’t, then our faith would be pointless. But, if we do believe in the resurrection, then we have to listen closely, learn about, and be mindful of the Gospel because our lives depend on it.
The Resurrection is key to our faith. Take some time to meditate on the Resurrection, to learn more about what the Church teaches about it, and what it means to our faith.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 6:17, 20-26
Jesus came down with the twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Reflection
That Gospel is Luke’s account of the Beatitudes. While Matthew focuses more on the spiritual side of things, Luke brings them home in a very material way. Jesus comes and stands on “level ground” with us. Blessed are the poor…blessed are the mourning…blessed are the uncomfortable. And the flip side is a warning to the comfortable, for they will be afflicted. Those who have, if they don’t use their goods and their gifts to bring comfort to those who do not have, will lose everything.
Adults -Today’s readings make a connection between our hope in the resurrection and our charitable response to those in need. How does your belief in the resurrection challenge you to respond to those who are in need?
Teens  - Read over the Beatitudes. Which one stands out the most to you?
Kids - What does it mean to you to be blessed?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – Read the more detailed, corresponding passage in Matthew 5:3-12 on the Beatitudes. Choose a beatitude to focus on for the rest of this week. Write it in conspicuous places throughout your house — desk, home altar, fridge, bathroom mirror. Think of some small practical ways to put this beatitude into action in your daily life.

In this e-weekly:
- Love Poured Out in Marriage and in Priesthood: True Story of Two Brothers (Helpful Hints for Life)
- From Wisconsin to Peru: Missionary Family Answers Call of Our Lady of Champion (Diocesan News and Beyond)
-  The Domestic Church: Families Become What You Are (Catholic Website of the Week under laptop)
​

Saint Valentine of Rome
saints.sqpn.com
CatholicSaints.Info profile of Saint Valentine of Rome

P.S.S  This coming Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020925.cfm

​P.S.S.  Go to end of E-weekly for Sunday and Readings and reflections.

My brother Michael and I have always been close, but it wasn't until the last 10 years that we have become best friends. This true brotherhood has had an immeasurable impact on us, as our journey towards Christian maturity has been a shared experience. It was early on in this journey, in the fall of 2004, when Mike introduced me to the Theology of The Body (TOB). It was also at this time that my bother decided that God was calling him to enter the seminary to further discern a vocation to the priesthood. He always told me that I would find myself by diving deeply into these rich teachings and, if my vocation was to a life of marriage, that God would be forming a woman with a similar love for the truth of our sexuality revealed through Theology of The Body (TOB).
 
At around this very same time, a young musician in Nashville was also discovering TOB for the first time. For the next five years, Colleen McCarron and I would independently develop a love for this dynamic teaching from our late Holy Father, as we would continue to mature into the man and woman God had created us to be. It was not until the summer of 2008, when Colleen came home to Tallahassee for the summer, that we would really get to know each other and develop what we now know is a lifelong friendship. Colleen had decided to give the Lord a year of her life as a “dating-fast,” meaning she would not date for an entire 12 month period in order to discern God's direction in her life more clearly. The “dating-fast” started only two months prior to her coming home that summer and what would seem like terrible timing for any guy meeting an incredible woman, instead provided an incredible opportunity for us to grow in a purely brother and sister type of friendship. Through bike rides, basketball, and many casual conversations, we realized what a profound unity we had in our love of Theology of the Body, and the truth it revealed about our bodies! Once the summer ended, and Colleen and I went our separate ways, we decided God was calling us to write letters as our only source of communication, at least until the dating-fast had consummated. This time provided an incredible period of purification and sacrifice. By the time the dating-fast had ended, it was clear not only that God was calling us to date, but also that we were called to lay down our lives for one another in marriage.
 
I always knew that the woman God would call me to marry would also find an incredible brother in Michael. The neat thing about Colleen and my relationship was that we also continued to develop a deep love for Michael and his vocation to the priesthood, as he continued his journey towards ordination. Michael continued to encourage us in our pursuit of the truth contained within the TOB. He attended both TOB I and II with the Theology of the Body Institute, and often prayed that we, too, would have an opportunity to attend. God opened the doors for us in March of 2010, and Colleen and I attended the TOB I course, with Colleen also serving as the music minister for the week.
 
The Lord knew that this would be perfect timing for us, as our wedding date was just a few short months away. It was during this week that the Lord showed us the depth of the reality that we were first brother and sister, before husband and wife. This reality had begun when we first met, through our initial friendship, and continued to mature into our spousal union. What a beautiful reality this is! Through this truth, God unveiled the reason why we were so closely united to my brother Michael, who was about to be ordained a Priest, hence being also a Father to us! We shared, through our marriage, in the reality of his priestly Fatherhood. Woah!
 
It was also at the TOB I course that we were led to choose the readings for our wedding Mass. We clearly felt God calling us to have the Passion narrative, as told in the Gospel of John, proclaimed as our Gospel. Father Michael, ordained just 21 days before the wedding, was the celebrant of our wedding Mass. What a glorious day this was!
 
An excerpt from Father Michael's Homily:

Our gospel today is what this is all about. This is the first wedding I've been to that the Passion narrative of Jesus' death was the gospel reading. But it is so incredibly fitting that we hear about the love poured out for us, what it actually cost Jesus. And we recognize that it cost Him everything. He did it not out of constraint, not out of obligation, but because He loves us. And Tai and Colleen, you are showing us that love. We weren't at the crucifixion; we weren't at that moment, but as we celebrate this marriage we have a glimpse, we have a taste. We have a taste of that moment when Jesus Christ poured Himself out completely for the one He loved, for the moment on the cross was the consummation of our marriage with God.
 On June 26th of 2010, our wedding mass was a beautiful witness to the transforming power of the Theology of the Body. As Colleen and I gazed into the eternity of one another's eyes, we vowed to enter into the mystery of Matrimony. Just above us stood our priest and brother, a man also transformed by the good news of the Gospel proclaimed through the TOB. Through our different vocations, we can see in each other the truth of this teaching lived out every day.
 
Titus and Colleen Nixon live in Jacksonville, Florida and are expecting their first child this Spring. Titus works for Fraternus, a Catholic organization mentoring boys into virtuous Catholic men (http://www.fraternus.net/). Colleen is a professional musician. You can preview some of Colleen's music at http://www.colleennixon.com/ and http://www.mysteriumonline.com/.


"God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: "And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.'" -Catechism of the Catholic Church #1604
 
​

CONNECT PERSONS WITH PEOPLE OR MINISTRY
Most people want to belong and have a purpose.  This is no different even in the Church.  People are more likely to live the Faith and assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass if they know they are needed and wanted.  (As appropriate and safe during a pandemic.)BENEFITS:
People take on purpose, meaning, and identity by belonging to say, the choir, or being a reader, or working funeral dinners.  Service gets done, and people are united in living and giving.


HOW?
So try to connect each person with a group of people or a certain ministry.  Ask and invite persons to join us a group or to head up or do a certain work or ministry.  Have the groups in your parish reach out to individuals.  Invite youth to head up a certain item, or do a certain needed duty each week.
​

Theoni BellFeatures
February 9Nuevo Piura is a village in the mountains of Peru. It sits in such a remote valley that for 18 years the local people never saw a priest. Occasionally, non-Christian religious groups came through, but the villagers were Catholic. They waited faithfully, certain that someone from the Church would eventually come. 
​
In 2018, Taylor and Katie Schmidt were the Catholic missionaries who finally showed up. The following year, they brought a priest to the village who celebrated five sacraments with the locals: baptism, penance, first Communion, confirmation and marriage. The same year, the Schmidts founded The Servants of the Good Help, a 501(c)(3) Catholic missionary organization. The couple, including their seven children, still return to Nuevo Piura every Sunday, hiking 6 miles through the jungle, for prayer and Bible study. 

​

The Schmidt Family Mission(Photo: Courtesy photo)The Schmidts don’t always trek through the jungle to reach the people they serve. In 2023, villagers from eight remote mountain pueblos began hiking to the Schmidts’ nearly finished multipurpose center for celebrations and retreats. The center, located in Tarapoto, Peru, also started hosting free clinics with visiting doctors and dentists. One night a week, local children from two communities walk there through the jungle, and in the dark, to hold youth groups. ​

Some of the teens who come to the center for classes. (Photo: Courtesy photo)
​

​Local children climb a ‘slippery’ tree for small prizes on the Solemnity of the Assumption last August.(Photo: Courtesy photo)​

In 1859, Our Lady appeared to a Belgian farmworker named Adele Brise in what is now known as Champion, Wisconsin. Our Lady of Champion (formerly Our Lady of Good Help) is currently America’s first and only Church-approved Marian apparition. In 1861, Brise inaugurated the annual Assumption Day celebration. This year 2,500 pilgrims came out to celebrate at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, according to Chelsey Hare, director of communications for the shrine. ​

Green Bay Bishop David Ricken, who approved the apparitions in 2010, sees Our Lady of Champion as the “spring” from which the Schmidts’ ministry is growing, and for that reason, they are deeply connected to his diocese.

“The Blessed Mother said to Adele, ‘Go out in this wild country and teach the children what is necessary for salvation.’ The Schmidts are going into the wild country of the mountains of Peru and they’re bringing Our Lady of Good Help’s message to the people there.”

In 2022, the Schmidts had an 8-foot mural of Our Lady of Champion painted on the side of their retreat house in honor of their patroness. Most of the people the Schmidts serve are impoverished farmers who have little to no access to the sacraments, just like the settlers Brise served in Wisconsin. When Brise received her commission to “teach the children,” there was only one priest serving 2,000 Belgians spread across 70 miles of dense woodlands. With no churches and only rare visits from a priest, the faith was dying in the Belgian settlements.

“It’s exactly the same mission in a different country, with a different topography, but same type of circumstances,” said Bishop Ricken.

Where the Schmidts serve now, the faith is also in danger of disappearing. Their mission is in a region that was the focus of Pope Francis’ Amazonian synod in 2019. It is a region that still desperately needs missionaries and priests. In the 1990s, drug cartels were rampant in Peru, and a Marxist guerrilla movement called the “Shining Path” fought for control of the country. Much like during the 1994 Rwandan crisis, many families turned on each other.

“There is a huge river here called the Huallaga ... and we have heard from so many people that that river ran red with blood from the massacres that happened and corpses lining the road,” said Katie Schmidt, age 40.
During the wars, it was not uncommon for priests and religious to be murdered. Schmidt tells the story of a sister with a local order known as the Compassionists.

“She is the only sister to survive the massacre in Tarapoto. The one day she stayed back to care for the house, the other sisters tried to come home, and they were pulled out of the car and shot,” said Katie.


A Difficult Beginning
The Schmidts decided to be missionaries after a decades-long discernment. In 2015, they sold their Wisconsin farm and all their belongings to fund their way to Peru. They didn’t yet know how to speak Spanish. For months, they lived with their four children just as the locals do: in a hut with a dirt floor, using water from a stream, and digging their own outhouse. 

At one time, they felt called to buy Bibles instead of food, but then the locals began to feed them. A mechanic fixed their vehicle for free for six months. After a donor helped them purchase land on the mountain, they learned to raise pigs and sell the meat. Now, Taylor Schmidt trains widows, single moms and dads, and other locals to run the farm.

They believed all along that the Lord had bigger plans for their mission, and they continued to lay their needs at Our Lady’s feet. Throughout the history of the apparition of Our Lady of Champion, miracles have been attributed to her intercession. Most notably, the chapel, which is now the national shrine, was completely preserved during the Great Peshtigo Fire in 1871, and every person who sought refuge there was protected from harm. 

Katie cites the central location of their mission center as proof that Our Lady intercedes for them. “Where she has placed us, there is access to all the other counties down the mountain by different paths.”

In 2018, when the Schmidts felt called to build a retreat center to make it easier for everyone to come together, they thought the idea was crazy. They had no money in their bank account, so they prayed to Our Lady of Champion on Oct. 9, her feast day. 

“We told her we needed $10,000 in our account to prove it was her will,” said Schmidt.
They received a call from their accountant three days later, and she told the Schmidts that they suddenly had $10,700 in their account.
Bishop Escudero Lopez-Brea is excited to have a quiet retreat center outside the city, and the Schmidts have already held retreats for clergy.
“They have become vital members of the pastoral team, specifically by assisting with the training of church leaders and marriage preparation for many people,” the bishop wrote in his letter. 

Ministries for married couples, like marriage preparation, retreats and crisis counseling, are a large part of the Servants’ outreach. Schmidt said Christian marriage is one of the most difficult concepts for people to accept in their mission territory.

In one village, the Schmidts were faced with the intimidating task of convincing polygamous couples that marriage should be between one man and one woman. They explained the Church’s teaching on marriage and sex and the immense love of Christ for every person. 

Many of the men in that meeting stormed out. The Church’s teaching was hard for the women to accept as well. They were scared not to be the “wife” their husband chose to be monogamous with. Every woman who was put out would end up in “utter poverty,” according to Schmidt, though the Servants of the Good Help would aid them in this transition however they could. 

None of the villagers chose to be received into the Church that day. Yet something in what the Schmidts taught had resonated with them, for every child in the village was baptized. The Schmidts take a long view in their work and know that drastic lifestyle and spiritual changes take time and sincere effort on their part. They’re especially hopeful that something will change for the women of the village, as it may have been the first time the women and young girls had ever heard about their dignity and worth in God’s eyes. According to Schmidt, many women in the region are treated like servants instead of beloved wives. 

Taylor, who will soon be the only permanent deacon in San Martin, also talked about the dignity and beauty of women.
“Those children will grow up knowing a different option. They will be able to see ... women standing up for themselves,” he said.

The Future of the MissionOne of the Schmidts’ current projects is finishing their retreat center. It contains space for four family-style apartments and a separate bunkhouse for men and women. Once the interior is completed, the center will also include a kitchen and dining hall, which will be good for the Schmidts. Their home is inside the center, and they currently feed guests in alternating groups around their own kitchen table.

The second level of the center will house the caretakers, small-group meetings and a medical/dental clinic. Many students fell behind during COVID, so the Schmidts would also like to provide lunch and tutoring classes. The Servants are currently in their fourth week of teaching “summer” school to local children, which includes classes in math, art and language studies. With help from friends in America and Peru, they plan to offer classes in economics, welding, woodworking, sewing, nutrition and sustainable farming. Their 2024 “summer” classes in Spanish and English language have already started.

The Schmidts’ long-term goal is to build a sanctuary on the mountaintop dedicated to Our Lady of Champion. It would include a 48-foot statue of Our Lady that pilgrims could climb up and exit through the statue’s Immaculate Heart overlooking the valleys below. 

Help From HomeIn early December, the Schmidts traveled back to northern Wisconsin to give talks, fundraise and meet with Bishop Ricken. The financial and spiritual support they receive in the States is changing the lives of Catholics in San Martin, Peru. 

One example of this is the recently finished church in the town of Cuñumbuqui, which is the head church of the parish and home of the only priest in the region. The Schmidts funded the church project with donations their family would have lived on for three months. ​

“It makes my heart hurt to turn people away,” said Katie. “It’s a good thing we had ducks and alpaca because we have meat in our freezer.”

What has happened in the village of Nuevo Piura is another example of support from home reaching Peruvians. The Servants were able to give this community the financial aid, physical labor and spiritual guidance they needed to reclaim the Catholic way of life. After waiting 18 years for a priest to come to their village and provide the sacraments, they now have a church they built with their own hands.

“We’re working with them for a period of time, so that one day they can do it all without us,” explained Katie.
Like all local villages, Nuevo Piura waits months for the priest to come. There is only one for all 38 mountain communities in the region. The Servants of the Good Help hope to change this. A few years ago, they took in a seminarian from Buenos Aires named Carlos Manuel Rengifo Huaya. Huaya believes the only way that people can discover their vocation and follow it is through a “personal relationship with Jesus.”
​
“The only way to change the priest shortage is to bring Jesus to the people,” said Rengifo Huaya, who will soon enter his third year at St. Joseph’s Major Seminary in Moyobamba. 

​

Bishop Ricken said he would be happy to send priests to Peru, but his diocese doesn’t have any to spare either. Patience has been a big part of the mission, said Katie.
​
“More missionaries and priests will eventually come,” she said. 
“Our Lady will move hearts when it is time.”


Theoni Bell writes from Houston. She is the author of The Woman in the Trees, a novel about the first approved Marian apparition in the United States.

​

A bit of humor...
​
Some Thoughts: 
-The road to success is always under construction  
-Moses was leading his people through the desert for 40 years. It seems, even in Biblical times men avoided asking the way.

The wise old Mother Superior was dying. The nuns gathered around her bed, trying to make her comfortable. They gave her some warm milk to drink, but she refused it. Then one nun took the glass back to the kitchen. Remembering a bottle of whiskey received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.

Back at Mother Superior's bed, she held the glass to her lips. Mother drank a little, then a little more, and then before they knew it, she had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop. "Mother, Mother" the nuns cried, "Give us some wisdom before you die!" She raised herself up in bed with a pious look on her face and pointing out the window, she said, "Don't sell that cow!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DID NOAH FISH?
  A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did 
A lot of fishing when he was on the  Ark  ?'
 
'No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms.'
____________________________________________________
LOT 'S WIFE
 The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 
'My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced 
Triumphantly, 'and she turned into a telephone pole!'
​

 
Dear Saint Valentine, glorious martyr, teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving.
Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other in God and in God, each other. Amen.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

​+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, February 9th, 2025

The First Reading- Isaiah 6:1-2A, 3-8
In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above. They cried one to the other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!" At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, "See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said; "send me!"
Reflection
Although we are still about a month away from Ash Wednesday, the Scriptures for this week put us in the Lenten mindset, preparing us for what we are about to do.In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah receives his call to be a prophet. His response is very natural. He doesn’t feel worthy to speak God’s word—he is aware of his sinfulness. But God reaches out and touches his mouth with a coal to purify it. It is the Lord that empowers him to answer the call.
Adults -What do you feel like God is calling you to in your life?
Teens - Where can you bring more of your faith into other areas of your life?
Kids - What special gifts has God given you?

Responsorial- Psalm 138: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
R.In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
"Great is the glory of the LORD."
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Reflection
-How can you praise the Lord this week?

The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, Christ appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Reflection
In the second reading, Paul recounts his call to be an apostle; how Jesus appeared to him and his unworthiness of the mission offered to him. He feels the conviction of having persecuted the Church. But, God works through him, and, like we saw in the first reading, He empowers Paul for the mission to which He calls him.
If you are struggling with a sin in your life, take it to the Lord in confession and let Him work through the grace of the Sacrament.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
Reflection
The Gospel tells us of the call of St. Peter. God reached out to Peter through the work that he had been doing—fishing. The Lord found Peter amidst his every day life. When Jesus tells him to put his net into the lake after he had a totally unsuccessful night of work, his nets become so full of fish they can’t even handle the load. Peter responds in both awe and contrition and asks Jesus to “depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus responds as God always does, “Do not be afraid.” Each story is the story of a call to follow God and bring him to others. Each story expresses how many of us feel when faced with our call to do as Isaiah, Paul and Peter did. Each story shares the same response of God—to make us able when we think we aren’t.
Adults -Are there one or two things about you that make you feel inadequate for fulfilling the call that you have received? Remember, God doesn’t ever call the qualified; he qualifies the called.
Teens  - Read over the spiritual works of mercy. See if there’s a way that you can incorporate one of them into your life, and consider how it will make you more like you want to be.
Kids - Have you ever felt afraid and asked God for help? What happened that made you know he was there to keep you safe and give you courage?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “Thus, in the selection of his Apostles, Christ has given us an extra proof, if one were needed, of his own divine wisdom and of the divine origin of the Christian religion which we profess. Our religion is not man-made, God is its author.  While thanking God today for our Christian religion, with its clearly-drawn map of salvation, let us show our appreciation by doing our own little part, as humble apostles, weak but willing helpers of Christ. This we can do without eloquence, or personal prestige. We do so by living as true Christians in our homes, in our places of work, and in our recreations, by carrying our cross daily and patiently, ever ready to give a hand when the neighbor's cross seems too heavy for him. This will be Christian eloquence, this will be a true apostleship of Christ, because actions speak louder than words.  —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

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  ​

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

​

Monta Monaco Hernon \ Education

February 3 

For the last 10 years, in the western suburbs of Chicago, home-schoolers have been learning what is good, true and beautiful as part of the Riverside Club for Adventure and Imagination. 

My four children have all attended Riverside’s programs, and I have always volunteered to work on Riverside’s many creative projects; within the last year, I have started working as a promotions manager to help get the word out about the public events: plays, etc.

Why?
Because of its educational mission.

Boys ages 8-14 attend the flagship program, “Tutorial,” for one day a week, where they are steeped in the creative arts, outdoor adventure, faith and friendship. The boys spend six hours, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Riverside began as the vision of Peter Searby, a former teacher who was dissatisfied with the trend in modern education of relying on content conveyance and consumption instead of curiosity and wonder. 

“It became clear to me that there was something missing in education, particularly for boys. The campuses, the curricula, the schedules, the activities are often not what young people need,” Searby told the Register. “I felt the desire to rectify what I disliked in school and what I saw was still lacking in the system.”

Now, after a decade of running Riverside, Searby has written Casting Fire: A Guide to the Adventure and Imagination of Boyhood, which I had the honor of editing, in order to share what he has learned with a broader audience. 

“This book is for anyone who is interested in creative education, imaginative learning, and the connection between education, culture and the spirit,” Searby said. The hope is that others will feel called to incorporate some of the ideas into their own programs, home school or even classrooms.

The Core of the ApproachIn a culture where masculinity is often frowned upon and boys are languishing behind desks, Riverside offers a refreshing approach where they are encouraged to become both warriors and poets. Their “wildness” is not repressed but redirected. 

The concepts of adventure and imagination have deep meaning and relevance to the landscape of action and storytelling that awaits the boys at Riverside. 

“We do all we can to cultivate an environment that is both consonant with the nature of boys and at the same time challenges them to live self-control, diligence, focus and deep work,” Searby explained. 

Imagination is tied to the notion of seeing beyond, and the boys are asked to consider whether material things are all there is in this life or whether there is more to the world than meets the eye.

“The imagination has the unique power to see the greater narrative we are in,” Searby said. “If we believe we are actually living a fantastic adventure story, albeit true, then our approach to life’s journey will take on ultimate meaning that reveals to us our true self and our calling.”

Tutorial is filled with storytelling, singing, acting, writing, venturing out into nature, building a brotherhood, and enjoying the fruits of a creative fellowship. In an annual project called “Legend Box,” the boys envision an entire fantasy world and create a time capsule with journals, maps and drawings. 

“This and really all of our many story projects are geared towards opening up the imaginations of the young to see beyond by means of symbol, myth and metaphor,” Searby said. 

At Riverside, the creative arts are manly, said Christine Gomez, mom of eight. Last spring, her hockey-playing 13-year-old painted five landscapes based on The Lord of the Rings for the annual “Museum Project,” where the boys research, create and display items as if they were curating an exhibit.

“Art is such an individual thing; it is quiet. Not like theater or [sport]. … For the boys to be able to share those things that they wouldn’t have been able to share otherwise with friends and community is such a blessing,” Gomez said. The Legend Box and the Museum project are repeated every year but with a different theme.

Tutorial participants attend events other than the one day at Tutorial. Every year, for instance, there is a Bilbo Baggins birthday party, a festive occasion when the boys perform scenes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. This complements the theater program.

During the school year, Riverside’s programs are only easily accessible for home-schoolers because activities take place during school hours, but during the summer, Riverside offers various camps: Creative Arts, Ranger (actual camping), and a summer theater, open to all, not just the home-schooled.

The Riverside adventurous and imaginative approach augments a home-school curriculum in diverse ways. It encourages hesitant readers to pick up and enjoy great stories; those who dislike writing find enjoyment in telling adventurous tales; and boys who may not otherwise sketch or act realize they love drawing or being on the stage.

An Adventurous Spirit

If imagination inspires with a vision of the hero a boy is meant to be and the journey he could take, adventure is the spirit of courage required to step out on the pilgrim path. In adventure stories, the protagonist usually is living an ordinary, but restless, life when he senses there is a path, often dangerous, he must take.

And yet, adventure at Riverside takes on a more traditional, physical connotation as well. The 2023-24 theme of survival already has led to skills in knot tying, navigation, fire starting and cooking over an open flame. Searby also has been known to lead Huck Finn-inspired camping trips, for fathers and sons that involve paddling Wisconsin rivers in search of lost islands to explore. ​

Creative Endeavor

Riverside aims to build a brotherhood in a way that incorporates everyone’s gifts and talents while working towards a common meaningful goal. The idea of a fellowship of creative endeavor, however, extends beyond the boys to the adults in the community. 

Jocelyn Jansen, mom of 10, began costuming for Riverside back in 2014 for the summer theater performance of Robin Hood. 

“I have always loved crafting but was so limited with time because of all our children and the demands of home schooling. God is so good to have given me this opportunity. My entire family saw this new joy in me and loved seeing me so happy,” Jansen said. 

She still does costumes for Riverside’s theater productions, but also recently took over as director of the nascent program for girls, the Riverside Studio. Her goal is to adapt and live out the Riverside mission for them and with them: “We learn so much from both literature and the arts about how to express ourselves in a way that reflects true beauty. … Through Riverside tasks, the girls have more opportunities to learn how to work together, encourage each other, and enter into a greater story on this pilgrimage to heaven.” 

And filling the boys’ imaginations will continue apace, according to Searby: “My hope is that, at Riverside, we are giving the boys a taste of an inspired life, and that we can help lead them out of the cave of passive acceptance, into an understanding of life as an epic cosmic drama.”

Monta Monaco Hernon is a freelance writer and editor in the Chicago suburbs. Her children have attended Riverside programs, and she has served as a volunteer, including to get the word out about the various programs.
​
LEARN MORE
Find out more about the Riverside Club and Peter Searby at RSide.org and PeterSearby.com. Casting Fire, which was edited by Monta Hernon, is available now on Amazon. ​

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.’” ​

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
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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 BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – February 2nd, 2025

The First Reading- Malachi 3:1-4
Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Reflection
Our First Reading for this Feast Day is mysterious and intriguing.  Malachi begins by saying, on behalf of God, “I will send my messenger to prepare the way before me.”  The word “messenger” can also mean “angel,” so we could understand this as “I will send my angel before me ….”  This idea of a preparatory angel recalls the experience of Israel in the Wilderness, where the Angel of the LORD lead them (Exod 14:19), or the conquest of the land, concerning which God promised his angel to precede the armies of Israel (Ex 23:20,23; 32:34).  The return of the Presence of the LORD will be like those great events of salvation history, a kind of “invasion” by the LORD.  In the context of the Gospel, this preparatory “angel” is John the Baptist, who has been dominating our thoughts during Advent, the Feast of the Baptism, and last week’s liturgy (2nd Week of Ordinary Time).  John was the “angel” who prepared for Jesus’ “invasion” of the Holy Land.
Adults – John is also referred to as the “voice crying out in the wilderness.” We are also called to spread the Good News in the “wilderness” of the world. How do you do this? In what ways do you find it challenging?
Teens -How can you be a messenger in the Lord in your everyday life?
Kids - How do you spread God’s love in your daily life?  

Responsorial- Psalm 24: 7, 8, 9,10
R. Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Reflection
-Psalm 24 reflects an ancient procession ritual practiced in the Jerusalem Temple, the rubrics of which were never recorded.  Possibly, very early in Israel’s history, the Ark of the Covenant was periodically removed from the Holy of Holies by the Levites and re-processed into the Holy City in a ceremony celebrating God’s kingship. Regardless, in the context of the Feast of the Presentation, we have both the New Ark (Mary) and the LORD Himself (Jesus) entering the Temple.
The next time you process up to receive our Lord in communion, take special care to meditate on whom you are receiving.

The Second Reading- Hebrews 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Reflection  
Amazingly, many of the themes from the First Reading and the Psalm continue into this reflection on Christ’s priesthood in the Epistle to the Hebrews.  The concept of Christ-as-Warrior is present here when Paul speaks of Jesus “destroying the one who has the power of death” and freeing those he has enslaved.  We also see Jesus “becoming like his brothers and sisters in every way,” as he, like any other male child born into an Israelite family, undergoes the ceremonial rituals that Moses prescribed for a sinful people—rituals from which he and his mother were should have been exempt, yet they humble themselves to submit to them.  Yet the humility of Jesus’ life of obedience under the Law of Moses—a Law given to a people who were hard of heart—prepared him to be a fitting High Priest for the New Covenant people.  He who submitted to animal sacrifices for his purification, would one day make his own body the ultimate sacrifice, purifying stains of sin no animal blood could expunge.
-Lent is fast approaching, and if it’s been awhile since you have been to Confession, start preparing now to receive this beautiful Sacrament of forgiveness during the Lenten season.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted --and you yourself a sword will pierce-- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Reflection -  Luke is at pains to emphasize that the Holy Family was obedient to the law in humility, although they could have claimed special exemption from its demands.  This sets an example for us.  None of us, are ever “above the law” of God. Jesus also demonstrates here that he is a man of order and authority, not a rebel anarchist trying to destabilize the social or ecclesiastical order.  Although Jesus’ teaching can and does destabilize illegitimate systems of authority, it is not for the sake of anarchy but for the establishment of the order of Christ’s kingdom, governed by the Apostles and those who have received the succession of the priesthood from them.
Adults – Why is it important to adhere to the rules and regulations that Christ has handed down through his Church?
Teens – What resources do you have in properly interpreting the Law of God?  
Kids – What do you think Jesus was like as a baby?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK!  - God is the light in our darkness, let us light the world with His!

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”. 

​

+JMJ+
In this e-weekly:
-  MUST SEE WEBSITE: Institute of School and Parish Development  (Catholic Website of the week)
- Pope Francis Declares 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time "Sunday of the Word of God"  
(Diocesan News and BEYOND)-READ END OF E-WEEKLY
- The Blessings of a Catholic School  (Helpful Hints for Life)

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
      At the end of January nearly 2 million children celebrate Catholic Schools Week.  Many of us may have attended a Catholic school in our time.  Many remember the dear nuns, or a wonderful lay teacher who had big shoes to fill, yet brought his or her uniqueness to the classroom. 
 
"Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."  Matthew 13:52 
        Regardless of who taught us and how we were educated, Catholic Schools have a value that is not found elsewhere because what they teach concerns God and heaven, our true home.  
"Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:8
 
     Solid Catholic Schools and the education and formation they provide are needed now more than ever.  To bring one into a real, personal encounter with Jesus Christ and His beloved bride, the Church, on a daily basis is what Catholic Schools seek to do.  Yet these blessed institutions do not happen by accident.  They occur when the Father's blessing touches the honest, hard work of men and women of faith who love the Faith and children.
 
"do not be too hard on your children so they will become angry.  Instruct them in their growing years with Christian teaching." -Ephesians 6:4  
       As millions of children continue to experience the blessings of Catholic Schools and celebrate it, let us give thanks to God for these schools, pray for them to bear fruit, and do all we can to support (as those who have went before us have supported them) that which has brought so many blessings to this earth, and so that this blessing will not disappear from the earth.
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This coming Sunday is the 3rdSunday of Ordinary Time-Sunday of the Word of God.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012625.cfm

259. What is required of one who is to be baptized? (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1253-1255) 
a) a profession of faith 
b) a good life 
c) an encounter with God 
d) all of the above 


260. Who can baptize? (CCC 1256, 1284) 
a) Bishop 
b) an atheist with intention of the Church 
c) any Catholic with the intention of the Church 
d) all of the above 


261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? (CCC 1257) 
a) Yes, for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed 
b) Yes, for all who have the possibility of asking for the sacrament 
c) No, not if they know not of it 
d) all of the above ​

The Blessings of a Catholic School
 
 
A Catholic School Helps To Teach Children How To Pray
Prayer is what connects us to God and is communication with God, so it is central to the life of any human person. 
Catholic Schools assist parents and families in the necessary and essential task of teaching children how to pray.
. Children do not only pray at Catholic Schools multiple times throughout the day,
they are taught how to pray, listening to God and responding to His call and direction.
. Teachers and staff not only pray themselves, but witness lives of prayer to students.
. Prayer is not just something done as much as it is something lived. 
Catholic Schools move students and families to become persons of living prayer moment to moment, day to day.
 
"We chose a Catholic school for our children to help them grow in the faith. The children learn in an environment that constantly reinforces Catholic values. Their academic year is busy and challenging yet the focus is always the teaching of Christ. Our attempts at parenting and educating our children center around planting seeds of faith that will carry the growth into adulthood."  - St. Joseph School parent, Vancouver
 
A Catholic Education is a Challenging Education
High standards, strong motivation, effective discipline and an atmosphere of caring combine to foster
excellence and a high quality of student performance is supported by the evidence.
. Catholic school students score an average of 20% higher than state scores on norm-reference and achievement tests.
. Research shows that because of a greater emphasis on homework and study,
Catholic school students develop more effective writing skills.
. Catholic high school students attend post-secondary education at a rate of 97%
and are more likely to complete their program of studies.
. Catholic school students graduate from high school at a rate of 99%.
 
"A Catholic education is based in the values of respect, shared knowledge and love. These
values support a nurturing structure where students can thrive and grow. Starting from a base
of respect and love, students are given knowledge that will prepare them for high school and a
lifetime of learning. Catholic education has an unmatched tradition of success in bringing out
the best in students around the world."  - Roger VanOosten, Our Lady of the Lake, Seattle
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Have you considered a Catholic Education for your child?
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A Catholic School is a Community
Parents and family are recognized as the primary educators and Catholic Schools join with them to form a living community of shared visions.
. Catholic schools join with the family to help students understand their special place in the family, the Church, and society.
. Catholic schools encourage family input and involvement in the ongoing education of their children.
Research shows that such a partnership results in higher attendance rates and lower dropout rates.
. Catholic schools strive to create a special bond among the students, the home, the school, and the
Church, so that all share the strong sense of community.
. The Catholic community shares the cost of education where tuition is often supplemented by the parish.
 
"There is something powerful about Catholic school communities that allow us to come
together, to be together, to trust one another in the kind of fellowship that allows us to care for
one another in long and lasting and enduring and committed ways."  - Ed Taylor, St. Therese, Seattle
 
A Catholic Education Fosters Compassion and Service
. All schools include service learning and community service, starting with the Kindergarten.
. In Catholic schools there is a mutual respect which exists among students, faculty, and
administrators which generates an atmosphere of care and concern.
. Catholic schools help students understand that each person is unique and valuable.
. Catholic school students are more likely go on to serve the Church and society as lay and religious leaders.
 
"When my father passed away 19 years ago, I transferred from a public school to a Catholic
school in eighth grade. The acceptance and support I found there helped me deal with my
grief. I continued on to Catholic high school and college because of my experience. I am
grateful for the many blessings I received from Catholic school."
 - St. Frances Cabrini School parent, Tacoma
 
"Young people of the third millennium must be a source of energy and leadership in our Church and our nation.  Therefore, we must provide young people with an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program of education and faith formation designed to strengthen their union with Christ and his Church.  Catholic schools collaborate with parents and guardians in raising and forming their children as families struggle with the changing and challenging cultural and moral contexts in which they find themselves.  Catholic schools provide young people with sound Church teaching through a broad-based curriculum, where faith and culture are intertwined in all areas of a school's life.  By equipping our young people with a sound education, rooted in the Gospel message, the Person of Jesus Christ, and rich in the cherished traditions and liturgical practices of our faith, we ensure that they have the foundation to live morally and uprightly in our complex modern world.  This unique Catholic identity makes our Catholic elementary and secondary schools "schools for the human person" and allows them to fill a critical role in the future life of our Church, our country, and our world."
(US Bishops: Catholic Schools on the Threshold, no.  9)
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Why Parents Choose A Catholic School For Their Child
 
"My kids have all come to school and been really shy. Yet, over the years they opened up and
by the time they're in the upper grades they do really well. . . . my kids have excelled here,
they've done really well, they love their friends, and they've loved everything about school."
- Paul Sauvage, St. Joseph, Seattle
 
"I chose a Catholic school education for my children because of the gospel values that
permeate the curriculum, the opportunity for daily prayer and reflection, and the reinforcement
of what we as parents teach our children at home. Teamwork!"
- St. Brendan School parent, Bothell
 
"There are a lot of good schools of all kinds, but at many of them the ethic seems to be: 'What
are you going to do for my precious child?' In Catholic school the ethic is 'What are we -
together - going to do for our precious children?'"
- David Horsey, St. Benedict, Seattle
 
"A Catholic School is a great place for your children to learn and grow. The community and school families welcome new students and make families feel welcome. Children learn in small class sizes and are able to benefit with one on one attention when needed. The afterschool program helps students with parents that can be there after school to pick them up."
St. Michael School parent, Radom, Illinois

 
In a very special way, parents share in the office of sanctifying "by leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing to the Christian education of their children."-Catechism of the Catholic Church 2226

​

During this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a group of believers from different Christian denominations made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Akash Bashir, the young Pakistani Salesian who sacrificed his life in 2015 to prevent a terrorist attack at his church.

In Pakistan, a traditionally Islamic nation, everyone considers Servant of God Akash Bashir a martyr, according to the Vatican news agency Fides. His figure has become one “that unites Christians of all confessions.” Muslims also venerate him.

“His sacrifice, giving his life to protect the innocent people praying in St. John Church in Lahore, transcends the boundaries of the Church and stands as a bridge for interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community,” Fides noted.
As part of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity activities, an ecumenical prayer service took place at his burial place in which the participants “entrusted the lives of Christians in Pakistan to the intercession of this young man.”
Among them were a Catholic priest, Father Lazar Aslam, and two Protestant pastors, I.B. Rocky and Samuel Ashan Khokhar. The latter recalled that fateful day of March 15, 2015, when Bashir saved many lives by bravely confronting a terrorist who intended to blow himself up inside the church.

“I was in charge of receiving the bodies, placing them in the morgue and making a list of those who had tragically lost their lives. I remember in particular writing the name of Akash Bashir on one of the body bags,” Khokhar said.
“It was a moving moment when I saw the boy’s face. Although lifeless, I was struck by his beauty, I was deeply touched by the smile and serenity that emanated from Akash’s face. He radiated a luminous and sacred presence that recalled the first Christian martyrs,” the pastor related.

Aslam highlighted the “powerful symbol of unity and interreligious communion” that the legacy of the young Pakistani represents. “His figure attracts people of different faiths and even non-Christians who come to visit and pray at his tomb,” he said.

“It was a deeply spiritual experience, which created a deep sense of unity, recognizing each other as children of God and sharing humanity. With his sacrifice, Akash Bashir continues to inspire the Pakistani faithful to be in solidarity, to protect their faith, and to embody in daily life the values of love, peace, and dialogue with every person,” the priest said.
Who was Akash Bashir?

Bashir was born in Pakistan on June 22, 1994, to a poor family. He studied at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore, leading a simple family life and giving an important place to sports and prayer.

On March 15, 2015, the 20-year-old discovered that a person who wanted to enter the church was carrying explosives under his clothes. He tried to stop him from going inside but could not convince the terrorist to back off.

Bashir then locked his arms tightly around the terrorist and said: “I will die, but I will not let you enter the church.” The attacker set off the explosives, killing himself, Bashir, and two others.  With his heroic act he prevented hundreds of people from perishing during the Mass.

Today, more than 800 Catholic baptisms are celebrated annually at St. John’s Church in Lahore, and many young people have joined the active life of the parishes. Moreover, for religious minorities, Bashir is “a blessing.”

In 2024, the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification and canonization of Bashir concluded, and he could become Pakistan’s first martyr.
​
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
​

“When you speak in that manner to young people, it clicks. They get it,” he added. “They want to hear more. They want to be engaged. And as Church we need to do a better job helping young people come back to the feet of Jesus.”

​“Since being named bishop, I’ve had a lot of young people just say, ‘Hey, you know what? I can relate to you. I can see myself in you.’ And that’s a positive. That’s a great sign because then they know, ‘Hey there’s more, or there can be more,’ and that’s what we’re called to do, right?”

‘Word of God’ Sunday a chance to strengthen Catholics’ scripture understanding, scholars say
(Credit: Pixabay.)
​
SOUTH BEND, Indiana - As the worldwide Catholic Church prepares to celebrate the first Sunday of the Word of God this weekend, Bible scholars in the U.S. hope the commemoration strengthens Scriptural devotion in American households.
Since Catholicism is imbued with sacramental celebrations, scholars note that Scripture can take a backseat to other aspects of church life. Statistics support this conjecture, with over 50 percent of Catholics saying they seldom or never read the Bible, according to a 2014 Pew survey. That compares to just 18 percent of Evangelical Protestants who rarely crack open the Good Book.
However, the reticence to read Scripture is understandable from the perspective of Bible scholars. Catholics were not widely encouraged to read Scripture until the 20th century, when Pope Pius XII extolled the practice in his encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu in 1943. Over two decades later, the Second Vatican Council produced Dei Verbum, which amplified Pius’s message to a wider audience.
Dr. Gina Hens-Piazza, President of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, told Crux she feels some Catholics are afraid to read the Bible, worrying they might err in their interpretation.
Despite this, “the Catholic believer has an opportunity, and perhaps even a responsibility, to become a student of Scripture,” she said.
Hens-Piazza, who is a professor of Old Testament studies at Jesuit School of Theology, said the Church should “empower” people and inform them that “they have the capacity to study Scripture.”
Hens-Piazza noted that while many “bright” people attend American parishes, “their understanding of Scripture - if they ever get occasion to study it - probably ended at a very early age.”Scripture, she said, often requires more reflective thinking than young children can muster.
Holy Cross Father Adam Booth, a doctoral student studying the New Testament at Duke University, said the desire for more Catholics to read Scripture likely influenced the institution of Sunday of the Word of God.
Booth compared the decision by Pope Francis to establish this Sunday’s event to Pope John Paul II’s institution of the Luminous Mysteries in 2002.
“Sometimes we look at the range of things we commemorate liturgically, and we see what’s missing,” he said.
Booth said the “gaps” that form in how we devote our prayer - such as the earthly life of Jesus in the case of the Luminous Mysteries - are aspects of faith dealt with so often, they are sometimes not celebrated.
While the Bible is present in both the readings and many of the prayers at Mass, Booth said there’s no clear time to reflect on “the gift that God has given us words.”
Sunday of the Word of God falls on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time and will become an annual occasion for the Church. None of the readings or propers of the Mass will change, but Francis hopes congregations throughout the world will celebrate “with a certain solemnity.”
While churches decide how to create that “certain solemnity” on an individual level, Booth and Hens-Piazza both had suggestions on how to celebrate the occasion.
Hens-Piazza said the creation of something called lexical groups could be a resource for parishes to further explore Scripture.
She explained the concept: “Whoever is responsible for homilies the following Sunday would invite a sample of members of the community” to a session during the week, where the readings would be discussed. From there, the homilist could “let the homily grow out of that discussion.”
With lexical groups, what parishioners reflect on in the readings “actually becomes a part of what is the preaching message,” Hens-Piazza said.
She also said parishes could take a moment during this weekend’s Mass to bless and recognize ministers of the Word in the congregation.
Booth told Crux on Tuesday that he had not yet prepared his homily for the weekend, but planned to preach on the idea of how the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament, a concept found in Sunday’s readings.
Noting that Catholics do not read the whole Bible through readings at Mass, Booth suggested reading beyond the selected passage for a given Sunday to gain more context of the Scriptures.
“If we’re reading six verses from Matthew 3 this week, why don’t you sit down and read the whole of Mathew 3?” he offered.
Both Booth and Hens-Piazza said that reviewing the Sunday readings ahead of time is a great tactic for families with young children.
“It can give the kids a sense of something to listen for,” said Booth. “They can pick out in advance something that might be meaningful for their family.”
While Sunday of the Word of God might shine a light on a soft spot for American Catholics, Hens-Piazza said she hopes the annual event will spread new ways to encounter the Bible.
“There’s so many things we can do that Catholics have a 15- or 20-minute introduction to three texts,” she said.


God Always Chooses The 'Little Ones,' Pope Francis Reflects

(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=28833)

VATICAN CITY, January 21 (CNA/EWTN News) .- In his daily Mass, Pope Francis noted how God seeks to have a personal relationship with each of us, emphasizing that he favors those who are humble and small because he is able to dialogue with them.

"There is a relationship between God and us little ones: God, when he must choose people, even his own people, he always chooses the little ones," the Pope said during his Jan. 21 homily.

Addressing those who were present in the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse, Pope Francis centered his homily on the day's first reading, taken from the First Book of Samuel in which the prophet anoints David as king upon the Lord's rejection of his older brothers.

Turning his thoughts to our own personal relationship with God, the Pope highlighted how we are God's people, and that "in a people, everyone has his post."

However, the pontiff said that although we belong to the People of God, "the Lord never speaks to the people like this, to the mass, never."

"He always speaks personally, with names. And he personally chooses," the Pope explained, adding that the story of creation shows us this because "it is the same Lord that with his hands made man and gave him a name: 'You are called Adam.'"

"And so begins that story between God and the person. And another thing, there is a relationship between God and us little ones: God, when he must choose people, even his own people, he always chooses the little ones."

Emphasizing how there is always a "dialogue between God and human littleness," the Pope recalled the words of Mary in her Gospel canticle when she said that "the Lord has looked upon my humility."

Returning to the first reading, the pontiff observed that we can see this attitude of the Lord "clearly" when Samuel first thinks that Jesse's eldest son is to be the anointed one because he is "tall" and "big," but instead the Lord tells him "at his appearance or his height," because "I have rejected him because it does not matter what man sees."

Instead, the Lord chooses David, the youngest, who "did not count for his father," the Pope continued, highlighting how the Lord chooses according to his own criteria, and not that of the world.

He chooses "the weak and the meek, to confound the mighty of the earth," the Pope said, recalling that although Jesse said that he was not home, David "was elected."

"All of us with Baptism have been elected by the Lord. We all are elected. He has chosen us one by one," he observed, adding that God "has given us a name and he watches over us" and that "there is a dialogue, because the Lord loves in this way."

"Even David became king, and then he made a mistake...he has made many perhaps, but the Bible tells us of two big ones, two heavy mistakes."

However, after committing these sins, "What did David do?" the pontiff asked, recalling that "He humbled himself. And returned to his littleness and said: 'I am a sinner.' And asked pardon and did penance."

David "kept his smallness, with repentance, with prayer, with tears," the Pope explained, adding that in thinking about this dialogue between "the Lord and our smallness," we can wonder where lays "Christian faithfulness?"

"Christian fidelity, our fidelity, is simply to preserve our littleness, so that it can dialogue with the Lord," he reflected, "preserve our littleness."

"For this reason, humility, gentleness, meekness, are so important in the life of the Christian because it is a custody of smallness that the Lord likes to look at. And it will always be a dialogue between our littleness and the greatness of the Lord."

Bringing his homily to a close, Pope Francis prayed through the intercession of Saint David, and "also through the intercession of the Virgin Mary who sang joyfully to God, because she had guarded her humility," that "the Lord gives us the grace to guard our littleness in front of Him." 

As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators. Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise. 
-Catechism of the Catholic Church 2229

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, January 26th, 2025
Sunday of the Word of God


The First Reading- Nehemiah 8: 2-4A, 5-6, 8-10
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it — for he was standing higher up than any of the people —; and, as he opened it, all the people rose. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, "Amen, amen!" Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: "Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep"—for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!"
Reflection
Every parent knows that the rules and requirements we put on our children are not there as a pre-emptive punishment, but for their safety and to help them to grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted, compassionate, responsible people.  The same goes for God—his law teaches us how to live lives of justice, mercy and love—they are no more pre-emptive punishment as our rule “don’t touch the hot stove.” We see here that the rules weren’t just read to the people, though; they were explained.  Helping people to know the “why” of rules is really important for fostering respect for those rules. This is why ongoing catechesis is of the utmost importance - we are not all called to get degrees in Biblical studies, but we are all called to learn more and more about Christ for the whole of our lives.
Adults -The Magisterium of the Church is the official interpreter of Scripture. It is important to use commentaries on Scripture that are approved by the Church to ensure correct teaching. How can you learn more about your faith? Can you commit to reading Scripture and a commentary on it daily? Join a group at the parish to further your knowledge within our parish family? Whatever your choice, pray to the Lord and ask for HIs guidance and His blessing.
Teens - Look up the teen Catechism of the Catholic Church (YouCat) online and learn something new about your faith.
Kids - What are some things that your parents do, or rules that they have given you that help you feel safe?


Responsorial- Psalm 19: 8, 9, 10, 15
R.Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Reflection
-Make a commitment to pay attention to your spiritual health the same way you care for your physical health.


The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 12: 12-30
Brothers and sisters: As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, "Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you." Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Reflection
The second reading fleshes the bottom line of God’s rules out for us—that all people should understand their dignity and honor as a child of God—that they should be reminded that they are important and loved no matter what they have to offer, and that whatever someone has to offer is a real contribution—not just a token. Saint Paul draws heavily on the theology of the Mystical Body of Christ in this reading. We are all truly members of one Body - united by one bloodline that we receive in the Eucharist - and all parts of the Body matter. Someone might say your pinky finger isn’t really important - but if you are in danger of losing that finger you will certainly remember it’s importance! Every single part of the body matters, just as every single member of the Body of Christ matters, and should be treated as such.
This week choose a member of the Body of Christ who likely needs some extra love in their life and treat them better than they are being treated. See what happens.


The Holy Gospel according to Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
Reflection
The prologue of Saint Luke’s Gospel assures us that what he is recounting in his writing is in fact reliable and historical. We hear the account of Jesus reading from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue. The passage that he reads was often seen by ancient Jews as a sort of “job description” of the Messiah - bringing glad tidings to the poor, recovering sight to the blind, proclaiming liberty to captives. Jesus is going to fulfill all of these things, and more! The Messiah has come, and he is going to exceed everyone’s expectations!
Adults - How are you continues the merficul works that Jesus models? Choose a Corporal Work of Mercy or Spiritual Work of Mercy this week and live it out.
Teens  - Look up the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and choose one to learn more about.
Kids - How can you praise Jesus every day this week?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “We have a priceless gift of God in the inspired Books of the Bible. Let us show true appreciation for that gift by using it to build up a better knowledge of the Christian faith which it teaches us. There should be a Bible, or at least the New Testament, in every Christian home. It should not be an ornament on a shelf, but a fountain and source from which we can draw strength and refreshment in the daily practice of our Christian faith. Almost two thousand years ago, God's infinite goodness provided this source of strength, the "fountain of living water," for us Christians of this century. Are we grateful for his thoughtfulness? Are we nourishing our faith at this blessed fountain of his infinite wisdom and love?” --Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M



259. What is required of one who is to be baptized? a) a profession of faith 
Everyone who is to be baptized is required to make a profession of faith. This is done personally in the case of an adult or by the parents and by the Church in the case of infants. Also the godfather or the godmother and the whole ecclesial community share the responsibility for baptismal preparation (catechumenate) as well as for the development and safeguarding of the faith and grace given at baptism. 


260. Who can baptize? d) all of the above 
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and the priest. In the Latin Church the deacon also can baptize. In case of necessity any person can baptize provided he has the intention of doing what the Church does. This is done by pouring water on the head of the candidate while saying the Trinitarian formula for Baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. 


261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? d) all of the above 
Baptism is necessary for salvation for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.  Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” -John 3:5 

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