Dear friends in Christ Jesus,


            Most of you probably know how to pray the Holy Rosary.  (If not, please check under the website section.)  But maybe you do not know of its great power and its great aid to people and to the world.  From the great naval victory at Lepanto in 1571 to the peace of heart and peace in the world, the holy Rosary is a gift beyond imagination.
 
       St. Dominic and the Dominicans are and have been great preachers of the Rosary for around 800 years.  Popes have endorsed it with Pope Leo XIII writing 12 Rosary encyclicals and 5 apostolic letters from 1883 to 1898, the most of any pope. The blessed Mother herself telling the children at Fatima, “You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world…”




       The Rosary is the Prayer of the Gospel, and it unites us and our lives to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph the ordinary and extraordinary events of their lives helping us to understand our own.  The Rosary gives us and others grace and help at every moment of our lives.  It prepares one for heaven, and helps one to truly love.  (Be sure to read the promises of Our Lady below.)




       The Rosary is not meant to be only vocal prayers recited, but MENTAL PRAYER, an engaging of the mind and heart to the events that save us.  On the 10 Hail Marys ask WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY about each Mystery you meditate upon.  Then the true gift and benefit of the Holy Rosary will be made known to you and the world.


 Now that is Roman Catholic GOOD NEWS!




Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  In 2004, Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary) added five more mysteries to the Holy Rosary referring to the life of Jesus and Mary, check them out under Helpful Hints for Life.
 
P.S.S.  This coming Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time.  >>> Readings

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Do you pray the Holy Rosary with you family?
The family that prays together, stays together!

MYSTERIES OF LIGHT - LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

1.      The Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist 

2.      The First Miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana

3.      The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven (and Call to Repentance)

4.      The Transfiguration

5.      The Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
 
The promises of Mary from God to those who pray the Holy Rosary:
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of My only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of pre-destination.
 
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)

>>> Link
 
 
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.  


-Catechism of the Catholic Church #971

Best Parish Practices
​

Holy Habits: What School Sisters Bring to the Classroom
by Mary Rezac

In Lincoln, Nebraska, you can tell the seasons by the habits of the School Sisters of Christ the King. 

It’s not really summer until you spot a “CK Sister”, as they are affectionately known, walking around in her lighter blue summer habit. 

But when a CK sister is donning her dark blue habit, that means the months are turning colder. And when the dark blue habits come out, you can find almost every CK sister in a classroom, teaching in one of the 27 Catholic elementary schools in the diocese. 

Religious school sisters are a fairly common sight in the Diocese of Lincoln, which has two diocesan orders of women religious - the Christ the King Sisters as well as the grey-habited Marian sisters, many of whom can also be found teaching in the local Catholic schools. 

In much of the rest of the country, however, religious sisters are something of a rare novelty - thought they used to be a much more common sight in the United States. 

In 1965, there were nearly 180,000 women religious in the United States, many of them school teachers, according to data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate out of Georgetown University. 

By 2014, there were less than 50,000 religious sisters, the numbers having steadily declined over the past half-century in the post-Vatican II upheaval that was felt in many parts of the Church around the world. 

It was in the midst of this upheaval and decline that Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin, then of Lincoln, decided to found the Christ the King Sisters as a religious order dedicated specifically to teaching children. 

“He noticed that there were a good number of sisters in our schools in the 50’s and 60’s, but by the 70’s the sisters were starting to pull out of our classrooms,” Sr. Mary Cecilia, a Christ the King Sister, told CNA. 

Bishop Flavin had difficulty finding already-established religious orders that were able to come to the Diocese of Lincoln, and eventually felt called to found a diocesan order dedicated specifically to teaching, Sr. Mary Cecilia said. 

“He knew that our seminaries were growing and increasing in number, and he thought if the Lord was calling this many young men to serve as priest then he was probably calling young women to serve as sisters also,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Cecilia, who now serves as principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Lincoln, said that Bishop Flavin founded the order with the idea that a good religious education would strengthen the faith of much of the laity in the diocese. 

“He wanted to extend Christ’s reign in whatever place possible...and he realized what was so important to make that happen was Catholic education. Because if we can reach the young people in the diocese, we not only reach the young people but we also reach their parents and families,” she said. 

“He realized that one of the best ways to really nurture their faith in the lives of these children is through the consecrated life, through having sisters present in the schools, the value of the witness of a religious - their life totally dedicated to God, their gift of self-sacrifice, being a spiritual mother to every single student in the school,” she added. 

For herself, Sr. Mary Cecilia said she knew from a young age she wanted to teach.

“I have a brother who’s a priest - he often talks about how I used to play school so everything he knows about teaching came from me when he was little,” she joked. 

In college in the early 1990s, she studied high school math education and dreamed of teaching calculus and algebra to older students. But that’s also when she met the Christ the King Sisters, who only teach at the elementary level. 

“I realized oh they’re joyful, they’re young, vibrant, I like that,” Sr. Mary Cecilia said. 

Even though she was drawn to religious life as a CK Sister, she was still hesitant about teaching at the younger level - “that was something that I had to take to the Lord,” she said. 

Ultimately, though, the spirit of the CK Sisters, their depth of prayer, their warmth, and their dedication to education were what drew Sr. Mary Cecilia to them. 

“We are extending the kingdom of God in Catholic schools, and Catholic schools are so important to me primarily because of my own education in Catholic schools,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Agnes belongs to another religious order, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wichita, Kansas, that is also primarily dedicated to the education and formation of young people. 

A veteran teacher of 10 years, Sr. Mary Agnes said she believes that religious sisters bring something unique to the classroom that other teachers cannot, even though at a basic level, they perform the same functions. 

“Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ,” she told CNA. 

“We do really similar things that other people do who are not sisters,” she said. “So (the value of) religious life is not about doing, it’s about witness and the being of the person. Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ.” 

Perhaps some of the most well-recognized teaching sisters in the Catholic Church in the U.S. today are the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia based in Nashville, Tennessee and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Both orders, primarily dedicated to education, have sisters teaching on Catholic campuses throughout the country. 

“We belong to the Dominican Order and our charism is preaching and teaching. 
Women religious have been an integral part of the history of Catholic education in the United States,” Sr. John Dominic with the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist told CNA.

“As Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we seek to continue the tradition of educating generations of young people in their faith and most of all, to bring youth into deeper relationship with Christ,” she said. 

Despite the general decline in religious life that has been happening over the past few decades, both Dominican orders have seen a boom in young vocations in recent years. The Dominican Sisters of Mary recently opened a new priory in Texas in order to accommodate all of the young women discerning religious life in their order. 

When asked what is drawing so many young women to their order, Sr. John Dominic responded: “The young people are responding to God’s invitation to ‘come and follow Him’.” 

Sr. John Dominic said the depth of the prayer life of the sisters and the close relationship with the Lord that their way of life allows lets them bring the fruits of their spiritual life to their students. 

“Pope Saint John Paul II once described women religious as being a ‘sign of tenderness’ in the world. From my experience in working with Sisters in schools, this is precisely what many of them bring - tenderness and an intuitive heart,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Agnes said she is always humbled when parents and students recognize the unique gifts and witness that religious sisters bring to the classroom. 

“...that to me is the most striking, when the students come back after they graduate and they’re so excited to express: ‘Thank you what you’ve done for me.’ Many times they don’t recognize it at the time but then they do say thank you I’m glad that you taught me, I’m glad you were there for me, and it’s so humbling,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Cecilia said that she would encourage young women considering religious life not to be afraid, and to encounter sisters up-close before believing some of the misconceptions about religious sisters that exist.  

“When I was younger I thought that all sisters instantly became like 70 once they put that habit on, and that’s not true!” she said. “None of our sisters are 70 yet.” 

On a more serious note, she added, “I think one of the misconceptions out there is that you have to give up everything that you hold dear, that you have dreams of, in order to do this. And in reality you do but its not the giving up that you focus on,” she said. 

“It’s what takes its place - your relationship with the Lord, and being able to be filled with an intense and immense love for him, and therefore an immense love for the people you’re asked to serve.” ​

San Miguel School in Northwest Washington, D.C. Credit: John MacArthur.
   
During Catholic Schools Week, the president of a small school in Washington, D.C. explained its humble origins, extraordinary mission, and its hopes for the future. 

“We intentionally seek out kids who can’t afford to go here and who are at risk,” Don Mullikin told EWTN News. He chairs the board of San Miguel School in Northwest Washington, D.C., a middle school catering exclusively to low-income immigrant families.

“When it comes to Pope Francis, his message is simple and clear, and it’s what we do: helping others who are more needy than you.”

The school is sponsored, but not owned, by the De La Salle Brothers. Its mission is in the La Sallian tradition of the “preferential option for the poor.” 

That ministry dates back to the 1600s when St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle served the poor in France through Christian education, hoping to break their “cycle of poverty.”

And in the same way, San Miguel exists to break the “cycle of poverty.” The formula is not easy, because the students enter the middle school a year or two behind the sixth grade level. In three years, they must be ready to excel at a private Catholic high school. 

In short, the school crams five years of education into three calendar years. Students attend school year-round for nine hours a day.

The enrollment is small – only 65 students – and is only male and middle school-age. 

This is an extremely formative and important age, Mullikin explained, providing the best opportunity to prepare kids for high school, something many of their parents never got to accomplish.

With the small enrollment the principal knows every student, so “you cannot slip through the cracks.”

The students are all from immigrant families, half of them Salvadoran and the rest from other parts of Latin America. And every family starts out at or below the poverty line. Admission is made on a financial basis “in reverse.”

Thus, tuition is almost completely free, which separates San Miguel from other parochial schools. “We are reliant upon the good will and contributions of the community to survive,” Mullikin stated.  “Most parochial schools don’t want to take our kids who can’t pay.”

Many families just pay the minimum of $50 a month. Those who can afford to pay more may do so. But the school doesn’t just cover education; it also provides counseling, breakfast, lunch, and extracurricular activities. It is almost completely dependent upon donors and foundations for its income. 

Yet these low-income students leave with a ticket to a Catholic high school. The acceptance rate at Catholic high schools in the area is 100 percent, and 97 percent of alumni either have a high school diploma or are pursuing one. In comparison, that rate is 50 percent for all Latino males in the D.C. area. 

The immigrant parents of students are extremely hard-working but do not know the “foreign” American school system, Mullikin explained. Thus they may not know of options like San Miguel.

“What’s really important is allowing these families to fulfill their dream of making it better for the next generation,” he said. 

The parents are “working their fingers to the bone day and night,” he added. They don’t have time to research the U.S. school system. “We have to really reach out to them and teach them about the school.”

Cramming five years of education into three calendar years is an apt metaphor for the school. It seems a daunting task but not only does it work, it succeeds marvelously.

The end product, he said, is “well-educated boys who are young men who are prepared to succeed in high school.” 

The school does not stop helping a student once he graduates, either. A counselor has a full-time job of checking in on each alumnus in high school, ensuring that any needs of theirs are met and that they are succeeding in school. This establishes a “safety net” that goes beyond the San Miguel years.

One example Mullikin gave was of a graduate who wasn’t eating lunch at his high school because he didn’t have the money. Once San Miguel discovered this they alerted his high school. The administration quickly took care of the problem and gave him a cafeteria card. 

“If that safety net wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be eating,” Mullikin said. ​

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Pope: Confirmation Gives Us The Strength To Defend The Faith

(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=28898)

A bit of humor… 

Some Thoughts  
- With a calendar, your days are numbered.  -If good things come in small packages, then more good things can come in large packages. – We are all time travelers moving at the speed of exactly 60 minutes per hour.  -Thanks for explaining the word "many" to me, it means a lot.  -I ran three miles today. Finally I said, “Lady take your purse.”

Some Thoughts:
- I woke up this morning and forgot which side the sun rises from, then it dawned on me.-
-I recently decided to sell my vacuum cleaner as all it was doing was gathering dust.
-Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.
-I don’t like nesting Russian dolls, they’re so full of themselves.


Rare Phone Call
My mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings. 
"Mom, I call all the time," I said. "If you had voicemail, you’d know." Soon after, my brother installed it for her. 
When I called the next time, I got her message: "If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my daughter who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack." 

 
Hot Horseradish 
A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. Once, at dinner, he offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful. The guest let out a huge gasp. When he was finally able to speak, he choked out, "I've heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I've met who passes out a sample of it."

_________________________

HIGHER POWER
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?' One child blurted out, 'Aces!'

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'

 
________________________________
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BEING THANKFUL
 
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable.  What does she say?'
 
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'
​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time - February 3rd, 2019
The First Reading- Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-19
The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah's kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Reflection 
The prophet Jeremiah grew up believing that he was meant to be a priest. God called him in his youth to go to his enemies and share God’s Word with them. God knew it would be a tough job, but promised to stay with Jeremiah the whole time.
Adults -Has God called you to something difficult? How has he shown you that He will be with you the whole time?
Teens - Where have you seen God bring good out of bad in your life?
Kids - God has a plan for all of us. What do you think God’s plan for you is? (What do you think you’ll do when you grow up?)
Responsorial- Psalm 71: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17
R. I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation. 
Reflection 
-How has God been a rock of refuge in your life?
The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13
Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Reflection
In the second reading, from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds us that anything we are called to must be done with love. If we have no love, our message cannot be heard, but sounds only like noise—because if we are not loving, we are not really sharing God’s message. He defines what love should look like when we are living it.
Why do you think people are more likely to listen when they are corrected out of love?
The Holy Gospel according to Luke 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
Reflection
In the Gospel, Jesus goes to his hometown where, not only do they not want to hear what he has to say, but they actually try to assassinate him! Like Jeremiah and Jesus, even when we respond to God’s call and do what God asks us with love—especially then—we will sometimes become the target of people who do not want to do what’s right.
Adults - So often it feels like we are talking to a brick wall, especially when we are speaking truths that others don’t want to hear. When you are faced with this, remember, Jesus didn’t fare any better! We are always called to speak God’s words, but aren’t always called to feel effective. Think of a time when this happened to you. Were you loving, gentle and kind? What happened?
Teens - Is it hard to imagine people you know well accomplishing great things? Is it easier to write off someone’s accomplishment because you know their past?
Kids - How can you encourage others to use their God given gifts?

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
     This week 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 Third Sunday of Ordinary Time.  
The readings can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012719.cfm
​
Homilies from Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in past years, click with your mouse pointer on the blue lines below (18, 21 minutes respectively): 

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
​
Part II

Catholic Term

Catholic School (from Late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos "universal, general"+ from Latin schola, from Greek scholē  "discussion, lecture, school")
 - an institution under the supervision of the Church whose corporate policy is to train the students in the Gospel message of salvation as taught by the teaching authority of the Catholic Church given to her by Jesus Christ and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit
 
In the words of the Second Vatican Council, "It is the special function of the Catholic school to develop in the school community an atmosphere animated by a spirit of liberty and charity based on the Gospel.  It enables young people, while developing their own personality, to grow at the same time in that new life which has been given them at baptism.  Finally it so orients the whole of human culture to the message of salvation that the knowledge which the pupils acquire of the world, of life and of men is illumined by faith.  Thus, the Catholic school, taking into consideration as it should the conditions of an age of progress, prepares its pupils to contribute effectively to the welfare of the world of men and to work for the extension of the kingdom of God" (Declaration on Christian Education, 8).
​

"Helpful Hints of Life"
​

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.
 ​

"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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Catholic Website of the Week

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Pro-life Advocates Gather in San Francisco for Walk for Life West Coast
By Kevin Jones

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
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A bit of humor.

Some Thoughts :
- I bet you I could stop gambling.  
-Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was excellent.  
-668 – The neighbor of the beast.  
-It’s bad luck to be superstitious.

Rare Phone Call - My mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings.   "Mom, I call all the time," I said. "If you had voicemail, you’d know." Soon after, my brother installed it for her. 
When I called the next time, I got her message: "If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my daughter who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack."Aged To PerfectionThe average age of people living in our military retirement community is 85. Recently, a neighbor turned 100, and a big birthday party was thrown. Even his son turned up.  “How old are you?” a tenant asked.  “I’m 81 years old,” he answered.  The tenant shook her head. “They sure grow up fast, don’t they?”


One Sunday morning, a priest wakes up and decides to go golfing. He calls the retired priest and says that he feels very sick, and won't be able to go to offer the Mass.
Way up in heaven, Saint Peter sees all this and asks God, ''Are you really going to let him get away with this?''
''I'll take care of it,'' says God.
The priest drives about five to six hours away, so he doesn't bump into anyone he knows. The golf course is empty when he gets there. So he takes his first swing, drives the ball 495 yards away and gets a hole in one.
Saint Peter watches in disbelief and asks, '' Why did you let him do that?''
To this God says, ''Who's he going to tell?'' 

10 Things You Never Hear in Church 
1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew! 
2. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time. 
3. Personally I find witnessing to the Gospel much more enjoyable than golf. 
4. I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists. 
5. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.
6. Forget the denominational minimum salary. Let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do. 
7. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before! 
8. Since we're all here, let's start the service early. 
9. Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas. 
10. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!
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SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - January 27th, 2019
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.” 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.
Adults -The Magisterium of the Church is the official interpreter of Scripture. Read a passage of Scripture, paying attention to the footnotes and see what you can learn that you didn’t already know. 
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 
-Pay attention to you spiritual health the same way you care for your physical health this week.
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 made to feel 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.
This week choose a member of the Body of Christ (which is everyone) 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
Jesus brings it all home with the reading of the Jubilee text from Isaiah. He IS the fulfillment of the Law—and the way that he treated and loved the least respected members of society is how we are supposed to, too.
Adults - How are you living out God’s mercy in this year? Choose a Corporal Work of Mercy or Spiritual Work of Mercy 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?

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Blessed Are The Sorrowing, They Shall Be Consoled 
 
It has long been the custom in many places that the neighbors and friends of a family that has lost a loved one would bring food over for the grieving family.   In the shock of grief one does not feel like doing much of anything let alone cooking, yet food is needed for strength during such a trying time, so friends and neighbors do this charity for the sorrowing.   Food, plastic utensils, paper plates, napkins, paper towels, bottled water, etc. are just a few of the things that one can bring to a family at time of loss to assist them as they will likely have family and friends who they would also like to see to the needs of.  It is one more thing along with praying that you and I can do for those experiencing loss.

Also, if they seem to have plenty of the above.  A grieving basket might be in order.  It can be filled with comforting and soothing things: a prayer book, a scented candle, homeopathic calming drops, a journal for memories of the loved one, lip balm, quality tissues, massage oil, herbal tea bags, a crystal 'hope' ornament, and a cuddly teddy bear, etc.  You can invite them to keep it nearby and use it whenever they need it.
 
 
'All the Old Covenant prefigurations find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He begins his public life after having himself baptized by Saint John the Baptist in the Jordan. After His resurrection Christ gives this mission to His apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." ' 
-Catechism of the Catholic Church 1223
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Catholic Website of the Week

Pope Francis' Vatican Webpage
 
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en.html

Our Lord voluntarily submitted Himself to the baptism of Saint John, intended for sinners, in order to "fulfill all righteousness". Jesus' gesture is a manifestation of His self-emptying. The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as His "beloved Son."
 -Catechism of the Catholic Church 1224

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Children must see the faith lived at home, pope tells parents
By Hannah Brockhaus

​Be Intentional About Silence During Mass, Pope Francis Says
By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Jan 10 (EWTN News/CNA) - 

When You Think of MLK, Don't Forget the Faith That Inspired Him
By Kevin Jones

A bit of humor…

Some Thoughts:
- Failure is not falling down, it is not getting up again.
-Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed.
-I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.
-The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a flat tire.
-You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Family Matters“Why doesn’t your mother like me?” a woman asks her boyfriend.
“Don’t take it personally,” he assures her. “She’s never liked anyone I’ve dated. I once dated someone exactly like her, and that didn’t work out at all.”
“What happened?”
“My father couldn’t stand her.”
 
Mom's CallI was sound asleep when the telephone jarred me awake. 
"Hi!" It was my peppy mother-in-law. She proceeded to rattle on about the busy day she had ahead and all the things that awaited her the rest of the week. 
"Mom," I interrupted. "It’s five in the morning." 
"Really? What are you doing up so early?" 


63 and pregnant..................
A woman went to the emergency room, where she was seen by a young new doctor. After about 3 minutes in the examination room, the doctor told her she was pregnant.  
 
She burst out of the room and ran down the corridor screaming.  An older doctor stopped her and asked what the problem was; after listening to her story, he calmed her down and sat her in another room.  
 
Then the doctor marched down the hallway to the first doctor's room. 'What on earth is wrong with you?' he demanded. 'This woman is 63 years old, she has two grown children and several grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?!!  
 
The new doctor continued to write on his clipboard and without looking up said: 
'Does she still have the hiccups?'
 
 
FROM THE MOUTHS OF CHILDREN:
Ms. Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. 
She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent.
"The Flight to Egypt ," was his reply.
Pointing at each figure, Ms. Terri said,
"That must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. But who's the fourth person?"
"Oh, that's Pontius - the pilot!" 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon.
"How do you know what to say?" he asked.
"Why, God tells me."
"Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

+JMJ+


SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion


Feast of the Baptism of the Lord - January 13th, 2019


The First Reading- Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7
Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
Reflection 
Today is the celebration of the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord! The first reading echoes the words that the Father speaks when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. This reading from Isaiah is a prophecy of Jesus. 
Adults - Can you find examples in the Gospels of where Jesus fulfills each of these prophecies?
Teens -This reading is a prophecy of Jesus, but also is an example of how we are to live. Is there a behavior you need to change to help you live more like Jesus?
Kids - Jesus is prophesied here to be a gentle teacher and Savior. Are you gentle with others?
Responsorial- Psalm 29: 1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R.The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. 
Reflection 
-Reflect on your blessings and give thanks before going to sleep this week.
The Second Reading- Acts 10: 34-38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."
Reflection
The second reading is a speech from Peter as he is about to baptize the household of a pagan who received the Holy Spirit. This is a reminder to us that God’s grace is available to all. 
Do you acknowledge God’s love for every person, even those that are hard to love?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22
The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Reflection
The Gospel is Luke’s version of the Baptism, in which we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all present together at once—the Trinity revealed. It is the moment that a symbolic ritual became reality. It is the moment that God chooses to introduce himself to each of us personally—that we become adopted children of God and receive our vocation to be priest, prophet and king.
Adults - Consider the scene of the Trinity revealed in the Gospel. What stands out for you in that short reading? What connection does this scene have for you in your relationship with God?
Teens -What our baptism means for us develops and changes throughout our lives. As you get closer to young adulthood, your baptismal call—what God is calling you to become in your life—is probably beginning to grow more clear. Have you begun to discern your vocation? What are some emerging talents, interests, or leanings that you have developing in your heart? Ask God to guide you, ask others what they see in you, and keep noticing what you see emerging in yourself.
Kids - Your baptism day was a huge event for your family! Ask your parents to tell you the story of your baptism—who baptized you, who was there, who are your godparents and why your parents chose them, what baptizing you meant to them.

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1. Be honest. Know yourself. What is your strongest virtue? What is your worst vice? Therefore, tailor your resolution so it strengthens your good side and fights your bad one. A one-size fits all resolution is useless. 


2. Be specific. Don't use generalities. They don't work. For example, if you need to be more humble, just saying "I am going to be more humble," is useless. You need to zero in on one situation where you need to practice humility and resolve to improve in that one situation.


3. Be simple. Don't make it complicated. Focus on something you can see and measure easily and that does not overwhelm you each time you try to obtain it. Otherwise, you will become distracted and your energy will be dispersed and misdirected.


4. Be reasonable. Don't try to do too much at once. You won't become a saint in one day. Remember: you have one MAJOR point upon which is hinged your entire fidelity to God and His Holy Laws. This is a called your primordial light. Find out and work on improving it. Everything else will improve if you improve on that one major point.

5. Be consistent. It's far better to do something small everyday to improve on that one key point in your soul than to make a big resolution that you cannot keep for more than a week or two. Slow and steady wins the race!


6. Be humble. Recognize that you cannot do any good action which has value in the supernatural order without God's grace and the intercessory help of the Blessed Mother. Beg God's grace through Our Lady's intercession constantly in all your thoughts, desires and actions


7. Be disinterested. Remember that God wants us to defend His rights and interests, and to share His thoughts and ways. And therefore, to focus on things, happening and events that are very close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary that are not necessarily linked to our own personal interests.


8. Write it down. It's important to write down your resolution so you can refer back to it often during the year. Also, by writing it down, you will be able to review it when the year is over, and to evaluate your progress since the time the resolution was made.


9. Public expressions of faith. Don't hide your faith. That's just what the devil wants. He knows when you express your faith publicly, others see you and are encouraged to follow your good example. Say grace openly and proudly before meals in a restaurant so people can see. You'll be surprised with the good reactions you will get.


10. Devotion to Our Lady. Have more devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Devotion to the Mother of God is a panacea. Saint Louis de Montfort said that devotion to Holy Mary is the easiest, safest, fastest, most secure, and surest path to Jesus and to our own salvation. If you can do nothing else, resolve to say the Rosary everyday. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote:
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"If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins 'you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory.' Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and will save your soul, if-- and mark well what I say-- if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins."

When challenged, it is right to turn to Mary, Our Mother, for help, Pope Francis said on New Year’s Day, because Our Lady sees everyone as beloved children of God and helps others to see and to love in the same way.
“Especially in times of need, when we are entangled in life’s knots, we rightly lift our eyes to Our Lady,” the pope said Jan. 1. “Yet first, we should let ourselves be gazed upon by Our Lady.”
“The eyes of Our Lady are able to bring light to every dark corner; everywhere they rekindle hope. As she gazes upon us, she says: ‘Take heart, dear children; here I am, your Mother!’”
“This maternal gaze, which instils confidence and trust, helps us to grow in faith,” he continued. “Her maternal gaze helps us see ourselves as beloved children in God’s faithful people, and to love one another regardless of our individual limitations and approaches.”
In a homily for Mass for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope reflected on the maternal role of the Blessed Virgin of Mary, who, he said, gazing on God’s people, sees children, not sinners.
“Our Lady keeps us rooted in the Church, where unity counts more than diversity; she encourages us to care for one another,” he stated, noting that her tender gaze can people from falling into tepidity.
“When faith makes a place for the Mother of God, we never lose sight of the center: The Lord, for Mary never points to herself but to Jesus; and our brothers and sisters, for Mary is mother,” he said.
He explained that not only is “the Mother” important, but also all of the mothers in the world, because “the human family is built upon mothers” and a world without their maternal tenderness may be rich materially, “but poor where the future is concerned. Mother of God, teach us to see life as you do.”
“We need to learn from mothers that heroism is shown in self-giving, strength in compassion, wisdom in meekness,” he urged. “God himself needed a Mother: how much more so do we!”
As mothers hold the hands of their little children to show them the way and to keep them from harm, “let us allow ourselves to be taken by the hand,” he said. “Mary, take us by the hand.”
Pope Francis said that “God-with-us, Emmanuel, loves us despite our mistakes, our sins, and the way we treat our world. God believes in mankind, because its first and preeminent member is his own Mother.”
Today, he continued, is a day “to be amazed by the Mother of God. God appears as a little child, held in the arms of a woman who feeds her Creator… That is the mystery we celebrate today, which gives rise to boundless amazement: God has become one with humanity forever.”
Following Mass, Pope Francis led around 40,000 people in praying the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. In his message, he explained that “it is God’s blessing that gives substance to all the good wishes that are exchanged” during the days of Christmas and New Year’s.
And today, as the Church celebrates Mary, Mother of God, “Our Lady blesses us all, everyone,” he continued. “She blesses the path of every man and every woman in this year that begins, and that will be good just as everyone has received the goodness of God that Jesus came to bring into the world.”
Francis also recalled the day’s celebration of the 52nd World Day of Peace, with the theme: Good politics is at the service of peace.
“We do not think that politics is reserved only for rulers: we are all responsible for the life of the ‘city,’ of the common good,” he noted, “and politics too is good to the extent that each one plays his part in the service of peace.”
Concluding, the pope prayed that “through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the Lord will allow us to be artisans of peace – this begins at home, in the family: artisans of peace – every day of the new year.”

Vatican City, Jan 1 (EWTN News/CNA) - 
At the start of the new year, Pope Francis said that having a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary isn’t just something that is nice or good to do, but is an obligation in the life of a Christian.

“Devotion to Mary is not spiritual etiquette; it is a requirement of the Christian life,” the Pope said Jan. 1. “The gift of the Mother, the gift of every mother and every woman, is most precious for the Church, for she too is mother and woman.”

“If our faith is not to be reduced merely to an idea or a doctrine, all of us need a mother’s heart, one which knows how to keep the tender love of God and to feel the heartbeat of all around us.”

Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, reflecting on the line in Luke’s Gospel that says, “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

He pointed out that in the Gospel account of Christmas, Mary does not speak a single word, simply keeping everything in her heart, pondering it.

What we learn from her silence, he said, is that in quiet is how we “keep” ourselves, how we “keep” our soul free from being corroded by consumerism, “the blare of commercials, the stream of empty words and the overpowering waves of empty chatter and loud shouting.”

“We need to remain silent as we gaze upon the crib. Pondering the crib, we discover anew that we are loved; we savor the real meaning of life,” he continued.

“As we look on in silence, we let Jesus speak to our heart. His lowliness lays low our pride; his poverty challenges our outward display; his tender love touches our hardened hearts.”

This is Mary’s “secret,” he said, and we should seek to imitate her in this way. Not closing our hearts out of fear or distress, but handing everything over to God, dwelling on it with Him. 

Francis noted that as we start a new year, it is a good time for Christians to also start anew, leaving behind past burdens and baggage and starting over from what really matters. And “today,” the Pope said, “we have before us the point of departure: the Mother of God.”

“For Mary is exactly what God wants us to be, what he wants his Church to be: A Mother who is tender and lowly, poor in material goods and rich in love, free of sin and united to Jesus, keeping God in our hearts and our neighbor in our lives.”

“Today’s feast tells us that if we want to go forward, we need to turn back: to begin anew from the crib, from the Mother who holds God in her arms,” he stated.

Following the Mass, Pope Francis led the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. In his message before the prayer, he explained how Mary performs a very special function, as intercessor between her Son Jesus and anyone who is suffering.

“She intercedes, aware that as a mother she can, indeed, must, make present to the Son the needs of men, especially the weakest and most disadvantaged.”

Today we also celebrate the World Day of Peace, the Pope said, explaining that this year’s theme of “Migrants and refugees: Men and women seeking peace,” refers precisely to the weakest and most disadvantaged among us.

“We do not extinguish hope in their hearts; we do not stifle their expectations of peace!” he said, and “may the Lord grant us to work in this new year with generosity to create a more supportive and welcoming world.”
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Epiphany Prayer

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+JMJ+


SUNDAY MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion


Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
January 6th, 2019


The First Reading- Isaiah 60: 1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Reflection 
Here we see a promise to the people of Israel, a promise of the light to come. Reading through this reading with its mention of kings, gold, and frankincense it’s impossible not to notice the foreshadowing of the Magi we hear about in our Gospel reading today.
Adults - Where is there darkness in your life? Invite the Lord into that situation.
Teens -Is there anyone in your life that shines with the light of Christ? Who?
Kids - How can you share the light of Jesus with others?


Responsorial- Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 
Reflection 
-How can you take some extra time to adore the Lord this week?


The Second Reading- Ephesians 3: 2-3A, 5-6
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Reflection
In this reading Saint Paul explains that the Good News of the Gospel is for everyone, not just the Jewish people. 
Do you judge people by their social status, beliefs, or lifestyle without getting to know them? How can you show Christ’s love to someone in need?


The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 2: 1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel." Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Reflection
Jesus’ birth is celebrated in the Bible with two accounts of visitors. The first (that we hear on Christmas Eve) was from the Gospel of Luke. The guests that day were shepherds—people who were looked down on; poor and inconsequential. They were the first invited to meet God. The second is today’s story where the guests are Magi—people that we understand to be wealthy enough to bring extravagant gifts, travel very far (which was expensive and difficult) and get an audience with King Herod. And they were not Jewish. These stories together tell us that God invites the very poor and the very rich, the ones who didn’t know who they were being invited to meet and the ones who sought Jesus out because they did know who he was and people who were Jewish and people who weren’t. God invites everybody. When we bring each other gifts, we usually bring age-appropriate gifts. The gifts that the Magi brought were for when Jesus was older—they represented what he was going to do when he grew up. Gold is for Jesus’ kingship, frankincense (incense) is for his priesthood and myrrh is for how he was going to die for us.

Adults - What do you think about those who came to visit Jesus? Who are some people in our personal lives that we should be inviting to Jesus?

Teens - If Jesus was born today, based on the stories we have about who was invited to meet him first, who do you think would be the shepherds and Magi today? What groups of people would have been invited first? What groups of people would have come at Epiphany? Who would be a threat to Jesus?
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Kids - What is the best birthday present you could receive? What birthday present do you think Jesus would want from you?