The Spirituality of Catholic Schools Week
Plans are well underway for Catholic Schools Week at Our Lady Queen of Peace
School. Classrooms are being cleaned and redecorated to show off our wonderful
students’ wonderful progress. As I prepared for the four or five Masses
that my upper graders will be leading before, during and after this special
week, I felt called to think about the real essence of Catholic Schools Week—the
spiritual aspect of this festive time.
No doubt every family has posted Mrs. R’s schedule of events for each
day of the week. We do so many fun things like bowling, the pep rally, special
person’s day, school color day, and more. We see the class flags at
church, listen to our school choir sing at mass, hear our children lead at
mass as the lectors and cantors, ushers and gift bearers. Upper graders will
be demonstrating their PowerPoint slideshows, and they are really topnotch.
Everyone connected with the school, all the faculty and staff, every student
from pre-school to 8th grade, demonstrates a sincere affection for this place
of learning. I know it will be another year where Catholic Schools Week gives
us all good memories that will last a lifetime.
But at its core, Catholic Schools Week is a time when throughout America,
we stand up as a group and say that we Catholics are proud to teach our children
to be Catholics. We educate our young people using Christ-taught ethics, model
Christ-like behavior and lift up Christ-centered lifestyles for them. Academics
in Catholic schools exceed the national norms, and here at our school, we
exceed the Catholic norms. Our children are well educated, that’s a
given. More importantly, I believe, they are educated to be good—good
citizens, good neighbors, good workers, good People of God.
Every day of my life, I give thanks that I am able to speak the name of Jesus
in the classroom. I am privileged to teach children to pray. I give thanks
that I can tell my students the truth. I share with them such important truths
as “Life begins at conception” and “sexuality is a gift
from God that should be reserved for a husband and wife.” I give thanks
that a child can share a prayer request with me and with classmates, and we
will stop what we are doing and pray for that need.
The spirituality of Catholic Schools Week is the spirituality of the Catholic
School: Christ is here. “Where two or more are gathered in my name,
I am there also.” Thank you, Jesus!
Preparations of Christmas
Today is Gaudete Sunday, that midpoint in the Advent Season when we pause
amid our repentance and preparation for the Christmas Season and say, “Rejoice!”
it’s worth it!!! We’re halfway there!!
As we experience the worldly preparations for Christmas, we answer such questions
as: where will we gather, what special dishes will we bring, who’s doing
the turkey? Similarly, we also use Advent to make the spiritual preparations
we so desperately need for Christmas—stop, slowdown, prepare your spirit,
go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and anticipate a Christmas where we
welcome the lost and lonely in our world, but especially in our own families.
For me, the birthing of a new awareness of the Christ Child in the world
has special meaning. I just returned from meeting, holding, bonding with and
learning to love deeply my new grandson, Christopher Collins, just three weeks
old. I comprehend at a deeper level that old Christmas hymn, “Love Came
Down at Christmas.” As I held Christopher, whose name means “Christ-Bearer,”
I watched his face smile in happy thoughts, be completely still in slumber,
and wriggle and squeal to communicate his need for food or a clean diaper.
This is as close to God as one can get. I held him and watched his mom and
dad and four-year old sister decorate their Christmas tree, while carols were
playing in the background. Christ was borne into this room because I felt
so much love there.
My prayer for my students and their families, for our parish, our church,
our world is this: Love deeply this Christmas. Share what you have with joy.
Look for the face of Christ in the face of all you meet. Pray for God’s
gift of peace and love to reach all humanity.
May you have the best of all Christmases, filled with Christ’s presence!
Growing Spiritually
As we reach the autumnal equinox, it’s a good time to think again about
how our students are growing spiritually. The enthusiasm of the beginning
of the school year has not waned; indeed, the enthusiasm inspired our school
to step up and help a school of underprivileged youngsters in Louisiana, when
hurricane Gustav inundated their school and homes with floodwaters.
What I see now among the upper graders whom I see in Religion classes each
day is a deep gratitude and thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful way to enter
prayer—to be thankful for all the times God has come to our aid and
assisted those for whom we pray. Fifth graders are learning about parables—finding
how Jesus cloaked the truth in surprising and challenging stories that make
us think and grow in our faith. Sixth graders have journeyed through the plagues
of Egypt, learning how God acted on behalf of Israelite slaves, confounding
the rich and powerful pharaoh. Seventh graders are deep into the history of
the early church, discovering how ordinary men and women can accomplish great
things for God when they cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Eighth graders,in
their Confirmation preparation year, have contemplated the great treasure
of the Beatitudes, Jesus’ own equivalent of the Ten Commandments. The
whole school is blessed to have spent time before the Blessed Sacrament during
exposition this month. And, of course, each class brings its own personality
to the masses that each class leads.
I am filled with awe and thanksgiving as well, as I watch these young people,
like Jesus, “growing in age and grace” before my very eyes. It
is a privilege to accompany them in this journey and to share the road with
the little ones of God.
Welcome Back to School!
The first day of school is upon us, and our classrooms are filled with such
excitement, anticipation and joy. The word that sums up the general tenor
of the school is “enthusiasm!” And what a wonderful one-word witness
to God it is! The derivation of the word, enthusiasm, is the Greek phrase,
“en theos,” meaning to be “filled with God.” That
concept, having the very presence of God within you, is so key to our faith.
Nowhere is it more present than when we bring together a group of grade-schoolers
and focus them on learning in relationship to God. The Holy Spirit is the
author of all knowledge, I tell them, and the life of Jesus is the benchmark
against which we should always gauge our own conduct.
Even this special year of preparing 8th graders for the reception of the
sacrament of Confirmation is focused “en theos,” as we begin our
studies of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We will learn about
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the lives of humble, ordinary people,
enabling God to use them in vastly extraordinary ways in his kingdom. We ask
the whole school’s continuing prayers for these “confirmandi,”
the 8th graders in preparation for Confirmation. They have the makings of
extraordinary Catholic adults who will continue the apostolic mission of the
church in the twenty-first century.
And so, with much enthusiasm, we begin this year-long journey, with a joy
that comes straight from God. Join with us as we pray and study, work and
play, during the circle of our school year, with its locus in Jesus Christ.
May the enthusiasm spread to all!
Thoughts on End of the School Year
As the 2007-2008 school year draws to a close, the thoughts and feelings
of students and teachers run the gamut from excitement and a sense of urgency
to get things completed all the way to sentimentality and sadness at not wanting
this phase of life to end. I am reminded of St. Paul who tells us in his letters
that he desires two opposing things—to go to God and to stay on earth
to do God’s work. He ends up by saying that he does not know which is
best for him. Ultimately, he makes the wise choice: whatever comes my way
next is surely what is best for me. There’s a kind of selfless wisdom
in that position.
As we graduate twenty 8th graders to move on to secondary education at several
local Catholic and public high schools, I find myself thinking similar thoughts
on their behalf. I pray for them, but I see them as a prayerful group, and
I know they are praying for their own futures as well. I have taught them
that discernment is required to find one’s vocation in life. The advice
that I give them is faith-based, but comes straight from the dialogue from
“The Sound of Music”—“Find out what God wants you
to do with your life and then do it whole-heartedly.” I believe that
each one of them will test the impulses they have to act in ways that will
affect them for life. They will pray before they act; they will look before
they leap. They will seek the will of God. As their Religion teacher for the
last four years, I ask for nothing less, and for nothing more, because to
take decision-making to the throne of God in prayer is the essence of wisdom,
that Gift of the Holy Spirit that becomes a way of life.
For those students who are returning to us, I want you to know that I am
excited to have the opportunity to share more of Jesus with you. The new school
year will bring so many new events to our school, and you will be part of
them. There is the added excitement of 2008-2009 beginning our next Confirmation
class. Our “new” 8th grade class are going to be so “ready”
for their infilling of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation! All the classes have
such important avenues to seek Jesus and opportunities to grow in faith. To
use words from another musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” we will
find ways to “know him more clearly, follow him more nearly, love him
more dearly—day by day.” I can’t wait!
Mrs. Barbara Collins, Religion Teacher.
The Easter Triduum:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil
Meditations on the Triduum by Victor Hoagland, C.P.
The Easter triduum, marking the days of Jesus’ passion and resurrection,
is the most important time of the church year. It begins with the evening Mass
of Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes on
Easter Sunday evening. Prepared by the days of Lent, Christians celebrate on
these holiest of days the saving work God has accomplished in Christ. From the
events remembered these days, so sorrowful and so joyful, the church learns
the deepest lessons. In rites and words the mysteries of Jesus’ final
hours are with us again, his passion, his cruel suffering, his rising from the
dead. And we discover the answer to age old questions: Does God love us? Is
God merciful? Does God care for us? We have only to look and learn from Jesus
Christ. These are days for fixing our eyes on the holy mystery of his cross
and filling our ears with the words of his gospel. Nowhere else does God’s
love appear so vividly. In the love Christ showed for a sinful world we find
the beginning of our church, the source of our sacraments, the key to understanding
the human story, and our hope for eternal life.
Holy Thursday
The Easter Triduum begins with Mass on Holy Thursday evening, when Jesus sacramentally
anticipated the gift he would make of himself on the cross.His command to serve
others is dramatically recalled this night in the ceremony of the washing of
the feet, which he performed in the supper room for his disciples. Like the
Paschal lamb, killed and eaten by the people, according to the Old Testament
account read from Exodus this evening, he is a sign of God’s salvation.
Good Friday
The Good Friday rites center around the reading of the Passion of Jesus. With
simple dignity that story is retold, followed by prayers for the entire world,
for this powerful mystery brings blessings to the world. According to ancient
tradition, an image or relic of the cross is venerated this day, and the sacrament
of Christ’s love for his church is received. It is a day of fasting and
quiet mourning.
The Easter Vigil
The Easter Vigil is the high point of the Easter triduum celebrating the passion
and resurrection of Jesus. With a rich display of symbols, rites and readings,
the church in worship expresses her faith in the mystery that brings her into
being.
Light conquers darkness
The vigil opens with a service of light. Like the Jewish Passover, our Easter
celebration coincides with the beginning of spring, when the sun offers new
warmth and earth is ready to flower again. Our words “lent” (from
the Middle-English word for spring, “lengthening days”) and “Easter”
(possibly Germanic or Anglo Saxon in origin, signifying “the east”,
“the rising sun”) point to the long tradition of seeing this holy
mystery through signs of the natural world.
The lighting of the fire and the Easter candle go back to rites that long preceded
Christianity. The candle, carried with loving reverence and lyrically praised
in word and song, is a sign of Christ, “the light of the world,”
and celebrates the victory of light over darkness that humanity has ever longed
for.
God’s love endures forever
A series of readings recalls the great interventions of God in history, from
creation to the the redemption of Israel from Egypt, and ends with the story
of Jesus’ resurrection. The great “alleluia” proclaims with
quiet joy the triumph of God’s Son. Those preparing for Baptism then receive
the sacraments of initiation. The blessed water sprinkled over others signifies
the blessing of new life. Rejoice! This night says as it brings before us the
deepest symbols of our hopes and fears. The darkness, sign of evil and death,
has been overcome by light. A lamp, a candle has been lit; a fire is enkindled
in our hearts; a nourishing water flows through our lives; a baptism destroys
what is unclean and brings to life again. Rejoice! this night says to all creation.
The Word who made all things, as a new Adam, freshly proclaims God’s promise
of life. All creation celebrates God’s love.
Excerpted from www.cptryon.org (www.nccbuscc.org is another good website with
this information)
The ADVENT Season
Advent is the liturgical season that precedes and prepares for Christmas. It
is a season of hope and of longing, of expectation and of preparation. Many
symbols and traditions are associated with Advent, especially the Advent Wreath
with its four colored candles (three purple and one pink), but also including
Advent calendars, special Advent music, food, processions, and other traditions
that may vary from one culture to the next. Here are a few interesting things
to know about Advent.
When and how long is Advent?
- For Western Christians, Advent always begins four Sundays before Christmas,
so the Season of Advent is between three and four weeks long, depending on
what weekday Dec. 25 happens to be in a certain year.
- The First Sunday of Advent, which also marks the beginning of the new liturgical
year for the Church, could be as early as Nov. 27 or as late as Dec. 3.
- The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called "Gaudete Sunday"
(from Latin, meaning "Rejoice!), because the "Entrance Antiphon"
of this Sunday's Mass is taken from Paul's letter to the Philippians: "Rejoice
in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near." (Phil 4:4+5b)
- The Fourth Sunday of Advent could be as early as Dec. 18, a full week before
Christmas (as in 2005), or as late as Dec. 24, making it the same day as "Christmas
Eve" (as it was in 2006).
- Advent technically ends of the afternoon of Dec. 24, since that evening,
Christmas Eve, begins the Christmas Season.
- Most Eastern Christian Churches have a "Nativity Fast" (now often
called "Advent Fast"), which usually lasts forty days before Christmas;
it may begin on Nov. 15 (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on Dec.
25), or in late November (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on Jan.
7 or 8).
What does the word "Advent" mean?
- In standard English, "advent" can refer to any "coming"
or "arrival," especially of something important (e.g., "The
advent of electricity").
- When capitalized, it usually refers to "the coming of Christ into the
world" or to "the liturgical period preceding Christmas"; it
may also refer to the "Second Coming" of Christ.
- The word is derived from the Latin adventus ("arrival, approach"),
made up of the preposition ad- ("to, towards"), the verbal root
ven- (from venire, "to come"), and the suffix -tus (indicating verbal
action).
- The word is very similar in many other European languages: Advent, Advento,
Avent, Avvento, Adviento, etc.
What are the traditional colors of Advent?
- In the Roman Catholic Church, the official liturgical color for most of
the Season of Advent is violet; only on the Third Sunday of Advent is a rose
(pink) colored candle lit, as a symbol of joy. In some churches, the priest
may wear rose vestments on this Sunday.
- Many Anglicans and some Protestant Churches use blue instead of violet throughout
Advent, although they may also use rose/pink on the Third Sunday.
- Thus, other church decorations (altar cloths, banners, etc.) will often
have combinations of violet, pink, and blue throughout the season. Liturgically-minded
churches will avoid greens and reds (the secular Christmas colors), and will
wait until the Christmas season to use decorations with white, silver, gold
colors.
What is an Advent Wreath?
- Many churches and families prominently display an evergreen wreath with
four candles throughout the Advent Season.
- It is traditionally made of some type or mixture of evergreens (fir, spruce,
juniper, holly, etc.), symbolizing the continuation of life in the middle
of the cold and dark winter (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least).
- Advent wreaths traditionally include three purple/violet candles and one
pink/rose-colored candle, which are arranged evenly around the wreath, although
some people use four violet or four white candles.
- Only one purple candle is lit during the first week, two in the second week,
three (incl. the pink one) in the third week, and all four during the fourth
week of Advent; the gradually increasing light symbolizes the approach of
Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the light of the world.
- Since the rose candle is not lit until the Third Sunday of Advent, it is
best to start on the First Sunday of Advent lighting the purple candle located
directly opposite the pink one, and then continue clockwise around the wreath
in the following weeks.
- In many churches, a large wreath is ritually blessed at the beginning of
the first liturgy on the First Sunday of Advent. Families can also use a smaller
Advent wreath in their homes, which they themselves can bless (click here
for some Advent Blessings &
Prayers).
- Familes can gather around the wreath daily for some brief Advent prayers
and readings, especially at the time of the evening meal, lighting the appropriate
number of candles for each week. Click here for some Advent
Family Prayers; or see the Blessing
Rituals for Advent, from the Shorter Book of Blessings.
- Some traditions assign specific symbolism to each of the candles
- The Prophet's Candle, symbolizing Hope
- The Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing Faith
- The Shepherd's Candle, symbolizing Joy
- The Angel's Candle, symbolizing Peace.
- Some churches and families add a fifth candle (white) in the middle of the
wreath for Christmas Eve or Day; others continue using the same wreath throughout
the Christmas Season, replacing the colored Advent candles with fresh candles
that are white or gold, symbolizing the arrival of Christ, the light of the
world.
What are the liturgical readings for the Sundays
of Advent?
Each of the four Sundays of Advent has its own special readings and characteristics:
- First Sunday of Advent - The readings look forward to the "End Times"
and the coming of the "Day of the Lord" or the "Messianic Age";
the Gospel is an excerpt from the Apocalyptic Discourse of Jesus in one of
the Synoptic Gospels.
- Second Sunday of Advent - The Gospel readings focus on the preaching and
ministry of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus, the one who came
to "Prepare the Way of the Lord."
- Third Sunday of Advent - The Gospel readings continue the focus on John
the Baptist, while the first and second readings convey the joy that Christians
feel with the increasing closeness of the incarnation and the world's salvation.
- Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Gospels tell of the events that immediately
preceded the birth of Jesus.
- See also my contributions to "The
Good Word," a blog hosted by America magazine, for more details about
these readings.
What are the liturgical readings for the Weekdays
of Advent?
There are actually two sets of weekday readings for the Advent season:
- Readings for the weekdays in the first three weeks, but only up to Dec.
16: the Gospel readings are excerpts from various chapters in Matthew and
Luke; the first readings are mostly from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
- Readings for the weekdays from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24: the Gospel readings cover
all of Matthew 1 and Luke 1, sequentially; the first readings are selected
thematically from various prophetic books of the Old Testament.
- The weekdays from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24 also make use of the "O Antiphons,"
not only during Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, but also in the
Alleluia verse before the Gospel at Mass.
What other liturgical celebrations can occur during the Season
of Advent?
Several "Feasts" and "Memorials" of saints can be celebrated
on the weekends of Advent, but most of them are omitted if the usual date happens
to be a Sunday in a particular year, since these celebrations are considered
less important than the Sundays of Advent. (click
here for details)
- Nov. 30 - Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle - may occur just before or during
the first week of Advent, depending on the year.
- Dec. 6 - St. Nicholas - although the day is only an "optional memorial"
on the Roman liturgical calendar, this popular saint gave rise to the gift-giving
tradition now associated with "Santa Claus"; in certain countries,
Dec. 6 is still a day when parents give simple gifts (often fruit or nuts)
to their children
- Dec. 8 - Solemnity
of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a "Holy Day
of Obligation" in the United States; if Dec. 8 falls on a Sunday, this
Solemnity is transferred to Monday, Dec. 9.
- Dec. 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - only ranked as a "Memorial"
in much of the world, it is regarded as an important "Feast" in
the United States and many Latino countries.
- The "Memorials" of several other saints can be celebrated during
Advent, but only if they fall on a weekday, not on Sunday:
St. Francis Xavier (Dec. 3), St. Ambrose (Dec. 7), St. Lucy (Dec. 13), St.
John of the Cross (Dec. 14), and a few other "optional memorials"
(St. John of Damascus, St. Nicholas, St. Juan Diego, St. Damasus I, St. Peter
Canisius, and St. John of Kanty).
The Communion of Saints
ARTICLE 9
"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH"
* Paragraph 5. The Communion of Saints
After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles'
Creed adds "the communion of saints." In a certain sense this article
is a further explanation of the preceding: "What is the Church if not the
assembly of all the saints?" The communion of saints is the Church.
"Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each
is communicated to the others. . . . We must therefore believe that there exists
a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ,
since he is the head. . . . Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated
to all the members, through the sacraments." "As this Church is governed
by one and the same Spirit, all the goods she has received necessarily become
a common fund."
The term "communion of saints" therefore has two closely linked meanings:
communion in holy things (sancta)" and "among holy persons (sancti)."
Sancta sanctis! ("God's holy gifts for God's holy people") is proclaimed
by the celebrant in most Eastern liturgies during the elevation of the holy
Gifts before the distribution of communion. The faithful (sancti) are fed by
Christ's holy body and blood (sancta) to grow in the communion of the Holy Spirit
(koinonia) and to communicate it to the world.
I. COMMUNION IN SPIRITUAL GOODS
In the primitive community of Jerusalem, the disciples "devoted
themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the
bread and the prayers." Communion in the faith. The faith of the faithful
is the faith of the Church, received from the apostles. Faith is a treasure
of life which is enriched by being shared.
Communion of the sacraments. "The fruit
of all the sacraments belongs to all the faithful. All the sacraments are sacred
links uniting the faithful with one another and binding them to Jesus Christ,
and above all Baptism, the gate by which we enter into the Church. The communion
of saints must be understood as the communion of the sacraments. . . . The name
'communion' can be applied to all of them, for they unite us to God. . . . But
this name is better suited to the Eucharist than to any other, because it is
primarily the Eucharist that brings this communion about."
Communion of charisms. Within the communion
of the Church, the Holy Spirit "distributes special graces among the faithful
of every rank" for the building up of the Church. Now, "to each is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." "They
had everything in common." "Everything the true Christian has is to
be regarded as a good possessed in common with everyone else. All Christians
should be ready and eager to come to the help of the needy . . . and of their
neighbors in want." A Christian is a steward of the Lord's goods.
Communion in charity. In the sanctorum communio, "None
of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself." "If one member
suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." "Charity
does not insist on its own way." In this solidarity with all men, living
or dead, which is founded on the communion of saints, the least of our acts
done in charity redounds to the profit of all. Every sin harms this communion.
II. THE COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
The three states of the Church. "When the
Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and
all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples
are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still
others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one,
exactly as he is"': All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different
ways share in the same charity towards God and our neighbors, and we all sing
the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have
his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.
"So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in
the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according
to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange
of spiritual goods."
The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united
to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.
. . . They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer
the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God
and men, Christ Jesus . . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness
greatly helped." Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my
death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life. I want
to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.
Communion with the saints. "It is not merely
by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek,
rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union
of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian
communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion
with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head
issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself": We worship
Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators,
and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master.
May we also be their companions and fellow disciples!
Communion with the dead. "In full consciousness
of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in
its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion,
has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a
holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from
their sins' she offers her suffrages for them." Our prayer for them is
capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for
us effective.
In the one family of God. "For if we continue
to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us
who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the
deepest vocation of the Church."
The Sacredness of Sacraments
Excerpt from January 2007
Vol. 40, No. 4
Catechist Magazine
“The National Directory for Catechesis reminds us that the
liturgical life of the Church revolves around the sacraments. The Directory
notes that catechesis for the Eucharist makes clear that “the Eucharist
is the mystery in which Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is perpetuated;
that it is the memorial of Christ’s passion, death and Resurrection; and
that it is a sacred banquet in which the People of God share the benefits of
the Paschal Mystery” (n. 36).
Many of us struggle to usher children into a sense of mystery—and this
may be the result of our own failure to embrace what we cannot see. Our analytical
minds look for explanations and proofs. Yet the Greek word mysterion was translated
in Latin as sacramentum. Sacrament formation calls us to be aware of a deep
personal relationship in which we meet mystery. We need to lead others into
a deepening sense of presence where they, too, will embrace the grace God offers.”
Prayer
Excerpted from
"Teaching your child to talk to God"
Temple & Hromas, Inspirational Press, NY
Prayer is the most intimate form of communication that your child will ever
experience. It is the one thing that your child can do that continually opens
your child up to experiencing more and more of God's presence, His healing power,
His joy, His unlimited love, and His impenetrable security.
Why does your child need to know how to pray?
- Prayer is the key to wholeness and to a feeling of total well-being.
- Prayer is the one thing your child can do that will have great impact on
the extending of God's kingdom on this earth, no matter what other skills
and talents he may have.
- Prayer is the one thing that your child will be doing on this earth that
he will also be doing in heaven.
Make prayer spontaneous, free-flowing, and the natural, first response of your
child to any experiences he has in life. In so doing, your child will develop
the ability to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). In so doing,
prayer will become a firm foundation for everything else that your child ever
does, says, or becomes.
Mary & Elizabeth
Excerpt from March 2007
"Take Out" V1, No. 7
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing
When big things happen to us, whether they are good or bad, we have a need
to share with another person. God made us this way; we are social beings. When
Gabriel visited Mary (the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25 - March 26
this year because March 25 falls on a Sunday) and asked her to be the Mother
of Jesus, God gave Mary a friend, someone who would understand, someone who
had experienced a similar "big" event - Elizabeth.
Was it coincidence that Mary and Elizabeth were cousins? Perhaps not. Perhaps
our loving God gave Mary and Elizabeth one another. Each woman knew God's favor
in a special way, so each could relate with and support the other. Our God knows
just how important friendship is.
Pay attention to the friendships your child has. Help him or her develop them
and learn what being a friend means. Your child will also learn about friendships
from the relationships you have with other adults. Be sure to let them see you
give to, receive from, converse with, and pray for your friends.