Catholic Schools Week
Jan. 29- Feb. 4
What is different about being in a Catholic school? While many public, district controlled schools offer great programs and opportunities for students today, even the best schools are missing one important components to education: Christ in the Classroom. Great public school teachers and administrators have the best intentions in mind for today's students and they may serve them honorably. Students can be involved in any number of activities and can become leaders in and out of the classroom in a public school. Public schools are not bad, in fact they are necessary and the vast majority of them are very good. However, you cannot find a pubilc school which can focus all of their classes, activities, and events around the idea and person of Jesus.
A Catholic school has the ability to offer all the same programs and classes as they public counterparts- and they should. Catholic schools allow students and teachers to learn about their faith and how it spreads to other parts of their lives. Catholicism is never a one dimensional concept. This idea is best seen at the Catholic school. At a truly Catholic institution, every action and teaching emphasizes the Church's mission. A simple symbol- the Crucifix- can be found in just about every room as a reminder of the love of Christ for us. Catholic schools allow children and teachers alike to gather around the table and share the Eucharist together. Many schools have monthly masses with the whole school population so as to teach and celebrate at the same time.
Catholic schools, especially in the United States, teach sacrifice. As you may know, the cost of this education is not cheap; which usually leads to a point of contention by others. Just as God sacrificed His own Son for us, so too must we sacrifice things we may love for the good of others. Catholic education is a worthwhile investment that pays it's dividends in tangible and intangible ways. Students are sometimes held ot higher standards and as a result can sometimes be better prepared for the next stage of their lives as they move on. The intangible values from the Catholuc school is way off the chart. Relationships, understanding of the faith, and sacrifice are all part of the gains of a Catholic education.
There are many options when it comes to education today. Give your local Catholic school a look and see how it can fit for you. Many schools are open for visitors this week to allow you to see what they can offer. So much more can be said, but you should really see it for yourself. Take some time to see why Catholic Schools are right for you...
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November 22, 2011
Advent and the New Roman Missal
With the start of Advent coming this Saturday evening, November 26, we end this Liturgical Year and begin a new one. Our year begins each time with the season of Advent. As we know from the time we were children, Advent is that time before Christmas which is meant to prepare for Jesus' birth. This is almost easier for us to understand and follow as a young child than it is now as our society gears us totally towards the commercial side of Christmas. All the presents and parties are great, but we cannot let those things take away from what we are really celebrating. We will hear the familiar stories each week at mass, the ones we have also hear from the time when we could first understand the spoken words. Everything about this season should be familiar to us... which should help us better prepare for Jesus' coming each year.
This year, however, we will experience one major difference in this Advent season. You will notice some of the words at the liturgy are different. This is because our Church in the United States is introducing a new translation of the Roman Missal. The Roman Missal is the order in which we celebrate the liturgy. It includes the prayers which the priest leads us through, the responses we give during mass, and even some of the songs which have become familiar to us. This is not a change just for the sake of change however. It is not meant to throw us off or garner for attention. This new translation is just that. It is a new translation of the words we've been praying since the Second Vatican Council. The new words we'll be using present us with a more accurate reflection of the original words used since the original Roman Missal. The words will provide us with a deeper meaning and will give us a better picture of what the original words were meant to.
So when you go to mass this Advent, still listen to the familiar scripture readings, but pay specific attention to the new format for some of the common prayers and songs which will have a deeper meaning and, yes, be a little different than usual.
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| St. Sebastian |
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October 27, 2011
For All Saints Day
November
1st is the Feast of All Saints. It is a hold day of obligation in the
Catholic Church. We all know someone whom we feel we lost way too
soon. During those difficult times, we often lean on our faith and
close friends and relatives to pull us through. November is
traditionally a month to remember collectively all those who have gone
home to God. At our parish, the names of all those would we would like
to remember will be placed on the altar and they will be remembered in a
special way at this weekend's liturgies as well as on the All Saints
Day masses. Through our Baptism, we are all members of the Body of
Christ, and therefore become part of the greater Communion of Saints
when we one day pass on. The Communion of Saints link all the souls of
those in heaven and purgatory with us on Earth. We can all be
saints.... yes with a lowercase 's.' The Saints (capital 'S') are those
who the Church recognizes have lived exemplary lives and have been
officially canonized. This is where we can find our patron saints...
those advocate to God for us in different categories such as teachers,
athletes, illnesses, occupations, and places. We can try to model our
lives after those who have lived great lives before us. Who is your
patron saint and why?
During this month, try to take special
time to remember all of those Saints and saints who have gone before us
and thank them for the lives they lived as we strive to be like them
everyday!
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October 4, 2011
Feast of St. Francis of Assissi
St. Francis is one of the most known saints in the history of the Church. He may be most know for his love of creation- especially animals. While there are stories about him taming wild wolves, this devotion to animals that we learn of comes from the fact that St. Francis made it a point to see God in everything and everyone around him. He frequently associated with beggars and the outcasts of society. He and a number of his followers began a religious order known as the Order of Friars Minor, which was meant to mean the "Lesser Brothers" indicating their aspirations to live humble, servant lives. Today, the Franciscans are many variations on this order all over the world. You may recognize them as wearing brown, grey, or black habits.
Perhaps the Prayer of St. Francis is a familiar one but did you know that it may not actually be written by St. Francis. While the ideas in it and behind it are very much in line with his life, St. Francis has never been known to be the author of it. So Happy Feast of St. Francis of Assissi. Try to take time in your life, especially today, to see God in every person and in every creation around you.
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| Statue of St. Peter in the Basilica |
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June 29, 2011
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
"I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church...I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven." Mt 16:18-19
With these words, Jesus established the first earthly leader for his Church. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. These men are arguably the two most important figures in the development of the early Catholic Church. Both men are unique individuals however they are not unique in some ways to us. They were imperfect men with flaws just like us in many ways.
Paul, who was known as Saul at the time, was a staunch persecutor of early Christian groups with the sword. On one of his travels, however, he was struck blind by the light of Jesus which drove his conversion. When he regained his sight, he became known as Paul and went on to travel all over the region preaching the Gospel and converting many. Many of the letters compiled in the New Testament have been attributed to him and they contain some of the most powerful messages of teaching outside of Jesus himself. The Bible does not note Paul's death however evidence says he was beheaded in Rome but buried outside the city walls. We believe that his remains are entombed at The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and an excavation commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI seems to support this belief.
Peter was one of the original 12 Apostles who worked closely with Jesus throughout his public ministry. Jesus is recorded to have had a lot of dialogue with Peter as he often used conversations with Peter to prove a point to those who were around. It was easy to do because the Bible portrays Peter as sometimes being difficult. Often times reading through the Gospels, you'd like to just reach back in time and shake Peter to help him realize what is really going on. He may be most known for his denial of Jesus during the time of the Passion. Jesus told Peter that he would denying knowing him three times during the time of Jesus' trial. Peter vehemently denied he would do such a thing but of course as people started to recognize him, he denied knowing Jesus. Peter was crucified in Rome and his remains were buried on a hill in the city. The site of his burial became an important place for the early Christians and a church was built in his honor. This church has become St. Peter's Basilica, the central basilica in the Vatican, and the Holy Father's place of residence. Every pope is know as the successor to St. Peter and they in turn hold the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
These men have innumerable connections and considerable importance in the history of the Catholic Church. It is on this day in Rome each year that new Archbishops from around the world receive their pallium from the Holy Father, a special vestment, as a symbol of their leadership of an archdiocese. Peter is often depicted holding a set of keys, the same keys seen on the papal coat of arms, and Paul is depicted with a sword and a book symbolizing his life prior to and after his conversion. We can have a special relationship to these men because they were not perfect, much like us, however they ended up doing great things for the Church and in the end they did what was right.
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Pentecost- 6/12/2011
Often times on special days in the Church year we have to sit and think about what the title of the Holy Day literally means and how it relates to us. For example, when we were younger there may have been some confusion as to the meaning of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception... does it have to do with Mary or Jesus and what is it referring to? For the Feast of Pentecost though, the literal meaning is quite clear... "the fiftieth day." What is this day known for though? Pentecost is often referred to as the 'birthday of the Church.' On this great day, we celebrate the Holy Spirit coming down to the Apostles so that they would be able to go out and spread the message of Jesus Christ to all people regardless of their individual language or beliefs. The Holy Spirit gave them the power and courage to set out and do something great... a task that would make any ordinary person cringe at the prospect of taking it on. They would go on to face persecutions in the violent and non-violent forms but with those tough times also came times of great triumph.
How does the idea of Pentecost apply to us as young Catholics? We have a voice and we have our actions. We may face things that may seem like mini persecutions, but living a good Catholic life as a young adult in the world today is still not as difficult as the first Apostles had it 2,000 years ago. Yes societies are different now and cultures are becoming less accepting of true religion each day, but we have the responsibility to do our best to spread God's message everywhere we go through our words but more importantly our actions. St. Francis of Assisi has been quoted as saying "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." This is not an easy task, but nothing good in life ever came easy. So on this Birthday of the Church, do your best to live the Gospel life through word and deed and know that many have come before you and done the same so that you are not alone.
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