Monday, March 11, 2013

Daily Readings:
Is 65:17-21; Ps 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b; Jn 4:43-54

Reflection:  “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”  Having true and trusting faith in God can be a challenge, and it is a challenge that people have faced for centuries.  Even in Jesus’ time the people questioned Him and questioned a faith in God.  Are you seeking signs and fireworks from God to tell you He is with you and He is working in your life?  Or do you simply know and trust that He is always walking by your side?  As we approach Easter we are reminded that God provided us with the most amazing sign and wonder of His presence and His love:  He sent His son to die for our sins so we can rise to eternal life.  What other sign could we ever need to know of God’s love and God’s presence?

Reflection for younger saints:  Today’s Gospel reading reminds us what it means to have faith.  To have faith in God is to believe in all the truths that God has shown us.  The people that Jesus met in His time on earth wanted to see Him do things to prove God’s existence and that He was the Son of God.  God gave us one true and lasting sign in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Big Picture:  Believing without seeing

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:  Part of having faith in God and believing in God is having trust in what the Catholic Church teaches us about the life and teachings of Jesus.  What does it mean to have trust?  What does it mean to have faith?  Does having faith require a trust in God and in the Catholic Church?
     Older saints:  If you have not already been asked this question in your life, it will likely happen at one point or another:  How can you believe in God when you can’t see God?  There are many things that people in our society believe in without being able to see them, but for some reason this doesn’t always apply to faith in God’s existence.  Reflect on how you would answer this question.  Are you ready to answer it, or do you need to do some research and preparation?  Make that your task for this week.

Fun Fact:  The Lectionary is the book used during Mass that contains all the readings organized by date.

   
Daily Notes: 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Readings:

Jos 5:9a, 10-12; Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Reflection:  In St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians we all receive a kind Lenten reminder to return to the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We can quickly come to see the Sacrament of Reconciliation and making a verbal confession to a priest as uncomfortable and unnecessary.  This, however, would be a false assumption.  St. Paul reminds us that God does not count our trespasses against us.  As long as we come to Him with a humble and contrite heart and seek to turn from our sinful ways, our Father will joyfully forgive us just as the Father of the prodigal son forgave his son’s sinful ways.  “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”  Don’t miss out on the beautiful forgiveness and grace that flows from the Sacrament of Reconciliation simply because it makes you uncomfortable.  “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Our Father already knows our sins and our failings, and He longs to welcome us home and to fill us with His grace.

Reflection for kids:  God knows our sins and he loves us anyway.  God wants to forgive us and to love us in-spite of our sins.  All we must do is love Him and seek His forgiveness and try to sin no more.

Big Picture:  God knows our sins and he loves us anyway. 

Discussion Starters:

Younger saints:  Does God love everyone?  Even those who have sinned?  How do we seek forgiveness for our sins? 

Older saints:  Have you been to confession yet this Lent?  What is holding you back?  We read today about a loving a forgiving human father who forgave the sins and failings of his son and celebrated his return home.  Does our Father in heaven not love us and forgive us more than any human father ever could?  Why then are you afraid to bring your failings to Him and to seek His forgiveness?

Scripture Verse for the Week:  “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”   2 Corinthians 5:21

You are now entering the mission field:  Invite a neighboring family over for dinner this week.  Ask them their plans for Easter and share a glimpse of the Catholic Church and the story and meaning of Easter (Corporal Works of Mercy:  Feed the Hungry).

Notes:

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Daily Readings:
Hos 6:1-6; PS 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab; Lk 18:9-14

Reflection:  “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Today’s parable about the Pharisee and the tax collect provides a great opportunity to examine our conscience during this Lenten season.  It can become easy to see the sins and failings of others, while failing to see your own.  It can become easy to see your own accomplishments and sacrifices, while failing to see the sacrifices of those around you.  In our human weakness we tend to praise ourselves loudly, while quietly putting others down.  Do we think that God does not hear our thoughts?  Do we think that if we point out the failings of others loud enough God will not see the failing in us?  We must first humble ourselves and recognize that we are all fallen and we are all in need of repentance.  Only then can we truly receive the grace and forgiveness of our Lord.  “Come, let us return to the LORD, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us.”

Reflection for younger saints:  Sometimes when we behave in a way that we know is wrong, we will tell the adult who discovers this that another child has behaved poorly as well.  We do this to try to draw attention away from our sins and to point to another’s sins.  Today’s Gospel tells us that we must focus first on being humble and recognizing our sins and failings, not pointing to the sins and failings of others.

Big Picture:  Keep your eyes on your own work

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:  Is anyone perfect and free from sin?  (No, everyone sins.  We all try very hard to follow God’s commandments, but our original sin makes this hard sometimes.)  Do you sometimes point out when others are naughty, but try to hide when you are naughty?  What did today’s reading teach us about focusing on our sins and our need for forgiveness, rather than the sins of others? 
     Older saints:  Throughout our lives, be it in academics, in sports, in the arts, or in careers, we will easily be drawn into seeing ourselves in a positive light while easily seeing the failings and shortfalls of others.  Reflect on what today’s readings teach us about this way of thinking.  Do you tend to judge others harshly while seeing your own failings through hazy eyes?  Is this something you need to seek forgiveness for?

Fun Fact:  The Chalice is the sacred vessel that holds the Blood of Christ.

Saint of the day: 
     Name:  Saint Dominic Savio
     What they are remembered for:  St. Dominic Savio joined St. John Bosco as a student at the Oratory in Turin at the age of 12.  He showed a great desire to be a priest and to help St. John Bosco with his care of neglected boys.  St. Dominic started a group called the Company of the Immaculate Conceptions which aided St. John Bosco with care of the boys as well as manual labor.  Ill health kept St. Dominic Savio from his goal of the priesthood as he died at a young age.
     Feast day:  March 9
     Patron Saint of:  choirboys and juvenile delinquents
    
Daily Notes: 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Daily Readings:
Hos 14:2-10; PS 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17; Mk 12:28-34

Reflection:  The past few days have given us humbling reminders of our sinful nature and our fall from grace.  Today we are reminded of the magnificent beauty and prosperous life that can flow from turning away from our sin and turning back to God.  God will forgive all our iniquities, He will love us freely, and He will turn His wrath from us if only we turn back to Him.  We will prosper in our Lord if we humble ourselves, recognize our sins, and seek to love Him with our whole heart.  God longs to have us back, He longs to shower us with forgiveness, but we must take the first step in turning back to Him.

Reflection for younger saints:  Today we are reminded again that God loves us and will always forgive us.  All that God asks in return is that we obey Him and we love Him with all that we have.

Big Picture:  The Lord our God is Lord alone

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:  Take time today to read through the first of the Ten Commandments.  Talk to a parents or older sibling about what this Commandment means for you in your life.  How can you work to love God above all else?
     Older saints:  If we love God with all that we are, He will love us in return.  Through God’s love our lives will be filled with joy and we will prosper.  Reflect on the statement in the Gospel:  “Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  Are you loving God so that He might “love them freely” in return?

Fun Fact:  Lay people can take part in the Mass as lectors, song leaders, ushers, alter servers, and distributors of Holy Communion.

Saint of the day: 
     Name:  Saint John of God
     What they are remembered for:  At the age of 40, Saint John finally returned to a faithfulness of God that he had given up during his time as a soldier.  His path toward holiness was filled with a focus on caring for the sick and the poor.  He devoted his life and all that he had to the care of others.  Twenty years after his death, the Brother Hospitallers was formed based on the life and teachings of Saint John of God.
     Feast day:  March 8
     Patron Saint of:  booksellers, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, nurses, printers, sick
    
Daily Notes: 

What is your reason for going to your church every Sunday?

What is your reason for going to your church every Sunday?  Is it to find the right pastor that will tell you what you are doing in your life is wonderful and you don’t need to change anything, or is to find the pastor that will tell you there is always room for improvement?  Is it because they have “good” music and a fun social hour afterwards?  Is it because they tell you that how you are living your life is right and good and there is no reason to change?  Is it because that is where your friends go and you want to “fit it” with the right crowd?  Is it because they have the least number of "rules and regulations" for how you have to live your life?

Are your church and your faith pushing you to be the “best version of yourself” (Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism),  or are they reinforcing the “second-rate version of yourself” (Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism) that you already are?  Are your church and your faith pushing you to step outside yourself and grow in holiness, or are they telling you that mediocrity is acceptable and holiness is unattainable?  Are your church and your faith telling you that you could never truly live like Christ and the Saints, or are they telling you that you should not stop striving for the goal of living like the Saints and being Christ to the world? 

Until we recognize that God’s call for us is to live a life of holiness, and that that can only come from seeking to be the “best version of yourself,” our sinful and weak human nature will always tell us that we are just fine the way we are and there is no need to strive for anything more.  That is not God that is telling you that, that is the devil trying to hold us back from the happiness and the holiness that God intends for our lives.  We are not called to find reinforcement for the habits we already have, we are called to find the Church that pushes us outside our comfort zone and pushes us to be better and to strive for true holiness.  Are your church and your faith pushing you to be the “best version of yourself,” or are they reinforcing the “second-rate version of yourself” that you already are?  If your church isn’t pushing you to grow and to improve, then how is it bringing you closer to heaven?  Isn’t that our ultimate goal when we commit our life and our family to a church and a faith:  to get ourselves and our family to heaven?

Vatican calls for prayers today at 11

Please pray.

For a moment at least.

The Vatican has called the universal church to pray tomorrow at 5 PM Rome time, for
the Cardinal-Electors who will soon select a new Pope.

That’s Wednesday, March 6th at 11 AM Eastern / 8 AM Pacific Time.

While the official start of the Conclave has not yet been announced, the Cardinals will gather tomorrow at the Altar of the Chair in St.
Peter’s Basilica for recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and then Vespers.

…and the Vatican has called on Catholics around the world to join them in prayer. CatholicVote invites you to answer their call.

The latest buzz from Rome is that over 5000 media credentials have been approved from 66 nations in 24 languages. The world is watching
because the world is intrigued by the mystery of the Church.

The world is watching because the world is seeking answers that are
ultimately only found in Jesus Christ and His Church.

The Church asked for our prayers. Let's deliver them!

Mark your calendar for tomorrow at 11 AM Eastern // 8 AM Pacific Time.

Millions of Catholics across the globe will be joining you,
and so will CatholicVote. "

Have you seen the great fruits of your daily prayer time yet?

Have you ever returned to a structured daily exercise routine and more nutritious eating after pursuing “less than desirable” lifestyle habits?  I am just at that place right now, which made me think of how this scenario relates in many ways to a return to a daily, structured prayer life.  I am about one week into making my time on the treadmill a priority in my day. Sure, I have tried before, and I lasted a few days each time.  It is always so easy to find a reason not to fit my exercise in:  too busy, its too much work, I don’t have a place to work out, it is too cold outside, it is too hot outside, and finally, I just don’t want to.  The problem is, I never stick with it long enough to see the fruits of my hard work.  I woke up this morning, however, and felt refreshed and energized and good about myself.  Yes!  I have finally gotten over the hump so I can mentally see the benefits of this difficult, but beneficial, lifestyle change. 

The same theory can apply to our prayer life.  Have we given it enough time to take hold so we can really see the benefits of our hard work?  It certainly is hard work at first, but in time it will become a part of our day that we are not willing to sacrifice.  Have you experienced that “Yes!” in your prayer life where you can really see the great fruits it is bearing in your life and you can’t imagine how you were living without it?