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February 2012 Message from Our Spiritual Director |
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WHAT IS A CATHOLIC?
What does it mean to be a Catholic? I see pamphlets and books that have as their titles that very question: “What Does it Mean to be Catholic?” Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them.”
A true Catholic is one who lives the life of love and is united in faith with the Roman Catholic Church, which is rooted in continuity with the primitive church in Jerusalem. A Catholic is one who believes with the Church. Beliefs are referred to as doctrines – like the most cherished one – that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Catholic doctrines are summarized in the Apostles Creed. Doctrines, however, are not the end of the thinking process. They are only the beginning. Dogmatic theology is the interpretation of these various doctrines that were handed down to us from revelation. Theologies may differ, but the doctrines remain the same.
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January 2012 Message from Our Spiritual Director |
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WHY BETHLEHEM?
On January 1st we begin the new calendar year with the Feast of Mary, Mother of God, and as we do my thoughts go back to the day of the Nativity that we just celebrated. Why did God will that Mary’s son be born in the little town of Bethlehem? Out of all the great and cosmopolitan cities where Jesus could have been born…why Bethlehem? Why not Rome, to which all roads led, and from which his message could have been carried to all areas of its vast empire? Given the divine power and purpose, Jesus could have entered into the human situation at any time and in anyplace. So, why Bethlehem?
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December 2011 Message from Our Spiritual Director |
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A FAITH HIDDEN IN SONG!
This month we will celebrate Christmas. We will gather around the Christmas tree, exchange gifts, dine sumptuously and be thankful for the greatest gift of all, the gift of our faith. We have so much to be thankful for; more than we may ever know.
Did you know that Catholics have not always been allowed to celebrate Christmas? In England, during the years 1558 to 1829, Catholics were forbidden to practice their faith openly. So, to overcome this injustice, a song was developed to communicate their gift of faith in coded lyrics. The song was, The Twelve Days of Christmas. The twelve days run from December 25th (Christmas) to January 5th (Epiphany). The “True Love” refers to God. The repetition of the melody signifies God’s continual renewal of His gifts. This came from a newsletter of the Latin Mass Society of Great Britain and I thought you might enjoy this as much as I did.
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November 2011 Message from Our Spiritual Director |
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THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
During the month of November we are called in a special way to "... remember our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the peace of Christ." (Eucharistic Prayer II) In response to that prayer we inscribe in a book of remembrance in our parish the name(s) of our loved one(s) to be remembered in prayer this month.
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October 2011 Message from Our Spiritual Director |
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“LOVE”
I believe that one of the finest readings in scriptures is the passage in 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13. Often we hear and read about addictions and how the quality of life will change for the better through the use of drugs. New and more reliable drugs will appear on the market to help control human needs and personalities. Techniques will be invented for affecting human behavior. It almost seems that through science and technology we are ready to create an “ideal” person.
I don’t believe that the quality of living a human life can alter substantially for the better without improving upon the quality of love. There is no love potion that can substitute for Christian love. The “ideal” person is outlined by St. Paul in the 13th Chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians. This chapter ranks among the finest pieces of writing in the whole bible. You might call it a love letter written for all of humanity.
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