R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Cf. Psalm 72:7 Is anyone listening?! As a parent, Catechist (teacher) or even friend, we can feel like we are John the Baptist! We are a voice crying out in the desert. Is anyone listening? Our message that Jesus is coming can get lost in the noise […]
This was such a great resource from Loyola Press that I had to share it with all of my families in Faith Formation and especially our Grade 7 Confirmation class! The Beatitudes are so difficult to explain and understand, even for me. How can we apply to our lives? Starting in March, we will be giving BEE-attitude awards out in classes. The laminated page from Loyola Press has the Beatitudes from Jesus in Matthew 5:3-10 on one side and the Beatitudes for Families on the other. What a wonderful discussion for your family! One example: Blessed are the families who strengthen one another, encourage compassion, and desire to do good despite life’s blows and setbacks, for they help bring about the Kingdom of God. (Beatitude for Families #8) Praying for all families everywhere, Donna Doherty, Dir. of St. Gall Faith Formation Published in the St. Gall Bulletin for Sunday, 1/16/22
Brothers and sisters:May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelationresulting in knowledge of him.May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call…for us who believe…the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. St. Paul’s letter to the Church of Ephesus begins with the salutation to the saints (the holy ones who may be struggling) who are faithful to Jesus: Grace and peace to you! Isn’t God awesome? He blesses us with every spiritual blessing! We are in this family together! We who believe in the one who loves us. Jesus ascended into heaven and sent us the Spirit. What struck me most in this reading was that Paul’s wish for the holy ones of Ephesus was a gift of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Spirit is capital in the Mass Readings so I went on a Bible search (I have numerous versions) to see if this Spirit means Holy Spirit or the breath of life we all have. It’s probably all meant to be the same idea though. The Holy Spirit breathes life into every moment of every day. And the energy or the buoyancy we feel can depend on how open we are to this transcending peace it brings. Every day I try to keep my eyes open to the message or […]
The parable of the prodigal son is not just a story of a son rejecting a father or wasting money. One son wants to decide his own life. He doesn’t want to wait for his inheritance when his father dies to be on his own. He is telling his father that he doesn’t need or want him any more. His father must have been very sad to give him money and watch him go. Maybe the son didn’t want to go into the family business and wanted his freedom. God, the Father, gives us this freedom, too. He gives us gifts and a place to live. We must choose what to do with them. Do we reject him and live the way we want and squander his gifts? The son who is loyal and stays with the father is pretty angry when his brother returns with empty pockets and asks forgiveness. We can be the unforgiving son, too, not welcoming back someone who has hurt us and not letting it go. All of us are called to be the father in this story. He is the one who is faithful, loyal and forgiving. He is even waiting in the road to welcome him back! He gives the lost son his position in the family again with shoes, the family ring and the finest robe. He throws him a party! Which character in the story are you today? What gifts will […]
The man in Sunday’s Gospel from Mark on 10/21/18 asks Jesus what more he needs to do. Hasn’t he done enough? He’s followed all the Commandments. He’s taken care of his parents. He’s a good person. What more does he need to do to get into heaven? Jesus surprises him with his answer. This man has not done enough. Give […]
This question has permeated any discussion our culture has had as long as I have been alive. It’s a timeless dilemma that threads through the Bible from the very beginning. I can’t change our culture’s mind about abortion. It’s too big of a task for me. I hope that in my high school speech class in the late 70’s, I […]
What?! Families are on life support! Do you have any oxygen or blood you can give? Maybe we just need to plug in the machine but that takes electricity and someone to administer the treatment. Is that you? Can you support a family in your area? I don’t even want you to send a donation! Just look around! Maybe it’s […]
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