February 10, 2014, Volume VIII, Number 6

FEAST OF SAINT SCHOLASTICA

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes – Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius – Friday, February 14, 2014

Valentine’s Day – USA – February 14, 2014

Question of the Week

For the Feast of the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 16, 2014

I have come not to abolish it (the law), but to fulfill.” What is your attitude about “the law”? Do you see the law as oppressive or as a way to help you? Do you ever stop and consider what led to the creation of the law? How do you understand the statement of Jesus that he came to fulfill the law? Does fulfilling the law imply that you look to the reason for the creation of the law and act accordingly? How can you fulfill the laws that you don’t like?

Sunday, February 9, 2014

NCCL News

NCCL Conference and Exposition Scholarships Available

Fostering new professionals into the catechetical ministry is a priority around the nation. The National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) seeks to encourage young people to consider this ministry through its Young Adult in Ministry Initiative.

Supporting and encouraging young professionals beginning in the catechetical ministry is a priority around the Catholic diocese of the United States. The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) seeks to bolster young people engaged in catechetical ministry to become more involved with the mission of catechesis through its New Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarship.

CL Weekly, Monday, February 10, 2014Page 1

The purpose of this Young Adult in Ministry Initiative is to:

-raise awareness about professional catechetical ministry among young adults who might be discerning ecclesial professional roles

-foster arch/diocesan involvement in bringing forth strong candidates for professional catechetical ministry among young adults

-create an awareness in young adults of the benefits of gathering with NCCL, the professional organization for catechetical leaders which includes parish and diocesan leaders, academic members, and publishers

This year, NCCL is sponsoring up to fifteen young adults (under age thirty) as attendees at our 78th Annual Conference and Expo “Energize, Evangelizar, Catechize;

Energizar, Evangelize, Catequizar”, in St. Louis, May 19-22, 2014. These invited guests will receive a special pass allowing them to participate in all Liturgies and prayer services, major presentations, learning sessions, NCCL Forum and Province discussions, as well as the NCCL Awards Luncheon, OSV Lunch, and Sadlier Event (dinner and entertainment) and visiting the exhibits. The value of this award is over $300. It does not include travel, lodging, and other meals and expenses.

To be eligible, Young Adult in Ministry candidates must:

-be 30 years of age or younger;

-hold a bachelor’s degree or higher;

-never have been a paid full-time professional parish/diocesan catechetical leader

-demonstrate an interest in theology/related field

-be nominated by a NCCL catechetical leader

The purpose of this New Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarship is to:

-raise awareness about a career as a professional catechetical ministry among young adults who are currently employed in an ecclesial professional catechetical role

-foster arch/diocesan involvement in affirming professional catechetical ministry among young adults employed in the catechetical field

This year, in honor of its 78th anniversary, NCCL is offering a $78 registration fee to fifteen young adults employed in the catechetical ministry (under age forty) as attendees at our 78th Annual Conference and Expo ““Energize, Evangelizar, Catechize; Energizar, Evangelize, Catequizar”, in St. Louis, May 19-22, 2014. These newest catechetical leaders will receive full registration for only $78. This will allow them to participate in all Liturgies and prayer services, major presentations, learning sessions, NCCL Forum and Province discussions, as well as the NCCL Awards Luncheon, OSV Lunch, and Sadlier Event (dinner and entertainment) and visiting the exhibits. The value of this award is over $300. It does not include travel, lodging, and other meals and expenses.

To be eligible, candidates must:

-be under 40 years of age

-have 5 years or less experience as a paid catechetical leader.

-be nominated by their immediate supervisor/pastor

Young Adult in Ministry Initiativecont.

-be able to cover the additional expenses not included in this award (perhaps money can be secured from their diocese or if enrolled in school, from their institution of higher learning)

-be recommended by their diocesan catechetical office

-not have received this award for a previous NCCL conference

For questions contact Mark Buckley () or Michelle Tomshack (), NCCL Membership Committee co-chairs. To nominate candidates, a member of the diocesan catechetical office should e-mail . The e-mail should include the following information:

-candidates’ names and contact information, including e-mail address

-verification of age requirement

-a brief description of their current professional and/or ministry involvement, including their interest and/or participation in professional catechetical ministry

-current educational background and future intentions on pursuing degrees related to the catechetical field

Please indicate if a candidate is able to attend only a portion of the week.

You may want to contact Catholic colleges within your diocese to see if there are potential candidates for this initiative.

Deadline for submission: March 7, 2014.

NCCL’s Membership Committee will determine the awardees and notify them via e-mail no later than March 17, 2014.

New Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarshipcontinued

-be able to cover the additional expenses not included in this award

-be recommended by their diocesan catechetical director

-not have received this award or the Young Adult in Ministry Award for a previous NCCL conference

For questions contact Mark Buckley () or Michelle Tomshack (), NCCL Membership Committee co-chairs. To nominate candidates, the person’s immediate supervisor should e-mail . The e-mail should include the following information:

-candidates’ names and contact information, including e-mail address

-verification of age requirement

-a brief description of their current position, including their participation in professional catechetical ministry and future goals

-current educational background and future intentions on pursuing an advanced degree or national certification in the catechetical field

-letter of recommendation by a member of the diocesan catechetical office

Deadline for submission: March 7, 2014.

NCCL’s Membership Committee will determine the awardees and notify them via e-mail no later than March 17, 2014

CL Weekly, Monday, February 10, 2014Page 1

Pope: Sacrifice Key To Reaping Wealth Of God's Love, Fighting Misery

Courageously follow Jesus in seeking out the poor and sinners, and in making difficult sacrifices in order to help and heal others, Pope Francis said. Christians are called to confront the material, spiritual and moral destitution of "our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it," the pope said in his first message for Lent, which begins March 5 for Latin-rite Catholics.
Saving the world will not come about "with the right kind of human resources" and token alms, but only "through the poverty of Christ," who emptied himself of the worldly and made the world rich with God's love and mercy, he said. The text of the pope's message focused on the theme of Christ's poverty, with the title: "He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich," which is from a verse from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians.
Pope Francis said he chose the passage to explore what St. Paul's references to poverty and charity mean for Christians today. There are many forms of poverty, he said, like the material destitution that disfigures the face of humanity and the moral destitution of being a slave to vice and sin. But "there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ," he said.
People experiencing the spiritual destitution of believing they don't need God and can make it on their own "are headed for a fall," the pope wrote. "God alone can truly save and free us." "The Gospel is the real antidote to spiritual destitution," he said, and the greatest treasure of all is "boundless confidence in God" and the desire to always do his will.
All Christians are called "to proclaim the liberating news that forgiveness for sins committed is possible, that God is greater than our sinfulness, that he freely loves us at all times and that we were made for communion and eternal life." Spreading the joy of the Gospel, consoling broken hearts and offering real hope means "following and imitating Jesus, who sought out the poor and sinners," and by opening up "new paths of evangelization and human promotion" with courage, he said.
"When power, luxury and money become idols, they take priority over the need for a fair distribution of wealth. Our consciences thus need to be converted to justice, equality, simplicity and sharing," he said. While Lent is a time for "self-denial," don't forget that real sacrifice and poverty have a "dimension of penance" and pain, he said. "I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt," he said.
The church urges people to choose the poverty of Christ in order to fight the misery and destitution in the world -- not for ideological reasons, the cardinal said, "but for the love of Christ." The text of the pope's message in English is online atFirst Message for Lent.The text of the pope's message in Spanish is online at First Message for Lent.

CRS Rice Bowl Lenten Program Has New Twists: An App, Recipes, Contest
When trying to change one's eating habits, especially cutting calories, there's nothing like getting some made-to-order recipes from a popular chef to help keep one motivated.
At least that's part of the thinking behind one of the new approaches to Catholic Relief Services' annual Rice Bowl program for Lent.
Weekly recipes created by a celebrity chef of sorts -- Father Leo Patalinghug, host of Grace Before Meals, a family apostolate focused around meals -- this year have been linked to Rice Bowl, the 39-year-old CRS campaign to raise awareness about hunger and raise funds to combat hunger and poverty.
Five recipes -- one for each week of Lent -- and short videos about them by Father Patalinghug, a Baltimore archdiocesan priest, that will be available on YouTube or the CRS website will feature low-cost, meatless ingredients, explained Joan Rosenhauer, CRS executive vice president for U.S. operations.

In addition to the recipes, CRS has a free Rice Bowl app available for smartphones and tablets. It will allow users to schedule delivery of daily reflections during Lent, to set and track progress toward a Lenten goal, and view the recipes or see stories about people whose lives have been changed by the program, notes a CRS release.
Also this year, CRS will host a photo contest in conjunction with Rice Bowl. Weekly winners will receive a small fair-trade prize and a grand prize winner at the end will receive an Easter basket full of fair-trade items.
The app can be downloaded at: iTunes and the Google Play Store or at . Other information about the campaign is available at CRS Rice Bowl.

Pope Francis: Eucharist Encompasses God's Love for Man .

Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Sacraments, focusing on the Eucharist.The Eucharist, he said, constitutes the source of “the very life of the Church.” Calling to mind the physical signs of the Eucharist, such as the altar, the Holy Father said they resemble a banquet.

“Word and Bread become altogether one in the Mass, as in the Last Supper, when all Jesus’ words, all the signs he made, were condensed into the gesture of breaking the bread and offering the chalice, anticipation of the sacrifice of the Cross, and in those words: “Take and eat, this is my Body … Take and drink, this is my Blood,” the Pope said.

The Holy Father went on to say that the Last Supper was the gesture of thanksgiving from Christ to God for His love and mercy. Noting the meaning of the Greek word for Eucharist means thanksgiving, the Pope said that it encompasses God’s love for man through Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.

Although all the liturgical signs remind one of a banquet, the Holy Father stressed that it is much more than that: it is “the memorial of Jesus’ Passover, the central mystery of salvation.” Thus, the Eucharist is a focal point to God’s action of salvation, while giving us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet with God.

Concluding his catechesis, Pope Francis invited the faithful to thank God for the gift of the Eucharist. “Let us ask Him then that this Sacrament may continue to keep His presence alive in the Church and mould our communities in charity and communion, according to the heart of the Father.”

Becoming an Inter-culturally Competent Minister in Today’s Church

The 2014 Conference will be sharing ways to honor the many cultures in our ministry. One of our TED speaker on Tuesday – Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, assistant director for the Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church at the U.S.C.C.B. – will challenge our perspectives on other cultures we encounter in this universal Church to which we have devoted our lives. Looking toward our challenge to becoming more Multicultural one of our first learning sessions is Becoming an Inter-culturally Competent Minister in Today’s Church by Alejandro Aguilera-Titus.

This session will enhance participants’ ability to communicate, relate and work with people from diverse cultures and ethnicities in the parish, diocesan and Catholic school context. In our second round of Learning Sessions join in a discussion to Invest in the Church Today, for a Better Tomorrow: Hispanic Jovenes by Miriam Hidalgo. Did you know that 48% of U.S. Catholics between the ages of 20-29 are Hispanics… and many are leaving the Church? The majority of these jovenes are second generation Latinos. So, where are they? Are they active in your parish? Do they still have faith? We will look at the current situation and explore ways to motivate and capacitate these jovenes into the bridge-builders and Church leaders they are meant to be.

US Bishops Release Spanish-Language Film Promoting Marriage

The US bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage has released the third video in its catechetical series for the promotion and protection of marriage. El Matrimonio: Hecho para el amor y la vida (Marriage: Made for Love and Life) is a 30-minute film in Spanish with English subtitles, accompanied by a bilingual study guide.

El Matrimonio invites viewers into a story about a faithful marriage of 50 years and a young man and woman skeptical of marriage. The film and study guide address all four catechetical themes of the Marriage Unique for a Reason initiative: sexual difference and complementarity, the good of children, the common good, and religious freedom.

“This is a one-of-a kind resource, and it is my hope that El Matrimonio will be a fruitful tool for advancing the conversation in both Spanish- and English-speaking communities on the true meaning of marriage,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the Subcommittee. “The film’s story conveys real difficulties that numerous families encounter, but with compassion and without compromising the truth about God’s loving plan for marriage and family. In this way, the film portrays what we are all called to do: to love without compromising the truth, and to be witnesses to God’s plan with love and mercy. Love and truth go together. I pray that this film will provide opportunities for a deeper and more thoughtful study of, and increased reflection on the gift of marriage.”

El Matrimonio: Hecho para el amor y la vida and other educational materials from the Marriage: Unique for a Reason initiative are available online at and in Spanish,and are available for purchase at

Pope Francis to Young People: "Think Big! Open Your Hearts"

The Holy See published Pope Francis’ message for the 29th World Youth Day (WYD), which will take place on Palm Sunday, April 13. The theme for this year’s event is based on an excerpt from the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.World Youth Day, which was initiated by Blessed John Paul II in 1984, is celebrated annually on a diocesan level and internationally every two to three years.

The Holy Father began his message by reflecting on the Beatitudes, which he said were “new and revolutionary” in presenting “a model of happiness contrary to what is usually communicated by the media and by the prevailing wisdom.”

“A worldly way of thinking finds it scandalous that God became one of us and died on a cross! According to the logic of this world, those whom Jesus proclaimed blessed are regarded as useless, 'losers.' What is glorified is success at any cost, affluence, the arrogance of power and self-affirmation at the expense of others,” he wrote.