July 29, 2013, Volume VII, Number 30

July 29, 2013, Volume VII, Number 30

FEAST OF SAINT MARTHA

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of Saint Peter Chrysologus – Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola – Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori – Thursday, August 1, 2013

YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Question of the Week

For Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 4, 2013

“…build larger ones. Then I shall store all my grains and other goods…are not rich in what matters to God.” What do you think matters to God? What matters to you? What do you have in storage…in an extra closet, in the basement, in an attic, in the garage, any place where it is not used? What do you really treasure? What do you think God is calling you to do with “so many good things stored up for years”? What will be done with these things when you die? What if “this night your life will be demanded of you”?

NCCL News

Catechetical Sunday – September 15, 2013

This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 15, 2013, and will focus on the theme Open the Door of Faith. Those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

As in past years, NCCL will sell printed copies of prayer cards, family commitment cards, posters, and certificates in English and Spanish. Check the NCCL website www.NCCL.org for ddmore information on ordering your Catechetical Sunday materials. This year’s reflection journal was edited by Michele Harris and the reflections were written by nine different NCCL members. The reflection book is entitled WELCOME! Open the Door – Pass through the gate – Seek the Christ. Sample pages from each of the writers are available on the NCCL Homepage (www.NCCL.org).

The 2013 NCCL pin represents the theme for Catechetical Sunday "Open the Door of Faith" with a beautiful 3 dimensional effect. The all metal pin is outlined in the same gold as the cross. The Alpha and Omega from the Catechetical Sunday logo are imprinted on the shiny copper doors that open to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ hanging on a gold cross in a brushed copper room. The doors break through the gold outline to enhance the theme, Open the Door of Faith. The Spirit of God in each of us is the agent of the new evangelization and inspires each of us to open our heats and to go forth as catechist and teacher. Help your organization and order your materials from NCCL. Actual pin size is 7/8 inch.

CL Weekly will feature several pieces each week from June 3 – September 16.

Catechist In-Service by Curtis A. Martin, President, Fellowship of Catholic University Students. The In-Service is entitled Encountering Christ Through an Authentic Witness of Faith and an Ever-Greater Understanding of Its Contents and can also be downloaded at http://tiny.cc/cn7uxw.

Parish Resource by Jonathan Sullivan, Director of Catechetical Services, Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. This piece, Promoting Catholic Principles and the Significance of Vatican II Through the New Mass Media, would make an excellent bulletin insert and can be downloaded from http://tiny.cc/aw7uxw.

You can download the complete list of FREE Resources which can also be found at http://tiny.cc/263uxw. Be sure to order your Catechetical Sunday materials from NCCL (www.NCCL.org).

Spanish Side of the Catechetical Sunday Poster

An error was discovered on the Spanish side of the double-sided Catechetical Sunday poster for 2013. It does not matter if you purchased your poster through NCCL or the USCCB, you can get a replacement.

If you intend to post the Spanish version of this two sided English/Spanish poster, please contact Customer Service Toll free: 800-235-8722 • Fax: 202-722-8709 • Customer Service: .

Francis en Route to Brazil Notes Rights of Youth and Elderly

En route to Brazil for World Youth Day, Pope Francis spoke of the dignity and rights of young people, but also of the dignity of the elderly. Vatican Radio reported about the brief conversation the Holy Father had with some 70 journalists on board the plane. He broke with the tradition of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and did not have an in-flight question-and-answer press conference.

Pope Francis: Good morning. Good morning to you all. I have heard some strange things said: “You are not saints of my devotion,” “I’m here among lions …” but not so ferocious, ah? Thank you. Truly I don’t give interviews, but why I don’t know, I can’t, it’s so. For me it’s somewhat of an effort to do so, but I’m grateful for this company.

This first trip is in fact to meet young people, but to meet them not isolated from their life. I would like to meet them, in fact, in the social fabric, in society. Because when we isolate young people, we do an injustice: we take away their belonging. Young people have a belonging, a belonging to a family, to a homeland, to a culture, to a faith. They have a belonging and we must not isolate them! But, above all, we must not isolate them from the whole of society! They are – truly – the future of a people: this is true! But not only them: they are the future because they have the strength, they are young, they will go forward.

But also the other extreme of life, the elderly, are the future of a people. A people has a future if it goes forwards with the two points: with the young, with strength, because they lead it forward; and with the elderly because they are those who give the wisdom of life. And I often think that we do an injustice to the elderly, we leave them aside as if they had nothing to give us; they have wisdom, the wisdom of life, the wisdom of history, the wisdom of the homeland, the wisdom of the family. And we are in need of this! That is why I say that I am going to meet young people, but in their social fabric, mainly with the elderly. It’s true that the global crisis doesn’t do good things for young people. I read last week the percentage of young people without work. Think about the fact that we run the risk of having a generation that has not had work, and from work comes a person’s dignity of earning his bread. At present, young people are in crisis.

We are somewhat used to this culture of discarding: it’s done too often with the elderly! But now also with these many young people without work, to them also comes the culture of discarding. We must cut this habit of discarding! No. we must have a culture of inclusion, a culture of encounter, make an effort to bring everyone into the society. I thank you so much, beloved, “saints of non-devotion” and “not so ferocious lions!” But thank you so much, thank you so much. And I would like to greet each one of you. Thank you.

FREE Professional Development Webinar –Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils presents a series of free, online workshops on professional development for parish ministers. This webinar Open the Doors: Seven Approaches to an Encounter with Christ is offered on Tuesday, September 10 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW - 09-10-2013 (http://tiny.cc/g1vv0w). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series, please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars.

Open the Doors: Seven Approaches to an Encounter with Christ

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

In the spirit of this year’s Catechetical Sunday theme “Open the Doors of Faith,” Lee Nagel, Executive Director for the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, will share the seven key elements in creating an environment that engages those present and facilitates an encounter with the Risen Christ.

These elements include:
1. Preparedness: Open Your MInd to What God is Offering; Then Stop, Look, and Listen
2. Balance: Ritual and Novelty, Comfort and Challenge, Safety and Risk
3. Prime the Pump, Make Connections, Engage the Senses, Activate Learning Styles
4. Seven-Minute Chunks with Catholic Service Announcements
5. Quiet Moments for Reflection
6. Review
7. Go Forth Blessed
All registered participants will receive practical pointers and useful techniques that are immediately applicable to any environment.

Pope Commissions Young People to be Missionaries Without Borders
Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. "Where does Jesus send us?" he asked World Youth Day pilgrims July 28. "There are no borders, no limits: He sends us to everyone." Although retired Pope Benedict XVI had chosen the theme for the gathering -- "Go and make disciples of all nations" -- it was tailor-made for Pope Francis, who continually tells Catholics: "Go out. Go forward. Keep going."
"Sharing the experience of faith, bearing witness to the faith, proclaiming the Gospel: this is a command that the Lord entrusts to the whole church and that includes you," he told his beachfront congregation, which included hundreds of thousands who had spent the night on the sand, sleeping or not. Pope Francis told them that if they did not share their experience of God's love with others it would be "like withholding oxygen from a flame that was burning strongly."
Jesus did not tell his disciples to share the Gospel "if you would like to, if you have the time," the pope said. Instead, he commanded them to proclaim the Good News to the world. Sharing the love and mercy of God and the salvation offered by Christ through the church "is born not from a desire for domination or power, but from the force of love," the pope told the young pilgrims.

In his homily, Pope Francis told the young people that evangelizing requires a personal witness of love for God and love for others, especially the weak, the poor and the defenseless. "The life of Jesus is a life for others," the pope said. "It is a life of service." The pope did not mince words with his young audience, telling them: "Evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God, it is overcoming our selfishness, it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren, as Jesus did."
Pope Francis said he knows how daunting it can be to recognize that each Christian bears personal responsibility for sharing the Gospel with his or her actions and words, but Jesus told the first disciples and tells disciples today, "Be not afraid." "Jesus does not leave us alone; he never leaves you alone," the pope said. And the church does not leave any of its members, or even small groups, to go it alone, he said. "Jesus did not say: 'One of you go,' but 'All of you go.' We are sent together. Be creative. Be audacious. Do not be afraid."
He gave the younger generation a final instruction, "As you return to your homes, do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear witness to his Gospel." It can change the world, he said. "Bringing the Gospel is bringing God's power to pluck up and break down evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness, intolerance and hatred."

The Catholic Teenager: A few mysteries solved

This report shares some very interesting statistics regarding religious education and sacramental preparation. It is also interesting to note the differences in perceptions that parents and teens have each other as is noted in this statement “Although many parents may express concerns about their teens not communicating enough with them in general, many Catholic teens say their parents rarely or never speak to them about religion. Only 8% report their parents talk to them about religion daily and 20% say their parents do so at least once a week.” Another difference in perception comes from our stance that the parish is very important in catechesis while “only 12% said “being involved with my parish” was “very important” to their sense of what it means to be a Catholic.” I encourage you to read a summary of this report by CARA. Please go to their nineteen sixty-four research blog and read The Catholic Teenager (http://tiny.cc/8dvv0w).

Pope Francis: Joy and Mercy

The following comments are from John Allen in his weekly column regarding the focus of Pope Francis. If you are interested in reading his column, please go to For Francis: Confessions the Most Important Thing He'll Do All Week (http://tiny.cc/f8uv0w). You can watch Pope Francis in Action (http://tiny.cc/c08v0w).

Every pope seems to have a signature spiritual idea. For John Paul II, it was courage: "Be not afraid!" was his catchphrase to invite the church to recapture its missionary swagger after years of introspection and self-doubt. For Benedict XVI, it was "faith and reason," the idea that religious belief and intellectual reflection need one another to remain healthy.

For Francis, the best early candidate for his signature touch is mercy, expressed in his repeated emphasis on God's endless capacity to forgive.