February 11, 2013, Volume VII, Number 6
February 11, 2013, Volume VII, Number 6 FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES Monday of Fifth Week in Ordinary Time ASH WEDNESDAY – February 13, 2013 Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius – February 14, 2013 Valentine’s Day (USA) – February 14, 2013 YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013 http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html Question of the Week For the First Sunday of Lent, February 17, 2013 “…was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” When have you felt led into the desert? What are the circumstances that drove you into the desert? How would you describe this desert? What is it about a desert that makes it easier for the devil to tempt us? Which of the temptations was greatest for you? What ultimately caused the devil to “depart from you for a time”? NCCL News Please “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCCLonline – we have over 330 LIKES. “FOLLOW” us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NCCLonline – What’s going on in your catechetical environment? Norma May Pokorny, Mother of Gary Pokorny is Born to Eternal Life Norma Mary (nee Langen) Pokorny, passed to eternal life Saturday January 26, 2013 age 89 years. She was the beloved wife of George and the dear mother of Mike (Carol), Gary (Jeanne) Pokorny and Sandy (Chris) Karcher. Mass of Christina burial was held Thursday, February 7 at St. Aloysius Church. Condolences can be sent to Gary at [email protected] or you can sign the Guest Book at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?pid=16265847 0#fbLoggedOut. A Valentine for God Kathy Hendrix, in her We Believe and Share blog, sponsored by Sadlier, notes “A bishop once said that he considered prayers of adoration our “valentines to God.” In them, we express our utter delight and fascination with being cherished by a God whom we recognize in the smiles, hugs and “luv u” messages received from others. She then offers us this Valentine and suggests that we write our own. There are also some thoughts on Lenten Grace. You can download the Valentine in English and/or Spanish at http://info.sadlier.com/avalentine-for-god-prayer-download?hsCtaTracking=0403fc69-a2574ee5-af74-1f471ba88c91%7Cc65aa0d9-aed8-45ab-90c6336fba9d0310 New PCRC Chair Announced President Bill Miller has announced that Joe Swiss has accepted the responsibilities of chair of the NCCL Partner Certification Review Committee (PCRC) and thereby a member of the National Certification Review Committee (NCRC). We are also pleased to announce that Carol Jadach has agreed to serve, along with Chris Malmevik and Mary Jo Waggoner, as members of the PCRC. At the same time, NCCL expresses its gratitude to Ken Gleason who served as NCCL’s first chair of the PCRC and to Charlene who recently resigned from the PCRC. Their work and participation during this first year of national certification has been fruitful. Anyone interested in national certification as a catechetical leader can find all they need to know at http://www.lemcertification.org/. The next deadline for applications is March 1, 2013. Pope Benedict: 'The Church Has Confidence in Young People' The Holy Father stated that the reality of youth today is very complex and that it can no longer be understood within a homogeneous cultural universe, but needs to be understood within a horizon that can be defined as a "multiverse", determined, that is, by a plurality of views, perspectives and strategies." "It is appropriate to speak of "youth cultures", since the elements distinguishing and differentiating the cultural phenomena and areas outweigh those which, though present, are common to them," the Pope said. "Several factors contribute to form a cultural landscape that is increasingly fragmented and in continuous, rapid evolution, to which the social media are certainly no strangers, these new communication tools that facilitate and sometimes themselves cause continuous and rapid changes in mentality, customs, and behavior." "The religious dimension, too," the Holy Father continued, "the experience of faith and one's belonging to the Church are often lived from a privatistic and emotive perspective." Despite the challenges, Pope Benedict XVI stated that there is also very positive phenomenon, describing the "generous and courageous" youth volunteers who dedicate their lives to the needy as well as those who "joyfully bear witness to their belonging to the Church." While the problematic situations of the today's society can also affect one's faith and sense of belonging to the Church, Pope Benedict XVI renewed the Church's faith in young people. Referring to the Second Vatican Council's address to young people, the Holy Father called on the youth to serve as grounds for reflection and inspiration for the new generation. The Pope renewed Paul VI's appeal to you the world's youth to "fight against all egoism. Refuse to give free course to the instincts of violence and hatred, which beget wars and all their sad train of miseries. Be generous, pure, respectful, sincere. And build in enthusiasm a better world than your elders had!" "I, too, wish to reaffirm this forcefully: the Church has confidence in young people, she hopes in them and in their energies, she needs them and their vitality, to continue to live with renewed enthusiasm the mission entrusted them by Christ," the Holy Father said. For the full text of the Holy Father's address, go to: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-the-plenaryassembly-of-the-pontifical-council-for-culture Theologian: American Youth a Ravaged But Promising Mission Field In sexual morality, family life and education, the Baby Boom generation ushered in a series of cultural changes that led to an "anthropological crisis" in American society, leaving younger generations yearning acutely for what the Catholic Church has to offer. That is the assessment of Pia de Solenni, a Seattle-based writer with theology degrees from two Vatican-chartered universities, who now serves as a consultant to the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. She spoke with Catholic News Service in Rome while participating in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture, which met in early February to address the theme of "emerging youth cultures." The sexual revolution, promoted by mass media and facilitated by abortion and contraception, led to a breakdown of the family, so that an estimated 40 percent of births in the U.S. today are to single mothers, de Solenni said. "There is something missing there, in terms of a father for the child, the security of knowing that your mother and father love each other," she said. Lacking complete or stable families, many raised since the 1970s have failed to develop the capacity for strong and intimate relationships, de Solenni said. They have also failed to receive religious education in the home, which the church teaches should be the primary site of such instruction. Yet the ethos of promiscuity is losing its luster for the young, de Solenni said, pointing to evidence from popular culture. In the last decade the television series "Sex and the City" portrayed a libertine lifestyle as a glamorous option for women, she said, but the current hit "Girls" highlights the anomie and alienation that such behavior produces. Vatican Invites Rock Band To Explain Youth Culture When the head of the Pontifical Council for Culture said he wanted to listen to what today's young people had to say, he wasn't afraid to hear it belted out at 100 decibels. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi invited members of the Italian rock group, The Sun, to speak their minds through music to the cardinals, bishops, lay members and advisers of the council, as well as to a large contingent of foot-stomping, cheering young fans. It was the first time a Vatican dicastery had a rock group as the "opening act" of its plenary assembly -- usually a routine, speech-filled, sit-down affair where members come together a few days to discuss a relevant theme. "We adults, older generations, and we priests have to make an effort to not put (young people) under a sort of microscope, but go to their level and begin to listen a little to what the rhythm of their mind, their heart is like," Cardinal Ravasi told Vatican Radio. While Vatican VIPs weren't dancing in the aisles, many read through the lyrics and applauded with smiles. Asked "what helps attract young people to the church?" the responses included, "credible and enthusiastic witnesses," but also pilgrimages to the Holy Land, a chance to have a personal spiritual guide and outlets for artistic expression, the booklet said. "What do you want from the church?" evoked responses like greater trust in laypeople, putting the great questions of life front and center, and clear, sincere honest dialogue where formality and abstract ideas get set aside now and then, it said. "What keeps the church and young people apart?" elicited replies like not understanding the reasons behind positions the church takes, "ostentatious wealth," a lack of answers to people's questions and poor communication skills. "The church has lots of beautiful things to say" about things young people care about, "but it needs to find a way to say it" and have that message reach young men and women everywhere, Lorenzi said. "A great speech without contact is at risk" of going nowhere, he said, while if it's coupled with warm and genuine outreach, "the incredible can happen." Lent Our observance of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 13 this year, and is a a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics. At Mass on Ash Wednesday, the imposition of ashes replicates an ancient penitential practice and symbolizes our dependence upon God's mercy and forgiveness. During this Lent, the U.S. bishops are encouraging Catholics to make going to confession a significant part of their spiritual lives. They have issued a statement, "God's Gift of Forgiveness: The Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation" http://www.usccb.org/prayer-andworship/sacraments/penance/upload/Penance-Statement-ENG.pdf) that can be distributed and shared in parishes. Dioceses are encouraged to make the sacrament available often during Lent and to use these resources (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-andworship/sacraments/penance/sacrament-of-penance-diocesanresources.cfm) to promote participation. USCCB is also providing resources to help individuals (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-andworship/sacraments/penance/sacrament-of-penance-resources-for-individuals.cfm) who have not been to confession in a while "rediscover" the sacrament. The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer (http://tiny.cc/0o05rw) , fasting (http://tiny.cc/8p05rw) and almsgiving (http://tiny.cc/xr05rw). The Church asks us to surrender ourselves to prayer and to the reading of Scripture, to fasting and to giving alms. The fasting that all do together on Fridays is but a sign of the daily Lenten discipline of individuals and households: fasting for certain periods of time, fasting from certain foods, but also fasting from other things and activities. Likewise, the giving of alms is some effort to share this world equally—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. At the USCCB website (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgicalresources/lent/index.cfm) you will find a variety of suggestions and resources to support your Lenten practice, enhance your prayer, and embrace your baptismal commitment. HHS Proposal Falls Short In Meeting Church Concerns The Feb. 1 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) shows some movement by the Administration but falls short of addressing U.S. bishops' concerns. "Throughout the past year, we have been assured by the Administration that we will not have to refer, pay for, or negotiate for the mandated coverage. We remain eager for the Administration to fulfill that pledge and to find acceptable solutions—we will affirm any genuine progress that is made, and we will redouble our efforts to overcome obstacles or setbacks," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in a February 7 statement. "Thus, we welcome and will take seriously the Administration's invitation to submit our concerns through formal comments, and we will do so in the hope that an acceptable solution can be found that respects the consciences of all. At the same time, we will continue to stand united with brother bishops, religious institutions, and individual citizens who seek redress in the courts for as long as this is necessary." He listed three key areas of concern: the narrow understanding of a religious ministry; compelling church ministries to fund and facilitate services such as contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs, and sterilization that violate Catholic teaching; and disregard of the conscience rights of for-profit business owners. These are the same concerns articulated by the USCCB Administrative Committee in its March 2012 statement, United for Religious Freedom. Cardinal Dolan said the new proposal seemed to address one part of the church's concern over the definition of a church ministry but stressed that "the Administration's proposal maintains its inaccurate distinction among religious ministries. Cardinal Dolan highlighted problems with the proposed accommodation. "It appears that the government would require all employees in our 'accommodated' ministries to have the illicit coverage—they may not opt out, nor even opt out for their children—under a separate policy," he said. He also noted that "because of gaps in the proposed regulations, it is still unclear how directly these separate policies would be funded by objecting ministries, and what precise role those ministries would have in arranging for these separate policies. Thus, there remains the possibility that ministries may yet be forced to fund and facilitate such morally illicit activities." You can read Cardinal Dolan’s statement at http://www.usccb.org/news/2013/13-037.cfm. Patch offers Scouts chance to 'delve more deeply' into Year of Faith A Scoutmaster in Dodge City has developed what may be the only Scout patch program in the nation for the Year of Faith. Bishop John B. Brungardt of Dodge City was the catalyst for the patch, said Scoutmaster Tim Wenzl of Troop 162 in Dodge City and spokesman for the diocesan Committee on Scouting. "When Pope Benedict announced the Year of Faith, Bishop Brungardt held a (diocesan) directors' meeting and asked us to think of ways we could tie our departments and organizations into the Year of Faith," said Wenzl, who also is diocesan archivist and media liaison. He knew just the thing that would motivate his Scouts: a colorful patch. "Scouts like to earn patches," said Wenzl, "whether it's for rank advancement or merit badges." Wenzl learned how popular a Catholic patch program could be when he initiated a Year of the Eucharist patch in 2004 and got inquiries from Scout units in 39 states and one foreign country. The patch may be earned by Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Venturers and their adult leaders. Members of parish youth groups may also earn the patch. It is a self-administered program monitored by adult leaders. The patch is earned by completing a series of requirements. Separate requirements have been developed for three age groups: first through fifth grades, sixth through twelfth, and adults. The patch can only be earned during the Year of Faith. The requirements can be obtained by going to the website at: www.dcdiocese.org. Scroll down to last half of homepage and click on the red-and-white Year of Faith patch. Adult leaders have their own list of activities to complete to earn the patch. Patches can be ordered by contacting Wenzl at: [email protected] or by writing: Year of Faith Scout Patch, Diocese of Dodge City, P.O. Box 137, Dodge City, KS 67801. Patches are $5 each. Checks should be made payable to the Catholic Committee on Scouting. Please list the number of patches needed and the date of the awards presentation. For information, call Wenzl at (620) 227-1556. Lenten Options from Loyola What are you doing for Lent this year? Loyola Press offers some suggestions for ways to observe Lent with the help of online offerings. On People for Others, each Wednesday Paul will share a video post on a Lenten theme. At Days of Deepening Friendship, Vinita Hampton Wright will host her annual online Lenten retreat, with a theme this year of Praying Freedom, drawing from her new book and inspiration from other wise women authors. You can order Praying Freedom: Lenten Meditations to Engage Your Mind and Free Your Soul. • An Ignatian Prayer Adventure is an eight-week online adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises and a wonderful way to go on retreat during Lent and Easter. This year PFO friend Michelle Francl-Donnay and Greg Herrle will be sharing their experiences with the retreat through posts on our sister blog dotMagis. • Other6 Prays Lent provides daily prompts to help us broaden our thinking about where God can be found. • +3 Minutes for Lent returns for a second year for our Facebook fans, with reflections based on the 3-Minute Retreat. For even more Lent ideas, check out IgnatianSpirituality.com’s Lent resources or the ones at LoyolaPress.com. • • 52 Quotes from the Documents of Vatican II Beginning on Ash Wednesday, and continuing each Wednesday, eCatechist will present one of 52 Quotes from the Documents of Vatican II. These were selected and prepared by Ed Hahnenberg, author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. You can receive these quotes and other articles by subscribing to the Monthly Email Update at http://ecatechist.typepad.com/. It is their hope that these quotes will provide an overview of the themes of the Documents and motivate catechists and catechetical leaders to read, study and use the Documents of Vatican II for catechist formation and certification. These 52 Quotes will all also appear on the eCatechist Page on Facebook. If you haven't already done so, please subscribe to the Monthly Email Update (http://ecatechist.typepad.com/). Learning to Pray Online If growing in prayer was always challenging, today it is harder than ever. That's one of the reasons Father John Bartunek decided to create "Do-It-Yourself Retreat Guides" as an online resource for Catholics seeking a tool to help them "create space for the Holy Spirit" each month. Father Bartunek's next set of retreats are to be released in the coming days, in time for next week's celebration of Ash Wednesday. When asked why he decided to create these guides, Father Bartunek responded: We started producing the Retreat Guides for three reasons, basically. First, since Day 1 of his Pontificate, Benedict XVI has been insisting on the primacy of prayer in the life of every individual Christian, and in the life of the Church. If we aren't growing in our prayer life, we simply can't grow in our friendship with God. But prayer is tough. Especially in a post-Christian, post-modern world. An authentic spiritual life is radically counter-cultural. So we all need help to go deeper in our prayer life. The Retreat Guides are tools designed to help people do that. Second, the Holy Father has also been insisting -- again and again -- on the importance of finding creative ways to evangelize the Digital Continent: the new area of human exchange that is being built by the Internet. The Retreat Guides bring nourishing Catholic spirituality to people in a brand new way through this medium. Third, my own religious order has been making a lot of adjustments in how our men spend their time. We have been consolidating small religious communities into larger communities. As a result, we are no longer present at all in specific cities or geographical areas where members of my order used to preach retreats on a regular basis. We are hoping that the online, Do-It-Yourself-Retreat Guides can continue serving the people in those places where we can no longer serve person-to-person. A new Retreat Guide comes out every month. Each one is available in video format, but also in audio and PDF -- so you can watch the Retreat Guide, listen to it, or read it. Each Retreat Guide includes five elements: a two-minute video introduction, two meditation-starters, an eight- to 10minute video conference, a personal questionnaire and Scripture passages to foster personal prayer. The next Retreat Guide, "The Colors of the Cross: A Retreat Guide for Lent," is scheduled to be available by Ash Wednesday. Previous guides are all still available for free online at www.RCSpirituality.org. Lent in a Year of Faith: How to Proclaim the Gospel with Power-February 12 Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry, offers you A Webinar for the New Evangelization that will be facilitated by Joe Paprocki, DMin. Joe is an author, a speaker, and a catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe Paprocki, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, has written numerous books, including the bestselling The Catechist's Toolbox: How to Thrive as a Religious Education Teacher and A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic's Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. He is also the host of the blog Catechist's Journey. This FREE webinar will be offered on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CST). Lent is a time for us to renew our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus and to proclaim the Good News to others. This experience is heightened by taking place during a Year of Faith. In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki, DMin, will identify the focus of Lent and how, during this Year of Faith, it presents us with a unique opportunity to learn how to proclaim the Gospel in such a way as to transform lives. Joe will identify 9 key strategies for proclaiming the Gospel for the New Evangelization. You can register for this FREE webinar by going to Lent with Joe Paprocki (http://tiny.cc/e9b4qw). Operation Rice Bowl 2013 CRS Rice Bowl, historically known as Operation Rice Bowl, is an opportunity to pray, fast and give alms in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world. We pray as a community, fast in solidarity with those who are hungry, and give concrete assistance to those most in need, while we learn about the joys and challenges in the lives of our brothers and sisters globally. Participation can be simple and very fruitful. Order free materials for your community, available in English and Spanish, on the CRS website (http://www.crsricebowl.org/). A wealth of materials are available to supplement the rice bowls, including videos, recipes from the countries of focus, lesson plans, and guides for parish leaders and educators. CRS Rice Bowl Resources for Parishes provides a rich spiritual experience for all people and ministries in the parish during the season of Lent. You can download the Coordinator's Guide (http://tiny.cc/x96drw). You can view a short video CRS Rice Bowl is Growing (http://multimedia.crs.org/2013/crs-rice-bowl-is-growing/). FREE Webinar: LENT: A Time for Conversion – February 19 at 1:00PM EST The season of Lent is a time of conversion and spiritual renewal. Powerful liturgies and profound scripture readings call us to encounter Christ in new and deeper ways. What does Lent have to say to Catholics as individuals? What does it have to say to our Catholic parishes? In this webinar we will explore central themes of Lent for the Year of Faith, and discuss practical methods for whole-parish "catechesis for conversion" in a distinctly Lenten mode. Join Rita Ferrone, an award-winning writer and speaker in the areas of liturgy, catechesis, and renewal in the Catholic Church, on Tuesday, February 19 at 1:00 PM EST for the Year of Faith Webinar: Themes of Renewal for Lent. Rita is the author of the Bulletin Inserts and Small Group Participant Booklet for Adults for Living the Eucharist, published by Paulist Evangelization Ministries and sponsor of this webinar. Register here.(http://tiny.cc/qhwmrw). Learn more about the Year of Faith Webinars (http://tiny.cc/bpwmrw). Nominate a Young Adult Catholic Age 18-35 for Leadership Award The nomination process is now open for the 2013 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award. This award honors a Catholic young adult (age 18-35) engaged in efforts to end the root causes of poverty in the United States. The winner receives $1,000 and is honored at an annual reception attended by dozens of bishops. Watch a video about the 2012 winner. (Injustice Calls Christians to Act). Help us celebrate young adult involvement in the mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to fight poverty in the United States. For more information, please go to http://www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-forhuman-development/cardinal-bernardin-newleadership-award.cfm. Nominate Young Adults To Be Conference Participants 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 Initiative and its Young Adult Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarship. The purpose of this Young Adult 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 The purpose of the Young Adult 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 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 To nominate candidates, the person’s immediate supervisor should e-mail Mark Buckley ([email protected]) or Michelle Tomshack ([email protected]), NCCL Membership Committee co-chairs. NCCL’s Membership Committee will determine the awardees and notify them via e-mail no later than March 15, 2013. For specific requirements and application procures, please go to NCCL website (www.NCCL.org) under the News and Events tab. The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Symposium This week, I am going to address Parish Life Coordinators Ministry (PLC). Their research, through CARA, sent a questionnaire in 2004 to all persons who held that position. They discovered there are 36 unique job titles for these ministers with the most common being Pastoral Administrator, Administrator, Parish Life Coordinator, and Pastoral Coordinator; 60% of parish life coordinators are women. 43% were women religious, 26% were lay men and women, and 26% were deacons. The complete findings of the 2004 report are available on the Emerging models of Pastoral leadership web site www.emergingmodels.org. The report includes a diocese-by-diocese accounting of the use of the PLC model. In Phase Two of the Emerging Models PCL research, they conducted two additional surveys. The Conclusions/Findings include 1. While PLC parishes exhibit some shortcomings, they offer a viable option for preserving a congregation’s life and ministry. 2. PLC parishes seem to excel at engendering in their parishioners a greater openness to increased involvement in the parish and its ministry. 3. Along with consolidated parishes, PLC parishes have the highest percentage of attendees (45%) who travel beyond a closer parish to worship there. 4. PLC parishes do slightly less well at providing quality Masses and liturgies in general – most likely due to lack of the consistent presence of a resident priest 5. People are attracted to PLC parishes frequently by the quality of their programs and social outreach. 6. In general, those who attend PLC parishes rate many aspects of their pastoral life at levels that are comparable to how parishioners in traditional, multicultural, multiple and consolidated parishes rate their experiences. 7. Parishioners and attendees of PLC parishes have a higher regard for many aspects of parish life than do the leaders of those parishes. You can read the complete report Parish Life Coordinator's Ministry (http://tiny.cc/ouu7rw). Write a White Paper for the NCCL Annual Conference and Exposition This is the fourth year that NCCL invites members to consider developing a white paper around a topic of interest. White papers are an opportunity for writers and thinkers to put their thoughts and ideas into a scholarly work that is used to educate members, to help people understand an aspect of how theory might be translated into practical ideas or even how to make decisions regarding changes they may wish to undertake or even solve a problem or shed light on a dilemma. This year’s topic stems from the USCCB document Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/disciples-calledto-witness/index.cfm). Anne Comeaux, a NCCL Past-President and former Director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis in Galveston-Houston is serving as chair. All submissions and any questions can be directed to her at [email protected]. Further information on this year’s topic and the requirements can be found at https://nccl.wildapricot.org/resource/papers. If you look further down on the page you will find some of the White Papers that were accepted for 2011 and 2012. Quick Fire 2013: Rapid Resources – Nominate Yourself and/or a Colleague Mary Fran Needs Your Help! During the Christmas season she was ill and out of the office long enough for her email-box to be full and shut down. If you sent in your participation form for Rapid Resources, please do it again and if you just thought about doing it, now is the time as there is less than one month left to submit an application. Don’t hesitate. Do it today. Interested in presenting a Rapid Resources session? Have you developed an effective program, resource, or other information for your diocese or parish? Have a book or a piece of research you would like to share with your peers? Have an innovative response to a catechetical need? Then NCCL wants you to present a Rapid Resource session at our 2013 Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Quick Fire 2013 is a great way for conference participants to learn new ideas and network with peers. This Rapid Resource gathering consists of four 10 minute sessions. Presenters will give a fast 7 minute presentation to a small group (up to ten people) followed by 3 minutes for discussion. At the end of the ten minutes, presenters will give the group a one-page handout that includes their contact information. People will then move to another Rapid Resource session. NCCL Committees will also present Rapid Resource sessions so that participants can learn about NCCL's activities and how they can become involved. To nominate yourself as a Rapid Resource presenter, please complete the Rapid Resource nomination form available on the Home Page of the NCCL website (www.NCCL.org) or you can download and complete the APPLICATION FORM. The Conference Committee will review your submission based on the following criteria: • clarity of description of the content and presentation methods • relevance/audience interest, importance, focus • presenter's experience, qualifications and expertise (The review process does not apply to sessions by NCCL committees.) Good Advice for Parents from a Mom – Hands Free Mama I just came across this article. It was written on December 1 and was targeted for Christmas but the message is good for all year long. As I read, I went to this woman’s blog and was moved by her sensitivity and insights about raising children. I have no idea if she belongs to a faith community but I do know she prays. “I prayed for each of my twelve students, but selfishly I prayed for the strength to make it through the day.” Her actions are grounded in goodness and that’s why I am sharing it with you. In her welcome statement on her blog she writes: Welcome. I’m going Hands Free. I want to make memories, not to-do-lists. I want to feel the squeeze of my daughter's arms, not the pressure of over-commitment. I want to get lost in conversation with my spouse, not consumed by a sea of unimportant emails. I want to be overwhelmed by sunsets that give me hope, not by extracurricular commitments that steal my joy. I want the noise of my life to be a mixture of laughter and gratitude, not the intrusive buzz of cell phones and text messages. I am letting go of distraction, disconnection, and perfection to live a life that simply, so very simply, consists of what really matters. I’m going Hands Free. And if this sounds like a life you want to start living, come along. A Hands Free revolution starts here! I hope you will join me! The original piece I read, The Gift that Matters (http://tiny.cc/ifw8rw), includes five (5) important concepts about “what makes the way children give so meaningful.” This piece is towards the end of the blog so you will have to scroll down a bit. Before you scroll down, you might take a glance at the February 6 posting, On the Other Side of Fear (http://www.handsfreemama.com/ ) for a great lesson on how to deal with fear in your own child. And if you are like me, you will probably stop and read a few more before you get to The Gift that Matters (http://tiny.cc/ifw8rw). If you are not too tired and you are willing to shed a few tears about the power of presence, then take the time to read Loving a Child Through the Challenges of Life (http://tiny.cc/s0w8rw). Here are her concluding lines. I think of Kyle in those moments when I don’t know what to do or what to say when I look into my children’s troubled eyes. That is when I see Kyle’s face and remember I don’t always have to have the answer. Because sometimes there is no clear-cut answer. And I remember I don’t always have to “fix” their troubled hearts. Because there will be times when I can’t. I think of Kyle and remember the power of presence. Because it’s possible to say, “I won’t let you go through this alone,” without muttering a single word. Thank you, Kyle, for revealing the key to loving a child through the challenges of life. Sometimes our mere presence is enough. Sometimes it is exactly what is needed to change a dismal situation into one of hope. There is a follow-up to Kyle’s story and it is at the end of When Life isn't Pretty (http://tiny.cc/stx8rw). StoryCorps: A Life Defined Not By Disability, But By Love Myra says she always protected her mother, who’s intellectually disabled, from rude stares. In this StoryCorps episode she interviews her mother who also interviews her as well. Listen to Bonnie and Myra Brown’s story at http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id =171382156&m=171453888 Coping With The Loss Of A Newborn Child I have friends who lost a child at birth and we still celebrate Samuel’s birthday. But until I heard this program I had never thought about how difficult it would be to carry twins knowing that one of them would die shortly after birth. This is a story to give you an insight that may help you in your ministerial role. Sarah and Ross Gray play with their son Callum on a playground in Washington, D.C. They lost Callum's twin, Thomas, a few days after the boys were born. You can listen to this eight (8) minute segment at http://wamu.org/programs/metro_connection/13/02/01/coping_with_the_loss_of_a_newborn_child. The Bible Series is coming 3.13.13! This past week, I joined about 200 other Christian leaders in the DC area for a preview of The Bible. The scenes were introduced by the executive producers Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) and Mark Burnett (The Voice, the Survivor series). He initial showing will be on the history Channel with the last segment on Easter Sunday evening. This is a 10 hour program and they are telling a story about God and Jesus. Good stories are about emotional connections and the Bible is a good story. Let’s hope these ten hours will come across as a response to one of the hopes with which Cardinal Wuerl left the synod when he said the Church of today is “very much facing our world like the early Church, like those early disciples, aware that we have a wonderful story to tell, the story of Jesus Christ.” If you are looking for an exact rendering from the Bible you will be disappointed. While I did not feel they misrepresented any of the words of Jesus, they did take some literary license. They also appear to use a lot of flashbacks. Remember they only had 10 hours and they didn’t want to confuse people who may be unfamiliar with the Bible; so they made decisions like Peter is called Peter all the way through and Paul of Tarsus has the same name throughout that sequence. I did note that Herod is present at the beheading of John the Baptist. The movie opens on the Ark with Noah telling his family the story of creation to calm their fears. They referenced a quote from Michelangelo that there has been enough criticism, now we need creativity and that story is designed to evoke thought but the Church, as teacher, helps people to untie the knots. With that understanding, I feel the movie will tell a compelling story and we may have to untie a few knots. You can check out their Faith Resources website for more information and sign up for exclusive clips, behind the scenes, images and videos at www.BibleSeriesResources.com. You can get a new EXTENDED look at “The Bible” Series with never-before-seen footage at http://bit.ly/XVBgF2 Pope Benedict XVI: Creation Story Isn't Science But Reveals God's Love The biblical account of creation isn't a textbook for science, Pope Benedict XVI said. Instead, the first chapter of Genesis reveals the fundamental truth about reality: that the world is not the result of chaos, but is born of and continually supported by God's love. In an age of science and advanced technology, how are Catholics supposed to understand the Old Testament account of creation that says God created the heavens and earth in six days, and rested on the seventh? the pope asked. "The Bible isn't meant to be a manual of natural science. Instead it is meant to make understandable the authentic and deep truth of all things," the Pope said. The creation account in Genesis reveals the fundamental truth that "the world is not a collection of opposing forces, but has its origin and steadiness in the Word, in the eternal reason of God, who continues to sustain the universe.” The creation story also points to the fact, he said, that God has a plan for the world and for humanity, a plan that gives people "the courage to face the adventure of life with trust and hope." It shows that everything God creates is "beautiful and good, filled with wisdom and love; God's creative action brings order, leads to harmony and gives beauty," Pope Benedict said. It also means, he said, that "we all carry in us the vital breath of God, and every human life, the Bible tells us, is under the specific protection of God. This is the most profound reason behind the inviolability of human dignity against every temptation to measure a person's worth using criteria of utility and power," he said. The description of the Garden of Eden means that God gave humanity, "not a wild forest, but a place that protects, nourishes and sustains," he said. "Man must not see the world as his own property to pillage and exploit, but as a gift from God" to safeguard and develop with respect "following the rhythms and logic" of God's plan. But while God created "a universe of goodness, harmony and beauty," human beings freely chose to believe in lies over the truth and, in that way, that brought evil into the world, the pope said. The text of the pope's audience remarks in English will be posted online at www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2013/documents/hf_benxvi_aud_20130206_en.html. Just How Much Is Sports Fandom Like Religion? With organized religion in the decline in the U.S., what is filling the void? asked Michael Serazio. The Baltimore Ravens. The Red Sox. The Miami Heat. And so on. Even in our increasingly secular country, people still crave the sense of tribal belonging and mass transcendence that they once found in churches and temples. And “if you look hard at sports yu can’t help but see the contours of religion.” Todat the cathedrals are called Wrigley Field, Madison Square garden, and the Superdome; there, fans with allegiances that often date to their forefathers fill the pews, don the revered team’s sacred vestments, and melt into a collective identity. We even imbue relics like players’ jerseys, autographs, and Curt Schillings’s bloody sock with iconic significance. Through sports we fill in the empty places of our lives. We identify with something larger than ourselves. The salvation our devotion provides many not be everlasting – but is sure looks like religion to me. You can read the complete article at http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/01/just-how-much-is-sports-fandomlike-religion/272631/ So God Made a Farmer: Paul Harvey and the Power of Religious Language There was a lot of talk this week about the Dodge Ram SuperBowl commercial. Some called it a “testament to the power of religious language.” What do you think? You can read the text below and you can watch the commercial at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE . And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer. God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer. God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year,' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours." So God made the farmer. God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark." It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk, . Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. "So God made a farmer." The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica I read my first Kathleen Norris book, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, and was hooked. From growing up in North Dakota and spending the summers on my godfather’s farm, she had explained my spirituality. In "The Holy Twins" she examines the lives of St. Benedict and Scholastica from childhood to their deaths, the book is a careful examination of the path to spiritual enlightenment. On could call this a picture-books-for-adults. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola, the book is also bound to garner some interest amongst the Strega Nona fans as well. You can order The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica. A Manifesto for Living After spending a year writing and mailing over 400 love letters to strangers across the world, Hannah Brencher launched The World Needs More Love Letters in August 2011—a global organization fueled by volunteer “letter writers,” now in fifty states and forty-seven countries. Here are some excerpts from her Manifesto for Living. Here’s to the ones who were never normal. Never conforming. Never able to sink into the soles of a follower. Here’s to the ones who were told to stop. To give up. To quit trying. To shove themselves into a little box because the world never needed their arms stretched out wide. Here’s to the ones who have uncovered the recovery from darkness. Who have cried on bathroom floors. Who have found pockets of strength in cracks in the sidewalk. Who have declared new days and brighter days and lovelier days than this. Here’s to the ones who laugh within the thunder. Cry within the mud. Dance when the bagpipes of sorrow play. Here’s to the ones who hear music, even when the sacred songs of childhood get stuck in the throat, stifled by fear. Here’s to the ones who know their calling and that it’s greater than a cubicle or a paycheck will ever be. A calling to be a light. To be a lantern. To be a match in the darkness. A flashlight in the power outage. A bright star in the sky of a night that lost hope. You can read the entire Manifesto for Living at http://www.positivelypositive.com/2012/10/15/a-manifesto-for-living/ Read more about her letter writing campaign at The World Needs More Love Letters (http://www.moreloveletters.com/) or if you are interested in Lessons Learned From Writing Love Letters to Strangers, go to (http://tiny.cc/xxs3rw). You can also watch her in a 4 ½ minute video as a global finalist for the TED2013 Global Talent Search. First World Problems Read By Third World People This one-minute video is BRILLIANT! - It so encapsulates how most of us in first world countries forget - in our frustration that the things that irritate us would be part of FANTASY LIVES for people in third world countries. "First World Problems read by Third World People" is by the non-profit "Water is Life" to ironically focus on the REALLY-CRITICAL issue of clean water. They enlisted Haitian children and adults to read the everyday gripes and minor irritations first world citizens post on Twitter with the popular #FirstWorldProblems hashtag. "Access to water will be one of the most critical challenges of our time," actor Matt Damon said in a statement to USA Today in December. "There are a lot of ways to tackle it, but for me, ensuring that every human being has access to safe drinking water and the dignity of a toilet ... is one of the most urgent and pressing causes in the world today." According to UNICEF, the lack of safe water and sanitation is the world's single largest cause of illness, with young children and the elderly at particular risk. Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAp4rAqK7UI Here's the link to Water is Life: http://goo.gl/ZegVd and Water is Life's website is: http://WATERisLIFE.com/ How To Be Yourself Some days, you need to remind yourself about what's truly important in life. So sit back with a cup of your favorite beverage and give yourself a few minutes to savor this sweet video, which gives you a prescription for happiness in two minutes, starting with "show up." One might consider this a good reflection before entering the Lenten season as many of these ideas could strengthen your relationship with God. Watch this video at http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=3342 Paperman – Just in Time for Valentine’s Day This is an Oscar nominated film in the Animated Short Category. It’s by the Disney Animation team and it tells the charming love story of a man who uses paper airplanes to contact a woman he met on the train platform. You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4ZWSeSSvSE Head Over Heels - Oscar-nominated Short Film – Another Valentine Hit The 2013 Academy Award nominated Animated Short Film directed by Timothy Reckart and produced by Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly. After many years of marriage, Walter and Madge have grown apart. They don't even bother to argue anymore, even though they can't agree which way is up—literally. Walter lives on the floor, and Madge lives on the ceiling; or if you ask Madge, it's Walter who lives on the ceiling. They live separate, parallel lives in the same house, never talking, barely even looking at each other. You can watch this ten (10) minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHs3Pe32b8Q. Handbook for Adaptive Catechesis: Serving Those with Special Needs The author of this book is a graduate of Notre Dame’s Institute for Church Life’s ECHO program. The book is part of Liguori’s Parish Resource Handbooks, which we have featured at different times in CL Weekly. If you currently desire to do more in serving those with special needs, this is a good place to start. Michele understands the challenges you face and offers support in how you might get started. This book and the catechetical program she developed for individuals with special needs is a testament to the ECHO program which along with Jerry Baumbach received our highest award, the NCCL Catechetical Award in 2008. If you just need a little push to take the next step, this is a good place to begin. You can order Handbook for Adaptive Catechesis: Serving Those with Special Needs The Life of Dorothy Day This week’s edition of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly features a story about Dorothy Day. She founded the Catholic Worker movement 80 years ago and became an advocate for the poor as well as a radical who protested against war and injustice. Today she is on the path to canonization in the Catholic Church. Dorothy Day once said the models to follow are the saints, and it is the saints who constantly replenish the church. The eight (8) minute piece can be viewed/read at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/febru ary-8-2013/the-life-of-dorothy-day/14669/. Watch an extended (twenty [20] minute) interview with Orbis Books publisher Robert Ellsberg, editor of " The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day.” If you are a lover of art and beauty, you might also consider purchasing Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath’s book Saved by Beauty: A Spiritual Journey with Dorothy Day. 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life About Brother Brother David Steindl-Rast’s book, Father James Martin wrote, “These elegant and concise prayers focus our attention on all the blessings, big and small, that we tend to overlook in our rushed lives. Slow down and taste gratitude, and see how blessed you are.” You can pray a page a day for the entire Lenten and Easter season and still have some left over. You can order 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life. 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy As I was thinking about Lent and the concept of giving up things, I remembered an article I had read last spring by Luminita Saviuc. If you care to read the complete post you can go to http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/. Luminita believes that “We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them.” This is her invitation to “give up on all those things that no longer serve us.” And isn’t that one of the purposes of Lent; to give up those things that no longer deepen our relationship with Jesus. If you think some of these things hamper your relationship with the Lord, then you might consider removing them from your life this Lent. 1. Give up your need to always be right. 2. Give up your need for control. 3. Give up on blame.. 4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. 5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. 6. Give up complaining. 7. Give up the luxury of criticism. 8. Give up your need to impress others. 9. Give up your resistance to change. 10. Give up labels. 11. Give up on your fears. 12. Give up your excuses. 13. Give up the past. 14. Give up attachment 15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Quote for Pondering: Eucharist “Where else in our society are we all addressed and sprinkled and bowed to and incensed and touched and kissed and treated like somebody -- all in the very same way? Where else do economic czars and beggars get the same treatment? Where else are food and drink blessed in a common prayer of thanksgiving, broken and poured out, so that everybody shares and shares alike?" ~ Robert W. Hovda (April 10, 1920 – February 5, 1992) A North Dakota prophet~ Knowing Jesus and His Message – Conociendo a Jesus y su Mensaje This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resource at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in San Diego, the NCCL Bookstore sold over twenty (20) copies of the book in English and Spanish. Based on the protocol used to evaluate elementary religion series, the book used fifteen standards for Pre-K and K through Grades 7 & 8. Included with the binder is a CD with all the materials available for duplication. This is an ideal help for any elementary catechist regardless of the series you might be using. Check out the following and use the Order Form. • • • • • PREFACE - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/nysql) EXPLANATION - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/xuvw8) Standards - Explained (http://tiny.cc/65wmc) Normas y Fundamentos (http://tiny.cc/zfrg2) ORDER FORM - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/9j0mb) Looking For A Good Book? Stop by the NCCL Bookstore. Purchasing books, CDs, DVDs, and other products on Amazon through the NCCL Bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20) helps support this valuable online ministry. If you are an on-line shopper and you frequent Amazon.com, please enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore as the organization benefits from every purchase you make. It’s an ideal way to support our ministry. Just go to our Home page (www.NCCL.org) and click on the Store tab or click on http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20 and it will take you directly to our bookstore. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as you enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore, we get a percentage of your purchases. We are just building our bookstore and adding titles every day, so if you have any suggestions for books you believe should be available through our bookstore, please drop NCCL a note. All books mentioned in CL Weekly are available at the NCCL Bookstore. 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