Formed In Faith

December 27: Celebrate a Jubilee in Your Household

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“Christian families, make the threshold of your homes a sign of the Door of Mercy and welcome from God.” –Pope Francis, 11.18.15

The Jubilee of Families, one of the moments of the year-long Jubilee of Mercy, will take place on Sunday December 27, 2015, the feast of the Holy Family.

Here are some resources and suggestions, for your family, for the Jubilee day of December 27  — or for any other time during the Jubilee year.

Resources from the Vatican

The Pontifical Council for the Family has prepared a brief resource for families to use as they enter through the Holy Door in their diocese. This resource includes quotes from Pope Francis’s Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for families to reflect on. It also provides an opportunity for the family to express their gratitude to each other, invites family members to offer and seek forgiveness from each other, and finishes with a family commitment to serve the poor when returning home. The text is available as a PDF in English here and in Spanish here. (Note that this ritual could be used at any point during the Jubilee of Mercy.)

Suggestions from the U.S. Catholic Bishops

  • Go to confession as a family. (Visit this page for resources on preparing for and understanding the Sacrament of Penance.)
  • Pray together one of the great penitential psalms, like Psalm 51 or Psalm 143. Listen, along with reflections, at this page.
  • Learn about the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Discuss as a family which works of mercy are the most difficult, the most appealing, etc. Decide as a family on one work of mercy to do together during the Jubilee of Mercy.
  • Read the monthly Meditations On Mercyprovided by the USCCB.
  • Have each family member to seek and receive forgiveness from other family. Pope Francis calls the word “I’m sorry” one of the three “magic words” in a family’s life (along with “thank you” and “may I”); from his  audience of 4.2.14.
  • Spend time in prayer for a relationship that needs forgiveness and healing, asking the Holy Spirit for insight on how to reconcile with that person.
  • Read this article about forgiveness together — then discuss it.

 

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Spring 2016 Catalogue

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Click image to view the Catalogue.
Cover Spring 2016

 

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Step Into the Jubilee Year of Mercy

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Welcome to the beginning of the Year of Mercy in the global Catholic community.

Catholics have long been called to recognize the universal hunger for forgiveness and mercy; to consciously seek God’s mercy; and to act mercifully– in all ways — to others, just as the Creator is merciful without question or limit.

An official Year of Mercy, when celebrated periodically by the Church, offers believers a variety of prayers, rituals, and spiritual practices to do such things.
Individuals and communities can offer signs of goodness, love, forgiveness, and mercy to others in countless ways. These gestures are symbolic of the boundless care that the Creator has for all.

In particular, though, Catholics speak of seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy. The corporal works relate to the physical or bodily needs of human beings. The spiritual works relate more specifically  to the needs of the human soul.

The gospel roots of these moral ‘works’ stem from the ministry and witness of Jesus of Nazareth. Two particular passages from the Gospel of Matthew allude to the import of doing mercy. In Matthew 5, 3-10, Jesus teaches on the spirit of the Beatitudes. Then, in Matthew 25, 31-46, Christ reveals the works of mercy essential to living the Gospel fully.

The Second Vatican Council taught that doing the various Christian works of mercy – on one’s own or with companions — affords the world a striking testimony regarding virtuous life and discipleship in action.

The Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick and those in prison
Give to the poor Bury the dead

The Spiritual Works of Mercy
Counsel the doubtful
Instruct the ignorant
Admonish the sinner
Comfort the sorrowful
Forgive injuries
Bear wrongs patiently
Pray for the living and the dead

Butch Ekstrom December 8, 2015

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Celebrate Thanksgiving!

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We pray that all heed the words of Pope Francis —

Hunger Prayer

Wishing you a blessed holiday from the Faith-Formation staff.

 

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Upcoming December Courses

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Christology II
Dates: Tuesday December 1 or Thursday December 3, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Locations: Tuesday, St. Agnes (St. Aloysius Hall) or Thursday, Our Lady of Lourdes (Professional Team Room)
Presenter: Art Turner, Director of Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cost: $10.00 (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Lynn McDaniel at lmcdaniel@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581 ext. 1314
Catechist Credit: 2.5 hours applies toward Theology in the content area of Christology

This class surveys the ministry of Jesus and the meaning of his life, death, and resurrection.

Introduction to Sacraments
Dates: Thursday December 3, 2015
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Locations: Ascension School
Presenter: Maureen Larison, Consultant for Adult Formation and Initiation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cost: $10.00 (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Lynn McDaniel at lmcdaniel@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581, ext. 1314
Catechist Credit: 2.5 hours applies toward the Associate Level in the content area of Introduction to Sacraments or 2.5 hours applies toward Theology in the content area of Sacraments

This class explores the meaning of the sacraments, the role they have in the Church, and the principles of liturgical celebration of the sacraments.

Theology of Church
Dates: Tuesday December 15 or Thursday December 17, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Locations: Tuesday, St. Agnes (St. Aloysius Hall) or Thursday, Our Lady of Lourdes (Professional Team Room)
Presenter: Art Turner, Director of Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cost: $10.00 (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Lynn McDaniel at lmcdaniel@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581, ext. 1314
Catechist Credit: 2.5 hours applies toward Theology in the content area of the Church

This class explores the meaning and mission of the Church and the role of Baptism within it.

 

 

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A Shift Toward Household-Centered Catechesis?

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family prayingThe very insightful writer, Bill Huebsch, recently drafted a good, little post for the NCCL Evangelization Blog. He titled it “The Shift to a (More) Household-Centered Catechesis?”

Among his key points, Huebsch says, “We tend toward a parish-centered approach, one in which we tend to see the church and the parish as one and the same. But in fact, the church is the people of God living their everyday, ordinary lives. It’s precisely in this ‘everydayness”\’ that the invitation and welcome to faith must be given.

“This means we must develop household-centered catechesis,” he added. “And this will require us to change.”

Take a few moments to read this worthwhile, short article. It can be found on here.

Butch Ekstrom — Nov. 17, 2015

 

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Seeking and Finding Hope in Mercy

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Seeking and finding hope in Mercy - St Bernards - Fr Bob Ray

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Quenching our Thirst: The First Catholic Women’s Conference

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Quenching our Thirst: The First Catholic Women’s Conference
By Tracy Johnson

November 7, 2015: in one amazing and historic day, 675 women from every part of the Archdiocese of Louisville gathered at St. Patrick Parish to pray, sing, worship, learn, and grow together in faith. I was one of those women, however I had the unique opportunity to attend as a committee member, presenter, and Catholic wife and mother. I am still processing all that I experienced in each of those roles, but I will attempt to convey some of it to you now.

First, I must say that the day went by all too quickly. The road to get there, however, was quite the opposite. As a member of the planning committee, it had taken over a year to bring this about. From the beginning, there was a spiritual yearning for this event and a desire to reach out to all parishes in our Archdiocese, gathering us together as sisters in Christ. The Bible passage regarding the Samaritan woman encountering Jesus at the well is truly representative of that:

“…but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.'” (John 4: 14-15)

The planning committee wanted the Conference to reflect diverse women sharing their faith, and as we planned, we went to great lengths to spread the word and ask for involvement and feedback on possible themes and breakout sessions, holding listening sessions locally and in Bardstown. The excitement was palpable and discussions lively, which provided direction and strength to the planning committee. We prayed at each meeting for God’s grace to serve well the needs of our sisters and to bring about a successful conference. To be honest, we hoped and prayed…Read More

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Nov. 19, 2015

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Archdiocese of Louisville

Archdiocese of Louisville, Maloney Center
Contacts:

Art Turner, Director: ext. 1266
artturner@archlou.org

Denise Bouchard, Adult Formation, Initiation, and Faith Club: ext. 1268
dbouchard@archlou.org

Lynn McDaniel, Catechetical Ministry: ext. 1267
lmcdaniel@archlou.org

Elo Rowan, Program Asst.:  ext. 1236
erowan@archlou.org

Laurel Wyatt, Admin. Asst.: ext. 1211
lwyatt@archlou.org

 

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