E-Flame Newsletter April 2017
We warmly welcome you and thank you for subscribing to receive the  Ignite Your Faith  E-Flame newsletter. Each month, you will find information on current and past events, articles to cultivate your faith life, and a calendar of upcoming study and prayer opportunities. We invite you to use this email as a one-stop resource center in Igniting Your Faith. 
Reflect On Your Faith 

"If man had his way, the plan of redemption would be an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by love; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord surrendered in order that He might win; He destroyed His enemies by dying for them and conquered death by allowing death to conquer Him."

-A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus' Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope



STUDY OPPORTUNITIES - MARK YOUR CALENDARS




Back by popular demand, this Wednesday morning 
retreat from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm will fill up fast!  
To learn more and to sign up, CLICK HERE





If you haven't had an opportunity to attend bible study yet, 
you still have time! Come celebrate the Easter season while meeting Jesus in His word. Bible study commences the end of May and starts again fall of 2017.    


ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!
STUDY - Cathechism
Ignite Your Faith:  Intro to 
the Catechism 

Wednesday May 17th
 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Discover the  Genius of Catholicism

Join Andrew Allen, Director of Faith Formation, and Connor Flanagan, Directors of Youth Minsitry at St. Bart's, for a special presentation that not only introduces the Catechism and shows you how to use it, but also covers the inspiring message of God's plan for us.  No registration needed.

A copy of the catechism can be found at major bookstores and online. Did you know that you can find more information and an online version of  the catechism  HERE.

ALL ARE WELCOME - BRING A FRIEND
Catechetical Institute - A Great Way to Study the Catholic Faith
By Graeme Braithwaite


The Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute was founded in 2008 to provide ongoing faith formation for Catholic adults of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The mission of the Institute is to further students' spiritual formation and deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. The heart of the curriculum is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is seen as the road map for the journey in faith.
 
There have been 1,054 graduates since 2008.  Three parishioners from St. Bart's have benefited from the program:
 
"I have learned a great deal about our Christian faith from the Catechetical Institute. They have amazing speakers who are very educated and knowledgeable and are able to present challenging information in ways that are easy to understand.  I have also met many wonderful people from all walks of life that are united by their love of Christ and want to know more.  It has been a very rewarding experience and one that I highly recommend to others who want to learn more.  - Jackie Gustafson (Current student: Class of St. Teresa of Calcutta)

"Prior to this class I had not realized what a great resource the Catechism was for our faith. As a cradle Catholic the class enabled me to know why I was doing rituals and practices my entire life and their origin. This brought a stronger meaning to my faith, a closer relationship to God and enabled me to use this new found knowledge in working with the RCIA candidates.  It has also helped me to be better prepared when my faith is challenged. I would highly recommend doing this study of our faith. " - Nancy Kralovec (2016 Class of St. Gianna)


"I had a Catechism, but really only used it as a reference to look things up when questions came up.  Catechetical Institute allowed me to actually read the Catechism from cover to cover in a structured, non-threatening way, and to do so with others.  I found myself not only reading it and gaining understanding, but cross-referencing it with what I'd read in the Bible. Never thought I'd do that!  It was a great way to study, learn about the faith, share with others, and grow closer to God." - Graeme Braithwaite (2015 Class of St. Francis)



Applications are being taken for classes beginning fall 2017.  The deadline for applying is July 1, 2017. For more information about the Catechetical Institute, visit their website at http://www.cistudent.com/
Reflect On Your Faith 

Rediscover Jesus
Are you Rediscovering Jesus yet?

Over Palm Sunday weekend, Matthew Kelly's newest book  Rediscover Jesus was given to all St. Bart's families. This book dives right in to the heart, THE WHY, of our faith, Jesus Christ. If you have started reading the book, that's wonderful! If you have not, or want to know more about the book (maybe even a little inspiration to get you started), here are a few resources. Enjoy, and may you, after reading Matthew Kelly's new book, be enlightened to answer the "Jesus question" for yourself. 




Rediscover Jesus Book Trailer
Rediscover Jesus Book Trailer

What Other Parishioners Are Saying 
Parishioner Survey Question: 
What Have You Added  To Study
Your Faith


Here is a list of just a  few of the ways St. Bart's parishioners are studying their faith and growing in their relationship with Jesus.

Reading
-Bible
-Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Give Us This Day-daily prayer book 
-Various spiritual readings (and always having a spiritual book with me at all times)
- The Way of Serenity: Finding Peace and Happiness in the Serenity Prayer, written by Father Jonathan Morris
- Life Worth Living, written by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
-The Breviary

Investigation
-Father Mike's Bible Study
-Watching Father Mike Schmitz's YouTube videos
-Attending Dynamic Catholic book discussion
-Attending study seminars while on Vacation

Reflection
-Attending adoration
-Learning to ask questions and reflect to listen to the answers
-Spiritual pilgrimage
-Saying a rosary once a day
Finding Jesus
How Jesus Changes Your Life
By Dave Obermiller

We all need a change sometimes. Our lives get into a rut, the same routine, same trip to work, school or appointments. Same worries over money, house, apartment, car, kids, school, health, pretty much everything. There is only one person that can make those routines and worries easier to handle. There is one person that can make everything in our lives joyful. That person is Jesus.
 
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
 
Our turning to Him can change our lives.  The more we turn to Him and rely on Him the more we feel His presence in our lives. So how do we do this, how do we turn to Him more. One of the best ways is to take some action.  Jesus notices the smallest action, and all of Heaven notices as well. So, with Heaven cheering us on, here are some ideas:
 
If you: Wake up every morning and say, "Good morning Jesus, Mary, Joseph, God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Angels and Saints," this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Go to confession. The priest stands in the place of Jesus and you can reconcile yourself to Jesus and free yourself from all those past sins. This will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Pray one Hail Mary every day, this will make a big change in your life. (Jesus loves his mom so much, if we love her, He loves us more)
 
If you: Pray one Mystery of the Rosary every day you will get great protection from evil. Mary is the Queen of Heaven and crushes the head of Satan, this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Set up a home altar with a crucifix and other religious items, Jesus loves it when we honor Him, this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Read the readings of the day for mass, we will learn more about Jesus and this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Stop what you're doing for one moment each day and just ask Jesus to help you, this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Add one additional mass per week, receiving Jesus' body and blood in the Eucharist, this will make a big change in your life.
(St. Bart's, Tuesday 6:00 PM in the chapel, 30 minutes long; Wednesday 9:00 AM in the church, 45 minutes long; Thursday 8:00 AM in the chapel 30 minutes long; check the bulletin for changes)
 
If you: Go to mass every day for one week, this will make a big change in your life.
 
If you: Begin the Liturgy of the Hours, known as the Divine Office, which can be difficult to learn (but very rewarding), this will make a big change in your life.
 
Turning towards Jesus gives Him the chance to change your life.  The changes he would like to make in us are the changes that will bring you, and your family, freedom here on earth and a glorious eternity in Heaven. We will all meet Jesus in person one day, let's be friends with Him now, let's be ready to meet Him always and take the actions we need to take to make that happen. Jesus loves you more than anyone on earth, he created you, let's thank Him always for the great gifts he bestows on us. 

Recap of Book Discussion Session   
Seeking Sources Of The Catholic Faith
By Graeme Braithwaite

Is there an aspect of the Catholic faith you are interested in, curious about, or struggle with that you would be interested in reading about further? 

On March 20th, this question was posed at the book discussion on the Study portion of The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic. Tod Worner returned to lead the discussion and we discovered that we all can think of one aspect of the Catholic faith we'd like to know more about, but we often don't know where to start looking for more information. 

Tod pointed out that when we get to heaven, and we encounter God and He asks, "Hey, did you read my book?" we want to be able to answer in the affirmative.  So the Bible is the perfect place to start. 

Matthew Kelly says "dynamic Catholics have a routine for their continuous learning."  Tod Worner's routine may not be like most, but it can certainly give us all ideas of where to start our own journeys.

Tod employs a strategy involving an interconnected web of resources that spirals out from the Bible through various layers, or circles, of reading material. It may look complex, but can be listed rather simply.


 

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you.

2. The Bible - this is at the center of the web and the place to start.

a. The Gospels 

b. The New Testament

c. The Old Testament

3. Church Teachings - this is the next layer spiraling out from the center. These include things like the Catechism and Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron.

4. The Saints - the next layer out. Here you may want to start with a familiar saint, like Saint Bartholomew.

5. The Apologists - the next layer out.  This layer includes authors like G. K. Chesterton and Flannery O'Connor.

6. Echoes of God in the secular world - this is the last layer and may include works by Shakespeare, C. S. Lewis, and Mozart.
Once you've done some study you'll be able answer a couple other questions posed at the discussion. What's the best Catholic book you've ever read? Did it help you grow in your faith?
**Stories! Stories! 
We Need Your Stories!**

Sometimes God speaks and calls us through the people around us. It would be an honor to hear YOUR story! We are looking for insights that you have gained from  Ignite Your Faith or any resources that you rely on that help support learning about the faith. If you would like to be a blessing to our faith community and would like to share, please let us know. You can email me, Victoria Siedlecki, at siedlecki0906@msn.com.

 *BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF*
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