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CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES
For Our Family of Parishes
St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette, St. Mary's, St. Peter's
February 5
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MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY
February is dedicated to the Holy Family,
reminding us of our goal to be more like them.
“The Holy Family is the beginning of countless other holy families,” John Paul II said earlier in his Letter to Families. He stressed, “The history of mankind, the history of salvation, passes by way of the family.”
In fact, the saintly pope made it plain that he was trying “to show how the family is placed at the center of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love.”
Christ could have come to earth in any number of ways,
yet God chose to send His Son as a Child born into a family.
In so doing, He set the Holy Family as an example
for us all and made the Christian family
more than a natural institution.
How can your family celebrate this month?
- Look at family photos and share stories of relatives
who had a positive influence on your faith.
- Bless each other by tracing the sign of the cross on foreheads.
- Make an extra effort to have more family meals together this month.
- Display statures of the holy family in your family room or a prayer table.
- Pray and ask for the intercession of the Holy Family.
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Click below to explore this saintly family and the lives of
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus with the:
COLLECTION OF HOLY FAMILY VIDEOS ON FORMED
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SAINT OF THE DAY PODCAST
Could your life change
if you committed to
one simple 3-minute practice?
Hearing a unique saint's story
- in three minutes or less!
From the well-known saints
—like Thérèse of Lisieux and
John Paul II—
to wonderfully obscure ones
—like Simeon Stylite and Oswald of Northumbria—
you'll learn something new each day!
The saints do more than impress us—they were often like us!
So they show us that we can become saints too!
They build us up, inspire us to be better than we are,
and pray for us too!
Click below to subscribe for free on YouTube
(or find it on your favorite podcast app):
SAINT OF THE DAY PODCAST
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From White Supremacy to Catholicism
We always say that conversion is a
possibility for anyone.
But it's tempting to think that
there’s no hope for some people.
Dr. Joseph Pearce was one of those people:
A white supremacist, neo-Nazi, sent to prison.
And Now?
He’s one of the world's top Catholic intellectuals,
having written about C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, Shakespeare, Belloc and more!
He also served as an editor for the Augustine Institute,
the Imaginative Conservative, and other intellectual publications.
All of this was possible because
Dr. Pearce accepted the love of Christ
... and His forgiveness too!!
Click the link below to hear about the:
CONVERSION OF DR. JOSEPH PEARCE
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FREE BOOK FOR LENT
Jesus modeled all things for us.
He showed us how we should
live, engage with others,
handle challenging situations.
He showed how our daily sacrifices and sufferings have eternal meaning,
and how to pray
and have a relationship with the Father.
Raised as a devout Jewish man,
he likely prayed the Psalms of David
as he walked the Way of the Cross.
In the book, Way of the Cross: Praying the Psalms with Jesus,
Fr. Toups connects
each Station of the Cross with a Psalm
Jesus might have prayed that moment of his Passion.
This book will add so much beauty
to your Lenten prayer experience
as you meditate on Christ’s Passion!
Click the button below to claim your free copy, while supplies last
(just pay for shipping)!
WAY OF THE CROSS FREE BOOK
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Our Father Side Chats Series!
This week's episode:
One Size Doesn't Fit All.
How do we deal with individuals as individuals
especially in our families?!
One of the 21st century's most difficult notions to grasp is
"one size fits all,"
that all people should fit into tidy categories.
Until person comes along who doesn't fit our criteria, path, work, or more.
Instead of forcing everyone to march to the same tune,
we should care for those journeying to heaven by a different route than us.
We may learn something new and informative!
Click below to see what Father Gene has to say about:
ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL
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JOURNEY INTO THE DESERT
WITH FR. JOHN BURNS
Reorient your mind and heart this Lent
to more fully experience the joy of Easter—
Christ’s victory over sin and death!
In this beautiful guided journal for prayer and meditation, Fr. John Burns invites you
to strip away your confusion, attachments, and sin
so you can return to the Lord and
undergo real and lasting conversion.
In the Ash Wednesday liturgy's first reading, the prophet Joel calls us to a wholehearted conversion:
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me,
with your whole heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning,
rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the Lord, your God”
(Jl 2:12–13).
Fr. Burns breaks down two verses each week:
Week 1: "Return to me" & "Recognize the need to reorient our lives through Lent"
Week 2: "Return to me with your whole heart" & "Reorient not only the mind but also the heart to the Lord"
Week 3: "Return to me with fasting" & "Acknowledge hardness of heart and the value of discipline"
Week 4: "Return to me with weeping and mourning" & "Bring forward personal agonies and unbind hidden bitterness that divides us from God"
Week 5: "Rend your hearts, not your garments" & "Return to the Lord, your God"
Then, during Holy Week and the Resurrection on Easter,
you can weave your own stories into that of the Paschal Mystery.
Click below to order your book in time for Lent :
RETURN
Written by the best selling author of
Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation
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THE BIBLE IN A YEAR RETREAT
FEBRUARY 10-12
LAST DAY FOR TICKET SALES IS FEB. 5!
This 3-day online retreat will help attendees embrace
their rich inheritance as sons and daughters of God.
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5 Keynote talks with Fr. Mike, Jeff Cavins, and Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
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LIVE Q&A - you ask questions in real time!
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EXCLUSIVE access to keynote talk recordings
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Opportunities to connect with other attendees
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Guided individual and community prayer
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Special guest appearances from other Ascension Presenters
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Printable PDF guide to help participants get the most out of their retreat experience
- … AND SO MUCH MORE!
Click the link below to see an invitation from Fr. Mike Schmitz:
INVITATION FROM FR. MIKE SCHMITZ
Click the link below to get tickets and more information for:
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR RETREAT
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Retreat on Discovering The
Essential Role Of The Lay
Person In God's Plan...
Empowers the lay Catholic to truly live their lay vocation to the fullest!
WHEN: From February 17, 2023
to February 18, 2023
WHERE: St Philip the Apostle Church,
944 US-22, Morrow, OH 45152
"According to the Biblical image of the vineyard,
the lay faithful,
together with all the other members of the Church,
are branches engrafted to Christ the true vine,
and from Him
derive their life and fruitfulness."
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SCHEDULE
FRIDAY EVENING, FEB. 17 From 7 – 9 pm
Mass @ 7 pm – Fr. Craig Best, Pastor of St Philip/St Francis de Sales
Introductory remarks and 1st reflection– Marybeth Kenny
SATURDAY, FEB. 18
From 9am to 3pm
Mass @ 9 am - Fr. David Endres, Academic Dean and Professor of Church History,
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary/Athenaeum
9:45 am - 2nd reflection - Fr David Endres
10:45 am - 3rd reflection - Patty Moores
11:45 am - complimentary lunch served
1 pm - 4th reflection - Jeff Kenny
2 pm - 5th reflection - Jeanie Stephens
3 pm - Closing Prayer Interactive format!
*All retreat reflections are approximately 20 to 25 minutes in length
followed by small group discussions.
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Consecration of Your Family
To the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Oh most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we come to you as a family and consecrate
ourselves to Your Sacred Heart.
Protect us through Your Most Precious Blood
and keep us pure and holy.
Oh Dear Jesus, we are so far away from Your
most pure and Sacred Heart.
As a family we need Your help.
Heal all the quarrels that exist in our family
due to our unforgiveness and lack of love for You.
Heal our unbelieving and unconverted hearts
and lead us to Your Sacred Heart with love.
Unite us as a family and remove all stain of
sinfulness from our souls.
Help us to be a prayerful and loving family,
so that through our example we may lead
other souls to Your Most Sacred Heart.
We give You our hearts Dearest Jesus,
and consecrate our family through the fourth generation.
Through the prayers of our Dearest Mother Mary,
may we live this consecration every day of our lives.
Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
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CLICK BELOW FOR A 2 MINUTE VIDEO ON YOU TUBE OF A:
CATHOLIC PRAYER FOR FAMILY PROTECTION
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NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
NEW WEEKLY INFO
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QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK
How many paintings are inside St. Peter's Basilica?
Scroll down to find the answer!
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HUMOR HIGHLIGHT
LITTLE JOHNNY
Little Johnny went to Sunday school one Sunday.
The lesson was from Genesis.
“God opened up Adam’s side, took a rib from him,
and created Eve from it.”
These words really struck Johnny.
That afternoon Johnny started feeling sick, and his side began to hurt.
He laid down on the couch for about half an hour,
then his mother came over again and asked if he was feeling okay.
He answered, “Not really—I think I’m gonna have a wife.”
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GOSPEL READING REFLECTION
For February 5, 2023
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Year A - Mt 5:13-16
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LIGHT OF THE WORLD
"You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house."
- Salt is vital in preserving food and for making it flavorful. To be the salt of the earth means to make life good for our fellow man.
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With severity, Our Lord says that if we don’t make life good for others, we are worthless.
- Light is what makes it possible for us to see. To be the light of the earth means to show people where they are to go. The light we have is the light of Christ. We have a duty to let it be seen.
- What, then, is this salt and light? Our Lord and the rest of today’s readings make it clear that they are “good deeds.” Other people can recognize this good, see that it comes from God, and glorify God accordingly.
- Individuals and groups have an inherent right to religious freedom, which no government may take away.
- “Nobody may be forced to act against his convictions, nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others, within due limits” (CCC 2106).
- “The right of all citizens and religious communities to religious freedom must be recognized and respected as well” (CCC 2107).
- Divine truth is superior to the human law. We are capable of distinguishing between their demands if they are in conflict.
- “This right [to religious freedom] is based on the very nature of the human person, whose dignity enables him freely to assent to the divine truth which transcends the temporal order” (CCC 2106).
- Part of the religious duty of Catholics is to be the light of the world for others. This means (a) giving to the temporal order a Christian spirit and (b) evangelizing people.
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ANSWER TO QUIZ
Only ONE!!
“What?!” you might be exclaiming.
“How? There must be hundreds of paintings in there!”
We kid you not.
There is only one painting in that spectacular edifice.
It is a depiction of the Holy Trinity by Pietro da Cortona,
located in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
All the other holy images are mosaics.
Mosaics are images created not with paint,
but with tiny pieces of glass, ceramic, gemstones, or other materials.
The oldest mosaics in the world are from the 3rd millennium B.C.
The art form really rose to prominence in the
basilicas of the early Church, both in Rome and in the East.
St. Peter’s Basilica was built mostly in the 1500s.
Artists began installing the mosaics in the
latter decades of that century.
Most are reproductions of famous paintings that reside elsewhere,
such as The Transfiguration by Raphael.
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BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
We need to be armed for battle!
At all times, and especially during these crazy times in this vale of tears,
we need to lay our foundation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual reading helps us build and strengthen that foundation.
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This week's recommendation is:
Patron Saints:
Saints for Every Member of Your Family
by Thomas J. Craughwell
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When you need a little extra help in your corner, who are you going to call? | |
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Who would have guessed that there is a patron saint for
astronauts, zookeepers and bloggers?
You know to pray to St. Blaise for protection from a sore throat, but which saint protects you against snake bite or being struck by lightning?
With thousands of patron saint listings, you ll find heavenly helpers for about every profession, ailment, cause, and many of God's creatures in the animal kingdom.
Authoritative, wide-ranging, informative, entertaining and full of surprises, Patron Saints helps the saints become part of your everyday life. It can invigorate your faith, increase your devotion to the saints and help sustain you through life's rough patches.
Ideal for Confirmation candidates seeking a patron saint!
You'll meet the patron saints of stockbrokers, bakers, florists, plumbers and highway construction crews and which saint to invoke against headache, toothache, appendicitis, and procrastination.
You'll discover that there are even patron saints to save the whales, and support the right-to-life movement, environmentalists, and the Internet.
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We pray you will be excited to embark on purposeful
spiritual reading as a way to build a more prayer-filled,
Christ centered life.
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