CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES

For Our Family of Parishes

St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette, St. Mary's, St. Peter's

December 25

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

A thousand times in history

a baby has become a king,

but only once in history

did a King become a baby!

Study the Mass with

Archbishop Schnurr

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

is leading a special study of

Word on Fire Ministries’

video series The Mass

featuring Bishop Robert Barron.

Participants will receive weekly emails from

January 8 through February 12

with that weeks’ 25-minute episode

and a brief video of Archbishop Schnurr sharing his insights.

"I don’t get anything out of Mass!"

Recognizing that this is a common statement

from many who have drifted from the Church,

Archbishop Schnurr hopes this study will help Catholics

experience the Mass in a whole new way.

Participation is free, takes just a few seconds and is open to everyone.

Click HERE to get signed up!

DISCIPLE MAKER SURVEY

FOR OUR

FAMILY OF PARISHES

A Beacons of Light phase

This discipleship survey is your opportunity to share your voice.

All responses are confidential - Only a summary report is returned.

Please help us help you!

Just 10-15 minutes and available until January 1

WHY?

To understand where our parishioners are in their spiritual journey.

To know the reality, not perceptions or ideals, so we can better help all of you.

thrive on your journey through life and draw others to Christ.

Please be honest and genuine!

Fr. Tim and our Pathways and Leadership teams can then better focus efforts

as we strive to help everyone be the best disciples we can be.

Results are expected in Spring/Summer and will be shared with parishioners then.

Click below to start the survey:

DISCIPLE MAKER SURVEY

Adventus:

A Spiritual Pilgrimage

Augustine Institute invites everyone to experience this special documentary that enables Catholics

around the world to unite

for a spiritual pilgrimage

to the Holy Land to see those places

associated with Christ’s Birth.

Click the link below

to begin this special pilgrimage:

ADVENTUS

PRAYERS

for

DECEMBER

SAINTS

DECEMBER 26: ST. STEPHEN,

THE FIRST MARTYR

Grant Lord, we pray, that we may imitate

what we worship and so learn to love even our enemies,

for we celebrate the heavenly birthday

of a man who knows how to pray even for his persecutors.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

DECEMBER 27: ST. JOHN,

APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

O God, who through the blessed Apostle John

have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word,

grant, we pray that we may grasp

with proper understanding

what he has so marvelously brought to our ears.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

DECEMBER 28: THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS

O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed

and proclaimed on this day,

not by speaking but by dying,

grant, we pray, that the faith in you

which we confess with our lips

may also speak through our manner of life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Falling in Love with a Whom

Conversion, or turning toward God in faith,

usually happens through one or more of the transcendentals:

truth, goodness and beauty.

In sharing his story, Adam LaCrosse demonstrates

that conversion must take place not only in our minds,

but come from deep within our hearts,

if we really desire a lasting joy with Jesus

that leads us into eternity.

Click the link below to read more:

FALLING IN LOVE WITH A WHOM

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DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME:

A Step-by-Step Walk Through the Mass

In this week’s column, Father Luke explores a gesture

we see at every Mass, but may have never

deeply pondered:

the altar kiss.

Click the link below to read more:

THE ALTAR KISS

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Seven Steps for Eucharistic Revival

Bishops across the country are leading their flocks

into deeper communion with Jesus in the Eucharist.

In a recent letter to his Maronite Eparchy,

Bishop Gregory Mansour offered seven practical steps

we can all follow to more fervently

participate in this Eucharistic Revival.

Click the link below to read more:

SEVEN STEPS FOR EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK

WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE CALL SOMEONE A MYSTIC?

Scroll down to find the answer!

SONS IN ISRAEL

A Jewish businessman in Chicago

sent his son to Israel to absorb the culture for a year .

Upon his return, the son said,

“Papa, I had a great time in Israel. By the way, I converted to Christianity.”

“Oy vey,” said the father. “What have I done?”

He took his problem to his best friend.

“Ike,” he said, “I sent my son to Israel, and he came home a Christian. What can I do?”

“Funny you should ask,” said Ike. “I too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi." So they did, and they explained their problem to the rabbi.

“Funny you should ask,” said the rabbi. “I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. What is happening to our young people?”

And so they all prayed, telling the Lord about their sons.

As they finished their prayer, a voice came from the Heavens:

“Funny you should ask,” said the booming voice:

“I, too, sent my Son to Israel!"

GOSPEL READING REFLECTION

For December 25, 2022

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Year A - Jn 1:1-18

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BIRTH OF CHRIST

"No one has ever seen God.

The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,

has revealed him."

Through the Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, all things in creation, that is, in this material universe, were made.

But this Word is also a second creation. John calls him the Light of the World. He is a second creation in the sense that the Word became flesh, that is, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed a full human nature, with a human rational intellect and will and a human body with its desires and vulnerabilities. He was like us in every way but sin.

Through Him every human being can become not just a child of this universe but a child of God.

Through Moses, God the Father gave the Jewish people the Law, the guide for moral living. Through Jesus Christ, God the Father gives the whole human race grace and truth so we can become children of God.

This gift is given to us through the God-Man Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger

ANSWER TO QUIZ

Mysticism is an intimidating word.

We instinctively associate it with saints

who had incredible, supernatural experiences—such as:

St. John of the Cross,

Padre Pio; Teresa of Ávila;

Faustina Kowalska.

These saints were mystics, but what makes a mystic?

Is it an inaccessible reality,

something beyond us everyday mortals?

Let’s find out.

The word “mysticism” refers either to

the tendency or the desire of a soul for union with the divine,

or to a philosophical or religious system built upon that desire.

Interestingly, mysticism is found not only in Christianity;

other religions have an idea that the ultimate end

of man is union with something divine.

It seems there is an innate mystical impulse in all of us—

an impulse must be very strong to be found

even in religions that don’t possess the fullness of truth.

St. Augustine said:

“Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord,

and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

The human heart longs (knowingly or unknowingly)

for final union with God and the

beatific vision in heaven consists in exactly that.

ST. THOMAS MORE WEBSITE LINKS

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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.

This week's recommendation is:

Fire Within:

St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and the Gospel-On Prayer

by Fr. Thomas Dubay

The fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction, this book synthesizes the teachings on prayer by the Church's two great doctors and mystics on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture.

The teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from

Teresa and John for contemplatives alone.

It is meant for every Christian and is based on the Gospel imperative

of personal prayer and the call to holiness.

All the major elements of these great teachers are ordered,

commented on and put in the context of their scriptural foundations.

Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life

written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time,

and based on the writings of the Church's two greatest mystical doctors.

We pray you will be excited to embark on purposeful

spiritual reading as a way to build a more prayer-filled,

Christ centered life.