April 2009
GENERAL INTENTIONS

FARMERS AND WORLD HUNGER

That our Lord may bless farmers with abundant harvests and sensitize the richer nations to respond to the ravages of hunger throughout the world.

 
MISSION INTENTIONS

CHRISTIANS AS SIGNS OF HOPE

That Christians working in desperate conditions among women, children, the poor, and the weak, may be signs of hope in their courageous witness to the Gospel of solidarity and love.

May 2009
GENERAL INTENTIONS

LAY VOCATION PROMOTERS

That the laity and Christian communities may embrace this responsibility for promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
 
MISSION INTENTIONS

A MISSIONARY CHURCH

In response to the Lord for the gift of faith, may the younger Catholic communities generously participate in the universal mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

 
JUNE 2009
GENERAL INTENTIONS

FOREIGN DEBT RELIEF

That international efforts to help poorer nations bring prompt, concrete results to relieve the crushing burden of foreign debt.
 
MISSION INTENTIONS

THE CHURCH IN AREAS OF VIOLENCE

That local Church communities serving areas torn by violence may be supported through the love and help offered by Catholics around the world.
 
JULY 2009
GENERAL INTENTIONS

CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

That Christians in the Middle East may live their faith in complete freedom and become instruments of reconciliation and peace.
 
MISSION INTENTIONS

HUMANITY RECONCILED

Through the witness of the faithful, may the church be the seed and soil of a humanity reconciled to be God's one true family on earth.
 
AUGUST 2009
GENERAL INTENTIONS

REFUGEES

That the world may become aware of the plight of the millions of displaced persons and find solutions to their tragic conditions
MISSION INTENTIONS

PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

That Christians who suffer persecution and discrimination may be granted human rights, equality, and freedom to live their faith.
 
 
 

 

 

Being an Easter Catholic

by Vivek Trindade

Jesus is REAL and ALIVE!! This is very, very, VERY, extraordinary news!!!

  • Why is it then, so few of us are bursting with this ground-breaking news?
  • The Gospels speak of 2 beautiful, major emotions whenever apostles, women encountered the Resurrected Jesus:  initial slight fear leading to (1) Filled with joy “so full of joy” (Jn 20:20; Lk 24:41) (2) amazement “ full of wonder” (Lk 24:41) 
  • It makes sense doesn’t it? Think about it…. If you went to a funeral of a deeply beloved one and after a few days s/he walked into you home… wouldn’t you be wild with joy and wonder… slightly spooked?
  • So Jesus is ALIVE!!!! He is LIVING!!!
  • Pope John Paul II in his letter to the youth in 2004 says “Look towards Jesus Who is passionately seeking you!”
  • Now, not only do we not feel this (passionate seeking of the Lord) but one wonders whether we even know He is alive (our actions/ fruit suggest that!) Where therefore, is the question of being filled with joy and wonder.
  • I’d like to draw up 3 reasons as to why so many of us don’t seem to ‘know’ our Lord is alive. We believe but it appears we do not quite know.

Reason (1) : Our deep reliance and attachment to the world of the senses.

Quote (1) : “A deceptive centering on passing joys, on the superficial and limited” - Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa (preacher to the Papal household)

Quote (2) “A finding our rest things that give us pleasure” – St. Teresa of Avila

No, I’m not asking you to hate your flesh nor am I knocking the material world and our senses. I’m saying that if we centre ourselves in the senses, Scott Hahn says: our intellect and reason gets darkened and they take their direction from our glands and gut rather than the Spirit who is always working to reveal Jesus to us.” (From “ Lord have mercy”)

Solution(1): Mortification of the senses: Mortifying our senses is like guarding our senses. Our heart is like and ‘enclosed garden’… our senses = gate. “Closing the exterior senses would open the souls interior one”

We need this discipline today more than ever… just walk into a mall and observe how every single sense is addressed or ‘spoken to’: smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste!Eg.1: our eyes: “What is not seen is not desired”(St. Francis de Sales). It is not the seeing so much as the fixing our eyes upon something. St. Augustine: Look leads to thought, from thought follows delight leading to consent.Eg.2: “The heart breathes through the ears” (St. Francis de Sales). So do be careful about what you hear. To paraphrase St. Augustine: What you hear leads to thoughts, from thought follows delight leading to consent.

Reason(2) Lack of Humility (a state of affairs where you don’t feel you don’t need to run your life through God)I was told many years ago that self-sufficiency is the companion to pride. Everything you have has been given to you by God… to live as if you owe him nothing is a form of pride.   Scott Peck wrote a scary book ‘People of the Lie” he says there: ‘People of the Lie’ are characterized by an unsubmitted will”

Solution (2) Transparency before a trusted Spiritual Director (two aspects here…(i) Transparency (ii) Having a Spiritual Director in your life…. You are never quite safe when these 2 are missing). If you don’t have have a Guide ask the Lord for one. Transparency before a Guide is an act of deep trust… basically “ I don’t fully understand what I am living… please journey with me… perhaps together we can make more sense of it.” A good guide knows that the principle Spiritual Director is the Holy Spirit. 

St. Ignatius: “The devil loves secrecy (like a false lover) since he can easily have his way with one who is not open to a good director”

 

Reason (3) Absence of a prayer life

Prayer more than saying prayers is a being with Someone (“Remember you are trying to get in touch with a Person” Cardinal Basil Hume). Prayer is what our anagram shows  (two hands diagram). The goal of prayer is not problem-solving but union with God.When is one in union with God? St.Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Alphonsus all teach that one is in union with God when one’s will is in union with God’s Will. No mention of feelings, activities, miracles or healings. Union with God is when one’s will is in union with God’s Will.

A good prayer life would lead to an increase in wanting to know God, love God amd serve God… basically to do His Holy Will.

Solution (3) Commit yourself to a part of the Body of Christ. Commit yourself to a community.

Many give up on their walk with Jesus because they walk alone. Join a community so that you can be supported when you feel dry and low. It’s good to have company in your walk with the Lord “ because sometimes Christ is stronger in my brother/sister than He is in me.”Join a group and fit into it… be humble, pray, get to know the people, don’t expect the Group to fit into you. The Lord very often uses people to purify people.

St. Teresa of Avila: “The Lord at once showed me how great are His favours to those who use force with themselves in His Service!” I said at the beginning: Jesus is REAL! ALIVE!

Let us now turn to Him and expect Him to come to us!
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