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Three Simple Tips for Catholic Families: Eat, Pray and be Merry
Posted on May 10, 2016 at 12:23 PM |
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1. Eat We Catholics like to celebrate with food! This is why it is important to eat together as a family and to enjoy the delicious food gifted to us by God and prepared by the hands of our mother or father. Mealtimes should be a time of great celebration and we should make an extra special effort to celebrate Sundays and Catholic feast days. You may even want to consider celebrating important dates such as your anniversary, showing your children that your marriage is something that is important to you and that you delight in remembering that special day. Why not bake a cake together for the occasion? And remember, no mobile phones or tablets at the dinner table! Encourage an environment free of technology, where everyone takes a turn to talk about the highs and lows of their day. Let the dinner table be a forum for openness and honesty among all the family; a sacrosanct place where the family basks in the joys and rallies in the sorrows of each family member. 2. Pray Prayer can take many forms and prayer
within the family unit is no different.
It is important that people pray as a family as best they can. Praying the Rosary as a family is a beautiful
way to express our faith and this is something that should be encouraged in every
Catholic home. You may want to make it
more interesting for younger children by introducing images or pictures to go
with the mysteries. And if one of the
kids kicks off, stop for a break, but remember to try and pick it up again another time. And start small, especially with younger kids. A few short prayers or a decade of the Rosary will likely suffice to begin with. It’s also very important to pray as a
family before and after meals. There are
a number of simple prayers suitable for this but even a simple ‘thank you Jesus’
will do! And remember, it is important that children
see their parents pray, so be prepared to set an example to your kids and make
sure you take them to Holy Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of
Obligation. Be an example to them by
regular attendance at the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and consider becoming
more active in the life of your Parish. Children
will respond positively to your active participation in the life of the Church
and will see how important it is to you. Be willing to talk about your faith and don't be embarrassed if one of the kids asks you something you don't know. This is a great opportunity to learn as a family! Learning can be a form of prayer too! So don't be afraid to pick up the Bible or the Catechism or to even search Google for an answer. Let your children see just how interested you are to learn too.
And above all, let them see just how much you love Jesus by your prayer! 3. Be Merry As Catholic people immersed in
the love of Jesus Christ and with the sure and certain hope of eternal life, shouldn’t
we be immensely happy?? Our family life
should be full of fun and games. We
should be unafraid to dance and to waste time with our children. Just because God is at the very centre of our
lives doesn’t mean life has to be one big serious drag. The fact that God is at the centre of our
lives is the very reason we should be deliriously happy from the moment we wake
in the morning until our head hits the pillow again the following night. If those of us who are members of the Church
established by Jesus Christ and who regularly gather in his presence at Holy
Mass cannot be happy, then there is no hope for any of us! No hope!
So let us rejoice, let us be happy.
Let’s show our children that being Catholic is great fun! And remember, don’t complain or gossip about
people and don’t be too quick to criticise others. Such an attitude creates a negative
environment for children and leads to increased cynicism and scepticism; something
they themselves will only be too happy to take on board! |
We Christians will be known by our love
Posted on April 26, 2016 at 9:03 AM |
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Pope Francis has given a lesson in love and freedom during
his homily at the Jubilee Mass for Young People in Rome. The Pope, speaking to thousands of youth in St Peter’s
Square, said that Jesus himself declared that Christians would be known “by the
way they love one another.” The Pope
continued saying, “love, in other words, is the Christian’s identity card.” The Pope then tackled the meaning of love, stating that love
is something you give. He also added: “it
[love] is caring for others, respecting them, protecting them, and waiting for
them.” Francis then challenged the young people on the true meaning
of freedom, stating that “freedom is not the ability to simply do what I want. This makes us self-centred and aloof.” “Freedom” he said “is the gift of being able to
choose the good: this is true freedom. The free person is the one who
chooses what is good, what is pleasing to God, even if it requires effort, even
if it is not easy.” He then called on the young people to grow in love and
told them how they could do this: “the secret, once again, is the Lord: Jesus
gives us himself in the Mass, he offers us forgiveness and peace in Confession.” The Pope’s call to the young people can be summed up
nicely in the term ‘free love’. He wants
Christians to give themselves freely to
others in love, and he wants us to choose to do this as it is
pleasing to God. He then tells us that
the nourishment we need for this task can be found in the Holy Mass and in the
Sacrament of Confession. Let us be under no illusions. Our mission as Christians is to spread the
love of Christ throughout the world. We
must let his Truth be known to all people and we must deliver this Truth in a
spirit of love; a love that is freely given and that always has the other
person’s best interests at its core. This
message is not just for our young, but for all Christian people. The Christian message is one of great hope, mercy and peace for all
people. But, above all, it is a message
of love. Click this link for the full text of Pope Francis’ homily: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-homily-at-jubilee-mass-for-teens/ |
The Church offers all people a real, authentic and free love
Posted on April 18, 2016 at 9:36 AM |
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As Jennifer says: “What the Catholic Church does is important to
everyone, no matter their faith. The Catholic Church is the largest institution
still standing against the ideological fraud known as the sexual revolution.
Everyone who is trying to deal with the fallout from this massive social
upheaval has a stake in what the Catholic Church says and does.” Pope Francis, through his recent Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, is asking the
whole of humanity to trust in the teaching of Christ and his Church for our
future. He wants all people to
experience an authentic love, particularly through the Sacrament of Marriage,
and to find out for themselves that the sexual revolution does not satisfy our
longings. Rather, it inhibits us and
restricts our freedom; enslaving us in an endless cycle of pain, misery and
hurt. But the Church offers us hope, and by writing this Exhortation Pope Francis
is building the foundations of a solid response to the sexual revolution. It is a response that invites all people to
an encounter with Christ and his Church in order to experience the true meaning
of a real, authentic and free love. The Church has the answer, we just need to believe in it. |
Will you wash the feet of those closest to you tonight?
Posted on March 24, 2016 at 7:00 AM |
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In today’s Gospel we hear about the washing of the apostles’
feet by Jesus. Peter was very resistant
to this as it seemed completely absurd to have Jesus do such a thing. This was, after all, God made man, the
Saviour of the world! It should surely
be the other way round would have been Peter’s thinking. Yet Jesus makes it clear that this is something he must
do. Firstly, he makes it clear that “unless
I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” This is a clear link to our Baptism and its
fundamental importance in our salvation.
It is also a link to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we are once
again clothed in the white robe of our Baptism and brought to new life. Our inheritance, it seems, is dependent on
living in accordance with Christ’s teaching, and this is achieved through our
acceptance of and living in the Sacraments of his Church. Christ’s washing of the apostles’ feet is also a sign that he is here to serve rather than be served. It is also considered by
many to be an important sign of the priesthood and its role in taking the love
of God to all people. And this is what I
would like to focus on for a moment.
Despite being in the knowledge of the intolerable pain and suffering he
was about to endure, Christ took time out to perform this simple but critical
act of love. And that is what we need to
take from this special moment between Jesus and his apostles. It was an act of selfless love; a visible sign
of how man should treat man. Jesus
wanted to show this love to his apostles so that they would then do the same to
others. This Holy Week, are you prepared to wash the feet of those
closest to you? While we may participate
in the washing of the feet during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper we must also
remember that our homes and families are small churches too. So after tonight’s Mass when you get home,
consider washing the feet of your family and perhaps take turns doing so. And while this is something that can be
initiated by any member of the family, perhaps those of you who are fathers can
take the lead. Men are called to follow
in the footsteps of Jesus and tend to their own flock in the same way that
Jesus did. And what better way to do
this than to replicate Christ’s actions and wash the feet of those closest to
you? While simple, this act of love
carries with it an incredible power, the power of Christ who makes all things
new. And for those of you with children
in your household, it will create a real sense of intrigue among them and they
will no doubt want to learn more. It’s a
great opportunity to explain to them, in simple terms and by action, just how
much Jesus loves them and how much you love them too. |
Finding hope in Peter's weakness
Posted on March 22, 2016 at 1:09 PM |
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From today’s Gospel: ‘Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus
replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’
Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for
you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly,
before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’’ This small passage from today’s Gospel follows on nicely
from our reflection on yesterday’s Gospel when we compared the simple love Mary
had for Jesus in needing to be close to him with Martha’s need to be on the go. In being so preoccupied Martha missed out on
precious quality time with Jesus, a mistake Mary was not prepared to make. And today we have Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples,
claiming that he would lay down his life for Jesus. That, you would think, is a step up from the
love shown by Mary. And it is. And Peter would, of course, eventually become
a martyr for Christ in Rome. But for now
Jesus has an unfortunate surprise for Peter.
He tells him that he is going to deny him. Imagine your best friend, or even your
spouse, telling you that they know you will betray them in some way. You, like Peter, would be very disappointed
to hear such news! But then don’t we
betray people every day, denying their true value as fellow human beings and
children of God? Don’t we gossip,
complain and criticise other people behind their back on a regular basis? These are human weaknesses and no human is
exempt from them. Even St Peter fell
into this trap! So, in that sense, we
are in good company. But, like St Peter, we are called to greater things. We are called to overcome our human weakness
and realise the hurt caused by some of our actions. How can we forget the look on Peter’s face in
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ when he heard the cock crow? How can we forget the way he then rushed to
the feet of Mary and sobbed uncontrollably as he clung to her garment,
realising how foolish and weak he had been?
We are all capable of moments of weakness in our
lives, even to the point of mistreating or even denying those most precious to
us. The next time you fall into this
trap look for the comforting arms of your mother Mary, just as Peter did, and
seek reconciliation with Jesus in the Sacrament of Confession. This is how we can overcome our weakness and
become saints. If Peter can do it, so
can we. |
The Parable of the Merciful Father
Posted on March 4, 2016 at 12:22 PM |
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Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: The Truth.
Posted on February 4, 2016 at 12:37 PM |
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Following a recent discussion on our Facebook page I
thought it might be useful to draft up a short note on our Catholic faith and
homosexuality. It is intentionally
brief. For a more in-depth article on the matter please click
this link. Our Catholic faith tells us that homosexual acts are
wrong. I think it's hard for us to hear this in such an abrupt way in today's
world but this is what we are taught by faith. The reason such acts are wrong
is that God has ordered us male and female for the authentic union that is
marriage between man and woman and to be completely open to the precious gift
of new life. Homosexual acts are not ordered in this way and are thus sinful.
There are many sinful acts so this isn't necessarily a singling out of
homosexual people. Consider sex outside marriage between a man and a woman,
which is also wrong, as is the use of contraception. It’s absolutely critical to also bear in mind that having
same-sex attraction is different to homosexual acts. Mere attraction is not of
itself sinful. It is only when these feelings are acted upon where it is deemed
to be wrong. This is something that many
people get confused about. I think it's also important to see the positive side of
the Church's teaching on homosexuality. It seeks to protect humanity by
promoting the love between a man and a woman for the sake of giving new life to
the world and raising this new life in marriage, which throughout history has
been the best place for kids to thrive. The Church doesn't say a man can't love
a man or a woman can't love a woman. Indeed, such a notion is completely
contrary to Church teaching. It simply states that it is wrong to interfere
with God's clear and natural plan for humanity. It's not about hating homosexuals as many people wrongly
think. It's actually about loving everyone and calling them all to live in
accordance with God's plan. That too is a form of love though it is often hard
for this society to see it in this modern age of relativism. In my time running the Scots Catholic website
and social media accounts I have often been corrected for straying out of line
with respect to Church teaching. I have
learned so much in terms of my faith and I am grateful to those who have
offered their generous help. For me,
they are simply doing God’s work. They
are doing what Jesus did and are challenging me, and I shouldn’t be afraid to
be challenged. In fairness to anyone who abides by the teaching of
Christ and his Church on this matter, they are simply trying to live out their
lives as God intended and they are well within their rights to stay true to God
no matter what the world may tell them. Jesus and the Apostles were ridiculed and even
put to death for going against the tide and remaining faithful to God's
teaching. But they remained faithful. And we are called to do the same. It is also very important to note that there are many,
many gay people living out their Catholic faith chastely in the Church. Their
call to chastity is no different to the call to chastity of single people in
the Church. And we must remember, the Church is open to all people
and she loves all people, especially those of us who sin. That's why I'm a
member. Many people query whether the Church might change its
stance with respect to homosexual acts. This is highly unlikely given the wrongs
of homosexual acts is contained in scripture, the Word of God. It's also
entrenched in nature itself and the ability of man and woman to procreate
(something the Church wants to protect for the sake of the family). I appreciate
this is a difficult teaching for some, especially in today's society, but the
Church can't fit around the whims of society. First and foremost, the Church
can't stray from the Truth it has protected for 2000 years. And secondly, it
would be impossible to satisfy everyone all of the time. The Church, like Jesus, is here to challenge
us with the Truth. It is not here so
that we can abuse it for our own ends. The Church is also here to bring God’s mercy to us
through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
There is no sin we can commit that is too great that we can’t reconcile
ourselves to God. He loves us like no other.
For more information on reconciling our Catholic
faith with same-sex attraction, click this link to go to the Courage RC website. |
Another Eucharistic Miracle?
Posted on December 14, 2015 at 10:43 AM |
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The Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires The National Catholic Register has reported a possible Eucharistic miracle in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, USA. It is reported that a host started to bleed at St Francis Xavier Church in Kearns, Utah during November. As is standard in such situations, the substance will be subjected to a simple blood test to establish whether the blood is human. The Church, which adopts a cautious reverence in the case of possible miracles, will then proceed to instruct further tests to ensure that there are no other explanations. Click this link to read the full story at the NC Register website: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/eucharistic-miracle-bleeding-host-phenomenon-reported-in-dioceses-worldwide/ |
Every Diocese to have ‘Door of Mercy’ for Jubilee Year
Posted on October 8, 2015 at 9:56 AM |
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Every Catholic diocese in the world will have a Door of Mercy during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. It is hoped that the move will encourage people to turn to God and seek His loving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Click here for full details: http://www.iubilaeummisericordiae.va/content/gdm/en/news/evidenza/2015-10-06-pcpne.html |
Marriage: a reflection of the Trinity
Posted on October 2, 2015 at 10:19 AM |
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Sunday’s First Reading (Genesis 2:18-24): 'The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.’ So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed: ‘This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh! This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.’ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.' Excerpt from Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 10:2-16): 'Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’' In these passages of scripture both God and God made man (Jesus) reveal the Truth of God’s plan for mankind. It is a Truth that will mirror the beauty and splendour of the loving relationship which exists among the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The revealed Truth is that a man and woman are to come together, united through the sacrament of marriage, to become one. Not just one with each other but also one with Christ who is an integral part of the marriage relationship. Just as the three persons of the Trinity are one, so too do husband, wife and Christ become one through marriage. Thus they become their own trinity, reflecting the most Holy Trinity of Heaven. And just as Christ came to earth to establish and grow his Church, husband and wife are called to establish and grow their own Church by being open to the precious gift of children. And in marriage we are also called to mirror Christ on the Cross, by giving ourselves completely in sacrificial love to God and to one another, just as he did. |
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