peaceonjustice

As we reflect upon Mary’s presence in the mysteries of the Rosary, we are blessed to know her. For her journey, a timeless trek, calls us to surrender, continuing conversion, humbleness and justice now.

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born June 20, 2019 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: Corpus Christi Lectionary Reflection June 23, 2019

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Barb Born

June 23, 2019: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: Corpus Christi

Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren:

You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, yet you do not recognize your brother,. . . . You dishonor this table when you do not judge worthy of sharing your food someone judged worthy to take part in this meal. . . . God freed you from all your sins and invited you here, but you have not become more merciful. (1397) Catechism of the Catholic Church

Readings

First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20

Psalm: 110: 1, 2, 3, 4

Second Reading: 1st Corinthians 11:23-26

Gospel: Luke 9:11b-17

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body – the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. The Eucharist fulfills this call: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread:”

If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. To that which you are you respond “Amen” (“yes, it is true!”) and by responding to it you assent to it. For you hear the words, “the Body of Christ” and respond “Amen.” Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true. (1396) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: Corpus Christi, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church: No references this week

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

Delving into the mystery of the Eucharist, we never feel deserted. An overflowing of sacramental grace inviting us to look beyond the simple elements of bread and wine to spiritually see Jesus’ Real Presence. At each mass, an invitation to eat the bread and drink from the cup in remembrance of Him. We join the communion line formed at the Last Supper and continues around the globe each day. How many people have received the host and drinked of the cup thru the millenniums? An act of love as Jesus gives His body for you. The cup offering the new covenant in His blood that you do in remembrance of Him. Walking in the communion line, we should not be in robo model of repetitive Sunday obligation, but realize we continue to proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes again in the context of our lives and human experience. The affirmation of AMEN must not be a hollow utterance, but a sincere appreciation for the precious gift acclaimed with belief.

What do we do with the gift of Eucharist? In Abram’s encounter with Malchizedek, King of Jerusalem and prefiguration of Christ, he gave a tenth of everything. Not just his money, every tenth goat, camel and sheep, ten percent of the crops or lands, but ten percent of everything. Receiving the Eucharist calls us not to give just a portion of ourselves to the Lord, but everything of who and what we are. Not as a duty, but inherent by the meaning of Eucharist, thanksgiving, we offer our thanksgiving by the way we live. Fully satisfied at the Eucharistic table, an encounter with the Divine ceases our yearnings. We enter the mystery to realize all Jesus did for us on the cross, His presence in our hands and in the cup each day and His covenant with us for our eternal salvation. As the living bread that came down from heaven, Jesus gives us life today and forever. Life to be at peace. Life to love. Life to have hope. Life to have courage. Life to serve others. Life to believe Gospel precepts are greater than hate. Life to believe Jesus includes, not excludes. Life to believe in the gift we receive at each mass call us to be a gift to others in the world. How that manifests differs in each person reflecting their God given persona. Our AMEN, saying I believe to what I am receiving and all the Lord did and is and will become for us eternally, in receiving the Eucharist becomes a collective AMEN of all believers unified as the Body of Christ in Spirit and action to become what we have received in the world.

Individual Reflection: Luke 9:11b-17

Attend daily mass each day this week to receive the gift of Eucharist every day.

Family Reflection: 1st Corinthians 11:23-26

As a family, spend time prayerfully before the Blessed Sacrament this week

Prayer: Spend time this week at adoration

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-06/pope-world-mission-day-2019-message.html

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born June 17, 2019 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

The Most Holy Trinity Sunday Lectionary Reflection June 16, 2019

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Barb Born

June 16, 2019: The Most Holy Trinity

Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity

The universality of the salvation offered by God in Jesus Christ led Benedict XV to call for an end to all forms of nationalism and ethnocentrism, or the merging of the preaching of the Gospel with the economic and military interests of the colonial powers. In his Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, the Pope noted that the Church’s universal mission requires setting aside exclusivist ideas of membership in one’s own country and ethnic group.

From Pope Francis Statement for World Missions Day (October 20, 2019)

Readings

First Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31

Psalm: Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-5

Gospel: John 16:12-15

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The whole divine economy is the common work of the three divine persons. For as the Trinity has only one and the same natures so too does it have only one and the same operation: “The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three principles of creation but one principle.” However, each divine person performs the common work according to his unique personal property. Thus the Church confesses, following the New Testament, “one God and Father from whom all things are, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and one Holy Spirit in whom all things are”. It is above all the divine missions of the Son’s Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit that show forth the properties of the divine persons. (258)

From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Most Holy Trinity, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:

Psalm 8: 5-7

The Old Testament presents God as the omnipotent Creator (cf. Gen 2:2; Job 38-41; Ps 104; Ps 147) who fashions man in his image and invites him to work the soil (cf. Gen 2:5-6), and cultivate and care for the garden of Eden in which he has placed him (cf. Gen 2:15). To the first human couple God entrusts the task of subduing the earth and exercising dominion over every living creature (cf. Gen 1:28). The dominion exercised by man over other living creatures, however, is not to be despotic or reckless; on the contrary he is to “cultivate and care for” (Gen 2:15) the goods created by God. These goods were not created by man, but have been received by him as a precious gift that the Creator has placed under his responsibility. Cultivating the earth means not abandoning it to itself; exercising dominion over it means taking care of it, as a wise king cares for his people and a shepherd his sheep.

In the Creator’s plan, created realities, which are good in themselves, exist for man’s use. The wonder of the mystery of man’s grandeur makes the psalmist exclaim: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than god, and crown him with glory and honour. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Ps 8:5-7).

(255)

John 16:13-15

The documents referred to here constitute the milestones of the path travelled by the Church’s social doctrine from the time of Pope Leo XIII to our own day. This brief summary would become much longer if we considered all the interventions motivated, other than by a specific theme, by “the pastoral concern to present to the entire Christian community and to all men of good will the fundamental principles, universal criteria and guidelines suitable for suggesting basic choices and coherent practice for every concrete situation”.

In the formulation and teaching of this social doctrine, the Church has been, and continues to be, prompted not by theoretical motivation but by pastoral concerns. She is spurred on by the repercussions that social upheavals have on people, on multitudes of men and women, on human dignity itself, in contexts where “man painstakingly searches for a better world, without working with equal zeal for the betterment of his own spirit”. For these reasons, this social doctrine has arisen and developed an “updated doctrinal ‘corpus’ … [that] builds up gradually, as the Church, in the fullness of the word revealed by Christ Jesus and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16,26; 16:13-15), reads events as they unfold in the course of history”. (104)

John 16:15

The love that inspires Jesus’ ministry among men is the love that he has experienced in his intimate union with the Father. The New Testament allows us to enter deeply into the experience, that Jesus himself lives and communicates, the love of God his Father — “Abba” — and, therefore, it permits us to enter into the very heart of divine life. Jesus announces the liberating mercy of God to those whom he meets on his way, beginning with the poor, the marginalized, the sinners. He invites all to follow him because he is the first to obey God’s plan of love, and he does so in a most singular way, as God’s envoy in the world.

Jesus’ self-awareness of being the Son is an expression of this primordial experience. The Son has been given everything, and freely so, by the Father: “All that the Father has is mine” (Jn 16:15). His in turn is the mission of making all men sharers in this gift and in this filial relationship: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15).

For Jesus, recognizing the Father’s love means modelling his actions on God’s gratuitousness and mercy; it is these that generate new life. It means becoming — by his very existence — the example and pattern of this for his disciples. Jesus’ followers are called to live like him and, after his Passover of death and resurrection, to live also in him and by him, thanks to the superabundant gift of the Holy Spirit, the Consoler, who internalizes Christ’s own style of life in human hearts. (29)

Romans 5:5

The Face of God, progressively revealed in the history of salvation, shines in its fullness in the Face of Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; truly distinct and truly one, because God is an infinite communion of love. God’s gratuitous love for humanity is revealed, before anything else, as love springing from the Father, from whom everything draws its source; as the free communication that the Son makes of this love, giving himself anew to the Father and giving himself to mankind; as the ever new fruitfulness of divine love that the Holy Spirit pours forth into the hearts of men (cf. Rom 5:5). (31)

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

Community, collaboration and communication. All attributes we need to model in our Church and lives. The unity of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, supporting the work of each other in the reciprocity of love. A community grounded in bringing forth peace to humanity and all creation. A community seeking to share truth and guide all to truth. A community realizing all hold everything in common to be shared for the greater good. A model of collaboration, the Trinity divinely imbued in the work of each other. Three but one embellishes the message and mission of the Holy Trinity which is not mute, but communicates love, peace, grace and passion. Present in the written Word, shown on the altar and expressed in Divine affection to all who do not shun goodness.

As Church, how do we express community, collaboration and communication? Is community defined as a select few with self-imposed parameters infusing status over service? Do we sing All Are Welcome with asterisks at the bottom of the page designating exclusions? Do gender and age create a hierarchy of community leaving some voices and hands searching to be equally a part of community? How do we collaborate? Do we listen before we act? Do we encounter instead of judging from a distance? Do we take delight in each day with a spirit of joy or mock others instead of working in a synodaly of dialogue? As Church, will we communicate with fellow believers and the world or recess into crevasses of self-designed holy alcoves wretched in fear of the other, how ever seen and defined? The Holy Trinity know no other for as three they are one. Since God makes all in His image and likeness, other does not exist for God. Jesus came for all, as the words form Galatians say, “Jew or Greek, free or slave, man or women.” The Holy Spirit is an endless effervescence, not rationed for a few.

The Holy Trinity strives for unity by community, collaboration and communication. Let us follow what the Holy Trinity models and messages for us to be voices acting to foster unity in the Church and world. Thru faith, our lives encounter the Holy Trinity and we must take that gift and articulate it in the Church. To snub that message and method to instead embed ourselves in holy cocoons of isolation is for us to deny the presence of the Holy Trinity in our lives. An isolation of celestial comfort instead of living with the spiritual protein to fuel faith into positive, healing action.

Individual Reflection: Romans 5:1-5

October 2019 is Extraordinary Missionary Month proclaimed by Pope Francis to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud. How will your parish raise awareness of the Church’s missionary spirit?

http://www.october2019.va/en.html

Family Reflection: Romans 5:1-5

Reflect on Romans 5:1-5. How can each family member put words to each step of the sequence?

Affliction> Endurance> Proven Character> Hope> Does Not Disappoint> Love of God Poured Out Into Our Hearts Through the Holy Spirit

Prayer: Celebrating the Most Holy Trinity

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

https://www.un.org/en/events/childlabourday/

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born June 11, 2018 MB The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

Pentecost Sunday Lectionary Reflection June 9, 2019

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Barb Born

June 9, 2019: Pentecost Sunday

Catholic Social Teaching: Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

June 12th is World Day Against Child Labor. Learn about the prevalence of child labor in areas of conflict and natural disasters.

Readings

First Reading: Acts 2, 1-11

Psalm: 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

Second Reading: 1st Corinthians 13:3b-7, 12-13 or Romans 8:8-17

Gospel: John 20:19-23 or John 14:15-16, 23b-26

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity (the topic of the next article):

“All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father’s and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, . . . and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ’s sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity. ” From St. Cyril of Alexandria (738) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to Pentecost Sunday, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:

Psalm 104

Psalm 104:24

The relationship of man with the world is a constitutive part of his human identity. This relationship is in turn the result of another still deeper relationship between man and God. The Lord has made the human person to be a partner with him in dialogue. Only in dialogue with God does the human being find his truth, from which he draws inspiration and norms to make plans for the future of the world, which is the garden that God has given him to keep and till (cf. Gen 2: 15). Not even sin could remove this duty, although it weighed down this exalted work with pain and suffering (cf. Gen 3:17-19).

Creation is always an object of praise in Israel’s prayer: “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all” (Ps 104:24). Salvation is perceived as a new creation that re-establishes that harmony and potential for growth that sin had compromised: “I create new heavens and a new earth” (Is 65:17) — says the Lord — in which “the wilderness becomes a fruitful field … and righteousness [will] abide in the fruitful field … My people will abide in a peaceful habitation” (Is 32:1518). (452)

John 14:16, 26

John 14:21, 23-24

The Church has the right to be a teacher for mankind, a teacher of the truth of faith: the truth not only of dogmas but also of the morals whose source lies in human nature itself and in the Gospel. The word of the Gospel, in fact, is not only to be heard but is also to be observed and put into practice (cf. Mt 7:24; Lk 6:46-47; Jn 14:21,23-24; Jas 1:22). Consistency in behaviour shows what one truly believes and is not limited only to things strictly church-related or spiritual but involves men and women in the entirety of their life experience and in the context of all their responsibilities. However worldly these responsibilities may be, their subject remains man, that is, the human being whom God calls, by means of the Church, to participate in his gift of salvation.

Men and women must respond to the gift of salvation not with a partial, abstract or merely verbal acceptance, but with the whole of their lives — in every relationship that defines life — so as not to neglect anything, leaving it in a profane and worldly realm where it is irrelevant or foreign to salvation. For this reason the Church’s social doctrine is not a privilege for her, nor a digression, a convenience or interference: it is her right to proclaim the Gospel in the context of society, to make the liberating word of the Gospel resound in the complex worlds of production, labour, business, finance, trade, politics, law, culture, social communications, where men and women live. (70)

John 20:19, 21, 26

The promise of peace that runs through the entire Old Testament finds its fulfilment in the very person of Jesus. Peace, in fact, is the messianic attribute par excellence, in which all other beneficial effects of salvation are included. The Hebrew word “shalom” expresses this fullness of meaning in its etymological sense of “completeness” (cf. Is 9:5ff; Mic 5:1-4). The kingdom of the Messiah is precisely the kingdom of peace (cf. Job 25:2; Ps 29:11; 37:11; 72:3,7; 85:9,11; 119:165; 125:5, 128:6; 147:14; Song 8:10; Is 26:3,12; 32:17f.; 52:7; 54:10; 57:19; 60:17; 66:12; Hag 2:9; Zech 9:10; et al.). Jesus “is our peace” (Eph 2:14). He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility among people, reconciling them with God (cf. Eph 2:14-16). This is the very effective simplicity with which Saint Paul indicates the radical motivation spurring Christians to undertake a life and a mission of peace.

On the eve of his death, Jesus speaks of his loving relation with the Father and the unifying power that this love bestows upon his disciples. It is a farewell discourse which reveals the profound meaning of his life and can be considered a summary of all his teaching. The gift of peace is the seal on his spiritual testament: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27). The words of the Risen Lord will not be any different; every time that he meets his disciples they receive from him the greeting and gift of peace: “Peace be with you” (Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19,21,26). (491)

Acts 2:5-11

Professionals in the field of media are not the only people with ethical duties. Those who make use of the media also have obligations. Media operators who try to meet their responsibilities deserve audiences who are aware of their own responsibilities. The first duty of media users is to be discerning and selective. Parents, families and the Church have precise responsibilities they cannot renounce. For those who work, in various capacities, in the area of social communications, the warning of St. Paul rings out loud and clear: “Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another … Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:25, 29). Serving the human person through the building up of a human community based on solidarity, justice and love, and spreading the truth about human life and its final fulfilment in God remain at the heart of ethics in the media[1178]. In the light of faith, human communication can be seen as a journey from Babel to Pentecost, or rather, as the personal and social commitment to overcome the collapse of communication (cf. Gen 11:4-8), opening people to the gift of tongues (cf. Acts 2:5-11), to communication as restored by the power of the Spirit sent by the Son. (562)

Romans 8

The salvation offered in its fullness to men in Jesus Christ by God the Father’s initiative, and brought about and transmitted by the work of the Holy Spirit, is salvation for all people and of the whole person: it is universal and integral salvation. It concerns the human person in all his dimensions: personal and social, spiritual and corporeal, historical and transcendent. It begins to be made a reality already in history, because what is created is good and willed by God, and because the Son of God became one of us. Its completion, however, is in the future, when we shall be called, together with all creation (cf. Rom 8), to share in Christ’s resurrection and in the eternal communion of life with the Father in the joy of the Holy Spirit. This outlook shows quite clearly the error and deception of purely immanentistic visions of the meaning of history and in humanity’s claims to self-salvation. (38)

Romans 8:1-11

In her social doctrine the Church offers above all an integral vision of man and a complete understanding of his personal and social dimensions. Christian anthropology reveals the inviolable dignity of every person and places the realities of work, economics and politics into an original perspective that sheds light on authentic human values while at the same time inspiring and sustaining the task of Christian witness in the varied areas of personal, cultural and social life. Thanks to the “first fruits of the Spirit” (Rom 8:23), Christians become “capable of discharging the new law of love (cf. Rom 8:1-11). Through this Spirit, who is ‘the pledge of our inheritance’ (Eph 1:14), the whole man is renewed from within, even to the achievement of ‘the redemption of the body’ (Rom 8:23)”.[1109] In this sense the Church’s social doctrine shows how the moral basis of all social action consists in the human development of the person and identifies the norm for social action corresponding to humanity’s true good and as efforts aimed at creating the conditions that will allow every person to satisfy his integral vocation. (522)

Romans 8:14-17 and 1st Corinthians 13:12

The new reality that Jesus Christ gives us is not grafted onto human nature nor is it added from outside: it is rather that reality of communion with the Trinitarian God to which men and women have always been oriented in the depths of their being, thanks to their creaturely likeness to God. But this is also a reality that people cannot attain by their own forces alone. Through the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, in whom this reality of communion has already been brought about in a singular manner, men and women are received as children of God (cf. Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:4-7). By means of Christ, we share in the nature of God, who gives us infinitely more “than all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20). What mankind has already received is nothing more than a token or a “guarantee” (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:14) of what it will receive in its fullness only in the presence of God, seen “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12), that is, a guarantee of eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3). (122)

Romans 8:15

By his words and deeds, and fully and definitively by his death and resurrection[30], Jesus reveals to humanity that God is Father and that we are all called by grace to become his children in the Spirit (cf. Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6), and therefore brothers and sisters among ourselves. It is for this reason that the Church firmly believes that “the key, the centre and the purpose of the whole of man’s history is to be found in her Lord and Master”. (31)

1st Corinthians 12:31-14:1

The immediate purpose of the Church’s social doctrine is to propose the principles and values that can sustain a society worthy of the human person. Among these principles, solidarity includes all the others in a certain way. It represents “one of the fundamental principles of the Christian view of social and political organization”.

Light is shed on this principle by the primacy of love, “the distinguishing mark of Christ’s disciples (cf. Jn 13:35)”. Jesus teaches us that “the fundamental law of human perfection, and consequently of the transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love” (cf. Mt 22:40, Jn 15:12; Col 3:14; Jas 2:8). Personal behaviour is fully human when it is born of love, manifests love and is ordered to love. This truth also applies in the social sphere; Christians must be deeply convinced witnesses of this, and they are to show by their lives how love is the only force (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-14:1) that can lead to personal and social perfection, allowing society to make progress towards the good. (580)

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

The Holy Spirit relishes diversity. An undivided outpouring of different gifts to infuse believers with the grace to do the Lord’s initiatives. Never rationed, divided or diluted, each individual attentive and attuned to the Holy Spirit manifests the Spirit’s presence in the world. Sent by the Father, in Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit reminds us we cannot do everything ourselves, but must collaborate with others, so each gift synchs with others’ gifts contributing to building up the Church and world. A continuing renewal of the face of the earth that frees us from fear, so we go forth, instead of saying isolated behind locked doors, living behind locked gates and separating ourselves by walls. Out of love, the Holy Spirit percolates in the world, for in our love we keep the Lord’s commandments and the Advocate remains with us. Always to dwell within us, to teach us everything and remind us of all Jesus teaches us to prepare us to be sent forth. A commissioning grounded in the reciprocity of our love. Love within and for the Trinity, infused with the continual greeting of peace Jesus offers. We are sent forth with different kinds of service, all serving the same Lord, different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone for some benefit. With that diversity we comprise the Body of Christ, all drinking of the one Spirit, to give our mortal bodies life in the spirit of adoption to all be children of God and heirs with Christ, to be glorified with Him. As witness to the dynamics of the Holy Spirit, we cannot be a Church:

Of the holy few, but the many, diverse, prioritizing inclusion of the marginalized
Segregated by tongue or race, but culturally inclusive
Negating cultural nuances of worship, but have affinity for diverse forms of liturgical praise and thanksgiving
Dismissing relevance of the interconnectedness all social, economic and environmental concerns, but appreciate the web of life
Dictated by fiscal clout, but grounded in service

For seeking to be a Church of exclusion dismisses the working of the Holy Spirit, contrary to the universality of faith and stifles the Church we could be.

Individual Reflection:Acts 2:1-11

Go to mass celebrated in a language other than your native language. How does the experience spiritually speak to you?

Family Reflection: Acts 2:1-11

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. Considering the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you, in the next month what is one way each family member will use their gifts in service of the Church?

Prayer

Reflect on the prayer said at your confirmation. How do you see those words unfolding in your spiritual life?

All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin
and gave them new life.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper and Guide.
Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and courage,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born June 3, 2019 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

Ascension of the Lord Lectionary Reflection June 2, 2019

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Barb Born

June 2, 2019: Ascension of the Lord

Catholic Social Teaching: Call to Family, Community and Participation

The Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane, but with no less intensity: “Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others”. When the Church summons Christians to take up the task of evangelization, she is simply pointing to the source of authentic personal fulfilment. For “here we discover a profound law of reality: that life is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. This is certainly what mission means”. Consequently, an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow… And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the joy of Christ”. (10) Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis

Readings

First Reading: Acts 1:1-11

Psalm: 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28;10:19-23

Gospel: Luke 24:46-53

Catechism of the Catholic Church

This final stage stays closely linked to the first, that is, to his descent from heaven in the Incarnation. Only the one who “came from the Father” can return to the Father: Christ Jesus.⁵³⁸ “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.”Left to its own natural powers humanity does not have access to the “Father’s house”, to God’s life and happiness.Only Christ can open to man such access that we, his members, might have confidence that we too shall go where he, our Head and our Source, has preceded us. (661) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:

Matthew 28:19-20 (Gospel Acclamation) and Luke 24:46-49

God, in Christ, redeems not only the individual person but also the social relations existing between men. As the Apostle Paul teaches, life in Christ makes the human person’s identity and social sense — with their concrete consequences on the historical and social planes — emerge fully and in a new manner: “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ” (Gal 3:26-28). In this perspective, Church communities, brought together by the message of Jesus Christ and gathered in the Holy Spirit round the Risen Lord (cf. Mt 18:20, 28:19-20; Lk 24:46-49), offer themselves as places of communion, witness and mission, and as catalysts for the redemption and transformation of social relationships. (52)

Ephesians 1:22-23

Faith in Jesus Christ makes it possible to have a correct understanding of social development, in the context of an integral and solidary humanism. In this regard, the contribution of theological reflection offered by the Church’s social Magisterium is very useful: “Faith in Christ the Redeemer, while it illuminates from within the nature of development, also guides us in the task of collaboration. In the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, we read that Christ is ‘the firstborn of all creation,’ and that ‘all things were created through him’ and for him (Col 1:15-16). In fact, ‘all things hold together in him’, since ‘in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things’ (v. 20). A part of this divine plan, which begins from eternity in Christ, the perfect ‘image’ of the Father, and which culminates in him, ‘the firstborn from the dead’ (v. 15-18), in our own history, marked by our personal and collective effort to raise up the human condition and to overcome the obstacles which are continually arising along our way. It thus prepares us to share in the fullness which ‘dwells in the Lord’ and which he communicates ‘to his body, which is the Church’ (v. 18; cf. Eph 1:22-23). At the same time sin, which is always attempting to trap us and which jeopardizes our human achievements, is conquered and redeemed by the ‘reconciliation’ accomplished by Christ (cf. Col 1:20)”. (327)

Hebrews 10:23

The salvation offered by God to his children requires their free response and acceptance. It is in this that faith consists, and it is through this that “man freely commits his entire self to God”, responding to God’s prior and superabundant love (cf. 1 Jn 4:10) with concrete love for his brothers and sisters, and with steadfast hope because “he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). In fact, the divine plan of salvation does not consign human creatures to a state of mere passivity or of lesser status in relation to their Creator, because their relationship to God, whom Jesus Christ reveals to us and in whom he freely makes us sharers by the working of the Holy Spirit, is that of a child to its parent: the very relationship that Jesus lives with the Father (cf. Jn 15-17; Gal 4:6-7). (39)

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

Is joy evident in your faith, your parish community, the Church, as the Body of Christ? Through the Holy Spirit, if we experience and believe Christ suffered, rose from the dead on the third day, so to offer repentance for the forgiveness of sin available to all humanity, in all nations, how can we not be joyful? When Jesus spoke those words to HIs disciples, led them to Bethany, blessed them and ascended to the Father, the disciples did Him homage and returned to. Jerusalem with great joy ! As we go to our temples today, our churches and living our lives as temples of the Holy Spirit, how do we emulate that joy? Or do we scoff against non-believers as pagans, grumble over the state of affairs and feel unempowered to work for change as a voice for peace in the world? Belief should infuse us with joy, empower us with hope, for Jesus did not ascend to leave us distanced from the Divine. From His ascending, believers, if they are receptive, receive the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of their heart to be enlightened in deeper knowledge of the Lord. His ways that belong to the call of being a disciple. Our spiritual inheritance to give us fullness of life in every way and eventually eternal salvation to those who eagerly await Him. Do we take that grace to have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way Jesus opened for us through His once and for all sacrifice? So as we approach the gift of the altar each time to receive HIs real presence, let us approach with sincere heart and absolute trust, with hearts sprinkled clean from any doubting conscience to hold unwaveringly to our confession that give us hope for the Lord who promised us eternal life is trustworthy. As the angels approached the men of Galilee to ask why they continued to peer into the sky after Jesus was taken up into heaven to affirm the Lord would return, we must not be consumed by what was but attentive to the mission entrusted us by the Holy Spirit. For with our future assured, joy should propel us to offer praise while we pursue the unfolding kingdom of God here and now. Taking the cue of Luke to Theophilus, a friend of God, a reference to all believers of who we are, the Gospel account of Jesus’ actions and teachings into the early Church’s emergence and infusion of the Holy Spirit, we continue the legacy today in the familiarity of our Judea, the challenges of our Samarias to build bridges, to our uncharted endeavors that seem like the ends of the earth. A mission, a way of life expressing the joy for all Jesus has done for us, all he continues to do for us and His promise our eternal salvation.

Individual Reflection:

What mission have you been entrusted with? How should you stop peering into the sky and trust the Holy Spirit to enliven you to act?

Family Reflection:

With Pentecost next weekend look for an Eucharistic procession to attend, such as the 203rd Annual Mission San Antonio de Paula outdoor mass and procession through the village:

Prayer: Prayerfully reflect on how you praise God and live with joy in your life

One can sin against God’s love in various ways:

– indifference neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power.

– ingratitude fails or refuses to acknowledge divine charity and to return him love for love.

– lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity.

– acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness.

– hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to love of God, whose goodness it denies, and whom it presumes to curse as the one who forbids sins and inflicts punishments

(2094) Catechism of the Catholic Church

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-69/pdf/STATUTE-69-PgC34-2.pdf

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born May 27, 2019 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

Sixth Sunday of Easter Lectionary Reflection May 26, 2019

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Barb Born

May 26, 2019: Sixth Sunday of Easter

Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity

The promotion of peace in the world is an integral part of the Church’s mission of continuing Christ’s work of redemption on earth. In fact, the Church is, in Christ, a “ ‘sacrament‘ or sign and instrument of peace in the world and for the world”. The promotion of true peace is an expression of Christian faith in the love that God has for every human being. From a liberating faith in God’s love there arises a new vision of the world and a new way of approaching others, whether the other is an individual or an entire people. It is a faith that transforms and renews life, inspired by the peace that Christ left to his disciples (cf. Jn 14:27). Moved solely by this faith, the Church intends to promote the unity of Christians and a fruitful cooperation with believers of other religions. Differences of religion must not be a cause of conflict; the shared quest for peace on the part of all believers is a vital source of unity among peoples. The Church calls on individuals, peoples, States and nations to share her concern for re-establishing and consolidating peace, placing particular emphasis on the important role of international law. (516) Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Readings

First Reading: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Psalm: 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

Second Reading: Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23

Gospel: John 14:23-29

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and sanctifies the Church. She is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity’s communion with men. (747) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:

John 14: 21, 23-24

The Church has the right to be a teacher for mankind, a teacher of the truth of faith: the truth not only of dogmas but also of the morals whose source lies in human nature itself and in the Gospel. The word of the Gospel, in fact, is not only to be heard but is also to be observed and put into practice (cf. Mt 7:24; Lk 6:46-47; Jn 14:21,23-24; Jas 1:22). Consistency in behaviour shows what one truly believes and is not limited only to things strictly church-related or spiritual but involves men and women in the entirety of their life experience and in the context of all their responsibilities. However worldly these responsibilities may be, their subject remains man, that is, the human being whom God calls, by means of the Church, to participate in his gift of salvation. (70)

John 14:27

See Catholic Social Teaching theme above (516)

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

The reciprocity of love manifest from the Father, spoken by the Son invites our participation. Not a feeling but engagement in the world to keep the word of Jesus. The love Jesus invites us into is to care for the well being of others, strive for and respect a social order rooted in peace, live faith grounded in necessities of prayer and sacramental mores, but not consumed by superficial practices defining membership above spiritualness. Love embedded in believers by the Holy Spirit to guide our participation into unfolding the mystery spoken by the Lord. For the Lord’s word could be unfolded in the world in a mired of ways. All expressions of love but each uniquely defined to a specific nuance of time, a setting articulated by the Holy Spirit with a personal invitation for each of us. Each an expression of love to illuminate the world not with a narrow spectrum of incandescent light but by the expression of God’s love in and for the world with a full spectrum. A light glorified by praise to continue in the infinite unfolding of love. Love not static in one place, but discussed, discerned and carried thru discipleship to others. So faith is not for a few absorbed in self-righteousness, without mandates, so to disturb the peace of mind of a Church striving to be one accord, but all people searching to do the will of the Father articulated by the Son. An essence of love, not spewing hate. An essence of love, not pronouncing judgment. An essence of love, not sowing division. An essence of love, not mockery of faith with untenable absolutes of perfection. An essence of love to encounter where we are and not where we might be in perfection. How we take the word of the Lord and grasp it might seem like it is the sun covered with clouds to obscure its full radiance and meaning of what we should do. Only asking, trusting and being reminded by the Holy Spirit helps us to grasp the call, like the sun unfettered with clouds, with hearts not troubled or afraid, can we see the brilliance of actions emulating from love and the peace flowing forth into the world.

Individual Reflection:

May 31st is the feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.

“…Our Lady’s Magnificat is a manifestation of her humility before God and her redness to serve St Elizabeth’s temporal needs is a lesson in charity.” From Daily Roman Missal for Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Who might you visit this week to give them some unexpected help?

Family Reflection:

May 27th is Memorial Day

How can your family help reclaim peaceful intentions of Memorial Day instead of glorifying war?

Prayer: As we conclude May, the month of Mary….

Share an extra rosary you have with someone, as an invitation for them to incorporate the rosary into their prayer life.

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-04/pope-francis-audience-our-father-forgiven-as-forgive.html

Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born May 21, 2019 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.

Fifth Sunday of Easter Lectionary Reflection May 19, 2019

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Barb Born

May 19, 2019: Fifth Sunday of Easter

Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity

Reflect on Pope Francis’ thoughts on how love prevents evil from suffocating the world

Readings

First Reading: Acts 14:21-27

Psalm: 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5a

Gospel: John 13:31-33a. 34-35

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between “the two ways” and to put into practice the words of the Lord. It is summed up in the Golden Rule, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; this is the law and the prophets. The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the “new commandment” of Jesus, to love one another as he has loved us. (1970) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the, Fifth Sunday of Easter Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:

Revelation 21:1

The definitive salvation that God offers to all humanity through his own Son does not come about outside of this world. While wounded by sin, the world is destined to undergo a radical purification (cf. 2 Pet 3:10) that will make it a renewed world (cf. Is 65:17, 66:22; Rev 21:1), finally becoming the place where “righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13).

In his public ministry, Jesus makes use of natural elements. Not only is he a knowledgeable interpreter of nature, speaking of it in images and parables, but he also dominates it (cf. the episode of the calming of the storm in Mt 14:22-33; Mk 6:45-52; Lc 8:22-25; Jn 6:16-21). The Lord puts nature at the service of his plan of redemption. He asks his disciples to look at things, at the seasons and at people with the trust of children who know that they will never be abandoned by a provident Father (cf. Lk 11:11-13). Far from being enslaved by things, the disciple of Jesus must know how to use them in order to bring about sharing and brotherhood (cf. Lk 16:9-13). (453)

Not only is the inner man made whole once more, but his entire nature as a corporeal being is touched by the redeeming power of Christ. The whole of creation participates in the renewal flowing from the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, although it still awaits full liberation from corruption, groaning in travail (cf. Rom 8:19-23), in expectation of giving birth to “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1) that are the gift of the end of time, the fulfillment of salvation. In the meantime, nothing stands outside this salvation. Whatever his condition of life may be, the Christian is called to serve Christ, to live according to his Spirit, guided by love, the principle of a new life, that brings the world and man back to their original destiny: “whether … the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor 3:22-23). (455)

Revelation 21:3

The Church, sharing in mankind’s joys and hopes, in its anxieties and sadness, stands with every man and woman of every place and time, to bring them the good news of the Kingdom of God, which in Jesus Christ has come and continues to be present among them. In the midst of mankind and in the world she is the sacrament of God’s love and, therefore, of the most splendid hope, which inspires and sustains every authentic undertaking for and commitment to human liberation and advancement. The Church is present among mankind as God’s tent of meeting, “God’s dwelling place among men” (cf. Rev 21:3), so that man is not alone, lost or frightened in his task of making the world more human; thus men and women find support in the redeeming love of Christ. As minister of salvation, the Church is not in the abstract nor in a merely spiritual dimension, but in the context of the history and of the world in which man lives. Here mankind is met by God’s love and by the vocation to cooperate in the divine plan. (60)

For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Reflection

How can we love one another as Jesus has loved us if we do not listen to one another, talk to one another, work with one another, care for one another? For retreating from relationship to the world, closes opportunities to impart love. The affirmation of patience, kindness, generosity, hope and endurance void of jealously, pompous, inflated egos defines manifestation of love. To have the mind set that one need to fix one another, prove to them that you are right is void of love for one another for it is all about your own agenda. Self-appointed superiority in thought while tangling others in a web of belittlement, guilt and feelings of unworthiness. A protocol towards others rendering them into one’s self-defined realm of darkness where love is beyond view, outside the condemn’s grasp. A self-centered reality to mark others with diminished dignity, less worthy of Divine love, a condemnation inflicted to flaunt superiority. To perpetuate faith without love and welcome leaves the Gospel as a charade to warp the Word and Word made flesh into beliefs and mores void of the Lord. When people foster that persona, airwaves broadcast that message, screens express that opinion how will the world know we are His disciples if love is absent in a pounding proclamation of perfection? How it makes the mission of other disciples exceedingly challenging because the world is engrained with an image of faith as condescending rhetoric void of initiative to make faith active and visible indeed. An expression of our belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ to keep His commandments and remain in Him as He remains in us by the Spirit He gave us. How if we are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness with compassion, behold we can make all things refreshingly new in expression and action to open, not close doors of faith.

Individual Reflection: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

Reflect on how others will know you are a disciple of Jesus. From the love He has shown you, how do you live the new commandment to love one another?

Family Reflection: Acts 14:21-27

Take time to volunteer as a family this summer on a vacation or in your local community. If there are not family volunteer opportunities in your community work to develop such activities. Here are examples at Aquarium of the Pacific http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/volunteer/family and a regional food bank’s Izzy’s Corner https://www.feedoc.org/get-involved/volunteer/activities/

Prayer:

Read 1st Corinthians chapter 13 and prayerfully reflect how you can manifest love more authentically in the world.

Blogs to Visit:

Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

How we do Catholic Social Teaching.

Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.