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My Prayer Box
the Newsletter of My Catholic Tradition
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We (Catholics) are
funny |
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Not in the funny ha-ha kind of way, in
peculiar way. My wife made an observation
passed on by one of her friends, Jim R., who
is also Catholics.
Don't look below but answer the following
question honestly. (Of course this is a give
away to look below - much like saying "don't
think of a flying elephant!")
"How much of our week is devoted to
honoring and worshiping God?"
Don't give me, "I pray to God silently, in
my own way, in my car." That does not fly in
the face of
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them."
I'm talking about going to church on any
day, especially Sundays.
You see Jim R., who goes to a Catholic
Church somewhere in the east coast of the USA,
devotes at least three hours on Sundays for
Church and after Church activities.
In one of the talks of the really funny
Catholic apologist,
Tim Staples, makes point of this by
saying something like, "Right after the final
blessing, there is a great rush to leave the
church that it will probably take armed guards
to keep us Catholics to hang around and talk
to others."
God forbid the mass will take 5 minutes
longer than scheduled, there will be heck to
explain!
Now here is the difficult question, "Is our
Sunday schedule built around Church, is church
just got squeezed into that one hour block for
the mass?"
My wife and I are just as guilty as most of
us are in this and we are working on
correcting it. How?
Hang around where the priest is greeting
the parishioners on a mad rush to the parking
lot. You'll find there is much to learn, much
work to volunteer and some lonely volunteers
who are just wishing you'd stop by and say
hello.
We have such a grand tradition and
religious culture. Talking about it after
church is one way of saying, "We love Jesus!" |
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Le Mont St. Michel,
France
(for no particular reason, except that
it's a great picture!) |
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Fourth
Sunday of Easter
May 3, 2009
I am the good shepherd. John 10:11
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First Reading From
the
Acts of the Apostles: |
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Acts 4:8-12 |
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Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:
"Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being
examined today about a good deed done to a
cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then
all of you and all the people of Israel should
know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead; in his name this man stands before you
healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the
builders, which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is
there any other name under heaven given to the
human race by which we are to be saved." |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 |
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R. The stone rejected by the builders has
become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has
become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered
me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has
become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered
me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has
become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Second Reading from the First Letter of
John |
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1 Jn 3:1-2 |
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Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that
we may be called the children of God.Yet so we
are.
The reason the world does not know us is that
it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; what we
shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know
that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is. |
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Reading From the
Gospel of John:
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Jn 10:11-18 |
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Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is
not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his
own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and runs away, and the wolf catches and
scatters them. This is because he works for
pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and
I know mine and mine know me, just as the
Father knows me and I know the Father; and I
will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do
not belong to this fold. These also I must
lead, and they will hear my voice, and there
will be one flock, one shepherd.
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This is why the Father
loves me, because I lay down my life in
order to take it up again. No one takes
it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power
to take it up again. This command I have
received from my Father." |
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Principles of Good
Character
from
Character Education |
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Your character is defined by what you do,
not what you say or believe. |
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Every choice you make helps define the
kind of person you are choosing to be.
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Good character requires doing the right
thing, even when it is costly or risky.
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You don't have to take the worst behavior
of others as a standard for yourself. You
can choose to be better than that. |
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What you do matters, and one person can
make a big difference. |
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The payoff for having good character is
that it makes you a better person and it
makes the world a better place. |
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References |
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Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
by
Charles J. Chaput
(Author)
“At a time
when the ‘faith and values’ vote has never
been more important, Archbishop Charles Chaput
deftly explores the intersection of morality,
reason, and politics. |
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This isn’t
just a book for Catholics, but for anyone who
cares about the state of America’s soul —and
how that concern might shape the 2008
elections.”
—John
L. Allen Jr., NCR and CNN senior Vatican
correspondent,
Amazon |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher |
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"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire is already the
subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
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Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities - Year B - 2009
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response |
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to the many questions
concerning the Catholic Church. It spells out
profound truths in very simple language for all
who seek a better understanding of their Faith.
I highly recommend it for Catholics, both young
and old. |
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The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon: |
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After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as |
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it walks you through a
pivotal period in Israel’s history, and
illustrative maps will give you a better
picture of the physical geography of this
ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided |
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by the New English Bible
itself, but these are further subdivided for the
purposes of the commentary, which is printed in
short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley
(Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the |
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cultural world in which Jesus lived with a lot
of pertinent information that sheds light on a
lot of areas that have been "muddled" in the
past. Yes, I highly recommend this book. -
James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced
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harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and
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faithfully Catholic
commentaries. Like other volumes in the
world-renowned Navarre Bible series, these
commentaries draw on Church documents, the
exegesis of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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Copyright
© 2006. My Catholic Tradition. All rights reserved |
Dear Friends:
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Thank you.
Rey
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