|
Congratulations to Korrie Lee Spikes and Jerianne Dorothy Geraldine Griffin, who received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv. on Ascension Thursday, May 29, 2014. Jerianne and Korrie were prepared for confirmation by catechists Jeff Spratt and Fr. Bob. Our liturgy volunteers, choir, reception committee and the whole parish helped make it an excellent celebration for the whole parish. Thank you to Bishop Gregory for celebrating with us! 
0 Comments
The Holy oils with which parishioners Jerianne Griffin and Korrie Spikes will be confirmed on May 29 were blessed in the so called Chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week, April 15, 2014 by Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer in the Cathedral of St. John in Savannah, Georgia. Here is the diocese's own transmission of that Mass: On Sunday, May 11, 2014 the First Communion Class will crown the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven. This "May Crowning" has been done in many lands in different ways for many centuries.  In 1965, Pope Paul VI asked Catholics the world over to add a new layer of meaning to the Month of Mary. In the document "The Month of May", published during the last session of the Second Vatican Council, the Pope asked that the May Crownings and the gift of flowers to the Virgin Mary be an opportunity for increased prayer 1) for the effectiveness of Vatican II in renewing the whole Church, and 2) for peace throughout the world. When the Council is finished, wrote the Pope, it must still be implemented. This requires that it be understood, accepted and bear "tangible, salutary fruit." It is a "weighty proposition," the Pope wrote, for the Catholic Church to renew itself, and the Council's implementation will determine the history of the Church. Without the intercession of Mary, Queen of Heaven, it is hard to imagine the Council's reforms succeeding. We have survived two World Wars, wrote the Pope, but this has not led to world peace. Instead, new wars seem to threaten every day. We need the intercession of the Queen of Peace to help people turn away from sin and take the path of justice which alone leads to peace. "You should know that we are particularly relying on the prayers of children," Pope Paul added, not only because they are the Church of tomorrow, but because even today their innocence is the voice of truth and "their pleas have special power to penetrate heaven and soften God's justice."  Fr. Bob in the 80's On Sunday, April 6, 2014, Pope Francis held a wonderful homily at the afternoon Angelus, reminding the people that "there is no limit to the mercy of God!"
The act of Jesus by which He raised Lazarus from the dead demonstrates the end to which the power of the Grace of God can arrive, and the end, therefore to which our conversion - our change - can arrive. But listen well: there is no other limit to the divine mercy offered to all! There is no other limit to the divine mercy offered to all! Remember this phrase. And we can all say it together: “There is no other limit to the divine mercy offered to all!” Let us say it together: “There is no other limit to the divine mercy offered to all!” Pope Francis then recalled the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, the 5th anniversary of the terrible earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy and the current tragedy of Ebola fever in Guinea and surrounding countries, leading the people in intercessory prayer. Finally, the Pope had a surprise for the people gathered in St. Peter's Plaza. He handed out free Bibles! More precisely, volunteers distributed small pocket editions of the four Gospels. The Pope said: And now I want to make a simple gesture for you. Last Sunday I suggested that all of you should obtain a little book of the Gospels, to carry with you during the day, that can be read often. And then I thought about the ancient tradition of the Church, of giving a book of the Gospels, during Lent, to the catechumens, to those preparing for Baptism. So today I want to offer to you who are here in the Piazza — but as a sign for everyone — a pocket Gospel book. It is distributed to you free of charge. There are places in the Piazza for the distribution… I see them there… there… there… there, there, there. Go to these places and take the Gospel. Take it, carry it with you, and read it every day: it is Jesus Himself Who is speaking to you. It is the Word of Jesus: this is the Word of Jesus. And as Jesus said, I say too: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give!” Give the message of the Gospel! Today you can read the Gospel on so many technological devices. You can take the whole Bible with you on a phone, on a tablet. Do it! The important thing is to read the Word of God, by any means, but read the Word of God! I wish you a happy Sunday, and a ‘buon pranzo!’ Arrivederci! Nativity's Theology for Young Catholics (TYC) will debate the topic GLOBAL WARMING AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST at its April 4th meeting. TYC is open for all young people aged 15-29. Please text (952) 290-6767 to sign up for this Friday's talk. Supper will be served!
Friday evening, the youth group THEOLOGY FOR YOUNG CATHOLICS discussed the topic: The Pope and Capitalism - The Economic Teaching of the Catholic Church We began by looking at how different politicians in recent days have accused the Catholic Church of being everything from communist to neo-fascist, from being too right wing radical to being too left wing radical. Then we looked at what the Catholic Church actually stands for. Here is one summary: We thank St. Mary's Press for this excellent, copyrighted material. All committee reports for tomorrow's Annual Meeting were submitted as MS PowerPoint presentations. Here is the combined report, including reports submitted by
Nativity's Pastoral Council met on January 9, 2014. We hereby invoke a Nativity Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. - that is, after the 5:00 Mass - in the Parish Hall. This will serve as our general assembly or annual meeting. 
The Parish Town Hall Meeting is a chance for the whole parish to hear what's going on, to contribute ideas, to make constructive criticism and to ask critical questions. The 5 central committees of the parish (Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Liturgical Commission, Building Committee and Catechist Group) will account for their stewardship in 2013. Future plans will be revealed and several big proposals will be laid on the table. You definitely do not want to miss this! (The agenda will be published at this link) 
Here are some other highlights from the January meeting:
It is an ancient and well known theme in the preaching of the Church Fathers to talk about "the three epiphanies": the Epiphany of the Magi at Bethlehem, the Epiphany of the Baptism at the Jordan, and the Epiphany of the Marriage Feast at Cana. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
My own approach to the three feasts has been influenced by taking part in many a Three Kings Pilgrimage in different parts of the world. Started by the Boy Scouts in Europe after the Second World War, the Three Kings Pilgrimage is based on the texts of St. Sophronius. There are three stations: the adoration of the magi, the baptism at the Jordan, and the wedding feast of Cana. In recent years, it has become the new custom to recite the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. See how these mysteries begin with our feast of today, and follow closely the liturgical year of the Catholic Church:
My understanding of these events has been changed recently by the book by Phil Booth, Crisis of Empire: Doctrine and Dissent at the End of Late Antiquity (Transformation of the Classical Heritage Series, Univ. of California Press 2013). Booth looks at three pivotal figures: St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, St. Maximus Confessor and John Moschus. He explores how these great thinkers had to stop thinking of Christianity as a part of "the Roman Empire", as a part of the Classical World, indeed, as a part of "civilization". Especially Sophroniuys explicated a vision of the Catholic Church that was truly universal, transcending all local (and therefore limited) cultures and nations even while subsisting in those local cultures. "In the world but not of it ..." Fr. Bob Dear parishioners, There's lots of things going on! Here is an overview of this week's events at Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church: Saturday, December 7, 2013 -
Sunday, December 8, 2013 -
Monday, December 9, 2013 -
Tuesday, December 10, 2013 -
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 -
Thursday, December 12, 2013 -
Friday, December 13, 2013 -
Saturday, December 14, 2013 -
Sunday, December 15, 2013 -
|
NEWSBLOG
The online parish bulletin and message board of Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church, Darien, Georgia, USA nativity@darientel.net
Archives
March 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed