Of families and holiness…
I came across the following quote shortly after the feast of the Holy Family. Had I found it before, I would have based my homily on it. Yet, I trust you will draw nourishment from it without my help…
“Each Christian family can first of all — as Mary and Joseph did — welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, guard Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way improve the world. Let us make room in our heart and in our day for the Lord as Mary and Joseph also did, and it was not easy: how many difficulties they had to overcome! They were not a superficial family; they were not an unreal family. The family of Nazareth urges us to rediscover the vocation and mission of the family, of every family. And, what happened in those 30 years in Nazareth, can thus happen to us too: in seeking to make love and not hate normal, making mutual help common-place, not indifference or enmity. It is no coincidence, then, that “Nazareth” means “she who keeps”, as Mary, who — as the Gospel states — “kept all these things in her heart” (cf. Lk 2:19, 51).”
[Pope Francis, General Audience, December 17, 2014]
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If you have not picked up your copy of the 4 signs of a dynamic catholic, please do so at your earliest convenience. Or if your spouse has a copy, and you would like your own, also pick up a book. We have spares for the taking. Over the next four years, our Archdiocese is going to use the concepts from this book as a major thrust of evangelization and outreach. The initiative, called Dynamic Catholic, Alive!, will focus on the four principals, one year at a time: Prayer in 2015; Study in 2016; Generosity in 2017; and Evangelization in 2018. This will be a wide-ranging Archdiocesan initiative, touching parishes, institutions, and each and every one of you.
In this year devoted to prayer, it is important to reflect on the importance of prayer in our spiritual lives. The most dominant quality of Dynamic Catholics is a daily routine of prayer. In the year of prayer, I encourage you to pray more, to go to Mass more, to participate in the sacraments more, and to make significant and lasting spiritual progress.
In our bulletin, usually below the pastor’s pen, you will see a series of announcements, highlighting a different aspect of the yearly theme. This is one way we will work to integrate these concepts into our life of faith here at St. Ann. More steps to follow in the weeks to come.