Celebrate Friends and Family
throughout
the month of November!
November is the month of remembering the faithful departed. One of
our favorite family traditions is to put pictures of our loved ones
on a shelf near our kitchen table. Throughout the month we share our
favorite stories about them at meal time. The time is filled with
many, many laughs, a few tears, and wonderful memories for all of us
This week our family will be fasting to support
the U.S. Bishops
who are standing up for life in discussions with president-elect
Obama!
We were looking for a special prayer for the
United States Catholic bishops, but did not find one. Our Catholic
bishops already standing up to president-elect Obama, the most
radical pro-abortion president-elect we've ever had. He has vowed
that one of his first actions will be to use executive order to
legislate the Freedom of Choice Act. This one action will not only
promote abortion, it will also completely deregulate the abortion
industry, negate all parental-notification laws, and force Americans
to subsidize abortion in our own country and other countries
world-wide.
The bishops have not only condemned the action,
but have also expressed concern that it will limit the freedom of
medical professionals to choose to oppose abortion on religious
grounds.
Our bishops need our support!
What can your family do to promote life?
Living Our Faith
We've recently had deaths among
friends and family members. Discussing death and attending funerals
has led to some wonderful family discussions, including one we have
not addressed recently:
Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
We often joke that being a parent means constantly
performing spiritual works of mercy. Realizing this makes us
incredibly hopeful. After all, God is our Father, and we perform
these works for which He is the role model. Throughout the Gospels
we see Jesus saving souls with love and mercy. We, too, are called
to follow His lead. (Read
more)
Use your
green candle on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
to celebrate Ordinary
Time.
Monday, November 17 use a white
candle for the memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the woman who
was born a princess, but, when she became a widow, renounced
worldly goods. She served the poor and sick until her death at the
early age of 24.
Friday, November 21
use a white candle for the
memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
According to Sacred Tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary was given
to holiness from the very beginning. When she was only three years
old her parents, Sts. Anne and Joachim, dedicated her to the
service of God. From her Immaculate Conception through her early
life of holiness, Mary was given the graces and faith to say "yes"
when asked to be the Mother of God.
Thursday,
November 22 use a
red candle to
commemorate the memorial of St. Cecilia, the
early Christian martyr who is the patron saint of music. St.
Cecilia, who is mentioned by name in our first
Eucharistic prayer at Mass, was forced by her parents to marry
a pagan, although he lovingly allowed her to remain a virgin.. She converted both her husband and his brother
to Christianity. They were all martyred for
their faith during the second century Roman persecutions.
A solemnity is a day of greatest
importance. The celebration starts the evening before the actual
solemnity. Easter is our most important solemnity. A feast is
the next most important day. It commemorates Mary, the apostles,
martyrs and other saints, and the events associated with them. Mass
readings often reflect the special feast day. A memorial is a
special day, but often an optional celebration. The scripture
readings for Mass may or may not be specially selected for the
memorial.
Devotion of the Month
The Christ the King Novena begins Friday,
November 14th!
You're invited to join us in the Christ the King Novena! We
will send you e-mail reminders each day of the novena, beginning
Friday, November 17, 2008. Just let us know if you'd like these
reminders via
admin@cominghomecatholic.com. Please put NOVENA in the subject
heading.
(Learn
the novena prayers)
We're planning
our Christ the King party.. We'll be spending
time at home as a family and making a King Cake, which is the cake
of our choice (chocolate!) baked in a bundt pan (to look like a
crown) and decorated with candy "jewels." If you have other
ideas, please let us know!
Start the Week off Right
(prepare for the Sunday Scriptures)
Proverbs
31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
1
Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew
25:14-30
Use Those Talents!
The first reading from the book of Proverbs celebrates
the talents of a joyful wife and mother. She lovingly uses the talents
God gives her to bring peace to her family life and the community.
This is our final week with St. Paul's first letter to
the Thessalonians, at least for a little while. His final thoughts
remind his friends that when we live Christian lives of holiness, we
have nothing to fear. When we use our talents for holiness we can make
the world a better place with the joy of peaceful confidence.
In Matthew's Gospel we hear the
parable of talents Jesus shares with his disciples. The message is
the same: God has given us wonderful talents and He expects us to
use them to improve our world. Whether it is a
talent for administration, prayer, faith, music, supporting others,
or another of the innumerable talents we
see around us, use your own and encourage others to use their
talents. It is what God is calling us to do for
His Kingdom!
Daily Dose of Scripture (our
picks of the week)
Lectionary
readings for the 33rd Week of Ordinary Time:
Monday
Rv 1:1-4, 2:1-5
Lk 18:35-43
Tuesday
Rv 3:1-6, 14-22
Lk 19:1-10
Wednesday
Rv 4:1-11
Lk 19:11-28
Thursday
Rv 5:1-10
Lk 19:41-44
Friday
Rv 10:8-11
Lk 19:45-48
Saturday
Rv 11:4-12
Lk 20:27-40
Rv 3:1-6, 14-22 We find it intimidating to even open up the book of Revelation , much less discuss the meaning of
parts of the book. It is rich with the symbolic language that was
popular in Jewish and Christian writings from 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. However, we're willing to go for it if you are!
Make sure to notice there is only ONE revelation to John, even though
some mistakenly refer to the Revelations to John.
We chose this particular reading because we're already being inundated
with so-called Christmas cheer. We overheard a woman saying she'd be
"doing Christmas" before Thanksgiving so she could "get it out of her
mind." Christmas lights are strung and Santa Claus and reindeer
decorations are lighting the homes of our neighbors.
We are encouraging each of you to focus on the beautiful Revelation of
our Lord. We'd like to be patient, to enjoy each celebration in its
own time, to pray the Christ the King Novena while reflecting on the
past year and anticipating the new year. Although our world is growing
darker each and every day, we'd like to live in spiritual Light and
spiritual Life.
It takes an effort to resist the clamor of the holidays, but
celebrating each day to its fullest with God will bring immeasurably
more joy.
Lk 18:35-43 Luke is the author of both this Gospel and Acts of the
Apostles. He tells us of the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel and the
development of the Church in Acts. His message is especially
applicable to modern Christian living, stressing honor, civic duty,
and personal relationships.
Our Gospel for this week reminds us to look for God in
everything we encounter. When Jesus cured the blind man, all the
witnesses gave glory to God. We must take time each and every week, if
not each and every day, to pay attention to the presence of God in our
lives. It is imperative that we then give witness to His eternal
presence.
What does it mean if God is not in our lives? Sometimes we feel as if
we are in a godless desert. Frankly, it is probably our own blindness
that is at fault. Our own blindness to His presence. My friend says
there are no coincidences, only "God-incidences." How often do we take
the time to notice all the God-incidences in our lives? Always
remember to look for God - He is right there within each and every one
of us.
Open that Catechism!
Our children are growing up, but we are still
responsible for their Catholic education and moral development. Read
about the duties of parents in paragraphs #2221-2231 in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
