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News from Around: So, there was lots of stuff happening this week. Facebook was burning up with reports. Katie Ziegler was in LA was off watching The Way! alongside Martin Sheen and Emilio Estavez. Jack Regan was across the pond attending the Catholic Voices launch. . *Fire at the Beach” occurred in South Carolina; ”On Fire" in Northern California; a diocesan Festival of Faith with Msgr. Ray East in Colorado Springs; SpiritFest in Saint Louis, and Jesse Mannibusen visited Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. Oh, yeah, there was a youth ministry car wash/ lunch / bake sale in Latrobe, PA. (and Jake Imoo had a birthday party! Whew, but the big event was the Pope visiting Germany, especially Saturday night with young people in Breisgau. Here are some great quotes… In all churches, in cathedrals and religious houses, wherever the faithful gather to celebrate the Easter Vigil, that holiest of all nights begins with the lighting of the Paschal candle, whose light is then passed on to all who are present. One tiny flame spreads out to become many lights and fills the darkness of God’s house with its brightness. This wonderful liturgical rite, which we have imitated in our prayer vigil tonight, reveals to us in signs more eloquent than words the mystery of our Christian faith. He, Christ, who says of himself: “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12), causes our lives to shine brightly, so that what we have just heard in the Gospel comes true: “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14).
So how can Christ say that Christians, presumably including these weak Christians, are the light of the world? Perhaps we could understand if he were to call out to us: Repent! Be the light of the world! Change your life, make it bright and radiant! Should we not be surprised that the Lord directs no such appeal to us, but tells us that we are the light of the world, that we shine, that we light up the darkness? Dear friends, Saint Paul in many of his letters does not shrink from calling his contemporaries, members of the local communities, “saints”. Here it becomes clear that every baptized person – even before he or she can accomplish good works – is sanctified by God. In baptism the Lord, as it were, sets our life alight with what the Catechism calls sanctifying grace. Those who watch over this light, who live by grace, are holy. Dear friends, Christ is not so much interested in how often in our lives we stumble and fall, as in how often with his help we pick ourselves up again. He does not demand glittering achievements, but he wants his light to shine in you. He does not call you because you are good and perfect, but because he is good and he wants to make you his friends. Yes, you are the light of the world because Jesus is your light. For the full homily, check the Vatican site. |
News from ‘Round Here: Really, it was a great week last … just not a lot of meetings or stuff to show for it. Sunday was a recovery day after Contact meetings, and a Ravens lost. Ouch. Tuesday started with a division meeting, good evaluation of the Contact meetings and now onto the next things… NCYC being the biggest headline. More video editing. Wednesday was busy and exciting. The morning started out with Created to Love training – our human sexuality/ child protection training. Good energy, good mix, I went from that to meeting with two of our youth ministers to tape something for Rebuild My Church. (which added more videotape to be edited!) Thursday was the day for our biweekly newsletter. I was to build the information page for the Contact meeting but was confound by IT glitches for most the morning. Drafted the newsletter anyway in homes that the IT issues would be resolved by early afternoon. The morning was consumed with a Department of Evangelization with a visit by a brother Paulist of Father Hurley. Anywho, rebuild video drafts got out to speakers, newsletter got out, and page up, Friday was a touch of clean up on some of Thursday’s projects and work on a presentation which occurred Sunday for AYAC. Throughout the week, I was pretty good about being early to work, but also responsible for healthy living and early out of work. Friday I caught a matinee of Moneyball and you saw the result of that yesterday. Wrote that Friday and Saturday, wrapping up the AYAC presentation and grocery shopping as well. All Good! |
Dear friends, the Lord says: “I am the light of the world – you are the light of the world.” It is mysterious and wonderful that Jesus applies the same predicate to himself and to each one of us, namely “light”. 
