Welcome to Resurrection of the Lord - E Komo Mai: Confirmation I and II: January 30, 2011: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Confirmation I and II: January 30, 2011: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Read the Gospel: Mt 5:1-12

Journal: How did you live out last week's Gospel message? What was tough? What was rewarding?

Some years ago, I was riding in a van with some teenagers when I jokingly threatened to tie a loud kid to the roof with a cord. That way, I joked, he could still ride with us but we wouldn't have to listen to him. His response? "That would be cool." And he probably would have enjoyed it. Teenagers like risk. Rock climbing. Driving fast. The rush of adrenalin. The thrill of adventure. That's why teenagers make excellent disciples. Following Jesus is all about risk. In this week's Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to risk. The Beatitudes (which is what we call the list in this Gospel) are risky actions Jesus tells his followers to choose. For example, be poor in spirit. (Ask God's guidance for all decisions.) Be meek. (Treat others as if they're more important than you.) Mourn. (Don't hide your pain.) Be merciful. (Choose forgiveness.) Be a peacemaker. (Work publicly for peace and justice.) You take a risk when you live a Beatitude. People might mock you for letting God, rather than wealth or popularity, set your direction. People might put you down when someone hurts you and you don't get even. People might call you crazy for protesting abortion or war. But Jesus says God will bless us when we take these risks. In other words, God will act in our favor. So when you let God direct you, God will give you a meaningful life. When you face your pain and mourn, God will comfort you through prayer or by sending people to help you. When you choose mercy and work for peace, God will give you the strength you need to forgive and the courage to stand publicly against violence. So take a risk this week. Live the Beatitudes. It's an adventure.

Journal: Which Beatitude seems the riskiest for you to live? Which seems the easiest? Which Beatitude could you see yourself living right now - reflect on a current situation happening to you or around you; which Beatitude can you use to respond to it and how? Be specific and give details.

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The Catholic Church traces its foundation to Jesus and the twelve Apostles. It sees the bishops of the Church as the successors of the apostles and the pope (the bishop of Rome), in particular, as the successor of Peter, the leader of the apostles.

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world's population. The Catholic Church is a communion of the Western Rite (Latin Rite) and 22 autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches (called particular churches), comprising 2,795 dioceses in 2008.

The Church's highest earthly authority in matters of faith, morality and Church governance is the Pope,currently Pope Benedict XVI, who holds supreme authority in the Church in concert with the College of Bishops, of which he is the head. The Catholic community is made up of an ordained ministry and the laity; members of either group may belong to organized religious communities.

The Church defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity. It operates social programs and institutions throughout the world, including schools, universities, hospitals, missions and shelters, as well as organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Charities that help the poor, families, the elderly and the sick.

Through apostolic succession, the Church believes itself to be the continuation of the Christian community founded by Jesus in his consecration of Saint Peter, a view shared by some historians. It has defined its doctrines through various ecumenical councils, following the example set by the first Apostles in the Council of Jerusalem. On the basis of promises made by Jesus to his apostles, described in the Gospels, the Church believes that it is guided by the Holy Spirit and so protected from falling into doctrinal error.

Catholic beliefs are based on the Bible and on Traditions handed down from the time of the Apostles, which are interpreted by a teaching authority. Those beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed and formally detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.Formal Catholic worship, termed the liturgy, is regulated by Church authority. The Eucharist, one of seven Church sacraments and the key part of every Catholic Mass or Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy, is the center of Catholic worship.

With a history spanning almost two thousand years, the Church is one of the world's oldest institutions and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilization since at least the 4th century. In the 11th century, a major split (the Great Schism) occurred between Eastern and Western Christianity, largely as a result of disagreements over papal primacy. The Eastern Orthodox churches became a separate entity from the Catholic Church in the resulting schism. Eastern Churches who remained in or later re-established communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, form the Eastern Catholic churches. In the 16th century, partly in response to the Protestant schism, the Church engaged in a substantial process of reform and renewal, known as the Counter-Reformation.

Although the Church maintains that it is the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" founded by Jesus Christ where one can find the fullness of the means of salvation, it also acknowledges that the Holy Spirit can make use of other Christian communities to bring people to salvation. It believes that it is called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity among all Christians, a movement known as ecumenism.Modern challenges facing the Church include the rise of secularism and opposition to its stances on abortion, euthanasia, and contraception.

Welcome to Resurrection of the Lord - E Komo Mai

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Confirmation I and II: January 30, 2011: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Read the Gospel: Mt 5:1-12

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