The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul…
Psalm 23
Saturday, Sep 24, 2022
The clock is ticking
The Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno is quoted as having said the entire gospel came down to this phrase: “Wake up!” That’s something we can all keep in mind and take to heart when we find ourselves simply going through the motions, sleepwalking through the day. The Benedictines put it another way: “Keep death ever before you.” Now that’s a wake-up call if there ever was one! Do something good, kind, generous—and do it today, while there is still time!
TODAY'S READINGS: Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8; Luke 9:43b-45.
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.”
#takefiveforfaith
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month. Amen.
What is Catholic Social Teaching?
Basically, it is an essential guide for how to live our faith in daily life in relationship with other people and with God. It consists of a collection of principles which help us respond to modern day problems and situations. The social teaching of the Church is founded on and in full accord with the teaching of Jesus in the Bible. It proposes principles for reflection, criteria for discernment and guidelines for action (ccc 2423). We can only interact faithfully with people when we see them as valued individuals, and not only as part of a group or community. As all people are different, our best course of action may differ between situations. That is why the Church proposes not a rigid set of laws, but principles that help us to formulate a faith-informed response to situations we encounter. The ultimate principle is not found in rules, but in love.
7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God's Creation
The church’s history is not univocal. I recognize its sins and openly acknowledge them, but that’s far from its full reality. The church is also the church of martyrs, of saints, of infinite generosity, and of millions of women and men with big, noble hearts who are my moral exemplars. I stand in the darkness of its sins; but I also stand in the light of its grace, of all the good things it has done in history.
- Ron Rolheiser OMI
Our role is to help complete Creation, if only by the humble work of our hands. This is the real meaning and the price of our acts.
- Teilhard de Chardin SJ
#seasonofcreation2022 #careforourcommonhome
Friday, Sep 23, 2022
Scripture makes Billboard's Top 10
We don’t often see Bible songs hit the pop music charts. But a song by singer-songwriter and social activist Pete Seeger did just that. Written in the late 1950s, the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” would explode to international popularity in 1965 when recorded by the Byrds. Not bad for lyrics written well over 2,000 years ago! The song is based on the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Not every popular use of the Bible turns out well, but Seeger’s did, perhaps because he left the verses largely intact. Consider other scripture passages that are music to your ears.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Luke 9:18-22.
“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every purpose under the heavens.”
#takefiveforfaith #dailyingodsword
