VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
On Sunday (22st Ordinary Time Sunday, Cycle A; Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27. ) we read in the Gospel how Jesus rebukes his disciples for not really being conformed to the message that Jesus is giving and calling us to live. Jesus teaches that there will be suffering and denial of self in his work, even to the point of death. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves to find new life in Him. St. Paul calls us: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." The Prophet Jeremiah acknowledges that faithfulness to God's message can cause hardship, but he must be a prophet.
In Catholic Charities we are called to be faithful witnesses to the Good News of Jesus. We are called to be faithful to our identity as a ministry of the Church, despite any hardship that might include (persons rejecting us or making false accusations about what/who we are). We must be ever vigilant to follow our mission and vision even if others may tempt us to do something else more expedient. More importantly, we must be faithful to being there for the least of our brothers and sisters -- the poor -- regardless of public opinion or political correctness.
NOTE: Please keep the people of the Gulf Coast in your prayers....Visit our national website for information about the response of Catholic Charities USA and local agencies.
Some important date(s) this week:
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. 1910-1997. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the tiny woman recognized throughout the world for her work among the poorest of the poor, was beatified October 19, 2003. Born to Albanian parents in what is now Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottoman Empire), Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu was the youngest of the three children who survived. For a time, the family lived comfortably, and her father's construction business thrived. But life changed overnight following his unexpected death.
In 1946, while riding a train to Darjeeling to make a retreat, Sister Teresa heard what she later explained as “a call within a call. The message was clear. I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.” She also heard a call to give up her life with the Sisters of Loreto and, instead, to “follow Christ into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor.” After receiving permission to leave Loreto, establish a new religious community and undertake her new work, she took a nursing course for several months. She returned to Calcutta, where she lived in the slums and opened a school for poor children. Dressed in a white sari and sandals (the ordinary dress of an Indian woman) she soon began getting to know her neighbors—especially the poor and sick—and getting to know their needs through visits. For the next four decades Mother Teresa worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor. Her love knew no bounds. Nor did her energy, as she crisscrossed the globe pleading for support and inviting others to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
(http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/saints/)
PAPAL INTENTIONS:
SEPTEMBER 2008
General:
That those who are forced to leave home and country because of war or oppressive regimes may be supported by Christians in the defense and protection of their rights.
Mission:
That faithful to the sacrament of matrimony every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of others
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit those in prison
7. Bury the dead
See our Catholic Charities website for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog
peace, brian
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