MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of January 15, 2012

 
Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope. 

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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.

KEY VALUE: Hospitality

WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20) 

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On Sunday (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time,  http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011512.cfm   ) we read in the Gospel of  John about Jesus continuing to invite new followers as His Apostles.  His friends know that Jesus is the One to follow and to know. His Presence brings joy.  In this Gospel reading, Jesus embraces Simon as a new disciple with a new name: Peter or “Rock.”  We hear in the first reading from the Book of Samuel how this young man hears God’s word and feels his Presence, and ultimately says “here I am, Lord.” We are all called to respond to God’s Word with openness and confidence.

In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org ,  we continue to reply to the call of God to be open and ready to welcome all those who seek assistance and support.  As Catholic Charities we help bring that Presence to life as we work to bring Good News to our clients’ lives.  We are glad to be there to help others -- we repeat each day, “here we are, Lord” we are open and ready to do your work.  


Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace
TOWARDS REFORMING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND MONETARY SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL PUBLIC AUTHORITY, October 24, 2011


A supranational Institution, the expression of a “community of nations”, will not last long, however, if the countries’ diversities from the standpoint of cultures, material and immaterial resources and historic and geographic conditions, are not recognized and fully respected. The lack of a convinced consensus, nourished by an unceasing moral communion on the part of the world community, would also reduce the effectiveness of such an Authority.

What is valid on the national level is also valid on the global level. A person is not made to serve authority unconditionally. Rather, it is the task of authority to be at the service of the person, consistent with the pre-eminent value of human dignity. Likewise, governments should not serve the world Authority unconditionally. Instead, it is the world Authority that should put itself at the service of the various member countries, according to the principle of subsidiarity. Among the ways it should do this is by creating the socio-economic, political and legal conditions essential for the existence of markets that are efficient and efficacious because they are not over-protected by paternalistic national policies and not weakened by systematic deficits in public finances and of the gross national products – indeed, such policies and deficits actually hamper the markets themselves in operating in a world context as open and competitive institutions.
 


Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx

See website for biographies of Saints and Blessed celebrated this week.



JANUARY is Campaign to Reduce Poverty Month
With 15 percent of all Americans, including nearly 1 in 4 children, living in poverty, the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD) of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is renewing its poverty awareness campaign, Poverty USA, in January.

“Our culture of life begins with a love that binds us to the hopes and joys, the struggles and the sorrows of people, especially those who are poor or any way afflicted,” said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, chairman of the bishops’ domestic anti-poverty effort, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). “We march with immigrant families toward a society made stronger and safer by their inclusion. We embrace the mother and her unborn child, giving to both of them hope and opportunity. We measure our own health by the quality of care we give to those most vulnerable. We labor with those whose work is burdensome.”

The campaign will promote awareness about domestic poverty with updated statistics on the Poverty USA landing page on the USCCB website (www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/povertyusa/), as well as resources including an interactive poverty tour and a newly-launched presence on Facebook (www.facebook.com/povertyusa).


MONDAY January 16.  Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   Check local newspapers for various community events.  One such event will be a Community Workshop on Poverty, First Presbyterian Church, Wick Ave, Youngstown from 9AM to noon.


SATURDAY January 21   Mass for Life.  The Diocese of Youngstown Mass for Life will be held at St. Columba Cathedral, 144 W. Wood Street Youngstown OH at 12:00 noon.  For more information visit http://cathdoy.org/files/Scroller/Poster2012.pdf



SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

THANK YOU for your generous contributions to the Catholic Charities' annual Keep the Kids Warm campaign -- an important effort to raise utility assistance funds for families served by Catholic Charities throughout the Diocese of Youngstown. One hundred percent (100%) of all funds raised through this effort are returned to the county in which they were collected to help meet needs in the donor's own community. Thank you for your consideration of a donation now.  http://www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org/ccdoy-238.html

 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   JANUARY 2012

General Intention: Victims of Natural Disasters.
That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives.

Missionary Intention: Dedication to Peace.
That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will.

Corporal Works of Mercy:  The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Clothe the naked Shelter the homeless Visit the sick Visit those in prison Bury the dead

Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889 
FACEBOOK GROUP https://www.facebook.com/pages/Catholic-Charities-Diocese-of-Youngstown/138817639487339
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. 

See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.    
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at:  http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/