Sunday, August 26, 2012

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of August 26, 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) 






On Sunday, (Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082612.cfm) we read from the Gospel of  John about how some of the disciples were leaving Jesus’ company.  They “murmured” about how hard it was to accept the teachings of Jesus, and to live out his message.  Jesus’ asks his other disciples if they too were going to leave him.  These faithful followers proclaimed that Jesus has “the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”   We also witness how Israel re-commits itself to the  LORD as Joshua reminds them that it was the true God that led them out of slavery and brought them liberation.  The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians that husbands and wives are to practice a new morality: love and respect each other as temples of the Spirit.  

In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , as a ministry of the Church, we sometimes hear persons “murmur” about why our Catholic identity is so important to us.  This identification of our agency as “Catholic Charities” deeply embeds in our work, philosophy, practices and goals, that we are a ministry of the Church, called upon to help organize love (see Deus Caritas Est, par 20       http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html   ).  Sometimes witnessing to the teachings of the Church may seem difficult for persons to understand or follow.  But like those Apostles, we are committed to proclaiming the Good News of God’s love -- both in charity and in justice -- despite hardships and attacks.  We are called to be that witness for, and behalf of,all of our clients’ dignity and life.  We answer in the same manner, “to whom shall we go?” if not with the LORD.



Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - Part I - The U.S. Bishops’ Reflection On Catholic Teaching And Political Life

http://www.usccb.org/images/USCCB.gif

How Does the Church Help the Catholic Faithful to Speak About Political and Social Questions?

Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

 

52. The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation. Employers contribute to the common good through the services or products they provide and by creating jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers—to productive work, to decent and just wages, to adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the opportunity for legal status for immigrant workers, to private property, and to economic initiative. Workers also have responsibilities—to provide a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employers, and unions should not only advance their own interests, but also work together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all.


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.



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TUESDAY August 28  St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: Many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner turned saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience.
There quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother, the instructions of Ambrose and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love.
Having been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned, with a holy fierceness, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent—politically, socially, morally. He was both feared and loved, like the Master. The perennial criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism.
In his day, he providentially fulfilled the office of prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).




CHARITIES NEWSBYTES

VOICE OF HOPE

Catholic Charities will be hosting its 15th Annual Voice of Hope Dinner at the Maronite Center, Youngstown, on Friday, September 14, 2012. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m., with a gourmet buffet dinner provided by Mr. Anthony’s at 6:30 p.m. This year’s program features a Chinese auction, live entertainment and the presentation of the Voice of Hope Awards to the following:

Mrs. Dorothy Stoessner, Ravenna
SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish, Warren
SS. John & Paul School, Ashtabula
Sister Edwardine Baznik, SJSM, Louisville

For tickets or sponsorship information, visit Catholic Charities’ website at www.ccdoy.org.
ll questions can be directed to Nikole Baringer, Catholic Charities’ Fund Raising Specialist, at  330-744-8451, ext. 323.


FIRST STEP FOR CHANGE

Catholic Charities will launch its 9th annual First Step for Change campaign the weekend of September 8-9, 2012. Participating families are asked to return their bottles to church the weekend of October 13-14, 2012. (dates are flexible)  All Catholic Charities Service sites are approved drop-off locations. Please store bottles and/or money and checks in a safe location and contact Nikole Baringer, 330-744-8451 ext. 323 to make arrangements for pick-up by the Diocesan Office. Parishes are encouraged but not required to count and roll the change. We have coin counters at our office to do so as needed.

 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   August 2012

General Intention: That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity

Missionary Intention: Youth Witness to Christ. That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth.


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



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 http://www.ccdoy.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/
 

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of August 26, 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, (Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ) we read from the Gospel of  John about Jesus’ message that He is truly the living Bread and Cup that feeds and quenches all of our hungers and thirsts.  It is Jesus that gives us life, abundant life at that.  We read in Proverbs how all are welcome in God’s home, where abundance is provided.  We hear from the Letter to the Ephesians that now that we have experienced this joy-filled food and drink, we must share with others through our lives -- in our actions, and by our constant thanksgiving to God.  The Eucharistic model reminds that we share what we receive:  what do we really share?  That God loves us and has sent His Son to be that love, incarnate.


In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , as a ministry of Jesus in the Church, we share that life that we know abundantly with those who come to us each day sharing their own gifts and   seeking help with other needs.  We have seen many new faces coming for assistance with funds to help provide food for their families trying to keep their families in tact and living in dignity.  Hunger is a reality in our own Diocesan region, as well as in the state, nation and world.  Jesus’ shares His life with us, modeling for us unconditional love.  That love can be seen as we share our bread and water with those around us, especially the poor.  The Eucharistic Feast, based in our thanksgiving to God for His great gifts, models for us our services in Catholic Charities:  come, find welcome, find refreshment, find love made real.  Catholic Charities provides that help and hope that Jesus calls us to offer.



Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - Part I - The U.S. Bishops’ Reflection On Catholic Teaching And Political Life

http://www.usccb.org/images/USCCB.gif

How Does the Church Help the Catholic Faithful to Speak About Political and Social Questions?

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

50. While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst. In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (see Mt 25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the "least among us." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

  Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since    her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere. (no. 2448)

51. Pope Benedict XVI has taught that "love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel" (Deus Caritas Est, no. 22). This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond—unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression.



Some important date(s) this week:

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




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THURSDAY AUGUST 23.  St. Rose of Lima
(1586-1617)
The first canonized saint of the New World has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive practice of mortification.
She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems to have taken Catherine of Siena (April 29) as a model, in spite of the objections and ridicule of parents and friends.

The saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying out of a conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of thorns.


When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. So deep was her desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in solitude.


During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly and the sick. This was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who could only say that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood ridicule from without, violent temptation and lengthy periods of sickness. When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying her coffin.


CHARITIES NEWSBYTES

August 26.  Help support HMHP Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Care Center through participating in the Panerathon.   http://doy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184%3Apanerathon&catid=45%3Astandalone&Itemid=95


 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   August 2012

General Intention: That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity

Missionary Intention: Youth Witness to Christ. That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth.


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



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 http://www.ccdoy.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/
 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of August 12, 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, (Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time,  http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081212.cfm) we read from the Gospel of  John continuing Jesus’ dialogue about being the “bread from heaven.”  Jesus identifies that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.  Jesus witnesses that He is “the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  Truly an encounter with the Lord gives life, abundant life.  This bread, this sharing, is celebrated each day in the Eucharist.   Christ is truly present among us.  This Eucharist gives us the food we need on our journey, just like the prophet Elijah needed that we hear about in the first reading from 1 Kings.  This food sustains our work each day.


In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , we continue to assist persons, families and communities to find ways to obtain their food security.  As a ministry of the Church, Catholic Charities lives out this Eucharistic call to provide life, and life abundantly.  Through a generous grant from the Wal Mart Foundation to our Catholic Charities’ Regional Agency, we will be working with local providers to build our local capacity to provide long term food security.  Yet we know, that even though we may provide needed food stuffs to those in need, our most important gift is the sign of love we give each person and family who walks into our offices.  The Eucharistic banquet calls us to live out our love of God and love of neighbor in concrete ways.  The sharing of food points to our common humanity under God.




Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - Part I - The U.S. Bishops’ Reflection On Catholic Teaching And Political Life

http://www.usccb.org/images/USCCB.gif

How Does the Church Help the Catholic Faithful to Speak About Political and Social Questions?

Rights and Responsibilities

49. Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met. Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible, and a right to access to those things required for human decency—food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing, freedom of religion and family life. The right to exercise religious freedom publicly and privately by individuals and institutions along with freedom of conscience need to be constantly defended. In a fundamental way, the right to free expression of religious beliefs protects all other rights. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities—to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. Rights should be understood and exercised in a moral framework rooted in the dignity of the human person.






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.




http://iac.cgu.edu/tune/assumption.jpg
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15.  Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” The pope proclaimed this dogma only after a broad consultation of bishops, theologians and laity. There were few dissenting voices. What the pope solemnly declared was already a common belief in the Catholic Church.
We find homilies on the Assumption going back to the sixth century. In following centuries the Eastern Churches held steadily to the doctrine, but some authors in the West were hesitant. However, by the 13th century there was universal agreement. The feast was celebrated under various names (Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption) from at least the fifth or sixth century. Today it is celebrated as a solemnity.
Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. Nevertheless, Revelation 12 speaks of a woman who is caught up in the battle between good and evil. Many see this woman as God’s people. Since Mary best embodies the people of both Old and New Testament, her Assumption can be seen as an exemplification of the woman’s victory.
Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 15:20 Paul speaks of Christ’s resurrection as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of Jesus’ life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to belief in Mary’s share in his glorification. So close was she to Jesus on earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven.





CHARITIES NEWSBYTES

August 26.  Help support HMHP Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Care Center through participating in the Panerathon.   http://doy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184%3Apanerathon&catid=45%3Astandalone&Itemid=95






 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   August 2012

General Intention: That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity

Missionary Intention: Youth Witness to Christ. That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth.


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



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/