CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES

for our STELLA MARIS

Family of Parishes

including:

St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette,

St. Mary & St. Peter

February 25

START SOMEWHERE CHALLENGE

GET BACK INTO SPIRITUAL SHAPE

The Start Somewhere Challenge at Stella Maris invites all Catholics

to attend at least one Eucharistic event

(Mass, quiet prayer in a church, a talk, a concert)

between February and July 2024.

There’s plenty to choose from because we’re

launching our own Eucharistic Revival.

Click the link below to watch Brad Bursa explain this challenge:

BRAD DISCUSSES STARTING SOMEWHERE

Click the link below to learn more about the

Stella Maris Eucharistic Revival opportunities:

STELLA MARIS EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL 2024

UPCOMING SURRENDER INITIATIVES

EUCHARISTIC SAINTS

A LENTEN TALK SERIES

Every saint loved the Eucharist, but some saints

expressed a particular devotion to the Eucharist.

This Lenten talk series for our Stella Maris Family

will peer into the mystery of the Eucharist

through the life of a saint and that saint’s devotion.

Each talk will be followed by a time for Q&A

with the speaker and a wine and cheese reception.

Save the dates! Each event will begin at 7pm.

Feb. 21 @ St. Peter w/ Fr. Tim Ralston — Bl. Carlo Acutis
Feb. 28 @ St. Thomas More w/ Brad Bursa — Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Mar. 6 @ St. Mary w/ Mother Marie-Cécile, OCD — St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Mar. 13 @ St. Bernadette w/ Mother Seraphina Marie, FDM — St. Clare of Assisi

Click the link below to see the Talk Series:

EUCHARISTIC SAINTS TALKS

EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES EXHIBITION

Stella Maris will be hosting Bl. Carlo Acutis’ Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition

from Feb. 16-Mar. 17, with panels split between the four churches.

Travel from one of our parishes to the next to “catch them all!”

Due to space constraints and constant facility usage,

we are unable to have all of the panels displayed

in one location for the whole month.

The best way to view the maximum number of panels

will be visiting each church during a scheduled Mass/adoration/reconciliation time,

or attending each of the Eucharistic Saints talks

four consecutive Wednesday nights from Feb. 21-Mar. 13.

Click the link below to learn more about this Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition:

CARLOS ACUTIS EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES EXHIBITION

IMPORTANCE OF SILENCE IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

"Mother Teresa had a

profound understanding

of silence and its importance.

She once said:

'We need to find God, and he cannot be

found in noise and restlessness.

God is the friend of silence.

See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence;

see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence.'

This Lent, would you like to surrender your will to God?

Click the link below and learn how to

make silence a priority in your life:

WHY SILENCE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY

IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

THE SEVEN SORROW OF MARY

VIDEO REFLECTIONS

This Lent the Cincinnati Archdiocese

has prepared gift for you:

video reflections on the

Seven Sorrows of Mary,

one video for each week of Lent.

These videos are short and spiritually fruitful.

Each of our newly ordained priests collaborated

with us on this project, so it’s an opportunity

for you to meet them as well.

This week’s reflection is from Fr. Alex Dugas

from the Eastside Family of Parishes

(St. Cecilia & St. Mary in Cincinnati).

Click the link below to watch Fr. Alex's reflection:

FR. ALEX'S REFLECTION

A NEW CATHOLIC APP

The world is noisy—

take refuge on the new app called Vineyard!

Social media, fake news, AI, data privacy… In an ocean of over-stimulation, Vineyard offers a secluded alternative.

Part meditative, part social, Vineyard is a

sanctuary for virtuous content,

conversation, and contemplation, centered on balance.

Click the link below to check it out:

VINEYARD

NOVENA PRAYERS

Sts Perpetua and Felicity Novena

STARTS: FEBRUARY 26

ENDS: MARCH 7

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were Christian martyrs

who lived during the early persecution of the Church

in Africa by the Emperor Severus.

With details concerning the lives of many early martyrs unclear

and often based on legend, we are fortunate

to have the actual record of the courage of

Perpetua and Felicity from the hand of Perpetua herself,

her teacher Saturus, and others who knew them.

This account, known as "The Passion of St. Perpetua,

St. Felicitas, and their Companions,"

was so popular in the early centuries that it was read during liturgies.

Sts Perpetua and Felicity are Patron saints of mothers,

expectant mothers, widows, ranchers and butchers.

Click the link below to learn more about these two martyrs:

STS. PERPETUA AND FELICITY

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O God, at the urging of whose love the Martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity defied their persecutors and overcame the torment of death, grant, we ask, by their prayers, that we may ever grow in your love.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

V. You have crowned them with glory and honor, O Lord.

R. And have set them over the works of your hands.

Grant, we beseech you, O Lord our God, that we may venerate with unceasing devotion the triumphs of your holy Martyrs, Perpetua and Felicity; and although we cannot pay them the honor that is their due, may we at least present to them our humble homage.

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory Be

Sts Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us!

AMEN

SPECIAL PRAYERS

2024 YEAR OF PRAYER

The Vatican presented initiatives to

"rediscover the value of prayer"

during the 2024 Year of Prayer

in preparation of the Jubilee 2025.

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The prayer for this week during this Year of Prayer

comes straight from the heart of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini.

One of the chief penitential practices of Lent

— almsgiving —

is a way that we make a gift of self for the good of others

— an offering of self-donation.

This desire fueled the holiness of this zealous

missionary saint, and this prayer can be great

fuel for our Lenten journey.

Jesus, I feel myself dying of love of you.

It is a great sorrow for me,

a slow martyrdom not to be

able to do more for you.

O my Lord!

Stretch every fiber of my being,

dear Lord, that I may more easily

fly towards you;

give me work to do so that I

may lead souls to your divine heart.

Amen

For Peace in the Middle East

Click the link below for several prayers for Israel

and also a list of the names of the hostages!!

PRAYERS FOR ISRAEL AND HOSTAGES NAMES

NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

NEW WEEKLY INFO

Alive in Christ: Martyrs of the Eucharist

This short docu-drama offers a compelling account

of the first Christians and their courageous struggle

to uphold their faith in the midst of

persecution by the Roman Empire.

The centrality of the Eucharist in the Early Church

is seen through the witness of two saints,

Ignatius of Antioch and Justin Martyr.

Click below to watch a video of their witness:

MARTYRS OF THE EUCHARIST

Lenten Eucharistic Prayer Companions are ready!

These beautiful prayer guides will help you

keep prayer at the center of your Lenten practices

this year by guiding you in connecting

an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament with the Mass.

Click below to download the Prayer Companion:

LENTEN EUCHARISTIC PRAYER COMPANION

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NEW Revival Special on EWTN In-Depth

Hear from key Revival voices

一including Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Archbishop Charles Thompson,

Will Peterson of Modern Catholic Pilgrim

and Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN一

and learn how the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

and Congress will play a pivotal role in animating the vision of the Revival.

Click the link below for this EWTN Special:

EWTN SPECIAL

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DETAILS AVAILABLE

A daily schedule for the National

Eucharistic Congress is live on our website.

You can now explore what this incredible

experience will look like day by day.

Preview the options for impact sessions in the morning

that speak to your particular vocation and mission.

Then, get excited for the dynamic revival sessions,

when the whole assembly will gather in Lucas Oil Stadium

to experience the power and love of Jesus.

These sessions—and the soon-to-be-announced

afternoon breakout sessions—

will be led by the expansive list of faithful speakers

who will join us in Indianapolis this summer.

Scroll through the updated schedule to

see many powerful opportunities for

encounters with Christ through prayer and the sacraments.

Click the link below for EVENT schedules:

EVENT SCHEDULES

Click the link below for IMPACT Sessions:

IMPACT SESSIONS

Click the link below for the SPEAKERS list:

SPEAKERS LIST

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If you see a link on your device's screen that says,

"View entire message”,

please click that link to continue seeing the entire newsletter.

REGISTRATION INFO FOR THE CONGRESS

WILL YOU BE THERE, TOO?

You can join us!

July, 2024

for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

Directly experience the fruits of your intercession and

see its impact around the country.

Click the link below to REGISTER:

REGISTRATION FOR 10TH

NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE

QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK

HOW DOES A SAINT

BECOME A "GREAT"?

Scroll down to find the answer!

HUMOR

HIGHLIGHT

The Two Brothers

There were two evil brothers.

They were rich, and used their money to keep

their evil ways from the public eye.

They even attended the same church,

and appeared to be perfect Christians.

Then, their pastor retired, and a new one was hired.

Not only could the new pastor see right through the brothers' deception, but he also spoke well and true,

and the church membership grew in numbers.

A fund-raising campaign was started to build a new assembly.

All of a sudden, one of the brothers died.

The remaining brother sought out the new pastor

the day before the funeral and handed him a

check for the amount needed to finish

paying for the new building.

"I have only one condition," he said.

"At the funeral, you must say my brother was a saint."

The pastor gave his word and deposited the check.

The next day, at the funeral, the pastor did not hold back.

"He was an evil man," he said.

"He cheated on his wife and abused his family."

After going on like this, he finally concluded,

"But, compared to his brother,

he was a SAINT."

GOSPEL READING REFLECTION

For February 25, 2024

2ND SUNDAY IN LENT

Mk 9:2-10

GOD WANTS TO BESTOW LIFE

According to Mark, six days before Our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain occurred, Jesus said “there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power” (Mk 9:1).

On the mountain, something of Jesus’ divine nature was revealed to Peter, James, and John.
Our Lord’s clothing became dazzling white.
Moses and Elijah appeared. Usually, they are understood as representing the Law and the prophets, and so, all the promises of the Old Covenant.
Also, there was the cloud, which in the Old Testament Scriptures often indicated the presence of God to the people of Israel. Out of it the three apostles heard the voice of God the Father saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Then on the way down from the mountain, Christ told the three that he, “the Son of Man,” would rise from the dead.

Peter, James, and John witnessed this transfiguration in which for a moment they saw Christ, the King of the kingdom of God, revealed in power. But at the time, they could not grasp the meaning of what they had seen. Peter “hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified” and they questioned among themselves “what rising from the dead meant.”