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CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES
for our STELLA MARIS
Family of Parishes
including:
St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette,
St. Mary & St. Peter
January 21
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Welcome to the online and free newsletter
--Catholic Faith At Home--
for all Stella Maris Parishioners!
It is scheduled to be delivered electronically on Fridays
helping to prepare you for weekend Masses and events.
Enjoy a variety of ways to strengthen and share your faith.
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SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
JANUARY 21, 2024
“He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45).
The Sunday of the Word of God was instituted by
Pope Francis in 2019 and is observed
on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
“A Sunday given over entirely to the Word of God,
so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches
contained in that constant dialogue
between the Lord and his people.
Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the Word of God
can enable the Church to experience anew
how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his Word
and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.”
(From: Aperuit Illis 2)
Note: Aperuit illis is an apostolic letter, by Pope Francis, issued "motu proprio"
on September 30, 2019, the Feast of Saint Jerome,
instituting the annual observance of the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
as "Sunday of the Word of God", devoted to the
celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God.
Click below to discover 10 points for fruitful Scripture reading:
FRUITFUL SCRIPTURAL READING
Click below to read about the practice of Lectio Divina:
WHAT IS LECTIO DIVINA?
Click the link below to journey with Fr. Mike Schmidt as he takes you through the Bible:
BIBLE IN A YEAR WITH FR. MIKE
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NEW ON FORMED: THE CATHOLIC PARENT
The Catholic Parent encourages moms and dads
as they embrace their God-given role
to form their kids in the Catholic faith.
It features real parents telling real stories:
Sunday Mass, praying as a family, Confession,
sacrifice, generosity, and more.
This six-episode series features real Catholic families
like yours sharing their daily struggles and victories.
Click below to watch the captivating trailer:
THE CATHOLIC PARENT TRAILER
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THE PATH TO HEALING
OUR BROKEN HEARTS
In the 17-part virtual workshop, Fr. Shawn Monahan
offers a message of hope and healing,
helping you to recognize and overcome
heart-breaking events in your life and accept God’s love.
You’ll take away an awareness of your own brokenness,
devoid of any shame or discouragement.
Beyond that awareness, Fr. Shawn will show you how
to leverage your emotional and spiritual wounds
as a path to the Lord’s compassionate love,
which is the source of deep penetrating healing.
Click the link below to watch the trailer:
THE PATH TO HEALING OUR BROKEN HEARTS
Click the link below to read more about this workshop and to register:
THE PATH TO HEALING
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ANSWERING KIDS
TOUGHEST QUESTIONS
A Webinar with Julianne Stanz
January 25, 2024
10:00–11:00 a.m. central
Raising a Catholic family can be challenging,
especially when it comes to discussing faith with our children.
Sometimes we all need a little encouragement and tips
on how to address issues of faith
respectfully, honestly, and accurately.
Join author and mother Julianne Stanz as she shares
wisdom, strategies, and tools to help parents, grandparents,
and other caring adults respond to children’s
questions about Catholic beliefs, ethics, morality,
and faith practices in a manner that will resonate with them.
Click below to register for this free webinar:
ANSWERING KIDS QUESTIONS
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LOOKING FOR A
BIBLE STUDY
TO DO
INDIVIDUALLY
OR WITH FRIENDS?
Click the link below to browse catalogs with featured studies:
LITTLE ROCK SCRIPTURE STUDIES
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NOVENA PRAYERS
OUR LADY OF GOOD SUCCESS
STARTS: JANUARY 24
ENDS: FEBRUARY 2
Hail Mary, Most Holy, Beloved Daughter of God the Father
Through the intercession of Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres,
grant thy good success to this request.
(mention your intentions here)
Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Hail Mary, Most Holy, Admirable Mother of God the Son
Through the intercession of Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres,
grant thy good success to this request.
(mention your intentions here)
Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be
Saint Gabriel, pray for us.
Hail Mary, Most Holy, Most Faithful Spouse of the Holy Spirit
Through the intercession of Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres,
grant thy good success to this request.
(mention your intentions here)
Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
Hail Mary, Most Holy, Temple and Sacrarium of the Most Holy Trinity.
St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, pray for us.
Our Lady of Good Success, thou who art the all-powerful
intercessor before the Most Holy Trinity,
deign to hear and answer my request
- so long as it contributes to the salvation of my soul
and the glory and exaltation of Holy Mother Church.
Hail holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life,
our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning
and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this our exile show unto us the
blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.
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RESPECT LIFE NOVENA
START: JANUARY 20
END: JANUARY 29
Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation
with splendor and beauty, and fashion
human lives in your image and likeness.
Awaken in every heart reverence for the
work of your hands, and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
Amen
Concluding Prayer
Our Father
3 Hail Marys
Glory Be
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Sometimes considered “the most difficult prayer,”
the Litany of Humility
has a powerful way of piercing one’s heart.
Like other litanies, the Litany of Humility is a simple
series of pleas for intercession.
In this particular prayer, we beg Our Lord to grant us
radical humility, no matter how difficult that may be.
And it is indeed difficult.
Throughout the Litany of Humility,
one finds oneself actively asking to be placed in situations
the rest of the world would avoid.
One asks to go unnoticed, to be set aside, to be decreased,
humiliated, suspected, wronged, and even forgotten…
While these instances may seem undesirable,
the humility necessary to embrace the discomfort
of these situations is transformative.
By actively choosing to forego the false glories of our culture,
we free ourselves to choose the true glory found in following the will of God.
The Litany of Humility
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Amen.
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NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
NEW WEEKLY INFO
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEW DETAILS NOW AVAILABLE
The wait is over! 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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You’re Invited:
Enter the National Eucharistic Art Competition!
Art and faith have always shared a profound connection.
For the viewer, sacred art offers a unique way
to explore the beauty and truth of
our faith expressed in a visual way.
This is so powerful that many Catholics engage
in a prayer method called visio divina as a part of their regular practice.
For the artist, this expression of creativity
can be both an act of worship and a way to mirror the Creator
in whose image we were made.
In partnership with St. Edmund’s Sacred Art Institute,
we are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for artists
across the nation:
the National Eucharistic Art Competition.…
Click below to learn more about how you can enter the competition:
ENTER THE ART COMPETITION
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In the Streets
Another major moment in the Revival:
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
one of the largest Eucharistic pilgrimages in history!
We will process with our Eucharistic Lord on 4 routes,
departing from our nation's north, south, east, and west edges.
These branches will meet in Indianapolis in July 2024
for the National Eucharistic Congress.
To see the four routes, and intercessor for each, click below:
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE ROUTES
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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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.
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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
Worship with Matt Maher
By now, you’ve heard plenty of reasons to make the
trip to the National Eucharistic Congress.
Well, here’s one more:
Grammy-nominated Catholic artist Matt Maher
will lead us in worship on Saturday night!
The event will also feature the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit,
Mass with a papal delegate, an epic Eucharistic procession throughout the city,
music from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and so much more!
Today through January 31, you can get 10% off your pass
with code EMMANUEL at checkout.
What are you waiting for?
Click the link below:
REGISTRATION
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QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK
Why does the priest put water into the wine? ?
Scroll down to find the answer!
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HUMOR
HIGHLIGHT
Adam's Counter Offer
God looks down and notices that Adam is all alone
while all the animals have companions,
so he decides to create a companion for man as well.
He comes to see Adam and says to him,
"Adam, you are my greatest creation and therefore,
I am going to create for you the ultimate companion.
She will worship the very ground you walk on,
she will long for you and no other,
she will be highly intelligent,
she will wait on you hand and foot and obey your every command,
she will be beautiful,
and all it will cost you is an arm and a leg."
Thinking for a few moments, Adam replies,
"What could I get for a rib?"
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GOSPEL READING REFLECTION
For January 21, 2024
3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Mk 1:14-20
CONTRITION
- Since Jesus Christ is the king of the kingdom of God, wherever he is, the kingdom of God is present. This is why “the kingdom of God is at hand.” Christ is in it but the inhabitants of Galilee have not entered.
- How do people enter the kingdom of God? They do so by repenting of their sins and believing in the gospel, which is the person and message of Christ, the king of the kingdom of God.
- A person is prepared to believe in the gospel by repentance, by inwardly and outwardly turning away from sin. It is like sweeping out a dirty room and then putting things in order.
- Then the act of faith can be made. This act of faith is prompted by outward evidence of some kind and the inner promptings of God’s grace.
- The nature of the kingdom of God is that it is extended person to person. So Christ calls his first apostles, who as his co-workers will call others.
- Eventually, the contours of the kingdom of God will become clearer and we will see the reality of the Church on earth, with her hierarchical structure, her doctrines, and her sacraments.
Doctrine: The act of contrition
- The words of a traditional act of contrition are a good way to understand the remedy for our sins.
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
- O MY GOD—My act of contrition is addressed not just to the omniscient and omnipotent God but to “my God” with whom I am in a covenant because of my Baptism. God and I belong to each other intimately by his choice irrevocably and my choice which I’m often revoking by my sins.
- I am heartily sorry—Whether or not I “feel” the emotion of sorrow, whether or not I shed tears or have a lump in my throat, my will is that my sorrow is from the core of my being, and in Biblical language, that place is called the heart.
- For having offended Thee— In many cases my “I’m sorry” should be made also to those human beings I have offended. However, my contrition is first addressed to God because my “sin sets itself against God’s love” for me and turns my heart “away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become ‘like gods,’ knowing and determining good and evil.” (CCC 1850 quoting Gen 3:5) As St. Augustine put it, sin is “love of oneself even to contempt of God” (CCC 1850).
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And I detest all my sins—Here is the turning away or aversion to sin. The Council of Trent defined contrition as “a sorrow of soul and a hatred of sin committed, with a firm purpose of not sinning in the future.”
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Because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell—This is an expression of imperfect, but sufficient, contrition. Imperfect contrition “arises principally from . . . motives such as loss of heaven, fear of hell, the heinousness of sin” and so on. I see that my ‘love of self to contempt of God’ is an absurd, foolish, and deadly revolt. The inhabitants of Nineveh probably repented out of fear of destruction.
- But most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love—This is perfect contrition. God is both all-good in himself and all-good to me. I am sorry because I have not returned love for love.
- I firmly resolve—Repentance is an act of the will. My repentance is not real if I do not decide to act.
- With the help of Thy grace—Here I acknowledge that even though I choose God again, I need God’s help to make this choice itself and to act on it. Both imperfect and perfect contrition are “a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1453). So, what are these acts? They are confession, penance and amendment of life.
- To confess my sins—Mortal sins must be confessed as soon as possible according to kind and number. Venial sins and even imperfections that lead to sins may be confessed as well.
- Do penance—I promise to do the (usually) small penance the priest imposes on me. The difference between the offense of sin and the penance imposed is incommensurate, which underlines the goodness and mercy of God. I also live the seasons and days of penance in the liturgical year (CCC 1428) and undertake other forms of interior and exterior penance (CCC 1427-1439).
- And to amend my life—Firm purpose of amendment is necessary for forgiveness. My intention is to never do again what I am sorry for. The fact that I may do it again doesn’t negate my intention. Neither does the knowledge that I am very likely to do it again due to my weakness.
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ANSWER TO QUIZ
Why does the priest
put water into the wine? ?
This central reality of Christian life is recalled at every Mass
by a gesture from the priest.
As he dilutes the wine
intended for consecration with a small amount of water,
the minister prays under his breath:
"By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
The archbishop emeritus of Toulouse, Robert Le Gall,
explains in his Dictionary of Liturgy that putting
water into wine is first and foremost a very practical
gesture originating in Jewish liturgy.
On feast days, the wine
— often very strong in those arid, sun-drenched lands —
is diluted before drinking.
The origin of this practice is a reminder that the
institution of the Eucharist is rooted
in the festive meals of the people of Israel.
Beyond the symbolism evoked
joining our humanity to Christ’s divinity,
the cup also symbolizes the union of the two natures
(human and divine) in the person of Christ.
During his offering on the Cross, his two natures
truly give themselves out of love.
This love was already manifested on Golgotha
by the water and blood that gushed from the pierced side,
and which are also symbolized in the chalice
filled with wine to which the minister adds a dash of water.
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BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
We need to be armed for battle!
At all times, and especially during these crazy times in this vale of tears,
we need to lay our foundation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual reading helps us build and strengthen that foundation.
Order through your favorite book dealer.
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This week's recommendation is:
Everybody Evangelizes
About Something
BY
Matthew Kelly
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Everybody evangelizes about something.
Some people evangelize about their favorite
restaurant or vacation destination.
Others evangelize about a politician or political agenda.
In this powerful book, Matthew Kelly reveals
the challenges and steps needed to evangelize
about the most important thing of all:
The Gospel.
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We pray you will be excited to embark on purposeful
spiritual reading as a way to build a more prayer-filled,
Christ centered life.
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