The Best Version of Yourself - Matthew Kelly

There are many things that people cannot agree on at this moment in history. Our culture and communities are increasingly divided by differing opinions and a whole range of issues. Be this as it may be, we believe that all men and woman of good will can agree that each man, woman, and child should have the resources and opportunities to explore, celebrate, and become the-best-version-of-themselves. We are committed to providing resources that educate and inspire people to become a-better-version-of-themselves each and every day. 

Mathew Kelly shares his first-rate ideas of how we can regenerate interest and engagement among Catholics today. In his (entertaining) RE Congress workshop, he discusses some game-changers and teaches us what we can do differently in our life and in our parish. Take the time to watch this incredible video by one of the great spiritual voices of our times.

Eight hundred years ago, a young man searching for meaning in his life went into a dilapidated old church and heard the voice of God speak to him: "Rebuild my church. As you can see, it is in ruins." If you and I listen carefully, I believe we will hear the same voice saying the same thing in our hearts today.

Francis's first response was to repair and rebuild a number of churches in and around Assisi, but the voice kept calling to him: "Francis, rebuild my church. As you can see it is in ruins."

Over the past twenty-five years, we have spent a lot of time, energy, and money building and restoring the physical facilities of our churches. But the voice of God continues to call to us. Once again, God is saying, "Rebuild my church," and the rebuilding that needs to be done now is of the spiritual nature.~ Rediscover Catholicism-A  spiritual guide to living with passion & purpose, by Matthew Kelly

Lenten Video Series - Easter Sunday

Lenten Video Series: Good Friday

GOD: Still Bigger than the Rifleman

Am I the last person in the world to know that CBS is planning  a remake of the 1958 black & white television series, The Rifleman?  And why the heck would I post about this on our Parish blog?

The Rifleman, in case you are not familiar with the show, takes place in the 1880s and follows a widowed Civil War hero, Lucas McCain, as he builds a new life for himself and his young son, Mark, in the wilds of New Mexico Territory.  He got his nickname because of his amazing skills with his specially modified rifle, an 1892 Winchester. 

In case you are wondering how I know these things, let me explain that I am a die hard fan of this fictional hero.  And, yes, I own the DVD version of the series.  All 168 episodes.  I can now watch hours of uninterrupted Rifleman.   At least in theory I could, if I actually had hours of uninterrupted time.  But I digress.

Unlike its contemporaries, such as Gunsmoke, where a strong but unemotional Matt Dillon maintains law and order with a firm hand and a fast gun; or Bonanza, with Ben Cartwright, father and figurehead, issuing an occasional edict, but leaving most of the action to his sons, there is a much greater appeal to the Rifleman, at least in my opinion

 While Lucas McCain is indeed a hero of epic proportions, he is also a loving father.  One who is not ashamed to grab his son and plant a big kiss on him after a harrowing experience.  A father who is wise and uses his wisdom to convey decent human values to his son.  He allows his son to make decisions, and to make mistakes; but he is always available to provide guidance and support.  He is strong and powerful, but never uses violence to prove a point, even when it would be easy, even when it would bring a quick end to the problem.  And when the Rifleman does bust a move on the bad guys?  He takes care of the problem, once and for all.  Plus, he’s not afraid to quote the Bible during teaching moments.

I had a friend who once told me she couldn’t identify with a loving God, a Father who cherished  her beyond all measure, because she had never experienced that type of love as a child.  Her own father had abandoned the family, and she often felt the sting of her stepfather’s cruel sense of humor.  Thus, her image of Father was closer to one of stern king, pitching lightning bolts as punishment for insignificant transgressions.   

I have often pondered the possibilities of using an image of the Rifleman as a tangible figure of our loving Father in Heaven.  Our God is all-powerful, easily able to vanquish His enemies, and yet he prefers to turn our hearts to Him in love, rather than to force submission through fear.  He loves us with a love that surpasses human understanding.  We all know that the Lord has the power to destroy His enemies, but how much more does he love to win our hearts.  His love for us is unconditional.

Will CBS remain true to the original Rifleman?  Or will this become simply another casualty to the bloody, violent television programming some people consider more realistic?  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  In the meantime, I’m happy to watch my 168 episodes, in black and white  and free of commercial interruption, and be grateful for my own loving Father in Heaven.  And while I’m at it, maybe I’ll buy my friend a copy of the old DVDs

Have you ever experienced something that helped you better understand some aspect of your faith?  I’d love to hear about it.

The Triduum

The Triduum is an excellent example that the law of belief and doctrine is founded upon the law of prayer and worship (lex orandi, lex credendi). Let me explain. The Catholic Church teaches that the services of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Saturday's Easter Vigil are not to be considered as three different Masses but rather as one Mass.

Note that, in honor of ancient Israel where a day begins and ends at sunset, we start the Mass before sunset on Thursday.

Thursday's service includes the foot-washing ceremony, signifying the basis of leadership within the Church, and concludes with Eucharistic adoration in remembrance of our Lord's prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

On Friday, we remember the actual cruxifixion with the Stations of the Cross at 3pm and then at the Good Friday service at 7pm we venerate the cross, celebrating the glorious work of God for our salvation. As Saint Paul says, "Christ, and Him crucified".

On Saturday, we begin the Easter Vigil at 8:30pm so that it will not conclude until after sunset, i.e. on Sunday morning according to traditional timekeeping, as we celebrate our Lord's resurrection 'on the third day' and welcome new catechumens into the Church.

Thus the Church keeps together in one celebration, in one Mass, the interrelated events which various groups outside the fullness of the Catholic Church sometimes have a tendency to separate, giving undue significance to one component or another.

The Triduum is the highpoint of our liturgical year and so the several Masses on Easter Sunday are a reflection of this, not so much anticlimactic as an aesthetically proper easing at the conclusion of the drama of the work of God for us.

Easter and Holy Week Activities

With Easter just a week away, many of us are looking for great ideas on how to incorporate Easter activities into our daily lives. Catholic Icing is a resource for Easter and many other religious holidays. Not only that, it’s a resource for fun faith filled activities for any day of the week.  Holidays, sacraments, liturgical year, saints, and the Rosary are all highlighted. At Catholic Icing you'll find great crafts and ideas to help us to incorporate our Catholic faith into our daily lives. 

Here are some of the Easter highlights:

Make a Resurrection Set (Free to Print!)

How to Make Resurrection Rolls

Make Empty Tomb Treats from a Doughnut!

Have a meaningful Easter dinner with these Resurrectionstory napkin rings. (Free to Print!)

Craft a Paschal Candle for Easter

Printable Lenten Calendar

Stations of the Cross Eggs

"Almsgiving Countdown for Kids"

Catholic Resurrection Eggs or "Holy Week Eggs"

Easy Crown of Thorns Craft to Keep Track of Sacrifices


About the author of Catholic Icing 

Lacy:

I love the Catholic faith and want nothing more than for my children to share this passion. I hope you find some ideas here for your own Catholic family or students to grow with their love for the faith as well!

More about Lacy

Lenten Video Series, Palm Sunday