Let Us Go Rejoicing



View of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, Jordan

In days to come,

the mountain of the LORD’s house

shall be established as the highest mountain

and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it;

many peoples shall come and say:

“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may instruct us in his ways,

and we may walk in his paths.”

Isaiah 2:  2-3

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His Holiness Pope Francis has given to the Church the first official document of his pontificate, the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 1)

“The books of the Old Testament predicted that the joy of salvation would abound in messianic times. The prophet Isaiah exultantly salutes the awaited Messiah: “You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy” (9:3). He exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). The prophet tells those who have already seen him from afar to bring the message to others: “Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem” (40:9). All creation shares in the joy of salvation: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones” (49:13). (Evangelii Gaudium, 4)

It seems appropriate that we have received this gift, The Joy of the Gospel, to “unwrap” as we begin the holy season of Advent.  Can we begin to read and reflect on its richness and relevance in our lives?  Let’s give thanks for God’s great love for us as we listen to His voice in Sacred Scripture and strive to joyfully do His will.

For the complete text of Evangelii Gaudium: 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/synthesis-of-the-apostolic-exhortation-the-joy-of
http://www.news.va/en/news/archbishop-fisichella-presents-the-apostolic-exhor

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Speaking to crowds of pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus on December 1, 2013, His Holiness Pope Francis recalled the passage from the prophet Isaiah who speaks of a time when swords will be broken into plows and nations will live in peace.

And reminding those present that this Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, the Pope pointed out that this is a season that renews “the horizon of hope”. He encouraged the faithful to rediscover the beauty of being on a journey towards the encounter with Jesus and called for the gift of peace.

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-peace-is-possible

 

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For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your ramparts,

prosperity within your towers.”

For the sake of my brothers and friends I say,

“Peace be with you.”

For the sake of the house of the LORD, our God,

I pray for your good.

Psalm 122:  6-9

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Please pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ who strive to share the joy of the Gospel in their homeland, the land of Jesus.  If the Lord is calling you to meet and help the Christians in the Holy Land and/or to go on pilgrimage, please contact k.m.hurley1@gmail.com for more information.  Thank you!  God bless you!

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The Journey of Faith Continues



Statue of Christ
Roof of Saint Peter's Basilica

His Holiness Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass celebrated in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday, 24 November 2013, to mark the Solemnity of Christ the King and close the Year of Faith.

“Today’s solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning of the liturgical year, also marks the conclusion of the Year of Faith opened by Pope Benedict XVI, to whom our thoughts now turn with affection and gratitude. By this providential initiative, he gave us an opportunity to rediscover the beauty of the journey of faith begun on the day of our Baptism, which made us children of God and brothers and sisters in the Church. A journey which has as its ultimate end our full encounter with God, and throughout which the Holy Spirit purifies us, lifts us up and sanctifies us, so that we may enter into the happiness for which our hearts long….

Christ is the center of the history of the human race and of every man and woman. To him we can bring the joys and the hopes, the sorrows and troubles which are part of our lives. When Jesus is the center, light shines even amid the darkest times of our lives; he gives us hope, as he does to the good thief in today’s Gospel.

While all the others treat Jesus with disdain – “If you are the Christ, the Messiah King, save yourself by coming down from the cross!” – the thief who went astray in his life but now repents, clinging to the crucified Jesus, begs him: “Remember me, when you come into your kingdom” (Lk 23:42). And Jesus promises him: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43). Jesus speaks only a word of forgiveness, not of condemnation; whenever anyone finds the courage to ask for this forgiveness, the Lord does not let such a petition go unheard. Jesus’ promise to the good thief gives us great hope: it tells us that God’s grace is always greater than the prayer which sought it. The Lord always grants more than what he has been asked: you ask him to remember you, and he brings you into his Kingdom!

Let us ask the Lord to remember us, in the certainty that by his mercy we will be able to share his glory in paradise. Amen!”

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-homily-at-year-of-faith-closing-mass

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-christ-the-king-angelus-for-persecute

 

Dome of Saint Peter's Basilica

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While we have now arrived at the Closing of the Year of Faith, our own journey of faith will continue until, by the grace of God, we enter into Jesus’ Kingdom.

In some ways this year seems to have been long—realistically it has been more than 13 months!  Please pause with me and reflect on what we have done with the opportunities we have received to rediscover the beauty of our faith.

Where have we journeyed and what have we learned along the way?    

How have we encountered the Lord?  How have we been inspired by the Holy Spirit?

Has our observance of this Year brought us blessings of grace, peace and spiritual growth?  How have we shared those blessings with others?

“God’s grace is always greater than the prayer which sought it. The Lord always grants more than what he has been asked.”

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The Profession of Faith

I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

 

Dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

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Stir the Fire of Hope

To my Brother Bishops and Priests, Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In the midst of the gloom, uncertainty and grief that has beset our countrymen due to the devastation wrought by typhoon Yolanda, we bring you our message of hope. The typhoon was the strongest in the world according to the reckoning of scientists, but our faith in the Lord is even stronger. No typhoon or flood can diminish the strength of the Filipino soul.

No calamity or natural devastation can quench the fire of our hope. The Filipino soul is stronger than Yolanda. In this moment of national calamity, we turn to the Lord as we have always done for the past four hundred years. We turn to the Lord and cling to him and beg Him to stay by the people who call on His mighty name….

Paraphrasing the Apostle Paul “Earthquake where is your victory! Typhoon where is your sting! Our hope is in the Lord and we shall overcome because love is stronger than typhoons and earthquakes and death!

+ Jose S. Pala D.D.

Archbishop of Cebu

President, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

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Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and prayers. The super typhoon devastated Central Philippines. At present Catholic Women’s League (CWL) is involved in relief operations and, later on, in the rehabilitation programs.  With our faith, our hope and prayers, God will always be with us!

With your prayers and the generous support from many countries, especially from the American people, we shall overcome. We are truly grateful to all of you!  May God bless us all!

Amelita Dayrit-Go

World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO)

Vice-President General, Regional Vice-President for Asia Pacific, 2001-2006

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When I began my service as the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW – USA) Representative to the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) back in 1996 my “neighborhood” became "global" but also much smaller than it previously seemed to me.  (Remember this was before the days of instant internet communications when we thought that sending a fax was amazingly fast compared to snail mail!)  Getting to know each other and sharing faith, hope and love with our brothers and sisters in countless countries made “world news” more like “local news” that affected members of God’s family.  I became keenly interested in the news that impacted the lives of “my” extended family. 

 

Through WUCWO we can keep in contact with our sisters throughout the world and so I felt compelled to share with you the concerns as well as resilience of those faith-filled people who live in the Philippines.  Please keep them in your prayers and offer whatever support you are able in order to stir “the fire of hope.”

 

For more information, please visit:

 

http://www.usccb.org/about/national-collections/index.cfm
http://www.crosscatholic.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=292169
http://www.cwlphilippines.org/CWL_Philippines.html

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Karen Hurley greeted His Holiness Pope Francis
October 12, 2013
Servizio Fotografico de L'Osservatore Romano

Vibrant and Dynamic Roles

… Women all around the world are entering into vibrant and dynamic roles in the Church. The Church, Bride of Christ, is emerging in new splendor! Women are arising and shining. Being a woman, is not about opting out, giving up or sitting back. The Bible and our own Christian heritage, is packed full of women, who changed the hearts of kings and the outcomes of wars, freed prisoners and fed the poor, built hope and founded religious congregations, raised children and practiced faithfulness, loved and lived generously. They are both companions to men, and leaders of men in bringing God’s love, to this broken world. What is most inspiring about many women, however, is the fact that they achieve so much against great odds and opposition…

 

My dear sisters in Christ, you have come here from many nations. You are a powerful sign of the universality of the Church. And as such, I renew my invitation to you, to take fully to heart the mission of the Church in the Holy Land. Our mission, like yours, is first of all, to be witnesses to Jesus Christ, witnesses to the Truth. Intimately tied to this mission, is working for the unity of all Christians in the world. It is the prayer of Jesus “that all may be one.” Let us confidently place all our prayers, little though they may seem, in our hands, in the hands of the great Lord, Who took five loaves and two fishes and fed the multitudes. We realize, therefore, that our little, becomes much, when placed in the hands of God.

 

May all your experiences, here, strengthen your faith, increase your hope, deepen your union with the Lord, renew you in prayer and make you truly one in and with His desire, that you are to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Be a strong presence wherever you live, and wherever you go. Never fail to look to the Author and Perfecter of our faith; follow Him, keep His Word in your hearts. In this way, your hope will not fail.

 

His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Address to the WUCWO Conference (excerpt)
Amman, October 25, 2013

For the complete text, please visit:  http://en.lpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WUCWO-Jordan-Oct-24-2013-FINAL-FOR-DISTRIBUTION.pdf

 

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Karen Hurley with His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

 

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… Being a Christian is more important than the role, the function, one exercises in the community.  It means that the “common priesthood” (the priesthood we all receive in Baptism) is more important than the “ministerial priesthood”.  It means that “charity” is worth more than “authority”.  It means that “testimony” is worth more than “words”, it means that “being is more important than “acting”, “service” more than “power”.

 

Perhaps a peculiarity of women in evangelization is precisely this:  to give the Word, the Word of God, of course, more than through “words” through life, through their witness.  They realize what Saint Francis was recommending to his friars:  “preach the Gospel always, if necessary with words”.

 

His Excellency Archbishop Giorgio Lingua

Apostolic Nuncio in Iraq and Jordan
Address to the WUCWO Conference (excerpt)
Amman, October 25, 2013

 

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The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) in collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the International Forum of Catholic Action, hosted a conference for women of the Middle East on the theme, “Women Believers at the Service of Life, Dignity and the Common Good.”  This historic conference was held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and was officially opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan.  More than 60 Catholic women from countries throughout the region and around the world gathered in Amman, Jordan from October 24 – 27, 2013.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan

 

It was a joy for me to participate and, especially, to see the seeds grow that were sown at the 2010 WUCWO Assembly in Jerusalem.  We learned much about the reality of life for women who live in Palestine as well as those who live in Lebanon and Iraq.  It is hard to imagine the challenges of being amongst the “few” Christians who strive to remain in their homelands despite political strife and/or religious challenges.  Many of the women present are the last members of their families who have not emigrated to safer, more Christian-friendly countries.  Likewise it was humbling to get to know women whose parishes are the territory where Jesus and Mary were physically present—Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth.  While many of us may belong to parishes devoted to our Lord or our Blessed Mother, few of us can say that they actually lived where the parish now exists.

 

Helen Kwon and Karen Hurley

 

Participants on Mount Nebo

 

We celebrated Morning Prayer one day on Mount Nebo—the spot where Moses was able to see the Promised Land that he would not be able to enter.  We visited a local parish and joined in Sunday Mass in Arabic.  Also during the conference we heard some women who speak Aramaic prayed the Lord’s Prayer in the language of Jesus.

 

Participants after Mass

Ultimately we strengthened the bonds of faith, hope and love which unite us as sisters in Christ.  We will now be networked through technology as well as prayer as we strive to do God’s will in our corners of the world.

 

Tour of Petra

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Follow in the footsteps of Jesus from March 29 – April 8, 2014.  The scriptures will come alive on this Lenten journey to the roots of our faith. Tour includes:  Daily Mass at holy sites, licensed Christian guide, accommodation in First Class hotels (five nights in Jerusalem, three nights in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee), breakfast and dinner daily, land transportation by deluxe motorcoach, roundtrip airfare from Newark to Tel Aviv on nonstop flights with United Airlines, and more, for $3,459 per person/double occupancy. 

 

We will meet the local people, the “living stones” of the Holy Land, our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are waiting to welcome us “home”.  We hope to visit with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who will share with us the hopes and concerns of those who live in the land of Jesus.

 

For complete details on this pilgrimage, please contact:  George’s International Tours, (800) 566-7499, sales@georgesintl.com, or Karen Hurley, k.m.hurley1@gmail.com.

 

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God Entrusts Humanity to Women

On 12 October 2013 Pope Francis received in audience the participants in the study seminar “God entrusts humanity to women”, promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the publication of Blessed John Paul II's apostolic letter, “Mulieris dignitatem”, dated 15 August 1988. The seminar was attended by experts and representatives of ecclesial movements, from twenty-five countries and from diverse professional fields.  I was privileged to be amongst the invited participants and to greet His Holiness.

The Holy Father remarked that “'Mulieris dignitatem' is an historical document, the first of the pontifical Magisterium entirely dedicated to the theme of women”, and with reference to the title of the seminar, he observed that in his opinion the key to understanding John Paul II's phrase is maternity.

“Many things can change and have changed in cultural and social evolution, but there remains the fact that it is the woman who conceives, carries and gives birth to the sons and daughters of men. And this is not simply a biological fact, but also gives rise to a wealth of implications both for the woman herself, for her way of being, and for her relationships, for the way in which she positions herself with regard to human life and life in general. In calling the woman to the role of maternity, God has in an entirely special way entrusted the human being to her.

“…Women have a particular sensibility for 'matters of God', especially in helping us to understand mercy, tenderness and the love that God has for us.”

“…Also in the Church, it is important to ask: what type of presence do women have? Could it be accorded greater worth? It is an issue of great importance to me, and for this reason I wished to meet with you and bless you and your work. Thank you, and let us continue in this work together! May Mary Most Holy, great woman, Mother of Jesus and of all the children of God, accompany us”.

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/the-church-must-address-the-role-of-women

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In the 25^th anniversary of the apostolic letter’s publication on the dignity and vocation of women, the Pontifical Council for the Laity would like to propose a renewed reflection upon this important document. The Mulieris Dignitatem was written straight after the Synod on the vocation and mission of the laity in the Church and the world, celebrated in 1987. It responded to a request, which arose out of the Synod itself, which called for a consideration of the anthropological and theological foundations of the feminine condition as an essential foundation for every novelty to occur in the life of the Church. The post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, published a little after the Mulieris Dignitatem, contains the warning: “Above all the acknowledgment in theory of the active and responsible presence of woman in the Church must be realized in practice. … the revised Code of Canon Law contains many provisions on the participation of women in the life and mission of the Church: they are provisions that must be more commonly known and, according to the diverse sensibilities of culture and opportuneness in a pastoral situation, be realized with greater timeliness and determination.” (ChL, 51).

For more information, please visit:

http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en/sezioni/donna/notizie/-dio-affida-l_essere-umano-alla-donna----comunicato-stampa.html


Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President, Pontifical Council for the Laity
with Pope Francis

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During the celebration of this Year of Faith we have been urged to rediscover our faith so we may share with others the joy and enthusiasm of an encounter with Christ.  In an increasingly individualistic and secular society, the love of Christ impels us to reach out to others, draw them near to us and the Lord and embrace them in faith.  Women are called to offer the gift of self and to be present for others in ways which contradict the individualistic mentality that seeks self-gratification at the expense of others.  Acts of Christian charity—too numerous to list--recall the tender care given by Jesus to each one in need of His healing touch. 

Among the fundamental values linked to women’s actual lives is what has been called a “capacity for the other”.  Although a certain type of feminist rhetoric makes demands “for ourselves,” women preserve the deep intuition of the goodness in their lives of those actions which elicit life, and contribute to the growth and protection of the other….  It is women, in the end, who even in very desperate situations, as attested by history past and present, possess a singular capacity to persevere in adversity, to keep life going even in extreme situations, to hold tenaciously to the future, and finally to remember with tears the value of every human life.

 “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World” -   2004, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect

We cannot deny the love of God within each of us nor the mission which He has entrusted to us as beloved daughters.  Moreover God has called us to be spiritual mothers who have the ongoing responsibility to sow and nurture seeds of faith in all those entrusted to our care.  We need to share our: love of God and devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary; desire to participate in the Holy Mass, frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist and sacrament of Reconciliation; hunger to learn more about our Catholic faith, God’s moral law, social doctrine of the Church; and fidelity to the Magisterium.

Pope Francis wrote in the Encyclical Letter, Lumen Fidei (13):  "Faith consists in the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God’s call." 

Empowered by the Holy Spirit to manifest the “feminine genius” and guided by Our Mother of Good Counsel, we will grow in faith, share with others our hope, and give witness to Jesus’ love.  We will joyfully answer God’s call to “constantly transform and renew” ourselves as we lovingly provide vital service to women, the Church, and the world. 

 

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Called to Holiness

The holiness of the Church was the theme chosen by Pope Francis for his catechesis during the 2 October 2013 General Audience held in St. Peter's Square.  In the Creed, after professing that the Church is “one”, the Pope said, “we also confess that she is 'holy'; we thus affirm the holiness of the Church, and this is a characteristic that has been present ever since the beginning in the conscience of the first Christians, who called themselves simply 'the holy', as they were certain of the action of God, of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the Church”.

The Church is holy because “she comes from God Who is holy, Who is faithful to her and never abandons her to the power of death and evil. She is holy because Jesus Christ, Son of God, is indissolubly united to her; she is holy because she is guided by the Holy Spirit which purifies, transforms, and renews. She is not holy by our merits, but because God makes her holy”.

“You could say to me: but the Church is made up of sinners, we see this every day. And this is true: we are a Church of sinners, and we sinners are called to let ourselves be transformed … by God.... The Church is holy, she does not refuse sinners; on the contrary, she welcomes them, she is open even to those who are most distant, she calls to all to allow themselves to be surrounded by the mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness of the Father, Who offers to all the opportunity to encounter Him and to walk the path to holiness.…

“Do not be afraid of holiness”, concluded Pope Francis, “of letting yourself be loved and purified by God. … Let us allow God's holiness to be transmitted to us. Every Christian is called to holiness; and holiness does not consist, first and foremost, in doing extraordinary things, but rather in letting God act. It is the encounter between our weakness and the strength of His grace”.

For more information, please visit: 

http://www.news.va/en/news/the-church-is-holy-and-open-to-all-not-only-the-pu
http://www.news.va/en/news/papal-audience-church-too-is-made-up-of-sinners-do

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“Do not be afraid to aim for holiness and turn yourselves over to the love of God. Holiness does not mean performing extraordinary things but carrying out daily things in an extraordinary way – that is, with love, joy and faith.”

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The National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) 2013 Convention was held September 25 – 28, 2013 Fort Lauderdale, Florida with almost 500 participants from across the USA.  The theme, “Be the Voice of Catholic Women:  Confidence, Hope and Joy,” was based on the purpose of the proposed women’s council which was created by the United States Bishops in 1920:  “To give the Catholic women of the country a common voice and an instrument of common action in all matters affecting Catholic or national welfare.”

There was a spirit of excitement, energy and enthusiasm amongst the participants which exemplified the Church’s--and NCCW’s--mission of evangelization.  Gathering together as women and men, clergy, vowed religious and laity, we embraced the mission entrusted to us by our Baptism and Confirmation.  Strengthened by the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation we were renewed and transformed for our service to women and the Church.

 

Pope Francis wrote in the Encyclical Letter, Lumen Fidei (13):  "Faith consists in the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God’s call." 

Empowered by the Holy Spirit and guided by Our Mother of Good Counsel, we will grow in faith, share with others our hope, and give witness to Jesus’ love.  We will joyfully answer God’s call to “constantly transform and renew” ourselves and the National Council of Catholic Women as we offer a vital service to women and the Church.    

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Karen Hurley, NCCW President-Elect with Rita Greenwald, NCCW Past President

If you, like me, have been richly blessed by membership in NCCW, then together we must offer expressions of gratitude, according to our God-given means, and work collaboratively and creatively with our President and Board of Directors, in our affiliates, and as individual members, to achieve the financial stability required to fulfill our mission.  NCCW has launched the “We Are One” campaign which asks for $1.00 (one dollar) from every Catholic woman, or in honor of a family member or friend.  We are united as sisters and brothers in the family of God…in one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church… in one mission of evangelization.  Please also consider a contribution to the NCCW Birthday Club, Legacy Circle or an end-of-year donation.  For more information, please visit: http://home.catholicweb.com/NCCW/index.cfm

We must ensure that generations of women yet to come will also share in the outpouring of love, blessings, and opportunities which have been received through the membership or services of NCCW for almost 100 years.   Deo gratias!

Thank you in advance for sending your contributions to:

National Council of Catholic Women
200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 725
Arlington, VA  22203
 

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