Preparations for Christmas in Bethlehem

Manger Square Bethlehem

Dear Friends in Christ:

You are all very busy preparing for Christmas, but I invite you to take a few moments to read about the preparations underway in Bethlehem.  Yes, the very place where Jesus was born!

I’d like to share with you some excerpts of a letter which arrived today from a dear friend, Sister Maria Grech, the director of the Franciscan Family Center, which is “around the corner” from the Church of the Nativity:

 

Dear Karen,

Wishing you and all your loved ones a Blessed Christmas Season!  Be sure of our love and prayers.

We are glad to update you with some encouraging news concerning our work here in Bethlehem. As you may be aware, Bethlehem has a new Mayor, and for the first time in history, our new mayor is a female.

 

This is a very busy week and a bit more than usual. Last week we had to go shopping and prepare all our gifts for all that will be going on this week, but because of the snow (which was just terrible and all the fields and gardens are still covered with snow) we were not able to go out.  All the shops, schools and even the banks were closed for 4 days.  Could you imagine that?  The whole country was paralyzed. It is still very cold.  Yesterday the buses and the trains in Jerusalem were all stopped at 8 pm as the roads were very slippery. Today we have the sun but it is still very cold.

The Women's Meeting is now a weekly feature in our program of work and their activities are steadily increasing. These women are now visiting old peoples' home regularly and are also organizing activities for them.  The older sector of society confess that they look forward to these encounters, which naturally uplift their morale and inject happiness in their daily lives. Today we have the party for the old people’s home; there are about 40 residents.  We bought a blanket and a big sack of different bars of chocolates for each one of them.  Then we ordered cakes, other sweets, and fruit for the party. 

 

Tomorrow in the afternoon we will have the Custos here to say Mass in our Chapel for the Boys’ Home.  Then he will distribute the Christmas presents to our 33 boys.

At 6 pm we have the last session for the Pre-Cana couples: they attended 10 sessions and tomorrow is the closing.  The young engaged couples are keen and enthusiastic to participate in these preparatory courses prior to their marriage vows. This conviction has led these couples to request us to extend these sessions also to the initial stages of their married life.  We are giving the matter serious thought.

 

On Friday there will be the big party, giving to more than 100 kids each a coupon to be able to buy new cloths for Christmas and a big hamper full of food and goodies to 30 families. We are giving also meat in the hampers.

The School Sponsor Project is growing steadily.  We are delighted that these sponsors are helping a large number of children to attend religious schools where they are able to receive adequate religious education.  This would not have been possible without the assistance of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL).

 

What remains daunting here is the ever-increasing rate of unemployment. Young, healthy, responsible parents, in large numbers, still approach us for work. Each and every one of them remains a pitiful sight as most are finding it difficult to raise a family and make ends meet.  The situation worsens when cases involve payment for urgent medical health.  In Bethlehem, the government does not cover any health insurance. As a result, many knock on our door requesting medical assistance they cannot afford. Sadly, this is becoming all too often and needless to say, our means are limited.

 The “Job Creation-House Renovation” remains an enormous challenge.  Although still thriving we assist families to improve their living conditions, renovate their meager dwellings with the intention to encourage them to remain in the country and resist the inevitable pressure to emigrate.

It is only thanks to our generous and unrelenting Benefactors that we are able to do as much. We remain motivated by God's grace and love and our longing to do good and assist the needy. Your contributions enable us to carry out our mission. Your assistance is crucial. We ask you not to forget us.

Our daily prayers go to all those who helped us throughout these years.  Rest assured, in particular, on our special thoughts at the Nativity Manger of Bethlehem.

 

Take care and have a blessed Christmas Season.

Sincerely yours,

Sister Maria Grech, F.M.M.

Sister Maria and children in Bethlehem
Christmas 2012

For more information, please visit the websites of the

Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land:
http://www.ffhl.org/newsmanagerdotnet2/templates/programs.aspx?articleid=362&zoneid=17

Custodia Terrae Sanctae:  http://custodia.org/

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem:  http://en.lpj.org/

Franciscan Family Center in Bethlehem

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God Entrusts the Human Being to the Woman: The Seminar Continues Online

 

The Pontifical Council for the Laity – Women’s Section has posted notes from the Study Seminar held 10-12 October 2013 at http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en/eventi/seminari-e-congressi/dio-affida-l_essere-umano-alla-donna.html

Please make time to visit the website to read:

The Address of Pope Francis to the Participants

The Opening and Closing Remarks of Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

Notes on the Study Seminar

Keynote Addresses

Speakers’ Texts

Contributions by Participants

… and much more!

"Yes" to God's Love

On 8 December 2013, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, His Holiness Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter's Square, and asked all to join him in invoking Mary, repeating “Full of grace”, as God saw her in His loving plan: “beautiful and full of grace”.

“Our mother is beautiful!” he continued. “Mary guides us as we journey towards the Nativity, because she teaches us how to experience the time of Advent, awaiting the Lord … Who will come to us all together in the feast, but also to each one of us, in our hearts”.

He went on to comment on the reading from the Gospel of St. Luke, which presents Mary, a girl from Galilee, a small village at the outskirts of the Roman Empire and remote even within Israel. However, although she was “a young girl from a faraway village”, “the gaze of the Lord” rested upon her, “and He chose her as the mother of His Son. In the light of her maternity, Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in the communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the mother of Him Who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The Immaculate Conception is inscribed in God's design; it is the fruit of God's love, which saves the world”.

“And the Virgin never strayed from that love; all her life, all her being is a 'yes' to that love, and a 'yes' to God. But it certainly was not easy for her! When the Angel describes her as the 'favoured one', she is 'greatly troubled' since, in her humility, she considers herself as nothing before God”, but she “listens, obeys within herself, and answers, 'I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word'”.

“On this feast day”, concluded Pope Francis, “contemplating our Immaculate and beautiful Mother, we also recognise our truest destiny, our deepest vocation: to be loved, to be transformed by love, to be transformed by the beauty of God”.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/angelus-the-mystery-of-the-immaculate-conception-i

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Virgin most holy and immaculate,

to you, the honour of our people,
and the loving protector of our city,
do we turn with loving trust.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you there is no sin.
Awaken in all of us a renewed desire for holiness:
May the splendour of truth shine forth in our words,
the song of charity resound in our works,
purity and chastity abide in our hearts and bodies,
and the full beauty of the Gospel be evident in our lives.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you the Word of God became flesh.
Help us always to heed the Lord’s voice:
May we never be indifferent to the cry of the poor,
or untouched by the sufferings of the sick and those in need;
may we be sensitive to the loneliness of the elderly and the vulnerability of children,
and always love and cherish the life of every human being.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you is the fullness of joy born of life with God.
Help us never to forget the meaning of our earthly journey:
May the kindly light of faith illumine our days,
the comforting power of hope direct our steps,
the contagious warmth of love stir our hearts;
and may our gaze be fixed on God, in whom true joy is found.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!
Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea:
May the beauty of God’s merciful love in Jesus abide in our hearts,
and may this divine beauty save us, our city and the entire world.
 
Amen.

His Holiness Pope Francis

Piazza di Spagna, Rome
8 December 2013

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-venerates-immaculate-conception-statue
http://www.news.va/en/news/homage-to-mary-immaculate-let-us-not-be-deaf-to-th
 

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O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

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The Joy of the Gospel: Laity, Women, and Youth

“The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” 

The excerpts below from Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), relate specifically to laity, women and youth.  May the words inspire and guide us by the grace of the Holy Spirit!

102. Lay people are, put simply, the vast majority of the People of God. The minority – ordained ministers – are at their service. There has been a growing awareness of the identity and mission of the laity in the Church. We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. At the same time, a clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities. In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making. Even if many are now involved in the lay ministries, this involvement is not reflected in a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and economic sectors. It often remains tied to tasks within the Church, without a real commitment to applying the Gospel to the transformation of society. The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge.

103. The Church acknowledges the indispensable contribution which women make to society through the sensitivity, intuition and other distinctive skill sets which they, more than men, tend to possess. I think, for example, of the special concern which women show to others, which finds a particular, even if not exclusive, expression in motherhood. I readily acknowledge that many women share pastoral responsibilities with priests, helping to guide people, families and groups and offering new contributions to theological reflection. But we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church. Because “the feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society, the presence of women must also be guaranteed in the workplace”[72] and in the various other settings where important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures.

104. Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded. The reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion, but it can prove especially divisive if sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general. It must be remembered that when we speak of sacramental power “we are in the realm of function, not that of dignity or holiness”.[73] The ministerial priesthood is one means employed by Jesus for the service of his people, yet our great dignity derives from baptism, which is accessible to all. The configuration of the priest to Christ the head – namely, as the principal source of grace – does not imply an exaltation which would set him above others. In the Church, functions “do not favour the superiority of some vis-à-vis the others”.[74]Indeed, a woman, Mary, is more important than the bishops. Even when the function of ministerial priesthood is considered “hierarchical”, it must be remembered that “it is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ’s members”.[75] Its key and axis is not power understood as domination, but the power to administer the sacrament of the Eucharist; this is the origin of its authority, which is always a service to God’s people. This presents a great challenge for pastors and theologians, who are in a position to recognize more fully what this entails with regard to the possible role of women in decision-making in different areas of the Church’s life.

105. Youth ministry, as traditionally organized, has also suffered the impact of social changes. Young people often fail to find responses to their concerns, needs, problems and hurts in the usual structures. As adults, we find it hard to listen patiently to them, to appreciate their concerns and demands, and to speak to them in a language they can understand. For the same reason, our efforts in the field of education do not produce the results expected. The rise and growth of associations and movements mostly made up of young people can be seen as the work of the Holy Spirit, who blazes new trails to meet their expectations and their search for a deep spirituality and a more real sense of belonging. There remains a need, however, to ensure that these associations actively participate in the Church’s overall pastoral efforts.[76]

106. Even if it is not always easy to approach young people, progress has been made in two areas: the awareness that the entire community is called to evangelize and educate the young, and the urgent need for the young to exercise greater leadership. We should recognize that despite the present crisis of commitment and communal relationships, many young people are making common cause before the problems of our world and are taking up various forms of activism and volunteer work. Some take part in the life of the Church as members of service groups and various missionary initiatives in their own dioceses and in other places. How beautiful it is to see that young people are “street preachers” (callejeros de la fe), joyfully bringing Jesus to every street, every town square and every corner of the earth!

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en.html

http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en/le-parole-di-papa-francesco/Evangelii_Gaudium.html

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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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