Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

I'd like to file this under "keeping an open mind."  Please follow me on this... this article is a very worthwhile read from Angelus News columnist Robert Brennan.  Now I have in the past not agreed with Mr. Brennan on a number of topics, and have at times referred to him as my arch-nemesis (although I'm not sure that can count since he has no idea who I am).  So even though I may not always agree with Mr. Brennan, in this case, as something of a Methuselah myself these days, this particular column provides some very thought provoking insight. In fact, I would go so far as to say that whenever I read one of Mr. Brennan's columns, it always provides some thought-provoking insight.  Just because I don't normally agree with his views does not mean his work isn't worth reading.  And that opens me up to an even bigger concern - our need to be open-minded.  Being open-minded is not something you see a lot these days.  Our media has subdivided itself into politi

This Sunday is the 4th and final Sunday of Advent.  The Nativity is quickly approaching and like an expectant parent, the reality of what is to come is beginning to set in.  During the Sundays of Advent we’ve been hearing the prophecy of God sending us a Savior, and now with that moment nearly upon us, we see the prophecy in our readings becoming much more specific, giving flesh to what was just an idea, leaving no doubt that this is going to happen and that we should be prepared… The Word for the 4th Sunday of Advent Micah 5:1-4a Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 Our first reading comes from the Book of the Prophet Micah.  While Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah, and his prophetic message is similar, Micah, unlike Isaiah, is not a native of Jerusalem, so through his voice we see the view of an outsider looking in.  Though we don’t hear from Micah very often in the Liturgy, his prophecy is the one that gives us the birthplace of our Savior – Bethlehem-Ephrathah. 

This morning I read a very insightful article from Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, regular columnist seen in our Angelus News.  While Fr. Rolheiser may not answer the question he's posing, he certainly defines the problems exceptionally well.  As someone who works in initiation ministry, that is, welcoming and preparing new people into the church, these are all issues I wrestle with regularly.  I have been giving this a lot of thought as of late, and I have to wonder if all of this doesn't fall under the category of "the decline of the family structure."  Follow me on this... For countless millennia the basic social unit was the family.  It was understood that one's duty was to one's family, no matter how often flawed.  The family was the method by which all the members were physically protected and was the engine of an economy.  The agrarian family worked together to keep their farms going and growing.  Urban families shared responsibilities to keep their ente

“Shout for Joy!”  The opening lines of our first reading express the feelings we should be having during this third Sunday of Advent.  Also known as Gaudete Sunday (Latin for “rejoice”), we celebrate that we have now past the half-way point of our penitent reflection – the “hump day” of Advent, if you will.  What have we to be so joyful about?  Our readings provide the answer… The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Advent Zephaniah 3:14-18a Psalm 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke3:10-18 Our first reading comes from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.  Though we don’t hear from Zephaniah very often in our Sunday Liturgies, and though the book itself isn’t that long (only 3 chapters), but the importance of his message can be seen in his predecessors Jeremiah and Baruch, and may even have had a profound effect on the Judean monarchy itself by moving King Josiah to begin his campaign of religious reform.  Our passage this week, though similar to the passages we heard from both Jeremiah and Baru