Author: Capital Catholic Happenings

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First Witness to the Resurrection

Today we celebrate the memorial of Mary Magdalene, first witness to the Lord’s resurrection and sometimes called “The Apostles to the Apostles.” She is also identified as the sinful woman who washed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil and her hair and sometimes, the woman healed of seven demons. To be sure she is one of the most colorful characters in the Bible but most importantly she is one of  the most faithful followers of Jesus and the first evangelist.

A Model for Today

What does Mary Magdalene teach us about what it means to be a faithful disciple today? She is a model for me for two primary reasons.  She is passionate! She is passionate in her love of the Lord.  Her passion is extravagant  like using expensive oil to annoint the  feet of Jesus. Some of the Apostles thought it was ridiculous. You can imagine them rolling their eyes muttering  “silly woman!”  Jesus, however took the opportunity to see her actions as a genuine expression of love and an act that will have a deeper meaning as he moves closer to his own death and resurrection. Her passion will mature and become a source of strength as she walks with the Lord to his death and remains at the foot of the cross.

A Woman of Hope

On the morning after Jesus was buried she races to the tomb, grieving for her Lord and still wanting to be close to him. She finds the tomb empty. She is faced with something so inexplicable, St. Therese of Lisieux writes, Mary knows that the tomb is empty, yet she remains there weeping, hoping against hope.  And, indeed the Lord has not abandon her.

An Evangelist

The Lord greets her and gives her a mission to announce his resurrection! This passionate, sometimes extravagant woman, is given the most important task of Jesus ministry–to call others to believe the unbelievable. Does, she say “now way!”  “Me, are you kidding me?”  No, she leaves, the Lord, whom she thought she had lost and goes to Peter and the Apostles to share the news,  I’m sure, imagining they will once again roll their eyes, thinking her grief is making her unstable. Some accounts say that Mary Magdalene even joined the Apostles on their first preaching mission following Jesus resurrection.

A Model of Evangelization

Mary Magdalene highlights three essential components of evangelizing:

1. Are you able to share where you found the Lord, when you went in search of him?

2. In knowing the Lord, we have found hope. How is your life different because you are a person with hope?

3. What good news do you have to share with others about what it means to know and love the Lord

Evangelization is first and foremost sharing the story of our faith, of our encounter with the Lord.

Give it a try by sharing with us where you have found the Lord…

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Come Away with Me and Rest Awhile

blessed-sacrament-chapel“Come away and rest awhile” was Jesus’ invitation in Sunday’s Gospel.  A perfect invitation in the throws of summer vacations. In the spirit of “staycations,” Our Lord doesn’t literally mean “come away.” One can rest in the Lord with out leaving home!

Summer sometimes offers a bit more time for relaxation and contemplation. Fewer activities, fewer commitments at the parish or with other groups to which we belong. I promised myself that I would try to give more quality time to the Lord. I want to take time to just sit and be with the Lord. This Gospel reminded me of that promise.

Resting in the Lord

The Lord offers himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament and so one of the easiest and most delightful ways to rest with the Lord is at  Adoration and holy hour. The Lord is waiting, even expecting us, to come and sit in the quiet and beauty of the chapel or church and relish in his presence.

Inviting the Lord on vacation with you

If you are lucky enough to be taking a vacation, set some time aside to sit with the Lord on the beach, in the mountains, or in a beautiful garden and let the beauty of God’s creation fill you with his presence

At home with the Lord

readingchair1

In the spirit of a “staycation,” you need not go further than your favorite chair to pick up your bible and share a convesation with the Lord.  At www.valyermo..  you can find an excellent introduction to the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina combines reading Scripture prayer and meditation.com

The interior cell

Catherine of Siena, the great lay woman and doctor of the Church who lived in the 13th century desired to spend all of her days in the presence of the  the Blessed Sacrament, believing that was how she could best show her love for the Lord. She created a “cell” in a small space underneath the steps of her house and there she spent her days in prayer.

At a certain point, she heard God say to her that if she wanted to love Him in the way He loved her, she would have to leave her cell and go into the world and serve his people. This alarmed Catherine, feeling the world was a distraction to living in the presence of the Lord with an undivided mind and heart. Faithfully, Catherine left her cell and discovered in the midst of the world, the cell was within her. She was never far from the Lord as she moved through her day with her mind and heart raised to God.

If you saw the video of Dr. Ostuto that I posted last week, this is what she means when she speaks about the trenches being an avenue to contemplation

This is the beauty of taking time to rest with the Lord. We live with the feeling of his closeness, that even in the midst of the business and chaos, we are with the Lord.

I hope the hazy, lazy days of summer afford you the opportunity to rest awhile with the Lord.

chairsbeach

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Happy Baptismday!

baptismThis Saturday I moved into an apartment in northwest DC, and on my new commute I found myself passing by St. Ann’s Catholic Church at Tenley Circle which is where I was baptized on November 28th 1982.

Do you know when your baptismday is?

From time to time, Fr. Bill Hegedusich of St. Peter’s Church of Capitol Hill preaches on this topic. He encourages us to find out the date of our baptism and to celebrate it! He mentions that while we always commemorate birthdays and wedding anniversaries, there is even more reason to commemorate the day we were baptized.

After all, “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213) That is certainly something to celebrate!

As I started thinking about my baptism, I asked myself, “Have I been upholding my baptismal promises?” This is a weighty question! In fact, it’s one we should ask ourselves everyday. Thankfully, now I have a visual reminder!

Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Do you reject sin,
so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?
I do.

Do you reject the glamor of evil,
and refuse to be mastered by sin?
I do.

Do you reject Satan,
father of sin and prince of darkness?
I do.

Do you believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth?
I do.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was born of the Virgin Mary,
was crucified, died, and was buried,
rose from the dead,
and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
I do.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting?
I do.

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Five Guys for God

I promised to provide updates on our Run For Vocations team that is training for the Marine Corps 10K and marathon in October. Here is an update you don’t want to miss. More than 50 people have signed on to run and raise money for vocations. If you are not a runner but want to support vocations, have I got a deal for you!

Come join us at Five Guys Burgers on Thursday, July 23 and 20% of your purchase will be donated to the Archdiocesan Run for Vocations.  Please plan to bring a friend along as well.

 

Restaurant Night at


Five Guys Burgers and Fries

 

University Town Center

6451 America Boulevard, Hyattsville MD

(near East-West Highway and Belcrest Road)

 

Thursday, July 23, 2009

5 pm-8 pm

 

Say “Run for Vocations” when ordering

and Five Guys will donate 20% your sale to the Run for Vocations

 

Enjoy a fun evening out with family and friends while supporting vocations in the Archdiocese of Washington.

Learn more about the Run for Vocations Team at www.dcvocations.org.

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Women in the trenches

womenatwork

Does this sound like your life? Dr. Donna Orsuto, an American theologian at the Gregorian University in Rome and Director of the Lay Center at Foyer Unitas Institute believes the trenches are a place of contemplation.

See:

http://www.h2onews.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19543&catid=54&Itemid=14

It is a good reminder that as lay women and men we are called to bring the Gospel to the “trenches” and to share as we prayed in the Psalm at today’s Mass, ” how the Lord has done marvelous deeds for me.” This, of course, is  Mary’s prayer. Take a minute and pray with her:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

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What Happens After the First Date?

Wow! In case you haven’t been keeping up, the “Marriage Can Wait???” post has 35 responses! I think Msgr. Pope hit a chord.

To continue the conversation, let’s just imagine that Boy X and Girl Y meet at a party. They get into a great conversation (she’s flirting and making it obvious that she’s interested) and he asks for her number. They go on a date, it’s a great time, and they are both excited about going on a second date. Now what?

Well, let’s talk about friendship! Certainly, taking initiative and asking a person out is a big deal. But the process of becoming friends is where the relationship really starts to take shape and where a deeper discernment begins.

Does she have strong relationships with the women in her life? Does he have strong relationships with the men in his life? Do they know how to begin a friendship with someone of the opposite sex? Will this person be a faithful husband or wife? Will this person be a loving father or mother? Do I see virtues in this person that I admire? Will this person help or hinder our journey toward Christ?

All of our friendships, whether romantic or non-romantic, have as their goal God who is Love. What does this mean to you? Leave your comments and attend our next Relationship Speaker and Discussion Series! Working with insights from Pope Benedict’s Deus Caritas Est as well as Scripture, Dr. Yohe will speak on how to be a good friend,  the importance of same-sex friendships, and the importance of opposite-sex friendships as a groundwork for dating and marriage.

Sunday July 19 – 6:30pm (after the 5:30 Mass)
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle – North Conference Room
The Essential Groundwork of Friendship

Dr. Katherine Yohe received her Ph.D. in Historical Theology with a focus on spirituality from Catholic University of America.  Her dissertation was on human friendship as a means to grow in union with God, and most of her publications and lectures have centered on the lay vocation and friendship. She has taught at Catholic University and LaSalle University and is presently teaching Scripture and Catholic Doctrine at Trinity School at Meadow View. She has been married for fifteen years and has a thirteen year-old son.

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No sack for the journey

By: Susan Timoney

Today’s Gospel is the  familiar story of  Jesus sending his apostles out on one of their early preaching missions. http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew10.htm#v7

He tells them not to take a sack for the journey or any gold or silver.  I’ve been thinking about this Gospel in light of the start of our new fiscal year. One the one hand, the budgets look full and are full of promise, on the other hand, I’ve not forgotten the projects that could not be funded given budget constraints.  But, if I asked the popular question of a few years back-”What would Jesus do”, it opens us endless possibilities. He might suggest, that as the Executive Director of the Office of Evangelization, I leave my desk, walk out the door and just start talking about Jesus. This would require neither money nor a sack!  On such a gorgeous day, it is also very tempting.

As Catholics…

However, as a good Catholic, I know that we don’t always interpret the Gospel literally–love your neighbor–that’s to be understood literally— take no sack or money for the journey–down right silly in this day and age!

The timeless message and truth of today’s reading is to be faithful to our responsibility to share the good news and be careful about the “stuff” that can weigh us down and keep us from getting the job done.

I began to think about about how I could evangelize more widely and at little cost. Quite to my surprise , it was suggested by a friend that I Twitter. I am not a likely candidate for Twittering; I don’t have a facebook page, I send maybe two or three texts a week and someone has to send me a link to YouTube or another video for me to notice it.  But, I am serious about evangelizing and I am serious about reaching people who may spend more time twittering than reading the parish bulletin or checking out the ADW blog.

Follow me on Twitter

To be honest, I was a bit thrown by the question “what are you doing ?” Really, how much of what we do(in 140 characters) is really worth sharing? But, to answer the question in the context of  spreading the Gospel is so much more intriguing.  So, I am casting the net into the deep, needing no money or sack for the journey and going to Twitter about the Good News. Follow me at 30viadellanima.

30viadellanima

It was my address when I was living and studying in Rome. I lived in a beautiful palazzo on Piazza Navona and I use to sit in a window that overlooked the piazza and watch people from all over the world gather in the square.  I often wondered how much of  Catholic Rome was seeping into their minds and hearts. It is in this spirit that I move into the world of Twitter.

Let’s Tweet.

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Marriage-Minded

mm-logo_rgb3003This summer, the Archdiocese of Washington is marriage-minded! Check out these resources as well as events sponsored by the Office of Young Adult Ministry.

Marriage Matters Webpage: www.marriagemattersdc.org

Join the conversation at the Blog
http://blog.adw.org/2009/07/marriage-can-wait/

Attend a Series of Talks
Sundays July 12, July 19, and July 26 at 6:30pm
Relationship Speaker and Discussion Series
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle North Conference Room
6:30pm (after the 5:30pm Mass) Light Dinner Included

July 12 Dr. Andre Leyva

“Dating and Mating from a Catholic Perspective”

Dr. Andre Leyva is the President and founder of the Psychology Center in Montgomery County, Maryland and a member of National Association of Hispanic Psychologists. He is a nationally and internationally recognized trainer, consultant, and key note speaker. His doctoral dissertation on Conflict Resolution was published and requested by mental health professionals in Europe and South America. He has written for two family magazines and has authored articles and workbooks. He is a frequent speaker at the Archdiocese of Washington’s Theology on Tap and Marriage Preparation program. Dr. Leyva has been married for 25 years and has six children.

July 19 Dr. Catherine Yohe
“The Essential Groundwork of Friendship”

Dr. Catherine Yohe received her Ph.D. in Historical Theology with a focus on spirituality from Catholic University of America. Her dissertation was on human friendship as a means to grow in union with God, and most of her publications and lectures have centered on the lay vocation or friendship. She has taught at Catholic University and LaSalle University and is presently teaching Scripture and Catholic Doctrine at Trinity School at Meadow View. She has been married for fifteen years and has a thirteen year-old son.

July 26 Deacon Al Turner
“While I’m Single: Living Life to the Fullest”

Deacon Al Douglas Turner is the Director of the Office of Black Catholics of the Archdiocese of Washington. He is assigned to the Church of the Nativity in Washington, DC. and was recently appointed to the Maryland Catholic Conference Respect Life Committee by Archbishop Donald Wuerl. Deacon Turner received a Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction in 2006 and a Master of Theological Studies degree in 2007 from the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. Before his retirement from ABC News in 2007, Deacon Turner was employed for more than 28 years as a broadcast technician/ cameraman covering the White House, Capitol Hill, and news events around the world.