Author: Capital Catholic Happenings

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A Report from the Frontline

As you know the Archdiocese of Washington is extending invitations to people who are part of our family of faith but have not been participating in our life of prayer and worship. Archbishop Wuerl has asked us to take his invitation and to give it to someone and invite the person to join us for Mass. This makes some of us quite nervous. It is not that we don’t want to do it. Many of us, in fact, pray regularly for family members or friends to find their way back to church. Often, our hesitation is wondering how the person we want to invite will respond. Today, I’d like to share two stories about “what happened next…” and ask you to share your stories.

 

Firstly, From Fr. Mike, a priest at St. Camillus parish. Fr. Mike is excited abut this initiative because a number of years ago, something similar changed his life. In his words:

Twenty years ago, I was just such a young man, who had drifted away from the church  for a number of years, until a friend invited me to come to Mass. Not realizing how much I missed the experience, I initially said “no.” This friend was persistent because he too had been away from the church for a while and knew it what a huge difference returning, reconnecting had made in his own life. Because of his persistent invitation and his sharing his experience I ultimately said “yes” and went to Mass with him. Absent that invitation 20 years ago, my life might have taken a very different course. To this day, I am incredibly grateful for the gift of this invitation. As we prepare to celebrate the greatest sacrifice, the mystery of Christi’s Passion and the gift of new life on Easter Sunday, let us reach out and bring God home to those who have drifted away from the Church.

Secondly, an eyewitness account from Maggie Gutiérrez, Coordinator of Evangelization and Hispanic Christian Initiation:

I have been explaining our Lenten initiative to my friends, my family, my coworkers and leaders on the parish evangelization team. Last week, I met with the planning team for the RCIA Retreat for Spanish speakers at which we are expecting 500 people. I was meeting the retreat planning team for dinner to go over some details. We went to a Mexican restaurant in Silver Spring and while we were driving I found myself again retelling the story of how Archbishop Wuerl sent hundreds of invitations to the parishes and that he is asking us to give them out to people who we want to invite back. After we ate our delicious dinner, and we were discussing the planning of the retreat, we noticed  that our young waiter kept coming back to the table and chit chatting in a friendly manner. 

At some point he asked if we were Catholic, which he probably figured out because Father Jose Arriaga was wearing his clerics and collar. So we talked to our waiter friend, Anastasio (Father told him it means resurrection in Greek)  and he told us that he always tries to go to Mass even when he has to work on Sunday, though that is not always easy. We told him that Saturday night Mass is also an option. He left us again to continue our meeting. I told Father:  “Hey Father, I have with me a few Spanish invitations, why don’t you give Anastasio one and ask him to give it to a friend?!” 

Father answered, “Anastasio could probably do that right here and now, just look around, all the waiters,  they are all young  adults.” So when Anastasio came  back, Father José, who is a Scripture scholar, a former university professor, very calmly, very clearly, very much the teacher, explains the   program to Anastasio, and asked Anastasio if he would be interested in helping us by giving an invitation to a friend. Anastasio smiled and immediately said, “give me two, Father.” 

The four of us rejoiced in this young man’s interest in being an evangelizer. We had one of those humble moments when we collectively realized how blessed we are to have an opportunity to be part of God’s ministry of reconciliation this Lent and every day of our lives!

I fear you might be thinking that it’s easy to invite when you are a priest or an RCIA retreat team and that maybe true, so please post a story of your own. Thanks!

 

 

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Is the Church Relevant ?

This is a question that the main stream media and the cultural elites like to ask. Often the Roman Catholic Church is accused of not being relevant for our unwillingness to accommodate shifting cultural norms. Some of our teachings are dubbed “unpopular” and out-of-step with the mainstream. The Church’s teaching on birth control, priesthood, women’s role and living together are a few of the teachings that regularly come under fire.  However they cannot explain why year after year more people chose to become members of this 1 billion plus community that lives in all countries of the world and all corners of the earth. As a matter of fact in the Archdiocese of Washington 1,147 adults will become full members of the Church this Easter.

 

Clearly the Church is relevant to them. They have found in the Roman Catholic Church a spiritual home. These men and woman come from different cultures and all walks of life. (Read some of their stories at www.cathstan.org). They have spent one to two years preparing for their full entry into the Church.  On their way they have discovered that the Church not only has not lost its relevance, but still after 2,000 years provides a path to true happiness. In welcoming these new members the Church will be more fully the body of Christ for having them join us. Our communities will be all the richer for the way in which they will live their lives at home, on the job and in the world empowered by the Holy Spirit, manifesting through their gifts, the living presence of Christ.

 

The Church was founded by Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, the truth found in his teachings remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. The Church’s teaching has provided generations of its followers with the happiness that only the closeness to Christ can bring. Throughout her history the Church has encountered many trials and difficulties, sometimes brought about by the sinfulness of her own members. But time after time it has prevailed, by reorienting itself on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In some of the darkest times in history the Church remained a beacon of hope for believers and non-believers alike. We attribute this to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the eternal mercy of God’s all forgiving love. Which other institution can make similar claims?

Congratulations to Jon who came closest with a guess of 1,000 to guessing the number of adults who will enter the church at Easter. Richard’s guess of

4,321 seems like a great goal for next year.

 

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Catholic Evangelizers

We had a post in which someone asked “How can I give witness to my faith?” Since this is without doubt one our top ten favorite questions, with a nod to David Letterman, I present the Top Ten ways Catholics evangelize.

 

10. Learn the Church’s history and teaching see www.adw.org/education , click on adult religious formation and see http://eps.trinitydc.edu

 9.  Get comfortable talking about why you love being a Catholic.

 8.  Around the water cooler or lunch table, say something like “My pastor made a really interesting point in his homily on Sunday” See what happens!

7. Join the Catholic Legislative Network.  It sends alerts when we need Catholics to contact our elected officials and weigh in something before our legislators. www.adw.org, click on service and justice.

6. When a neighbor, co-worker, or friend shares a concern or bad news, offer to pray for them and for the need. I’ve never been turned down for the promise of prayer.

5. Read your Bible.

4. Invite someone to join you at Mass, at a parish activity, or for a lecture.

3. Pray for a deeper faith, for the needs of the Church for the needs of the world.

2. Be a person of hope, be grateful for all that God gives you…People notice that.

 

And the number 1 way to witness to your Faith

 

1. Live your faith fully. Actively participate in weekly Mass. Receive the sacraments regularly. Make a regular retreat. People will want what you’ve got.

 

What did I forget? Post a comment

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Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

We received a question about how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a great opportunity to talk about this form of prayer that has been central to the Catholic prayer tradition for more than 1,000 years.  Praying the Liturgy of the Hours or the Divine Office as it is also called has its roots in Jewish prayer tradition and the tradition of Jesus to dedicate certain hours of the day to prayer. In the Acts of the Apostles we read “the apostles gathered at the third hour” (Acts 2:1-15). “Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1).

 

What is the Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours is prayer that is composed of hymns, psalms, Old and New Testament canticles, prayers, Scriptural and spiritual readings from the writings of the Church Fathers and Church documents. The hymns, psalms and canticles are designed to be chanted or recited. Many religious communities’ rule require they pray all seven hours(Office, Morning, Midmorning, Midday, Midafternoon, Evening and Night prayer). In recent years more and more lay people have discovered and are praying the Liturgy of the Hours either alone, with their family or as part of their parish’s prayer. It is a very important part of my and my husband’s prayer life, something we began while we were dating and have never stopped. A colleague shared that he prays the Hours while he is up in the middle of the night feeding a hungry baby or sitting with a restless child. It is such a celebration of the universal dimension of our Catholic faith that all over the world “the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God” (Constitution on Sacred Liturgy).

 

How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours consists of a four-volume set. Within each volume there are four sections. The first section is particular to the day. The second section gives detailed instruction for each hour and contains the prayers that do not change from day to day. The third section includes a four-week cycle that complements the first section. The fourth section is devoted to the feast days of saints and feasts of the Church.

 

For people who may not pray all seven hours there is a volume called Christian Prayer or Shorter Christian Prayer that is composed of Morning, Evening and Night Prayer and designed with the lay person in mind. 

 

With the growing popularity of the Liturgy of the Hours as a practice of daily prayer, a modified version is called Magnificat. Magnificat  is a “pocket-sized” monthly booklet. It contains Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer, readings for the Mass of the Day and spiritual reflections, including a reflection on a piece of Christian art. See www.magnificat.com

 

Praying the Hours takes some practice, though all of the volumes mentioned have helpful instructions. Another way to learn is to see if a parish near your home or work prays Morning or Evening Prayer. I am sure that your pastor or another person on the pastoral staff would not mind taking a few minutes to walk you through the structure. Keep in mind there is really no wrong way of praying when your mind and heart are lifted to God.

 

Please post a comment and share how you have made the Liturgy of the Hours part of your prayer life.

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Take A Guess

How many adults do you think are preparing to join the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington this Easter?

Post your guess and check back in with me on Monday. The winner will receive the promise of my prayer for their special request.

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Catholics-Secret Service Evangelizers

Why is it so hard for Catholics to evangelize? We say it is not part of our tradition, yet, Jesus can be heard saying “Come and see.” We say, oh, I don’t want to seem pushy, or faith is too personal. Evangelization is sharing the Good News. Who has ever heard good news and thought, gosh, I’m not going to say anything, she might feel like I’m imposing.

Shortly after I moved to Washington, I was waiting for the train at the Brookland Metro Stop. A young woman approached and asked which train went to Georgetown. I knew enough to say, there is not a direct train, but did not know what more to say and so I said “I’m new to D.C. and not sure.” And she said, “I am new to town as well, have you found a church home?” I was taken aback and looked to see if I had something on that revealed I was Catholic! I said, no, I am looking at a couple of parishes. My evangelizer replied, “I’ve found a church I really like, near Union Station, do you want to come with me?”  Hesitantly, I said, ” Well, I’m looking for a Catholic parish, but I am happy you’ve found a church you like.”   My evangelizer said, Can I have you phone number, because finding a good church is so important, I want to call you in a few weeks to see if you have found a church home.” Big hesitation on my part!  I was hooked and wanted to see where this would go, so I wrote down my phone number and name and we parted.

Sure enough, a few weeks later, my evangelizer called and said “Hi, remember we met at the Brookland Metro and talked about finding a church home, did you find one?” I said “yes, I found a parish I really like.”  She said “Praise God, my community is great as well, I’m so happy for both of us. And we said goodbye, promising to pray for one another.

Ten year later, I still pray for her from time to time because she is a model for me of the right way to do evangelization. What was not to like about her enthusiasm,  about how important finding a church home was to her settling into a new city, how her keeping her promise to check back.  She found something good and wanted to share that. What’s not to like about that?

This Lent, Archbishop Wuerl is asking us to invite a fellow Catholic whose forgotten how important a church home is one’s life, to rediscover the Mass.  Archbishop Wuerl is depending on us to share with someone why Mass is so important to us or what difference it makes in our week or whatever it is about our faith that is good news for us. My experience has taught me that even if the person says “no.” They have always appreciated that I thought enough of them to ask.

If you are reading this and you have not been with us at Mass for a little while, or a long time, ask a Catholic friend if you can join them. Trust me, that will be so grateful you did the hard part! If you don’t know a Catholic and would like to visit a Catholic church, please post that in our comment section and we will help you make that connection.

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A New Look

Written by: Laura Cramer

When you think of the Catholic Church, what do you picture?

Something you might not picture is a 20-something young professional female. What’s my point? My point is that the Catholic Church may be very different from the picture you have in your mind. In reality, it’s more universal, more diverse, and more relevant than it has ever been.

You are welcome in this community! The Church is full of people like you as well as people who aren’t like you at all. And that’s the beauty of it!

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Now let’s go back to your picture of the Catholic Church. In your mind, does the Church proclaim “good news of great joy”? Do you question doctrines, beliefs, and practices that seem like less than good news to you?

This is the place to ask those questions and get authentic answers. The Catholic Church is chock-full of good new of great joy, and hopefully that will become apparent to you through this blog.

So post your comments and open your mind to a new way of seeing the Catholic Church!

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Marked with the Sign of the Cross

Have you noticed that Ash Wednesday is one of the days when Catholic churches are most crowded? What about wearing ashes captures people’s imagination? The practice is so powerful that in recent years Lutherans and Methodists among others have rediscovered this ancient practice. This is even more surprising since the ashes remind us that one day–we will die.

For Catholics Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, a forty-day period of time where we examine our relationship with God. Specifically we look at the ways sin weakens our relationship with God and weakens our relationship with the people who fill our lives and our cubicles.

Really, there is more to Lent than not eating meat on Friday. When has good sushi on Friday ever made a difference in your relationship with God? Reducing Lent to “giving up something” or not eating meat is at best Lent Lite.

The three ancient practices of Lent get at the heart of what is means to be Christian and help me take Lent more seriously. In Prayer–I examine my relationship with God. Is God at the center of my life and is God getting quality time? Prayer is both listening to God and talking with God. I can always do more of both.

By Fasting–I examine myself. Do I treat the good things in life as gifts from God and gifts to be used responsibly and in moderation? Is the way I am eating and drinking contributing to good health or making it harder to live healthy. Am I looking for love in all the wrong places? Am I spending too much time in cyberspace and in a virtual world–at the expense of real relationships and real responsibilities in the real world? Fasting teaches me moderation and right balance in all areas of my life.

Through Almsgiving–I think about how I share my time, my talent and my treasure for the good of other people. Sometimes, it is so much easier to write a check or make a donation than to give up some of the time that I seem to have so little of for me, to support a cause or “be there” for a family member or friend. Jesus teaches us that the measure of our love for God is the measure of our love for others–especially the others that we don’t really like.

Make the most of these 40 days to let go of some bad habits and pick-up some good habits that in the language of faith are called virtues.

May God fill these days with his grace and mercy.