If you haven’t facilitated an ENDOW study....might this be the call to give this gift to the women of your parish? Please prayerfully consider facilitating....it is a blessing which cannot be fully described! Please check out the available ENDOW studies here and start planning a new study group. Bringing women together to discover their God given dignity...and to grow in the love of Christ and his Body the Church! .....YES! God loves a cheerful giver!
Showing posts with label Catholic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic. Show all posts
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
ENDOW studies in action.......transforming lives and increasing love of Christ and of our Mother, the Church.......
These words speak for themselves...I gathered them from a recent letter from an ENDOW participant to Executive Director Terry Polakovic:
“I felt a strong urge to write this letter........I have just started my first Endow class, “Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women.” Even though I have only finished the first chapter and Appendix 1, I had to express my wonderment at what I have read thus far...........Just reading these few pages.......have caused me to stand in much more appreciation of the Catholic Church than I ever have before..........Because of this study I have become aware of how the Church has fought and defended the rights and dignity of women throughout the world. For years I was ignorant of this, but my eyes have finally been opened, leading to a much greater appreciation of the Church that has been a part of me all my life.......I thank the Holy Spirit for guiding me to this class.......I am looking forward with great anticipation to continue on with this course, and I would encourage every woman to take the opportunity to attend the Endow classes.”
This is the story of ENDOW. Here is “Love the learning. Build the friendships. Live the Faith” in living action. Praise be to God for the apostolate of ENDOW which helps bring women into knowing the fullness of their dignity and their role in humanizing and transforming society into a culture of life. Thank God for this living example of yet another heart converted to deeper understanding through an ENDOW study...and this is only after the first chapter of her first study!
“Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” Jn 7:38 Come Holy Spirit!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Love is in the air....Please give me eyes to SEE!
When we meet new people it is sometimes a bit scary as the expectations of ourselves and of others get so high. Is this person too good to be true? Am I not good enough? Coming to know ourselves as beloved (like St. John, The Beloved Disciple) in the eyes of God helps us live our true God-given dignity. In a Catholic News agency article titled “I’m not Good enough for you” by Anthony Buono, there are suggestions of how to let go of fear and live more fully in relationship. Some advice presented in the article for those who are looking for a spouse or for anyone looking for greater peace between loved ones: “For the pursuit of marriage, it is imperative that we never make the mistake of thinking that we are dating a saint, and we are too sinful, weak, or broken for that person. It is also imperative that we do not put that other person on too high of a pedestal, and remember that they, too, are a sinner. If you are ever dating someone who comes across as believing there is nothing wrong with them......" (to see full article, click here).
So very many women who participate in ENDOW classes have come to better understand this harmony in relationships that God intends for us. In knowing more fully that we are all beloved, “as is,” in the eyes of God, we soon experience a richer and more authentic harmony in all of our relationships. A couple of ENDOW classes to consider are Discover your Dignity I the journey of a woman’s life from birth through her late 40’s and Discover Your Dignity II the journey from mid-life to the end of life.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Reflection: The Catholic Church, and Those who Love Her, Are Best Understood in Christ Crucified
God has given his children an indescribable and indispensable treasure in the fullness of truth that is contained in the Catholic Church alone. When a man, woman or child finds this truth and adheres to it, there is a wonderful, radiant security that rests in their heart.
DENVER, CO (Catholic Online) - When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified True God and True Man, cruelly fixing his sacred Humanity upon a Roman Cross. As they looked upon the Crucified Son, the rulers "sneered" at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." The soldiers, too, "jeered" at him, calling out, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." (see Lk. 23:33-38).
It appears that the soldiers who mocked Jesus did not understand who he truly is. We could say that they failed to distinguish or recognize reality as it is; for it is reality that the Man they nailed to the cross was-is-the Son of God. In their misunderstanding, they jeered at him. "If you are who you say you are," said they, "save yourself." The soldiers had in mind that the Messiah of God should act differently than he indeed willed to act; they could not understand why he would not use his power in a way that they imagined it ought be used.
We see this same type of jeering and mocking continue on this very day in the way the Catholic Church, which Christ himself founded a short time before he hung on the cross, is persecuted. There are those today, in effect, who exclaim of the Church: "If you are who you say you are, then act as I imagine you would." But what type of Church is it that they imagine God would install in the midst of the world? One inhabited by sinless men completely removed from a fallen humankind who inhabit a fallen world? One that is not truly Mother Church but, rather, a distant and unknown stepmother?
It is unnecessary to go into detail concerning the scandals of abuse which periodically surface within the Church. Suffice it to say that every devout Catholic who sees the Church correctly and in the light of reality as it is, is saddened and disappointed and even angered at these tragic, sinful events. Yet precisely because these Catholics recognize the Catholic Church for what she is, they remain ever-faithfully in love with her; obedient to her words of truth, thirsting for her sacraments of life-especially the highest of all sacraments: the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ in Eucharist.
Read the rest of this article at catholic.org, the site of first publication.
DENVER, CO (Catholic Online) - When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified True God and True Man, cruelly fixing his sacred Humanity upon a Roman Cross. As they looked upon the Crucified Son, the rulers "sneered" at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." The soldiers, too, "jeered" at him, calling out, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." (see Lk. 23:33-38).
It appears that the soldiers who mocked Jesus did not understand who he truly is. We could say that they failed to distinguish or recognize reality as it is; for it is reality that the Man they nailed to the cross was-is-the Son of God. In their misunderstanding, they jeered at him. "If you are who you say you are," said they, "save yourself." The soldiers had in mind that the Messiah of God should act differently than he indeed willed to act; they could not understand why he would not use his power in a way that they imagined it ought be used.
We see this same type of jeering and mocking continue on this very day in the way the Catholic Church, which Christ himself founded a short time before he hung on the cross, is persecuted. There are those today, in effect, who exclaim of the Church: "If you are who you say you are, then act as I imagine you would." But what type of Church is it that they imagine God would install in the midst of the world? One inhabited by sinless men completely removed from a fallen humankind who inhabit a fallen world? One that is not truly Mother Church but, rather, a distant and unknown stepmother?
It is unnecessary to go into detail concerning the scandals of abuse which periodically surface within the Church. Suffice it to say that every devout Catholic who sees the Church correctly and in the light of reality as it is, is saddened and disappointed and even angered at these tragic, sinful events. Yet precisely because these Catholics recognize the Catholic Church for what she is, they remain ever-faithfully in love with her; obedient to her words of truth, thirsting for her sacraments of life-especially the highest of all sacraments: the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ in Eucharist.
Read the rest of this article at catholic.org, the site of first publication.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Birthdays!
By Mercy Gutierrez
Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.
As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!
Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.
As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I Like August
By Terry Polakovic
The other day I heard a radio commercial poking fun at the month of August as the only month without a designated holiday. The gist of the commercial was that there is nothing worse than the month of August. I must say, I respectfully disagree.
As a person who loves to learn, I have always found that there was something exhilarating about August. Summer winds down and everyone seems ready to get back into a regular routine and whether they will admit it or not, most people just do better when they have a routine. When my children were young I used the month of August to get them ready for school, motivate them and gear them up for all the new adventures waiting just around the corner. We carefully planned our trip to Target to purchase school supplies, and, once we were there, it would take us a couple of hours to choose the ideal backpacks and pens that would last for a year and notebooks that no one else would have. It wasn’t just a shopping trip; it was an art.
Education has the power to transform us and make us better versions of ourselves. This is just one of the reasons I love being a Catholic. As Catholics, we are heirs to the richest intellectual tradition in all of history. Unfortunately, very few of us even realize it. Fewer still make an effort to seek it out. But I think John Paul II got it right when he said, “Time dedicated to education is time truly well spent, because it determines a person’s future, and therefore the future of the family and of the whole society.” So, do yourself a favor and while everyone is getting ready for “back-to-school” get yourself ready too. Join an ENDOW group, read a book about the saints, read Frank Sheed’s Theology and Sanity, read George Weigel’s Witness to Hope about the life of Pope John Paul II. Education is a lifelong journey.
There are a few other things I like about August. I like the cooler mornings, I like fresh Colorado produce, I like buying a couple of new sweaters, I like planning our September Conference and thinking about all of the new women I might meet this year because of ENDOW. August? Bring it on!
The other day I heard a radio commercial poking fun at the month of August as the only month without a designated holiday. The gist of the commercial was that there is nothing worse than the month of August. I must say, I respectfully disagree.
As a person who loves to learn, I have always found that there was something exhilarating about August. Summer winds down and everyone seems ready to get back into a regular routine and whether they will admit it or not, most people just do better when they have a routine. When my children were young I used the month of August to get them ready for school, motivate them and gear them up for all the new adventures waiting just around the corner. We carefully planned our trip to Target to purchase school supplies, and, once we were there, it would take us a couple of hours to choose the ideal backpacks and pens that would last for a year and notebooks that no one else would have. It wasn’t just a shopping trip; it was an art.
Education has the power to transform us and make us better versions of ourselves. This is just one of the reasons I love being a Catholic. As Catholics, we are heirs to the richest intellectual tradition in all of history. Unfortunately, very few of us even realize it. Fewer still make an effort to seek it out. But I think John Paul II got it right when he said, “Time dedicated to education is time truly well spent, because it determines a person’s future, and therefore the future of the family and of the whole society.” So, do yourself a favor and while everyone is getting ready for “back-to-school” get yourself ready too. Join an ENDOW group, read a book about the saints, read Frank Sheed’s Theology and Sanity, read George Weigel’s Witness to Hope about the life of Pope John Paul II. Education is a lifelong journey.
There are a few other things I like about August. I like the cooler mornings, I like fresh Colorado produce, I like buying a couple of new sweaters, I like planning our September Conference and thinking about all of the new women I might meet this year because of ENDOW. August? Bring it on!
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