You may be like the [prodigal] son who left home, who sank to the depths, farthest from the Gospel. When you have the strength to say, "I want to come home," you will find the door open. God will come to meet you because he is always waiting for you-God is always waiting for you. God embraces you, kisses you, and celebrates. That is how the Lord is, that is how the tenderness of our heavenly Father is. The Lord wants us to belong to a Church that knows how to open her arms and welcome everyone, that is not a house for the few, but a house for everyone, where are can be renewed, transformed, sanctified by his love-the strongest and the weakest, sinners, the indifferent, those who feel discouraged or lost. (Excerpt from Church of Mercy by Pope Francis, page 31)
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Year of Mercy Parishioner Highlight: Welcome the Stranger
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Phil McGrath on the subject of welcoming the stranger. Phil heads the Greeter and Newcomer Ministries at St. Pius and is a staple here known for his smile, strong hand shakes, and most importantly, his jokes.
Phil is typically the first person you meet at St. Pius and his charisma is infectious. You often leave an encounter with Phil feeling good about yourself. This welcoming nature of Phil's truly is a charism, his gift from God to serve. What is most impressive about Phil is how empowering he is for others. He directs the conversation to be about the other and he listens to what people say. He compliments and remembers not only their name but facts about them with his amazing memory! Phil provides assurance to others that they are valuable and worthwhile to the parish.
After talking with Phil I reflected on how often I say hello to others and learn their names. Some days I feel like I want to isolate myself from others, just come to church, do my duty as a good Catholic, and then leave. But Phil encourages us to do more, because, as Phil points out, when we are a welcoming parish, people contribute and then the parish grows. When people are empowered, when they feel important, then they have the confidence to share their gifts to the parish, not just monetarily but with their time and talent as well. How amazing it is to have a parish full of life and vitality, where we build each other up to create a strong Body of Christ!
It is easy for us to get into the habit of isolating ourselves at church, in public, and even in our families, but maybe we need to consider how we reach out to others every day, even in the small ways. How can you welcome someone today? How can you empower someone today? How you can build up the Church of Christ in the world?
God bless =)
Guest Blogger: Emily Schmid
SPX Music Ministry/Adult Faith Coordinator
Friday, February 12, 2016
Be a Saint of Mercy: Welcome the Stranger…like Mother Teresa!
As we look at the landscape of the world this month, perhaps no Work of Mercy is more relevant and at the same time also more challenging to embrace than the call to “Welcome the Stranger”!
Conflicts around the world, such as the unrest in Syria, have displaced millions of people from their homes over the last year. And the mass exodus shows little signs of stopping as refugees look for new homes around Europe and even the United States.
In fact, the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that the number of displaced individuals has surpassed 60 million by the end of 2015 – the highest yearly number ever recorded!
Pope Francis has not ignored this issue. Rather, he has embraced it and made it and emphasis of his papacy. Recently acknowledging that “Welcoming the Stranger” is not always easy, but necessary if we are to fulfill our Christian obligation. Saying, “Nations must find the right balance between two serious and binding obligations: protecting the rights and safety of one's citizens and ensuring assistance to and acceptance of migrants.”
But there is fear and uncertainty when we open our homes and our countries to strangers. We make ourselves vulnerable. Perhaps we look the other way and pretend it’s not an issue?
So who do we turn to? Who can model for us this “balance” that Pope Francis speaks of when welcome strangers?
How about, soon to be canonized, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta!
We know her story well.
Young Gonxha Agnes left home at the age of 18 years old to be a missionary (1928). She joined the Sisters of Loreto and was shortly after sent to India to teach in an all-girls school. She loved her work, her sisters and her students, but something was still missing. Then in 1946 during a train ride to her annual retreat, Mother Teresa had a conversion. She would later call this her “call within a call”, to radiate Christ’s love on all souls.
This is exactly what Mother Teresa did! She was granted permission to start a new religious community called the Missionary Sisters of Charity. Their charism…to serve the “poorest of the poor”…the strangers whom no one else would dare love and care for.
Through her work, Mother Teresa was focused on being a witness to the joy of loving, celebrating the dignity of every human person, embracing the value of doing little things faithfully and with love, and showing the worth of a friendship with God!
And if you spoke to the millions of strangers who Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Charity welcomed, I know you would find that her work is exactly the example we need to embrace those whom the rest of the world chooses to ignore!
If you want to learn more about Mother Teresa, her work, her life, and the Missionary Sisters of Charity, click her:http://www.motherteresa.org/. Also feel free to stop by our Middle School Religion classroom to see our 2nd class relic of Mother Teresa (a portion of her habit)!
As we reflect on our Christian call to Welcome the Stranger, may we each find strength in Mother Teresa’s response to love those that others are afraid to love - Sounds like she knew a thing or two about Welcoming the Stranger!
Blessed Mother Teresa…Pray for Us!
Blogger: Joe Tallman,
Middle School Religion
St. Pius X School
Conflicts around the world, such as the unrest in Syria, have displaced millions of people from their homes over the last year. And the mass exodus shows little signs of stopping as refugees look for new homes around Europe and even the United States.
In fact, the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that the number of displaced individuals has surpassed 60 million by the end of 2015 – the highest yearly number ever recorded!
Pope Francis has not ignored this issue. Rather, he has embraced it and made it and emphasis of his papacy. Recently acknowledging that “Welcoming the Stranger” is not always easy, but necessary if we are to fulfill our Christian obligation. Saying, “Nations must find the right balance between two serious and binding obligations: protecting the rights and safety of one's citizens and ensuring assistance to and acceptance of migrants.”
But there is fear and uncertainty when we open our homes and our countries to strangers. We make ourselves vulnerable. Perhaps we look the other way and pretend it’s not an issue?
So who do we turn to? Who can model for us this “balance” that Pope Francis speaks of when welcome strangers?
How about, soon to be canonized, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta!
We know her story well.
Young Gonxha Agnes left home at the age of 18 years old to be a missionary (1928). She joined the Sisters of Loreto and was shortly after sent to India to teach in an all-girls school. She loved her work, her sisters and her students, but something was still missing. Then in 1946 during a train ride to her annual retreat, Mother Teresa had a conversion. She would later call this her “call within a call”, to radiate Christ’s love on all souls.
This is exactly what Mother Teresa did! She was granted permission to start a new religious community called the Missionary Sisters of Charity. Their charism…to serve the “poorest of the poor”…the strangers whom no one else would dare love and care for.
Through her work, Mother Teresa was focused on being a witness to the joy of loving, celebrating the dignity of every human person, embracing the value of doing little things faithfully and with love, and showing the worth of a friendship with God!
And if you spoke to the millions of strangers who Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Charity welcomed, I know you would find that her work is exactly the example we need to embrace those whom the rest of the world chooses to ignore!
If you want to learn more about Mother Teresa, her work, her life, and the Missionary Sisters of Charity, click her:http://www.motherteresa.org/. Also feel free to stop by our Middle School Religion classroom to see our 2nd class relic of Mother Teresa (a portion of her habit)!
As we reflect on our Christian call to Welcome the Stranger, may we each find strength in Mother Teresa’s response to love those that others are afraid to love - Sounds like she knew a thing or two about Welcoming the Stranger!
Blessed Mother Teresa…Pray for Us!Blogger: Joe Tallman,
Middle School Religion
St. Pius X School
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)