My heart is filled with joy and hope for our son and new daughter-in law. Our son and his lovely wife were just married. It was such a beautiful sacrament. Just bursting with joy.
The last of the guests have gone home. The newlyweds are off on their honeymoon and I'm surrounded with the happy chaos of table linens and flowers. The beautiful quiet is just what I need – a peaceful day with Our Lord. As I reminisce through the tears and memories, my prayer begins:
"Dear Lord thank you for this beautiful marriage, please bless them with a beautiful life filled with happiness. Please bless them with children and help them to always remain close to you. Help them to have a relaxing and fun honeymoon and keep them safe in their adventures." I can't believe how wonderful Our Lord has been. He has always stunned me by His awesome blessings.
READ MORENewman Centers are a vibrant home for Catholic students at public universities in our Diocese. With daily Mass, study, and community -building events, the work at Newman Centers help young people encounter Christ and live out their faith dynamically.
The college years are the most formative years for young adults. Research tells us 80% of people who leave the faith do so by the age of 23. Studies also show that within 72 hours on a college campus, a majority of students have found the friends they will have for the next four years. In the Diocese of Phoenix, Catholic young adults have expressed a hunger for Christ, as our Newman Center programs are rapidly outgrowing their current buildings.
READ MOREAs many of you know, Corpus Christi is joining with the Diocese for the Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante campaign. The Diocese is seeking to raise $100 million to expand our efforts to bring all people to a relationship with Jesus Christ through discipleship and evangelization.
READ MORESource: Praying with Body, Mind, and Voice, via http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass Copyright © 2010 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
In the celebration of Mass we raise our hearts and minds to God. We are creatures of body as well as spirit, so our prayer is not confined to our minds and hearts. It is expressed by our bodies as well. When our bodies are engaged in our prayer, we pray with our whole person. Using our entire being in prayer helps us to praywith greater attentiveness.
During Mass we assume different postures — standing, kneeling, sitting — and we are also invited to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial. They have profound meaning and, when done with understanding, can enhance our participation in the Mass.
READ MOREWho is the Holy Spirit? What is His role in a believer’s life? Would you be able to answer those questions? Sadly, when many people think about the Holy Spirit, all they think about are the symbols, like the dove or maybe the tongues of fire from our 1st reading. People might be familiar with the symbols, but unfortunately, so few people really know who the Holy Spirit really is or what His role is in their lives. Romans 8:14 says, “Those who are led by the Spirit are children of God”. So the first thing we know is that we are God’s children. However, many people don’t really know what it means to live a life led by the Spirit, then neither do they really know what it means to be a child of God. So today, I want to do what I can to help you to know who the Holy Spirit is, what His role is in our lives, and what it means to be led by the Spirit.
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