catholic family faith

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy God's consolations.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work may be holy.

Fill my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I may love that which is holy.

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, that I may defend that which is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.  Amen.

    -- Prayer of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Africa

For more prayers to the Holy Spirit, visit http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=912

Lord's Day Faith Chat - Pentecost - May 31, 2009

Driving wind.  Tongues of fire.  Speaking different languages.  How dramatic was this first coming of the Holy Spirit!  Isn't it wonderful to know, explicitly, when the Holy Spirit fills us and empowers us to speak and act boldly in Christ's name?  But it doesn't always work that way.  Most of the time, the Spirit simply fills us with a desire to use our natural gifts and abilities to reach out to someone in need.  The members of our family can help us recognize the Spirit working in and through us as they share with us how they see us doing good for others.

Faith Chat Question: 

Adults - Recall a time when you felt empowered by the Holy Spirit.  What did you do?  How did it feel?  Youth/Children - What gifts, talents & abilities do you have that you can use to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?

Faith Response:  Read Galatians 5:22-23.  On slips of paper, write the nine Fruits of the Spirit; place them in a bowl or jar on your kitchen table.  Each day over the next couple of weeks or so, draw out one slip of paper and watch for and practice that Fruit of the Spirit throughout the day.

Prayer:  Spirit of God, fill us with the fire of your love so that we may boldly act in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

What is Your Parenting Personality?

Have you ever wondered how our personality influences your parenting style?  Take this short quiz to discover your parenting personality and to find out how you can draw upon your strengths in raising your children:  http://quizzes.familyeducation.com/motherstyles/

Novena to the Holy Spirit

What is a Novena?

A novena is a public or private prayer that is prayed nine times – nine days, one day per week for nine weeks, at the beginning of the hour for nine hours, or so.  The word novena comes from the Latin word meaning “nine.”

Typically, there are four types of novena: 

• Mourning, as during the nine days following a death
• Preparation, as nine days of prayer before a major feast such as Christmas, Easter, or Pentecost
• Prayer, as for a particular intention
• Penance, as for forgiveness either before or after the Sacrament of Reconciliation

How to pray a Novena?

There is no particular formula for a novena; there are a variety of different formats for novena prayers.  Sometimes a novena is simply the praying of a particular prayer nine times.  Some novenas, particularly public prayers, include Scripture readings, reflections, litanies, or hymns.  There is no wrong way to pray a novena.

There is much information on the Internet regarding novenas, and there are a number of available novena prayer books.

 

Download this file for an outline of a Novena to the Holy Spirit:  http://tburnsfamilyfaith.typepad.com/NovenaHolySpirit.pdf

Pope to Kids: NOW IS THE TIME TO BE MISSIONARIES

On May 4, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI addressed some 4500 children, ages 8 to 13, at the Third Missionary Encounter in Spain.  The Holy Father "[invited] kids as young as 8 years old 'enthusiastically speak about Jesus' so as to bring the light of the Gospel to those who do not know [Christ]." and to "'grow in friendship with Jesus, the friend who never fails through prayer and the sacraments, so as to speak of him with enthusiasm to those who have perhaps not had the joy of knowing him.'"

For more on Pope Benedict's address to kids, go to http://www.zenit.org/article-25779?l=english

Parent's Prayer

"I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know God, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which God has called you, what are the riches of God's glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God's power for us who believe, according to the working of God's great power."  (Ephesians 1:17-19)

This is one of the readings for today, May 21st.  St. Paul prayed this for the community in Ephesus.  I think it is a beautiful prayer for parents to pray for their children.  What great gifts to pray for:  Wisdom and knowledge of God, the hope for becoming the person God created you to be, the "riches" (greater than money & stuff!) and blessings - peace, joy, love - of being counted as God's own child, and the gift of God's Spirit to empower you in all that you do.

Lord's Day Faith Chat - The Ascension of the Lord - May 24, 2009

While the official celebration of the feast of the Ascension of the Lord is on the 40th day after Easter, May 21st in 2009, parishes in the U.S. celebrate the feast on the Sunday following the Thursday.

As his disciples, we know that Christ is with us, empowering us to share his Good News with our families, friends, and world.  We share Christ’s Good News primarily through our kind words and by helping others.  Sometimes the simplest action can have a profound impact.

 

Parents provide the example of how to live as disciples of Christ as they care for and love their children.  In turn, children follow their parents’ examples when they care for and share love with their friends.

 

Sharing Christ’s Good News can have an amazing ripple effect!

 

Faith Chat Question:  What “signs” have you experienced that let you know that Christ is with you?  How has knowledge of Christ’s presence empowered you to share his love with others?

 

Faith Activity:  Jesus ascended into the clouds.  As a family, go outside, lay down a blanket on the ground, lie down, and watch the clouds.  Use your imagination to see different shapes of creatures and images in the clouds.

 

Pray: 

Jesus, we long to be your witnesses to our world.  May we share your love and joy through our words and actions.  Amen.

The Ascension of the Lord

The Church officially celebrates the feast of the Ascension of the Lord this Thursday, May 21st.  (In the U.S., the Eucharistic liturgies for the feast of the Ascension are moved to the Sunday following the official date of the feast.)  On this day, we reflect on the Scriptures from the gospels of Mark 16:19-20 and Luke 24:50-53 and Acts of the Apostles 1:6-12.  We also remember Jesus' instructions and promises to his disciples, and to us: 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8);

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Based on these instructions from Jesus, we can reflect on the importance of parenting.  Parents are responsible for baptizing their children and teaching them to observe all of Jesus' commandments.  And they need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish these tasks!  What an amazing and wonderful gift and ministry!

On this feast of the Ascension of the Lord, take time to recall how you have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.  How has the Holy Spirit guided you in telling others, through your words and your actions, about Jesus Christ?

The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus by Owen Phelps, Ph.D.

I just finished reading The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus by Owen Phelps, Ph.D (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing.)  In his book, Dr. Phelps introduces what he calls S3 Leadership: Servant, Steward, Shepherd.  He bases his insights on Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.

I found the concepts of S3 Leadership very intriguing.  It almost seems too logical. If we want to lead like Jesus, we just need to follow his example.  And his example focuses on being servant, steward, and shepherd.

Jesus had a specific vision for his ministry, to do his Father's will.  Based on that vision, Jesus exemplified what it means to be a servant leader, to identify what others need and help them to fulfill their need.  He was a steward leader in that he realized that all his resources, his disciples, his talents were gifts that he was given to use to share the Good News.  And he was a shepherd who put other's needs before his own, ultimately giving his life for those he shepherded.

In the chapters of his book, Dr. Phelps presents and discusses the qualities of an S3 Leader, including integrity, humility, honesty, having and effectively communicating a vision, ability to challenge others to develop their talents in order to succeed. 

I think this book is especially good for parents.  After all, parents are leaders and they exemplify Jesus to their children.  Parents truly are S3 Leaders.  They serve their children, making sure that their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs are met.  They recognize the gift of their children and help their children to cultivate their personal gifts.  They shepherd their children, often putting aside their own desires for the needs of their children.

The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus is a fairly quick read.  It contains eleven chapters of succinct ideas and information.  It also includes asides drawn from leaders and leadership styles in the church and the business world.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who leads...and that includes just about everyone!

Lord's Day Faith Chat - 6th Sunday of Easter - May 17, 2009

It is quite obvious that the theme of the readings for this Lord's Day is Love.  Not just any love, but God's love, true love. 

The word "love" is written nine times in the second reading from the first letter of John.  The word "love" is repeated another nine times in the gospel reading.  Thus, there is no doubt that love is the basis of all Jesus' actions and the foundation of God's commandments for how we should live.  Jesus instructs us to live in and share God's love just as he lived and shared God's love.

Our families are the fertile ground in which to grow God's love.  Each day offers us numerous opportunities to share love, especially by giving of ourselves for the needs of others.

Faith Chat Question:  Think about your friends.  What qualities do your friends show based on the definition of a true friend from today's readings?

Faith Response:  For the number of times the word "love" is written in todays readings (1 John 4:7-10 and John 15:9-17), come up with ways to show love this week to family members and friends, and even people you don't know.

Pray:  Jesus, Friend and Lover, inspire us to share your love with all whom we meet.  Amen.