Go West 2

Thanksgiving was great.  Hilary and Richard made a traditional meal with all the fixin's.  Mark and Julia, their friends, joined us.  Julia is from Edinburgh and they are redoing their wedding vows over Christmas break.  Traditional Scottish wedding with men in kilts (jealous).  On Friday played 9 holes of golf with Hilary and Richard at Hank Haney's short course.  Low 60's (temp not my score), sunny.  Nice.  Saturday I played again by myself while Monica and Hilary shopped.  Sunday we went to the Dallas Aboritum to see a display of over 500 Nativity Scenes (creches).  Truly amazing and uplifting to see how many different visions people have had of the glorious Nativity mystery.  My favorite was a set made from the ashes from the Mt. St. Helena eruption. Pics below. Click on pictures for a better view.

Table set for the feast

Richard the carver

Plated and ready

Day after Thanksgiving at the links

Dallas Arboritum

1 of 500 creches

What a gordious house!  Dallas Arboritum

Go West 1

Reporting on trip West.  We left R'ville late on Fri., Nov 16.  To Harrisburg, PA first day.  Day 2 we wandered thru Virginia using many side roads.  Picturesque rolling hills with a touch of late fall. Nite 2 stayed in Lynchburg, VA.  Nite 3 made it to mid-Tennessee between Knoxville and Nashville.  On to Little Rock, AK. for nite 4.  Made it to Dallas on Tuesday.  Pleasant trip with nice sites.  Long trip.  See some pics below.

What the sky looks like in Arkansas

It's still fall in Texas

This long trip can berry you!

So far its been a great trip.  Looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Hilary and Richard.  Some time here, then on to the Rockies!

Bishop Longley on the New Evangelization

Excellency, Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham (Great Britain-England and Wales)

***

The New Evangelization is not a strategy or program, but an invitation to an encounter and life-long relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. It involves fallingin love with the person of Jesus Christ and his bride, the Catholic Church. This encounter with Christ takes place in and through the Church so as not to foster afalse dichotomy between spirituality and religion. Encounters with Christ in the Church help the faithful to understand the need for salvation and forgiveness from sin. Following the initial encounter with Christ, the faithful desire to spend time with the beloved in prayer, sacrament and to contemplate the face of God (Novo Millennio Ineunte).

Hence, the Synod Fathers might propose a lifelong accompaniment of each Catholic on their journey of faith modeled on Christ's walk with the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. The faithful need the continued work of systematic, comprehensive and lifelong catechesis. Evangelization and catechesis should help the faithful know, understand, live and share the faith. A catechesis for youth and adults that is age-appropriate and presented in an appealing and apologetic manner that answers the genuine questions of those participating in their formation would enhance the New Evangelization. This basic presentation of the fundamentals of our faith, as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in an attractive and appealing manner, for example at World Youth Day, will help to revive aconfidence in the faith and a greater ability to share it with others.

Fostering some practical initiatives would assist the New Evangelization and catechesis: Lectio Divina, teaching prayer, making the Sacred Scriptures and the Sacrament of Penance more readily available (perhaps through offering the Sacrament at new times and on aconsistent basis during Lent or Advent), pilgrimages, sharing the stories of the saints and martyrs, and making known the excellent work and ministry undertaken by Catholic institutions and apostolates.

We discussed presenting the Sacraments in anew light aimed at reaching contemporary society. The preparation for individual sacraments should model the catechumenate and allow for personal encounters with Christ and the proclamation of the kerygma. Small Christian communities can help to connect people to one another, allowing for prayer and reflection on the Scriptures.

We encourage the Synod Fathers to pray for a New Pentecost for the whole Church and to better understand the ways in which the Holy Spirit is working in the Church and lives of Catholics and other Christians. We stressed the importance of Liturgy well-celebrated and homilies that inspire and share the faith in a compelling manner. This will require formation for the clergy in liturgy, homiletics, and the New Evangelization since they are formators for the new evangelizers.

In order to be effective evangelists, the laity needs better preparation for evangelization. This should include doctrine, helping evangelists share the faith, perhaps through a wider use of images, suitable for the people they serve, some of whom may be illiterate; humility, acquiring the ability to articulate one's story of faith and testimony of Christ.

Our group would wish to encourage bishops, priests and permanent deacons to know the lives of the people they serve in amore personal way. The bishop is an evangelist who leads by example and shares with all the baptized the blessings of being called to evangelization. His ministry must have the characteristics of the shepherd (ad intra) and the fisherman (ad extra). Ongoing formation for clergy on the New Evangelization and methods for evangelization in the diocese and parish are needed.

The family is a privileged center for the new evangelization. Catholic families are in great need of regular support and direct assistance from the Church and parish to become witnesses to the faith. Continuing inculturation of the gospel could bring together the life of Christ with the life and culture of all people. The inculturation of the Gospel involves becoming more of a welcoming Church to immigrants and those in need.

We also considered the contribution of Religious and the witness of consecrated life, the establishment of catechists as astable ministry within the Church, the need for post-sacramental catechesis, especially following Confirmation, the wisdom of consulting our Canon Lawyers when formulating diocesan policy, the particular needs of the Deaf Community, and the management of natural resources in times of conflict or warfare.

Feast of St. Aidan

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Aidan and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne

Everliving God, who didst call thy servants Aidan and Cuthbert to proclaim the Gospel in northern England and endued them with loving hearts and gentle spirits: Grant us grace to live as they did, in simplicity, humility and love for the poor; through Jesus Christ, who came among us as one who serves, and who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_of_Lindisfarne

Here is an interesting article on Finding Jesus at Burning Man from Christianity Today.
Page 2 is a little unclear but push on.  You may have to magnify the screen to read more easily.



Burning Man

Sermon -- 5 Pentecost 2012

5 Pentecost 2012

Readings: http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp8_RCL.html

Today we continue with our readings from the books of Samuel. We see David at the moment of Saul's death. David was very close to King Saul. He knew him intimately He knew he was corrupt. He used to play his harp and sing songs to him when the King could not sleep, when he was quite mad on those difficult nights.

At a point Saul tried to kill David. Jonathan, Saul's son and the presumptive heir to the throne, saved David's life. David had a chance to kill Saul when Saul was pursuing him with murderous intentions. David chose not to kill Saul because God had anointed him as king.

Now Saul and Jonathan, his dear friend, are killed in battle. And what is David's reaction? He could have sung this song:

Oh, that corrupt old Saul is gone. Good riddance.

I've won. Thank God. How great I am.

Corruption got its just deserts.

How to Find Trinity Church

Here is where our church is located in Rensselaerville, NY.  It is where the star is on the right hand side of the map.  We are located at the end of Trinity Lane, just off Albany Hill Rd. and County Route 351.