Diocese of Rockville Centre Propagation of the Faith and Mission Office
Rev. Joseph V. McCabe, MM Director www.drvc.org/mission
Volume 3, Issue 5
HCA Mission News
March/April 2010
Thought for Lent: “We know whether or not we are imitating Christ or simply rationalizing our own desires by what begins to flow into our lives. If I am truly imitating Christ, I can expect to experience in my life the things that Jesus experienced in his, namely, a certain vulnerability that leaves me existentially incapable of protecting myself against certain kinds of pain. When I am genuinely imitating Christ, I will find myself "weak" in the same ways that Jesus was weak - more liable to physical pain and weariness, more sensitive to human rejection and contempt, more affected by love and hate, more pained over the state of things, more overextended, more prone to humiliation.” Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Mission Awareness Day
Resurrection!
Sponsoring a Mission Awareness Day at your parish or school is a great way to introduce students to the concept of mission and what it means in their lives. There are many creative ways to teach compassion for others, build respect for other cultures and consider God’s call for all of us to be “missionaries” wherever we are.
One of the best pictures to come out of the earthquake in Haiti was the rescue of little Kiki, below. He had been buried for nearly eight days when rescuers pulled him out of a heap of debris. Although dehydrated and weak, when he saw his mother he opened his arms in victory, and a triumphant smile crossed his face. What a symbol — even though his body was in the shape of the Cross, how the Resurrection broke through!
Choosing a theme will help you to select the appropriate activities, crafts, decorations, service projects, music, food, etc. Some ideas are: •
Country/Geographic Focus: Mexican fiesta, African safari, Rainforest, etc.
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Globetrotters: Travel from country to county to learn about other cultures; get your Passport stamped.
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Mission Possible: We are “special agents” through Baptism who bring the Good News to all people.
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Bible J.A.M. (Jesus and Missions) - Using music and Scripture to get into the mission arena.
Please share the story of Kiki with your students; so many have sacrificed and made donations to the people of Haiti, and I am sure they would love to see Kiki’s smile (pictures are readily available on the internet). Let us hold the Haitians, and also now the people of Chile, in our prayers this Lent and Easter.
These are only a sample of ways that children can have fun and learn. For more ideas, check out the HCA website at onefamilyinmission.org, where we obtained this information. .
And Speaking of Mission Awareness… Our Director, Fr. Joseph McCabe, MM, will be starting a monthly column in The Long Island Catholic this month. It will be entitled “Mission Paths” and will highlight missionaries from around the world. His first column focuses on Lent and his experiences with Catechumens in Russia.
Kiki being rescued in Haiti