SPEAK 3

Official Newsletter of Teachers in Sandals Fellowship

May-June 2011

INSIDE: p2 What is Speech Project No 2?/p3 “I Believe” by Bro Andrew Quirke/p5 Vatican Notes/p6 Teaching Night Schedules

GROWING IN NUMBER, IN FAITH

From its humble beginning with a handful of participants, Teachers in Sandals Fellowship has grown to nine (9) active members who take on the different roles during the Teaching Night, the fourth meeting being held on 30 May 2011, 6pm at the Newman Hall, Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland, New Zealand.

According to Fr Sam Pulanco, spiritual adviser, Bishop Patrick Dunn has taken note of the group with its mission of “spreading God’s Word through teachings and other acts of love.”

During the Teaching Night on 30 May, the following attended: Bro Andrew, Bro Darrow, Bro Denis, Bro Krishna, Bro Jason, Bro Mel, Sis Melissa, Fr Sam and Bro Shawn, with two guests, namely Jeff Lang and Nataniel Hood.

Bro Andrew leads in the delivery of speech projects (Speech Project No. 3 “I am Catholic”), followed

by Bro Darrow and Bro Denis (Speech Project No. 2 “I Believe”). The rest of the members have delivered Speech Project No. 1 “I Am”.

Sis Melissa officially takes the record as the first female member and first female to deliver a speech project in the ministry.

What is Speech Project 2?

The speech project is titled, “I Believe”.

You believe in God. You believe in Jesus Christ. You believe in the Holy Trinity. You believe in the Catholic Church. You believe.

While we can recite the Apostle’s Creed well; have we articulated in our own way what we believe in?

The Teachers in Sandals speech project 2 is the vehicle that allows the speaker to express in his/her own words one’s belief. The Apostle’s Creed can be the foundation, yet it is important that one’s personal experiences be injected into the speech.

This project is an opportunity for the speaker to reflect on one’s life and mention one to two occasions that made one’s faith significant and real.

Speech time is limited from 3-5 minutes.

Objectives A. To use the Apostles’ Creed as a point of reference 1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: 2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: 3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: 5. The third day he rose again from the dead: 6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: 7. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead: 8. I believe in the Holy Ghost: 9. I believe in the holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints: 10. The forgiveness of sins: 1l. The resurrection of the body: 12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

B. To reflect on one’s life and mention at least two instances that gave substance to one’s belief God is with us all the time, though at times we tend to forget, and thus, succumb to temptation and commit sin. It is in times of adversity that we seek God’s help, and he is there at all times to carry us out of the abyss in our lives. Surely, there have been occasions in our lives that the presence of God was felt; and these are the ones that can be incorporated in the speech.

C. To deliver an organised speech, that incorporates fundamental Christian beliefs and personal experiences The challenge in this speech project is to deliver an interesting narrative that makes the listeners feel that the speaker stands strong in his/her faith.

Tips: 1.

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Go through the Apostles Creed and reflect on those parts that have strong impact when reading Choose personal experiences that relate to those parts that have created strong impact Speech projects in Teachers in Sandals can be testimonial in nature, but these should not be treated as a confession, which are best made before a priest. Highly personal or confidential should not be shared, as a rule of thumb.

Delivered by Bro Andrew Quirke on 16 May 2011

What do I believe? Have I just grown up as a Catholic and been told these truths or do I truly believe in what I have been told and come to know? It is a question that I have asked myself from time to time growing up as a Catholic. However I know today that the Catholic Faith is the one true faith the one true church and that it is the Church Jesus our Lord and Saviour instituted and gave Peter the keys to before He joined his Father in Heaven and where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. I also believe that He did not leave us orphaned for He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us and the Church itself until the day He comes again.

I will explain to you what I believe, starting off on who I believe in and finishing off by what I believe in. Along the way I will also share with you times in my life where my beliefs were confirmed. I believe there is one God, existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

As Matthew 19:26 says “I believe that with God, all things are possible.” I believe God is Love and that he loves all people. I believe that he reaches out to all of us through the sacraments of the church. Through each sacrament we are given the grace of God and drawn closer to him. Each sacrament is a visible sign of God’s unconditional love for us. A visible sign where God comes to us, enters into our life, and brings us closer to him through his grace.

I believe that God is our Heavenly Father this portrays to me that our God has an intimate relationship with as, as our Father and we are his children. I believe that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and at the same time, he offers us love and care and tenderness as only a Father could. We see an example of the love our Father offers through our own parents, who show us the same love and kindness.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord. I believe that Christ was the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. I believe that He came to reveal the Father and to confirm the promises made. I believe in the Atonement: that He Who knew no sin became sin for us and that

by His sacrifice. He not only offered salvation to all mankind, He has reconciled the world unto Himself and has redeemed His people. I also believe that he is our Lord this means to me that I am but a humble servant of Christ and that he is undisputed master over my life and that he is worthy of all praise and worship. He is also the “only Son of God” which means that Jesus’ relationship to God is different than ours. Jesus is truly both Man and God. He is as the Bible informs us: “Son of Man” and “Son of God”.

I believe in the Holy Spirit the last person of the trinity although the Holy Spirit has always been and will always be. Once Jesus left this earth the Holy Spirit took over the role of being the witness to the glory of Christ to God and at Pentecost the spirit came down and upon the disciples so that they could be the new witnesses and leaders of the faith.

The final person I believe in is Mary although not part of the trinity she holds an important role as our heavenly queen and mediatrix of all graces. I believe that Mary is our Heavenly Mother as the Bible tells us in the Gospel of John 19:2627 When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. It is at that moment that Mary becomes Mother of all disciples of Jesus, including those in our own time who follow Jesus.

In my life over the last 10 years that has been times where I have needed the comfort and love that only a mother can provide, being in the Army and living overseas. I have not had the luxury of being near my own Mum but through the love of Mary and her intercession I have been comforted and well looked after. I have to say after having almost left the church at one stage in my life it was Mary through her love that she has shown me that has made me the strong Catholic I am today.

What do I believe in?

I believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church It is through these 4 marks of the Church that I believe that the Catholic Church is indeed the one True Church instituted by our Lord himself. Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:2332). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church. Being one is not a loose collection of parts, it’s an organic whole. It has a head, voice, heart, hands and feet. The head is the Holy Father, who guides the Church with the mind of Christ. The voice is the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church. At the heart of the Church are the Sacraments, which nourish the body of the Church. The hands and feet are each of us, who reach out to the world and take with us the love of God.

By His Grace, Jesus makes the Church holy, just as He is holy. The Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments. The term “catholic” means “universal.” The Church is “catholic” because the same full Gospel is preached everywhere. The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because He appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders.

The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

I also believe that the most important parts of our Faith are the Sacraments. They point to what is sacred, significant and important for us. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence and his love. Important is Baptism, as it is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Eucharist, through Christ's Body and Blood, we are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. Reconciliation as no matter what we have done through it, we find God's unconditional forgiveness. And lastly the Holy Orders where priests are ordained to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness. I remember the first time I saw an ordination. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I witnessed: when a priest prostrates himself in front of the altar of the cross and offers his life completely to Christ.

Although I could keep going, about what I believe, I will finish off with this final thought: Jesus lets us know about an important aspect of our Faith for blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I believe in Mary our Mother and that Christ instituted the Catholic Church.

At the end of the day however there are many things that confuse me, or areas in my life where I don’t know what I believe. I leave everything to faith and believe that God will guide me in the right direction. I leave my life in his hands.

Amen.

General Intention: That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses of the caring and merciful love of God. Missionary Intention: That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities numerous missionary vocations, willing to fully consecrate themselves to spreading the Kingdom of God‌ In giving

priority to Gregorian chant and to classical liturgical music, the Catholic Church is not trying to limit anyone's creativity but is showcasing a tradition of beautiful prayer, Pope Benedict XVI wrote. Music at Mass should reflect the fact that the liturgy "is primarily the action of God through the church, which has its history, its rich tradition and its creativity," the pope said in a letter marking the 100th anniversary of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. In the letter, released by the Vatican May 31, the pope wrote that sometimes people have presented Gregorian chant and traditional church music as expressions "to be overcome or disregarded because they limited the freedom and creativity of the individual or community."

But, he said, when people recognize that the liturgy does not belong to an individual or parish as much as it belongs to the church, then they begin to understand how, while some expressions of local culture are appropriate, priority should be given to expressions of the church's universal culture. He said music used at Mass must convey a "sense of prayer, dignity and beauty," should help the faithful enter into prayer -- including through use of music that reflects their culture -- and should keep alive the tradition of Gregorian chant and polyphony‌ In a world marked by new forms of slavery and injustice, the

church must evangelize constantly and fearlessly -- even in the face of persecution, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope, addressing directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies May 14, said Catholic activity at every level needs to be infused with the missionary spirit. "All the sectors of pastoral life, of catechesis and of charity should be characterized by the missionary dimension: the church is mission," he said.

Evangelization, he added, must begin with a firm faith and an enthusiastic desire to share it with others. The church's evangelization efforts are aimed at "transforming the world according to God's plan," leading men and women to "read freedom" and out of all forms of slavery, he said‌Even though it is in the nature of every human being to seek

God, creating the kind of inner state necessary for prayer is difficult, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Prayer is first and foremost a matter of the heart where we experience God's call and our dependence on his help to transcend our limitations and sinfulness," the pope said May 11 at his weekly general audience. Prayer is an inner activity, "a way of being before God," and not a series of formulas, words and gestures, he said.

Because prayer is rooted so deeply in the individual's inner being, it is "not easily decipherable" and is "difficult," he said. Prayer is a privileged moment for self-giving and putting oneself before "the invisible, the unexpected, the ineffable," and for that reason "the experience of prayer is a challenge for everybody, a grace to be invoked and a gift" from God, he said. (All items taken from Catholic News Service)

Date: 18 July, 6pm Venue: Newman Hall Assignments: (Confirmed) PM : Sis Melissa Smilines : Fr Sam Teachings SP2 : Bro Jason SP2 : Bro Krishna SP3 : Bro Mel BQQ : Bro Denis

1 August, 6pm Venue: Newman Hall Assignments: (Suggested) Bro Jason Bro Denis SP2: Bro Shawn SP3: Bro Darrow SP4: Bro Andrew BQQ: Bro Andrew

TEACHERS IN SANDALS FELLOWSHIP Vision: Dedicated volunteers spreading God’s Word through teachings and through example Mission: To carry on the command of Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel to all peoples of the world Scriptural Guides: “And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.”

(Exodus 4:15) “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28)

OPEN TO STUDENTS Email: librelaw@yahoo.com