Grapevine the St. Francis
June 2016
A Journey To Truth: My Story Of Conversion In the Spring of 2015, I went to Father Flynn asking if we could expedite my confirmation and bypass RCIA so that I could partake in The Most Blessed Sacrament and join God’s Church ASAP. He spoke to the Vicar General, and the verdict was…RCIA. Very well, I would go through whatever process was necessary, and I thank God for guiding that decision. It started with 10 weeks of SEEK. I was skeptical at first, thinking it was Christianity for beginners. Oh how was I wrong. I learned about the foundation of the Catholic faith deeper than what I already knew. For example, I learned a more intimate way to pray. I grew up fearing prayer, always so stressed that my prayer would never be heard because it would never be prayed the right way, with the right words, with enough conviction. The Saints, my wife, SEEK and RCIA…all of them helped drive out my fear of prayer.
A Reflection by Aaron Mattox
my First Communion, I fumbled in awe of the body and blood of Jesus, but my guardian angel got me through, and tears of joy, reverence, and appreciation overcame me as I knelt. At the end of the Vigil, every member of my family could not stop praising the beauty of the ceremony, and they could tell how significant and special it was to me. My conversion has been filled with facts, truth, compassion, and love. God is love. St. Francis of Assisi is full of love. RCIA is full of love. I am blessed to have a heart full of love, and I thank all of you. Aaron entered the Church at St. Francis of Assisi during the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 26, 2016. Read the full length version of his conversion at sfatx.org/mattox.
The catechists and converts I met in SEEK and RCIA are imprinted on my heart. Facts, truth, compassion and love…they embody all of the above. RCIA not only educated me more deeply on the Truth, but also made me feel that I was gradually joining the Church more and more every week. My love for all is deepened because of them. It was a special week leading to the Easter Vigil. On Holy Thursday, an ex-Army priest washed this exNavy Catholic candidate’s feet! At the Vigil, I was worried that my non-Catholic family in attendance would not understand the significance of all the details and symbolism…but a calm came over me as I became completely focused on the wonderful sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. After skipping over to the other line to make sure that Fr. Flynn gave me A NEWSLETTER OF ST FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH • 861 WILDWOOD LN, GRAPEVINE TX • SFATX.ORG
FROM THE PASTOR Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
OFFICE HOURS Monday - 9:15 am - 8:30 pm Thursday (closed for lunch from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
Friday Sunday
9:15 am - 12:00 pm 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
CHURCH HOURS Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8:00 am - 8:30 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 7:00 am - 5:30 pm
MASS SCHEDULE WEEKENDS (nursery/guardería) Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am 10:00 am (en español) 1:00 pm 4:30 pm WEEKDAYS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:30 am 8:30 am 6:00 pm 8:30 am 8:30 am
St. Francis of Assisi Church
861 Wildwood Lane Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.481.2685 // 817.488.3169 (f)
sfatx.org //
We have so many things to be thankful for since the last installment of The Grapevine. Lent was a true blessing and our Easter Triduum Celebrations were beautiful and spiritually nourishing, most especially the Easter Vigil where we had a large number of adults who received the Sacraments and were fully initiated into the Catholic Church. It is always a blessing to see people moving closer to Christ through the Sacraments and able to fully participate at the altar. We also had nearly 300 children receive their first Holy Communion and we give thanks to the bishop for coming to the parish to confirm almost 100 young people. In addition, we were blessed to host the closing Mass for the Year of Consecrated Life when hundreds of men and women religious gathered at St. Francis for Mass and a meal in honor of their service to Christ and His Church. And, we hosted the North Texas Catholic Men’s Conference with 925 Godly men coming for a day of reflection and spiritual renewal. It was also a time of celebration. We had a wonderful volunteer appreciation dinner where we honored all of the hundreds of people that help our parish operate. I thank all of the many volunteers in our dozens of ministries that dedicate so much of their time and effort to serving the parish and the wider church. The summer will be full of many wonderful opportunities. The youth will have Vacation Bible School, and the Middle School and High School Young Church will have a full calendar of events. Our newly re-formed Young Adult Ministry will also have many opportunities for both social and spiritual events and the G.K. Chesterton Society and Kapaun’s Men Group will also be meeting throughout the summer. And, don’t forget to mark your calendars for our 3rd Annual Parish Picnic and BBQ Cook-off, which will be on Saturday, June 11th after the 5:00pm Mass. This is our largest social event of the year and I hope everyone will join us for some food, music, a movie and fun!! Please check the website often, follow us on social media, and check out our weekly updates sent to you via Flocknote. If you aren't receiving these emails already, you can sign-up at sfatx.org/ flocknote. I pray everyone has a blessed and safe summer. In His Holy Name, Fr. Flynn
Parish happenings PARISH HAPPENINGS
Spring at St Francis
New Acolytes at St. Francis On April 16, Willie
Munoz, Jared Zimmerer, and Scott Immel were instituted into the Ministry of Acolyte by Bishop Olson at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Volunteer Appreciation Disco Party Around 250 St. Francis of Assisi volunteers danced the night away as we thanked them for their gifts of time and talent to our parish. Annual Easter Egg Scramble The Easter Bunny and Firemen were here on Holy Saturday, March 26, as the children of St. Francis gathered as many eggs as they could during our annual Egg Scramble. North Texas Catholic Men's Conference Over 950 Catholic men from around North Texas joined together at St. Francis for prayer, speakers, and fellowship at this annual event. Confirmation On April 30, around 100 teens from St. Francis were confirmed by Bishop Olson. We are proud and grateful for these youth who have chosen to enter more fully into the life of the Church. May Crowning Children in our catechesis and members of the Church community gathered on May 1 to honor Our Mother.
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parish happenings
VBS
2016
St. Francis Vacation Bible School is on the way! This year at Vacation Bible School we’re going to be Parachuting with the Angels and St. Catherine Labouré. Come learn all about angels and how they serve God and help us. Find out who St. Catherine is and why she became a saint. Be challenged to learn and live your faith while having fun with old friends and new ones too! Want to come? VBS is for students ages 3 (and potty-trained) to students entering 5th grade. Space is limited so register now to get your spot! Go to sfatx.org/vbs to register.
July 25-29 // sfatx.org/vbs
Want to support VBS? While volunteer registration is now closed, we can still use your help! Please pray for our program that it may go smoothly, keep everyone safe, and light the fire of faith in the children. We also are in need of supply donations. Go to sfatx.org/vbs to check out what we still need. Thanks for supporting our VBS program!
pRESCHOOL NEWS Spring Activities at the Preschool The month of February brought us the opportunity to learn about St. Blaise, St. Valentine, Presidents’ Day and stewardship. We collected dental health items for the Outreach Program. March was a VERY busy month! We started by celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with some of our favorite books. After Spring Break we jumped right into our Easter projects. April had the preschoolers learning about Spring with all its rain, bugs and butterflies. Our Pre-K3 and 4 classes performed a Spring Musical about God’s Creation! We also celebrated “Go Western Week” complete with a Cowboy Lunch. We are in the middle of registration for the next school year! Please call or email the Director, Ms. Karen Bedore at 817-481-2685 ext 230 or kbedore@sfatx.org to schedule a tour.
Saturday, June 11 6:00 - 10:00 pm Food • Drinks • Games for Kids Outdoor Movie with Popcorn $10/person • $20/family max MORE INFO: sfatx.org/bbq-picnic
Ministry spotlight
St. Francis YOUNG ADULTS
As the newest ministry at St. Francis, Veritas Young Adults is already making strides to fill a void for the young adults of our parish. This group recently began under the initiative of Rijo Philip, our visiting seminarian, and Jared Zimmerer, our Director of Adult Evangelization & Catechesis, who set-up a planning meeting to see what interest there might be. “We had around 14 people attend the initial meeting and this group of young adults just took the ministry and ran with it. I am really excited to see how this group grows and impacts the young adults of our community,” stated Jared. The purpose of Veritas is to provide young adults with opportunities to grow in faith and fellowship. Currently, Veritas leads monthly bible studies and they gather for weekly Adoration and Mass. “We welcome young adults ages 18-39, especially those who have a calling to serve in a community that will inspire other Catholics and Non-Catholics to join our parish or Catholic family. Young Adults are diverse people at different stages of life and we’re here for support and to build friendships,” said Elena Soto, a member of the leadership team. According to their team, the group really hopes to engage young adults in our community by asking them to join them in prayer and service to St. Francis. They also have a vision to open their activities to other young adults throughout the diocese by continuing to evangelize the Word to their family, friends, coworkers, and the broader community. As Dawn Hensley, another leadership team member reiterates, “Young Adulthood is a time marked by uncertainty and transition. Having a ministry like Veritas is vital to maintaining some level of consistency in an ever changing stage of life. For my family, having a ministry to plug into as soon as we moved not only made us feel more at home but gave us hope for our new future in Grapevine.” For more information or to join this new and exciting ministry, visit sfatx.org/veritas.
SACRISTANS: Preparers of the Altar
St. Guy of Anderlecht – Patron of Sacristans
Did you ever wonder how the Church is always set-up for the weekend Mass? Items for baptisms – holy oils, baptismal garment, candle, and certificate – are always in place, altar candles always seem to be lit, reserved seating signs out when necessary, and even the presider’s books in place? All of this is done by parishioners who participate in the St. Francis Sacristan Ministry, an integral yet behind-the-scenes role at every mass. At St. Francis, the Sacristan’s general responsibilities are to help prepare and maintain the worship space and to have in-place the items needed by the presider to properly and prayerfully celebrate Mass and other liturgies. “Preparation is the key to a prayerful celebration,” says Michael Stephenson, sacristan ministry leader. “We are honored to prepare the altar for Christ, present in the Eucharist, and the priest, who stands in Christ’s place at the Mass.” The sacristan typically arrives 20-30 minutes before Mass to check the set-up, and stays after mass to help prepare for the next Mass. Duties include reserving seats, placing baptismal items, verifying readers and altar servers are present, and ensuring all altar items are in place. Maybe God is calling you to serve him in this behind-the-scenes way! If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Michael at sacristan.stfrancis@outlook.com. the St. Francis
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mINISTERIO HISPANO
JÓVENES PARA CRISTO
De la Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís ¡Celebrando la Misericordia de Dios! Fecha: Horario: Lugar:
28 Mayo 2016 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Iglesia Católica San Francisco de Asis (Family Life Center)
Ministerio ALAS de Dallas TX
Gloria Coronado de San Antonio TX
PROCESO DE FORMACION CRISTIANA EN SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS June 3, 4 y 5
El objetivo principal de la Asociación Jóvenes Para Cristo/Young Adults for Christ es evangelizar a toda persona por medio de la proclamación de la Palabra de Dios, hecha con poder durante un proceso de formación que inicia con un Retiro de Iniciación Cristiana que renueva los sacramentos de iniciación y que profundiza en nuestra fe Católica llevando a las personas de la integración a la comunidad hacia un apostolado responsable.
RETIRO DE INICIACION
Para todos los que quieran profundizar en la necesidad de encontrar medios para no perder la fuerza de su fe y ayudar a otros a recuperar el vigor de su fe pero que no saben cómo actuar. Ven y encontraras una oportunidad de renovar tu servicio y entrega a Dios.
NUEVAS CONVALIDACIONES Los protagonistas
de la alianza matrimonial son un hombre y una mujer bautizados, libres para contraer el matrimonio y que expresan libremente su consentimiento. "Ser libre" quiere decir: no obrar por coacción; no estar impedido por una ley natural o eclesiástica se realizo un retiro con la participación de quienes recibirán pronto el sacramento del matrimonio. Felicitaciones a los talleristas que realizaron su desierto y a la facilitadora Adriana Noriega Guzman.
STAFF Q&A LAURA NELSON
Laura served as the music & movement teacher in the preschool before transitioning to the coordinator of children's catechesis last fall. Her gifts are helping to teach our children about the faith! A bit about her: Describe your role AT THE PARISH. I’m in charge of catechesis (religious education) for children in grades K-6. My primary job is to plan the catechesis program but I also coordinate Vacation Bible School and Sacrament Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Tell us a bit about your family AND BACKGROUND. My husband and I have been married for 20 years and have three amazing children who all tower over me: Margaret, Cal, and Charlie. We also have a small furry member of the family that is cute but barks too much! I graduated from the University of Texas in Austin far too long ago with a degree in history. Currently, I’m working on my master’s degree in catechetics and evangelization from Franciscan University. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? I love movies, great food and great conversation with friends and family. What are some of your favorite books? Pride and Prejudice and To Kill A Mockingbird are my favorites of all time but I’ve also read every Harry Potter and Hunger Games book. FAVORITE FOOD? Dark chocolate and really good french fries but not together. What is your favorite scripture passage? Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This passage reminds me that there is nothing that will keep God from loving me. Knowing that overwhelms me and brings me comfort when I’m feeling less than lovable. What is your favorite part about working here? I love the people I work with as well as the families that I minister to. I genuinely feel blessed to be able to spend my time spreading God’s love to the world.
Youth Ministry Sharing our Vision at Parent's Night
Parent’s deserve some pampering and celebrating every once and a while. This is partly why we held our first Parent’s Night for all the parents of children in Youth Catechesis (K-12th grade) in our parish. We wanted to get together with all the parents of the children we are honored to serve, and spend some time sharing community and building each other up. The entire Department of Catechesis and Evangelization had a great time with the parents and were blessed to be able to share a little about our lives and passion for what we do with all who attended. We also wanted to share our vision for youth catechesis: that all children would be put “not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.” (Catechesi Tradendae #5) We talked about the difference between education and catechesis. So many of us have poor experiences of
growing up in a CCD program, religious ed, or similar catechesis programs, and walking away with a lot of head knowledge but not much else. The difference is that education is primarily about information, while catechesis is about transformation. We hope we not just teach intellectual knowledge of the faith, but help the youth of our parish cultivate a Christian life of intimacy with Jesus Christ - to walk with Him daily. This relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church has changed lives, and we know that it will give the youth of our parish the grace and strength they seek. We look forward to continuing to serve the parents in their task of forming their children as Catholics and disciples of Jesus Christ.
Holy Trinity Highlights
HTCS: Our Parish Elementary School! u
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The students of Holy Trinity Catholic School have been very busy this spring semester. HTCS is now enrolling for the 2016-2017 school year. We currently have openings in our full day preschool and there are limited openings in all grade levels through 8th grade. Here are a few highlights from our spring semester!
y
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uEarth Day Competition Winners vHTCS mass with Bishop Michael Olson wNational History Bee Qualifiers represent HTCS at nationals in Chicago this summer. x4th Graders led Stations of the Cross y8th Grade HTCS Blue and Gold Basketball Teams who took 1st & 3rd place at the diocesan tournament.z Area Spelling Bee Champion was from HTCS {The St. Francis NET team with HTCS the St. Francis
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St. Francis Families loved Catholicism but our love of scripture did not develop until we attended a Christ Renews His Parish weekend retreat in 2009.
Soto Family Tell us a bit about your family. Raul and I (MaryBeth) live in Flower Mound and have been members of St. Francis since 1995. We have three adult children, Rebecca, Laura & Anthony, all of whom attended faith formation and were confirmed here at St. Francis. We have four grandchildren, two that live in the area, ages 16 and 2, and two that live in Utah, ages 5 and 2. Raul is a supervisor at Honeywell and I am a manager of a veterinary hospital. Poor Raul doesn’t have a chance. Animals are a huge part of my life and we have eight at this time. He should have known when he married me and we moved from El Paso and headed to our new home in Midland, Texas with two dogs. We have had anything from iguanas, rats and snakes to dogs and cats. Right now we have three dogs, four cats and one parrot. What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? Raul and I will celebrate 39 years of marriage this May. We were married when we were 19 and 20 years old. Do you have any fun or interesting family traditions? Raul give a “Jesus Blessing” to everyone who leaves the house. This is a Hispanic tradition of tracing a cross on the forehead. The grandchildren look forward to it and return the blessing. What is a favorite Bible verse for your family? Raul and I love Jeremiah 29:12-14a: "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord." Our family knows that God is always there. We have always
What is one way your family prays together? Before our kids left home we prayed the rosary weekly. Multiple families hosted the weekly rosary at their homes. This was the foundation for our family’s love of Mary. It’s a joy to see our grandchildren say the rosary now. Every night we said our prayers and “good things and bad things.” We asked each of our kids to tell us something that happened that was sad during their day. Then we ended with our “good thing” that we were thankful for, and what a gift it was from God. Our kids have continued this tradition with their children. What parish ministries are your family involved in? Raul sings and plays percussion in the 10am choir and the Spanish choir. We both are Marriage Sponsors for engaged couples. I taught Sacramental Prep for twenty years and recently returned to teaching Confirmation this year. I am also a Sacristan, Altar Assistant and Extraordinary Minister of Communion, and Reader for the 4:30pm mass. I help organize Sisterhood of St. Francis meetings and participate in the Stewardship and Newcomers Committees. What drew you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish? When we moved to the area, we went to several different churches. Raul calls it the Goldilocks effect. St. Francis was just right. The people, Father B, the church building was perfect and continues to be. What do you love most about the parish? The community. The people of St. Francis are very welcoming and loving. It is a huge family that continues to grow. We love the mass and adoration. We make it a point to worship Christ in Adoration every chance we get, and every mass we have that opportunity too! What is one sentence that would describe our parish to an outsider or fallen away Catholic? If you are looking for home, just come to St. Francis, it is “just right”! In every issue, we will feature 1-2 families from our parish. Each of these families contributes to what makes St. Francis a thriving community. We are honored they call us home. To nominate a family to be featured, contact dmilliken@sfatx.org.
bases, Don in Austin, Kristine in Oklahoma City, and slowly building a home in Dallas on the weekends. Do you have any fun or interesting family traditions? We decorate our house through the liturgical seasons of the Church, especially our home altar. We also celebrate the anniversaries of our baptisms, confirmations, and saints' days - they are as important to our family as our birthdays and holidays.
Blan Family Tell us a bit about your family. We, Don and Kristine, have been married for 28 years and have ten children, six boys and four girls: Matthew (25), Justin (24), Patrick (22), Katie (20), Phillip (19), Timothy (17), Julianna (15), Kimberly (14), Caroline (11), Christopher (10). We have been homeschooling for 18 years. Matthew and Justin are in grad school in Washington DC., and Patrick is in Paramedic School. Phillip will be going to Franciscan University in Steubenville this fall, creating a family rivalry with Matthew and Justin, who graduated from University of Dallas. A lovely new daughter will be added to our family when Justin gets married on May 14! Don is a pilot for American Airlines and Kristine is a stay-athome mom. What is an interesting fact about your family that people may not suspect or know? We met in the Air Force in Florida. Don was flying T-33s and Kristine was a Weapons Director on AWACS: using radar to vector fighters in on enemy targets. Due to our Air Force commitments we spent the first two and half years of our marriage at different
What is one way your family prays together? Dinner time is incredibly important to us. We spend time praying, talking, and laughing together. Kristine will read a saints story or another good book a little each meal. We also try to set Sundays apart by having a big meal together, praying a family rosary, and having dessert. Our children say our prayer life is not only praying together but is found in the consistency of conversations about apologetics of the faith, our formation of our spirituality, and the gratitude for the blessing of being together. What Mass does your family attend? We normally attend the 10am Mass. What parish ministries are your family involved in? Currently we are engaged couples sponsors. Phillip and Timothy are altar servers. Phillip has been interning this past year with Edmund. Julianna and Kimberly attend Young Church and are involved in Discipleship groups. What drew you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish? Father B.! He gave spiritual direction and was a good confessor. What do you love most about the parish? We have been members of the parish since 1991 and it's our home. It has a vibrant life rooted in the truth of our faith thanks to Father Flynn's spiritual fatherliness.
OUtreach in action Spring/Summer Cleaning with a Cause!
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS NEEDED: • Clothing • Curtains St. Francis Outreach is such an important part of what we do here • Housewares • Toys at St. Francis. In fact, we provide over $150,000 in assistance each • Linens • Baby Items year to those in need. While gift cards and food items are always • Furniture • Shoes needed and welcome, we encourage you to also consider donating (with advance notice) clothing and household items to our Outreach. They will either be ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED: given to those in need or sold in the Outreach Thrift Store, with • Old appliances • Computers the proceeds then used to help those in need. Thank you so much • Old electronics • TVs for helping to serve those in need within our community! the St. Francis
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Staff Blog Samplings The Marriage of the Heart & the Head Edmund Mitchell Director, Youth Evangelization & Catechesis
We sat every Sunday morning in that hot masterbedroom-turned-classroom of an old cinderblock house on Church property. It seemed to flow in and out of the dead leaves and sticks and palmettos and low hanging spanish moss like a stereotypical Florida home built in the 70’s. Brown and tan and empty and rotting and weirdly nostalgic and safe. Like visiting your friend’s granny. Regardless, we definitely dragged our feet in the rocks after Mass as we walked from the Church to the house where CCD took place. The room always smelled like granny was hiding in a closet sniffing pinesol. All the metal chairs in the hot but otherwise empty room faced the front and therefore so did all 18 of us sweaty 9th graders. This is catechesis in 2003 in Valrico, Florida. It was my freshman year of high school. If you’re reading this, chances are you too can harken back to that classroom where you stared at the back of Melissa’s head wondering what a Mexican wedding would look like. You might still remember the strange endearing sympathy you felt as your volunteer catechists stood at a half-broken formica table and tried to hold the attention of a room full of your hormonal freshman peers raised on Pokemon, Adult Swim, and iPods. Let’s be honest: those Sadlier religious-ed books were outgunned from the beginning. To this day I still wonder how I ended up willing to (or at least praying that I would be willing to) die for the things those volunteers spoke about in that room. I remember telling my friend Darryl to say “transubstantiation” to throw the teacher off. The Catholic faith was another chunk of information I could wield to stroke my ego just like the (little) philosophy, martial arts, and LOTR information I possessed. Somewhere during senior year of high school or freshman year of college I bumped directly into Jesus for the first time, and then quickly tried to ignore Him by burying myself in self-aggrandizing information gluttony. Its a lot more comfortable to follow Jesus if you feel like you’re an expert in Jesus-knowledge. I learned about typology and colored salvation history timelines. I could recite – from memory – Jeff Cavin’s
hour long talk from the audio CD “I’m Not Being Fed”. But I made sure to never look up from the information directly into the eyes of Christ. It was like a relationship that only existed on Facebook. I find it sad that to this day too many people believe there is a strong dichotomy between Catholic doctrine and a transformational relationship with a personal God. I’ve been guilty of this most of my life. Many times I’ve been running from one extreme to the other. I’ve either hidden in my head from my heart’s need for Jesus, or headlessly chased Jesus around with my heart. “The principal task entrusted to the Council by Pope John XXIII was to guard and present better the precious deposit of Christian doctrine in order to make it more accessible to the Christian faithful and to all people of good will.” Do you know what Pope St. John XXIII believed the principle task of Vatican II was? What he really wanted to accomplish with all that Church window opening? “To guard and present better the precious deposit of faith”. Catholics who are deep in the evangelization frenzy, steeped in Catholic meditations on beauty, or armed to the teeth with apologetics tracts might hear this as a sad trombone. And maybe that’s because deep down we aren’t sure if there can exist a marriage between our heads and our hearts. Maybe we really believe that when we are 19 and reckless we can have a religion like a love-affair but when we are finally 35 and mortgaged we need to grow up and learn some facts and let the naive passion of our youth fade into the past like First Communion. I, however, choose to believe that the panting of our hearts can be quickened by the slow and seductive revelation of God in the form of doctrine, tradition, and dogma. Maybe that’s really what all the doctrine should be viewed as: a lover writing from a foreign land revealing who He is. For too long the distance between the head and the heart has forced me into a false dichotomy. I should either be a frenetic charismatic or a staunch Thomist. The spirit and the letter. I think its normal for this tension to exist. Its part of how we are made. But what would it look like if the two were married? It looks like Divine Revelation. I believe it looks like the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the Papal Household, seems to agree. “…we need to discover the CCC’s pulsating heart. And what is this heart? It is not a dogma or a truth, a doctrine or an ethical principle. It is a Person: Jesus Christ! “On page after page,” – the Holy Father writes regarding the CCC in the same Apostolic Letter – “we find that what is presented here is no theory, but an encounter with a Person who lives within the Church” We can get our heart into the heart of Christ by walking over the bridge of revelation. The more Revelation becomes our bridge to the heart of God, the more we unite our head and our hearts. Then we can begin to transform the catechism from “a silent instrument, like a valuable violin resting on a velvet cloth, into an instrument that sounds and rouses hearts.” This post is from 10/28/2014 on edmundmitchell.com
Farewell & Thank You from Team 14 Hey St. Francis of Assisi, NET team here!
As the year comes to an end we wanted to take some time to tell you about all of the amazing opportunities we’ve had here at St. Francis this year. As a team, we have done around 20 large group events, which included movie nights, open youth houses, soccer, ultimate frisbee and call of duty tournaments, volleyball, dodgeball and basketball games, nerf wars, men’s and women’s nights, and much more. We have been able to evangelize to over 150 new youth at St. Francis and bring them to all of our youth events, including high school and middle school Young Church. We have four Discipleship Training groups who have been meeting regularly, led by a NETter and an adult who is active in the youth group. The purpose for these groups is to invite youth who are already living out their faith even deeper into doing so. These groups teach them how to live out their faith in an authentic way and how to lead others that they encounter even further in their faith as well. These groups form intentional community and are an awesome opportunity to encounter the Lord on a regular basis. We host small group events as well, whether it’s taking one of our Young Church small groups to Steak n’ Shake, or going rock climbing with a group of guys, we are always invested in the youth of St. Francis.
Another really cool thing we do as a NET team is something called random evangelization, which is when we go to public places like Grapevine Mills or Main Street or any sports event and talk to people of the community. Sometimes this can be really scary and awkward, but a lot of times when people ask us what we’re doing here in Grapevine, it becomes a really cool opportunity to evangelize and be a witness of our own faith. In some cases, we have even gotten to pray with people on the spot. And last but not least (and probably one of our favorites) is host family ministry. A huge part of what we do here at St. Francis is staying at different homes for two weeks at a time. We stay together, either all four of one gender, or split two and two, at different host families (though, it is possible to host all eight of us at one time - just ask the Blan family!). While staying with hosts, we become a part of the family. We enjoy family meals with them at least twice a week, and have the opportunity to pray with the family every night. We’ve been able to experience so many different amazing families of our parish and we have been so blessed to take a small part of each family with us in our hearts as we leave. Being here in Grapevine, Texas has been a phenomenal experience and we can definitely leave Texas saying that we have truly experienced the authentic Lone Star State. We wanted to give a special thanks to everyone who has participated in any way to make this year special for us and to aid our ministry in any way. Thank you to all of the families who have kindly opened their homes to us this year. And most importantly, thank you to Father Flynn, Nic Gutierrez, and Edmund Mitchell for everything they do for us and for the parish. We will continue to pray for everyone at St. Francis of Assisi! Thank you for welcoming us so lovingly! God Bless,
NET Team 14
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