Thursday, 16 February 2012 14:31

WASHINGTON—“Christ is the light which illumines the way” is the theme for the 2012 Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, which will be held in most parishes on Feb. 22, Ash Wednesday.
This collection supports essential unmet pastoral needs in Central and Eastern Europe and areas of Asia formerly under Soviet control. The Catholic Diocese of Wichita contributes to this collection through United Catholic Stewardship.
“The collection is a way for Catholics in the United States to stand in solidarity and compassion with our brothers and sisters who suffered severe repression by the Soviet Union,” said Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. “This repression greatly weakened the Church. The region’s bishops are still facing the formidable task of restoring its church structures and, more importantly, rebuilding the spirituality of its communities.”

Thursday, 16 February 2012 14:29

Spiritual Strengths program hosted by CSJs
Two weeks after 27-year-old Kristin delivered a beautiful baby girl, she noticed a lump in her right breast. Her physician confirmed the worst, Kristin had breast cancer.
The six months of radiation and a double mastectomy did not become the emotional nightmare Kristin had anticipated. She attributes the minor miracle to her work with a spiritual director who used the Spiritual Strengths Healing Program, developed by Dr. Richard Johnson, Ph.D.
In his clinical experience, Johnson noticed that patients like Kristin subconsciously tapped into different virtues that propelled them to a new healing plane. Because of this, Kristin’s cancer experience was different than what many might imagine, she was part of the 15 percent of cancer patients who, through their faith, tap into a reservoir of healing grace that God provides.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:49

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of universal fast and abstinence. Fasting is obligatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may be taken, not to equal one full meal. Abstinence (from meat) is obligatory for all who have reached their 14th year.
Fridays in Lent are obligatory days of complete abstinence (from meat) for all who have completed their 14th year.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:46

Father Ken Van Haverbeke talks about eliminating the temptation in the second video of a series: “Putting on the Armor of Light: Living Chastely.”
In chapter five of Matthew’s Gospel, Father Van Haverbeke says, Jesus tell the crowds it is better to lose a part of your body than for the whole body to be cast into hell.
“The only way to be free of internet pornography is to eliminate the temptation,” he says in the video. “It must be completely removed.”
Father Van Haverbeke says many will have the excuse: “I can’t be without my computer because… .”
Most people can be, he responds, but if you must be connected, establish limits.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:37

Operation Rice Bowl is a Lenten program operated by Catholic Relief Services to feed the hungry. The country we are visiting the week of Feb. 26 is Madagascar. The person being highlighted is Mr. Robin. Catholic Relief Services’ agriculture programs in Madagascar and around the world help farmers in the poorest communities improve their harvests using environmentally sensitive techniques that help preserve the land for future generations. These programs reflect the Catholic social teaching principle Care for God’s Creation.

My name is Mr. Robin and I’m a farmer in Madagascar. I live in a very dry region where we often have droughts. But thanks to CRS, the farms in our community are thriving. Before CRS came to our village, farmers spent many hours carrying water buckets to the crops. We were only able to grow a few types of lettuce. We had to walk three hours to the market to buy any other vegetables we needed. Most farmers had to work several extra jobs to make ends meet.
CRS gave the farmers in our village a treadle pump, and now we can water three times as much land in half the time it took with a bucket. We also received drought resistant seeds and training on new planting techniques.
Now I grow corn, lettuce, sorghum, cucumbers, pumpkins, and orange trees on my farm. CRS also taught us new ways to keep the soil fertile, like placing squash plants in between rows of corn. My farm is so successful that I had to hire two people to work for me. I sell my vegetables right here in the village for half the price that is charged at the market.
I’m also the president of our local farmers’ association, and I let other farmers use part of my land to test new crops and growing methods. With the help of CRS, we have really improved the quality of life in our village.

Vary amin’anana
(makes 4-5 servings)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 C. collard greens, thinly sliced
½ small onion, minced
1 C. rice
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 C. water
1 tomato, diced
salt, to taste

Heat oil in a medium pot. Add onion, ginger, and tomato. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add greens and stir for 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:34

By Tracy Winslow
There are over 400 million active users of Facebook, 175 million users of Twitter, and 490 million unique users every month visit YouTube. Social media has changed the way we communicate – a shift that rivals the invention of the printing press.
Communication is seen as a gift of God, but the Second Vatican Council cautioned the faithful to “distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ.” It said “such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society.”
In an era of instant communication, the Catholic Church has taken a fundamentally positive approach to social media. In the January 2012 message from Pope Benedict XVI as part of the church’s preparation for its 46th World Day of Social Communications, the pope said that the endless conversation online “demonstrates the restlessness of human beings, ceaselessly searching for truths, of greater or lesser import that can offer meaning and hope to their lives.”
In a previous message Pope Benedict gave social networking his blessing, but warned that it cannot replace real human contact. The pontiff encouraged social networkers to be open and honest in their communications, and to not confuse online friendships with deeper, lasting ones, “It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives.”
Parents: warn, teach your children well
In the fast-paced, technological, sound bite world we live in, it is difficult for adults to keep up with the latest trends. But we are called to be faithful to the teachings and values of the Catholic Church and maintain the human dignity of each human person. To do so we must educate ourselves and our children. Parents especially as the first and most important educators of their children must constantly monitor, supervise and teach their children the “netiquette” of social media and the dangers as well.
The Pontifical Council for Social Communication’s said we are at “an age in which media are seen to be part of a still unfolding culture whose full implications are as yet imperfectly understood.”
The virtual reality of social media is no substitute for the real flesh and blood human community. While the virtual reality of cyberspace has some worrisome implications, we must learn how to use the internet safely and utilize the benefits to further God’s kingdom on earth. It is up to us to make the benefits outweigh the challenges.
“May Catholics involved in the world of social communications preach the truth of Jesus ever more boldly from the housetops, so that all men and women may hear about the love which is the heart of God’s self communication in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today and forever,” the council stated.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:33

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
—CCC, no. 2558, citing St. Therese of Lisieux

Descriptions of prayer are abundant throughout Christian history. “True prayer,” wrote St. Augustine, “is nothing but love.” Prayer should arise from the heart. “Prayer,” said St. John Vianney, “is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.””Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day,” remarked St. Francis de Sales, “except when we are busy—then we need an hour.” Definitions of prayer are important, but insufficient. There is a huge difference between knowing about prayer and praying. On this issue, the Rule of St. Benedict is clear, “If a man wants to pray, let him go and pray.”
St. John Damascene gave a classic definition of prayer: “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (CCC, no. 2559, citing St. John Damascene, De Fide Orth. 3, 24).
The Catechism clearly defines prayer as a “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God” (CCC, no. 2558). Prayer is Christian “insofar as it is communion with Christ” (CCC, no. 2565), and a “covenant relationship between God and man in Christ” (CCC, no. 2564).
It is important to remember that we understand prayer through our celebration of the Sacraments and in the Liturgy of the Hours. The word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning “public work or work done on behalf of the people.”
But it is work that is done by an individual or a group was a liturgy on behalf of the larger community. All worshipers are expected to participate actively in each liturgy, for this is holy “work,” not entertainment or a spectator event. Every liturgical celebration is an action of Christ the High Priest and of his Mystical Body, which is the Church. It therefore requires the participation of the People of God in the work of God.
Liturgy is centered on the Holy Trinity. At every liturgy the action of worship is directed to the Father, from whom all blessings come, through the Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit. We praise the Father who first called us to be his people by sending us his Son as our Redeemer and giving us the Holy Spirit so that we can continue to gather, to remember what God has done for us, and to share in the blessings of salvation.
From the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:31

By Denise Bossert
In the summer of 2009, my husband and I went to a reunion on his side of the family. Aunt Lucia told a story about John’s grandmother. I never met Grandma Bossert. She passed away long before I married into the family. But Aunt Lucia said Grandma had a little black skirt. She’d owned it for as long as Aunt Lucia could remember. Grandma used the skirt as a kind of measuring tape to monitor weight gain. When she couldn’t get the side zipper to zip, she would cut back on what she ate until it fit her again.
I’ve seen pictures of Grandma Bossert. She looked like a Hollywood star even when she was well into her 60s, thanks to that little skirt and constant vigilance.
Our church calendar is like Grandma’s skirt.
On Fat Tuesday we try on our spiritual skirts, and we realize that we have gotten a little out of shape. Our baptismal vows aren’t fitting like they should. And for 40 days, we submit to the process of self-denial and service to others. We ask for the grace to reorder our disordered lives, so that on Easter morning, we are ready to meet the Risen Lord.

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:30

By Fr. John Lanzrath
In the last three years, Bishop Michael O. Jackels has been leading us as a diocesan family in a vision, a way of life. We call it TOGETHER: We gather. We learn. We serve.
As the Bishop has stated many times, this is a Christian vision and way of living life. Over these last several months, one of the fruits and spiritual graces that I have experienced watching our diocesan family respond to this invitation is that we are a diocesan family. We are one.
Though 90 parishes throughout the 20,021 square miles of Southeast Kansas exist in the borders of our diocese, we are ONE family of God. We are one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
I wonder if the season of Lent becomes for us too often a time of spiritual introspection, in which we look at the state of our spiritual life, but in a way that is isolated from others. “I am going to give this up for Lent,” or “This Lent, I am going to do this...” But do we see that our acts of prayer, fasting and almsgiving need to be seen in relationship to others?
By denying self, carrying my cross and following the Lord to the Kingdom of God, I am not only growing in holiness as an individual disciple, but as a member of the Body of Christ. My acts of Lenten practice are not for me, but for the glory of God and the benefit of others.
Lent is a season that we are to live TOGETHER. We do this as a Body of Christ, many members, with Jesus Christ as our head. May the 40 days of this season of Lent prepare us as a diocesan family to rejoice at the Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning! We walk this journey, not alone.
And may our hearts burn within us as they did within the two disciples on the road to Emmaus when the Lord spoke to them on the road. TOGETHER - We live this vision as disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fr. Lanzrath is chancellor of the Diocese of Wichita.

Thursday, 02 February 2012 14:27

Contact your representatives in Washington to let them know that we want our liberty restored
This is the text of a homily delivered by Bishop Michael O. Jackels on Jan. 22, the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time.
By Bishop Michael O. Jackels
Many of us are familiar with the story of the prophet Jonah being swallowed by a whale. That happened because Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and preach. Maybe Jonah didn’t want to deliver God’s message because it threatened doom, or because he didn’t know how the people would react: repent, or attack?
I feel a little like Jonah. I would rather not have to deliver this message, mostly because the message itself is sad and disturbing.
You may have heard the news item from this past Friday: Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services director, decreed that a religious organization (like a Church) that offers health insurance to its employees will be forced to cover contraceptives (some of which can cause an abortion) and sterilizations, free of charge, even if it believes in conscience that these are morally objectionable.