• FEAST Sep 30 & Oct 1

• FEAST Oct 28 & Oct 29

• FEAST Dec 2 & Dec 3

• FEAST Jan 27 & Jan 28

• FEAST Mar 2 & Mar 3

• FEAST Apr 27 & Apr 28

FEAST Sep 30 & Oct 1

Theme:

Scripture:

Matthew 10:6-8

Matthew 25:31-46

John 14:12

Prayers:

There seem to be two versions of the following prayer, one by Kent M. Keith, and the other by Mother Teresa. Both are included below:

The Paradoxical Commandments

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
~~© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith
(written as part of a booklet for student leaders)

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
~~credited to Mother Teresa

Prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

Beatitudes

+ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
+ Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
+ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the land.
+ Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
+ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall be shown mercy.
+ Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
+ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
+ Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
~~Matthew 5:3-10, New American Bible

Quotes:

Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
~~Matthew 25:40, New American Bible

Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
~~Matthew 10:6-8, Message Bible

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these....
~~John 14:12, New International Version Bible

If you want peace, work for justice.
~~Paul VI, for the Celebration of the Day Of Peace
(Rome: January 1, 1972)

It's my goal to de-worm the entire world.
~~CNN Heroes: Aaron Jackson on his work in Haiti

Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which to look at Christ's compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.
~~St. Teresa of Avila

It is not how much we do but how much love we put into doing.
~~Mother Teresa

Articles, Books, Websites, Songs, Etc. :

Celebrate the Feast: Contemporary Songs of Faith (Voices As One Volume 2 CD), 2007.

Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C. 2003.

MONSIGNOR ROMERO: A Bishop for the Third Millennium
edited by Robert S. Pelton, C.S.C. University of Notre Dame Press. 2004.

The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
Matthew Kelly. Simon &  Schuster. 2005.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C., 2005.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C. 1998.

http://www.catholicmom.com

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2007/09/11/heroes.aaron.jackson.cnn

http://www.ryanswell.ca

http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/

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FEAST Oct 28 & Oct 29

Scripture:

Matthew 25:31-46

Sirach 35:10-18

Prayers:

Dear Father, please help me to see where the help is needed and provide that help. Please help me to see through the eyes and feel from the hearts of those who are suffering so that I can work toward justice with clarity and compassion until such suffering and indignity are no more.

Quotes:

The Church's conviction of the inseparability of justice and charity is ultimately born of her experience of the revelation of God's infinite justice and mercy in Jesus Christ, and it finds expression in her insistence that man himself and his irreducible dignity must be at the center of political and social life.
~~Pope Benedict XVI

Charity, in a word, not only enables justice to become more inventive and to meet new challenges; it also inspires and purifies humanity's efforts to achieve authentic justice and thus the building of a society worthy of man.
~~Pope Benedict XVI

Charity will never be true charity unless it takes justice into account.... Let no one attempt with small gifts of charity to exempt themselves from the great duties imposed by justice.
~~ Pope Pius XI, Divini Redemptori

Admittedly, no vicarious charity can substitute for justice which is due as an obligation and is wrongfully denied. Yet even supposing that everyone should finally receive all that is due him, the widest field for charity will always remain open. For justice alone can, if faithfully observed, remove the causes of social conflict but can never bring about union of hearts and minds.
~~ Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno

The greatest challenge of the day is: How to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us. When we begin to take the lowest place, to wash the feet of others, to love our brothers and sisters with that burning love, that passion, which led to the Cross, then we can truly say, 'Now, I have begun.'
~~ Dorothy Day, Loaves and Fishes

There is no word in the Hebrew vocabulary for ‘charity’ in the modern sense. The word used is tzedakah, which literally means ‘righteousness.’ Tzedakah is not an act of condescension by the affluent toward the needy; it is the fulfillment of a moral obligation. Injustice to humanity is desecration of God. Refusal to give charity is considered by Jewish tradition to be idolatry.
~~ Albert Vorspan and David Saperstein, Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice

Justice can reduce differences, eliminate discrimination, assure the conditions for the respect of personal dignity. Justice, however, requires a soul. And the soul of justice is charity, charity which becomes service of the whole person.
~~John Paul II, Address to UNIV 1999 University Students

Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.
He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; do not the tears that stream down her cheek cry out against him that causes them to fall?

He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens.

The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal,  nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right.
~~Sirach 35:13-18, Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible

While dictionaries are not unaffected by societal nuances, prejudices, etc., they do attempt to take the words we speak and break them down to their roots and present them in a more objective mode. With this in mind, definitions of charity, justice, and just are included below from the Meriam-Webster online dictionary:

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/charity

charity

Main Entry: char·i·ty
Pronunciation: 'cher-&-tE, 'cha-r&-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Middle English charite, from Anglo-French charité, from Late Latin caritat-, caritas Christian love, from Latin, dearness, from carus dear; akin to Old Irish carae friend, Sanskrit kAma love
1 : benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity
2 a : generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering; also : aid given to those in need b : an institution engaged in relief of the poor c : public provision for the relief of the needy
3 a : a gift for public benevolent purposes b : an institution (as a hospital) founded by such a gift
4 : lenient judgment of others
synonym see MERCY

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/justice

justice

Main Entry: jus·tice
Pronunciation: 'j&s-t&s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French justise, from Latin justitia, from justus
1 a : the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments b : JUDGE c : the administration of law; especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity
2 a : the quality of being just, impartial, or fair b (1) : the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action (2) : conformity to this principle or ideal : RIGHTEOUSNESS c : the quality of conforming to law
3 : conformity to truth, fact, or reason : CORRECTNESS

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/just

just

Main Entry: 2just
Pronunciation: 'j&st
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French juste, from Latin justus, from jus right, law; akin to Sanskrit yos welfare
1 a : having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason : REASONABLE <a just but not a generous decision> b archaic : faithful to an original c : conforming to a standard of correctness : PROPER <just proportions>
2 a (1) : acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good : RIGHTEOUS <a just war> (2) : being what is merited : DESERVED <a just punishment> b : legally correct : LAWFUL <just title to an estate>
synonym see FAIR, UPRIGHT

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/just?view=uk

just

Questions:

How does a congregation or a person find the right balance between direct service and advocacy efforts?

How do those who provide help to others in need keep humble hearts themselves?

Articles, Books, Websites, Etc.:

Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice. Albert Vorspan and David Saperstein. UAHC Press: New York, 1998.

Loaves and Fishes. Dorothy Day. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, 1997.

Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible. Catholic Book Publishing Company: New York, 1992.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C. 2005.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C. 1998.

http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/

http://www.richmonddiocese.org/ojp/

http://www.vatican.va/

http://www.zenit.org/

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FEAST Dec 2 & Dec 3

"Covenant People"

In our society, so many things are transient, including promises. Many times adults act like children and take the easy way out when the going get tough or head straight to their lawyers to initate law suits over perceived hurts and transgressions. Hardly an environment which reflects covenant and covenantal love.

We hear the word covenant, and we think of neighborhood associations, but covenant in our faith tradition is about an unbreakable promise, a never-ending and unconditional love that God has for us and which he expects us to have for each other. In other words, we are covenant people.

Ready to say, "Yikes!" and look for something a little easier to tackle like, say, the tax code? Before you do, come to the December Feast and learn all over again--or maybe for the first time--about covenant.
~~The Feast Team

Scripture:
My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
~~John 10:27-29

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.
~~Ephesians 1:4-6

God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."

God added: "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings. As the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and recall the everlasting covenant that I have established between God and all living beings--all mortal creatures that are on the earth."
~~Genesis 9:8-17

Prayers:
[Prayers]

Quotes:
I can never forget that the written law is not the final word! In the end, righteousness, the way to live well, is always based on relationships. I can never escape into rigid interpretation of the law and neglect the beauty and complexity of living relationships. The law is meant to serve life, not to stifle it.
~~Irene Nowell, O.S.B.

A covenant is a relationship that can never end that is based on unconditional love.
~~John DeGiorgio

Questions:
[Questions]

Articles, Books, Websites, Etc.:

The Giving Tree. Shel Silverstein. Harper & Row, 1964.

The Law: Road to Life. Irene Nowell, O.S.B. http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/SFS/an0602.asp. June 2002.

The Runaway Bunny. Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd. HarperCollins, 2005.

Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible. Catholic Book Publishing Company: New York, 1992.

http://www.richmonddiocese.org/ojp/

http://www.vatican.va/

http://www.zenit.org/

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

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FEAST Jan 27 & Jan 28

"Scripture Then & Now"

Whether David is facing off with Goliath in the Old Testament or Jesus is curing the two blind men in the New Testament, our Bible conveys a profound message of hope throughout its rich and diverse scripture. With these inspired writings as our guide, we are challenged and encouraged to live scripture in our daily lives as we make our decisions, pass down our faith to new generations, and serve one another in Christ. Please come to the January Feast and join us in this endeavor to find and recognize scripture in our day-to-day lives.
~~The Feast Team

Scripture:
David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."

But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."

Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off.

He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.

The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field."

Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."

Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand.
~~1Samuel 17:32-50

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"

The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

They said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened."

Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
~~Matthew 20:29-34

Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
~~Mark 10:27

For nothing will be impossible with God.
~~Luke 1:37

And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
~~Matthew 19:26

Prayers:
Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence.
Enfold me in your love.
Let my heart become one with yours.
~~http://www.sacredspace.ie/dailyprayer/

Thy Word
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid,
And think I’ve lost my way.
Still, you’re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus be my guide,
And hold me to your side,
And I will love you to the end.

Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
And a light unto my path.
You’re the light unto my path.
~~Amy Grant

Quotes:
In the Bible is all Truth, and sometimes it even happened.
~~Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

One way to safeguard against misunderstanding the intent of an author is to determine the kind of writing the author has chosen to use. Any piece of writing has a particular literary form: poetry, prose, fiction, essay, letter, historical account and so on. This is as true of the biblical books as of any piece of contemporary writing.

If we misunderstand an author's literary form, we will misunderstand what the author intends to say. In order to understand what we are reading, then, we have to make allowances for the form and change our expectations accordingly.
~~Fr. Jack Wintz, OFM

Questions:

What are your favorite scriptures? Why?

When have you been aware of a "scriptural moment" unfolding before your eyes?

Articles & Books:

The Message Bible (Protestant). Interpretation by Eugene Peterson. (Modern colloquial English)

New American Standard Bible (Catholic). The Lockman Foundation. 1995. (Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek to English)

New Jerusalem Bible. Dom (Joseph) Henry Wansbrough, OSB, MA (Oxon), STL (Fribourg), LSS (Rome), General Editor of the New Jerusalem Bible. (More poetic; translated directly from the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic)

Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible. Catholic Book Publishing Company: New York, 1992.

New Great Themes of Scripture. Richard Rohr, OFM. St. Anthony Messenger, 1999. (CD)

Thy Word. Amy Grant. (song)

http://sundayliturgy.com/

http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News/FriarJack/fj011404.asp (good article on how to understand the Bible)

http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News/FriarJack/FriarJackBio.asp (short bio on Fr. Jack Wintz, OFM)

http://www.catholic.org/bible/

http://www.christianhistory.com/ (Protestant)

http://liturgy.slu.edu/

http://www.malespirituality.org/our_founder.htm (short bio on Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM)

http://www.richmonddiocese.org/

http://www.vacatholic.org/

http://www.vatican.va/

http://www.zenit.org/

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Feast Mar 2 &  3

"Simplicity"

Attention to family, friendships, jobs, church, personal health, and even the well-planned vacation. We struggle to give proper focus to all of these aspects and more and feel badly when we fail. It's hard to prioritize and harder to say "No" or "I can't" because our fast-paced, quality-driven, "burn the midnight oil" culture won't allow for it. Just as our kids do, we look forward to the rare snowday to excuse ourselves from the high-energy norm and to take that deep breath many of us never take otherwise.

Like the snowday we perpetually long for, Lent is a time to "be still and be quiet." It is a time of contemplation and simplicity we are encouraged to engage in so that, in the silence, we can hear and appreciate God.
~~The Feast Team

Scripture:

Be still and know that I am God.
~~Psalms 46:10

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.
~~1 Samuel 3:10

Prayers:
[Prayers]

Quotes:

There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist, fighting for peace by nonviolent means, most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone, is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys his own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.
~~Thomas Merton

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
~~Hans Hofmann

Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?
~~Henry David Thoreau

To live  mindfully, to appreciate your time, you have to move slowly.
~~Cecile Andrews

There is nothing in all the universe so much like God as silence.
~~Meister Eckhart

Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. . . . For Contemplation is a kind of spiritual vision to which both reason and faith aspire, by their very nature, because without it they must always remain incomplete.
~~Thomas Merton

Do you take time for contemplation? Do you think it’s necessary?

Share a time when you found God in the quiet.

How can you teach your children to seek God in this way?

Articles, Books, Etc.:

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Barbara Bergman. Health Communications, Inc., 1993.

Everyday Simplicity: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Growth. Robert Wicks. Ava Maria Press, 2000.

I Need a Snowday. Song from For the Kids (CD).

New Seeds of Contemplation. Thomas Merton. New Directions Publishing, 1972.

Sabbath Presence: Appreciating the Gifts of Each Day. Kathleen Casey. Ava Maria Press, 2006.

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. Sarah Ban Breathnach. Warner Books, 1995.

Simpler Living, Compassionate Life. Michael Schut, Editor. The Morehouse Group, 2002.

Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life. Rabbi Irwin Kula. Hyperion, 2006.

Your Money Or Your Life. Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. Penguin Group USA, 1999.

http://www.tvacres.com/adanimals_slowskys.htm (for more on the Slowskys)

http://www.wcr.ab.ca/bishops/henry/2000/henry082800.shtml (Western Catholic Reporter)

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FEAST Apr 27 & Apr 28

Scripture:

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
~James 5:14-15

My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.
~Sirach 38:9

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

"On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.'

"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"

And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him."

Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."
~Luke 10:25-37

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
~Matthew 10:8

Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, '(B)The kingdom of God has come near to you.
~Luke 10:8-9

And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
~Mark 6:13

Prayers:
[Prayers]

Quotes:
The thing about healing is you don't always know the effect that you've had. You don't always know what kind of healing has occurred.
~Eva Hall

Questions:

Have you ever had a contagious illness-chicken pox, strep throat, a stomach virus? How did it feel knowing that you had to be kept away form others so they wouldn’t get sick? What made you feel better when you were sick?

How should we take care of the sick? How does Jesus ask us to care for the sick and suffering?

When have you comforted someone? What did you do or say?

How can yuo be a healer in everyday life?

How has it changed you?

How do you make a difference?

Why do you do it?

What is the difference that it makes?

What stops you from asking for help?

What stops you from offering help?

Why would you recommend this ministry to someone else?

Articles & Books:

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

http://www.catholic.com/library/Anointing_of_the_Sick.asp

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay0703.asp

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1292.asp

"Carbonated Holiness." Christianity Today.

"For Our Healing: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick."

Job and the Mystery of Suffering: Spiritual Reflections. Rohr, Richard.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Tolle, Eckhart.

New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

The Power of Now. Tolle, Eckhart.

The Problem with Pain. Lewis, C. S.

"Sacraments of Healing." Tamberino, Tony.

"Shadow Lands." (movie about Joy Lewis' bout with cancer)

The Wounded Healer. Nouwen, Henri J. M. Doubleday: New York, 1979.

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