 |
| |
|
|
|
Faith, Hope, Love...
Spiritual Renewal for the 21st Century |
St. Mary's Parish and St. Francis of Assisi invites all parishioners to participate in a small Christian Community once a week for six weeks. Season V begins October 2, 2005. |
|
|
|
|
The Holy Father challenges us to a "new springtime of Christian
life." We are "only beginning our mission that has been
given to us by Jesus," he said, and we must give ourselves
"wholeheartedly to its service." This is a great event
and we have a wonderful opportunity to recommit ourselves to bringing
the message of Jesus into our world in a fresh way so that all our
Christian hopes, ideals and dreams can become more of a reality.
What a marvelous opportunity we have to touch our world and one another
today. So many of us as human beings are searching for meaning,
but not always in the Church. We've seen a renewed interest in
angels, meditation, near-death experiences, and miracles. We see
people hungering for the spiritual. Sometimes we get lost on the
journey and stray, trying to find meaning in false places-alcohol and
drugs, material things, passing "pleasures." Yet our
hearts long for more than that. Because of the way God made us, we
long for the spiritual; even when we don't yet know it; our deepest
longing is to rediscover God and to reconnect with the holy.
Life certainly seems complicated at times, but underneath all the
busyness of our lives we all seem to be searching for greater meaning,
for what makes sense. We all have a longing for greater community,
for deeper relationships, for a sense of belonging to a community that
cares. We have as human beings a great need to be appreciated and
loved. Sometimes what we most often need is most elusive in a
world in which we spend much of our leisure time watching television or
communicating through machines.
We are not meant to be isolated Christians, trying to figure out alone
how to live our faith in our everyday lives. We are a community,
but we need to experience ourselves as a community. In order to
make this a better world, we need to model and experience community
right here. We need to support one another, pray together, share
our faith, learn together, and have support for living the mission of
Jesus in the world.
|
|
|
Open Your Heart! Dear Friends: Sacred Scripture tells us that often Jesus would seek out a place so that He could pray. His example inspires us to take a break from our routine and to do the same - search our souls, offer prayers to God, and find our personal path to holiness. Soon, we will begin the RENEW program in our parish. Through the Parish Mission and the small group discussions, we will make a place and a time to be with God. Each of us needs an oasis of renewal so that we can continue to follow Christ in this complex and confusing world. Please join us and be renewed in spirit. Fr. Jeremy Myers, Pastor St. Mary's Parish
|
RENEW Prayer
Gracious God and Father, we are your people embraced by your love. We thank you for your presence with us throughout all time.
Create us anew through Jesus Christ your Son. Liberate us from all that keeps us from you. Send your Holy Spirit, enabling us to recreate our world and restore justice.
Heal us from every form of sin and violence. Transform us to live your Word more profoundly. Reconcile us so enemies become friends. Awaken us to the sacred; nurture our relationships. Enliven our parish; reunite our families.
Fill us with joy to celebrate the fullness of life. Empower us to be a community of love growing in your likeness by the grace of Christ our Lord.
Amen
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
