Thursday

CATHOLI
C
IDENTITY
Leland Nagel

National
Conference for
Catechetical
Leadership
February 21, 2013

All you holy men and women
Pray for us.
Catholic saints are
holy people and
human people who
lived extraordinary
lives. Each saint the
Church honors responded
to God's invitation to use
his or her unique gifts.
God calls each one of us
to be a saint .

St. Peter Damian
(1007-1072)
Maybe because he was orphaned and had
been treated shabbily by one of his brothers,
Peter Damian was very good to the poor. As
Cardinal-bishop of Ostia, he wished to
restore primitive discipline among religious
and priests, warning against needless travel,
violations of poverty and too comfortable living.
He preferred examples and stories
rather than theory in his writings. In
1828 he was declared a Doctor of the Church.

NDC, no. 18, p. 54
Catechesis is
•Nourished when the Word of God is more
deeply understood
•Enlivened in the celebration of the Liturgy.
•Enriched when the Word of God shines
forth in the life of the Church, especially
– In the lives of the saints
– In the Christian witness of the faithful

So What If . . .
Mattie Stepanek, February
1998
What if the world fills up
with so many people
that the earth can’t hold us all?
Is that a reason for war?
No.
Is that a reason not to love unborn babies?
No.
Is that a reason to let sick people die?
No.
It is a reason we need to make extra room,
first in our hearts and then into our world
It is a reason to make room for prayer
because God is the only “I AM.”

Who can answer such a “What If?”

Year of Saint Paul, the
Apostle
Ended several years ago
Be always Joyful
Pray without ceasing
and Give Thanks
in all circumstances,
For this is the will of God
for you.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Things Divine
Poems Thrown into the Wind
By Robert Morneau
Don’t let people become strangers to things divine”
cf. Ad Gentes
I was a stranger
but God took me in
and showed me things divine:
• the Light behind a human smile;
• the Love beneath a tender touch;
• the Life beyond the pain of death.
• Now, I’m a stranger no more
• and I go forth – sent –
• to prevent others
• from being aliens to things divine.

PRAYER
Lectio Divina
Divine Reading
Accepting the Embrace of
God
• LECTIO (Reading)
• MEDITATIO (Meditation)
• ORATIO (Prayer)
• CONTEMPLATIO (Contemplation)

LECTIO - Reading

• Deuteronomy 6: 4-9
• LISTEN for one word/phrase
• that seems to speak to you tonight
• almost jumps out at you
• Keep repeating it to yourself

Meditatio - Meditation
• IT WILL BE READ A SECOND TIME
• You can read along as well as listen.
• Ponder and ruminate on what was read.
• Meditation engages thought, imagination,
emotion and desire.
• What, in particular, strikes you?
• What, if anything, raises questions?
• What, if anything, can you affirm?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
(NSRV)
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD
alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.
Drill them into your children.
Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are
busy or at rest.
Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be
as a pendant on your forehead.
Write them on the doorposts of your
houses and on your gates.”

ORATIO- Prayer
CONTEMPLATIO -
Contemplation

• Contemplatio
• What is God saying to you?
• What is God asking of you?
• What are you being asked of in your
being and in your doing?

ORATIO- Prayer
CONTEMPLATIO -
Contemplation
• Contemplatio
• TAKE TIME TO CONTEMPLATE AND
LISTEN FOR THE VOICE OF GOD
• What is God saying to you?
• What is God asking of you?
• What are you being asked of I
in your being and in your doing?

• SHARE if you so desire.

Question of the Morning
You have 30 seconds to talk to anyone you
feel might know the right answer, BUT, if I
call on you. It would be a good idea if you
had the right answer.
What is the most important prayer
for a Roman Catholic?
HINT:
How do we begin all public
worship and official prayers of the

ANSWER

SIGN OF THE CROSS

I baptize you in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

North Dakota Oak Tree
California Redwoods - Sequoia

To Teach as Jesus Did
• Kerygma
– Knowledge
• Koinonia
– Community
• Diakonia
– Service
• Liturgia
– Prayer and Worship

TRINITY ╬ O-N-E
GOD
• Jesus Christ
– Yesterday, Today and Forever
– I will never abandon you
• Holy Spirit
– Source of Unity
– Points to the truth, regardless of the question
• God Our Father
– ▬ God of Love
– ▬ Always was, Always will be

Pope John XXIII
• The longest journey you will ever
take is from you head to your heart
• From what you know is true
to how you live your life.
• From the words of everlasting life
to the “word made flesh.”
• From the philosophy and mission to
everyday “policies
and regulations”

CATHOLIC
ANTHROPOLOGY
• How the Catholic perspective shapes:
• Our way of life
• Our way of relating to self
• Our way of relating to others
• Our way of relating to the world
• Our entire modus operandi as
human beings (persons)

Catholic Anthropology
“ …uses the lens of
Scripture”
GOD IS the
• Beginning of human existence &
•End of human existence

With what kind of eyes
do you look out upon the world?
╬ Elohist
╬ Yahwist

Creation Stories
Elohist
• Does God Have a Big
Toe?: Stories About
Stories in the Bible

• Authors:
Rabbi Marc Gellman,
Oscar De Mejo
(Illustrator)

Creation stories
Yahwist

• Ethiopian Tattoo Shop

• Author:
Father Edward Hays

What story do you like best?
TODAY – Right Now!
• What story best describes your view
of life and the way you approach
every day with God?
• Which story symbolizes your view
of God the Creator?
• Which story would you choose to tell
and why?
Sharing one’s faith is catechesis

The Creation: The Story of
How God Created the
World
Authors: Sheila Cassidy,
Emma Hunk (Illustrator)

Profound and Perennial
Truths
● Person as Essentially Good and Dignified-
Though Capable of Sin,
Remaining in the Divine Image
● Person as Partner with God and Ever in
Need of God’s Grace
● Person as Partner in Community
● Person Made from Love and for Loving
● Person with Eternal Destiny

Gift of Love
Music to the
Words and
Prayers
of Mother Teresa

•Bradley James

Mother’s Business Card
• In the silence of the heart God speaks
• Let God fill us then only we speak
• Do small things with great love
• The fruit of silence is prayer
• The fruit of prayer is faith
• The fruit of faith is love
• The fruit of love is service
• The fruit of service is peace

God in your Life
• EARTH
• AIR
• WATER
• FIRE

GOD IS

Defining Beauty

Danielle Rose

GOD IS
You want to know me?
You want to see my face?
I do not age with time;
I do not fit into a space
I transcend the capacity of your eye,
so who am I?

GOD IS
It is the question of the moment;
It is the question for all time
I am you and you are mine
I am the beginning in the end
I am the faith in your believing
I am the color of truth
I am the dreamer of your dreams
I am the falling in your love
I am the words of a prayer
I am the silence in the music
I am the music in the silence

GOD IS
I am your father; I am your mother
I am the man who cannot cry
I am the story in your eyes
I am the orphan of war
I am the leper begging on the corner
I am the black slave in chains
I am the Muslim bride who
cannot show her face
I’m the cross you carry again

GOD IS
I am the beginning in the end
I am the faith in your believing
I am the color of truth
I am the dreamer of your dreams
I am the falling in your love
I am the words of a prayer
I am the silence in the music
I am the music in the silence

GOD IS

I’m all you have forgotten
I am all this you have not been
I am in you – all that is within you
Let the journey begin. Amen
• I am in you, Amen.

TRINITY
What do we call Y-O-U
• Names of GOD – your turn
– Names you know/use for God or one of the
persons in God
– Descriptive words/phrases associated with…
• We receive names from relationships
– Desert mothers and fathers
In Hebrew culture, “To be
nameless is to be worthless.”

Names for God
In God’s Name
•Author:
Sandy Eisenberg
Sassso,
• Illustrator:
• Phoebe Stone

Ten Commandments
• I. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have
strange Gods before me!
• II. You shall not take the name of the LORD
your God in vain!
• III. Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day!
• IV. Honor your father and your mother!
• V. You shall not kill!
• VI. You shall not commit adultery!
• VII. You shall not steal!
• VIII. You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor!
• IX. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife!
• X. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods!

Decalogue – 10
Commandments
Catholic Catechism for
Adults • Believe in the True God
• Reverence God’s Name
• Love the Lord’s Day
• Strengthen Your Family
• Promote the Culture of
Life
• Marital Fidelity
• Do Not Steal – Act Justly
• Tell the Truth
• Practice Purity of Heart
• Embrace Poverty of Spirit

Mission of the minister
Tell the good news
* The Reign of God is among us.
* Everyone is welcome here.
* Everyone is offered a place at
the table.
* Forgiveness is possible.
* Love your enemies.
* Be generous with your money.
* Follow the Spirit who is leading you.

The Reign of God is among
us
The Rabbi’s Gift

The Messiah is one of us

There’s always somebody helping

Forgiveness is
Possible
I am so, so sorry. I would give my
life if your son could live again

I don’t know if you will ever be
able to ask, so let me be first,

YOU ARE FORGIVEN

Love your enemies

Kim Phuc

Forgiving the Church
• When we have been wounded by the Church, our temptation is to
reject it. But when we reject the Church it becomes very hard for us
to keep in touch with the living Christ. When we say, "I love Jesus,
but I hate the Church," we end up losing not only the Church but
Jesus too. The challenge is to forgive the Church. This challenge is
especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness,
at least not officially. But the Church as an often fallible human
organization needs our forgiveness, while the Church as the living
Christ among us continues to offer us forgiveness.

• It is important to think about the Church not as "over there" but as
a community of struggling, weak people of whom we are part and
in whom we meet our Lord and Redeemer.
-Henri Nouwen

Title

Be Generous
with your money

Are YOU Wealthy? Be GENEROUS
If you have
• food in the refrigerator,
• clothes on your back,
• a roof overhead and
• a place to sleep
you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have
– money in the bank,
– money in your wallet or purse, and
– spare change in a dish, drawer, jar at home
you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.'
If you have your own computer with internet access,
you are part of the 1% of the world who can.

SPIRITUS – Breath -
Inspiration
Follow the Holy Spirit
FRUITS of the Spirit
•LOVE
•JOY
•PEACE
•PATIENCE
•KINDNESS
•GENEROSITY
•FAITHFULNESS
•GENTLENESS
•SELF-CONTROL

Trinity as a plant
Father as a deep root
Son – the shoot that breaks
forth into the world
Spirit that spreads beauty
and fragrance

Composer
Imagination
Score
Performance

Architect
Mind
Plans
Structure

Saint Augustine
Lover
Beloved
Love Between

Saint Augustine
Giver
Recipient
Gift-given

Contemporary based on
Isaiah 46:6, 49:15 & Matthew 3:17
Mother

Beloved Child

Life-Giving Womb

One from whom
One through whom
One in whom

King of Glory
Prince of Peace
Spirit of Love

Mobius Strip

• 1. Start with a long rectangle
(ABCD) made of paper.
• 2. Give the rectangle a half twist.
• 3. Join the ends so that A is matched
with D and B is matched with C.

ONE God, ONE Faith, ONE
Church
ONE does not equal 1
• O – God the Creator is perfect – don’t know
where begins - always was, always will be
• N – God the Son – Jesus. You can depend
on me – I won’t let you fall
• E – Holy Spirit – Always points in the right
direction – same truthful answer every time.
In God’s eyes, one is never singular.
How many did it take to make ONE?

The elements of a blessing
The first element in any blessing is that there has
to be a relationship with God. When we bless,
when we ask for goodness, we ask from the
source of all goodness, we ask God. When
things are going well in our lives – when the
road seems to rise and meet us – our
relationship with God will be positive.

Cursing is the furthest thing from our minds.


When things are not going so well in our lives –
when the road does not rise to meet us –
everything in life can seem like an uphill struggle.
It is during these times that we run the risk of
losing our relationship with God. If we allow this
to happen, we are unable to bless. We become
like the embittered psalmist who can only curse.
Relationship with and belief in God
are essential to blessing.

The second element in a blessing is the ritual of
transfer of the blessing or the goodness.
Historically, this transfer of the blessing takes
place physically through words that we pronounce
and gestures that we make, such as uplifted arms
or actual laying-on of hands.
The person giving the blessing transfers the blessing
in such a manner that it will somehow

be experienced by the receiver.

The sense of touch, whether it is the wind at
your back, the sun shining upon your face or
the firm hand of a person signing your
forehead, can convey an enormous life-
sustaining power.
A blessing is the bridge between heaven and
earth. The transfer of the divine that occurs
when we bless is truly a sacred moment.

The third element of a blessing is the enhancement of the
receiver, wherein we envision the goodness of the
blessing. Even Jesus, when he pronounced the
Beatitudes, envisioned a goodness that would give
comfort and hope to millennia of believers. We have in
our possession the ability to envision virtually any future
for humanity.
The power to bless is incredibly awesome. It is the vision of
divine enhancement, of a people resting in the

palm of God’s hand, that is the hallmark of a blessing.

Your Turn

• Bless (Give)

• and be Blessed (Receive)

BLESSING
May you arise each day with a voice of
blessing whispering in your heart.
May you find harmony between your soul and
your life.
May there be kindness in your gaze when you
look within.
May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible
world to gather you, mind you, and embrace
you in belonging.

• To Bless the Space Between Us, John O’Donohue

BLESSING
May the day never burden.
May dawn find hope in your heart.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered
and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you.

• To Bless the Space Between Us, John O’Donohue

BLESSING
May you be blessed in the holy names of
those who, without you knowing it, help to
carry and lighten your pain.
May a window of light always surprise you.
May memory bless and protect you.
May you know that though the storm might
rage, not a hair of your head will be harmed.

To Bless the Space Between Us, John O’Donohue

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