Home : Institute of School & Parish Development, Inc.

Home : Institute of School & Parish Development, Inc.

Resources for development and engagement.  These folks were used by the Diocese to create our Catholic Schools Initiative.

CSMonitor.com article on Silence

A nice reflection on silence from the Christian Science Monitor.

Just a touch ... - CSMonitor.com

Day 3 #2 View From the World | Synod 2012

Day 3 #2 View From the World | Synod 2012:

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, spoke for the Asian Bishops’ Confederation at the recent Synod on the New Evangelization.  He emphasized that “For us religion is more a discipleship of a person than an adherence to a doctrine or obedience to a set of rules. The person of Jesus is deeply attractive: His message and His life, His passion, death and resurrection. Adherence to doctrine comes as fruit of discipleship of a master.”

From VIS 12-2-2011

BENEDICT XVI ATTENDS FIRST SERMON OF ADVENT

VATICAN CITY, 2 DEC 2011 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today, the Pope and the pontifical family attended the first sermon of Advent delivered by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. Cap., preacher of the Pontifical Household, on the theme: "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news".

  This year's sermons, which are taking place in the "Redemptoris Mater" chapel of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, focus on the general topic of evangelisation, in view of next year's Synod of Bishops on the same subject. Particular attention will be given to four historical periods in which missionary efforts accelerated or resumed: (1) The second half of the third century when vast sectors of the Roman empire were converted thanks to the efforts of bishops. (2) The sixth to ninth centuries during which the monks worked for the re-evangelisation of Europe following the barbarian invasions. (3) The sixteenth century with the discovery and conversion of the peoples of the New World through the apostolate of the friars. (4) Our own day, when the Church is committed to re-evangelising a secularised West though the commitment of the lay faithful.

 These time periods and their delineation are very interesting to me.

Cardinal Pell on True and False Conscience

In doing some background reading on conscience for some articles and presentations on conscience I ran across the following article.

Cardinal Pell on True and False Conscience

The key paragraph that struck me was:

"Much of the debate over conscience in Catholic circles focuses on the possibility of a conscience against the Church's teaching. This seems to me a peculiar notion. For a start, it would mean that dissenters believed that following the Church on, for example, contraception or same-sex relationships, would actually give them a guilty conscience, not just frustrated wishes. Yet it seems clear that most dissenters do not fear guilt if they obey the Church: What they fear is precisely the frustration of their unsatisfied wishes. ... "

It makes a strong point about the difference in the experience of being convicted by our conscience and being frustrated in our desires. I cannot imagine anyone feeling guilty about following the church's teaching.

I take that back. I can imagine someone feeling guilty because they are allowed to express their sexuality while their homosexual brothers and sisters cannot. Hmmm. Something to think about.

Lincoln’s Log 11-7-10

Do you believe in the resurrection?

This Sunday we are presented with a question from the Sadducees. The Sadducees were a group of leaders at the time of Jesus who did not believe in the resurrection. The Sadducees were made up of aristocratic, priestly families who had become collaborators with the Roman occupiers. Their beliefs shifted with the political winds. They were invested in maintaining the status quo in order to protect their own power and privilege. This position blinded them. The faith of the Sadducees was completely in this world. Their question about who a dead man would be married to if he had married multiple times during his life reveals how this-worldly their thinking was. Their fate was tied to this world and so they could imagine nothing beyond it. An afterlife was inconceivable to them.

In contrast, our faith teaches us about the reality of life after death. There is more to life than can be found in this world. Our faith roots us in heaven; not in our position, power, or privilege in this world. As Catholics, we know that this world will never satisfy us. We are pilgrims in the world. We live in the world, but are not of this world.

In times of struggle and suffering our belief in eternal life becomes apparent. Because of his faith, Ignatius of Antioch could write, “It is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. Him it is I seek – who died for us. Him it is I desire – Let me receive pure light...” He wrote this on the way to the Roman Colosseum, condemned to be devoured by lions. Courage like this is rooted in a faith in eternal life.

May we always remember that we are made for a heavenly homeland far beyond this world.

Peace,

Lincoln

De Mello to Br. Roger - What a transition

A week or so ago I finished the volume of the Modern Spiritual Masters on Anthony de Mello and now I'm reading the volume on Brother Roger of Taize.

What a change!

• De Mello is full of humor and spiritual "shock and awe" with short stories and exercises packed like dynamite to jar a new insight.  Br. Roger is like a smoldering fire or a deep pool.  The insights are profound and invite the reader to the depths of the heart.
• De Mello invites the head to new understanding, Br. Roger invites the heart to new feelings.
• De Mello's writings are never about himself or his own experience.  They invite the reader to experience something new for themselves.  Br. Roger lays out the way his own heart sees the world and invites the reader to see the world with his eyes.
• De Mello focuses on the individual.  Br. Roger focuses on the person in community.
• De Mello is a thinker.  Br. Roger is a feeler.
• De Mello invites laughter.  Br. Roger invites tears.
• I'm reminded of the saying "life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel."
• De Mello seems light.  Br. Roger, heavy and profound.

Both of these men are spiritual masters, but their approaches could not be more different.  They each have come to know and communicate the God of Jesus Christ in powerful, life-giving ways.  I thank God for each of them.  I can imagine myself being healed through laughing with De Mello and weeping with Br. Roger.  Both men offer a way to God in freedom and love.