The Family Apostolate Newsletter Easter 2017 Happy...
Transcript of The Family Apostolate Newsletter Easter 2017 Happy...
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
That Tomb ....................................... 2
Holiness Begins at Home ................. 3
The Vase .......................................... 4
First Saturday Breakfast .................. 5
Why Ladies Retreat ......................... 5
Liturgy Brief……………………………….6,7
Fr. Vin’s Easter Message .................. 8
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
Meet faces of young Altar Serv-ers………. Pages 2 & 3
Home blessings Picture: The Dela Cruz baby is overwhelmed with joy………….. Page 3
Happy Faces of Ladies at the 2017 Ladies Retreat… Page 5
Happy Easter
The Family Apostolate Newsletter Easter 2017
I n my seminary days, Easter was the greatest feast we looked forward to. It was
exhilarating to celebrate the great resurrection of Christ, and as seminarians, to
go home for the Easter break. Sometimes, we wished there were no Good Friday
before Easter. Ordinarily, seminarians hated waking up early, but not on Easter
Sunday because we would rush home as quickly as possible. So, Easter was al-
ways great fun.
Thinking about the Easter joy and the sense of freedom that it brings, the echo of
Alleluia, after the forty days of penance, surely makes a whole lot of differences.
For us then as seminarians, the entire movement from the seminary gate to our
parents’ homes was like the Exodus experience in the bible, a pass-over. Indeed we
are free. “Happy Easter! Christ is risen!”, we shouted; and we were gone from the
seminary. Our thoughts then - Christ’s resurrection has set us free.
There is a great connection between the physical sense of freedom and the
spiritual. Easter marks that entrance into new life, a joy and a resolve to absorb
God’s love.
In this Easter edition of the Family Apostolate Newsletter, we will talk about the
joy which Easter brings to the family. So, how can we be part of the Easter joy? -
forgiveness, compassion and love in the home!, doing little things that can make us
saints, holiness lies in the little things we do right at home. What matters is not the
broken vase, but the broken heart. Relationships are meant to be cherished.
And you know what, you will hear the voices of our little altar servers.
Read on!
THAT TOMB COULD BE YOUR HEART,
YOUR MARRIAGE, YOUR HOME.
T he words of the angel to Mary
Magdalene and Mary, mother
of James, “He is not
here” (Matt.28:6), was the
great announcement of the
resurrection. “Here”, refers to
the grave, the tomb. The tomb
is a symbol of darkness, of
sadness, of pains, of grief, that
Jesus came to eliminate. The
prophet Isaiah announced
thus, “On this mountain, he
has destroyed the veil which
used to veil all peoples, the pall
enveloping all nations; he has
destroyed death forev-
er” (Is.25:7). And the Apostle
echoes, “Death is swallowed up
in victory” (1Cor.15:54).
Christ’s death was the fulfill-
ment of his divine mission; the
mission of salvation, to free
humanity from darkness. His
resurrection eliminates the
dark forces of hatred, wicked-
ness and sin. If the angel says,
“He is not here”, then where is
he? “He is risen”. About the
resurrection, “What is sown is
perishable, but what is raised is
imperishable; what is sown is
contemptible but what is raised
is glorious; what is sown is
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weak, but what is raised is
powerful; what is sown is a
natural body, and what is
raised is a spiritual
body” (1Cor.15:43-44). Christ
rose from the dead. He
destroyed the tomb of
darkness. He ascended into the
loving unity of the Father and
the Holy Spirit. He invites us to
rise with him, and to identify
the negative spots in our hearts
and homes where he cannot be
found.
“He is not here”, sends a
powerful Easter message to
families, friends and the entire
humanity. Christ is not found in
the home marked by envy and
jealousy. Christ is not in the
home of wickedness and
hatred. Christ is not in the
home of lies and conspiracy.
Christ is not in the home of
betrayal and anger. Christ is
not in the home of hopeless-
ness and fear. Christ is not in
the home of failure and lazi-
ness. Christ is not in the home
of despair. Christ is not in the
home of disrespect and
fighting. Christ is not in the
home of murder and treachery.
Christ is not in the home of
drugs and alcohol addiction.
Christ is not in the home of cov-
etousness and greed. He is not
there. He does not dwell in
darkness. He is risen to the
home and the heart of love,
peace and compassion. He is
risen to the place of light and
forgiveness. He has risen to the
home of joy and humility. He
has risen to the place of serenity
and faithfulness. He has risen to
the home of commitment.
Can you clean up the dirt and
darkness to accommodate the
risen Christ? That tomb could be
your heart, your marriage, your
workplace. Once it is dark and
closed to forgiveness, it be-
comes the tomb. Christ is not
there. He is risen.
SERVING GOD
RUTHANN PEHL (8 YEARS OLD) 4TH GRADE
Ruthann has served for more
than six times at the 7am mass at
Holy Trinity. She said waking up
to attend mass at 7am is great.
“Being an altar server, especially
on Sundays makes me work
harder”, Ruthann says, “since I
have to wake up early and get
dressed for the 7am mass”. At
her age, Ruthann says she has
learned that the Church has rich
traditions through the altar
server’s training. She said her
great challenge is getting down
the altar server’s robe from the
closet because of her size and
height. Ruthann is excited to
serve on Easter Sunday. “It is
special and amazing serving at
mass for the Resurrection of
Christ just like serving at
Christmas”, she says.
“Christ’s death was the fulfilment of his divine mission; the mission of salvation, to free humanity from darkness.”
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Blessing the Dela-Cruz Family: baby is amazed
HOLINESS BEGINS AT HOME
SERVING GOD
SOPHIE GREEN 10 YEARS OLD (5th GRADE) Serving for more than two
months, Sophie says she feels
good being close to the priest at
mass. Sophie feels special learn-
ing about Holy Week and the
Triduum, namely, Holy Thurs-
day, Good Friday and Holy
Saturday. She said that being an
altar server has taught her some
things she wouldn’t know ordi-
narily such as the priest’s vest-
ments and the sacred vessels
used at mass.
THOMAS PEHL 10 YEARS OLD (5th GRADE) Thomas provided the initial attrac-
tion for her little sister, Ruthann to
be an altar server. He is identified
as the 7am mass-guy at the Holy
Trinity Church where he has
served more than twenty times.
Describing his special moment,
Thomas said serving Christ on the
altar is special and spreads out to
all the things that he does on the
altar. He finds especially interest-
ing the privilege of getting things
from the credence table to the altar
in preparation for the consecra-
tion. Speaking about serving on
Easter Sunday, Thomas says, “I
wonder what the church is going to
look like on Easter”.
W e are all called to holiness. St. Teresa of Calcutta reminds us that holiness, “Is
a simple duty for me and for you." To be holy is to be friends with God. The closer
we are to Him, the holier we become. But how do we become holy in today ’s busy,
complicated, technological world? How do families become holy juggling work and
school and multiple extra-curricular activities? It can be overwhelming. Ironically,
the pursuit of holiness seems not only old fashioned but downright impossible. But
God would never ask the impossible of us, and can never be old-fashioned.
Becoming holy isn’t as complicated as some might envision. The closer we grow to
God, the more we realize how loving and simple He truly is. We don’t have to join a
monastery or travel to distant lands to feed starving children to become holy. Our
means to holiness is found exactly where we are: in the job we hold or the school
we attend or the diapers we help change. It’s doing small things with great love,
as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux would remind us.
Susan Conroy is a gifted writer, speaker and host of the EWTN series, “Speaking of
Saints.” Conroy draws wisdom from her years working with Mother Teresa of
Calcutta. In her series, she gives a great piece of advice that was passed down
from her own grandmother. “You’re no greater than you are in the four walls of
your own home”, her grandmother used to say. Wow, now that’s a terrific gage for
taking stock of our actions - the four walls of our own home. At times we have
plenty of patience and kind words for co-workers or neighbors or even strangers.
But how do we treat the people under our own roof? Are we loving and serving at
home when nobody's watching? Are we kind to our spouse? Are we patient with our
children? Are we thoughtful? Forgiving? Do we greet them with a smile? Have we
learned to “bridle our tongue”, as St. James reminds us? Now there’s something to
consider. Holiness begins at home. We love and serve God within our family and it
truly is an excellent measure of character and holiness. How do we treat our family
members and how can we improve? The home is where love begins. The home is
where saints are born. St. John Paul II reminds us, “As the family goes, so goes the
nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Strive to make your home
another Nazareth where Jesus, Mary and Joseph would feel welcome.
Patti Rubin
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hurt. Ben tried to express
regrets for breaking the
vase, “I’m really sorry that
I broke your beautiful vase”, he said. “No, it wasn’t
your fault. I should have kept it in a better place. I ’m
sorry”. The situation was resolved.
What matters in life is not what happens to us, but
what we do with the things that happen. Little things
can be great or small. It is interesting to know how
much those little things matter in marriage. Pope
Francis told couples, parents and families gathered in
Philadelphia in 2015, “Like happiness, holiness is
always tied to little gestures. These little gestures are
those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost
amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each
day different.” As couple, it might be good to reflect on
the effect your words have on your spouse. Sometimes,
she comes back in a harsher, unfriendlier tone, perhaps
in louder than yours. Psychologists admit that there is a
distance in the hearts when two angry persons interact;
they shout. They raise their voices due to anger. Adren-
alin runs high at such moments. The opposite is the
case when love rules. Love speaks in amiable whispers.
That’s what happened in the cases of the two couples
dealing with the vase. Andy’s wife was harsh, and he
responded with an even harsher tone. There was dis-
tance in their responses, not physical distance but emo-
tional and spiritual disconnect. The effect is to overlook
what is important. Nancy, in the second case was differ-
ent in her approach. She showed care first, then Ben
responded with love. The attributes of love reside in
action. They are practical. Love demands visible actions
as Saint Paul says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does
not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not
dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always pro-
tects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres” (1Cor.13:4-7). Those are words of
exhortation, of support and commitment to the
marriage values and challenges. The vase is a symbol
of little things that could sustain or destroy marriage.
Such things could begin a rift in marriage if couples are
impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, arrogant, dishon-
orable, self-seeking and easily angered. The cumulative
effect of breaking the vase could lead to the bigger
problem of breaking the marriage. From vase to com-
munication, to sour and hateful feelings. On the other
hand, a calm, loving and caring attitude makes the vase
insignificant to the worth of your spouse. What is bro-
ken is the heart not necessarily the vase.
Easter reminds us of those wonderful values.
THE BROKEN VASE HOW LITTLE THINGS MAKE OR MAR
MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIPS
I t could be something as little as washing dishes,
changing diapers, controlling the remote, dropping a
note, making coffee, etc. They can make a world of
difference between couples. A lady once told me that
her husband hadn’t held her hand for all of their twenty
-five years of marriage and that bothered her. It illus-
trates the point. The little things in marriage matter.
Let’s look at two couples and their reactions to the
flower vase.
Couple A: Mr. Andy’s wife, Ceil, bought a flower vase
which she kept on the table by the window. Mr. Andy
was busy reading his evening newspaper while Ceil was
making dinner. As the house phone rang, Mr. Andy
rushed to pick it up accidentally hit the flower vase. It
fell off and broke into pieces. Ceil rushed from the
kitchen to see what had happened. She found her hus-
band picking up the broken vase. Her first response
was, “Do you know how much I paid for the flower vase
that you just broke?” Andy was hurt at his wife’s
remark. He had suffered a minor injury from the broken
glass and his hand was bleeding. He lashed back with
the words, “You’re cruel to say that. You don’t even
care that I’ve been injured. A pity you place more
importance on a common flower vase than on me. To
hell with you and your vase”. He storms away.
Couple B: After work,
Ben picked his wife
Nancy up from her
work, and they rode
home together. On
their way, however,
they stopped to pick
up a flower vase.
Ben and Nancy
were in the kitchen
getting ready for din-
ner when the house
phone rang. Nancy
had kept the vase
on the table
close to the
house
phone. As
Ben grabbed
the phone,
his hand hit
the vase. It
crashed and
broke. Nancy
felt badly
about the ac-
cident. She
rushed to her
husband to find
out if he was
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5
BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP:
WHERE LOVE AND CHARITY PREVAIL
“...with one heart,
they regularly went to the Temple but met in
their houses for the breaking of bread;
they shared their food gladly and generous-
ly; they praised God and were looked up
to by everyone” (Acts 2:46). Through the
First Saturday break-
fast fellowship, the Family Apostolate
inspires cohesion among parishioners who regularly attend the Saturday morning mass. Here,
parishioners share the joys of the Eucharist and unite for breakfast afterwards. So far, bonding and friendship have increased. In the past, parishioners rushed
to mass and rarely greeted each other after Mass. The breakfast fellowship has changed the practice. Spiritual support and solidarity come from familiarity nour-
ished by gathering beyond the church atmosphere. Sharing meals promotes love
and encourages community living. That is what the Family Apostolate does through First Saturday Breakfast Fellowship. The love keeps growing
Ladies pray at the retreat
Ladies share their joy
Holy Friendship
THE FAMILY APOSTOALTE WOMEN’S RETREAT—APRIL 1, 2017
WHY ATTEND A LADIES RETREAT?
G et away from family worries: The Family Apostolate recognizes the
enormity of challenges facing women in the home. Sometimes, the question
becomes, how can I leave my kids to attend the ladies retreat? Obviously, women
worry about their husbands, kids, grand-kids, in-laws; about work, health, finance,
friendship, religion; about sickness, addiction, failure, barrenness, etc. Women
worry virtually about everything in the family by their nature as a wife, mom,
grand-mom, mother-in-law, etc. Retreat is a time to walk away from worries.
Get to the Lord: To walk away from implies walking into the embrace of
the Lord. Like the woman of Samaria, Jesus has a soothing balm to our problems
(cf. Matt.11:28). Ladies retreat is a moment of encounter with Jesus.
Seek authentic resources: Oftentimes, we overlook spiritual solutions.
Retreat is an opportunity to tap into the greatest solution to family problems. The
few minutes/hours with Jesus in a retreat can be life-changing because God alone
has the best solution to family issues.
Spiritual healing: One recurring testimony that ladies give after each
retreat is the efficacy of God’s healing received. Ironically, many of us are wounded
in different ways. Healings come from the talks, the reconciliation (Penance), the
Eucharist, the silence, the laying on of hands, and from the friendships formed by
meeting other ladies.
God speaks through his word to ladies: Through various talks and
teachings, God speaks to the hearts of ladies during retreat.
Holy Friendships: Many women form a network of holy friendships through
retreats. They meet older women with greater marriage experiences. They meet
younger women who bring reminiscence to their ageing moments. Such friendships
help women to open themselves to the love and support of God.
Rest: Retreat is a period of rest. Ladies retreat provides calm to the soul.
It enables ladies to connect with themselves and with God. It provides rest away
from home.
Moments of Fellowship
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L iturgy B riefs
P Altar Servers Retreat Nancy Drew
utting together the 2017 Altar Server’s Training
Retreat was a humbling experience for me. One
great lesson was that the young children, teenag-
ers and adults who serve as altar servers want to
know how to perform their duties properly so they
can add to the liturgy and not take away from it.
Again, we need to take time to commission those
in ministry to acknowledge their role and to re-
fresh their commitment to these ministries. And
finally, I encountered firsthand that the parish of
Christ the King is filled with people who work tire-
lessly to bring our community together to cele-
brate the Eucharist and to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. The altar servers’ excite-
ment at receiving their commissioning certificates spoke volumes.
I think about different roles played by wonderful people in putting together the Altar
Server’s Training Retreat. A task that seemed hard was made simple by God through
the roles played by each person. When we serve together, we feel God’s grace.
While doing this, every person that I came into contact with repeated the same …thank
you for doing this, we’ve needed this for so long.
A
Pastor Speaks!
Happy Easter! Our path is simple - just think what would Jesus do if he were here now, in this situation - and then do it! That in-volves dying to self and em-bracing the better way. I hope you noticed the pro-noun “we.” We are all on this journey together. Let’s be encouragers of one an-other and draw the angels out of one another.
~Fr. Lou
Service—Where the Spirit Leads MaryRose Mueller
fter serving as a Eucharistic Minister and lector at Holy Trinity for several years a need
arose for a scheduler to schedule EMs and lectors for all the masses. I began by as-
sembling a list of all of our liturgical ministers and then began making a schedule every
three months. All of the lectors and EMs were generous with their time and willing-
ness to serve. However, as I communicated with them, it seemed that we were each
doing our role in a silo, uncertain of how our service fit in the big picture of parish life,
uncertain if we made a difference. We were lacking a sense of community with each
other. We were also in need of additional volunteers.
As the Holy Spirit was beginning to turn my mind to these needs, Fr. Vin invited me to
join the liturgy committee. The committee thought that a retreat would serve to
recognize and acknowledge the contributions of all of our liturgical ministers, build
community and recruit new members. We planned for 30 people although 85 showed
up.
Feedback from the retreat revealed a desire for more catechesis on the Mass,
scripture and church teachings and for instruction specific to each ministry. Based on
that feedback, we developed the Lector and EM enrichment sessions which were
conducted in March. We are already planning for the 2018 Liturgical Ministry Retreat.
The Holy Spirit continues to make His presence known among us as we seek to serve
our parish and each other. Serving God is an awesome experience.
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I AM JUST CLAY IN THE HANDS OF GOD
-DEACON GERMAN
Nancy Drew
Mary Rose Mueller
Dcn. German Flores
I helped with the Lector's Retreat. One thing that it reminded me
during the preparation and presentation was my own experience as a
lector when I was a teenager. I remember how I used to be terrified any
time I was involved with any public presentation. After talking with one
particular priest in Venezuela, he taught me how to be humble enough
and just be a servant of God, to allow Him to do His will. I admire any
service to God and the grace to be part of His will. I thank the Catholic
Church for her guidance. I’m grateful for your ministry at Christ the King
parish, Glen Burnie. I am just clay in the hands of the Creator.
The opportunity that my humble service allows me is unique and the Re-
treat brought me back to my childhood.
Faces at the 2017 Enrichment Programs for Liturgical Ministers
The Family Apostolate
Fr. Vincent Arisukwu
126 Dorsey Road
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Phone: 410-766-5070 ext. 217
Visit us online:
Website: www.familypriest.com
Facebook: Family Apostolate at CCGB
Or
Patti Rubin — Family Apostolate Administrator
Phone: 410-978-8341
Where Faith and Family Meet
What can Easter do for us in these trying times of violence, ha-
tred, pains and sufferings imposed on humanity by numerous
forces? Do families still expect good news from the Church?
These were similar to the questions and concerns of the apostles
at the time of the death of Jesus. For them, it seemed like the
journey would end with Good Friday. But Easter is real.
The words of Pope Francis speak to us here, “Easter is a sign in
the midst of so many calamities, a sense of looking beyond, of
saying don’t look to a wall, there is a horizon, there is a life, there
is joy.” We reemphasize in this newsletter an absolute power in
Christ’s resurrection; Christ has truly risen.
The Family Apostolate wishes all families the joy and gladness of
the risen Lord. We bring you the Light of Christ to illumine the
dark spots of your marriages, and every other relationships.
Easter glory fills the sky. Alleluia. Let us rejoice!
Fr. Vincent Arisukwu
Friday, April 28th
Catholic Family Ministry Fellowship: come and enjoy a Potluck style dinner, with
Games, Magic Show, Bible Story, Prizes and Fun activities and much more at the Holy
Trinity Hall, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Contact: YourFamilyMinistry@ gmail.com.