Confirmation 1 Retreat

Please pray for our Confirmation One students as they have their retreat this weekend at Our Lady of Kea`au, Waianae!

'That they may all be one': Real Ecumenism

God Desires all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4) Christ also bestowed on his Church the unity for which he prayed (John 17:21). It is his will to embrace all people in that unity. The Catholic Church is the One True Church, established by Christ, to which all men are called. It is the Sacrament of Salvation(CCC 776)

Ecumenism comes from the word ecumenical which means universal. The purpose of Ecumenism is that we might work to bring all men to the fullness of faith in the Church(Pius XI’s Mortalium Animos)

There seems to be sense of ‘false ecumenism’ saturating the minds of many Catholics these days. Now it seems like we say "Well . . . this is one way to salvation but all religions are pretty much the same and their all have their way to God” This is simply NOT what the Church teaches.

If all the protestant churches, quasi Christian Churches, Eastern religions, etc. would be ALL added up and became one huge mega church, they still wouldnt compare to the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is the ONE CHURCH founded by Christ. Period. Thats the Truth.

The goal of REAL Catholic ecumenism then is to restore unity to the separated traditions by bringing them within the unity of the Catholic Church (UR 24). Its is true that non catholic churches have retained some elements of Salvation, however we must never forget that “It is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help towards salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (UR 3). It is our duty as Catholics to strive for and pray that non Christians and non Catholic Christians alike come to fullness of Truth.

Click Here to Download the Mp3

John 17:21; 1 Tim 2:4;

CCC 776; Mortalium Animos; Ut Unum Sint 3 & 11;

Unitatis Redintegratio 3 & 24

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons.Papal Emblem

Mary Most Holy: Mother of God & Ark of the New Covenant

Our devotion to the Blessed Mother is one of the greatest treasures that God has given the Church. Not only is Mary, as Mother of God, the one who literally gave birth to 'Salvation' she is also, as our Mother, one of the greatest advocates that we have interceding for us at the Throne of God.

St Bernard of Clairvaux once said: "De Maria Numquam Satis" (Of Mary there is never enough) It is true that beauty and high honor given to the Blessed Mother can not be contained within the context of one single Bible Study.

I was invited to speak at the Our Lady of Good Counsel's Youth Ministry bible study last week and the topic was 'The Blessed Mother'. With just one hour I had to narrow the topic down to just one aspect of rich tradition of faith we have regarding Mary. In this study we chose to focus of the biblical basis of Mary as 'Mother of God' and our understanding of Mary as the 'Ark of the New Covenant'.

Click Here to Download the Mp3

CCC 509, 975, 129, 2676

Psalm 68:4,19-20; Luke 1:41-43; John 20:28; Revelation 12:17; John 19:26-27;

Revelation 11:19-12:1; Luke 1:35; Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-11;

2 Sam 6:2 & Luke 1:39; 2 Sam 6:12 & Luke 1:47; 2 Sam 6:9 & Luke 1:43; 2 Sam 6:15 & Luke 1:42; 2 Sam 6:10 & Luke 1:40; 2 Sam 6:16 & Luke 1:41; 2 Sam 6:11 & Luke 1:56

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. The Annuciation by

Svenska: Bebådelsen

Central Vicariate Lenten Penance Service Schedule

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Matthew 11:28-30

On February 16, we had a bible study on confession and why we should go to a priest. Now, more than ever, we should be seeking this sacrament in preparation for Holy Week and the Resurrection of Our Lord. This sacrament is so special because we are given the opportunity to be in God's grace again, in which, we should be in God's grace if we are taking the Eucharist when we are at Mass every Sunday.

Tonight, you have the opportunity to receive penance at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City at 7pm. There will be about eight priests from around the Central Vicariate to hear confessions.

Pearl Harbor/Hickam, will have theirs on April 10 at 7pm
Schofield Barracks, Venue at Wheeler AFF Chapel will have theirs on April 11 at 6pm
St. Elizabeth, Aiea, will have theirs on April 14 at 7pm

Please call other parishes for more information on regular Reconciliation times.

"They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint." Isaiah 40:31

Saint Michael, the Archangel

Did you know that Pope Leo XIII wrote the Saint Michael prayer in 1884? He had a vision so strong that he asked that it would be prayed after Mass.

Did you know that it was also stopped in 1968 with the Novus Ordo during the time of Pope Paul VI?

And did you know that in 1994, Pope John Paul II wanted to have it said after Mass again?

Here's the Prayer of St. Michael taken from the EWTN website:

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.


Read more:

http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/michael.htm#ixzz1ImlhOBoA

Saunders, Fr. William. (1999). St. michael: guardian of the church. Retrieved from http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=1217&CFID=75993464&CFTOKEN=31191617

Speaker's Board: "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Led by Eulerson Pajimula

The Catechism makes it very clear that the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." (CCC 1324) We also know, with faith, that the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are TRULY present in the Blessed Sacrament. (CCC 1374)

It is ESSENTIAL for us then to continually be working toward deepening our devotion and our understanding of the Eucharist. Our Catholic faith in the Real Presence is strongly rooted in Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. In this brief and effective Bible Study Eulerson Pajimula, The youth minister at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish, displays some of the clear biblical roots of the Real Presence and shows us that what we believe truly is what Jesus taught and what the Apostles themselves believed.

Click Here to Download the Mp3

1 Cor 11:27; John 6:53ff

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. By Melchior2008

What You Do to Others

I stumbled upon a flyer with this poem and thought that I should share.


The Truth About... What You Do to Others
Anonymous

I was hungry
and you formed a humanities club
and discussed my hunger.

I was imprisoned
and you crept off quietly
to your chapel in the suburb
and prayed for my release.

I was naked
and in your mind
you debated the morality of my
appearance.

I was sick
and you knelt and thanked God for
your health.

I was homeless
and you preached to me
of the shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely
and you left me alone
to pray for me.

You seem so holy:
so close to God;
But I'm still very hungry,
and lonely,
and cold.

We all have the responsibility to be the hands, feet, and voice of Christ, to serve Him by serving others, day by day in whatever state of life we are in. Matthew 25:31-46



* That's some good stuff *