Personal Conversion and parish re-evangelization!

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I just read a powerful presentation given at Australia's first national conference on the "New Evangelization". A stunning quote:

No conversion, no holiness. No holiness, no credible witness. No credible witness, no effective implementation of the new evangelization.

In her keynote address, Martha Fernández-Sardina, quotes many times from Scripture and the recent Popes: Pope Paul VI, Bl. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. I hope you will take time to read her words and be inspired to do the Truth you hear. Consider what you might do as a member of your parish during this coming "Year of Faith".

Bl.John Paul II, pray for us.
Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in us, the Fire of Your Love.

Full text is [HERE](http://www.zenit.org/article-35435?l=english)

 

[ByzCathCantor]

The quote is more powerful in context IMHO, so thanks for posting it as well as the link to the full notes from the speech.

I am eager to see what the Year of Faith brings!

 

[MariaChristi]

The quote is more powerful in context IMHO, so thanks for posting it as well as the link to the full notes from the speech.

I am eager to see what the Year of Faith brings!

Dear ByzCathCantor,

Thanks for your reply. I agree! The quote is only a “taste” of the powerful context of the whole address. I was very impressed with the sincerity and zeal of the presenter. Her quotes from Scripture and papal documents (especially those of Bl. John Paul II) strengthened her words with the authority of the Church, and unlike so many others I’ve heard or read, her enthusiasm was far from superficial! I hope many members of CAF read the link, and take her words to heart.

The opening of the “Year of Faith” is drawing closer and her words can help many of us who are trying to renew and revitalize Faith in our parishes. I was happy to hear our Administrator/pastor speak today in his homily about this Year of Faith beginning Oct 11, 2012 and continuing through November 2013 as a time for all of us to renew our faith. My husband and I are planning to present a “Morning of Reflection” on October 20 for our parish on the theme of Faith. That was the closest date to Oct. 11 we could arrange; our parish is a busy place.

Is your parish planning anything to help persons better apprciate and live the Catholic Faith?

Jesus, we trust in You!

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Is your parish planning anything to help persons better apprciate and live the Catholic Faith?

We are challenged to look at the New Evangelization from the Eastern Catholic perspective, but it is clearly just as relevant to all the faithful in the Universal Church.

Further, our Eparchy (Diocese) is currently sede vacante, so without a Shepherd, we have to rely on the Metropolitan Archeparchy for guidance and programming.

Yet, we will kick it off with prayer and with a program in October intended to set the theme, focusing on personal renewal and the joint responsibility of clergy and faithful to serve the Church, all in an Eastern Catholic context. The program will be held in three locations across the country.

A short white paper was released in connection with the program, which used four quotes from Holy Scripture to set the theme:

Personal Humility: “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.” [Ps.51:19]

The Joyful Message: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” [Jn.10:10]

Personal Discipleship: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” [1 Peter 3:15]

Spiritual Readiness: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." [Prov. 9:10]

 

[MariaChristi]

We are challenged to look at the New Evangelization from the Eastern Catholic perspective, but it is clearly just as relevant to all the faithful in the Universal Church.

Further, our Eparchy (Diocese) is currently sede vacante, so without a Shepherd, we have to rely on the Metropolitan Archeparchy for guidance and programming.

Yet, we will kick it off with prayer and with a program in October intended to set the theme, focusing on personal renewal and the joint responsibility of clergy and faithful to serve the Church, all in an Eastern Catholic context. The program will be held in three locations across the country.

A short white paper was released in connection with the program, which used four quotes from Holy Scripture to set the theme:

Personal Humility: “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.” [Ps.51:19]

The Joyful Message: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” [Jn.10:10]

Personal Discipleship: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” [1 Peter 3:15]

Spiritual Readiness: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." [Prov. 9:10]

Dear ByzCathCantor97,

Thanks for your reply, and for sharing the theme with which you will be kicking off the “Year of Faith” in your country. Yes, it is so important for all of us together to begin this Year of Faith well, and carry it through, and beyond this year to our final end

Concerning some of our challenges (for both East and West), this morning I read an excellent address given by Cardinal Burke in Africa. He stated:

… I place my reflections within the context of the present situation of the Church in a totally secularized culture and the response of the Church to the culture of our time. The response is a new evangelization. It is my desire to give particular attention to the state of the Church’s canonical discipline and its irreplaceable role in the work of the new evangelization. While the presentation addresses a number of particular phenomena in the recent history of the Church, it seeks to interpret those phenomena within the perspective of the organic life of the Church, handed down to us, in an unbroken line, from Our Lord’s consecration and commissioning of Saint Peter and, with him, of the College of the Apostles.

For the full context of his address see HERE