Monday, September 4, 2017

Catechist Materials for 2017!  Please take a look at these documents!
2017 Poster
What is Evangelization?
Catechetical Certificate
2017 logo
Christian Discipleship
Catechist Prayer Card
Taking the First Step
By Their Fruits You Will Know Them
Catechesis and Church's Commitment to the Family
New Evangelization and Social Justice
Letter to the Pastors

2017 Table of Contents
Go & Make Disciples
Accompanying Youth and Young Adults on Their Journey


Sister Therese Touma sends us another  Going Deeper Article


While recently visiting my favorite beach I was grateful to feel the powdery soft sand on my feet once again and hear the familiar sound of the ocean waves breaking at the shore line. As my mind wandered, I began to reflect upon God’s awesome love and generosity in creating and sharing such natural beauty with each one of us. As the days passed I became much more aware of the presence of God around me.  Whether in the picture-perfect sunsets or the natural flowers, which covered many of the green spaces, it was easy to find God in all things through the eyes of gratitude.
One might say that although it is easy to find God in the beauty he has created, the greater challenge in life is finding God in difficult situations. Pain and suffering, loneliness and isolation are not situations where one expects to find God easily. Rev. Edward Slattery has written:

“Suffering is neither holy nor desirable in itself, yet when we glimpse the presence of God in the suffering, as that which sustains us in the midst of our sorrow, then we begin to find consolation in our deprivation, peace in our heartache, solitude in our loneliness, for we begin to identify ourselves with our Beloved suffering Christ….in short, suffering opens us up to God.”

In these difficult circumstances we can also experience God’s presence and movement in our lives just as real, perhaps even more real, than the beauty of the beach and sunset. The only conditions required are that we also listen with humility and openness, and willingly accept his grace into our hearts. We may be able to find that God walks right beside us in all things, if we are just open to, and aware of, his presence and love.

Vivian M. Akel