Lauren will receive a copy of The Catholic Family Connections Bible, a $26.95 value.

The Catholic Family Connections Bible helps families connect to:

• Each other— through family faith conversations
• Faith—through practices of prayer and devotion
• Community—through participating in Christian service together

The Catholic Family Connections Bible uses the New American Bible text and is woven around the core content of the bestselling Catholic Youth Bible® (loved by nearly two million Catholic young people), which includes:

• Over 700 lively articles help you Pray It! Study It! Live It!®
• "Catholic Connection" articles providing a presentation of key Catholic doctrine
• 28 articles addressing the seven principles of Catholic social teaching
• 75 inspirational illustrations
• Helpful index to life and faith issues
• Easy-to-use glossary of Scripture-related terms
• Sunday Lectionary readings for all three cycles
• "Catholic Connections" index
• "Sacraments Connections" index

The Catholic Family Connections Bible
ISBN: 978-1-59982-088-0, paper, 1968 pages

At some point in the last few decades, the philosophy of "I’m okay, you’re okay" seeped into our cultural milieu. No longer were we to wallow in guilt over our shortcomings and think of ourselves as "less than." No, we were to declare, "I’m okay!" and then accept others as "okay" as well. This one thought ("I’m okay, you’re okay") would at least be a step toward establishing a relationship of respect for ourselves and respect for others. (The danger in this, of course, is that of wallowing in "okayness" and living in an unreal world in which you take no responsibility for any harm you are actually doing to yourself or others.)

The fact that I still remember this short maxim after all these years may perhaps show that it had its effect on me. Such is the power of a single thought. The Desert Fathers knew this, and based their entire lives on what we might call today, "garbage in, garbage out." They called it "guarding the heart." It meant watching over their thoughts and feelings, labeling them as good or bad, helpful or unhelpful, and only opening the doors of their hearts to those thoughts and feelings that were judged to be of the Holy Spirit.

The home page I use on my computer is the news from MSN. As I look over this page, I always come to the conclusion that we could all use a little more guarding of the heart. What do I need to know and why do I need to know it? The situation in Syria, yes. The latest from Hollywood? Not so much.

But guarding the heart means more than avoiding scandalous news and gossip. It means looking at one’s own heart and taking note of negative thinking, resentment, anger, and all those thoughts that interfere with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It means gently letting these thoughts go, and putting good thoughts in their place. It means taking time to pray, to read Scripture, to read good books, to watch good TV. But seeking out the good sometimes takes a little more effort.

Enter the practice of "the motto." This custom of using mottos, inspirational words from Scripture or elsewhere, has come down to us anonymously—perhaps from the Desert Fathers and Mothers! The Pope and bishops have mottos displayed on their coats of arms. Often, consecrated religious choose a motto from Scripture to remind them of the purpose of their vocation. In some religious houses, mottos are written on the walls. In the Arts and Crafts era of decoration, this custom of painting mottos on the walls of homes was revived and is seen again today. In my grade school, the sisters had the custom of writing mottos in beautiful calligraphy, in whitewash, on the blackboards. The mottos were spiritual in nature but easy for a child to understand. One popular one was: "God sees me." Now, there’s a thought to mull over while pulling out your arithmetic book!

This is why it occurred to me to suggest that teachers and catechists (i.e., you, dear reader) might revive this ancient custom and display mottos or inspirational thoughts in your classrooms, if you do not already do so. Maybe you could choose one a month, or ask your students for suggestions. They might take turns finding one to display for the week or the month. Each student might also choose a personal motto to guide him or her during the coming year.

Inspirational quotes seem to be everywhere. In my local paper, the Terre Haute Tribune-Star, this thought from Anne Frank was quoted in an "NEA Bridge" column by Phillip Alder: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." In a travel brochure from Loyola University in Chicago, I found: "We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same" (Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian- born U.S. writer).

Finally, by guarding the heart and watching the thoughts (from which actions ultimately spring), we are putting into practice this advice from the Apostle Saint Paul: "My friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8, GNT).

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

A note on the Year of Faith: In his general audience on June 26 (listed on the Vatican Web site under "Catecheses of the Holy Father During the Year of Faith"), Pope Francis seems to offer an ecclesiastical version of "I’m okay, you’re okay": "The Church is not a fabric woven of things and interests; she is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Temple in which God works, the Temple in which, with the gift of Baptism, each one of us is a living stone. This tells us that no one in the Church is useless, and if from time to time someone says to someone else: "go home, you are no good," this is not true. For no one is no good in the Church, we are all necessary for building this Temple! No one is secondary. No one is the most important person in the Church, we are all equal in God’s eyes. Some of you might say "Listen, Mr. Pope, you are not our equal." Yes, I am like each one of you, we are all equal, we are brothers and sisters! No one is anonymous: we all both constitute and build the Church."

And that is the word of faith this week from Mr. Pope!

Overview: Amid the challenges of everyday life, some teens lose sight of their own value. This activity reminds teens of their inherent worth while helping them to uproot false and negative thinking from their minds and hearts.

Materials needed: a Bible, a large wastebasket, decorated around the top with paper flames shooting upwards, or the wastebasket could be stuffed with yellow and orange tissue paper, sticking out of the can to look like flames; two index cards for each student; an inspiring song or hymn on a musical device.

1. Place the decorated wastebasket on a desk so that it is high up for all to see. Read aloud this Scripture verse from the Prophet Zephaniah (3:17). Explain that God does rejoice over us as his children. He made us, he knows us, and he wants to help us be the best we can be as we use the gifts he gave us.
2. Distribute two index cards to each student. On one index card, ask them to list every criticism they have ever heard about themselves—whether true or not. These can be in one- or two-word phrases. Then have them list every thought they have had about themselves that brings them down, makes them feel sad or depressed. Assure the students that no one will read this card.
3. On the second index card, have the students write every good thing others have said about them or that they know to be true about themselves. Remind them that they can include the words of Scripture or positive words that Jesus might say to them. Have them write "Zephaniah 3:17" on this list. Again, no one will read this card.
4. Then invite the students to tear up the first card. As the inspiring song or hymn is played, ask the students, one by one as they wish, to go up to the wastebasket and throw the pieces of this card into the "fire."
5. When everyone has finished, you may want to gather in a circle and read Zephaniah 3:17 again. Reiterate your remarks as noted in #1 above. Encourage the students to save their "positive thinking" card, keep it in a convenient place, and look at it often. Remind them that our deepest value is not based on what others think, but on what God thinks. And God rejoices over us!
6. At the end of class, collect the pieces from the wastebasket, put them in a bag, and make sure they are disposed of.

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 15, 2013
Luke 15:1-32

Opening Prayer

Jesus, we know you are the way, the truth, and the life. As we continue on life's path, help us always seek the truth. May our relationship with you, which is enriched by the truth, grow strong. Help us mature and come to know the Father as the Father knows us. And, when our earthly life is complete, may God the Father welcome us into the heavenly Kingdom. Amen.

Context Connection

The Gospel passage for this Sunday is long. Our reflection this week will focus on the first ten verses.

Note that both parables in Sunday's Gospel have the same structure: something is lost, a search follows, what is lost is found, friends and neighbors are called together, and, finally, an invitation to rejoice is extended. The opening verse, "Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him [Jesus]" (15:1), is Luke's way of saying that these individuals were willing to listen to the prophet Jesus. In the Scriptures, willingness to hear the words of the prophet is comparable to being open to conversion. The contrast is between the tax collectors and the sinners, who were willing to listen to Jesus, and the Pharisees and scribes, whose grumbling and complaining clearly showed they were not open to conversion.

Jesus responds to the grumbling by telling a few parables. The first parable is about a lost sheep. In Luke's version of this parable, the shepherd is responsible for losing his sheep. In Matthew's version, the sheep appears to wander away of its own accord (see Matthew 18:10-14). Once the shepherd notices that the sheep is missing, he does the unthinkable. He leaves the 99 healthy sheep alone in the wilderness and goes in search of the single lost sheep, which has perhaps already been killed by wild animals or injured after falling down a ravine. The shepherd, with relentless determination, pursues the lost sheep until he finds it. Then the shepherd "lays it on his shoulders and rejoices" (15:5) in a moment of embrace, tenderness, and heartfelt joy. This image of the shepherd carrying the lost sheep on his shoulders is depicted in many pieces of art. This wonderful, pastoral image reminds us of God's unwavering pursuit of those who may have lost their way, and the guarantee of God's tender embrace when they are reunited with God. The shepherd does not confine his rejoicing to his own heart, but instead invites his friends and neighbors together to rejoice with him and join in his happiness. Jesus tells us that, although this reunion of the shepherd and sheep is wonderful, "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (15:7). Jesus invites us to stop running away from God and recognize our need for forgiveness, for God's loving embrace is already present.

The second parable is about a woman who loses one of her ten silver coins. This story is unique to Luke's Gospel. Some Scripture scholars speculate that the coins were the woman's dowry, making them of extreme sentimental value. The woman's response was to light a lamp and immediately start looking for the lost coin. She sweeps and cleans the house until she finds the lost coin. When she finds the coin, the woman gathers her friends and neighbors and says, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost" (15:9). Jesus again compares the rejoicing of the woman and her friends and neighbors to the joy that God and the angels experience when one sinner repents. Repentance and conversion of heart bring rejoicing not only for those directly affected by this awakening but also for God and the angels in heaven, making it a cosmic event. The joy explodes into a party. Through these parables Luke presents one of the essential aspects of the mission of Jesus--to seek and to find the lost.

Tradition Connection

Sunday's Gospel unveils the central reason that Jesus became human: to reveal God's unending mercy. "The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners.1 The angel announced to Joseph: 'You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins'"2 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1846).

The invitation to conversion is extended to everyone through the grace of God, allowing our hard human hearts to be softened by the life-giving love of God. Conversion allows us to draw from the living waters found only in God. "[God] is the living God who wants men to live" (Catechism, paragraph 2575). This reservoir of living water is God's never-ending love: "God is love; he is therefore righteous and faithful; he cannot contradict himself; he must remember his marvelous deeds, since his glory is at stake, and he cannot forsake this people that bears his name" (Catechism, paragraph 2577). God's mercy is an endless abyss revealed to us by Jesus: "Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy" (Catechism, paragraph 1439). God's mercy is the light that shines on and within the sinner, bringing about conversion. This Spirit of God goes wherever it wills and leaves behind profound experiences of God's mercy: "This same Spirit who brings sin to light is also the Consoler who gives the human heart grace for repentance and conversion"3 (Catechism, paragraph 1433).

Through this Scripture passage, Jesus reveals the true nature of God--a God who is loving, merciful, unchanging, and faithful: "When we say 'God' we confess a constant, unchangeable being, always the same, faithful and just, without any evil. It follows that we must necessarily accept his words and have complete faith in him and acknowledge his authority. He is almighty, merciful, and infinitely beneficent. . . . Who could not place all hope in him? Who could not love him when contemplating the treasures of goodness and love he has poured out on us?" (Catechism, paragraph 2086)

The God that Jesus desires us to know is magnificent beyond belief.

Wisdom Connection

Luke wants his readers to know the God that Jesus came to reveal, a God who is love. Because God's perfection is founded in love, God graces humans with endless mercy. This God is always in pursuit of those who have lost their way and will do whatever it takes to get the attention of those who are lost. God's response to those who repent is an immediate and overwhelming embrace of his unending love.

Luke calls all of us to listen to the words of Jesus the prophet and to open ourselves to conversion. Repentance for our sins is the first step in the process of ongoing conversion. As in the first step in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), we have to admit we have a problem. Then with God's grace, limitless mercy, and love, we can embrace the ongoing process of conversion throughout our lifetime. Jesus' mission on earth is to seek the lost.

Closing Prayer

Invite the members to share a short, spontaneous prayer out loud or in the silence of their hearts. Close with the Lord's Prayer (also called the Our Father):

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Acknowledgments

The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. 1. Cf. Luke 15.
2. 2. Matthew 1:21.
3. 3. Cf. John 15:26; Acts 2: 36-38; John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem, 27-48.

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 22, 2013
Luke 16:1-13

Opening Prayer

Jesus, in this Sunday's Gospel you give us pause to reflect on our own attitude toward worldly possessions. Help us understand that we are privileged and have received these gifts to share. May we remember that by our Baptism, we are called to be your life-giving light in the world. Amen.

Context Connection

The parable in Sunday's Gospel was directed at the disciples: "Then Jesus said to the disciples" (16:1). Jesus wanted to teach his disciples a lesson about the proper use of money. This parable is intended for disciples in every generation and is an important insight that Jesus wants his followers to integrate into their lives.
The parable that Jesus shares with his disciples may be confusing at first. It demands that the reader examine the information closely and also understand the culture from which the story comes. During the time of Jesus, a few who owned land possessed the majority of wealth. They would rent their land to peasants through one of three arrangements: a predetermined percentage of the yield, a fixed amount of the produce (fifty bushels of wheat or twenty gallons of olive oil), or money would be given as payment. In most cases one of the first two arrangements was made. In this story it is the second arrangement. To oversee this payment process, most landowners had stewards, or managers. This individual, who was selected by the wealthy landowner, was placed in a position that gave him control over the finances of the estate. Luke tells us that the manager in this parable fails at managing his master's estate. The manager appears to have no malice toward his master. He is just unskilled and fails to fulfill his tasks. The master informs the manager that he is dismissed from his post, asking him to produce the books to give account of his management. The master has other options for recourse at his disposal: he could have the manager arrested and thrown into jail, he could make the manager repay the money lost by his mismanagement, or both. Instead, the master dismisses him: "You cannot be my manager any longer" (16:2). What the manager does next catches everyone's attention. Before the news spreads that he is being dismissed from his position, the manager quickly asks the debtors to present their bills of what they owe the master and then reduces the bill by a certain amount. This act creates goodwill toward the manager, as well as his master, in the community.

The motivation behind the manager's behavior is not clear in the parable. Was the manager forgiving the principal owed the master or a commission intended as payment for his services? Some scholars interpret the passage this way: the manager, after experiencing the mercy of the master (being dismissed rather than thrown into jail), extends the same mercy to the debtors by removing his own commission from the bill. The manager had assessed the situation and knew that he was not able to do hard manual labor and was too proud to beg. He also knew the master was not going to give him a wonderful letter of recommendation for a job as a manager with another landowner. So he trusted that those whose debt he reduced now would return goodwill to him in the future when he needed it.

The master, upon seeing what the manager has done, commends him for his shrewdness. The manager responds appropriately in light of his circumstances. It is the quality of the response rather than the morality of the action that is the object of Jesus's praise. Jesus adds this insight: "For the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light" (16:8). Throughout his life Jesus was able to dissociate himself from possessions because they accounted for nothing in the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus challenges his followers to trust implicitly in God. The manager is commended for using wealth for the benefit of others. In doing so, he benefits himself. The manager seems to recognize the value in giving and the benefits in return for the giver. "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much" (16:10).

The Gospel ends by stating that "no slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You [my disciples] cannot serve God and wealth" (16:13). Jesus's message is clear. An individual cannot serve two masters--God and wealth--because they are opposites. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have to make a decision. Who will our master be--God or wealth?

Note: In some translations the word mammon is used instead of wealth. Mammon is a descriptive word that depicts money as an idolatrous power that sometimes competes with God for human allegiance.

Tradition Connection

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that "a Christian is a steward of the Lord's goods"1 (paragraph 952). Jesus expects his disciples to be good managers of the gifts and talents they have received from God. Through Catholic social teaching, the Church guides us and challenges us to bring Christ's saving presence into the world so all people might be transformed by his love. Catholic social teaching asks us, as members of the Church, to respond to the signs of the times. In 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum, challenging both socialism and capitalism to regard the dignity of workers so an individual's labor would be valued and laborers' rights would be respected and upheld. Through various encyclicals, the Catholic Church has continued to call its members to social consciousness during particular times in history. The vision of Catholic social teaching is to challenge all of society to become more like the Kingdom of God. It conveys God's desire and longing for a society where all that God has given is shared equally.

In the fourth century, Saint John Chrysostom states with great vigor:

"Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs."2 "The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity":3

"'When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice.'4 (Catechism, paragraph 2446)

Catholic social teaching holds the dignity of every human person as primary. Nothing can ever compromise this fundamental principle. All forms of government, all economic systems, and all social structures must uphold the God-given dignity of each human being: A system that "subordinates the basic rights of individuals and of groups to the collective organization of production" is contrary to human dignity.5 Every practice that reduces persons to nothing more than a means of profit enslaves man, leads to idolizing money, and contributes to the spread of atheism. "You cannot serve God and mammon."6 (Catechism, paragraph 2424)

When we build up and protect of the dignity of each individual, we in turn strengthen the common good. Society and the whole world are served effectively by systems that empower individuals to contribute their personal gifts and talents for the common good of all. This is truly being a good steward of one's God-given gifts:

The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor."7 (Catechism, paragraph 2425)

How is the common good served by your gifts and talents?

Wisdom Connection

Luke's parable about the manager who is dismissed by his master for mismanagement has an important message not only for first-century Christians but also for us today. We are challenged to examine our own attitude toward possessions and wealth. How do we manage the gifts of intellect and worldly possessions that we have been given? How do we use the resources given to us by God for the greater good of the world? Jesus repeatedly promises us that we will be welcomed into heaven if we use our gifts and talents to build relationships of love and if we are life-giving sources in the world.

If we take the call to be Christ-like seriously, a call that originates in the sacramental life (especially Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist), then we are well on the way to being worthy of the gifts given to us by God. The Good News is that whoever gives to others will receive life, but whoever fails to give will not receive true riches.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Luke 16:1,3.
2. Saint John Chrysostom, Hom.in Lazaro 2,5: J. P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca (Paris 1857-1866), 48, 992.
3. Apostolicam actuositatem 8§5.
4. Saint Gregory the Great, Regula Pastoralis. 3,21: J. P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina (1841-1855).
5. Gaudium et spes 65§2.
6. Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13.
7. Cf. Centesimus annus 10; 13; 44.

Feast day: September 10

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino was named after Saint Nicholas of Myra (the original Saint Nicholas, who later became better known as Santa Claus). Nicholas of Tolentino became an Augustinian friar. In honor of his distribution of blessed bread to those who begged at the monastery gates, Augustinians today still distribute blessed Saint Nicholas Bread. He is honored as the patron of those in Purgatory. Read more about Saint Nicholas of Tolentino at: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1024.