November 30, 2007
As children rehearse for Christmas pageants where Mary and Joseph travel from inn to inn with no place to stay, it is hard not to think of the immigration issue that blankets the news these days. Congressional attempts to revise existing laws have been tabled for now. Some cities and states are trying to tackle the immigration issue on their own. What does the Catholic Church have to say about this topic?
Recently, the bishops in Maryland and Delaware issued a joint statement with helpful resources. Titled, Where All Find a Home: A Catholic Response to Immigration, the statement also offers four resource sheets 1) The Economics of Immigration, 2) The History of Immigration, 3) The Legal Immigration Process, and 4) The Root Causes of Migration.
In addition, the bishops have clearly outlined seven Basics of Church Teaching on Immigration. These statements are very helpful in clarifying the complex issues and responsibilities that exist. These teachings are:
1) All people have a right to have their basic human needs met in their homelands.
2) If their basic needs cannot be met in their homelands, persons have the right to seek them abroad.
3) The right to migrate is not absolute and can be mitigated in favor of the common good.
4) Nations may regulate borders to provide for national security, tranquility and prosperity.
5) The right to regulate borders is not absolute and regulations must promote the common good.
6) Nations with the ability to accommodate migrants should respond with generosity.
7) Families have the right to remain united.
The statement further expands on each of the above teachings and offers additional resources.
The immigration issue will not go away. As discussions and votes and debates continue, it is important to be as fully informed as possible.
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November 26, 2007
Advent is still days away, yet the secular world has already rushed us into preparing for Christmas. Thanksgiving was just a blur this year as retail stores switched from fall decorations to Christmas ornaments right after Halloween. Black Friday was slightly better for retailers than expected. And now today is Cyber-Monday, the day when many of us hit the internet to do our Christmas shopping. And so we prepare for Christmas.
It wasn’t too long ago that preparing for Christmas meant something different for Catholics. Advent wreaths, pink and purple candles, Advent calendars, nativity scenes — all of these were traditional parts of our preparations. It’s interesting that the secular world has jumped on a religious event and expanded it. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, it’s difficult to lose sight of what we are preparing for at this time of year.
Christmas is a time when light breaks into darkness. And so we live in darkness, waiting for the light. We anticipate and yearn and pray that once again God will break into our lives and make us new.
Let’s keep that in mind as we tackle Cyber-Monday and the rest of the shopping season. Perhaps set up a little Nativity Scene in your office or at home to be a constant reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Take some time to pray each day, if only for a minute or two during these busy times. Rethink your shopping list by giving books and other gifts that invite your friends and family to see how God breaks into the darkness of their lives each and every day anew.
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November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to step back and look at the many blessings in our lives as we give thanks. It is also a wonderful time to think about how we, too, can be a blessing in the lives of others. Fostering this approach of being a blessing for others is a way to help our children connect faith and service. Helping to serve a meal at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving Day, or making handmade cards and delivering them to shut-ins can have a profound effect on children. Discussions beforehand and afterwards can help children reflect on their experience and on how God is involved.
An excellent article with many concrete examples is How to Raise Kids Who Care – Teach Your Children Well, and Chances Are They’ll Make Service A Way of Life. Knowing that there are people who live differently than them can have a huge impact on kids. As the author, Christina Zaker notes in one example, “Even complaints about having to share a bedroom disappeared after one family visited a family shelter and saw how entire families lived in a single bedroom.” Books on how to foster an attitude of giving can also be found in ActiveParishioner.com’s Parenting/Families section.
When I was growing up I remember that every Christmas my Mom would wrap small packages of candy for children who were poor. I would help her and then we would drop them off at our parish for them to distribute. This was many years before the concept of “giving trees” with name tags became popular. As a young child I wasn’t that motivated to help because I couldn’t understand who would want candy as a Christmas gift, when it was readily available at home. I had a hard time grasping what it meant that there were children my age living in poverty. But the example of my parents giving to others in so many ways somehow touched something deep within me. This approach to life is now something that I very much want to pass on to our son.
In this busy holiday season as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas all get bunched up and seem to turn into non-stop motion, let’s pause and reflect on our blessings as we give thanks. Take a moment to talk with your kids about how each member of your family is so blessed. Then reflect together on how all of you as a family can also bring blessings to the lives of others.
From the staff of ActiveParishioner.com, may you and your loved ones have a blessed Thanksgiving!
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November 19, 2007
Catholic parents want their children to grow up to be good people. Nurturing this can occur in many ways. One such way is encouraging stewardship among children and especially teenagers. The US bishops recently published a helpful document titled, Stewardship and Teenagers – The Challenge of Being a Disciple.
Addressed to teens, this brief statement provides the theological basis for acts of service by reminding teens that everything we have is a gift from God. Even our own being is a gift from God. We are surrounded by evidence of God’s love for us. When we give to others, we should give from that wealth of love.
Many teenagers today are very interested in service opportunities. But often the connection between faith and service is not made. Using simple language, the bishops’ statement makes this connection clear.
If you are a Catholic parent and are interested in additional resources to help you as you parent your child, visit ActiveParishioner.com’s Parenting Resources.
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November 14, 2007
The US Bishops approved a statement today to help Catholics use their conscience and apply Catholic teaching when deciding how to vote. The statement, The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, is not a voter’s guide. Instead it is a guide for informing one’s conscience. Individuals then need to make the decision about which candidates earn their vote.
During an election year, it’s tempting to be swayed by ads and political polls. But if faith is truly to be integrated into our everyday lives, then our Catholic faith has much to say about how we make our voting decisions. The bishops’ statement “calls for a different kind of political engagement: one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable.”
The document recommends an approach with four components when making political decisions:
- A well-formed conscience
- The virtue of prudence (that is, discerning our “true good in every circumstance and choos[ing] the right means of achieving it”)
- Doing good and avoiding evil
- Making moral choices
The statement also explains the seven key themes of Catholic Social Teaching in the public square. In addition, it applies Catholic teaching to specific issues in contemporary society.
All-in-all, the statement is a very helpful resource for Catholics as the election year progresses. A summary of the statement is also available.
For those interested in further reading, two very helpful Catholic books, both written by bishops, discuss the interaction of faith and politics. In addition, several outstanding books are also available which give a more in-depth treatment of Catholic Social Teaching.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, Catholic Social Teaching, Voting | Tagged: bishops' statement, Catholic Social Teaching, catholic voting, challenge of forming conscience, church and state, faith and politics, faithful citizenship, moral theology | Permalink
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November 12, 2007
Every November, the US Bishops gather for a business meeting. At this meeting, they collaborate and work together to make decisions and recommendations related to activities of the Catholic Church across the country.
This year’s meeting starts today, Monday, November 12 and will continue through Thursday, November 15. The gathering, which is held in Baltimore, MD, is not open to the public, but the media covering the event will be issuing press releases and writing stories about each major decision.
Topics up for a vote include a brochure on stewardship for teenagers, two catechetical items, a statement on faith and politics, and the revision of guidelines for music at Mass. In addition, the bishops will vote for new officers of the Bishops’ Conference, as well as new committe chairs.
The bishops will also receive the preliminary results of a research project seeking to identify the causes and context of the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
For more detailed information about the above agenda items, see the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Media page. For daily news stories reporting on the results of the Bishops’ meeting, visit ActiveParishioner.com’s website and click on US Catholic News (under Latest News.)
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November 7, 2007
Have you ever thought you might want to do volunteer work for a week? Or perhaps for a year or two? Not sure where to start? Then check out the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS). They publish the RESPONSE Directory that describes volunteer programs offered by over 200 Catholic and Christian member organizations.
The Directory can be searched online, or a hard copy can be ordered for free from CNVS by emailing cnvsinfo@cnvs.org or calling 1-800-543-5046.
CNVS provides a bridge between individual volunteers and the sponsoring organizations. CNVS helps to match individuals with faith-based volunteer opportunities and also provides training and technical assistance resources. Volunteer and lay missionary opportunities exist within the US and also internationally in 108 countries.
Take a look at this great resource. Volunteer work might be a great way to spend your next “vacation,” however long it may be.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, Catholic Associations, Volunteer Opportunities | Tagged: Catholic, Christian, domestic, faith-based, international, lay missionary work, Volunteer Opportunities, volunteer opportunity | Permalink
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November 5, 2007
Today, November 5, 2007, the full version of the Catholic website, www.ActiveParishioner.com was launched. The site has been in beta testing since July 2007. A copy of the press release can be obtained from PRWeb. The website, which includes this Blog — Catholic Resource Tidbits — also sells Catholic books and other resources that help people make sense of their lives from a faith perspective. In addition, the site offers a wealth of Catholic information. Visitors can pray online, accessing daily Mass readings as well as daily meditations. They can read the latest Catholic news from the US and from overseas. They can find a comprehensive list of bishops’ conferences around the world, each with its own resources; view an up-to-date calendar of national Catholic conferences and gatherings; discover a detailed listing of all accredited Catholic academic institutions offering ministry or theology degrees through distance-learning; and find the names and links for all US bishops and dioceses, as well as current church statistics.
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