Catholics
Comments
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Gina, Soooo very happy for you! Thank you God, for You are good.
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Wonderful news Gina!!! Praise God!!
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Gina, that is so wonderful. Thank you God for answering our prayers!
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Amen! xo
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Gina,
I am thrilled to hear your wonderful news! Praise be to God!
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(((((((((GINA))))))))))))
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Frank..... I had Herceptin also... and did not have that SE. I agree, there are a few SE from Herceptin.... and I do not think the doctors agree with that. There are. I am very, very thankful to Herceptin.... so I looked the other way with Herceptin....
XO0 -
I wrote a couple of prayers while on retreat, this one was so powerful to me, we were walking through the stations of the cross- as soon as I got back to my room this poured out - love you all!
Sweet Jesus, I come to You open hearted and quieted lips to hear Your Word rooted in me. Your journey of faith is like no other and I turn to You tonight and listen to Your whisper like the gentle breeze across the sea. I suffer Lord with pain and illness and in Your healing waters I dip my body and soul. Lift me from the waters Lord, as I come to You to follow You. I walk in a journey never alone, for fear has been lifted from my heart and only peace shall enter in Your presence. I come to You head back, eyes closed, arms outstretched and shout to You, here I am Lord, Your daughter at the well, know my name that I may live with you forever.
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AMEN
Thank you Gina and am so happy to hear your wonderful news
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Estepp I agree with you. Even if that swelling has resulted as a SE from the Herceptin it really is a minor consideration given what the alterantive to not taking Herceptin would be.
Ladies have your parishes on your side of the pond started using the new form of words in the mass especially in the Gloria and the 2 Creeds? Our parish has been using them for some weeks now. The parish priest has been putting a lot of time and effort into getting the congregation to say the right/new words etc. (i'm assuming that he is just doing what he is told) I have said this previously. The effort should be directed to doing something about falling numbers. The 10 30am Sunday mass has traditionally been the mass for families with smaller children - but not exclusively so. It was usually packed. I was at that mass yesterday and like most other Sundays there were loads of empty seats. What are attendances like on your side? I think that the higherarchy have lost the plot ! !
On a totally different note a cancer charity here - The Ulster Cancer Foundation - started, a few months ago, having organised walks on 3 of the 4 Saturdays in the month. Nothing strenous. I have started attending them. Sometimes the walk is split in two for those who want a short walk and those who want to walk further. Then afterwards some of us will go to a cafe and sit together for a while. It's nice to go walking with others who have the same medical prob but that problem doesn't actually feature very much in conversation.
Take care all.
Frank
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Frank, we've just started to introduce the changes to the Mass. Our choir is now singing the new Gloria, Holy Holy, etc. Yesterday, we did a much better job than the previous week....we'll get there. We aren't introducing any other changes here until the first Sunday of Advent. We'll all be like lost sheep that day, I'm sure.
They've changed the creed too? Oh my gosh...will it never end? Our priest told us that this was mandated by the Vatican and we have no choice. There are some pockets of rebels (within our diocese and around the world) who are refusing to cooperate but we haven't been given a choice. I'm still a bit in the dark as to all the changes, but tend to agree with you that the church has much bigger fish to fry! Attendance here is declining too...I have noticed more empty seats in the last four or five years than previously. We have a young priest and the kids who do attend church just love him...it's a shame we can't get more of them out to church regularly.
Did I tell you my Mum is from Ireland? She's from a good Catholic family so I have relatives all over the island! Most of them are in Wexford, but my Aunt and her family live in Londonderry.
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Frankh, I totally agree with you. I am seeing less and less young people at Mass as well. So what do we do? We waste all of this time etc. learning a different translation. At my church we were given a survey to complete (nothing to do with the new translation) and I explained that we are not addressing the right issues. Getting young people interested and coming to Mass has got to be our #1 priority.
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Good Morning Sweet Sisters and Dear Brother,
I wanted to let everyone know that my daughter, Camille, arrived safely back home on US soil from her "vacation" in Turkey yesterday afternoon! At the time of the earthquake, she was in Istanbul and was not affected by the quake. Praise be to God! May we all continue to remember those hundreds who were affected by the quake in our prayers.
Thank you all for your prayers for her safety during her travels! Your prayers are always appreciated so very much!
Sandy
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Sandy, so glad to hear your daughter is home safely. My sister and her husband are also vacationing in Turkey at the moment. I believe they're far away from the earthquake zone. Yes, let us pray for those affected by the earthquake.
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Yes, less young families.....
Our oldest son and wife practice in a non denominational Christian church.... and I am not sure yet, how my younger son will go. He is not married yet. It is hard.... to raise your children in the Church... and have them leave as adult. Does the Church till teach........ no salvation outside the Church? I really do not know about this.
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Sandy, so glad your daughter has arrived safely.
I am intrigued by this discussion on young people and the church. All 3 of my kids were educated in catholic schools thru h.s. My oldest daughter tells me that although she believes in God, she doesn't believe He gets involved in our affairs. Hence, why pray? She is in college and I swear there is a complete breakdown of faith on our college campuses.
My younger daughter was educated by Filipini sisters in a convent school. She is filled with faith and so devout. She inspires me.
My son is still in high school so we will wait and see.
My younger two willingly go to church. When the older one comes home from college, it's like pulling teeth to get her to go.
I think they church could be more directed toward the young. But it also seems like the young are surrounded by more and more secularism.
Food for thought. Mary0 -
I think with us growing up Catholic it was a way a life, and that was that. Today everyone is so busy that Sundays can't even be reserved for just family and church...here they have sporting events for the kids - in Catholic school! That was unheard of when we were little....but we didn't have as much homework, we didn't have to worry about getting internships before college to get to a good college, the competitiveness right now in everything....seemed so much simpler just 20 years ago. People could AFFORD Catholic schools then and there were nuns teaching in every grade. Being Catholic was second nature to me. This generation has to work at it, they have to want it.....
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It's an interesting discussion. My kids are still young ... 11 and 8. My husband is not Catholic, so he makes an appearance at church usually at Christmas and Easter to hear the kids' choir sing. My girls go to Catholic school....although there are no Nuns there like there was in my day and I'm not sure the schools are as "Catholic" as they used to be. So far, my girls are both very involved in the church. They are altar servers, sing in the kids' choir, and my older daughter helps with the children's liturgy program and attends youth group activities. It is my hope that by being involved now, they will make "church friends" and this will keep them involved as they grow older. It may not work out but that is my hope. I know I was much more involved in the church as a teenager, and I'm the only one of my sisters who still attends church regularly.
Our church has a very active youth ministry which is great, but still only 25-30% of the kids from Catholic school attend church regularly. The 11-14 year olds in our youth group attend Mass at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings and then meet afterwards. Now, that's a group of committed kids!
Sadly, our world is very secular and there are so many things competing for everyone's attention. I'm not sure what the answer is.0 -
By the grace of God, I got my daughter through Catholic school too, and an all girls Catholic high school. When she graduated in 2009 tuition was 8000 a year, they are up to 9000 already. Everything is so expensive for them too.
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Here in Ontario, our Catholic school system is publicly funded and runs as a parallel system to the public system, teaching the same curriculum with the exception of religious studies. The right to Catholic education is granted in our Canadian constitution. This right has been challenged in other Canadian provinces and some no longer provide funding for Catholic schools.
With so few students in our Ontario Catholic school system actually attending church regularly, I worry that it's just a matter of time before there is pressure to make changes in Ontario. It has been raised as an election issue in the past but didn't really gather much steam. 30% of Ontario's students attend Catholic schools so our numbers are not insignificant. As our country becomes more and more multi-cultural, the argument is "Why should Catholics have their own publicly-funded schools and not Muslims, Hindus, etc?"
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Laura, Our Lords two greatest commandments--Love God and Love Neighbor--Simple but profound way to please our Lord no matter what church we go to.
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Laura
I couldn't agree more with lovingmyfamilysomuch. I am not convinced it matters what church we attend but that we are good people that are faithful to God and neighbor. My college age son is not a regular church goer but he was when he was younger and often was the one that got us up and moving when it would have been easier to lounge in our pjs on Sunday morning. I think the catholic church with all of the issues as of late especially in the Philadelphia archdiocese has driven him away. We had an interesting conversation this summer. Not sure exactly how it started but we were talking about the 10 commandments and he said (apologize in advance for the words) to me "mom it all boils down to love God above all else and don't be a dick to anyone". I was stunned for a moment but looked at him and was proud for no matter what was taught through his years of catholic education he has it right. Do I hope he embraces the catholic church again yes but to me it is more important that he is a good person loves and prays to God often and helps those less fortunate always. I can't answer your question about salvation and I guess we will not know until our time comes but I do believe in an all loving God and I don't believe he would punish those that live a holy life in his name regardless of the church denomination0 -
" don't be a dick to anyone..."
spoken like a true male. ages 13-30. gotta love our men..... they can make me smile and cry all in one day....:) Thanks ladies......:)............. when I read that Liz........... my memory went right to my oldest son........
......... actually both my sons..... something they both would say, outloud to me, now that they are over 21..............:) 0 -
To all just read the last several pages. May not be able to speak to everyone individually. Must say love the activity. We all have our words, if we our not identified by someone we might go away. SO, it is important that if someone posts, please, acknowledge their post. It has been fequently happening before Racy Novena. Let us sustain our sisterhood
I suggest------even if someone doesn't respond to your post. This is the Catholic thread, Perceive your post as a prayer. But to all of us it is important that anyone who posts here is it acknowledged . We risk losing them. A person not given value by being known will leave. WE MUST BE AWARE THAT ALL THAT ARE WILLING TO POST, WE MUST TAKE AWARENESS THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EXISTENENCE. Sounds bombastic, but it is true . Squid told me one time that the reason she loved this thread is people actually talked to her. She had been on other threads where she would make comments and no one commented on her response. I felt the same way. We have a common life here and must take care of each other. Namaste sheila
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Sandy----------so happy your daugther made it out of Turkey without incident---They must be doing something to invite non-muslims to prevent incarceration------------scarey-------but your DD should be able to bring us up to date .Glads she's home without event. L&H&P's Namaste sheila
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LFSM------Loved that you , loved my words so much-------but where were they? I tried to find them and couldn't-----I searched pages--------I'm gladdened those words touched your heart so much, but if they were mine i'll take credit , but if they were another sheila --i won't.
Love words and thoughts and poems. Written in moments of thought created by spirit induced by hope , worry, despair, support, anguish. Whatever the source, our words that sustain us in a different time. The fact that you said these words all day long. They gripped you in a way that was important. It's like the Namaste prayer for me. I understand. Words our are resource for being, in them we can find solace. Words communicate so much, combine that with music and we have so much beauty. Then add to that dance. We are so blessed that our religion doesn't deny any. ------------Only bring this up b/c I have been recently on Catholic. match. com and they question all. I of course have been a thorn. The beauty of all should only be questioned in the extreme. I listen , in the background to an Irish tune as the sun rises.
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SAS,
Thank you for your prayers for Camille's safety while is Turkey! I had opposed her journey but am so thrilled her guardian angel accompinied her on her travels! I think it will be a long time before she travels to a Muslim country again for she has learned she is not welcome.
Fortunately, she remained out of prison and did not cross the border into Iran. She was far enough away from the earthquake area as well to be unaffected by it. Her angel does seem to watch over her! Praise be to God!
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Estepp, I believe the church does still hold on to the belief "No salvation outside the church" which is something I always struggle with. I agree with Lovemyfamilysomuch, Liz and her son...if you follow the commandments and live a good life, why does it really matter if you're Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian? All Christians fundamentally believe the same thing so I don't personally believe that Catholics have an exclusive right to heaven.
Something interesting related to our recent discussions on youth in the church. Traditionally, our school has always had the Grade 8 graduation Mass and ceremony at the church. At our school council meeting last night we learned that this year, it is being moved to the school. Why? Because the ceremony contains things like PowerPoint presentations and non-religious music (although I'm sure it's appropriate given that it is a Catholic school after all). While I can appreciate the point of view, is this not another step in driving our young people away from the church?
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Michelleo and Mary,
Thank you for your prayers for Camille while she was on holiday in Turkey! Michelleo, I pray your sister and her husband have a safe visit and are far away from the earthquake area. Have you heard from them since the earthquake? I will keep them in my prayers and pray for a safe visit and safe return.
It is sad that there are so many beautiful places in the world that are no longer really safe for Catholics to visit. It makes me sad. I was even more saddeded to have to tell my daughter to take off the cross necklace she always wears prior to her travels. Sad.... but necessary for safety.
Perhaps the day will come when this will no longer be necessary!
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It has been interesting to me to see how the two different parishes (in different states, different dioceses) we attend regularly as we travel between houses have been implementing the changes.
The Philadelphia parish has published the changes in the bulletin, but as of last week, they aren't using the new wording yet. The church down south which has both English and Spanish Masses, and a largely older (retired) population attending the English Masses has been adding the changes one piece at a time. The new wording of the Gloria has been in place for more than a month, and they announced two weeks ago that they were changing another part last week. I guess they think that population needs to be eased into the changes.
From what I have read in the bulletins, the original English translations of the bible were from a Latin translation. Apparently the changes we are seeing now reflect the words that changed when the Church went back to the original Greek and Aramaic writings and translated them directly into English without going through Latin first. Like the childhood game of telephone, every time the message is passed along it changes just a bit, especially since many words don't translate directly from one language to another. As long as those who did this recent re-translation did a good job, these new changes should bring us back closer to the original.
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