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Spirituality
November 20, 2003 Edition

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 • Coming soon: New Catholic Herald column
• Faith Alive
 • This week's readings
• Pope's Prayer Intentions

Coming soon
New Catholic Herald column

St. Paul University Catholic Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus debuts a new column - "Living the Scriptures" - in the Nov. 27th issue of the Catholic Herald.

We will hear from a diverse group of voices as we read each week's edition of "Living the Scriptures." The writers hope to illustrate that reflecting on the readings for that week have made Scripture come alive for them and informed the way they live.

In the first weeks, columns will appear by the pastor, a university student, a UW professor, a new mother, and a high school student. Other friends and members of St. Paul's will follow with their own testimonies, inviting you into their lives of prayer and discipleship. Watch for it soon in the print edition of the Catholic Herald and on-line at www.madisoncatholicherald.org

Faith Alive! logo

In a Nutshell

  • Pastoral ministry responds to people as they live out their faith in the midst of everyday circumstances and concerns.

  • God is love, and it is important to proclaim that love, but words may not be enough. Pastoral ministry is about putting words into action.

  • Pastoral ministry helps people to reflect on God's presence in the midst of the mundane tasks of daily life.
    Catholic News Service
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    cns@catholicnews.com
    •  Food for Thought
     
    What does "pastoral ministry" mean? The term is used very frequently by writers and speakers in today's church. Almost always, it appears, they take for granted that this terminology is understood by their readers. But is it?

    The life of Christ can connect with every dimension of people's lives. That's one reason the term "pastoral ministry" is heard so often. There is an accent nowadays on drawing out the connections between the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist and life at home or in the marketplace all week long, and on illustrating that the Gospel isn't only about what goes on inside a church but what goes on outside it as well.

    There's another reason so much is heard about pastoral ministry. The Gospel doesn't just relate to "life," it relates to the "unique life" of each particular person or community. People and the circumstances in which they live differ in big ways.

    Pastoral ministry is an effort to connect with people "where" they really are -- to relate to their sufferings or happiness, to help them see what Christ's life has to do with their actual concerns or anxieties or hopes.

    full story

    		 
    What Makes a Ministry "Pastoral"?
    By Father Robert L. Kinast

    Catholic News Service

    Few terms in church vocabulary have as broad and varied a meaning as "pastoral ministry." In the 35 years I have worked in this field I have heard it defined as: the ministry a pastor performs; the application of doctrine and canon law to practical situations; the feel-good side of religion; or thinking about God in the countryside.

    Of course, in those 35 years I have formed my own convictions about what makes ministry and theology "pastoral."

    full story 

    Focus on a Parish's Pastoral Ministry
    By Mary Jo Pedersen

    Catholic News Service

    Steve and Linda bundled up their newborn baby and headed for St. Leo's parish center for the Welcome Your Child program as part of their baptismal preparation process. Having left dirty dishes in the sink and laundry piled high, they entered the classroom to find other sleep-deprived parents comparing stories.

    With the help of trained facilitators who were parents themselves, couples and single parents shared experiences of changes taking place in their lives with a new baby. Through prayer and discussion, they reflected on God's presence in the midst of the mundane tasks of parenthood.

    full story 

    Creating a "Space" to Experience God's Healing Presence
    By Father Raymond Finch, MM

    Catholic News Service

    Minutes after I arrived in Ilave, a small town in the Peruvian mountains, I faced my first challenge in ministry. A young Aymara couple came to the door of the rectory to ask me to baptize their 3-week-old son, who died a few hours earlier. They had just walked about 12 miles to town from a nearby community. The mother was carrying the infant tied in a cloth fastened to her back the way the other mothers carry their living babies.

    The young parents were overcome with grief; this was their first child. They believed that because the baby died before baptism, God would punish them and their entire village.

    full story

    Faith Alive! logo
     Faith in the Marketplace
     
    This Week's Discussion Point:

    What "new ministry" of your parish has been particularly effective?

    		 
      Selected Response From Readers:  
         		 
    Copyright © 2003 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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    This week's readings

    Week of November 23 - 29

    Sunday, November 23, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 7:13-14
    Reading II: Rev 1:5-8
    Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37

    Monday, November 24, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 1:1-6, 8-20
    Gospel: Lk 21:1-4

    Tuesday, November 25, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 2:31-45
    Gospel: Lk 21:5-11

    Wednesday, November 26, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
    Gospel: Lk 21:12-19

    Thursday, November 27, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 6:12-28
    Gospel: Lk 21:20-28

    Thanksgiving
    Reading I: Sir 50:22-24
    Reading II: 1 Cor 1:3-9
    Gospel: Lk 17:11-19

    Friday, November 28, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 7:2-14
    Gospel: Lk 21:29-33

    Saturday, November 29, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 7:15-27
    Gospel: Lk 21:34-36

    Pope's Prayer Intentions

    November General Intention

    The appreciation of the spirituality and liturgical traditions of the Oriental Churches: That Western Christians may enhance their knowledge and appreciation of the Oriental Churches.
    November Mission Intention

    Second American Missionary Congress: That at the Congress in Guatemala, the Church in the Americas may be inspired to evangelize beyond its own borders.

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