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Spirituality
November 13, 2003 Edition

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 • Coming soon: New Catholic Herald column
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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
  • The ancient Christians were known for being concerned about the poor and forgotten, welcoming strangers and the marginalized.

  • The Letter to the Hebrews says, "Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have even entertained angels without knowing it"! (13:2)

  • Demanding more than friendliness, Christian hospitality regards the newcomer as someone I have a vital concern about.

    Catholic News Service
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    •  Food for Thought
     
    "Recent surveys have shown that we have much work to do in becoming the welcoming parishes we often think we already are," Bishop Dale Melczek of Gary, Ind., said in a September 2003 pastoral letter on racism. He asked parishes to assess the efforts "they make to welcome newcomers to the parish and to the community."

    Hospitality may be a virtue in Christian communities, but apparently it isn't quite as easy to practice as it may at first appear. Even if it comes somewhat naturally sometimes, how easy is it to consistently be a welcoming community -- week in, week out?

    The entire issue of hospitality in Christian communities is complicated by the fact that those to be welcomed aren't just people we choose. Often they're strangers, and they may not be "just like me."

    Someone said that to get a handle on the virtue of hospitality, it is important to put ourselves in the newcomer's shoes, to grasp what it is like to be a stranger -- even one with real needs.

    full story

    		 
    Sizing Up Our Hospitality
    By Richard R. Gaillardetz

    Catholic News Service

    When I invite non-Catholic friends to accompany me to Mass, I am always proud to introduce them to my religious tradition. After the liturgy they frequently comment on the reverence and power of ritual actions which comprise the Sunday Eucharist's celebration.

    In all my years as a Catholic, however, I never have had a guest compliment me on my parish's sense of hospitality! By hospitality, I mean the sense that a person feels welcomed into a community unconditionally.

    full story 

    Is Our Large Parish "User-Friendly"?
    By Father Dan Danielson

    Catholic News Service

    A great deal of effort gets invested in bringing the whole concept of "evangelization" down to the parish level. But sometimes the question that is not asked, but needs to be addressed up front, is, When we invite people to our church, what are we inviting them to?

    I began 18 years ago with the reactions of visitors to our parish. In the beginning, for every visitor who said, "This is a very warm community," someone else said, "This community is very cold."

    full story 

    Entertaining Strangers and Angels
    By Father Lawrence Boadt, CSP

    Catholic News Service

    Hospitality was highly valued in both the Old and New Testaments.

    In the ancient world, where Holiday Inns were not found at every major intersection, the duty to care for traveling merchants, foreign visitors and local guests was considered of paramount importance for society's very survival. If travelers could not trust that they would be safe wherever they went, then no commerce or personal journeys could be undertaken without military backing.

    full story

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

    What activities or actions make your parish a welcoming place?

    		 
      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 16 - 22

    Sunday, November 16, 2003
    Reading I: Dn 12:1-3
    Reading II: Heb 10:11-14, 18
    Gospel: Mk 13:24-32

    Monday, November 17, 2003
    Reading I: 1 Macc1:10-15, 41-43,
    54-57, 62-63
    Gospel: Lk 18:35-43

    Tuesday, November 18, 2003
    Reading I: 2 Macc 6:18-31
    Gospel: Lk 19:1-10

    Wednesday, November 19, 2003
    Reading I: 2 Macc 7:1, 20-31
    Gospel: Lk 19:11-28

    Thursday, November 20, 2003
    Reading I: 1 Macc 2:15-29
    Gospel: Lk 19:41-44

    Friday, November 21, 2003
    Reading I: 1 Macc 4:36-37, 52-59
    Gospel: Lk 19:45-48

    Saturday, November 22, 2003
    Reading I: 1 Macc 6:1-13
    Gospel: Lk 20:27-40

    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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