Newsletter December 2016 Merry Christmas, Merry Family Highlights: Unity in service Homeless at Christmas Finding God in the poor The beauty of home blessings Does my way of living please God? A special wish and blessing for you and your family Come Lord Jesus Inside this issue: 2016 Liturgy Retreat 2 A Couple Nights In The Cold Seems Like Forever The Poverty of Being Unwanted Taking Stock of Our Spiritual Lives Home Blessings: Testimonies From Our Families You Did It To Me: Doing The Next Right Thing Fr. Vin s Blessing 6 2 3 3 4 5 Mom used to be there, same as dad. Maternal uncles, aunts and cousins all used to converge in an atmosphere of excitement Each of the families would bring different types of food cooked specially in their homes for Christmas. As children, we would have our toys in hand. Christmas dishes were special, African foods specially preparedrice, beans and sauce of that day had a attractive aroma. Christmas chicken was groomed and kept untouched. Everything was exceptional, even glamourous. The chants of Noel usually kicked off the feasting after mass. These nostalgic memories carry me right back home. The birth of Christ is the birth of family life, the birth of love and compassion. is aware of the joys which the season of Christmas brings to families. We can imagine the scene of relatives who haven t met each other for the past year, getting together to celebrate. The joys of mom and dad meeting their children, brothers meeting sisters, in-laws and cousins coming together, can be indescribable. Taking off from work after long days of stress can make the experience worth looking forward to. That s the joy of Christmas. In this issue, we ll explore Christmas from the perspective of the less fortunate. It s important to remember that there are some who have no home or family to celebrate with at this time. The Family Apostolate team had an opportunity to interview a group of homeless men who shared their experiences of what Christmas looks like for those on the streets. We ll share those stories with you in this edition. We also have highlights from the Liturgy Retreat. The Apostolate celebrated the Blessed Mother s feast of the Immaculate Conception with particular sweetness this year and the children gave the celebration a special touch. The Home Blessings are in full swing and many families have given great testimonies to this effect. This issue is full of nice stories for your Christmas relaxation. Enjoy the taste.
2016 Liturgy Retreat: Unity in Service And a little child shall lead them celebrated Our Blessed Mother on December 7th at the Church of the Crucifixion. It was a beautiful evening with a candle-lit living rosary, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and hymns sung by our children Generosity can always be thought of as having something to give. It doesn t depend on how much you have but how much you feel you can contribute. The best place to contribute is God s house, an everlasting investment. That s what volunteering is all about: the ability to give oneself to the service of others for God s sake. The 2016 Liturgy Retreat orchestrated the power in volunteering among the various liturgical ministers in the Christ the King Church, Glen Burnie. Prospective and serving altar servers, sacristans, lectors, ushers, extra-ordinary Communion Ministers, all converged in a spirit-filled atmosphere. It was a great moment for How We Serve A Couple Nights in the Cold Seems Like Forever the entire Glen Burnie Catholic community. Apparently, the drive for uniting the Churches Crucifixion, Good Shepherd, Holy Trinity and the Hispanic Community into one parish has sparked off with the Holy Spirit as its driving Force. Aside from prayers and teachings, the friendships fostered by the retreat was unprecedented. An event which brought priests, deacons and all liturgical helpers and collaborators of the parish together took place for the first time at the retreat. The spirituality of being a liturgical minister is service, as St. Paul says, At work in all these is one and the same Spirit, distributing them at will to each individual (1Cor.12:11). These are the exact words of Kenny who has been homeless for six months. encountered him at the Winter Relief program hosted by the Holy Trinity at Christ the King Church in Glen Burnie. And Mr. Kenny is responding to the question whether being outside for six months is short in comparison with those who have been out for years. His response is straight to the point, A couple of nights in the cold seems like for ever. Being outside means losing your home, your shelter. Sometimes, such experiences seem like a dream. For those who have a home, Christmas could be taken for granted, but not for someone like Kenny. Continued on page 3 Page 2 Page 2
The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. Continued from page 2 First, he exposes us to the real idea of homelessness. There is a stereotype about being homeless. Kenny states that as human beings, everybody s condition is different. Not everybody has a mental condition, not everybody is a drug addict, so homelessness is not synonymous with being dangerous. One lesson is that if you stay afar from the homeless people, you see things differently. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. This is what we all need to recognize at Christmas. Scripture also reminds us that God is love, and he who lives in love lives in God. Yet some persons feel unwanted and unloved at Christmas. They hear the sound of Christmas. They see others celebrate. They see the trees shed their leaves. They feel the cold winter. They know that something special is happening, and that s it. Others do big-time shopping, wrap gifts for others and receive gifts in turn. They enjoy the company of friends, go to games, watch movies and attend carols and carnivals to mark the season. Christmas is a two way event the one who gives and the one who receives. The unwanted and unloved have no one to give to him and no one to receive from. The one who doesn t give has also no one to give to and no one to receive his gift. Both lack the joy. We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. ~ M. Teresa Taking Stock of Our Spiritual Lives Mass for the Souls in Purgatory at Glen Haven Cemetery, November 2016 As the year winds to a close, we take stock of ourselves and our lives. We consider the past year with its ups and downs, making resolutions for the coming year. How can we live life better next year? As I was pondering this question, I came across an article detailing a little book called The Secrets of Purgatory. Published in 1958 as an anonymous revelation, it s replete with wonderful insights into purgatory and how to prepare for the afterlife. It s truly a treasure in a small package. Written simply, it teaches how to be humble, the way of viewing Jesus and how to be holy. The souls in purgatory regret their actions on earth. We can learn very much from them. "The souls in purgatory are enveloped, as it were, in a thick shroud into which they have wound themselves while living here on earth," says this incredible little book. "It is the garment of their own egoism. Their main care in this life was themselves, just as the world's highest ideal is self-glorification and honor. It is this which fashions that coarse garment through which the Light of God can hardly penetrate. Many souls on earth do not seriously ask themselves the question: 'Does my way of living please God?' It goes on to say: "There are in purgatory wise men who stood in great repute among the worldlings, but now they find themselves greatly perplexed. "For there the smallest and poorest child is often wiser than they. Again this truth comes to light: God reveals great things to the humble." Does my way of living please God? Perhaps we could all add this to our New Year s resolutions seeking to please God in all of our actions. It s the path to humility and true happiness, here... and in the hereafter. Page 3
The Gift That Keeps Giving Testimonies From Our Families keep truth in our lives and homes -Janet We truly felt the powerful presence of God during the blessing the love, the peace, the Well this is my first time, so I tell you, it s sure a joy! I believe our home has been permanently Blessing from God: I feel so much better having transformed by the blessing. It has become a this done and I will have this blessing again peaceful oasis a respite from a Rosemarie troubled world. -Debbie How fortunate we are to have a priest actually come to our home and bless it. In these very troubling and disturbing times, I think it is not only necessary but crucial that we bring back traditions to help us re-center, re-ground ourselves in the knowledge of who created us. Our Lord and Savior must be brought back as First in our lives -Kathy The clergy bring God s spirit to us. Thus a relationship with God is solidified with their help. The home blessing is always a way o help Joe and I confirm our relationship with God and the church, protect us from evil, and Page 4 It was a touching and holy experience. Small group prayer is very powerful (and at first uncomfortable). Once we said a few prayers, I relaxed and embraced the feelings and blessings from God very powerful. The music also enhanced the sacred feeling of having our home blessed -Ray & Kathy I haven t felt that way in a very long time. I hope we can make this a yearly tradition especially around this time of the year as we prepare for the new Church Year -Paul & Doris Of course, we have a special bond with Father Vin and Tony from previous experience but certainly feel God Bless OurFamilies! Families God Bless Our
. This is the origin of social justice which Christ established in the scriptures, Whatsoever you do to the least of these little ones, you did it to me (Matt.25:40). That forms the basis for what the Church calls Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit the prisoners, Give alms to the poor and Bury the dead. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us that the Corporal Works of Mercy give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise. Think about how much we omit doing these works and what effects they have on those who should receive them. Can we look at the Corporal Works as the next right thing and tell ourselves to do it. There is always a next good thing to be done, but someone has to discover it. There is the next hungry person, the next thirsty, the next sick, the next homeless, next prisoner, next poor person and the next dying neighbor around each one of us. If you don t discover the next person, you won t know what she wants. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the injunction of Christ was, Go and do the same (Lk.10:37). That s to go and do the next right thing. It was a challenge for the man to go and discover who wasn t really far away but merely overlooked. It was the commissioning of the Corporal Works, to see and treat others as if they were Christ in disguise. Christmas compels us to do the next thing good thing. Use following tips: Think like the poor. The poor think not of gains or loss, they think of the moment. Behave like a child. A child is unselfish. Imagine the pains the child feels on seeing another cry. She joins in the cry. Act like the sheep. The sheep follows without questioning. She jumps when others jump, gives way when the competition is high. Page 5
Fr. Vincent Arisukwu 126 Dorsey Road Glen Burnie, MD 21061 fathervinarisukwu@familypriest.com Phone: 410-766-5070 ext. 217 Visit us online: Website: www.familypriest.com Facebook: Family Apostolate at CCGB Or Patti Rubin Family Apostolate Administrator pattirubin@familypriest.com Phone: 410-978-8341 Where Faith and Family Meet Wednesday Adoration Church of the Crucifixion 7:00 pm Women s Retreat Good Shepherd - April 1, 2017 9 am-3pm First Saturday Fellowship Breakfast 8:30 am Mass Holy Trinity February 4 From January to December 2016, we have been blessed to minister to different families through the Family Apostolate. We appreciate the hospitality shown to us by these families during the home blessings. We are privileged to share prayers as well as friendships with so many people. We cherish the services of volunteers of the Family Apostolate who assist the priests in ministering to couples and families in various ways. As we celebrate the incarnation of Christ Emmanuel, I wish all families and parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church, a blessed Christmas. May the infant Jesus dwell in your homes and in your hearts. Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Fr. Vincent Arisukwu