Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord, And Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them Please remember the following clergy during the month of February Feb. 9 th Feb. 18 th Msgr. Joseph O Shea Rev. Larkin F. Connolly Pope s Prayer Intentions Many people conclude the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and other prayers and devotions by praying for the intentions of the Holy Father. The Ordo lists the papal prayer intentions each month. Parishes are encouraged to publish the papal prayer intentions in their Sunday bulletins. To better know the concrete problems that trouble the Universal Church, especially those of the missions, the Holy Father asks that his monthly intentions be the object of knowledgeable and responsible prayer on the part of the people of God (Ordo). February Intentions General Intention That prisoners, especially the young, may be able to rebuild their lives with dignity. Missionary Intentions That married people who are separated may find welcome and support in the Christian community. Sunday, February 1, 2015 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life Pastors are encouraged to honor the religious working in their parishes at one of the Sunday Masses this day. NB I apologize that the instructions for February 2 nd (Candlemas) were included under the heading for February 1 st (World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life) in the January 2015 Liturgical Newsletter.
Sunday, February 8 th Just a reminder that Sunday is World Marriage Day. It would be appropriate to offer a blessing to all married couples during the Masses this weekend. February 11, 2015 Our Lady of Lourdes Pope John Paul II designated February 11 th as World Day of the Sick, a special time of prayers and sharing, of offering one s suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding us to see in our sick brothers and sisters the face of Christ who, by suffering, dying and rising, achieved the salvation of humankind. Those parishes that are able are encouraged to have a special healing Mass this day for those who are sick in mind, body or spirit. Parishes that are not able to schedule a special healing Mass are encouraged to advertise healing Masses taking place at neighboring parishes. Wedding Anniversary Masses Saturday, February 14, 2015 10:30am Holy Spirit, Lantana Saturday, February 21, 2015 10:30am Saint Lucie, Port St Lucie Please contact Cathy Loh in the Office of Marriage & Family Life for information 561-775-9557 Getting ready for Ash Wednesday If you want to try something new in your parish, have the parishioners bring in their old palms from Palm Sunday on the Sunday before Lent begins (February 15, 2015). Some parishes have a brief prayer service following the last morning Mass where the palms are burned and the priest explains the connection between Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday. After collecting the palms, burn them and run them through a sifter/grinder to make sure that the ash material is fine. Some parishes have tried adding water to the mix to get a better smudge, but a little olive oil mixed into the ashes works better than water. The Church supply companies provide a great product that smudges very well, so you may choose to combine your parish ashes with some from the supply company.
February 17, 2015 Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center Clergy Lenten Day of Reflection Speaker: Reverend Benjamin Berinti, C.PP.S (University of Central Florida, Campus Minister) 10am 2:30pm Ash Wednesday February 18, 2015 Day of universal fast and abstinence Ashes are normally blessed and imposed after the homily. The ordinary minister for the blessing of ashes is the priest or deacon. Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may assist with the imposition of ashes where there is genuine need, especially for the sick and shut-ins. Pastoral Note: The Penitential Rite is omitted at the beginning of Mass (the Distribution of Ashes replaces the Penitential Rite). Rite of Election Cathedral of Saint Ignatius Loyola Saturday, February 21 st @ 7pm Sunday, February 22 nd @ 2:30pm Please make sure that you have contacted Anthony Marchica (561-775-9548) concerning the Elect/Catechumens and Candidates that are arriving on those days.
LENT Our observance of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics. At Mass on Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2015), the imposition of ashes replicates an ancient penitential practice and symbolizes our dependence upon God's mercy and forgiveness. During Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics. The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The Church asks us to surrender ourselves to prayer and to the reading of Scripture, to fasting and to giving alms. The fasting that all do together on Fridays is but a sign of the daily Lenten discipline of individuals and households: fasting for certain periods of time, fasting from certain foods, but also fasting from other things and activities. Likewise, the giving of alms is some effort to share this world equally not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. What is the Church's official position concerning penance and abstinence from meat during Lent? In 1966 Pope Paul VI reorganized the Church's practice of public penance in his "Apostolic Constitution on Penance" (Poenitemini). The 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law incorporated the changes made by Pope Paul. Not long after that, the U.S. bishops applied the canonical requirements to the practice of public penance in our country. To sum up those requirements, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting as explained by the U.S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal. Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat. Exemptions from the Lenten Fast Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.
Saturday, March 7, 2015 Catholic Women s Conference Catholic Women of Faith, Women of Grace Bless me ~ Heal me ~ Saint me Cathedral of Saint Ignatius Loyola 8am 9:15am 9:30am 1:30pm 3:00pm Speaker: Registration Welcome Colleen Carroll Campbell Mass Closing Colleen Carroll Campbell (The New Faithful, My Sisters the Saints) More information and registration forms are available at the following websites: www.diocesepb.org/womensconference www.pbdccw.catholicweb.com or contact Patti Amann 561-662-4780 Vivian Rogers 561-799-1975 Planning for the Easter Vigil/Easter Sunrise Mass Sunset on April 4, 2015 Sunrise on April 5, 2015 7:28pm 7:01am
Father, I think I m possessed... The vast majority of priests who hear these lines on the telephone, in the confessional or outside church have the following responses. 1) You need to the call the Bishop s Office. 2) Ugh, it must be a full moon. 3) Don t be ridiculous It is safe to say that the cases of true demonic possession are rare, though from the phone calls I get in the Bishop s Office (sometimes 3/week), Satan is seemingly running rampant in the Diocese of Palm Beach. I usually ask the following questions: 1) Are you a practicing Catholic? Do you receive the Eucharist at Mass? If the person answers yes to both questions, I simply challenge them; who is stronger, God or the devil. If they are Catholic and receive the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament is clearly more powerful than the devil, so they cannot be possessed. Many of the people who call the office to discuss demonic possession are individuals who have had a lot of negative experiences in life and are seeking explanations. They see a life filled with bad luck and wonder why things never seem to work out, so they are grasping at any possible answer. Yes, there are some certifiable nuts out there that call, but the majority are normal people who are trying to come to grips with the negative events of their lives. They do not need an exorcism, but they do need a compassionate and understanding priest who is willing to listen to them and to give them hope. If they insist on some demonic involvement I explain to them the difference between demonic affliction and demonic obsession. Demonic Affliction All believers in God are tempted by negative events in their lives to abandon their faith or to endure painful doubts. One can say that these demonic afflictions tempt us to give up on God or to question God s love in my life. One needs to be very clear that the devil does not necessarily cause the affliction to happen. Do not give the devil undue power or authority or make it look as if a dualistic power struggle exists between God and the devil. The devil s goal is for humanity to give up on God or to think that God does not love or care that is why we call them demonic afflictions. It is the age old question addressed in the Wisdom Literature of the Scriptures, why do bad things happen to good people/why is there suffering in the world? Ultimately that is the question/concern that most of the faithful who fear they are possessed are truly asking.
Demonic Obsession Sometimes, given emotional, psychological or other major events in the life of the individual, ordinary afflictions may seem extraordinary and can overwhelm the person. They have a powerful feeling of not being in control and thus think that someone/something else must be in control. It is not necessarily paranoia, but rather a sense that they are like puppets being manipulated. They begin to obsess that nothing ever seems to go right for them and that their lives are out of control. Again, what is needed is an understanding priest who is willing to listen and to give them hope. They are approaching you because they are seeking a spiritual answer and your job as priests is to guide them on their spiritual path. I am sure the devil is quite content to let the afflicted person believe their obsession, but our job as priests is to open their hearts and minds to the strength, joy and hope found in Christ. There is no need to call the Bishop s office as parish priests are quite capable of pastoral and spiritual counseling. 2) Spiritually what is happening in your life that you feel you are possessed? It is best to pose the question from a spiritual point of view and to control the conversation. If they digress into supernatural occurrences (noises in the walls, unexplained shadows, pictures moving, etc.), simply restate the question and ask about their spiritual life and their relationship with God. As to supposed supernatural occurrences, many of them can be psychosomatic and the person can truly believe that they are happening. To avoid an argument or the connotation that you think they are lying or exaggerating it is advisable that you not discuss weird things are happening as you were not present and that is not your area of expertise. Explain to them that the Church does not accept weird things as a sign of demonic possession and that it is better to discuss their own spiritual journey, not the noises in the walls of the house. 3) Have you sought professional help or are you on any medications? It is very important to ascertain whether or not the person is under any psychiatric/psychological care or if they are taking any medication. We don t automatically dismiss the case because of underlying mental shortcomings, but it is important from a counseling point of view that you handle them delicately. If you are flippant or dismissive of people that are mentally delicate, you may do more harm than good. I realize that it is very difficult to reason with irrational people, but again, our pastoral experiences should come into play.
4) The pastor at my (Protestant) Church says that only you guys can handle this. Well, thank you for the vote of confidence but just because your pastor says you are possessed does not mean that you are in fact possessed. Many Protestant sects see the devil behind every action and it is very easy for them to say and really mean that the devil made him/her do it. In the majority of these cases the problem is not demonic possession but avoidance of accountability for sin. These individuals have an inherent fear or inability to accept the fact that they committed a specific sin (it had to be the devil). Where Evangelicals are concerned, use the whole Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior approach. Then put a spin on it when did you accept Satan into your life? They will be shocked because Jesus is their Lord. Then ask them who is more powerful, Jesus or Satan and if they had to accept Jesus into their lives, what makes Satan so special that the rules don t apply to him/her (gender inclusive ). Again, the goal is to avoid a dualistic theology (Jesus vs. Satan battling for my soul). NB: I have written these tips only as a basic guide. Demonic possession and the need for exorcism in the Church are real, but 99% of the time there is no need for the individual to contact the Bishop s office when a compassionate and pastoral conversation with the local priest will suffice. It was also not my intention to belittle demonic possession, only to highlight the most obvious scenarios to give you a starting point so that talking to someone who claims to be possessed will not be so intimidating. If in speaking to the individual (over the course of many weeks) you feel that there is valid reason to recommend that the Bishop s office get involved, make sure that all medical and psychiatric/psychological avenues have been explored before making the recommendation. We will be happy to deal with the case after you recommend it to us for further evaluation. The USCCB recently approved an English translation of the Latin Exorcisms and Related Supplications (1999, 2004). The complete printed edition will only be made available to Bishops and Exorcists, but Appendix II, a set of prayers and supplications to combat evil, will be made available to the clergy and faithful.