S.M.A.R.T. NEWS SAINT MARY'S ACTIVE RELIGIOUS TEENS NOVEMBER 2017 Web Site: http://youth.icstmary.org Dear Friends, Capt. Miles Standish had been at his wife Rose's bedside. As much time, that is, as he could spare from hunting for food, guarding against attacks, and chopping down trees to construct new homes on the new land. A bitter wind whistled through cracks in the Mayflower, anchored in Plymouth harbor that winter of 1620-21. Rose's chills would turn to uncontrollable shaking. Then just as suddenly, her body would be blazing with fever. Herbs from the surgeon's chest did little to relieve her. By spring only five wives remained out of the eighteen who had sailed to Plymouth. Rose was not among them. Thanksgiving? What was that? The golden dreams of a New World that Miles and Rose had cherished together had evaporated into hollow hopes. And yet - that autumn - Capt. Standish joined other bereaved pilgrims in the first Thanksgiving celebration. Captain Standish knew that the REAL test of thankfulness is whether we can give thanks to God from the heart for what we DO have - despite the wounds and pains of yesterday's struggles. How about each of us? Does our want for more cause us to neglect being thankful? Are we too independent to need God anymore? Too busy? Too bitter? When our families gather this Thanksgiving, will a prayer of thankfulness be forgotten between moist turkey and pumpkin pie - or will we truly give thanks for God's blessings on this special day? Our American forefather and mothers certainly had a clear understanding of the word grateful and Whom to thank Patti McTaggart "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100:4-5
THE CATHOLIC MESSENGER CHRISTMAS CARD CONTEST!!! We invite youths in grades K-6 attending school or religious education in our diocese to participate in the annual contest to create a 2016 Christmas card for The Catholic Messenger. Drawings should be done on white, 8 ½- by 11-inch paper in colored pencil, crayon, marker or paints. Please submit original artwork only; no black and white drawings. The artwork should focus on the religious nature of Christmas. If using yellow, please use a deep yellow or make sure it is surrounded by a dark color. Yellow is hard to reproduce. The contest, which has a Nov. 18 postmark deadline, is open to youths living or attending school in the Diocese of Davenport. Messenger staff members will judge the entries based on originality and the ability to convey what Christmas means to Catholic Christians. Entries must include first and last name, age, grade, home address, school (public, private or home school with the school s location) and parish (name and city) on the back of the drawing. Please do not fold entries. Any information omitted could be grounds for disqualification. Winning entries will be featured in The Catholic Messenger s Christmas edition (Dec. 21). The drawings also will be featured on The Catholic Messenger Web site: www.catholicmessenger.net. All entries should be postmarked by Nov. 17 to The Catholic Messenger, 780 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport, IA 52804-1911. HEARING GOD'S CALL TO THE PRIESTHOOD OR RELIGIOUS LIFE? Here are some great websites provided by Fr. Thom Hennen, vocation director for our diocese. Take a look! www.foryourvocation.org www.vocationsplacement.org www.religiouslife.com www.vocationboom.com www.vocation-network.org NOVEMBER
1 st All Saints Day (Who is your patron saint?) 2 nd All Souls Day (Pray for all those who have gone before us.) 3rd Holy Hour for Vocations 12:45-1:30PM in the church 8th Adult/Youth Choir 6:00-7:00PM in balcony 5th CONFIRMATION SESSION STOP HUNGER NOW -12:30-2:00PM St. Thomas More 15th Adult/Youth Choir 6:00-7:00PM in balcony Deadline for the Catholic Messenger Christmas Card Contest 16 th Youth Casserole-Making Free Lunch 4:00-5:00PM in hall 22 nd Adult/Youth Choir 6:00-7:00PM in balcony 23rd THANKSGIVING DAY (Thank God for your many blessings!) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CALLING ALL CHEFS!!!! DO YOU LIKE TO COOK? On the third Thursday of every month, join other youth from each high school and junior high as we collaborate together in St. Mary s parish hall and make four casseroles for the Free Lunch program. This month s cooking class will take place on Thursday, November 16th from 3:30-4:30PM. The casseroles created will be served the next day, Friday, November 17th, at the Free Lunch program. All youth are invited to participate!! SHARE THE GIFT OF YOURSELF ON THANKSGIVING DAY! All youth are invited to help with St. Mary s Annual Thanksgiving meal for the homebound and homeless on Thursday, November 23rd. Help is needed serving and cleaning up after the meal in St. Mary s parish hall and/or delivering meals in the community. For more information, contact the parish office at 337-4314. THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT CONFIRMATION SERVICE PRIVILEGE! ************************************************************************
LIVES OF THE SAINTS By Jacinta Hamilton, 11 th Grade November 2 is the Feast of All Souls Day. As Catholics, we have the awesome reality that we pray for all souls after they die. On November 1st, we celebrate the solemnity of All Saints Day. It is a holy day of obligation where we go to Mass and ask for the prayers and intercession of all the saints. Since they are in Heaven they have no need of our prayers for them but are so happy to offer prayers on our behalf. On November 2nd, we remember all those who have gone before us. We pray that those gone before us marked with the sign of faith are in Heaven or at least in Purgatory. As Catholics, it is a held truth that those souls with venial sin on their souls when they die, not mortal sin, go to Purgatory. In Purgatory, a place of purification, the souls are made purer to one day be in the presence of God for all Eternity in Heaven. But, while in Purgatory the souls must suffer in order to make reparation for their offenses. These souls have no ability to gain graces that will merit them for Eternal Life and they are just WAITING for someone to pray and offer sacrifices on their behalf. We are the Church Militant here on earth and it is our responsibility to help these souls, the Church Suffering, gain Heaven and to alleviate their suffering. If a soul gets to Heaven, the Church Triumphant, because of your prayers they will most certainly pray for your soul when they are in Heaven. It sounds like a win win situation to me! We all need those extra prayers! So, November 2nd is a big day to gain indulgences for the Souls in Purgatory since on this day the Church gives special guidelines and the means of attaining them for departed souls. All we have to do is do it! Below the Church has laid out the guidelines to attain this indulgence and the definition of what is an indulgence is provided. The plenary indulgence attached to All Souls Day is from the Manual of Indulgences, Norms and Grants, published by the USCCB. For the Faithful Departed, A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who, 1) on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed; 2) on All Souls' Day (or, according to the judgment of the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints), devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who, 1) devoutly visit a cemetery and at least mentally pray for the dead; 2) devoutly recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Daed or the prayer Eternal Rest. Requiem aeternam Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. (Order of Christian Funerals) 1. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints".
2. In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions and the performance of certain prescribed works. 3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that the f faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. One must be a Catholic, not excommunicated or in schism. 4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace: -have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; -have sacramentally confessed their sins; receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required) -pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. 5. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope's intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an "Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are required for each plenary indulgence. 6. For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from even venial sin). 7. Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth. So, it is a very holy and honorable thing to remember and pray for the dead. This is important if we have family members or loved ones who have died. It is especially important to remember those souls in Purgatory that have no one praying for them. This is why the Catholic Church remembers them all in a special way on November 2nd. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen. Happy All Souls Day!
PHOTOS FROM THE CONFIRMATION SERVICE PRIVILEGE STOP HUNGER NOW D BLESS YOUR GOOD M AY GO WORKS!!!