Dear Friends,
In her many writings, St. Thérèse of Lisieux often spoke of God’s merciful love, noting his tender gaze upon us, his children, who so often go astray. As a matter of fact, that is why God sent his beloved Son Jesus: to redeem us, to save us from our errant ways so that we could enjoy the security of being in our Father’s house forever.
Thérèse was so confident in God’s merciful love that her image of God was not of a merciless judge, but rather of a merciful Father who gently carries his children in his loving arms. Indeed, she would sigh, “I assure you that the good Lord is much kinder than you can imagine.” How is it that we, his children, can extend that merciful love to those around us? Honestly, how could we not reflect God’s merciful love to our broken world, since we have the precious gift of Jesus nourishing us with his grace in the Eucharist, available to us every day?
This week, our content invites us into this theme of merciful love. Whether it is God’s grace breaking through in the final moments of life (“When God calms the storm”) or stirring the desire to seek belonging in the Church (“Our bishops speak”), merciful love is always creative. We have an especially creative highlight from our friend, Katie Bogner, who shares a Eucharistic activity for children — and the adults who accompany them — as they grow in friendship with Jesus. And don’t miss Father Luke’s intro to the Liturgy of the Word this week — I certainly learned something new!
Next week, we are launching our Lenten content in HRN. With the Corporal Works of Mercy as our lens, we will journey together through this holy season that is marked out for us to grow closer to Jesus especially through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each week, we will feature a new testimony, prayer companion and a catechetical reflection: a new addition to HRN this Lent that will help us make connections between faith and our daily lives.
Let’s pray together that this upcoming season of Lent — beginning with Ash Wednesday on February 22 — is a truly Eucharistic Lent for all of us. May we grow in deeper love with and for Jesus in the Eucharist, and also share his merciful love with those around us. |
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INSPIRED BY THE EUCHARIST |
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Barb Schmitz had a deep desire that her dying father would encounter the merciful love of Jesus in the Eucharist. Read about how God answered her prayer! Leer en español.
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In 1959, Cardinal Wilton Gregory (now archbishop of Washington, D.C.) entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil as a youth. To this day, the excitement he experienced when he received the Eucharist for the first time that night remains with him. Watch Cardinal Gregory share his story here! |
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HRN is delighted to welcome Katie Bogner as a new regular contributor! Each month, Katie will share a catechetical Eucharistic activity for children, as well as all the background information and encouragement any parent, grandparent, catechist or teacher may need to joyfully share your Eucharistic faith with the children in your life. This month, Katie offers an activity that uses St. Valentine’s Day as a launchpad for young people to discover Pope Benedict’s Eucharistic legacy. En español.
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THE EUCHARIST AND THE POPES
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(CNS photo/Vatican Media)
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From the video message of Pope Francis for the National Eucharistic Congress of Indian in Mumbia, Nov. 12-15, 2015
But the Eucharist does not end with the partaking of the body and blood of the Lord. It leads us to solidarity with others. The communion with the Lord is necessarily a communion with our fellow brothers and sisters. And therefore the one who is fed and nourished by the very body and blood of Christ cannot remain unaffected when he sees his brothers suffering want and hunger. Those nourished by the Eucharist are called to bring the joy of the Gospel to those who have not received it. Strengthened by the living Bread we are called to bring hope to those who live in darkness and in despair. “In the Eucharist the Lord makes us walk on his road, that of service, of sharing, of giving; and if it is shared, that little we have, that little we are, becomes riches, for the power of God — which is the power of love — comes down into poverty to transform it” (Homily for the Corpus Domini, 2013).
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Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Step-by-Step Walk through the Mass: In this week’s column, Father Luke introduces us to the Liturgy of the Word, the cycle of readings, and the relationships between the various readings. Read now. Leer en español.
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| Congress Registration launches next week! Sign up here to get an email alert once it has opened and be among the first to register. |
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In “throwback Thursday” style, enjoy this reflection Father David Carrano shared with HRN back in September–it is a great “tee-up” for our Works of Mercy series this Lent! Leer en español.
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“How great was this grace which I received this morning at the moment when the priest began the Confiteor, before giving me Holy Communion, and all the Sisters continued. I saw Jesus very close to giving Himself to me, and this confession appears to me as a very necessary humiliation. ‘I confess to God, to Blessed Mary, ever virgin, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly. ...’ Oh yes, I said to myself, they do well to beg pardon for me from God and from all the saints for me at this moment. I felt myself to be, like the publican, a great sinner, and God appeared to me as being so merciful! I found that address to the whole heavenly court, to obtain through their intercession the forgiveness of my sins, to be so touching. Ah! I had much difficulty in holding back my tears, and when the sacred Host rested upon my lips, I was really moved … It was extraordinary to have experienced this at the Confiteor!”
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ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX From “Counsels and Reminiscences,” August 12, 1897, six weeks before her death. This passage is a reflection on her experience receiving the Eucharist while on her sickbed (not during Mass).
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FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE REVIVAL |
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