Year of Faith

Year of Faith

The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime.
Pope Benedict XVI, PORTA FIDEI

Pope Benedict has declared this year to be a “Year of Faith.” which is a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei 6). In other words, the Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion – to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. The “door of faith” is opened at one’s baptism, but during this year Catholics are called to open it again, walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.

Watch this space in the months that come for opportunities to celebrate our Year of Faith at Sacred Heart and Sts. Martha and Mary. In the meantime let us reflect upon the “door of faith” that is always open to us… Will you walk through that door?

Starting Simply -II

Starting Simply, Part II

Last week I talked about how we can see and honor God in our everyday lives in just a few minutes each day. We see Him in nature, in the faces of our children and in our private prayers.

This year Pope Benedict has declared a “Year of Faith.” He calls for us to deeply reflect upon our faith and calls us to act upon our faith- to be more proactive in our faith. Do you know enough about our faith to be able to be able to spread the Good News and share your faith? It is impossible to know all there is about our faith but there are a few simple steps we can take to set us on the right path.

Believe it or not, you have already taken the first step! You have taken the bulletin home and are reading it! Our bulletin provides not only the news and events of the parish but also strives to provide a starting point for at home discussions and reflections about our faith. The area below provides a listing of the daily readings and faith sharing questions. The faith sharing questions are based on the Sunday readings and are published in bulletins across the country.

Finding time to enhance our faith can be challenging in this day and age. Try to start with a few minutes at a time and soon it will become a habit. This week try to set aside time to reflect more on today’s readings. Perhaps at dinner time discuss the Faith Sharing Questions with your family. For a deeper challenge pick a day to read and reflect on one of the daily readings. (The daily and Sunday readings can be found online at: http://www.usccb.org). You will find that these few minutes everyday spent with God will be uplifting and a time to treasure. And… what a way to start off our Year of Faith.

God Bless, –Holly Clark

Starting Simply

Let’s Set the Church on Fire!

Starting Simply

“The desire for God is written in the human heart.” (CCC 27) We, as Catholics, have a duty to learn as much as we can about God and our faith. As I said last week we do not “graduate” after we are confirmed. Confirmation gives us the basic building blocks to begin our faith journey. Sacred Heart offers many opportunities to learn and enrich our faith with Generations of Faith, Why Catholic?, prayer ministries, etc. You may be saying to yourself that “I don’t have the time,” or “I’m too shy to share my faith.” So we’ll start off with some simple ideas to rekindle the fire of your faith.

We find God every day in our lives. The fall foliage is just beginning to change. This fall take a few minutes everyday to admire the changing colors and thank God for the beauty in nature. [Aren’t we blessed to live in New England?] We sometimes take for granted the colors of autumn or a beautiful sunset. We rarely take the time to gaze up at the night sky to admire the stars while listening to the crickets chirp. All of this is thanks to God. This week let us take just a few minutes each day and consider St. Augustine’s challenge to us:

“Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air distending and diffusing itself, question the beauty of the sky… question all these realities… Who made them if not the Beautiful One...” (CCC 32)

God Bless, Holly Clark

Setting the Chrch on Fire

Let’s Set the Church on Fire!

No, I am not advocating arson! Back in October of 2008 I began writing this column in response to a book I had read on pastoral planning and the renewal of parish life. I had written “In the very near future our diocese will be faced with a shortage of priests and we must start thinking now what this will mean to us and how we practice our faith.” This day has come. We are forming collaboratives with nearby parishes and reflecting upon better ways of “being Church.” We, the laity, people like you and me, need to rise to the challenge. God calls, we respond.

We have a good parish here at Sacred Heart. Are we content with being only good or do we want to “set the church on fire” with the Holy Spirit to become a truly great parish? Forming a great parish depends upon us, the parishioners. Jesus depended on His apostles, who were everyday people to form His Church and now we take up His call to discipleship. As we begin to form a collaboration with Lakeville, ask yourselves “Where does God need me? What can I do to help?” Please begin your reflection with prayer for the collaborative. We live in exciting times and Jesus needs our assistance to keep the enthusiasm going and growing!

Sacred Heart Parish offers many opportunities for worship and faith development. We do not “graduate” at confirmation and stop learning and growing in the faith. We are life-long learners. We are called to further our faith not only by attending Mass but by participation in adult faith enrichment programs such as Generations of Faith (not just for families), WINGS (Women in God’s Spirit), Why Catholic? and various prayer groups and ministries. We want to participate in these programs now because the day is here when we will each be called upon to spread the faith. Are we ready to heed God’s call? It is time to “set the church on fire” with the Holy Spirit and become a truly great parish and may God bless our collaboration with Sts. Martha & Mary in Lakeville.

God Bless – Holly Clark

Sunset Alert

Sunset Alert!

In my “previous life” as a medical technologist I worked in a hospital chemistry lab that was in a glass building. We were on the fourth floor with a wonderful view of the western sky. As the days grew shorter, and sunset occurred closer to 4:30-5:00 pm, very often someone in the lab would shout out “SUNSET ALERT!” At that point we would all stop working and congregate to the west side of the lab. We’d all make a special effort and take a few moments to silently admire God’s handiwork. No matter what our differences, faiths, stress levels at the moment, we’d come together for a few moments of peace, solitude, and camaraderie. These times were very special to me.

I find a sunset one of God’s most awesome works of nature. For me they always seem to come when I am in most need of cheering up or de-stressing. Who could remain upset or stressed after gazing at the pinks and oranges of a sunset?

The other day I was musing that sunsets remind me of Jesus’ resurrection. Daylight “dies” and a glorious colorful sky is born. About two years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and when I underwent radiation therapy. I was totally exhausted mentally and physically. As I was driving along one day, during this period, I came across a beautiful sky, full of color, and silhouetted against the panorama was a church steeple and cross. I knew God was speaking to me. He was giving me hope and letting me know that I could lay down my troubles at His feet and he would bear the burden for me.

As we travel through life let us pause at beautiful sunsets and shout out “Sunset Alert” to those around us so that all may partake of God’s wonder.    God Bless, Holly Clark

 

Musings from the Seaside

Musings from the Seaside

Every summer I try to spend time sitting by the ocean contemplating God, life, and the mysteries of the universe. A while ago I sat on a beach in Yarmouth and watched the waves come crashing in and chase the skittering sandpipers back from the edge of the sea. As each wave would recede the sandpipers would instantly peck at what the sea had brought them only to be chased away by another wave. My mind regressed to my high school biology class as Mrs. Woodburn would tell us all about how the sea brings in nutrients to shore life. But as the waves crashed I wondered how life could exist in such turmoil. The turmoil is necessary, I realized, to bring nutrients to sea birds, clams, snails, barnacles, etc. Without the constant churning of the sea these organisms would perish. So to, it is with our lives.

Our lives are filled with turmoil, stress, bereavement for lost loved ones... How do you deal with the tumultuous times in your life? Do you drown in the crashing waves or do you see dark times as necessary to bring about new thoughts and new ways of living? Dark, turbulent times often bring us nutrients necessary to live. Jesus is our ultimate example. Jesus, through his life, and final agony and death on the cross, gave us the “nutrients” to live our lives better. He brought us new hope and life in His resurrection. This week let us share with Jesus our dark times and let Him help us to find our way through our inner turmoil to bring new life to ourselves and others. Let us remember always that God turns our “tears into dancing.” (Ps 30:11).

God Bless, Holly Clark

Travelling on the Highway to Heaven

Traveling on the Highway to Heaven

Last week my mom and I took a road trip to Boothbay Harbor Maine for a vacation. The trip from Middleborough to Boothbay is around 4 hours or so though we took our time stopping here and there along the way. During one particular straight stretch of highway my mind started to wander. We were traveling in the center lane of a three-laned highway and  I began to ponder the Trinity- each lane representing one person of the Trinity. I envisioned God, the Father, in the high-speed lane, powerful and mighty; the Holy Spirit in the slow lane, who gently guides us along life’s highways and byways; and Jesus steadfast in the middle lane, never wavering, always steady and nearby. I observed the cars and people around me… some speeding along, some just puttering along and others zipping in and out of all three lanes. Isn’t this just like life with the Holy Trinity? Sometimes we need God the Father for His strength; sometimes we seek the Holy Spirit for guidance; other times we ask Jesus to walk with us; and very often we may find ourselves zipping from lane to lane – from Father to Son to Holy Spirit and back again.

As I traveled my highway towards my vacation time in Boothbay, I gazed off into the horizon. I noticed where the heavenly sky meets our earthly road and I noticed that in the distance that visually all three lanes merged into one. How like the Trinity I mused! Three persons in one God!

While travelling your highway of life try to notice the workings of the Trinity around you. Each person of the Trinity has a specific job to do in your life. Take some time today to get to know them and see where they are working in your life.   God Bless, Holly Clark

The Works of God

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

In today’s Gospel the disciples ask Jesus “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus tells them to Believe… believe in Him. But what else can we do once we believe? What can we do to carry on with Christ’s Mission and accomplish the works of God? In these “lazy” days of summer we take time out for fun and rest from our daily lives. Now would be a very good time to sit in your backyard or by the hotel pool, or by the seashore and give over to God some of your time. Begin by asking “What can I do for you?”

I asked God this question not too long ago and for a while, as I sat by the seashore, we conversed. Here are some of the things we came up with:

·         Smile and greet one another as friends

·         Forgive one another

·         Greet each day with joy as the first day of your life

·         Help someone each day

·         Give thanks for flowers, trees, the sky, etc.

·         Give thanks for puppies, and all our pets.

·         Call or visit someone who is ill

·         Do a random act of kindness

·         Pray with others (especially at Mass)

·         Pray for others

·         Call Mom and Dad or your kids

·         Hug Someone

In short spread the care, joy, and love Jesus showed us in His earthly ministry and in His love He shows us everyday in our hearts.

God Bless, Holly Clark

Assumption

Assumption:

What has the Almighty Done for You?

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior … the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.”

Mary said yes to the Lord! For saying yes, she could have been stoned to death for being a pregnant, unmarried woman. If not executed, she certainly faced ridicule, and possible excommunication from her community. Joseph also faced excommunication as well if he stayed by Mary’s side. BUT… MARY SAID YES! Mary heard her Father’s voice and trusted in His great plans for her and her unborn Son.

Has the Lord called on you lately? Perhaps He wants you to take on an incredible burden, or unpleasant task, or perhaps a joyful one. Did you say yes? How often have you called on the Lord and He said yes? We need to be open to God’s voice. I once saw a video clip about William Wilberforce, the man who led the fight in Britain against slavery. Wilberforce had a personal encounter with God who asked him to work towards ending slavery in Britain… Wilberforce says to a friend, “I’ve just been talking with God and He has charged me with an impossible task. How inconvenient!” However inconvenient it was, and detrimental to his career, Wilberforce said YES to God’s plan for him, even if it meant death threats to him and his family.

This week take some time out to thank God for the great things He has done for you and take some quiet time to hear God’s voice. We are His hands and feet. He’s calling you to say YES. Say “Yes” to God and your life will be forever changed as will the people you love.

. . –God Bless, Holly Clark