Fast and Feast Prayer

This is one of my favorites for the past ten years or so.  I love to look at it everyday during Lent and pick one to focus on on.  I should do it all year, but Lent is a great reminder to hunt down my wripped and stained piece of paper with this and two other prayers on it that I photocopied together 10 years ago.  (I will post the others as well because they are my other two favorite prayers. 

Lord Help Me To...
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling within them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Stations of the Cross Activities

Family Friendly Stations of the Cross

This will happen every Friday during Lent in the Old Church at St. Philip.  The schedule is listed below for your reference.  We will be using a Stations of the Cross that is very appropriate for children.  I am also attaching a little home project for all of you just in case you want to make a bag with items that correspond to the stations.  You can use these at home and bring them with you.  Ours are in ziploc bags and it is nothing fancy, but the kids love it.  Also on Good Friday the kids who want to participate will have the opportunity to do a live Stations of the Cross and dress us.  I think this will be held at a local nursing home as it was last year.  Pictures are attached as well.  Please pass along the email to anyone who might want to participate in any of the above.  The church is reserved for the following times listed below. 

March 11 - 5:30 - 6:30PM

March 18 - 5:30 - 6:30PM

March 25 - 5:30 - 6:30PM

April 1 is First Friday and we have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Old Church, so you will need to use the NEW CHURCH from 5:30 to 6:30. 

April 8 - 5:00 - 7:30PM  Live Sations and this is a very family friendly event.  Pancakes start at 5:00, Stations are at 7:30PM.

April 15 - 5:30 - 6:30PM

April 22 - Good Friday - Live Performance to be announced. 

 THE HOME PROJECT

First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death - Rope

Second Station: Jesus takes his Cross - Wooden Cross

Third Station: Jesus Falls for the first time - Bandaid

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother - small statue of Mary (bookstore)

Fifth Station - Simon helps Jesus carry His cross - Red Heart

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus - Piece of Cloth (can make image of Christ)

Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time - Bandaid

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the weeping women - Tissue

Ninth Station: Jesus falls for the third time - Bandaid

Tenth Station: Jesus' clothes are taken away - Purple Cloth

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross - Large Nail

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross - small crucifix/or a small spear

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross - Pieta Holy Card (bookstore)

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is put in the tomb - Rock/Stone

 A CHILD'S GUIDE TO THE STATIONS

 

 LAST YEARS STATIONS AT THE NURSING HOME

The vehicle changes but the message stays the same

After reading an article I was really impressed with how the Church recognizes the need to meet people where they are and if it is through social networks then that is where we go.  The vehicle changes, but the message stays the same and we have to be willing to let that vehicle change. 


"Faith, in fact, always penetrates, enriches, exalts and invigorates culture, while culture in turn offers faith a vehicle for expression -- namely its language."  Church leaders must be aided in becoming able to "interpret and speak the new language of the mass media" for their pastoral work. 
"Just as Jesus was able to effectively communicate God's word with parables involving pastures and sheep, the church needs to discover modern day metaphors that will capture the attention and hearts of today's tech-savvy men and women." Communication needs to be "truly human" and based on spiritual values and meaning.  Christians can help the digital realm by "opening up new horizons of meaning and values that the digital culture is not able to indicate or represent by itself."  "That would mitigate some of the risks present in today's digital communication such as the loss of inner reflection, superficial relationships, wallowing in emotionalism, and the prevalence of persuasive opinions over the truth." 

The most popular social networks right now are Twitter, Facebook and blogging hybrids such as Tumblr and Posterous.  Right here and now there is a mission.  Different than we would have ever imagined years ago, but in our day and age there is a mission within these social networks and it is a mission field that needs to be filled.  The message is the same we are just jumping into a new vehicle meeting people right where they are. 



Article:
Authentically proclaim Gospel in tech-savy world by Carol Glatz and quotes from Pope Benedict