1. Art and Diseño

LAUNCHING STUDENTS INTO
LIFELONG CATHOLIC MISSION
Volume 2015: Issue 2 • Feb-Mar
Forming the Future of the Church
Did you know that nearly eighty percent of Catholics who leave the church do so by age twenty-three?
Inspired by the call for a New Evangelization, Curtis Martin founded FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic
University Students, at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Soon after their confirmation, many college
students go to a campus where God can be hard to find. To address this vacuum, FOCUS works to continue
the formation begun at the parish level, building up faithful young people to lead the church into the future.
This means meeting college students where they are and challenging them to examine the meaning and
purpose of their lives. Through personal relationships and friendship, FOCUS offers college students the true
peace and fulfillment they seek in the good news of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic faith,
inviting them to answer his calling in their lives. To learn more about the life-changing work FOCUS is doing
check out their website www.focus.org—where you’ll find inspiring stories and practical information, as well
as free resources for your young adult ministry.
And, of course, be sure to let us know your thoughts on our latest issue at [email protected], as we
strive to help you grow an engaged church.
Trevor Wolfe,
Publications Editor
Studying God’s Word
Dr. Dan Scholz, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cardinal
Stritch University, received his PhD from Marquette University in 1997
in biblical theology. He is an active member of the Catholic Biblical
Society and the Society of Biblical Literature, and has recently published
two books on the New Testament..
Quoting from Tradition
Send your comments
and suggestions to
[email protected].
The Quoting from Tradition section is prepared by Jay Martin, a
doctoral student in theology at Notre Dame, specializing in Catholic
systematic and comparative theology.
Building Your Liturgy
Jill Maria Murdy, Director of Liturgy and Music at St. Frances
Cabrini Parish in West Bend, Wis., holds an MA in theology from
Notre Dame. She has a strong monastic background, and is a
frequent lecturer and contributor to liturgical journals. Her website
is www.jillmaria.com.
Connect! (USPS 055-330) (ISSN # 1550-0500) is
published bimonthly by Liturgical Publications Inc,
2875 S. James Dr., New Berlin, Wisconsin 53151.
Copyright ©2014, Liturgical Publications Inc.
All rights reserved.
Raising Your Prayers
Rev. Mark Suslenko is a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford,
Connecticut. He has been in high school ministry, adult education, and
is currently pastor of St. Anthony in Prospect, Conn., and administrator
of Sacred Heart-Sagrado Corazón in Waterbury, Conn. He is also an
Instructor in the Archdiocesan Diaconate Formation Program teaching
courses in Spirituality and Homiletics.
Everyday Stewardship
Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS, Director of Parish Community & Engagement
at LPi, has taught and presented all over the US in parishes and at
conferences in the areas of stewardship, catechesis, and strengths theory
for over two decades. He has been married to his wife, Mariann, for
twenty-two years and they have three children.
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Connect!
Curtis Martin, FOCUS Founder and CEO,
talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
FOCUS Is Making a Difference
Staying strong in one’s Catholic faith during college
has never been easy since it is a time for freedom
and for discovering one’s sense of self and purpose.
It is especially difficult for students today due to the
daily temptations from the media—and their peers—
promoting sexual promiscuity, drugs, and other
practices that oppose Catholic doctrine.
FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University
Students, is changing the culture on campus—and
beyond—by instilling Catholic virtues with students
during these formative years. Inspired by Pope
Saint John Paul II’s call to a “New Evangelization,”
Curtis Martin founded FOCUS in 1998. He met
the Holy Father that year and shared his hope and
vision, to which the pope replied: “Be soldiers.”
80% of Catholics who
“Nearly
leave the church do so by age 23.
”
—Sherry Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples
Reaching Thousands Each Week
In 1998, FOCUS started on one campus with four
missionaries; today, the apostolate has grown
to more than four hundred missionaries on one
hundred campuses this academic year. More than
seven thousand students on these campuses meet
regularly for Bible studies. FOCUS offers hope
to the future of the church, one campus and one
student at a time.
“I went through Catholic high school and learned
all the essentials about the faith, but never really
encountered God in those textbooks,” said Brendan
Keane, a senior at George Mason University (GMU).
“Just learning about who God is was not powerful
enough for me to stand against the societal norms
and pressure of partying in high school and then
college.”
This was Brendan’s lifestyle until FOCUS
introduced him to a Bible study and their SEEK
conference. “I really encountered God there for the
first time,” said Brendan. “And I have been able
to continue fostering this relationship with God
by both participating in and leading FOCUS Bible
studies.”
Connect!!
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Investing Time with Students
As recent college graduates, FOCUS missionaries
devote two or more years of their lives to oncampus outreach, spending time with students
and helping them deepen their faith and love for
Christ and his church. The missionaries go with
the approval of the local bishop and work with the
already established Newman Center or campus
ministry.
FOCUS builds a joyful, Christ-centered community
and support network on each campus, where
students join the missionaries at Mass, Bible studies,
and daily prayer. FOCUS develops disciples of
Christ who fulfill their baptismal call and Pope
Francis’ desire for Catholics to “proclaim and bear
witness to the good news of the Gospel.”
Church Leaders Applaud FOCUS for Developing Virtuous Leaders
FOCUS encourages students to discern God’s calling through prayer
and mentorship. Nearly 500 of the more than 13,000 FOCUS alumni
who have participated in FOCUS activities since 1998 have decided to
enter religious life: 400 men and 95 women. In the last academic year
alone, that includes 96 alumni—81 men and 14 women—who decided to
pursue religious vocations.
“If you’re looking for hope, look to FOCUS. If you’re looking for the
future of the church, you’ve found it in FOCUS,” stated Timothy
Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
Studying God’s Word
•Deuteronomy 18:15-20
•1 Corinthians 7:32-35
•Mark 1:21-28 [71B]
In the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday
in Ordinary Time, we hear how the people of
Galilee recognized from the beginning of Jesus’
public ministry that he was a prophet mighty in
word and deed.
The opening chapter of the Gospel of Mark
covers a remarkable amount of ground. In fortyfive verses, Mark includes the preaching and
activities of John the Baptist, the baptism and
temptation of Jesus, and the initial stages of
Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee, characterized
by the call of the first disciples and miraculous
healings and exorcisms. In today’s Gospel
reading, we hear the first miracle performed
by Jesus: the exorcising of an “unclean spirit”
from a demon-possessed man. Mark reports
that this exorcism occurred while Jesus was
teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, a
village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, about
twenty miles northeast of Nazareth. Although
Mark does not tell us what Jesus was teaching,
it can be reasonably assumed that his teaching
likely included the topic of the kingdom of
God. Recall from last Sunday’s Gospel reading
the first words that Jesus speaks in the Gospel
of Mark: “This is the time of fulfillment. The
Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe
in the Gospel.” Mark records that the people of
Capernaum were “astonished at his teaching”
because “he taught them as one having
authority.”
The Gospel reading concludes with Mark’s
comment: “His fame spread everywhere
throughout the whole region of Galilee.” This is
the first of numerous summary statements that
Mark provides while presenting Jesus’ public
ministry in Galilee (see for example 1:34, 39,
45b; 6:56). These various summary statements
not only account for the rapid growth of the
Jesus-movement but also provide us with
a glimpse into the embryonic stages of the
Gospel tradition. While it is generally agreed
upon by scholars that the written Gospels were
developed between the years AD 70–100, the
oral tradition that formed the basis of the written
Gospels was clearly being shaped already
during Jesus’ public ministry because of his
growing and widespread reputation.
The first reading is from the Book of
Deuteronomy. This fifth book of the Old
Testament is basically a series of speeches Moses
delivers to the Israelites at the end of their fortyyear journey in the desert, around 1200 BC. In
the reading for today, we hear Moses speak
to God’s promise to send a prophet like him:
“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God,
raise up for you from among your own kin; to
him you shall listen.” Within Jewish tradition,
Moses is regarded as Israel’s greatest prophet.
He served as both the liberator of the enslaved
Israelites in Egypt and also the leader of his
people for an entire generation as they journeyed
toward the Promised Land. Most importantly,
Moses served as Israel’s connection to Yahweh.
This was necessary since the Israelites’ collective
sin and lack of faith during the desert journey
kept them separated from God. So Moses’
foreshadowing of God sending “a prophet like
me” signaled that God would not abandon
his people even after the death of Moses. God
assured the people of Israel that he would
remain connected to them.
As we will continue to hear in the early chapters
from the Gospel of Mark, the people come to see
Jesus as a prophet mighty in deed and in word.
Many come to believe in Jesus, recognizing his
unique connection to God that transcends even
that of Moses.
Dr. Daniel J. Scholz
Inspiring Your Homily
Are you ready for some football? Much hype
and hoopla surrounds today’s events of the
Super Bowl football classic. For a few hours
pizza delivery service goes wild, traffic is
inordinately light (other than the pizza delivery
cars), and movie theaters are nearly empty, as
fans partake in some classic Americana. An
unexpected result has surfaced with the Super
Bowl broadcast in recent years as the television
commercials seem to compete for attention with
the actual play-by-play of the football game.
Some people have admitted to taking snack
and bathroom breaks during the game and
then giving their undivided attention to the
commercials. Things seem to be upside down as
commercials produce as much hype as the Super
Bowl itself. The supporting actor should never
upstage the lead actor. Only in America...
Let us move from Super Bowl chatter to the
Gospel scene today, which, on the other hand,
ends with things in right order. While the scribes
and Pharisees assumed they were the main
attraction and held the last word on matters of
faith, Jesus taught with authority and shook up
that order. Jesus dared to upset their playbook
as he manifested his divinity by expelling an evil
spirit on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was reserved
for only that which was sacred, according to the
judgment of the scribes. Yet what could be more
sacred than the Messiah quieting an evil spirit?
While the observers to Jesus’ actions thought
they had the final word on matters of faith, Jesus
revealed a new plan in which he conquered
evil, and it didn’t matter what day of the week
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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
it was. The self-righteous observers most likely
were not impressed. However, we had better
be impressed. Jesus offers wholeness of body,
mind, and spirit every moment of every day,
all throughout our lives. The minute, hour, or
day of the week matters not to the love of Jesus.
Every waking moment is our opportunity for
deeper life in the Lord.
The central focus of Jesus’ teaching rests not in
the day on which he provided this healing and
teaching but in the expulsion of the evil spirit.
The power of evil is diminished through God’s
grace and Jesus’ saving action, which would
be perfected by his sacrifice on the cross. This
saving act continues to conquer evil through the
sacraments of the Church. We are witnesses of
this good news.
Jesus taught the scribes and Pharisees a new
lesson of faith. They sought to preserve the
prescribed sacredness of the Sabbath, while Jesus
sought to preserve the sanctity of all humanity.
The reasoning of the scribes was understandable
but paled when it went up against the love of
Jesus, the source of all blessing. While the scribes
thought they were seeking to uphold the most
important thing in life in following the law, Jesus
revealed a new law. Jesus’ teaching rearranged
the scribes’ priorities and relegated them to the
sidelines to make way for his new message.
Jesus is to be the One who guides and directs
all things of this world according to his Father’s
plan. As Jesus expelled the evil spirit from the
man, evil became the loser. When we follow
Jesus’ playbook of faith and love, we learn that
no person (like the scribes) or power is stronger
than the love of God. That which is not of God
has power only inasmuch as we permit. If we
yield to the power of evil and sin, then we allow
it to become a raging force. On the contrary, if
we dedicate our will to faith and love in Christ,
then the raging force is on the side of Christ’s
victory, which is mercy over sin.
While two championship teams will vie for the
Lombardi Trophy today, let us vie for victory
in Jesus. It is downright silly of us to reject the
mercy and love of Jesus and his triumph over
sin. Yet, at times, we are content to settle for
Quoting from Tradition
life on the sidelines, apart from God, focused
on temporary sinful distractions, like thirtysecond silly overpriced television commercials
instead of the big game. In yielding to sinful
distractions, we reduce the importance of Jesus
to a benchwarmer, when he ought to be the star
of our faith journey. In the way of faith, is God
our primary attraction in life? Or do we wallow
in sideline tomfoolery and miss the call to
salvation?
But what shall we say about the Lord of the
Angel, Who said to Moses—No man shall see Me
and live? Is it on account of the fury of His anger,
that whoso shall see Him shall die? Or on account
of the splendor of His Being? For that Being was
not made and was not created: so that eyes which
have been made and created cannot look upon
it. For if it is on account of His fury that whoso
shall look upon Him shall not live, lo! He would
have granted to Moses to see Him because of His
great love to him. Accordingly, the Self-Existent
by His vision slays them that look upon Him; but
He slays, not because of harsh fury but because
of His potent splendor. Because of this He in His
great love granted to Moses to see His glory; yet
in the same great love He restrained him from
seeing His glory. But it was not that the glory of
His majesty would have been at all diminished,
but that weak eyes could not suffice to bear the
overpowering billows of His glory. Therefore
God, Who in His love desired that the vision
of Moses should be directed upon the goodly
brightness of its glory, in His love did not desire
that the vision of Moses should be blinded amidst
the potent rays of His glory. Therefore Moses saw
and saw not. He saw, that he might be exalted;
he saw not, that he might not be injured. For by
that which he saw, his lowliness was exalted;
and by that which he saw not, his weakness was
not blinded. As also our eyes look upon the sun
and look not upon it; and by what they see are
assisted; and by what they see not, are uninjured.
Thus the eye sees, that it may be benefited; but it
ventures not [to look], that it may not be injured.
How does Jesus rate in our lives? Allow that one
word of Jesus in the Gospel, “quiet,” and the
message of St. Paul today, as he speaks about
distractions, to speak to your heart. Let us quiet
the distractions of life. If we don’t, we allow that
which happens on the sidelines of life to steal our
attention, and we miss the graced moments the
Lord bestows. When we quiet the distractions
and our sinfulness, we celebrate in the victory
that Jesus offers. The power of sin is diminished
when we focus on Jesus.
Like the man in today’s Gospel that was released
from the evil spirit and whose life was never the
same, so our lives change when we encounter
Jesus. We must allow our old self, which was
content to stand on the sideline of life and
wallow in ungodly, clever attractions, to be
transformed by the peace and joy of Jesus’ victory
over sin and death.
Remember that today is not so much about “Are
you ready for some football?” That will come and
go. In just a few hours, the fans of the winning
team will celebrate, as the fans of the losing team
will commiserate. The Super Bowl hoopla will
wane by the day’s end.
Ephraim the Syrian, On Our Lord. Translation from The
Rather, let us be concerned about that which has
eternal consequences. Each day is to be about
“Are you ready for the love and mercy of God?”
The reward of heaven is too super to pass up.
Today, as you pass the chips and dip, recommit
your faith to never take a time-out from the Lord.
Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. Volume 13.
Edited by P. Schaff et al. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Research by Jay Martin
Today’s Super Bowl is one of those “only in
America” experiences. Through all the hype
and hoopla of life, remember that our primary
concern should be “Are you ready for some
Jesus?”
Rev. Donald Cieniewicz
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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
Building Your Liturgy
February 1, 2015
The prayer over the offerings speaks, “O Lord,
we bring to your altar these offerings of our
service: be pleased to receive them, we pray,
and transform them into the Sacrament of our
redemption.” In this prayer we ask the Lord to
receive our gifts and transform them; ironically,
in the first reading, psalm, and Gospel today,
he is asking us to receive his voice, his words,
and to be transformed by them. God is offering
us redemption. May we not be so calloused or
flippant that we ignore him.
Sunday Preface 7 (P 58) would tie in well with
this idea, as it prays “that you might love in us
what you loved in your Son, by whose obedience
we have been restored to those gifts of yours,
that, by sinning, we had lost in disobedience.” It
reiterates that call to conversion.
Choose your psalm carefully. Sometimes there
is a balance between using a setting that the
congregation is familiar with and stretching
them with something new. It is always hard
to judge when something is doing well or
needs a rest. Listen to online MP3s of settings.
For example, Spirit & Song offers one that is a
reflective acoustic piece, one that is a reggae
party, and a couple that rock out. How do the
music and the text fit together? Ed Bolduc’s
setting “If Today You Hear” (WLP) is a really
nice crossover arrangement to fit many styles of
instrumentation, with just a flair of gospel to it.
Marcy Weckler Barr has one that is quite rich
as well.
Announce any information about Candlemas,
as well as the blessing of throats and St. Blaise,
to the congregation today, and bring candles to
bless.
Planning Your Week
Monday is the Presentation of the Lord, or
Candlemas. There are a Gloria and two readings.
The Mass has its own preface. Note that there are
options for a procession or a solemn entrance. If
you can use it, the explanation of the feast in the
procession form is rich and would be good for
the congregation:
“Forty days have passed since we celebrated the
joyful feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Today is
the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the
Temple by Mary and Joseph. Outwardly he was
fulfilling the Law, but in reality he was coming
to meet his believing people.”
We also celebrate St. Blaise and the blessing of
throats. One can buy the fancy entwined candles
for this or simply crisscross two plain candles
and wrap a ribbon between them to form an
X. This works well for multiple sets of candles.
Suggest your parish choir, musicians, and lectors
come for the day, as these people use their
throats in their ministries!
We also celebrate St. Agatha, and St. Paul Miki
and Companions this week. We are a week from
the beginning of Lent; attend to any details that
you need to in preparation.
Jill Maria Murdy
If you would like something modern that
works for a bilingual hymn, “Cristo, Sáname/
Jesus, Heal Me” is a marvelous little piece
by Estela García-López (OCP). It could be a
prelude, during preparation of gifts, or even a
Communion processional. The refrain is very
manageable. John Bertalot’s “Alleluia, Come, Let
Us Sing” is a lovely two-part choral piece from
Choristers Guild, and Messiah’s “How beautiful
are the feet” might be rich to consider.
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
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Raising Your Prayers
Introductions
For the Mass of the Day (to use after the Greeting).
Jesus astonished his listeners because he taught
with authority. Perhaps what was new was that
he taught of a God who offers salvation to all
people, a God who reaches out to outcasts and
sinners. This breath of fresh air touched their
hearts and captured their attention. Even evil
recognized that this was not simply of human
origin. Are we open to listening and to being
amazed?
Penitential Act
As people whom God shepherds and guides,
we eagerly and attentively listen for his voice.
(Pause for silent reflection.)
Lord Jesus,
you are the holy One of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you are the shepherd who guides his flock.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you have compassion and love for all.
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Faithful
Seeking to be free of all anxieties,
we sing joyfully to the Lord
as we seek the peace and assurance
only he can bring.
For Pope Francis and all leaders of the church,
may they continue to be the loving shepherds
they are called to be,
guiding the earthly flock entrusted to their care.
We pray to the Lord.
For all Christians throughout the world,
who are called to keep their ears and hearts
open to God’s commands;
may the quality of their lives
speak of Christ’s authority
and echo the loving message he preached.
We pray to the Lord.
For those who are hurting in any way,
controlled by an addiction
or emotional or spiritual malady,
or struggling with illness,
that they may hear God’s voice
calling them to wholeness and freedom.
We pray to the Lord.
For each of us, that we may realize
that we are called to be prophets,
opening ourselves to God’s presence
and proclaiming his goodness and mercy.
We pray to the Lord.
For those who have died,
that, now freed from worldly cares,
they may come to God’s eternal kingdom
and experience true freedom.
We pray to the Lord.
Gentle and compassionate God,
you teach us using words and images
that speak of freedom, love, hope, and peace.
May we not be bound by former ways
of doing and seeing things but open ourselves
to the wonder, creativity, and new life
you place before us.
In all of the things we pursue, may we find joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rev. Mark Suslenko
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time • February 1, 2015
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