November 2012 Spiritual Newsletter New Ulm Diocese Council of Catholic Women

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1 November 2012 Spiritual Newsletter New Ulm Diocese Council of Catholic Women If not you, then who? If not now, when? Bishop LeVoir has invited all women of the Diocese of New Ulm to be a part of the Council of Catholic Women. CCW meets the needs of our church. As women you have great talents that can be used to bring people closer to Jesus! Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 I was drowning and I couldn t breathe. There was water all around me. I was thrashing wildly trying to get some air. Finally I broke through and I could breathe! What a fight! It was a fight for my life. Then it dawned on me that this is how I need to fight for my spiritual life; with all of my strength. My supernatural soul is on a journey through life and I have the opportunity to choose which path I will take. I choose to take the path to heaven. Jesus give me the conviction to pray often, to draw closer to you and to avoid all the temptations that lead me away from you. Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, and for giving me the chance to spend eternity in heaven with you. The Year of Faith Pope Benedict XVI has asked three things of us all 1) To learn more about our Catholic faith. Specifically he would like us to study the documents from the II Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2) Conversion We are asked to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with Him. 3) Evangelization We need to spread the Gospel of Jesus to those around us. We live in a mission field every day, but we are often too polite to say anything to anyone. Be bold and realize you have the greatest gift to share. True peace only comes through Jesus.

2 Where is Jesus? Everywhere. Where can I hide from you? Nowhere. If I climb to the heavens you are there. If I sail to the sunrise you are there. In the depths of my despair, at the height of my joy, you are there. You are everywhere! Jesus, help me to see you in the everydayness of life. Help me to see you in the laundry, in the making of meals, in my job and wherever I am. If I reach to you, you are always there. Help me to reach out to you more often and to sincerely seek your face. How do I pray? (Jesus would tell us.) Talk to me. Tell me how your day was. Tell me what went well and what didn t go so well. At the end of everyday ask for forgiveness. It will give you hope for tomorrow and help you to move on so you can become the best version of yourself. I want to help you with everything in your life, so please come to me and lay your burdens at my feet. I will be happy to help you with them! Did you know that you were made to worship? What are you worshiping? What do you spend your time thinking about and contemplating? Do you know that you will never have enough of what you do not need? Are you searching for what you need with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind? I am waiting for you. Knock and the door will be opened. Seek and you shall find. A Prayer for the Year of Faith Gracious and loving God, you have, in words of Pope Benedict XVI, touched our hearts with your word and with your Spirit, calling us to faith and to communion in the Church. As we receive these gifts with joy make us active agents of the New Evangelization, handing on to others that which we have received.

3 Help us to take seriously the call to carry the Good News of your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world today through our words and through our actions. Give us the grace and courage to respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and challenges of our time. Inspire us with the words we need to invite and to welcome people who are searching for you. Make us authentic witnesses of your love to every person that we meet. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord, Amen. How do I grow in my Catholic Faith? Why do we have the season of Advent? Advent is a time of preparation. The word Advent comes from the Latin word advenire, which means to come to. We are to be reminded of three comings 1) the coming of Christ s birth at Christmas, 2) the coming of Christ into our lives through the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and 3) the second coming of Christ at the end of time. Advent has traditionally been known as a little lent and should be marked with increased prayer, fasting and good works. Fasting is not a requirement during Advent, but a way to prepare for the feast of Christmas coming. Preparation before a great feast makes it more meaningful. May we work to make the feast of Christmas more meaningful in our families. How do we bring Jesus into our families? Thanksgiving This is a day to thank God for all of our blessings. Go to mass this day! I can think of no better way to show God our thanks than to attend mass on this day and thank Him for all of our blessings! This is a wonderful tradition to have with your family and it shows them what is really important to you. Find a way for people to share what they are thankful for at your Thanksgiving Day meal. One idea is to place three kernel of corn on each plate and ask each person to share three things they are thankful for.

4 Advent is coming soon! The first Sunday of Advent is Sunday, December 2. It is time to get out the advent wreath and the advent prayers. Advent wreaths can be purchased or made at most local craft stores or ordered on-line. If you need some advent prayers at the end of this newsletter is a little prayer service for each week of advent. Immaculate Conception December 8 - The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, in its oldest form, goes back to the seventh century, when churches in the East began celebrating the Feast of the Conception of Saint Anne, the mother of Mary. In other words, this feast celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of Saint Anne; and nine months later, on September 8, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As adults we need spiritual encouragement, I would recommend the book The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho by: Immaculee Ilibagiza. Immaculee is a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda in This book is an excellent story of Segatashya and his conversations with Jesus. Your personal faith will deepen as a result of this book. It is one of my favorites! Pope s Prayer Intentions for November: General Intention: Ministers of the Gospel. That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may bear the courageous witness of fidelity to the crucified and risen Lord. Missionary Intention: Pilgrim Church. That the pilgrim Church on earth may shine as a light to the nations. From the editor: Women of the Diocese of New Ulm, what are your spiritual needs? What would you like to see in this newsletter? What questions do you want answered? Do you have any spiritual ideas that will be an encouragement to other women of the diocese? Would you like to help in putting this together? Please Kris Anderson at

5 or call at (507) Go with God and Shine for Jesus! The Advent wreath was likely first used as a Christian devotion in the Middle Ages. The design was borrowed from the customs of pre-christian (primarily Germanic and Scandinavian) cultures, who used candles and greenery (often paired) as symbols during the dark and dead winter, to represent light and life. The Advent Wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with four or five candles, three purple, one rose, and (if you use the five-candle model), one white one for Christmas Day. If used, the white candle is placed in the center. Some Protestant traditions have been using 4 blue candles recently. However, Catholics still use the traditional colors because they dually symbolize both royalty and penitence, two important Advent themes. A wreath may be hand-crafted of real or artificial materials, or may be purchased at craft and candle stores. The candles symbolize the light of Christ coming into the world. The evergreen symbolizes renewal in Christ, the kind of renewal hoped for by those before Christ's first coming, and the ultimate renewal we long for in Christ's second coming. The circular shape symbolizes the completeness of God. It is likely the symbolism came after the actual wreath was conceived of, but that does not detract from the power of the symbols. The candle colors are derived from the traditional liturgical colors of Advent and Christmas, purple and white respectively. The rose color likely is derived from an old Catholic custom of wearing rose colored vestments on the third Sunday in Advent (and fourth Sunday in Lent), called Gaudete Sunday, i.e. "Rejoice" Sunday. Each candle is first lit on the appropriate Sunday of Advent, and then the candles may be lit each day as a part of the individual or family's daily prayers. Often the wreath is placed in a sacred space or home altar area. Certain candles have been given various names to go with the various Advent Wreath prayers. Some systems name the candle as follows: Candle 1. Hope (purple) Candle 2. Peace (purple) Candle 3. Joy (rose; the corresponding Sunday is "Gaudete Sunday") Candle 4. Love (purple) Candle 5. Christ (white) Praying the prayers we have listed below as you light the candles, and then reflecting on the scriptures is the best way to proceed. Since the Advent Wreath is a devotion, there are a variety of ways to make use of it, and we encourage you to develop your own customs and prayers if you wish, based in Scripture and Church Tradition. The service we provide below is a good guide to get you started, and can be expanded upon. You may choose to light the wreath only on Sundays, however some families light the wreath daily to more fully celebrate Advent Blessing of the Wreath

6 Directions Blessing for the Advent Wreath : O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the Coming of Christ, and may receive from thee abundant graces. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. First Sunday and Week of Advent Directions Light the first purple candle Stir up thy power, O Lord, and come, that by thy protection we may be rescued from the dangers that beset us through our sins; and be a Redeemer to deliver us; Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Isaiah 11:1-10 Luke: 1:26-38 Isaiah 7:10-14 Matthew 1:18-24 Second Sunday and Week of Advent Directions Light the 1st purple candle (repeat first week's prayer) Light the 2nd purple candle Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the paths of thine Only-begotten Son: that we may worthily serve thee with hearts purified by His coming: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11

7 Isaiah 2:1-5 Matthew 3:1-6 Third Sunday and Week of Advent Directions Light the 1st purple candle (repeat 1st week's prayer) Light the 2nd purple candle (repeat 2nd week's prayer) Light the rose candle We beseech thee to listen to our prayers, O Lord, and by the grace of thy coming enlighten our darkened minds: Thou who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen. Isaiah 9:6-7 John 1:19-34 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Philippians 2:1-11 Fourth Sunday and Week of Advent Directions Light the 1st purple candle (repeat 1st week's prayer) Light the 2nd purple candle (repeat 2nd week's prayer) Light the rose candle (repeat 3rd week's prayer) Light the 4th purple candle Pour forth thy power, O Lord, and come: Assist us by that mighty power, so that by thy grace and merciful kindness we may swiftly receive the salvation that our sins impede: Who livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Malachi 3:1-5 Romans 8:18-25 Isaiah 52:7-10 Revelation 21:1-4 Christmas Day and Christmastide

8 Directions for 5-Candle Wreaths Light 4 preceding candles (repeat each week's prayer while lighting them) Light the center white candle Directions for 4-Candle Wreaths Replace all Advent Candles with White Candles and Light God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (From The Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co.) Isaiah 9:1-6 Luke 2:1-20 John 1:1-18 Titus 2:11-14