Gospel-life-according-to-Pope-Francis
"Dear brothers and sisters, being the Church, to be the People of God, in accordance with the Father's great design of love, means to be the leaven of God in this humanity of ours. It means to proclaim and to bring the God's salvation to this world of ours, so often led astray, in need of answers that give courage, hope and new vigor for the journey.... We must go out through these doors and proclaim the Gospel."
- Pope Francis, General Audience, 6/12/13 |
Family Service Nights
The teens in the 7-12 Grade Faith Formation program and their families participate in Family Service Nights. On one of those service nights, participants brought in personal care and food items which were used to make blessing bags that participants were encouraged to leave in their car to be given to individuals that they came across who were in need of a blessing.
On a second service night, participants chose between a variety of service projects which included making dog toys that filled two large trash bags and donating dog and cat food for the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, making and decorating sugar cooking and cards to thank our veterans at the VA Hospital in Albany for their service, making Spring decorations for the children at St. Margaret’s Center in Albany to brighten their spirits, making Easter decorations for our home bound parishioners to let them know we are thinking about them, donating and decorating children’s socks and donating underwear for the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center to help give encouragement to children at the hospital, and donating pampering items for mother and baby for the women being helped by Community Maternity Services. These are acts services that you can do as a family any time of year and show the love of Jesus to your neighbors. |
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Corporal Works of Mercy
Give Drink to the Thirsty
“Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink” – John 7:37 |
Bear Wrongs Patiently/Forgive Offenses Willingly
“Forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” – Matthew 18:35 |
In his encyclical, Laudato Si (On Care for our Common Home), Pope Francis expresses concern about “water poverty” in poor countries, and in poor communities in any country where governments fail to create access to safe water or regulate chemical and industrial pollution to underground water reserves. We have seen this all too often, and examples such as Flint, Michigan and Hoosick Falls, NY come to mind. More
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Perhaps this spiritual Work of Mercy is a difficult one to swallow. We live in a society of revenge and violence but perhaps more now, than ever before, we need to spend some time reflecting on forgiveness – of ourselves and of others. More
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Bury the Dead
We all learned as children that one of the Corporal Works of Mercy is to bury the dead. Whenever this is illustrated graphically, there is a picture of a guy with a shovel. This is one of the oldest publicly recognized ministries of the Church. Burying the dead takes more than a guy with a shovel, or more likely today, a backhoe. It takes a parish, a community.
Sacraments and Social Mission
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Scripture Guide to Catholic Social Teaching
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The sacraments the Church celebrates are signs of grace that make a deeper reality present to us. One reality we encounter through the sacraments is Christ's presence in the Church community, his body. This recognition of Christ's presence in the community should lead to a stronger awareness of being sent on mission to engage in concrete, love-inspired action in the world. Click here for resources that can help you to better understand the connections between the celebration of the sacraments and our social mission as followers of Jesus and the Body of Christ.
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From the beginning of time, God’s call to justice has been clear. The Law and the Prophets both preserve a deep tradition of social justice in ancient Israel. Jesus himself proclaimed and embodied a society ruled by justice and charity—the Reign of God. For over one hundred years, the Church has contributed to this tradition in papal and episcopal writings. Finally, we see the social teachings of the Church written throughout history in the lives of holy men and women. Click here for a Scripture Guide to Catholic Social Teaching.
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Change the World
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Here’s What You Can Do When Someone Asks You for Money: 8 Practical Tips Click Here
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Color Your World with Kindness
8 Good Deeds You Can Do in an Hour
Do you remember the last time you did a good deed? We might find ourselves believing it takes a grand gesture to truly make a difference in the world or in the world of someone we care about, and maybe it has been a while since we feel like we’ve made that kind of an impact. This train of thought means we can fail to see how tiny, everyday marks we leave on those around us can be truly significant. Another myth about good deeds is that they require the sacrifice of money or a great deal of time. Read More
Some Ideas:
- Call up your grandmother
- Check in with the new parents in your life
- Walk your dog charity
- Make a double batch of your favorite meal or baked good to give away
- Offer to help with a loved one’s chores
- Donate your old phones to help victims of domestic violence
- Write a thank you card
- Clean up after litterbugs
Watch the Story of The Good Samaritan
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Good Samaritan Maze
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