24 Hours for the Lord

1pm, Friday, Feb 24 to 12pm, Saturday, Feb 25
Hecker Room

Come spend some time in prayer with our Lord these next few hours as we have 24 hour adoration at Newman and around the diocese. Prayer is such an essential part of our spiritual life, as we connect with our Lord, drawing blessing upon blessing. When we slow down and open ourselves up to our Lord, He cannot be want to shower His love upon us.

If you have never spent time in adoration, don’t worry. It’s about entering an ocean of peace. We have some guide sheets and meditation material to assist you.

We also will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 1pm, Friday, and at 11am, Saturday. Our 24 Hours will conclude with Benediction at Noon and will then process to the chapel for our 12:10pm Mass.

National Marriage Week (Feb 7-14)

The observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 12) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. This year's theme, "Marriage...one flesh, given and received" highlights the one-flesh union of husband and wife that is willed by God. It also indicates the personal self-gift of each spouse, one to the other. These concepts point to Christ who gives Himself under the appearance of bread and wine—as real flesh and blood.

Click here for more resources.

As a Couple, consider:

• Prayerfully reread your wedding vows to each other. Take a moment to recommit yourself to the vow you made on your wedding day.

• Have a date night in - get dressed for dinner. Order takeout from a place you’ve gone to for Valentine’s day. Get the kids to be waiters and servers.

• Frame a copy of your wedding invitation or program if you still have it.

• Recall friends and family who were part of your wedding day. Who needs prayers? Who can you reach out to?

• Pray a Lectio Divina together over your readings from your wedding.

As a Family, consider:

• Look through your wedding album or watch your wedding video. Share stores form your wedding day with your children.

• Make a family timeline beginning with when you met or your wedding day up to the present. Add anything that has impacted the life of the family (e.g., pregnancies, moves, vacations, new jobs, pets, etc.)

• Get out your crafting supplies and make Valentine Cards for everyone in the family. Tell each person something you love about them. Hang up the cards for everyone to see..

As a Child, consider:

• Making a valentine card for your parents. Call them on Valentine’s Day.

• Offer to cook dinner (or order out) for your parents and give them a candlelight dinner.

• Ask your parents how they met, dated, proposed, and knew to say yes. Ask what dreams they had, which ones have been fulfilled and how you can help them fulfill the unfulfilled dreams.

• Pray a rosary for your parents, asking Mary and Joseph’s intercession.

• Create a playlist of the tops songs of the year when they were married and have a family dance party.

Dante's Divine Comedy Seminar (2/11-4/15)

Dante’s Divine Comedy Seminar
led by Richard Cushman

1-2:15pm, Sat - Lounge
February 11 - April 15

Richard Cushman, retired English professor and our long time organist, is offering a seminar on Dante’s Divine Comedy this Spring. This is a great chance to read and explore one of the greatest works in literature and medieval Christian thought, under the guidance of someone who loves Dante and has taught him for generations.

Meetings are on Saturdays 1-2:15pm. We will skip Holy Saturday (4/8) and the last meeting will be April 15.

Prof. Cushman recommends the following translations:  John and Jean Hollander (probably the best), Allen Mandelbaum, and John Ciardi. Other translations are probably OK (avoid old versions, e.g. Longfellow). For those who like to read online, consider the Princeton Dante Project which has the Hollander translation with other resources. If you are in financial need of book, a benefactor has come up with funds to help you buy books.

Sunday of the Word of God (3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Sunday of the Word of God

was Sunday, January 22, 2023

In 2019, Pope Frances established the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as the Sunday of the Word of God. Reflect on his apostolic letter, "Aperuit illis: Instituting the Sunday of the Word of God”, that calls all Catholics to treasure the power and beauty of God’s Word. It is through God’s Word that we can powerfully allow God to speak to our hearts.

Click on these resources to celebrate the spirit of the day:

Daily Mass Readings

Learn Lectio Divina

USCCB Resources

Scripture Video Resources

Lectio Divina with the Sunday Readings

2023 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
(2023 January 18-25)

We are now entering the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, from Wednesday, January 18 to Wednesday, January 25. During this week, Christians are asked to pray especially for unity among all Christians. It is a scandal to Jesus Christ, that we are divided. Jesus’ ministry was a source of unity, bringing people together as seen with the diversity of his original 12 disciples. We, as His disciples, are to continue that unity until the world is brought into Christ.

Since 1908, the leadership of the mainline Christian Churches have recognized this week and important to remind ourselves once again to be working for unity. We Catholics do not have an open table to share Eucharist with Christians of other denominations. This is to embarrass and shame us into always be working for unity so we can all share from the same table and together proclaim Christ to the world.

This year’s theme is “Do Good; Seek Justice.” This quote comes from Isaiah 1:17. Given a year of racial violence, especially with the killing of George Floyd by police officers that are supposed to represent goodness, peace, and justice in our world. Sin of racial injustice has infected our society. As people of the Way, we are united, regardless of denomination, to work for racial justice. We are called to be inspired by the prophet Isaiah, to together ‘do good; seek justice.”

Each day this week of prayer for Christian Unity, consider meditation on the following prayer guide.

Other Resources:

History of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Commentary on the Christian Unity Poster

Commentary on the Scriptural Text - Isaiah 1:18

Observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Paulist Mission in Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue

Just Faith: Faith & Raical Equity

Just Faith Program:
Faith & Racial Equity:
Exploring Power & Privilege

As a concrete follow-up to the Seeking Racial Justice series led by Fr. Steven Bell last year, we are having an  eight-week series on Faith and Racial Equity: Exploring Power and Privilege. This is a series of eight, two-hour weekly sessions that awakens small groups to the economic systems, public policies, cultural norms, and hidden biases that empower some and oppress others.

There will be a three-hour Saturday kick-off retreat this Saturday, January 21 from 9am until Noon here at Newman. 

The first meeting of the 8-week program is on Monday, January 23rd from 7 pm - 9 pm at Newman. We’ll meet on Mondays from 7-9pm until the program wraps up on March 13th.

The course and supporting materials are free, but participants will need to purchase or borrow the three books that’ll inform our discussions. They are White Fragility, I'm Still Here, and 40 Days of Prayer for the Liberation of American Descendants of Slavery. None of these books is new so it should be possible also to find them at a used bookstore.

Sign up in Newman’s lobby no later than January 18th. Questions can be directed to Alan.

For more info on Just Faith and this series, click here.

Farewell Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Dec. 21, 2022)

Farewell Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

WIth sadness, we say goodbye to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday, December 21, 2022. His funeral Mass was Thursday, January 5th.

Here are some resources:

USCCB Link

Vatican Link

Novena Prayers for Pope Emeritus Benedict

A prayer for the soul of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Father, eternal shepherd,
hear the prayers of your people for your servant Benedict,
who governed your Church with love.
In your mercy, bring him with the flock once entrusted to his care
to the reward you have promised your faithful servants.
May he who faithfully administered the mysteries
of your forgiveness and love on earth,
rejoice with you for ever in heaven.
In your wise and loving care,
you made your servant teacher of all your Church.
He did the work of Christ on earth.
May your Son welcome him into eternal glory.
May your servant whom you appointed high priest of your flock
be counted now among the priests in the life of your kingdom.
Give your servant the reward of eternal happiness
and let your mercy win for us the gift of your life and love.
We entrust your servant to your mercy with faith and confidence.
In the human family he was an instrument of your peace and love.
May he rejoice in those gifts for ever with your saints.

Amen.