Growing In Our Faith

Dear Parishioners,

Catholicism 101
As part of the Year of Faith, we have been showing Robert Barron’s “Catholicism” DVD series at our monthly Catholicism 101 classes. It has been wonderful to watch. The quality of production and clarity of teaching as well as the inspirational style in which the faith is presented is fantastic. If you haven’t been to one, I want to encourage you to do so. This past Sunday we showed the seventh episode in the series entitled, “The Mystery of the Liturgy and the Eucharist.” Ah! The Eucharist. It is the source and summit of our faith! It is the center of our Catholic lives! Do I sound excited? I am! I was very impressed how well he explained the Mass, how the program illustrated the various cultural situations in which the Mass is offered, and the fundamental theologies of our mysterious liturgy. It reminded me of how much I love our liturgy and why I am a priest. If you have been wondering or feeling that your experience of your faith has been lacking or luke-warm, then make an effort to come to these presentations. There are only ten in the series, and we are almost done. But, we may very well show them again, but in a more intense weekly format for those who so desire. Keep your eyes peeled to the bulletin for that development.


Turn out for the presentations has been good, so come early if you want a front row seat. There’s plenty of room in the Parish Center Sky Room, so no worries. Mark your calendars for the next presentation on March 3rd on the Communion of Saints.


Theology of the Body for Teens
On another note, this Sunday evening I will begin a five week series at our High School Youth Nights on Blessed Pope John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” With all the things that our teens have to grapple with, the meaning of their bodies and sexuality, in particular, are often bewildering to them. Yet, the late Holy Father spent 129 Wednesday Audiences from 1979 to 1984 speaking about the meaning, the theology, of the body. In essence, his reflections, when written down, make up two-thirds of the Church’s teaching on sex and marriage! Please pray for me and the teens. Pray that I, along with the Core Team of adults, may be able to empower and lift up our teens to know the true meaning of their bodies, to recapture the meaning of marriage, and to empower them to live chaste lives of faith as sexual persons. Pray for the teens that they will be open to our presentations and the Holy Spirit in their lives prompting them to follow the way of Christ’s love and not the counterfeit of the world.


Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Two Things

Dear Parishioners,

Last week I offered two different presentation. The first was on the new Roman Missal. The second was on Pope John Paul’s Theology of the Body. I’d like to offer a couple thoughts about those topics.

First, the new Roman Missal. Maybe you are aware, but then maybe not. So, it is important to know that the prayers and texts we use during Mass (not including the scripture readings) are going to be changing a bit. In 2001, the Church published a document, Liturgiam Authenticam, which spelled out new guidelines for translating liturgical texts. One of those guidelines called for a more literal translation from the original Latin. As it turns out, our English translation of our Sacramentary is not a literal, but a more more loose translation, specifically called a “dynamic equivalence” translation, from the Latin original. Other major language groups are more literal, and therefore are in the great need, as we are, to have our liturgical books revised. Another issue is that many smaller language groups use our English translation to derive their own. So, by the time they have their books translated, there is a real potential of being quite removed from the original Latin. So, a new translation has been created after much discussion and debate, and we will begin using that new translation at the beginning of this coming Advent. You can learn what is changing by visiting the U.S. Bishop’s web site (www.usccb.org/romanmissal). In addition, I will hold a repeat reflection (date TBA) about the new missal. You can also visit one of my web sites (www.mysteriesofthemass.com) and listen to Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB who was one of the translators. Finally, in the weeks just prior to the change, we will be taking out special time in our homilies to explain, review, practice, and learn the new parts that you will need to say.

Secondly, I want to thank all the adults, parishioners, and parents who supported our five week journey through the Theology of the Body series during our Youth Ministry nights. We spent five weeks in a row, yes even including Superbowl Sunday, learning and discussing the meaning of our bodies in light of Pope John Paul’s catechetical program of sex and marriage. A week prior to that, I offered an adult crash course so that parents, engaged couples, and anyone else could learn the basics for their own lives. I pray that the things we talked about will be seminal points of reference for all who attended these important workshops. Your support and prayers made the entire experience a huge success. If you want to learn more on your own, visit www.christopherwest.com and you can order a variety of media right from the web site.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Theology of the Body

The Church & Sex

Now, there’s a title, eh? Did that get your attention? Just as it should, the Church and sex dwell in the deepest part of our being. God desires that we live in harmony, joy, and fulfillment. Our participation in the Church and fully living as sexual beings can give us these things. If that claim sounds outrageous or simply foreign, then you may want to learn about what has become to be called, the Theology of the Body.

The Theology of the Body, was a catechetical program pro- claimed by Pope John Paul II during his first 129 Wednesday audiences between 1979 and 1984. Believe it or not, by the time he completed this catechetical program, he had written and spoken about two-thirds of all that had been said about sex and marriage to date.

Parents & Teens

This Sunday (Jan. 16), at 6:00 PM in the Kelly Youth Center, I will be offer- ing a two hour workshop on the Theology of the Body for adults. All adults are invited, but most importantly, I want to urge the parents of our teens to attend, because the following week we will begin a five week series of youth nights covering the Theology of the Body.

Parents need to understand what the Church teaches and what we, as a youth program, will be doing for their teens. This program for teens will not be offered every year, so that makes it all the more important to also involve your teens. It is the ideal time to learn and ask questions that will equip parents for the questions that are so often difficult to understand and answer.

What Will Be Discussed?

The workshops focus on the teachings of Pope John Paul II and include discussions about current issues surrounding marriage, contraception, topics that OBGYN’s don’t discuss, and even how what Pope Benedict XVI calls a “dictatorship of relativism” effects our ability to make moral choices today.

The five week youth component will begin on January 23rd and continue into late February. Each night will begin at 6:30 PM and conclude at 8:30 PM. The teens will meet, as usual, in the Kelly Youth Center. A Parental Consent/Youth Conduct Agreement is necessary for a teen to be present due to the mature nature of the topics. These forms are available at our office and on our web site. If your teen has never attended any of our youth nights, no problem. This is the perfect time to connect if only for these five youth nights.

Come and extend your understanding of our Catholic faith.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor