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(3-3 Family Life &
Marriage
Focus On Prayer
Family
Ministry – Another Look - by
Ben Stapel -
Prayer Team #3
Ben Stapel -
#586-731-0579
- Remember to join
one of the 12 Teams.) |
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Family Ministry – Another
Look
(Family Life & Marriage - Article 3)
by
Ben Stapel |
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The areas on which we have focused our prayer life these past four years are not disconnected. Family life and marriage are affected by peer pressure, by the media, the internet, pornography, the occult, by drugs, addictions, the pill, by abortion, the church, the clergy, the government, the city, by pollution, by terrorism and war, and much of it has a negative influence on families and on children. There is hope! In our ministry with engaged and married couples we see a growing trend of young people moving back to traditional family values, back to biblical principles, and turning away from a blind following of the
world we live in. This trend is still in its
infancy, and we need to continue our prayers for an outpouring of
the Holy Spirit.
This year we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of
Humanae Vitae, the encyclical of Paul VI that spoke of the
assault on family values by the pill and its proponents, including
governments and big business. In this archdiocese we are truly
blessed that Bishop John Quinn will celebrate a Mass in Blessed
Sacrament Cathedral on July 27, at 11 AM, to commemorate the
publication of this encyclical.
On that same date the
diocese will make available a DVD that features dozens of married
and engaged couples who share the true stories of their marriage and the
positive influence Church teaching has had. Their stories are
augmented by that of a doctor and his experiences with the pill, and
of a priest and his ministry to families and engaged couples. (visit
www.coupleprayer.org ) |
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Over the past few years every one of our auxiliary
bishops has celebrated a special Mass during the month of October to
give comfort and blessings to families who want to bring new life
into this world. These families are of diverse ethnic origins, of
varied walks of life, and they find solace in a church that
ministers and prays for them.
More priests are encouraging engaged couples to take
part in Catholic marriage preparation sessions, while one of the
deacons in this archdiocese has made it his exclusive ministry to help couples to pray together.
Our prayers are needed for our Church leaders to
continue in family-oriented ministry. We also need to pray for the
Holy Spirit to move our employers and our media, our medical,
business, and government leaders to honestly look at and promote
policies that will restore true family values, not only in this
country, but throughout the world. Let us pray for a turning away
from purely monetary principles, and a return to real Christianity.
Additionally we must pray for families
themselves to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and in a
spirit of evangelization, we ourselves do well to encourage families
and couples to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them
by our Church.
This article is one of a series of Bulletin articles addressing one
of
the thirteen areas for which our Lord requested that all in the
Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Detroit intercede.
Ben Stapel
is a member of
the Holy Spirit Prayer Group at Saint
Sebastian Church in Dearborn, and serves on the DCCR Assembly.
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NOW WORD SERIES
BE STILL AND RECEIVE; FEEL MY PRESENCE
by
Dick Lajiness - May 2008 |
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Did you ever notice that commercials on TV are real intrusions in our lives? Not only is it because in some
cases their content is inconsistent with our beliefs but their noise
levels are equally irritating. The commercials are significantly
louder than regular programming. Did you ever wonder if this
technique is used to get our attention, even wake us up from a
relaxing daydream or sleep, so we can hear about whatever product
they want to sell? Are you noticing that just thinking about this
intrusion makes you a little upset or anxious? Interesting isn’t
it? Sometime try feeling your body’s reaction when you shut off the
TV during one of these loud commercials. You will likely sense that
your body and mind begin to relax. You enjoy the sudden quietness,
the peace and the stillness.
Our bodies and minds really do enjoy
quietness, peace and stillness. For example, we all know that
nature is a great way to escape the noisiness and busyness of our
daily lives. Some take vacations just to commune with nature and be
free of the noise and happenings of everyday life. Interestingly,
however, some say that even in nature, the lack of noise and
everyday activity is disturbing to them. They find that they need
the noise and the busyness of daily life to feel “at home.” They
are unable to quiet or still themselves even for a short period of
time. Is that you? Can you be still in both mind and body, not
worrying about what you need to do today or what needs to be done
tomorrow? It’s not easy, is it? Even in our prayer times, we find
our mind wandering to some distraction – a noise, a sudden activity
near us, or some “to do” item. This is probably natural, but to
what does the Lord call us?
Whenever I think of being “still” in prayer, just con-centrating on hearing the Lord, I think
of Elijah. In 1 Kings 19, we read about Elijah’s journey to Mt.
Horeb. Elijah was afraid after he slew the prophets of Baal that
his life would be taken. At the prompting of an angel, he walked
forty days and forty nights to Mt. Horeb, spending the night in a
cave. Then Yahweh told Elijah that He was soon to be going by. In
verses 11-13, we read that Elijah knew that Yahweh was not in the
hurricane that split the mountains and shattered the rocks, or the
earthquake or the fire, but knew Yahweh was in a “light, murmuring
sound.” When Elijah heard this “light,
murmuring sound,” he covered his face with his cloak and
went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Then a voice came to him, which said: “What are you doing here?”
Upon answering, Elijah then received instructions from God on
how to proceed. |
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Importantly, Elijah had stilled himself in the cave awaiting Yahweh’s
presence and His direction as to what he should do next. How
did he know Yahweh was in the light murmuring sound? It was
that he was “still” and knew God would not present Himself in
the noisiness and power of hurricanes, earthquakes or flames,
but in a gentle, light, murmuring sound. He didn’t panic when
all the powerful events were occurring before him but kept
still, ready to receive God’s gentle presence and ultimately His
instruction.
To me, this is a perfect example of simply
waiting on the Lord in stillness, feeling His presence, and
receiving His Word.
Some of the Psalms
also instruct us about staying quiet (being still), waiting for
His presence, and receiving His blessings. For example, Psalm
37:3 states, “Put your trust in Yahweh and do right,”
verse 5, “Commit your destiny to Yahweh, be confident
in him and he will act,” and in verse 7, “Stay
quiet before Yahweh, wait longingly for him.”
In Psalm 46,
entitled “God is with Us,” verse 7 states, “Yahweh Sabaoth
is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob,” and in verse
10, “Be still and acknowledge that I am God, supreme
over nations, supreme over the world.”
Psalm 24:5-6,
states, “Such a one (the clean of heart) will receive
blessing from Yahweh, saving justice from the God of his
salvation. Such is the people that seeks him, that
seeks your presence, God of Jacob.”
Like Elijah, let
us find time daily to “still” ourselves, both physically from
the noise and activities of the day, and mentally from the
worries of everyday life. Let us commit to daily receiving
God’s presence in stillness and hearing His word in the “light,
murmuring sound” from His Holy Spirit. Be attentive to what the
Psalmists say, “Stay quiet before Yahweh, wait longingly for
Him; be still and acknowledge that He is God; seek Him and
receive blessing from Yahweh, saving justice from the God of our
salvation.”
May His peace,
which passes all understanding, be with you.
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(Dick Lajiness and his
wife, Sue, serve in healing ministry at their parish, St. Anne, in
Monroe, Michigan.
Dick is a member of the DCCR Assembly, representing the South Region)
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