Lighting Candles for the world as Family

okay i know i said i was on a break but as usual as soon as i say that i read something i just have to share with you all don't i ;0)

You are called to Evangelization.

Extract from Handbook for today's catholic family.

*A sense of Celebration*

" If we celebrate feast days and make our life festive in expectation of the eternal feast, then we know that life is good, that it is wonderful to live together, that life has an ultimate purpose beyond all the purposes of organized work. We have every reason for contemplation and celebration. We are constantly being invited to rejoice in all that is good, true and beautiful as we recall our roots which come from God who is love, goodness, truth, bliss."

For our Family: One day we will be together sharing God who is love , goodness, truth and bliss. What shall we do to deepen our sense of this eternal adventure and delight as we worship together on Sundays? What shall we do to make our weekends together times of greater joy to remind us of our eternal future?

Influencing Mass Media
"The simplest means of influence is by judicious choice of the products provided b the press, films, cassettes, radio and TV programs; in this way the client speaks forcefully through the market itself.

For our Family: What shall we do as a family to "send a message" to movie makers, TV stations and publishers whose products tear down human life? What shall we do to affirm the ones who are doing good work? What shall we do about trashy TV shows in our own home?

Protecting Human Life
" Our crusades against abortion, against war and mass starvation all must go hand in hand; otherwise we would not be consistent and credible. Those protesting loudly against the threat of nuclear weapons, which can destroy the whole of humankind, do well. But all, while protesting against these striking evils, should ask themselves if they are also willing to make their personal contributions to alieviate dangerous hunger and contagious diseases or to take political action to bring about more generous help to the poorest countries. As the Vatican has documented - the arms race " kills the poor by causing them to starve" And further, they should ask themselves whether they are caring properly for their own health or endangering the health of others."

For our Family: Are we as a family willing to be brave and stand up for what we believe in even though it may go completly against the mainstream? It can be as simple as writing letters, signing petitions, donating money or time to events, organisations and our church. It can mean being a friend to the one who is friendless. Reaching out to the immigrant, the housebound, the young mother or the homeless in our town. We can show that Christ dwells in the least of our brothers and sisters on earth.

Protecting Our Good earth
" Forty years ago nobody would have expected to find a chapter on ecological responsibility in a book about morality in everyday living; only a new world situation and a new knowledge have brought this dimension to the foreground....

" The earth is part of an interaction between the sun and all the planets.....

" This interaction has already been seriously disturbed by recent developments: for instance, the waste of irreplaceable minerals, especially fossil energy resources, and by pollution of water and air. Billions of fish, destined by the Creator to reproduce themselves for all generations, die because of water pollution and as a result of various poisons from industrial wastes. The margin of tolerance of ionizing radiation by industry and armaments has been exceeded in many parts of the world. Asbestos is produced and used in increasing quantities, although it is now known as a principal cause of cancer, second only to excessive smoking."

For our Family: Do we care for the beautiful earth God has created for us like we should? Do we live in harmony with the animals, fish and plant life? It can be as simple as using non toxic products in our homes, walking, riding bikes or using public transport instead of our cars so much. We can make little steps. Recycle, compost, save water and electricity. Eat a little less even. Hand wash and dry clothes and dishes as much as we can. Small steps make a difference.

Transforming the economy

" For today's Christians - more so than for the first generation Christians - active participation in economic life is imperative....

"Once we have exercised our option to view economics under the banner of the Beatitudes we will gradually rid ourselves of our blindness, and begin to realize how frequently and how easily economic success and power are leagued with " unjust mammon" with sinful economic structures, and degrading exploitation and relationships....

"Where people believe in the kingdom of God and concentrate on God's saving justice above all, there the weak and poor are no longer degraded and exploited.

" Where disciples of Christ hunger and thirst for God's justice, there the greed for more money and more power over other's fades away.

" Where believers practice Christ's gentleness, there will be found a solution to conflicts.

" Where people faithfully and gratefully praise the God of mercy, there will be no class hatred, no group selfishness, and no neglect of the handicapped.

" Where believers' hearts are purified by embracing God's love, there will grow a sympathetic understanding of people's genuine needs.

"Where men and women consider themselves highly blessed and honored to be called children of God, there will be total commitment to peace, justice and reconciliation.

" Where people truly believe the message of the Gospel, there will be brave souls like Bishop Romero of El Salvador and thousands of others who are ready to suffer persecution and death for the sake of authentic peace and saving justice. And despite temporary lack of success, they will not lose hope for they have entrusted themselves to God."

For our Family: Does our family make responsible choices when buying products. Do we choose fairtrade wherever possible. Do we recycle, buy secondhand? How much does accumulating, saving and aquiring mean to us as a family? We can make small steps toward, letting go of our need to consume or spend. We can make choices that affect the quality of life of people on the otherside of the world. Do we make choices that affect other's positivly? We can try to be more mindful of how we as a family imprint the world.

Sharing the Good News of Peace.
" What every lover of peace needs is a profound knowledge of Chris, the Prince of Peace, and through appreciation of the peace which he grants....

"Mere passive pacifism, which stands clear of political controversy and other realities, will not do.

As blessed peacemakers ( Matthew 5:9) we must face the realities of life - right on the front line - in order to work for peace in a nonviolent way....

" Mahatma Gandi and Martin Luther King risked their lives and finally sacrificed them for Satyagraha, a system of nonviolence which emphasized the power of truth, love, justice and solidarity in the service of the down trodden. Gandi, though not formally a christian, was a fervent disciple of Christ; he was convinced that this method embodied the central message of the Sermon on the Mount and the life and death of Christ.

" In their ashrams (houses of prayer) the followers of Gandi are trained in the use of Satagraha. They learn that it means nothing less that total dedication to the liberating truth that God is Love and that He is a God of Peace.....

" This Gandian method of achieving social and political reform on the art of detecting our Inner forces of Truth and Love for ourselves and others ( including our enemies) of regarding them as precious gifts of God, and activating them by unwavering love.

" This will require of us the courage to eliminate our primitive patterns of hatred, our trust in menacing armaments, our classification of certain people as " cunning enemies" who fully deserve to be debased.....

" IT is my firm conviction that the only way we Christians can break out of the vicious circle of the armaments race is for all of us to take on the attitude of and apply the skill of Satyagrha. This will be a concrete sign of our faith in the Gospel of Peace, and it should become the most effective " defense contract" we ever made.

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For our Family : We pray for peace within our own homes and in the world beyond. We can seek forgiveness within our own family and our wider world family. We can encourage instead of critisize, and hold out a hand of compassion instead of judgement. We can seek the way of peace together.

These are candle which our family may light to bring the light of Christ into the world. The light of Peace, Goodness and LOVE...
"You are the light of the world" Says Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."




( all "quoted " content apart from biblical quotes are from Father Bernard Haring a leading theologian and spiritual adviser at the second vatican council)