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What are you doing for Lent?

Do you want more understanding of what reconciliation is?

Do you want to help create an environment of healing in your parish?

Would you like to meet and connect with other parishioners?

Would you like to see what Arise is all about?

Lent is the time to do do all these things. It's time to do something extra for God, and for yourself. Sign up for Arise.

Sign Up Sunday: January 23/24, 2010.

C'mon. What are you waiting for?

What ARE you waiting for?

The New Year

Read 2 Corinthians 13:5

It's the end of 2009. I think it would be a good idea to spend some quiet time with God contemplating 2009, much like the friar in Brother Lew's photo.

How did you do with your Resolutions from last year? Let's examine your conscience. You can go through the Ten Commandments like Catholics do before the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But look at your relationship with the Lord in 2009.

When were you close and when were you far? Why?

I bet you were close during the Arise Together in Christ sessions. What does that tell you?

Spending some time alone with God should be part of your daily life. Schedule some time every day; that should be your New Year's Resolution for 2010. Pray for the grace to do just this in the year ahead. I'll pray for you and you pray for me.

BTW, the reference for the Ten Commandments is Exodus 20: 1-17.

Have a blessed New Year.

Reasons to Sign On

Today's Sign Up Sunday. Here are some reasons for you to sign up:

+ To improve yourself

+ To improve relationships

+ To put your money where your mouth is

+ To learn how to recognize the voice of God

+ To meet other parishioners

+ To help others

+ To feel part of the parish

+ to be rejuvenated

+ To change yourself for the better

+ To learn how to pray better

+ To see if we're lying to you

+ The best for last: when you've experienced all the above you'll agree that you've grown spiritually.

Amen? Amen

Sign Up Sunday

Arise will begin in October. Sign Up Sunday is Sept. 13, 2009. Arise is growing at each session.
You are called.

Read:

1Thes 5:24
Gal 1:6
Gal 5:7-8
1Cor 1:26
Matt 22:14
Matt 20:16
John 15:16

Don't you feel DRAWN to join Arise?

If you don't, you ain't human.

What Faith Sharing is Not

Today, I went to another training session for Arise, Season II. Someone asked a question, which I didn't hear, but I certainly heard the answer. Faith Sharing does not have a response. It is one person talking. No one else expands, corrects, or reaffirms. It is different from bible study, and discussion.

Bible Study involves study. Learning background, and reading, and more importantly, right answers from wrong answers.

Discussion involves two are more people talking about a certain subject.

Faith sharing is simply one person stating how Jesus has affected them. No one else says anything. It's their story.

Arise Together in Christ is "faith sharing."

Season Two Training for Small Group Leaders

Most of us are going to the Training Workshop at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Braintree on January 20th. We are meeting at 6:00 PM on the street next to the rectory. Then we can caravan and gather to ride together. See you then. Here are some other workshops:

January 20 7-9:00 PM - Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Braintree - English

January 21 7-9 PM - St. Zepherin, Wayland - English

January 22 7-9 PM - St. Joseph, Wakefield - English

January 24 10 AM - Noon - St. Michael, N. Andover - English

January 26 7-9 PM - Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Braintree - English

January 27 7:15-9:45 PM - Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Braintree - Portuguese

January 28 7-9 PM - St. Mary of the Annunciation, Melrose - English

January 29 7-9 PM - Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Braintree - English

January 30 7:15 - 9:45 PM - Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Braintree - Spanish

January 31 10 AM -Noon - Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton - English

January 31 10 AM - Noon - St. Francis of Assisi, Braintree - English

January 31 10 AM -12:30 PM - St. John, Peabody - Spanish

January 31 5-7:30 PM - St. Patrick, Lawrence - Spanish

Arise Together in Christ

Arise is a three year program aimed at spiritual renewal. The Archdiocese of Boston is promoting this initiative. The program Arise Together in Christ http://www.rcab.org/Life/Arise/HomePage.html is the brain child of Renew International, headquartered in N.J. http://www.renewintl.org/

St. Mary's Parish, Franklin, MA http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/ has signed onto the Cardinal O'Malley's plan. We hope to deepen our relationship with Christ, grow in community, and reach out in service to others.

This blog is a response to one of the questions on our evaluation of the program. A place to comment and ask questions was requested and so here we are.