Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of September 27th, 2010!
Congratulations to Janet Rausch!

Janet will receive a copy of The Catholic Family Connections Bible, a $26.95 value.

The Catholic Family Connections Bible helps families connect to:

- Each other- through family faith conversations
- Faith through practices of prayer and devotion
- Community-through participating in Christian service together

The Catholic Family Connections Bible uses the New American Bible text and is woven around the core content of the bestselling Catholic Youth Bible® (loved by nearly two million Catholic young people), which includes:

- Over 700 lively articles help you Pray It! Study It! Live It!®
- Catholic Connection" articles provide a presentation of key Catholic doctrine
- 28 articles address the seven principles of Catholic social teaching
- 75 inspirational illustrations
- Helpful index to life and faith issues
- Easy-to-use glossary of Scripture-related terms
- Sunday Lectionary readings for all three cycles
- "Catholic Connections" index
- "Sacraments Connections" index

The Catholic Family Connections Bible
ISBN: 978-1-59982-088-0, paper, 1968 pages

Ready or Not, Advent Is Around the Corner
By Steven McGlaun

Yes, you read the title right: Advent. The liturgical season of Advent begins in two months. Because Advent is about preparing, I thought it would be appropriate to raise the topic now so you have time to prepare. For this week’s reflection, I have chosen to share the wisdom of one of our authors concerning Advent. Below is a portion of a reflection on Advent written by Rev. John P. Mack Jr. in 2003. He wonderfully addresses the beauty of the Advent season and the tension we often feel to "rush" through it to get to Christmas.

On a side note, I would like to thank everyone who offered feedback to our request for topics for The Servant Leader. Please keep your suggestions coming. I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Keeping Advent in Advent
by Rev. John P. Mack Jr.

"The Advent mystery in our own lives is the beginning of the end of all, in us, that is not yet Christ."
(Thomas Merton)

The annual advent of the beginning of the Church year is buried beneath a deluge of secular, solstice-time "holiday" celebrations. Frosty the Snowman, various reindeer, and that thieving Grinch displace the Advent wreath. The grand sweep of the clock’s hands between Thanksgiving Day and the New Year overwhelms the distinct Church seasons of Advent and Christmas that serve as faith anchors for the turning of the calendar. For today, we do stand in time closer to the Advent of our God than when we began this same faith journey yesterday.

Without appearing to be unredeemed Scrooges or shrill leftover witches from Halloween, people of faith are nonetheless called to remain true to ecclesial rhythms as natural light gives way to supernatural Light. We do not need to give in to the pressure to put up "the tree" the day after Thanksgiving simply because the stores have already been decorated for a month. Nor do we need to behave like liturgical "sticks in the mud" with a misappropriated zeal deflating any and all festivities, including the Second Coming. We are to prepare for—to look forward to—the "advent" of something glorious and wonderful, something beyond the advent of a new year. The season of Advent gives us time to ponder anew the Almighty’s sovereignty enfleshed in the Advent at Bethlehem of Judea.

The Catholic school faith community—the soul of our educational endeavors—is the place to hold back the commercial Christmas tide. We should focus our efforts on more than just keeping Christ in Christmas. We must also focus on keeping Christmas in Christmas and Advent in Advent. Preventing the sacred seasons from dissolving into an amorphous, wintry mess begins at the thresholds of our schoolhouses and classrooms. Conscious decisions and conscientious efforts by Catholic school educators can assist students and their parents in celebrating Christmas by first celebrating Advent religiously. In these efforts, the key to unlocking understanding is Advent’s "look forward."

Twofold Character
As with any journey, we begin each year of grace with the end in mind: the Advent of holy Sovereignty. The culmination and fulfillment of the everlasting Reign of God is here. It is really here. But it is not yet here. We "look forward" to the full coming of the Kingdom, a kingdom for which we pray each time we join in the Lord’s Prayer. "Thy kingdom come," so prays the prayer. We long for the Christ to become the "all in all" (see 1 Corinthians 15:28). Advent laments the apparent absence of holy Sovereignty, as witnessed in the aimless wanderings of our world, the cynicism that seeps through reality television, and the ever-present culture of death. Advent’s lamentation does not bear a penitential character; Advent’s lamentation is winter’s longing for life—God’s life and presence.

The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1963) charts the course for the unfolding of each Church year: "Within the cycle of a year, moreover, she unfolds the whole mystery of Christ, from the incarnation and birth until the ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of blessed hope and of the coming of the Lord" (102). The Church’s "General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar" states: "Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation" (The Sacramentary, p. 66).

Advent is measured by Sundays (four)—not weeks (three or four) or days—although the last eight days bear a specific character in preparation for Christmas. The four candles on the Advent wreath mark the passing of each successive Lord’s Day as well as the passing of the ages along an endless ring of increasing light. The four-Sunday structure of Advent is witnessed by the Gospels and the "themes" of each Sunday. The final eight days serve as an immediate preparation for Christmas, with the ancient "O Antiphons" chants, which invite God’s timely Advent through the invocation of ancient images of the Divine. The last days of Advent are about more than just getting ready for the baby Jesus.

Watch, Wait, Listen, Anticipate
This twofold nature of Advent reflects the creative tension between salvation’s two-stage drama played out since "the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Our experience of the Divine has an inherent tension between the "already" and the "not yet." Advent portrays heavenly visions that are within us, beyond us, and impending upon us. Advent grasps Bethlehem with one hand and the Parousia with the other. Through the long shadows of winter, we look for the Light, the incarnate Word of God, here in the ordinary happenings of life. We watch. Wait. Listen. Anticipate. The imperatives direct us to stand expectant and hopeful for more than just Christmas Day and a commercial bonanza of brightly wrapped presents heaped beneath a festively decorated, well-lit tree. In truth, the gifts pale in comparison to the Presence. Advent looks forward, anticipating the great day of the Lord and the drawing of all things into Christ. The experience of that Advent can be savored today, at this moment in time, within the human experience and the web of our relationships.

Anticipation, to the point of childlike excitement, prevails throughout what would otherwise be a dreary winter month. Such expectancy energizes Advent and need not be puritanically dismissed. Advent must embrace the overwhelming seasonal desire for "making spirits bright." We look forward when the sunlight fades and the warmth wanes beneath winter’s cold bath. We barely notice the increasing gloom outside because lights, music, and freshly baked cookies inside captivate our senses with great familiarity. But during the growing night, we look forward to the new day—for believers, the day of the Lord. "Lord Jesus, come in glory" speaks our longing.

Keeping Advent Well
Advent is more than a liturgical hoop through which we jump to get to Christmas goodies. The time of grace leading to Christmas allows believers to reflect on the radical transformation of everything through God’s coming into our world. Otherwise, Christmas is merely a sentimental journey down the road to Bethlehem, and the power of holy Sovereignty is left in a pile of manger hay. We look forward to the day of the Lord, the Advent of our blessed hope handed down in Scripture and Tradition, from Isaiah’s prophesies to the legendary charity of Saint Nicholas.

Keeping Advent in Advent occurs through faithful observance of annual devotions such as Saint Lucy, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Las Posadas. Faithful observance of these devotions urges us to build an Advent music repertoire beyond the standard "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and to refrain from displaying an empty manger on the first Sunday of Advent. Keeping Advent in Advent and keeping the season well leads people of faith along a path to religiously celebrate the Christmas season.

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First Sunday of Advent: Great Expectations: A Session on the Theme of Waiting
From Ministry Ideas for Celebrating Advent and Christmas with Teens, Families, and Parishes

Overview
Advent is a time of great expectations. We wait not only for Jesus’s coming as an infant but also for his Second Coming at the end of the world. Using the readings for the first Sunday of Advent, this session focuses on the theme of waiting and the need to be ready for the end times. It is designed for use with groups of teens but can be adapted for intergenerational settings.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent

Preparation
Gather the following items:
__ an Advent wreath and candles
__ purple, pink, and white cloths for the prayer table
__ Catholic Youth Bibles or other bibles, one for each participant
__ hymnals, at least one for every two participants
__ a purple candle
__ newsprint and markers
__ index cards or large adhesive labels, one for each participant
__ pens or pencils, one for each participant

Create a prayer space using the Advent wreath, the purple, pink, and white cloths, a Bible, and any other items that will add to the prayerful atmosphere.

Choose an Advent song that is familiar to the participants. See the introduction for suggestions, or consider using a song that is used at parish Sunday liturgies.

Procedure
1. Gather the participants around the prayer space. Recruit a volunteer to light one purple candle while you read the following prayer.

Some things cannot be rushed. O God of love, as we light this candle, we pray for the grace to wait patiently. Your people waited so long for the coming of a Savior. We, too, are anxious for the celebration of your coming. We pray to be ready and alert, always trying to live the life you want for us. We light this candle in the name of Jesus, the Christ, who comes as light to the world. Amen.

Close the blessing ceremony by singing an Advent hymn.

2. Gather the participants in the middle of the room. Tell them that you will present two occasions when someone is waiting or expecting something to happen. They will be asked to choose between the two alternatives and, based on their response, to move to the side of the room that you have designated as a or b. Read as many entries from the following list as time allows, pausing after each one to let the participants choose an option and move. Elicit comments about why the participants made their particular choices.

Which is harder to wait for?
a. a school vacation or holiday weekend
b. a major test to be over

Which would be more stressful for you?
a. waiting to find out whether you got into your first-choice college
b. waiting to find out if you made the varsity team or got a major role in the school play

Which is more frustrating?
a. being stuck in a traffic jam on your way to a favorite vacation place
b. being stuck in a traffic jam on your way home from a long trip

Which would be more difficult?
a. waiting outside the principal’s office to find out your punishment for skipping school
b. waiting for your parents to come home and get the message that you skipped school

Which is more difficult?
a. waiting for someone you really like to ask you out
b. waiting for the right moment to ask out someone you really like

Which would be more difficult?
a. waiting in line to take your driver’s test
b. waiting for the driver’s license examiner to let you know if you passed the test

Which one do you look forward to more?
a. your birthday
b. Christmas

3. Explain the following themes of the session in your own words:

4. Ask the participants what images they think of when they hear the phrase "the end of the world." If they are not familiar with the word apocalypse, define it for them as "the visions and events surrounding the end of the world." Ask the participants to name apocalyptic images that come to mind from movies, songs, books, and other sources. List the images on newsprint. Images may include fire, floods, and nuclear war. The Book of Revelation, with its references to beasts, dragons, and plagues, may emerge as one of the sources.

5. Create small groups of three to four participants and distribute to each group two bibles, a sheet of newsprint, and a marker. Assign each group several chapters of the Book of Revelation, and direct them to make a list on newsprint of apocalyptic images and events from Revelation. Allow about 5 minutes for the groups to complete the task. Then invite the small groups to share their lists with the full group.

6. Use the following information to explain what the Catholic Church teaches about the end of the world:

(The information in the preceding bulleted items is adapted from the article "The New Jerusalem" in The Catholic Youth Bible, first edition, near Revelation 20:4.)

7. In the large group, brainstorm several scenarios in which staying awake or alert while waiting for something is difficult but extremely important, for example, waiting in line all night for concert tickets or waiting for parents to come home when you are babysitting. After each scenario, brainstorm creative ways that someone might stay awake and ready while he or she is waiting.

8. Tell the participants to return to their small groups. Give each group a sheet of newsprint and a marker. Tell them to list on newsprint ways to stay awake spiritually in order to be ready for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. For example, one way to stay awake is to repeat the phrase "Come, Lord Jesus" frequently throughout the day. After about 5 minutes, invite the groups to share their lists with everyone and then to post them. When all the lists are posted, ask the participants to consider how many of the ideas are applicable to their lives throughout the year.

9. Distribute index cards or large adhesive labels and pens or pencils. Invite the participants to write down at least one thing from the list that they will try to do during this season of Advent—and beyond. Suggest that they keep the card or label in a conspicuous place to remind them to stay awake and be ready.

10. Close with this prayer, which follows the Lord’s Prayer in the liturgy:

Deliver us Lord, from every evil,
and grant us peace in our day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin
and protect us from all anxiety
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
(Sacramentary, p. 562)

Invite the participants to respond as they do at Mass: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.
(P. 562)

You may want to close the session by singing "The King of Glory" or another appropriate song.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 3, 2010
Luke 17:5-10

Opening Prayer
Jesus, in this Sunday's Gospel, you ask us to reflect on the wonderful gift of faith that God has given us and to embrace that faith in service to others. As we share our insights about the Gospel today, help us to come to a clearer understanding of our duty to serve others. Amen.

Context Connection
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus highlights two aspects of being a disciple. First, he talks about faith. Second, he talks about duty. By definition, a believer is one who has sufficient faith to be a follower. The response Jesus gives the disciples when they ask for an increase in faith is, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you" (17:6). Jesus is not saying the Apostles do not have faith. As disciples, they believe in Jesus and have faith in him. Jesus is encouraging the disciples to be content with their faith, even if it is only the size of a mustard seed. With just a small amount of faith, they are capable of doing great things. This Scripture passage also suggests that if the disciple is patient, this gift from God will grow, just as a tiny mustard seed over time grows into a large tree. Jesus stresses that quantity of faith is not the issue. Relying on God and remaining faithful is what makes a difference. The ability to believe and trust others is part of being human; therefore, a disciple should see faith in God as a natural part of life.

Next, Luke uses the example of the slave or servant to give the disciples insight into their duty to serve others. He asks, "Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?" (17:9). The expectation is not that the servant be thanked but rather that the servant fulfill his duty. The servant is simply expected to do his assigned tasks. Disciples of Jesus--servants of Jesus--should not think they deserves or can earn special favor because of their service. Jesus was perhaps challenging the commonly held Jewish perspective that correct observance of the Law and traditions deserves God's reward. If good works are expected of the servant as an ordinary part of duty, then faithful service is a basic requirement of those who follow Jesus. God's favor cannot be earned. Nothing disciples do can lay claim to God's graciousness, nor do a disciples' deeds give them the right to demand anything of God. The analogy drawn here is that just as serving or doing one's duty defines the servant, so faith defines the believer.

Tradition Connection
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man" (paragraph 162). Either we embrace this gift, or we reject it. If we choose to embrace faith, then faith calls us to give ourselves completely--mind, heart, and will--to God in a loving relationship. The Holy Spirit, the gift promised to the Christian community by Jesus at his Ascension, helps us recognize the invitation to faith given to us by God the Father. It is the grace of this gift of faith that makes it possible for us to believe in God: "Believing is possible only by grace and the interior helps of the Holy Spirit. . . . Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed are contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason" (paragraph 154). Because God allows humans to freely choose faith, faith empowers us to do great things in collaboration with God's grace: "In faith, the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace: 'Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace'"1 (paragraph 155).

In faith we find certainty. God is the one constant in our lives, for truth resides within God. "Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie" (Catechism, paragraph 157).

Wisdom Connection
Luke is asking all Jesus's disciples, both then and now, to assess why they do service. Is it to receive recognition from others or a way to bargain with God? Or, is it seen as part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? Luke wants his community to understand that service to others--which is the duty of all faithful disciples of Jesus--should be seen as a way to serve God. Because we are fully alive in our faith, we want to share that experience of faith by helping others come to a faith relationship with Jesus. The desire to serve is in response to the great gift of faith given to us by God.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, 2, 9; cf. Dei Filius 3: Denzinger-Schonmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum de rebus fidei et morum (1965) 3010.

Saint Jerome

September 30 is the feast day for Saint Jerome.

Saint Jerome was acclaimed for his intelligence and knowledge of Sacred Scripture. He is best known for translating the Bible from the Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek into Latin. At the Council of Trent, his translation, known as the Vulgate, became the official translation for the Church. Saint Jerome is the patron saint of Bible scholars, librarians, and students.

For more information on Saint Jerome, go to
http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-jerome/