Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of March 28, 2011!
Congratulations to Nancy Hurtig!

Nancy will receive a copy of Great People of the Bible Student Book and Catechist Guide, a $28.90 value.

Bring Salvation History to Life! Parish leaders have been requesting a Catholic Bible study curriculum for middle school students, created specifically to fit their parish schedules. Saint Mary’s Press is pleased to respond to this need with the Great People of the Bible parish curriculum.

The Great People of the Bible curriculum offers:

- A student book that is found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a supplemental curriculum resource, and the only Bible curriculum for middle school students with this approval

- Twenty-five, one hour sessions designed to fit a typical parish calendar

- A catechist guide that offers easy-to-follow session outlines for the volunteer catechist

- Flexible options for the Catechist to complete student activities in class or use as family learning assignments in the home

- One student book that covers both the Old and New Testament and that supports the ABC’s of biblical literacy

- Engaging student activities, now with expanded background content, based on the ever popular Student Activity Workbooks for Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics

Great People of the Bible
ISBN: 978-0-88489-690-6, paper, 56 pages

Child Abuse Prevention Month

In all my years of ministry, I can honestly say that the most difficult issue I have ever dealt with was that of reporting a case of suspected child abuse. It was not an action I took lightly, because I was well aware of the consequences of my decision. However, it was also something that I could not ignore in the hope that someone else would take action. I am bringing up this topic today because April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

In our roles as ministers, mentors, and educators, we encounter young people in a unique way. Often youth will confide their struggles, worries, fears, and troubles to us. We are privileged to have the opportunity, at times, to engage young people in deep and meaningful conversations. The result of these conversations can be a glimpse into the life of youth. This means we might learn things that give us concern for the safety and well-being of a youth. It is important to recognize that we have a responsibility to care for our young people—not only spiritually, but physically and emotionally as well.

As a part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the following are a few steps you can take to be better prepared to deal with a case of suspected abuse if you ever encounter one.

- Find out what the guidelines are for your parish, school, and diocese concerning the reporting of suspected child abuse. Every parish, school, and diocese should have guidelines for both its employees and its volunteers concerning the reporting of suspected child abuse.

- If you are at a school, discuss with your principal and school counselor what to do if you suspect one of your students is being abused. If you are at a parish, discuss the issue with your pastor and parish administrator. It is important to know that you are not alone in dealing with a situation if it arises.

- Identify the proper government agency in your community to which cases of suspected child abuse are to be reported. Find out what the procedure is and have the needed contact information readily available in case you need it.

I would like to direct you to one resource that can be particularly useful in learning more about how to prevent and address child abuse. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families has created a resource page for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is an extensive collection of activities, tips, information, and tools to help you and the parents of your youth take steps to prevent child abuse. I encourage you to spend some time today or tomorrow looking through the resources at this site.

Addressing child abuse, in all of its forms, can be a daunting and intimidating aspect of our ministries. It is also, however, a very real way that we can share the love of God with a young person. What greater love could we share with a child who is in danger than to stand up to provide them with protection? I pray that the Spirit will strengthen you with courage to be the voice for any youth you encounter who are in abusive situations, and as always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Click Here for More Information

Session Overview
This gathering is intended for young people, their parents, and ministry leaders in the community. The session is designed to encourage participants of various ages to reach out to all members of the community for support, encouragement, and accountability. The individual sessions provided prior to this one offer the opportunity for teens and adults to learn in a comfortable setting appropriate to their age-group. This session brings a variety of age-groups together to share thoughts on an important topic: child sexual abuse. The combined gathering will help the participants recognize the responsibility everyone has to ensure the safety of children, no matter what age or role they play in the community.

Outcomes
- The learner will discuss the needs and concerns about sexual abuse from the perspective of both the young people and the adults in the community.
- The learner will evaluate the resources and tools available for reaching out to a community in crisis.
- The learner will collaborate with community members in a collective effort to create a safer and more sacred environment for young people.
- The learner will pledge to play a key role in raising awareness and support in the prevention of child abuse.

Facilitation
The facilitator’s role is to allow for an open discussion in which all the participants can share (if they choose to do so). The facilitator should introduce the purpose of the session and any guidelines for the discussion. It is essential that the facilitator of this session have excellent listening skills. The facilitator should not be a member of the clergy. The presence of or cofacilitation by a professional psychologist or social worker is strongly suggested. At a minimum, a professional should be readily accessible if needed.

Session at a Glance
- Opening Activity (15 minutes)
- Nourishing Trust (20 minutes)
- Hoping with Confidence (20 minutes)
- Creating Safe and Sacred Places Together (30 minutes)
- Believing in the Power of Community (5 minutes)

Preparation
Gather the following items:
- name tags (the sticker kind), one for each participant
- newsprint and markers
- blank sheets of paper
- pens or pencils, one for each participant
- several copies of your parish, school, or community bulletin or calendar (optional)
- copies of handout 8, "Community Pledge," one for each participant

- Gather some giveaway items or prizes. These items should be things that are meaningful to the session work and could include a Bible, a book or video on parent-teen communication, coupons for a family outing for ice cream, a video of a popular movie portraying relationships in a healthy and safe way, and so on.

- Write a letter of the alphabet on one corner of each name tag. Be sure to repeat commonly used letters such as a, e, r, s, t, and m.

- Invite a staff member from your diocese to outline in detail the plan the diocese has created to protect the children of the faith community. This staff member might be the diocesan director of youth ministry or religious education or the diocesan child protection advocate. Be sure the speaker will be comfortable addressing the mixed ages present. It is crucial that the speaker understand that he or she is invited to the group gathering as a positive and helpful advocate for the children of the Church. The diocesan speaker should not address or defend any specific personal situation or single out any person in the presentation. Be sure to invite a speaker who considers herself or himself to be an advocate for young people. Resource 7, "Suggested Speaker Notes," provides additional information, including a suggested outline for the presentation. Be sure to provide the speaker with the session notes well in advance so that she or he can prepare and be clear on expectations and needs.

- As the participants enter the gathering space, invite each of them to fill out a name tag.

Opening Activity (15 minutes)
1. Welcome the participants and provide each with a blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. Tell them that each name tag has a letter of the alphabet on it. Each individual letter will be used to join with other participants to form a word. Instruct the group to create words using the following rules:

- You will have 6 minutes for this activity. When time begins, move around the room to find other letters that with your letter will form a word.
- You are to create only words that have something to do with preventing child abuse in the community.
- When you have found a set of letters, each person who formed the word should write down that word. For example, Katie has the letter s in the corner of her name tag. She finds five other participants with the letters a, c, r, e, and d. Everyone in that group of six writes the word sacred on the paper.
- Once you find and record a word, move along to find another word with other letters. For example, Katie will leave her group of sacred and find four other people (letters) to make the word trust, and all members in that word group will write the word trust on the paper.
- Continue to scramble and unscramble people (letters) until you have as many words as you can find and until time is called.

2. Announce when there is one minute remaining. At the end of the
6 minutes, call time.

3. Gather the participants together in the large group. Ask them to count the number of words on their individual lists. If a word is not obvious, the participant will need to explain to the large group how it relates to the topic. (Obvious words might include safe, sacred, hope, trust, child, and so on.)

4. Distribute prizes to the following participants:
- the one with the most words
- the one with the longest word
- the one with the least words
- the one with the most words with uncommon letters (such as q, x,or j )

5. Tell the participants that this silly game can actually teach us something positive about working to prevent child abuse. Be sure to mention the following points, allowing the group to add their thoughts as well:

- Each person needed the help of another to create a word.
- New possibilities and great diversity happened as words were formed.
- Being open to others and acting as community created more and more words.
- We need to be aware of those who try but simply cannot or do not have the means to help themselves (like the person with the letter q, who was limited in the words he or she could create).

6. Ask for a sampling of the words the participants created. Have them call out their words to the group. You may wish to note these words on newsprint. You will also want to allow for further insights to surface and be discussed.

Nourishing Trust (20 minutes)

1. Divide the large group into smaller groups of three to four. Each group should have a balanced mix of participants. For example, if your session includes parents, young people, and ministry leaders, be sure that each group has an equal number of each. Each group should choose a representative parent, young person, and ministry leader.

2. Tell the participants they will be asked a series of questions that the representatives in each small group will have the opportunity to answer. When each participant in a group is asked a question, only that person is allowed to speak or share a response, and he or she must do so within 1 minute. Other group members should talk only to clarify what the speaker has said or to encourage further explanation from the speaker. The purpose of the activity is to give the representatives an opportunity to say something about what they have gained or stand to gain from community education about abuse. The activity will spur further discussion at a later time (after the session and at home). The 1-minute time frame allows a specific and special time for each person to voice a reaction to the previous sessions and the topic of abuse and also encourages each speaker to focus the answer and think about a response.

3. If there is more than one parent, young person, or ministry leader in each group, adjust the time to allow for each person to have an opportunity to share. Remind the participants that only the person who has been assigned a question can speak during the allotted minute. For example, when teens have been asked a question, only the teen representative in a group may speak. Other members (parents, leaders, other teens) can ask questions only to clarify or to encourage further or deeper explanation from the representative teen.

4. Allow 1 minute for each representative person to answer the following questions. If you sense that the participants need additional time to collect their thoughts before voicing them out loud, provide a pen or pencil and a sheet of paper to each participant and allow a set time period of no more than 1 minute for silent reflection after each question. Announce the questions one at a time, and call time at the end of each minute in order to move to the next question. While the questions are being answered in each group, walk around to hear some of the conversation and to remind the groups that only the one asked a question should be allowed to answer at that time.

- Teens. Name one valuable thing you have noticed or learned in the previous sessions about the issue of abuse that you hope other teens will take seriously.
- Parents. Why do parents want their children to be safe and happy?
- Ministry leaders. Name one thing you want to take to heart and work for regarding teens and preventing child abuse.
- Teens. Name one way you rely on adults (parents or ministry leaders) within the faith community.
- Parents. Complete this sentence: I think I, as a parent, should learn about creating safe and sacred places because . . .
- Ministry leaders. Name one reason why you value the contributions of teens in the faith community.

After all we have learned together, we must continue in conversation, continue to listen to one another, and continue to seek understanding of one another’s concerns.

Hoping with Confidence (20 minutes)
1. Introduce the guest who will speak to the participants. Explain that this speaker has been asked to share some of the plans, procedures, and preventive measures that are in place in your local community.

2. If time allows, invite the participants to ask any clarifying questions they might have, or offer a time for brief discussion between the participants and the speaker. Consider the following discussion questions:

- What did you hear in the speaker’s presentation that you found to be particularly significant?
- What reactions do you have to what you heard?

When the speaker has concluded, thank him or her for sharing, and extend an invitation for her or him to stay with the group for the remaining planning, pledge, and prayer activities.

Creating Safe and Sacred Places Together (30 minutes)

1. Remind the group of the following:

- We have spent some time during our previous sessions talking about the discomfort of discussing and addressing the topic of sexual abuse. We have faced a difficult issue. Although we have accomplished a lot, we are not yet finished. Preventing sexual abuse requires commitment, prayer, and consistent effort on the part of the community.

2. Invite the participants to consider the following question:

- Were it not for fear, what would I want to do to stop or prevent abuse of someone in our community?

Allow some time for the participants to ponder this question in silence.

3. Then share the following points with the participants:

- Fear is but one obstacle that might keep us from moving forward or accomplishing something.
- Maybe something else holds us back sometimes or keeps us silent.
- We could ask the same question and replace the word fear with embarrassment, shame, mistrust, or doubt.
- Even fear can take on many forms—fear of speaking out, fear of being ignored, fear of being talked about, and so on. Fear can immobilize us.
- Ask yourself: Were it not for fear, what would I want to do to stop or prevent abuse of someone in our community? What can I do? What can we do?
- Given what each of us has learned about sexual abuse, no longer can any of us allow fear to keep us from working toward a safer community.
- Each of us has the unique opportunity to be the one (or among the many) who finally says and does something about making our community the best and safest place for children, families, and parents.
- Take some time now to talk about what you as an individual can do and what we as a group can do.

4. Divide the large group into small groups of eight. You may want to merge every other group from the previous activity into one large group. Provide each small group with a couple sheets of newsprint and a few markers. Instruct the small groups to develop a plan they can realistically support and can carry out in their efforts to keep young people safe. Be sure to do the following:

- Remind the participants that they have seen their work from other sessions promoted, advertised, and printed in various ways to get the word out to others who have not been a part of this awareness program.
- Assure the participants that you and the parish or school staff want to take their concerns and ideas seriously and that you hope to be able to support and accommodate the needs and creative ideas they have.
- Remind the groups to be realistic. No plan is too small; very simple efforts can make a big difference.
- Tell the groups they will be asked to show and explain to the other groups what they have created.
- Ask the participants whether they have any questions. If so, respond. If not, invite the groups to begin.
- Be sure to visit each small group to encourage them in their work and to answer any questions they might have. If your speaker is willing, ask him or her to visit groups and to add suggestions and comments where appropriate. If you decide it would be helpful to the participants, provide them with copies of the current bulletin or calendar so they will know about the programs and activities that are already happening in the community. Ask them to think about how those programs and activities could be improved by some awareness and support of child abuse prevention efforts.

5. After 10 minutes, tell the participants they should consider answering the following question as they begin to develop their plan more fully:

- How would this plan be implemented in our community?
- Where would we need to go to find resources?
- Whom would we seek out to help us?
- What can each member of our small group contribute to this plan or idea?
- Are there any obstacles to this plan? If so, how can we overcome them?

Allow an additional 10 minutes for the participants to consider the questions.

6. Gather the participants back into a large group. Ask each small group to present its ideas to the large group. When appropriate, make note of participants who show a strong interest in their personal efforts toward making these plans happen. Be sure to include those people in your next action steps for the community.

7. Invite a few of the participants to respond in the large group to the following questions:

- What positive efforts is our faith community already implementing that promote a safe and sacred environment?
- What do you think our community is missing or could improve on in regard to prevention and awareness?
- What would you like to see happen to improve the quality of safety and sanctity in our faith community?

8. Thank the participants for their courageous effort, and encourage them to consider how they can take part in keeping safety a number-one priority in the community.

Believing in the Power of Community (5 minutes)

1. Tell the group that the work they have accomplished thus far is valuable. Thank them for choosing to walk the journey of awareness together, and invite them to continue on the path to healing, protection, and hope. Offer any additional summary comments or thoughts. If you will be providing the participants with additional training or an educational session, this would be a good time to let them know what is available.

2. Distribute the Community Pledge and invite participants to recite the pledge together. (Note: The pledge is done in an antiphonal style, so you will have to divide the large group into side A and side B.)

Fourth Sunday of Lent
April 3, 2011
John 9:1-41

Opening Prayer
Jesus, help us to be credible witnesses of the values of truth that you have revealed to us through the Gospels. May we be like the man born blind and never allow outside forces to diminish our witness of our faith in you. Amen.

Context Connection
The initial question the disciples ask Jesus about the man born blind is, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (9:2). The disciples inquire about the origin of the man's blindness because during the time of Jesus people believed that an individual's sin was the cause of illness and disabilities. The Jewish people also believed that sin could be transferred from parents to their children. In the case of the man born blind, his parents may have committed sin while the child was in the womb, thus causing the blindness. Jews believed that God could not cause the evil of illness or disability but that it was the direct result of human sin. (See Tobit 3:3-4, Exodus 20:5, Numbers 14:18.)

The disciples are amazed by Jesus's response: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned" (9:3). This is a key insight about God. Jesus wants his followers to understand that God does not send illness, disabilities, or suffering to us as a punishment for something we have done.

Before Jesus heals the man born blind, he shares with his disciples that he is "the light of the world" (9:5). As the light of the world, Jesus will give sight to the man born blind--a person who has never seen light. Through a ritual of mixing saliva with dirt, Jesus creates mud that he uses to anoint the blind man's eyes. Jesus then commands the blind man to "go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (9:7). John adds a note indicating that Siloam means "sent." According to John, Jesus is the one sent by God. The author intentionally makes this connection to illustrate that the blind man is cured by the one sent by God because he faithfully followed the words of Jesus. The blind man follows Jesus's command without hesitation and receives his sight. John puts this forth as an example for all believers.

Now a dispute arose among the neighbors of the man who was given sight. Some said that he was "the man who used to sit and beg," and others said "no, but it is someone like him" (9:8-9). The man born blind continues to give witness that he is indeed the man. The crowd questions how could he, a blind man, see? He answers, saying, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight" (9:11). The man born blind recalls the facts of what happened, without exaggeration, and repeats these facts two more times before the end of this account. When the crowd questions him about the whereabouts of Jesus, he says that he does not know.

Next, the man born blind is brought before the Pharisees. John emphasizes that this takes place on the Sabbath. When the Pharisees question the man a second time about how he came to see, the man born blind gives the facts of his encounter with Jesus. This creates a division within this group of Pharisees: "This man [Jesus] is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath" (9:16). Jesus's making mud and spreading it on the eyes of the blind man is seen as a violation of the regulations governing the Sabbath. Other Pharisees argue, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" (9:16). The Pharisees never dispute the reality of the miracle, but because the Pharisees could not agree on who Jesus was, they ask the man born blind for his insight: "'What do you say about [Jesus]? It was your eyes he opened.' He said, '[Jesus] is a prophet'" (9:17). Unable to believe this, the Jews call for the blind man's parents to come and talk with them. They immediately begin to interrogate the parents: "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" (9:19). The questions imply that the parents had been lying about their son's blindness. In their defense the parents say, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes" (9:20-21). Then the parents distance themselves from the situation by shifting the focus back to their son, who is able to speak for himself: "Ask him; he is of age" (9:21).

When the man born blind comes before the Pharisees a second time they demand that the man praise and "give glory to God" because the Pharisees know that "[Jesus] is a sinner" (9:24). The man born blind gives witness to his understanding about Jesus: "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (9:25). The Pharisees ask the man once again to tell them how Jesus was able to make him see. The man responds in a very interesting way, asking, "Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" (9:27). The Pharisees are angered by the man's response and profess their loyalty to Moses: "We are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from" (9:28-29). When the Pharisees continue to question Jesus's origins, the man born blind gives a profound witness saying that what Jesus has done proves who he is: "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing" (9:31-33). It was impossible for the Pharisees to give up the viewpoint that the parents' sin or the sin of the man born blind had caused his blindness--a viewpoint that Jesus had denounced at the beginning of this Gospel passage. Because of this, the man born blind is driven from the Temple by the Jewish authorities and is persecuted for professing his belief in Jesus.

Jesus then seeks out the man born blind and reveals to him his true identity as the Son of Man. The man, who now sees, worships Jesus. Then Jesus proclaims, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind" (9:39). Some of the Pharisees who overheard Jesus confronted him saying, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" (9:40). Jesus responds, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains" (9:41). Once again, Jesus states that sin does not cause physical blindness, but it does cause spiritual blindness.

Tradition Connection
The man born blind gives witness to the truth about Jesus, which he has come to know through his encounter with Jesus. Throughout the story, the man never wavers from the facts in telling how Jesus spread mud on his eyes, had him wash in the pool of Siloam, and gave him sight. The man born blind stands tall and declares that Jesus is indeed the one who gave him sight despite the disbelief of his neighbors, his peers, and the Pharisees. The man could have taken the easy way out and agreed with the crowd. He could have denied who he was and said that he was the brother of the man born blind. But as the man born blind gave witness to what he knew to be true about Jesus, his insight into Jesus's true identity grew. When the Pharisees asked the man who Jesus was, he said, "[Jesus] is a prophet" (9:17). At the end of the account, the man born blind is rewarded by Jesus when Jesus discloses his identity, saying that he is "the Son of Man" (9:35). As Catholic Christians in the world today, we are faced with similar challenges of giving witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. How do we respond? The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known.1 (Paragraph 2472)

Wisdom Connection
Jesus's touch brought the man born blind from a world of darkness into a world of light. One wonders how the man could trust his eyes because having never seen before, the man had nothing to compare this experience to. Throughout the story, the man puts his trust in the saving actions of Jesus in his life. He chooses to believe in his encounter with Jesus and gives witness to that relationship even if it causes him to be thrown out of the Temple. In John's community, if an individual publicly professed their belief in Jesus the Christ, they were excommunicated from the Temple. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ comes at a cost. Are we willing to profess our belief in Jesus Christ today even though we might be criticized?

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. Cf. Matthew 18:16.

Mary Restituta Kafka

March 30 is the memorial for Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka.

Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka was the daughter of a shoemaker in Vienna, Austria, and she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in 1914, at the age of 16. She worked as a nurse for 20 years. After the Nazi invasion of Austria, Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka hung a crucifix in every room of a new wing in the hospital. When she refused the Nazi order to take them down, she was arrested and later sentenced to death. She spent her time in prison ministering to the other prisoners until she was executed.

For more information about Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saintmbo.htm.