Joseph will receive a copy of Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics, a $24.95 value.

As the title suggests, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics highlights what happens throughout salvation history between God and humanity. God breaks through and connects with human history, thereby establishing a relationship with humanity.

Using the Good News translation, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics was created for young people leaving childhood and entering adolescence. Its ten special features were created to help make the Bible easier for young people to read and understand.

They will learn about the great people of the Bible, and will see how God has been breaking through in human history and connecting with humanity for thousands of years. Most important, they will discover, in the Bible, how God's messages to key people of faith have meaning for life today.

Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics
ISBN: 978-1-59982-339-3, paper, 1,968 pages

by Joanna Dailey

It’s that time again! It’s the last week in January and it’s Catholic Schools Week—the week during which Catholic schools across the nation let their lights shine! Sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Education Association, Catholic Schools Week gives Catholic schools the opportunity to tell their stories to the community.

This year, the theme of the week is Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service. This theme will last for three years, enabling schools to use the same focus and promotional materials for a longer period of time. This year, in connection with the theme of Service, each school has been asked to do 40 hours of service during the course of the week, spread across all grade levels.

More information about Catholic Schools Week, and some ideas for participation, can be found at the Web site of the NCEA, at this address: http://www.ncea.org/our-services/catholic-schools-week.

Saint Mary’s Press takes this opportunity to thank the principals and teachers of all Catholic schools and religious education programs who have made us so welcome as observers in these past few years. Your cooperation and participation have been vital in our mission to provide religious education materials that will meet the needs of today’s teachers and students, whether in Catholic schools or in parish religious education programs. The value for us in stepping away from our day-to-day work and seeing how things look from the point of view of teachers and students (whether they are using our materials or not) has been immeasurable. As publishers, we need to be, every so often, where the rubber meets the road, and you have made that possible for us. Thank you very much!

A note to Super Bowl fans: The Make It Happen activity in this newsletter has the Super Bowl as its theme. Take a look! This is the first Super Bowl ever to be played outdoors, and the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a snowstorm for February 2. (So, what else is new?) See the Saint Spotlight for a short introduction to the Feast of the Presentation celebrated on this Sunday.

Finally, here is a message to teachers from our favorite teacher and patron, Saint John Baptist de La Salle:

"You, too, . . . are angels sent by God to prepare a path for him, so that he can enter your heart and the hearts of your disciples" (Meditation on the Second Sunday of Advent).

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

P.S. Coming soon to a theater near you! In 2014, five films with biblical or religious themes are expected to be released, according to a news item submitted to the Servant Leader by Brian Singer-Towns of our Product Development and Innovation Team. Their titles and release dates are:

Son of God (February, 2014)
A film from Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, based on their History Channel series, The Bible.

Noah (November, 2014)
Cast includes Russell Crowe as Noah, with Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, and Emma Watson. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also directed Black Swan. Said to create details not found in the biblical narrative.

Heaven Is for Real (April, 2014)
Based on the best-selling book of the same name, starring Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, and Thomas Haden Church. An account of the life-after-death experience of a small boy, set to be released just after Easter.

Exodus (December, 2014)
Directed by Ridley Scott. Christian Bale stars as Moses, and Sigourney Weaver will costar. It remains to be seen how this will compare to the 1956 movie, The Ten Commandments.

Mary, Mother of Christ (December, 2014)
This movie is the prequel to The Passion of Christ. The cast includes the late Peter O’Toole, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Julia Ormond. A 16-year-old young Israeli woman will play the role of Mary. Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen is an executive producer.

Overview
This combination game and service project is played in relay style by teams of young people with cans of soup that they bring as donations for the local food pantry.

Suggested Time
About 10 minutes, or as long as the group wants to play.

Group Size
Six to eight people in small groups, with each small group forming a relay team.

Materials Needed

• masking tape
• basketballs, one for each team
• donated cans of soup
• newsprint and markers

Procedure

Divide the young people into small groups of six to eight people and assign each group a bowling lane. Direct the members of each team to stack the cans of soup they brought into a pyramid on the line you marked earlier. Tell half the members of each team to line up in back of their pyramid. Those people are the stackers. The other half of each team should line up in back of their basketball. Those are the bowlers.

Explain the following rules in your own words:

• The person who is first in the bowling line will roll the ball toward the stack of cans. The team gets a point for every can that falls off its pyramid when the ball hits it. Throwing is not allowed. If a bowler throws the ball, the team gets no points.
• When the ball hits the stack, the bowler runs to the end of the stacking line. Meanwhile the stackers reset the pyramid as quickly as they can. The pyramid must be stacked the same way every time.
• When the pyramid has been restacked, the first person in the stacking line runs to the end of the bowling line. When he or she reaches the line, the next bowler rolls the ball, and the team follows the same process for bowling, stacking, and rotating places. The game continues until you call time.

Keep score on newsprint. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

After the game donate the cans of soup to a local food pantry.

Alternative Approaches

• Follow the game with a soup supper.
• Challenge other groups in the parish or other youth groups to a soup-or-bowl tournament and award prizes to the winners. For the young person who brings the most cans of soup, provide gift certificates to a fast-food restaurant or a bag of snack food. Give the tournament winners plastic soup bowls—blue bowls for the first-place team, red bowls for second place, and yellow bowls for third. End the tournament with a soup supper.
• Instead of knocking down cans, use an actual bowling game with pins and balls, and award cans of soup for the top score after each round. Also give prizes to the team with the most cans at the end of the game.
• Help the young teens run a soup-or-bowl tournament for young children. You may want to use empty soup cans and soft foam balls for the game itself.
• Ask the entire parish to bring cans of soup to Mass on Super Bowl Sunday.

Scriptural Connections

• Isa. 58:7 (Share your bread with the hungry.)
• Matt. 25:35–40 (I was hungry, and you gave me food.)
• James 2:14–17 (Put faith into action.)

The Presentation of the Lord
February 2, 2014
Luke 2:22-40

Opening Prayer

Jesus, John the Baptist recognized your true identity when, at your baptism, the Holy Spirit came to rest on you and did not leave. We pray that your Holy Spirit will be with us always and help us, through the example of our lives, to point others to you--for you are the way of salvation. Amen.

Context Connection
This special solemnity of the Church commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem by Joseph and Mary to fulfill the requirements set forth by Mosaic Law regarding the firstborn son (see Exodus 13:2). As faith-filled Jews, Mary and Joseph, in compliance with Jewish ritual, consecrate their firstborn son to God. The presentation is required because it recalls the hand of God delivering the Jews from Egyptian slavery when God had the angel of death, at Passover, take the life of the firstborn males of the Egyptians. From that time forward, Jews have dedicated their firstborn sons to God for saving them. The firstborn son "belongs" to God.

In the passage by Luke, we meet Simeon and Anna, who represent the faithful Jew who has been waiting in hope for the coming of the redemption of the promised Messiah. We learn that Simeon is a righteous man upon whom the Holy Spirit rests. The Holy Spirit has revealed to Simeon that he will encounter the promised Messiah before he dies. Immediately upon Joseph and Mary's entering the Temple area with the child Jesus, Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and gives praise and thanksgiving to God for allowing him to see the Messiah. Simeon's prayer can be found in Luke (2:29–32). This is called the Nunc Dimittis, which is traditionally part of compline (night office) in the Liturgy of the Hours. Then Simeon gives his blessing to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus with this prophecy: "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (2:34–35). Then Simeon adds this specific prophecy for Mary: "A sword will pierce your own soul too" (2:35).

Simeon's words are ominous; he speaks of a schism, where one person will choose Jesus while another will reject him. This idea is repeated many times in the Gospel of Luke. The message to Mary is about the demands of discipleship. Through Simeon's words, Luke says that to be a disciple of Jesus is not easy. To love Jesus is to suffer with him.

Right from the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, we have the foreshadowing of the necessity of the suffering of Jesus in the universal mission of the Messiah. Through Simeon's words, the cross already casts its shadow upon the Holy Family. Luke is also saying that it should not come as any surprise to the followers of Jesus that they too will have to suffer as they live lives of Gospel values.

Anna, a faithful Jew, is also one who points to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. She has dedicated her life to prayer and fasting, with the hope that God will award her the privilege of encountering the Messiah, who will bring about the redemption of Jerusalem. In the deep recesses of her heart, she knows Jesus is the one.

Tradition Connection
Luke uses the occasion of "the presentation of Jesus in the Temple"1 as a way to point out to all believers that Jesus is the Son of God, who is the Savior of the world. Luke wants everyone to know that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah the Jews have spoken of. However, Jesus will be a Messiah of God's making, not of humans' desire. (see Catechism, paragraph 529).

Most of the expectation of the Jewish Messiah can be found in the writings of the prophets of the Old Testament. Isaiah says it will be a small group of poor individuals that will recognize the coming of the true Messiah. Luke is very careful to describe both Simeon and Anna as individuals who are poor in worldly possessions but found to be in favor with the Holy Spirit because of their lives of prayer, fasting, and righteousness.

Throughout the Gospels, the true nature of Jesus as the Messiah, the servant of servants, is revealed. This is an image that already is revealed by the prophet Isaiah in the servant songs. Luke helps the Christian community maturate its understanding of the Messiah as the servant who will bring about the salvation of humankind through the Holy Spirit by Jesus' Passion and death.

Wisdom Connection
Luke, in using Simeon and Anna, who represent the faithful Israelite who has patiently waited for the coming of the Messiah, point to Jesus as the Messiah, the promised hope of the Jewish people. Most Jews, however, are expecting a Messiah who will be a worldly leader and will restore the glorious kingdom of Israel. If Simeon and Anna can recognize the true identity of Jesus at the time of his presentation in the Temple, how much easier it should be for the members of the Christian community to accept Jesus as the Messiah after all the good works he has done in his life and how he suffered and died! Simeon also speaks of the way the Messiah will bring about the salvation of all humankind, through suffering and death. And being a follower of Jesus does not exempt any disciples from lives of suffering and possible death.

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.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Lk 2:22-39; Ex 13:2, 12-13

The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 9, 2014
Matthew 5:13-16

Opening Prayer

Jesus, we desire to be your disciples in the world today. Help us to let our light shine through the many opportunities we have to be charitable each day. May the way we are present to each person we meet be a source of "salt" that makes their day a little better. Amen

Context Connection
Two weeks ago, the Gospel reflection focused on the calling of the first disciples. Last week, Matthew presented us with the Beatitudes, which are the new commands for the disciples of Jesus. In this Sunday's passage, Matthew presents the demands of being a disciple of Jesus by comparing discipleship to salt and light. Both salt and light are common metaphors with many meanings. Matthew highlights the functions of salt and light. Salt gives food a pleasant taste, and light enables one to see clearly. Salt is used to add flavor, to clean or purify, and to preserve. Light has the ability to illuminate the pathway and helps us to see the true colors in life.

The disciples' mission is not just to be salt and light for their families and neighbors but for the whole world. The Scriptures say that we are to be "salt of the earth" (5:13) and "light of the world" (5:14). Matthew points out that it is God's grace dwelling in us that makes it possible for us to be salt and light for the world. Jesus' intention was not to create an easy path through life or to gather an elite group of followers around him. Rather, Jesus invites his disciples to come and follow him on the path through death to resurrection. This is only possible if we embrace the crosses in our lives. Our discipleship in Jesus is realized in our loving relationship with the world--modeling what Jesus modeled for us (the Beatitudes). As disciples, we are called to bring flavor into the lives of everyone we meet and to be a light that lead others to Jesus. In the Old Testament, Isaiah proclaimed that Israel's vocation was to be "a light to the nations" (42:6; 49:6). Jesus affirms this vocation for the Christian disciple as well: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (5:16). Jesus has in mind good works such as feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, clothing the naked, providing for widows and orphans, visiting those in jail, comforting the sick, and consoling those who mourn. The object of doing good works is not to draw attention to ourselves but that through these works people may come to praise God.

When we talk about someone being "the salt of the earth," we acknowledge that they are solidly a good person. They know how to do the right thing. Their "saltiness" gives vitality to all the lives that they touch. They are a light or a witness to others. This is the kind of disciple Jesus was describing in the passage for this Sunday's Gospel.

Tradition Connection
Because of our Baptism, we are asked to live in a way that through our actions others are attracted to Jesus. In Baptism:

Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."1 By "putting away falsehood," they are to "put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander"2 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2475).

In our Baptism, we receive a white garment symbolizing that we have put on Christ and, in putting on Christ, we make a commitment to live in a way that is congruent with the Gospel. At Baptism, we receive a candle that is lit from the Easter candle to signify that the light of Christ has enlightened us--that we are the light of the world. Through Baptism, we become a part of the People of God:

The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history. . . . One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit,"3 that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism (Catechism, paragraph 782).

The mission of the People of God through their Baptism "is to be salt of the earth and light of the world.4 This people is 'a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race'" (Catechism, paragraph 782).

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house" (5:14-15). By our baptism, we are to give witness to the light of Christ that dwells within us by the good works we do. We often refer to these good works as works of mercy:

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.5 Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead"6 (Catechism, paragraph 2447).

This kind of charity, extended to everyone, is the hallmark of a disciple of Jesus. What are the results? "The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy" (Catechism, paragraph 1829). It is this light of joy, peace, and mercy that others observe in the disciples of Jesus.

Wisdom Connection
Matthew wants his community to be consciously aware of their role as disciples of Jesus. The disciple of Jesus is called beyond simply expressing Jesus as Lord and Savior to putting that profession of faith into action. In comparing Jesus' followers to salt, Matthew is saying that a disciple of Jesus needs to improve the quality of human existence and preserve it from destruction. In addition, Matthew challenges his community members to let their light shine as a witness to their fidelity to Jesus in a time when they could be persecuted for the outward expression of their faith.

Another property of salt is that it can be a catalyst in regard to fire. It makes the fire burn more brightly, thus giving off more light. In using this metaphor, we gain a new insight into discipleship. As catalysts, the disciples of Jesus are to give off light through their lifestyle--showing others the way to Jesus.

Jesus, as the salt of the earth, created light for others in darkness. This light gave sight to some, enabling them to understand who Jesus truly was--the Son of God. Others, experiencing this same light, got burned and responded by putting him to death.

How do we respond to the light of Christ? How do we imitate Jesus, the salt of the earth, in our lives today?

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.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Ephesians 4:24.
2. Ephesians 4:25; 1 Peter 2:1
3. John 3:3-5.
4. Cf. Matthew 5:13-16.
5. Cf. Isaiah 58:6-7; Hebrews 13:3
6. Cf. Matthew 25:31-46.

It is not often that this beautiful feast falls on a Sunday, so you might want to take some time to alert your group ahead of time.

This feast is also known as "Candlemas" (i.e., "Candle Mass") because, traditionally, a procession of candles is held on this day to celebrate the coming of the Light (the Infant Jesus, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles," Luke 2:32, NABRE) into the Temple. Also on this feast the candles for use in church during the coming year are blessed. (Some will be used tomorrow at the blessing of throats on the feast of Saint Blaise.)

Simeon and Anna represent all of the people of the Old Testament who have waited for the Light. Simeon speaks for all of them when he says, "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace . . . for my eyes have seen your salvation" (Luke 2:29–30, NABRE). Simeon’s Canticle is sung at Compline (the evening and last office of the Liturgy of the Hours) because, each day since the Light has come, we have seen our salvation and can go to our rest in the peace of Christ.