Nancy will receive a copy of The Catholic Youth Prayer Book, Second Edition, a $15.95 value.

by Joanna Dailey

As the winds of March blow hither and yon, some in leadership among us are already thinking of August or September. What programs shall we put in place next year? Who will be on staff? When can we meet to plan?

For others of us, these tentative plans for the future can be problematic, especially if we are required to make a decision concerning them: Should I sign this contract? Should I sign up to volunteer for another year? Should I try something new? Is there a need somewhere else that I should be considering? Even if there is no question of changing our place of employment or volunteer effort, it may happen that we are asked to think about changing our grade level, adding classes, or taking on a new responsibility.

"No pressure," we are told. "It’s entirely up to you." Well, not exactly. We don’t want it to be entirely up to us. We want it to be up to God.

But how do we know?

The question of discernment is entirely too big for this short essay, but I do want to pass along a helpful tip that I have learned of recently. I believe it originated in the spiritual practice of Saint Ignatius Loyola. In an abbreviated version, it is this:

Let us say that you have been asked to consider a move to another school. What is the will of God for you? As in any situation, there are advantages and disadvantages to this move. Adding up pros and cons, even choosing the situation with the most pros, may not really result in finding the will of God. Prayerful discernment rises above a purely intellectual decision of pros and cons. Maybe a situation with more cons than pros is calling to you to face the challenge!

Instead, test the waters through your imagination. First, let us assume that knowing the will of God for you will bring you peace on a deep level. To discern which situation is best for you, spend three days living as if you had already decided to move to the other school. How does this decision affect you? How are you feeling?

Then, spend the next three days living as if you had already decided to stay where you are. How does this decision affect you? How are you feeling?

In general, the right decision for you will bring you peace. An imaginary "living" of the decision involves the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. The Holy Spirit wants to guide us and help us on all these levels, and will do so when asked. Of course it is always best to discuss this kind of discernment with a spiritual guide, especially if the road ahead remains unclear. (Sometimes, for example, what looks like peace is really complacency, and deeper discernment is needed.) For more on making good choices in life, go to http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/making-good-decisions/an-approach-to-good-choices/.

There is one thing we must always remember: Through Baptism and Confirmation (Sacraments of Christian Initiation which we think about so much during Lent) God has already chosen us:

"And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways."

(Luke 2:76, NABRE)

Like John the Baptist, like Jesus himself, we are in the Lenten desert, honing our lives to respond to God’s call, wherever it may lead.

(As Lent is a time to prepare to renew our baptismal promises at Easter, the candle-holder-making activity in Make It Happen in this newsletter may provide a focal point around which to discuss the Sacrament of Baptism and the Paschal Candle as a symbol of Resurrection at the Easter Vigil.)

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

P.S. Be sure to read the Saint Spotlight below, about a saint whose choice in life led to a holy compromise (as many of our choices do). God be with you on your Lenten journey!

Overview
This activity celebrates the role of light in our life. The light in our Catholic faith is Jesus, the light of the world. The young teens have an opportunity to make a prayer candleholder as a symbol of the light of Jesus shining in their lives, and as a reminder of his call to be lights for the world.

Suggested Time
This activity can take 30-45 minutes.

Group Size
This craft project can be done with any size group. Additional adult help is needed for larger groups.

Special Considerations
The candleholders will need to dry completely before a candle can be burned inside them. This may take 30 minutes or more. You may want to make the holders at the beginning of your session and use them for prayer at the end of your session. Another option is to make the holders one day and use them for prayer another day.

Materials Needed

• used newspapers
• empty baby food jars, one for each person
• paper plates, one for each person
• white glue in disposable bowls
• paintbrushes, no larger than one inch, one for every two or three people
• scissors, one for each person
• a variety of brightly colored tissue paper
• clear shellac or decoupage covering, such as Mod Podge
• votive candles, one for each person
• matches

Procedure
Preparation. You may want to cover the tables with newspaper so the shellac does not damage the tables. Doing so also makes cleanup much easier. Soak the baby food jars in water to remove the labels. Make a sample candleholder, following the directions given in the procedure steps.

1. Announce to the young people that they will make their own candleholder in this activity. Introduce the activity by making the following comments in your own words:

   When we gather for special events, light is often an important part of the celebration. We light candles on a birthday cake, put lights on a Christmas tree, light sparklers on the Fourth of July, and so forth.
   When Christians gather to celebrate, light is also part of the celebration. A candle flame is a reminder of the presence of God in our life. We are reminded that Jesus is the light of our world, and that he calls us to be light for one another.

2. Give each young person a baby food jar and a paper plate. Make bowls of glue, paintbrushes, scissors, and tissue paper available. Explain the following directions in your own words:

   Decide which colors of paper you want to use for your candleholder. You will need at least two colors, but you can use as many as you want. Cut the paper into small squares of no larger than one-half inch.
   Put your jar upside down on a paper plate to prevent it from sticking to the newspaper on the table. Use a paintbrush to cover the bottom and outside surface of the baby food jar with a thin layer of glue. You may want to cover a small part of the jar at one time so that the glue does not dry before you put the paper on.
   Arrange the squares of paper on the jar, overlapping them slightly to create a stained-glass effect. Do not glue paper inside the jar or on the rim.
   When the jar is covered with paper, paint a thin coat of clear shellac or Mod Podge over the surface. Allow it to dry.

3. Give everyone a votive candle to place inside their jar. Use the candles as part of a prayer service on the theme of being lights in the world or in a seasonal service, such as during Advent or Lent.

Alternative Approaches

• If your group is small, you may make one large candleholder. Use a larger jar and a small pillar candle instead of a votive candle. Let the candle become the group's prayer candle.
• To save time, you may want to cut the paper into squares before the session and put them in small bowls. Place the bowls where everyone can have access to them.

Scriptural Connections

• Matt. 5:14–16 (You are the light of the world.)
• John 1:1–9 (Jesus, the light in our darkness)
• John 8:12 (Jesus tells us that he is the light of the world.)

The Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 30, 2014
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' 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' command without hesitation and receives his sight. John puts this forth as an example for all believers.

Then a dispute arises among the neighbors of the man who was given sight. Some say that he was "the man who used to sit and beg," and others say, "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 he, a blind man, could 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' 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' 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' 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' 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, he 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 individuals 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.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Matthew 18:16.

The Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 6, 2014
John 11:1-45

Opening Prayer

Jesus, we believe that you are the resurrection and the life. We believe you continuously bring hope into our lives. Jesus, help us to see with the eyes of faith so that we are able to see your presence in all the circumstances of our lives. Amen.

Context Connection
The Sunday Gospels for the past two weeks have been about individuals who have encountered Jesus for the first time and, because of their encounters, have undergone a spiritual conversion. In the Gospel for this Sunday, we have the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who have been close friends of Jesus for a long time. They already believe in Jesus and understand that he is the one sent by God. Therefore, the Gospel holds Good News for all of us who already believe in Jesus the Christ. It is a story of how believers have their faith strengthened through challenging events in their lives. In this story, the challenging event is the death of a loved one.

The reader is immediately struck that, when Jesus is informed of Lazarus's illness, he remains where he is an additional two days before traveling to Bethany: "After having heard that Lazarus was ill, [Jesus] stayed two days longer in the place were he was" (11:6). The rationale Jesus gives for not hurrying to Lazarus is, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (11:4).

Once Jesus decides to travel to Bethany, which is only about two miles from Jerusalem, his disciples try to discourage him from going because they fear that the Jews will try to harm him: "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" (11:8). Jesus does not heed the warning of the disciples, but rather tells them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him" (11:11). The disciples do not understand that Jesus means that Lazarus has died, so Jesus explains that he is talking about death, not merely sleep. Jesus sees this as an opportunity for his disciples to grow in their belief in him as the Messiah.

When Jesus arrives, he is told that Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Martha, upon hearing that Jesus has returned to Bethany, goes to meet him while Mary stays at home with the mourners who have come from Jerusalem. Martha's words to Jesus are a witness to her knowledge of Jesus' compassionate healing, as well as to her faith in the actions of Jesus. Seemingly without emotion, she states, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him" (11:21-22). Jesus then assures Martha that her brother will rise again. Martha's faith response is, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day" (11:24). Jesus takes this opportunity to reveal his identity even further: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (11:25-26). Martha replies, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God" (11:27). However, Martha's faith is limited by her previous experience, and she does not see the new dimension of Jesus' identity--that he is the resurrection now, rather than at a future time.

Next, Mary comes to meet Jesus, and she says through her tears, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (11:32). These are the same words that Martha used, but Mary's words are filled with the emotion and pain of losing a loved one. The Gospel shows us how deeply Jesus experiences these same human emotions: "[Jesus] was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved" (11:33). Then Jesus asks where they have buried Lazarus. Upon reaching the tomb, Jesus weeps. Jesus commands that the stone be rolled away, but Martha, because of her limited faith, says, "Lord, already there is a stench because [Lazarus] has been dead four days" (11:39). Jesus challenges her faith: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (11:40). The stone is taken away, and Jesus proclaims a public prayer of thanks to God the Father. Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Lazarus presents himself still bound by the burial clothes. The crowd is instructed by Jesus to unbind Lazarus. John ends the account informing the reader that some came to believe in Jesus that day while others began to plot his demise.

Tradition Connection
The Nicene Creed that we pray each Sunday culminates with "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, page 50). As Catholic Christians, we believe that, just as Jesus rose from the dead, we also will experience resurrection: "We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day"1 (Catechism, paragraph 989).

The resurrection of the dead is an essential Christian belief: "The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead; believing this we live"2 (Catechism, paragraph 991). In First Corinthians Paul expresses it this way:

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain (15:12-14).
The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and that we believe we will also experience resurrection brings about hope in our life. Jesus has redeemed humankind through his death on the cross and through his Resurrection. The sin of Adam--Original Sin--has been conquered by the selfless love of Jesus, the Son of God. In faith, we proclaim at Mass that Christ has died, is risen, and will come again.

Paul goes on to share this insight:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

In the Gospel for this Sunday, along with the raising of Lazarus, Jesus reveals that he is the resurrection and the life: "Jesus links faith in resurrection to his own person: 'I am the Resurrection and the life.'3 It is Jesus himself who on the last day will raise up those who have believed in him, who have eaten his body and drunk his blood"4 (Catechism, paragraph 994). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, that which was corruptible and broken because of death through sin is now made incorruptible and restored to eternal life through the grace of God.

Wisdom Connection
John's theological focus in chapter 11 is that Jesus is both the resurrection and the life for all who believe in him. Those who have faith in Jesus, the Messiah, will have eternal life even though they die. Just as Martha's and Mary's faith gradually deepened because of their experience of the death and resurrection of their brother, our Christian faith will deepen only when we realize that Jesus gives true life from death. The two sisters hoped for the simple healing of their brother by Jesus. The idea that Jesus has divine power to bring Lazarus back from the dead is beyond their comprehension and faith. Jesus stretches our faith and encourages us to go beyond our simple understanding of faith to put our belief in that which cannot be seen. Jesus refuses to be limited by our human eyes of faith and helps us to see beyond our human limitations to the saving action of 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.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. John 6:39-40.
2. Tertullian, De res. 1, 1: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina 2 (Paris: 1841-1855), 841.
3. John 11:25.
4. Cf. John 5:24-25; 6:40,54.

Saint Stephen was a monk whose uncle was the gifted and talented Saint John Damascene (feast day December 4). Saint John Damascene was the last of the Eastern Fathers of the Church and is one of the two greatest poets of the Eastern Church. He wrote several of the hymns still sung in the liturgies of the East. He is also known for his writings against iconoclasm, the heresy which forbade the veneration of images. It is thanks to Saint John Damascene that we have images of Jesus, Our Lady, and the saints with us today.

Saint John’s nephew, Saint Stephen, lived at the same monastery as his famous uncle but desired a more hidden life. When Stephen asked to become a hermit, the abbot gave him permission, but only on five days a week. On Saturdays and Sundays, Saint Stephen was to use his people skills in giving counsel and advice to any who would visit him. Saint Stephen agreed to do so. Find more about Saint Stephen, and a reflection on the Christian virtue of compromise, at https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/calendar/day/2014/3/31/.

Saint Stephen of Mar Saba’s feast day is March 31.