July 29, 2013, Volume VII, Number 30

FEAST OF SAINT MARTHA Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of Saint Peter Chrysologus – Tuesday, July 30, 2013Feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola – Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori – Thursday, August 1, 2013YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Question of the WeekFor Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 4, 2013“…build larger ones. Then I shall store all my grains and other goods…are not rich in what matters to God.” What do you think matters to God? What matters to you? What do you have in storage…in an extra closet, in the basement, in an attic, in the garage, any place where it is not used? What do you really treasure? What do you think God is calling you to do with “so many good things stored up for years”? What will be done with these things when you die? What if “this night your life will be demanded of you”?

NCCL News

Catechetical Sunday – September 15, 2013

This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 15, 2013, and will focus on the theme Open the Door of Faith. Those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday

is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

As in past years, NCCL will sell printed copies of prayer cards, family commitment cards, posters, and certificates in English and Spanish. Check the NCCL website www.NCCL.org for

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ddmore information on ordering your Catechetical Sunday materials. This year’s reflection journal was edited by Michele Harris and the reflections were written by nine different NCCL members. The reflection book is entitled WELCOME! Open the Door – Pass through the gate – Seek the Christ. Sample pages from each of the writers are available on the NCCL Homepage (www.NCCL.org).

The 2013 NCCL pin represents the theme for Catechetical Sunday "Open the Door of Faith" with a beautiful 3 dimensional effect. The all metal pin is outlined in the same gold as the cross. The Alpha and Omega from the

Catechetical Sunday logo are imprinted on the shiny copper doors that open to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ hanging on a gold cross in a brushed copper room. The doors break through the gold outline to enhance the theme, Open the Door of Faith. The Spirit of God in each of us is the agent of the new evangelization and inspires each of us to open our heats and to go forth as catechist and teacher. Help your organization and order your materials from NCCL. Actual pin size is 7/8 inch.

CL Weekly will feature several pieces each week from June 3 – September 16.

Catechist In-Service by Curtis A. Martin, President, Fellowship of Catholic University Students. The In-Service is entitled Encountering Christ Through an Authentic Witness of Faith and an Ever-Greater Understanding of Its Contents and can also be downloaded at http://tiny.cc/cn7uxw.

Parish Resource by Jonathan Sullivan, Director of Catechetical Services, Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. This piece, Promoting Catholic Principles and the Significance of Vatican II Through the New Mass Media, would make an excellent bulletin insert and can be downloaded from http://tiny.cc/aw7uxw.

You can download the complete list of FREE Resources which can also be found at http://tiny.cc/263uxw. Be sure to order your Catechetical Sunday materials from NCCL (www.NCCL.org).

Spanish Side of the Catechetical Sunday Poster

An error was discovered on the Spanish side of the double-sided Catechetical Sunday poster for 2013. It does not matter if you purchased your poster through NCCL or the USCCB, you can get a replacement.

If you intend to post the Spanish version of this two sided English/Spanish poster, please contact Customer Service Toll free: 800-235-8722 • Fax: 202-722-8709 • Customer Service: CSS@usccb.org.

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Francis en Route to Brazil Notes Rights of Youth and Elderly

En route to Brazil for World Youth Day, Pope Francis spoke of the dignity and rights of young people, but also of the dignity of the elderly. Vatican Radio reported about the brief conversation the Holy Father had with some 70 journalists on board the plane. He broke with the tradition of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and did not have an in-flight question-and-answer press conference.

Pope Francis: Good morning. Good morning to you all. I have heard some strange things said: “You are not saints of my devotion,” “I’m here among lions …” but not so ferocious, ah? Thank you. Truly I don’t give interviews, but why I don’t know, I can’t, it’s so. For me it’s somewhat of an effort to do so, but I’m grateful for this company.

This first trip is in fact to meet young people, but to meet them not isolated from their life. I would like to meet them, in fact, in the social fabric, in society. Because when we isolate young people, we do an injustice: we take away their belonging. Young people have a belonging, a belonging to a family, to a homeland, to a culture, to a faith. They have a belonging and we must not isolate them! But, above all, we must not isolate them from the whole of society! They are – truly – the future of a people: this is true! But not only them: they are the future because they have the strength, they are young, they will go forward.

But also the other extreme of life, the elderly, are the future of a people. A people has a future if it goes forwards with the two points: with the young, with strength, because they lead it forward; and with the elderly because they are those who give the wisdom of life. And I often think that we do an injustice to the elderly, we leave them aside as if they had nothing to give us; they have wisdom, the wisdom of life, the wisdom of history, the wisdom of the homeland, the wisdom of the family. And we are in need of this! That is why I say that I am going to meet young people, but in their social fabric, mainly with the elderly. It’s true that the global crisis doesn’t do good things for young people. I read last week the percentage of young people without work. Think about the fact that we run the risk of having a generation that has not had work, and from work comes a person’s dignity of earning his bread. At present, young people are in crisis.

We are somewhat used to this culture of discarding: it’s done too often with the elderly! But now also with these many young people without work, to them also comes the culture of discarding. We must cut this habit of discarding! No. we must have a culture of inclusion, a culture of encounter, make an effort to bring everyone into the society.  I thank you so much, beloved, “saints of non-devotion” and “not so ferocious lions!” But thank you so much, thank you so much. And I would like to greet each one of you. Thank you.

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FREE Professional Development Webinar – Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils presents a series of free, online workshops on professional development for parish ministers. This webinar

Open the Doors: Seven Approaches to an Encounter with Christ is offered on Tuesday, September 10 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW - 09-10-2013 (http://tiny.cc/g1vv0w). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series, please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars .

Open the Doors: Seven Approaches to an Encounter with ChristTuesday, September 10, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

In the spirit of this year’s Catechetical Sunday theme “Open the Doors of Faith,” Lee Nagel, Executive Director for the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, will share the seven key elements in creating an environment that engages those present and facilitates an encounter with the Risen Christ. These elements include: 1. Preparedness: Open Your MInd to What God is Offering; Then Stop, Look, and Listen 2. Balance: Ritual and Novelty, Comfort and Challenge, Safety and Risk 3. Prime the Pump, Make Connections, Engage the Senses, Activate Learning Styles 4. Seven-Minute Chunks with Catholic Service Announcements 5. Quiet Moments for Reflection 6. Review 7. Go Forth Blessed All registered participants will receive practical pointers and useful techniques that are immediately applicable to any environment.

Pope Commissions Young People to be Missionaries Without Borders

Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. "Where does Jesus send us?" he asked World Youth Day pilgrims July 28. "There are no borders, no limits: He sends us to everyone." Although retired Pope Benedict XVI had chosen the theme for the gathering -- "Go and make disciples of all nations" -- it was tailor-made for Pope Francis, who

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continually tells Catholics: "Go out. Go forward. Keep going.""Sharing the experience of faith, bearing witness to the faith, proclaiming the Gospel: this is a command that the Lord entrusts to the whole church and that includes you," he told his beachfront congregation, which included hundreds of thousands who had spent the night on the sand, sleeping or not. Pope Francis told them that if they did not share their experience of God's love with others it would be "like withholding oxygen from a flame that was burning strongly."

Jesus did not tell his disciples to share the Gospel "if you would like to, if you have the time," the pope said. Instead, he commanded them to proclaim the Good News to the world. Sharing the love and mercy of God and the salvation offered by Christ through the church "is born not from a desire for domination or power, but from the force of love," the pope told the young pilgrims.

In his homily, Pope Francis told the young people that evangelizing requires a personal witness of love for God and love for others, especially the weak, the poor and the defenseless. "The life of Jesus is a life for others," the pope said. "It is a life of service." The pope did not mince words with his young audience, telling them: "Evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God, it is overcoming our selfishness, it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren, as Jesus did."

Pope Francis said he knows how daunting it can be to recognize that each Christian bears personal responsibility for sharing the Gospel with his or her actions and words, but Jesus told the first disciples and tells disciples today, "Be not afraid." "Jesus does not leave us alone; he never leaves you alone," the pope said. And the church does not leave any of its members, or even small groups, to go it alone, he said. "Jesus did not say: 'One of you go,' but 'All of you go.' We are sent together. Be creative. Be audacious. Do not be afraid."

He gave the younger generation a final instruction, "As you return to your homes, do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear witness to his Gospel." It can change the world, he said. "Bringing the Gospel is bringing God's power to pluck up and break down evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness, intolerance and hatred."

The Catholic Teenager: A few mysteries solved

This report shares some very interesting statistics regarding religious education and sacramental preparation. It is also interesting to note the differences in perceptions that parents and teens have each other as is noted in this statement “Although many parents may express concerns about their teens not communicating enough with them in general, many Catholic teens say their parents rarely or never speak to them about religion. Only 8% report their parents talk to them about religion daily and 20% say their parents do so at least once a week.” Another difference in

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perception comes from our stance that the parish is very important in catechesis while “only 12% said “being involved with my parish” was “very important” to their sense of what it means to be a Catholic.” I encourage you to read a summary of this report by CARA. Please go to their nineteen sixty-four research blog and read The Catholic Teenager (http://tiny.cc/8dvv0w).

Pope Francis: Joy and Mercy

The following comments are from John Allen in his weekly column regarding the focus of Pope Francis. If you are interested in reading his column, please go to For Francis: Confessions the Most Important Thing He'll Do All Week (http://tiny.cc/f8uv0w). You can watch Pope Francis in Action (http://tiny.cc/c08v0w).

Every pope seems to have a signature spiritual idea. For John Paul II, it was courage: "Be not afraid!" was his catchphrase to invite the church to recapture its missionary swagger after years of introspection and self-doubt. For Benedict XVI, it was "faith and reason," the idea that religious belief and intellectual reflection need one another to remain healthy.

For Francis, the best early candidate for his signature touch is mercy, expressed in his repeated emphasis on God's endless capacity to forgive.

'Family values' entertainment needs to also tell great stories

Sr. Rose Pacatte was present at the well-attended second, perhaps annual, PURPOSE: Family Entertainment + Faith Based Summit, put on June 21 by the entertainment magazine Variety in association with the international public relations firm Rogers & Cowan. The firm is placing itself solidly in the family entertainment and faith-based

content producer genre, as it were, and wants to bring this kind of content "to consumers on every screen."

Family programming was defined as shows that parents can watch without their kids and that kids can watch without their parents. No one mentioned age limits or singled out any program that exists today that fits the criteria. Also, just because parents and kids can watch something because of the wholesome content doesn't mean that they will watch.

But what are family values today for television? One panelist said that means programming that is anchored in respect, honor, loyalty and doing things as a family, being a family and having a spiritual base.

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Sr. Rose Pacatte, a member of the Daughters of St. Paul and the director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, disagreed with several of the presenters. Sr. Rose believes that “To be successful in every way, family and faith-based productions will need to be inclusive of the families in the United States, beginning with the ethnic and religious diversity of the audience. Faith-based must mean more than generic Protestant Christian.”

If you agree with Sr. Rose that to succeed and make a difference in the culture, family and faith-based films and programming must shed light on the joys and pains of all humans by telling compelling stories in compelling ways, then you may wish to read Family Values (http://tiny.cc/fu6v0w).

Pope Francis: Prayer and Action Must Be Always United

Recalling the account where Jesus tells Martha that her sister chose the “better part” in listening to Him rather than busy herself with preparations in the house, the Holy Father emphasized the two attitudes shown in the Gospel. “What does Jesus wish to say? What is this one thing that we need?” the Holy Father asked. “Above all it is important to understand that it is not a matter of contrasting 2 attitudes: listening to the Lord’s word, contemplation, and concrete service to our neighbor.”

Martha, he continued, receives this correction from the Lord because she saw that her work was the only thing that was essential. “For a Christian, the works of service and charity are never detached from the principle source of our action: that is, listening to the Word of the Lord, sitting – like Mary – at Jesus’ feet in the attitude of a disciple. And for this reason Mary is rebuked.” the Pope said.

“In our Christian life too prayer and action are always profoundly united. Prayer that does not lead to concrete action toward a brother who is poor, sick, in need of help, the brother in difficulty, is a sterile and incomplete prayer. But, in the same way, when in ecclesial service we are only concerned with doing, we give greater weight to things, functions, structures, and we forget the centrality of Christ; we do not set aside time for dialogue with him in prayer, we are in risk of serving ourselves and not God present in our needy brother.”

The Holy Father went on to say that a perfect example of this harmony is the Rule of life of St. Benedict: “Ora et Labora” (Pray and work). From this, he continued, a bond is formed with God that gives all the strength to not only live and bear God’s love but to bring his love to those in most need. Prior to reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis invoked the intercession of the Blessed Mother, who regarded as the “Mother of listening and service”, to teach all faithful to both pray and “to always be more concretely attentive to the needs of our brothers.”

Have You Seen These Pictures Before Right Now?

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If this is the first time you have seen these pictures, it is because you have not “Liked” the NCCL Facebook page. These pictures of the current NCCL Board of Directors were posted on the NCCL Facebook page on Thursday, July 25. It was taken during their four day meeting in DC. Don’t miss other pictures and news, please us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/NCCLonline.

World Youth Day 2016 – Krakow, Poland

Krakow, Poland, will be the site of the next World Youth Day, in 2016. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow said in a statement that 2016 will mark the 1,050th anniversary of the establishment of Christianity in Poland. Krakow is the former episcopal see of Blessed John Paul II, who founded the tradition of World Youth Day in 1986. The 2016 event will be the second World Youth Day to take place in Poland, after the 1991 celebration in Czestochowa.

The Urgent Need to proclaim the Gospel

A recording of the webinar The Urgent Need to Proclaim the Gospel, with Frs. Frank DeSiano and Kenneth Boyack, is now available. If you missed it you can now view it as well as share it with friends and colleagues. View the recording.

Don't forget to check out their other webinars in their Year of Faith series here.

8 Ways To Bring Sanity To Your Crazy, Wired Life

A version of this article appeared in the July/August 2013 issue of Fast Company magazine. Here's how the busiest connectors give themselves a break. There are some great ideas, especially if you have a pastor, staff member or diocesan personnel who send email out in the evening and expect a response before you get to work in the morning.

1. RESPECT THE WEEKEND.

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"I'm a natural introvert, as many entrepreneurs (and especially social software entrepreneurs) are. Keeping the weekends quiet is critical. I disconnect and read, watch a movie, or just remember that I am a person outside of my mission."--Gina Bianchini, founder, Mightybell

2. EXERCISE EQUALS ENLIGHTENMENT.

"I take time out of each day to bike, do yoga, or rock climb. It's pretty impossible to check your iPhone in downward dog while scaling a rock face."--Ryan Holmes, CEO, HootSuite

3. START A TECHNOLOGY SHABBAT.

"When my father passed away, my husband and I decided to do something with our kids: Unplug one day a week, Friday night to Saturday night. It's our tech Shabbat. This amazing thing happens: Time slows down. Every Saturday morning we get to do, like, six things: We'll be in our garden, we'll do an art project. . . . It's changed my life. My films are better. I'm more productive. I'm happier. I'm more balanced."-- Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker; founder, Webby Awards

4. PLAN YOUR DIGITAL VACATION BREAKS.

"Set 'digital times' when on vacation--an hour in the morning or evening when you will be online. Better yet: Go someplace where you can't be connected." -- Gerald Brady, managing director, Silicon Valley Bank

5. ASK YOUR COMPANY TO UNPLUG.

"We have a 'no email' rule every weekday after 7:30 p.m. and at all times over the weekend. Employees can spend more quality time in their personal lives without worrying about the office."-- Dolf van den Brink, president and CEO, Heineken U.S.A.

6. DITCH THE PHONE DURING MEETINGS.

"I never take my iPhone into meetings. I give my undivided attention to my colleagues and partners, and I expect the same respect in return." -- Ivanka Trump, executive vice president of development and acquisitions, Trump Organization

7. SEE THE WORLD THROUGH YOUR PET'S EYES.

"I get up, turn off the laptop, and start playing with my cat. It's a chance to enjoy simple, mindless pleasures--like a stick with yarn attached to it. Cats make us a little dumber." -- Alexis Ohanian, cofounder, Reddit

8. GET PERSONAL.

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"Recently, I was walking down the hall at work, on a call via my headset and simultaneously writing an email, successfully balancing it all--until I went sailing in the air as I flew over an abandoned box. Now I try to get up and talk to the person two desks away rather than texting them. I welcome our team's new hires face-to-face rather than sending an email. I make meetings in person when it's an option. I am not always perfect, but I am more conscious about my behavior." -- Catherine Courage, SVP of customer experience, Citrix

The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid

To complement his formal sources, Willits includes sidebars called "New Evangelizers in Action" in each of the book's 12 chapters. These stories feature ordinary individuals modeling elements of the New Evangelization: (1) renewed spiritual devotion and efforts in catechesis, (2) living our faith, and (3) sharing our faith with others. If you like fishing you will appreciate his comparison of preparing to be a fisher of men as he similarly prepares for his annual fishing trip with his brother. You can purchase The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid from the NCCL Aamazon Bookstore by simply clicking on the title.

The Sistine Chapel

This is a first. You have a chance to see the paintings from the Sistine Chapel along with The Last Judgment with the scriptural texts on which these paintings were created. It’s feast for the eyes as well as a treasure for the mind.

You can order Sistine Chapel, The: A Biblical Tour from the NCCL Amazon Bookstore.

The Deer Watch

This is a wonderful walk in the woods with a father and his son. It creates a memory and hopefully will bring back a memory for the adult who shares this book with a child. One reviewer writs that “David Slocum has illustrated this quiet father-and-son nature ramble with paintings that are rich yet subtle; he works here with a subdued palette of greens and grays and mustardy yellows, layering thickly with fat brushstrokes. The effect is as enchanting as the sudden glimpse of a doe and two fauns.” You can order The Deer Watch from the NCCL Amazon Bookstore. If you like this book, you might also

consider Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature.

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Knowing Jesus and His Message – Conociendo a Jesus y su Mensaje

This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resource at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in San Diego, the NCCL Bookstore sold over twenty (20) copies of the book in English and Spanish.

Based on the protocol used to evaluate elementary religion series, the book used fifteen standards for Pre-K and K

through Grades 7 & 8. Included with the binder is a CD with all the materials available for duplication. This is an ideal help for any elementary catechist regardless of the series you might be using. Check out the following and use the Order Form.

PREFACE - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/nysql) EXPLANATION - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/xuvw8) Standards - Explained (http://tiny.cc/65wmc) Normas y Fundamentos (http://tiny.cc/zfrg2) ORDER FORM - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/9j0mb)

Looking For A Good Book?

Stop by the NCCL Bookstore. Purchasing books, CDs, DVDs, and other products on Amazon through the NCCL Bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20) helps support this valuable online ministry.

If you are an on-line shopper and you frequent Amazon.com, please enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore as the organization benefits from every purchase you make. It’s an ideal way to support our ministry. Just go to our Home page (www.NCCL.org) and click on the Store tab or click on http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20 and it will take you directly to our bookstore. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as you enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore, we get a percentage of your purchases.

We are just building our bookstore and adding titles every day, so if you have any suggestions for books you believe should be available through our bookstore, please drop NCCL a note. All books mentioned in CL Weekly are available at the NCCL Bookstore.

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