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Fr Scheier Mother Angelica Windows Player 56k 128k Real Player 56k 128k

 
 Awareness of Jesus in my life:

Are you interested in walking the way of the Lord through the Bible? 
Join our Parish Bible Study Group

  A Woman's only Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 9:30am to 11am in the Rectory.
              --The group includes study, prayer, faith sharing and an application to your personal life.
                            Consider joining us today!

Maybe you are interested in a Small Faith Sharing Group?
Each group consists of 12 or so parishioners who meet monthly in homes to share Scripture and their personal faith walk.
If you are interested in this call:

Deacon Arthur McGuire at 610.544.9082
or
Ed Coll at 610.328.2818

My relationship with the Lord Himself
A Jesuit of Chile, Fr. Alberto Hurtado, who was canonized on October 23, 2005, wrote the following wonderful insight into discovering what it means to be a Christian: “One of the greatest challenges of Christian life is understanding that Christ looks upon every one of us individually in order to let us know what His exact will is. He stops before everyone, before each single one of us, placing His Divine Hands on our heads.  “If we think of ourselves as lost in the mass of the anonymous faithful; if we think that the words and invitations of Christ are addressed to a mass of followers; if we think that our relationship with Christ remains in the realm of the collective, we have not understood the divine fatherhood nor our role as the children of God.

“The moment of grace comes when we realize that the eyes of Christ are fixed upon each one of us, that His hand is beckoning every single one of us individually, and that we are the reason for His coming to this earth and that we are the recipients of His clearly defined wishes.  He has singled out each one of us in the crowd. Each one of us is not just one among thousands. Such a multitude does not exist.  There is only God and each one of us. ..Knowing this special calling that God makes to each individual in particular is the most important discovery of our lives.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ promised to be present to the community of believers, His Church, and with each of us who believes. This promise is fulfilled every day, especially in the Eucharist. Jesus willed that His Church should preserve the fullness of His revelation. We find there the means He willed for us to live in the fullness of His love, to deepen our relationship with Him begun at Baptism. We do not tell God how He is to be worshiped; He tells us. As Jesus was obedient to the Father, we are to be obedient to Him. He gave His apostles authority that is passed on to this day to the Pope and bishops of the Church. Jesus promises to guide us clearly to do the will of God as long as we remain close to His Church.

In the Church we can be sure we are guided by the will of God: Jesus gives authority to His vicar on earth, the Pope; then to the individual bishop who is head of this archdiocese and then to the pastor of this local church. There is a straight line of authority going right up to Jesus seated at the Right Hand of the Father. Through the Church, especially the Eucharist, Jesus provides all the means necessary for each of us to be in perfect union with Him.

The goal of a Christian's life is to grow into deeper union of mind and will and heart with Jesus Christ, especially through the reception of Jesus Himself in the Eucharist, to the praise and glory of the Father.  This means to confront ourselves clearly with the full challenge of the Gospel, to step forward and hand our lives over fully to the Lord. The Lord is asking each person personally to make a total surrender of their life to Him. The challenge cannot be watered down. We must make the conscious decision to answer the call of Jesus, to place ourselves under His lordship. To throw our lot in with the Lord. To fully accept the Lord's design for our life. Jesus must be chosen as Lord, not half-heartedly, but fully. What happens next is not within our control: It is an experience of Jesus in which we start to know Him not because of what we read or hear but to know the reality of Jesus, in His own Person.

To live in a relationship of sustained intimacy with the Lord. “(T)o put themselves constantly in the Lord's presence... speaking to Him, listening to Him, being taught by Him, being loved by Him.” (Pope John Paul II, Feb 17, 2000)

“In order to make this ʻencounterʼ with Christ possible, God willed his Church. Indeed, the Church wishes to serve this single end: that each person may be able to find Christ, in order that Christ may walk with each person the path of life.” (Pope John Paul II The Splendor of Truth, Chap.1.)

“All the faithful of Christ, of whatever rank or status are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” Vatican II (The Church, No. 40, Ecumenism, No. 4.)

“Our relationship with Jesus is found in our relationship with the community of Jesus, the Church. The way to Christ is through the community in which he lives... Jesus is present in and among his disciples, the people of God.” (“Go and Make Disciples” by Bishops of United States)