The Class of 2011: Message from a Graduate

Four years ago I embarked on a wonderful journey of the Bible through the Catholic Biblical School, which culminated in a lovely and meaningful graduation ceremony this month at St. Thomas Seminary.  Along the way, I learned so much about my faith, met new friends and enhanced my knowledge as a Director of Religious Education. But most importantly, the enrichment I received through the excellent instructors, supplemental reading and outstanding Scripture Days, have brought me closer to Christ in both mind and heart, which for me, is the true journey.

I truly loved every minute and am glad to have been able to earn college credit as well! I appreciate all the hard work that went into accreditation for CBS.

Ms. Kathi Bonner

Director of Religious Education

St. Catherine of Siena, West Simsbury, CT

If God Had Texted Moses (4)

Moses: Check your phone!
No 4: Honor your father and your mother. (NIV Dt 5:16)

Courtesy of Sr. Carol Cimino, PhD and Religious Education Consultant for Sadlier Publishers.

Words Made Flesh—Love, Feel, and Think with the Church

Biblical Reflections on Pentecost Sunday by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

"Pentecost is considered to be the birth of the Church. Our baptismal consecration in service to Christ cannot be separated from consecration in service to the Church. One of the main themes permeating the thought of St. Ignatius of Loyola is his exhortation 'Sentire cum ecclesia' or 'Think with the Church.' 'Sentire cum ecclesia' also means to feel with the Church and to love the Church.

"Pentecost invites us once again to walk with the Church, breathe with the Church, hope with the Church, feel with the Church, 'sentire cum ecclesia.' What does the Church mean for me as an individual? What is my personal relationship with the Church? Do I love the Church? Do I feel loved by the Church?

"Moving beyond ideology

"...Today, some of us seem to be stuck in the ideological battles that followed the Second Vatican Council. Perhaps we are frozen in categories of left and right; traditional vs. avant-garde; male vs. female; hierarchical vs. lay-led, or prophetic vs. static.

"Our inter-ecclesial and inter-community fixations and polarizations ... can distract us from addressing with requisite depth and discernment the issues facing us today. Whatever is not purified and transformed within us is transmitted to others—especially to the next generation." (emphasis BJ's)

"When we sell ourselves to cynicism and despair, meanness of heart, smallness of spirit and harshness in ecclesial discourse, we betray our deepest identity as bearers of joy, hope and truth. Is joy present in our Christian witness? What prevents me as an individual and us as a community from giving a robust, joyful witness to Jesus Christ, the Catholic Faith and the Church?"



For the rest of Fr. Rosica's commentary on the Feast of the Pentecost, click here.

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB is CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network in Canada. He is a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and writes a weekly commentary on the Sunday readings for Zenit.

*ZENIT is a non-profit international news agency comprising a team of professionals and volunteers who are convinced of the extraordinary richness of the Catholic Church's message, particularly its social doctrine. The ZENIT team sees this message as a light for understanding today's world.

If God Had Texted Moses (3)

Moses: Check your phone!

No. 3: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.... On it you shall not do any work. (NIV Dt 5:12, 14)

Courtesy of Sr. Carol Cimino, PhD and Religious Education Consultant for Sadlier Publishers.

With Thanksgiving to God...

...and profound joy for the beauty and truth manifest in the lives of the graduates of the Class of 2011, the Catholic Biblical School announces graduation festivities at St. Thomas Seminary Chapel on Sunday afternoon, June 12.

The following graduates will be honored:

Ann Bodurtha

Kathi Bonner

Maureen Brouillard

Elizabeth Carr

Barbara Evans

Donna Girard

Mary Head

Carl Heineman

Jane Holler

Cheryl Kasek

Laurie Janecko

Jean Kononowiz

Susan Lewis

Daniel Marecki

Inka Peczerski

Mary Renker

Albert Saxer

Nancy Stimac

Janet Turco

Congratulations on your achievement!

Words Made Flesh—The Presence and the Absence of God

Reflecting on the gospel for the Feast of Jesus' Ascension this week, Fr. Thomas Rosica tells us that "the words ... 'I am with you always, even unto the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20) have a special ring to them. They send us back to the beginning of Matthew's account when Jesus is given the name 'Emmanuel.'

"In that name we find the answer to humanity's deepest longings for God throughout the ages. Emmanuel is both a prayer and plea (on our behalf) and a promise and declaration on God's part. When we pronounce the word, we are really praying and pleading: 'God, be with us!' And when God speaks it, the Almighty, Eternal, Omnipresent Creator of the world is telling us: 'I am with you' in Jesus.

"At the conclusion of [Matthew’s] Gospel, the name Emmanuel is alluded to when the Risen Jesus assures his disciples of his continued presence: 'I am with you always, until the end of the age' (28:20). God did indeed keep his promise in Jesus."

We might add that at other times when we pray "Emmanuel," we could be confiding our trust in Jesus’ promise. Or we might be expressing a hope that our lives be lived out in closer harmony with God. The wonder of the name Emmanuel is that it is so wide, encompassing a breadth of meaning that is at heart an expression of the most intimate of prayers, the deep desire of our hearts to dwell with Jesus.

But the reason we need to pray "Be with us" is at the center of our understanding of the Feast of the Ascension

If God Had Texted Moses (2)

Moses: Check your phone!

No 2 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. (NIV Dt 5:11)

Courtesy of Sr. Carol Cimino, PhD and Religious Education Consultant for Sadlier Publishers.