Category: Prayer

Offer It Up!

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Family Life

These days the phrase “offer it up” refers to selling something online. You can sell or buy almost anything.  You can replace things that are not even worn in or worn out yet. Perhaps in 2021…you could give that phrase an entirely new meaning.  It could potentially be the beginning of the best New Year’s resolution, one that leads you closer to an encounter with Christ; one that leads closer to eternity; to holiness; to heaven.

In this New Year, consider surrendering everything to the Lord. Offer up your life for God’s Glory.  Allow Him to form you and mold you and walk beside you. Allow Him to hold every thought, and action, offer them up!  Surrender all your pain and suffering, all your joy and happiness.  Offer up your family and all your relationships, relationships with people you love and get along with and relationships with people who annoy you and you struggle to be nearby.   You could offer time: the year 2021, the month of January, this day.  Pray, “Lord, I give you this year, the good, the bad, the ugly that will happen.  I offer it up to you to do with it as you desire.  Please use me, as your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears, and your mouth. Help me to conform to your will, not mine or the world’s.  Open my lips, Lord and my mouth shall declare your praise.  Walk with me, and I will give it all to you!”

You could offer up your employment, or your lack of employment to Him…. give it to him to deal with however he chooses.  “Lord, please stand with me in my work (or my search for work) today.  Use me as your instrument as I provide for myself and my family this day.  Lord, help me to reflect You in everything I do.”

Offer up your health, good or bad.  Give it to Him to deal with.  Allow the Lord to be in control, surrender to him your fears and anxieties.  Remember the absence of fear is FAITH!  Ask Him to be Lord over all your life…resolve to radically trust the Lord in 2021!

Here is what the Scriptures have to say…..

Luke 12: 25-28   Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan?  If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?  Notice how the flowers grow.  They do not toil or spin.

Psalm 131: 1-3   Lord, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty.  I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me.  Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child.  Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.  Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.

 Proverbs 3: 5-6   Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.

Perspective

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Family Life Coordinator

Happy New Year!  November 29 marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year.  We begin Advent with Liturgical Cycle B and similar to the beginning of a new calendar year, it is a great time to reflect on this past year’s spiritual journey.   When I look back, I realize this year was different and I need a different perspective.  It has been a year of spiritual turmoil…but also, a year of great spiritual growth.  There have been many moments of desolation but there are so many moments and blessings for which to be thankful.  In 2020 we have had to find new ways to relate to others and new ways to minister to others.  What is God trying to show us in all these changes?   

I was reflecting on the many great homilies I heard over the past year.  It is crazy to think that many of them were online or on TV in my living room with my family gathered around our makeshift altar.  It was not the best way to worship, it was certainly different, but by the grace of God and technology, we could still praise Him in our community, our domestic church. While we did receive spiritual communion, “at home Mass” brought a longing for the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and what a great lesson we learned from this…perspective.  In several homilies I heard about the times of religious persecution, times when people had to hide in caves, forests, or even basements to give praise to God. Today, some people must still hide to praise God and many communities wait for a priest to visit before they can attend Mass…perspective.  One of my favorite homilies stressed the privilege of voting for a candidate who will lead our nation.  Whether our preferred candidate is elected or not, life goes on.  Christ is still and will always be King of Heaven and Earth.  We praise Him morning, noon, and night. We thank Him for the graces we receive and the blessings of creation.  We pray for our daily bread, for mercy and forgiveness.  We are loved by Him who made us in His image and likeness…perspective. 

Let this Advent be a time to adjust your perspective.  We have so much to be thankful for, it is right in front of us!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Perspective!

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion:  My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.  I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.  Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.  Never permit me to be separated from You.

Romans 8: 37-39 – In all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 5: 1-16 – When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.  Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.  Thus, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  “You are the salt of the earth.  But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?  It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Nature of Sacrifice

Guest Author: Javier, a 15-year-old from the Diocese of Palm Beach

This was sent to the Office of Family Life.  There is such maturity and beauty in Javier’s words.  As you read, remember the Mass is a participation in the Last Supper, the One, never-ending sacrifice….

The Last Supper, the Sacrifice of the Cross, and the Sacrifice of the Mass are all connected and inseparable. Each share the essential elements of a sacrifice, but their timelines meet outside of space and time.  They come together as the perfect sacrifice, wholly pleasing to God.

The nature of a sacrifice requires several elements. The first element of a sacrifice is a visible gift. The gift must be offered as a victim for God alone. Only a proper, authorized person is permitted to make this oblation. The purpose of the sacrifice is to give homage, adoration, and thanksgiving to God and to atone for man’s sins. Lastly, the offering must be pleasing and acceptable to God.

Each of these elements of a sacrifice are present on the Cross. The visible gift is Jesus.  He offered himself to God as a complete victim. He is slain and immolated for the sins of man. By His death, He merited salvation for humanity. Jesus, as the High Priest, was authorized to perform this sacrifice. Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross was acceptable to the Eternal Father.

In the Mass, Jesus is the perpetual victim as the visible gift in the bread and wine.  Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine changes into Jesus’s Body and Blood. Antagonists may argue that the sacrifice is not valid since Jesus has been offered as a victim once before. However, when Christ is present on the altar at the consecration of the Mass, He is truly present anew as the victim of our salvation. Man’s sins have offended God greatly.  Jesus’s suffering and death alone can satisfy God’s justice. Through the Sacrifice of the Mass, God is adored reverently and perfectly. This special oblation can only be offered by the authority of a Catholic priest. The Sacrifice of the Mass is identical to the Sacrifice on the Cross, only in an unbloody manner.

At the last supper, Christ commanded the Apostles, “Do this for commemoration of Me.” (56) Priests today, continue to offer Christ’s death in response to this command. At the Last Supper, Christ instituted Holy Orders. At that table, He gave His Apostles and their successors the power and authority to offer His forthcoming Sacrifice on the Cross anew in all future Masses.

The Last Supper, the Sacrifice of the Cross, and the Sacrifice of the Mass are the same sacrifice. They are all connected and cannot be separated. At the Last Supper, Jesus points to His future Sacrifice on the Cross. The Sacrifice of the Cross is commemorated at the Mass. The Sacrifice of the Mass remembers and commemorates the Sacrifice of the Cross. The sacrifices of the old, meet in the present moment and await the future.

Bibliography: Laux, John.  MASS AND THE SACRAMENTS. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1934. Print

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

CCC #1367  The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice:  “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.”  “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner…this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.” 

1 John 2: 2 He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

1 Peter 2:5…and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a hold priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:10 By this “will”, we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Grace of My First Rosary

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Family Life

Do you remember the first time you prayed the Rosary?  My first Rosary wasn’t until my 30’s.  It’s hard to believe that a cradle Catholic who is the product of a lifetime of Catholic School does not remember praying the Rosary.  There are many of us out there, perhaps we could form a club, the “Forgotten children of the 70’s and 80’s”.  Well the good news is that there is still hope for this group.  Because finding the Rosary, however we find it, brings a rich devotion that binds us to the life of Christ and teaches us how to imitate Mary on our journey. 

Here is how it started… I was dropping my daughter off at school, and a few of the moms asked if I could join them for “Parents in Prayer”.  I had no prepared excuse and nowhere else to be, how lovely to go into my daughter’s school and pray with some of the parents for our school and our children.  As I entered the room, they were all arranged in a circle…holding rosaries!  It is the truth, I panicked…I knew how to pray, and I love Jesus, but the Rosary…I was intimidated.  How hard could it be, an Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s, right?  I will never forget how loving the parents in the circle were, they did not judge me, they met me right where I was and gently taught me how to pray the Rosary.  That circle of parents changed my life in so many ways.

We are all on a journey, and some of us find it easy to stay on the path God has set for us,  some of us wander off the path, some are on a slow journey savoring each moment, some on a faster journey, maybe missing things along the way.  What is important is that we are each open to opportunities to meet Jesus in different ways along that path.  If I had let intimidation keep me from learning this devotion, I would have missed an opportunity for my life journey to be forever changed.  The word “Rosary” means “Crown of Roses”.  Each prayer is like giving Jesus and Mary heavenly flowers.  When we pray, we receive graces for our life, for a peaceful death, and for glory in eternity.  The mysteries of the Rosary help us to meditate on the Gospels, the events of Jesus’ life.  We can use our prayers to help others by praying for them and for their intentions. Take the time to learn this devotion or better yet, learn it with someone else.  I can only imagine the graces we receive when we teach someone else to pray this beautiful prayer.  When we teach others to meditate on Jesus’ life, we are leading them to an encounter…an encounter with Christ! 

Here is a link to the Diocese of Palm Beach Family Rosary, join them in prayer:  https://vimeo.com/463441019

The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Sundays and Wednesdays)

  1. The Resurrection of our Lord
  2. Jesus Ascends into Heaven
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost
  4. Mary is Assumed into Heaven
  5. Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Mondays and Saturdays)

  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Nativity
  4. The Presentation of Jesus
  5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays)

  1. Jesus’ Agony in the Garden
  2. Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
  3. Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
  4. Jesus Carries the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion

The Luminous Mysteries (prayed on Thursdays)

  1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
  2. The Wedding at Cana
  3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
  4. The Transfiguration
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist

The Domestic Church and Prayer

Author: Cathy Loh, Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry

The Church teaches that the family is a privileged community and the original cell of social life (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2204, 2207) where we should learn how to love God and one another.  The family is our initiation “into life in society” (CCC 2207) including our relationship with the Lord.  In our family, we learn how to pray and nourish a loving relationship with God.  We learn that we need to be humble before Him, as humility is the foundation of prayer (CCC 2558).  That is why Jesus tells us in Luke 18:17 that only those who receive the kingdom of God like a child shall enter it.

However, as we grow older and our lives become more complicated, humility can get lost along the way.  We may forget to ask God for help, thinking that everything depends on us.  Conversely, our prayers can become more complicated and involved, filled with many petitions.  In our busyness, we can forget to quiet ourselves so we can hear God and then respond.  How can we recover the humility that is so foundational to our prayer life with God?

A simple way to return to that foundational humility is to observe or experience prayer with our children.  We can rediscover the power of a child’s simple prayer, filled with wonder, awe and thanksgiving.  Children often surprise us with periodic moments of silence.  In these times of recollection, we discover our child’s ability to be content in the moment, resting in thoughts about God or a religious picture or a sacramental like a crucifix.  Our children can remind us of our own simpler and humble prayers of the past.

But how will a child learn to pray if we do not lead the way?  Creating a habit of prayer in the family must begin with us as the parents.  We are the first witnesses to prayer and nurturing a relationship with God, our Father.  A simple place to start is those moments where we routinely gather with our children, at mealtime and bedtime.  We model patience and gratitude by offering Grace before enjoying our meal.  We teach gratitude and humility by thanking God for all our blessings of each day before going to sleep.  By tracing a small cross on our child’s forehead, we are reminded of our baptism into God’s family before we say goodnight or goodbye.  Setting aside quiet time can become a catalyst for recollection and prayer.   When we make a point of showing our children how to nourish their relationship with God through prayer, that effort may one day return to bless us in our own prayer life by reminding us of the beautiful simplicity and humility of a child’s prayer. 

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church 350 The Christian family is called the domestic church because the family manifests and lives out the communal and familial nature of the Church as the family of God.  Each family member, in accord with their own role, exercises the baptismal priesthood and contributes toward making the family a community of grace and of prayer, a school of human and Christian virtue and the place where the faith is first proclaimed to children. 

Deuteronomy 4:4-7a  Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.  And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.   

Matthew 19:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.