yes we can! live our faith in the world
Explore
At the November Faith Formation gatherings, the adults heard more about Tradition in the Church and about the most recent Church council, Vatican II. The document from that council that we looked at was the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, also known as Gaudium et Spes (which Latin for Joy and Hope). The documents take their names from the first few words of each document.
People can read any of the Vatican II documents on the Vatican website. The link to Gaudium et Spes is below. To hear a reflection on this document, please click another button below. The reflection is by Dr. Christopher Pramuk, who is a professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
People can read any of the Vatican II documents on the Vatican website. The link to Gaudium et Spes is below. To hear a reflection on this document, please click another button below. The reflection is by Dr. Christopher Pramuk, who is a professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
Act
At our November Faith Formation gathering, we learned that God calls us, as individuals and as a Church, to engage with the world to make it a better place. We also discovered that we are to start on the most local level and work our way out into the wider world. While providing direct assistance to those in need is important, it is also important to work to change the structures that cause poverty, homelessness, disease, violence, etc.
Our parish is very good at direct assistance, with our support of the Caring Hands Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity, providing meals at Central Iowa Shelter and Services, prison ministry, and our very active St. Vincent de Paul chapter, just to name some of our outreach efforts. Advocating for change can be more difficult to get our arms around. Below are links to resources to get us started at the state level as well as nationally and globally.
Our parish is very good at direct assistance, with our support of the Caring Hands Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity, providing meals at Central Iowa Shelter and Services, prison ministry, and our very active St. Vincent de Paul chapter, just to name some of our outreach efforts. Advocating for change can be more difficult to get our arms around. Below are links to resources to get us started at the state level as well as nationally and globally.
pRay
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
For the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations:
We give thanks this day.
For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides, its sunsets and seasons:
We give thanks this day.
For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements:
We give thanks this day.
For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression:
We give thanks this day.
For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared:
We give thanks this day.
For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom:
We give thanks this day.
For human liberty and sacred rites; for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose:
We give thanks this day.
We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.
We give thanks this day.
Amen.
--O. Eugene Pickett
For the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations:
We give thanks this day.
For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides, its sunsets and seasons:
We give thanks this day.
For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements:
We give thanks this day.
For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression:
We give thanks this day.
For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared:
We give thanks this day.
For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom:
We give thanks this day.
For human liberty and sacred rites; for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose:
We give thanks this day.
We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.
We give thanks this day.
Amen.
--O. Eugene Pickett