Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
January K of C Newsletter
For St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus January newsletter:
What is the saying: "Another day, another dollar"? Don't we all wish! Here is another year. While we may naturally look back on the last year, its joys and its sorrows, with either regret or satisfaction, we can only look forward to the new year with wonder: what will it bring to our families, our parish and church, our country, ourselves? Some people make resolutions for the new year -- to lose weight or give up smoking, to look for a new job or decide to focus on working harder at their existing job.
All of this is well and good, but is it enough for us who call ourselves Catholic? A new year is quite truthfully another year of grace. It is more time granted us to look at our lives honestly, to recognize those parts of us that are inclined to sin, and to resolve, with God's grace to confess that sin, do penance, and resolve (!) to avoid sin in the future. And, we can seek to get closer to God in prayer and in action; certainly as Knights there are ample opportunities for action, and we can carve out a bit more time to spend with the Lord in quiet prayer. We can also take advantage of opportunities to witness our faith to others, by faithfulness to the Gospel and sharing the Good News with both the poor and the affluent, and especially our own families. We can also seek to learn more about our faith.
I'm going to try to give some practical assistance with this last item over the next year. As many of you may know, my principal ministry is working with men studying to be deacons. I particularly focus on practical liturgy, marriage, and Sacred Scripture. There are a number of things that may be of interest to my fellow knights that I will attempt to offer.
May you and your families have a wonderful and blessed new year, and may our Knights of Columbus Council grow in service and holiness in this new year of grace.
Deacon Rex Pilger
What is the saying: "Another day, another dollar"? Don't we all wish! Here is another year. While we may naturally look back on the last year, its joys and its sorrows, with either regret or satisfaction, we can only look forward to the new year with wonder: what will it bring to our families, our parish and church, our country, ourselves? Some people make resolutions for the new year -- to lose weight or give up smoking, to look for a new job or decide to focus on working harder at their existing job.
All of this is well and good, but is it enough for us who call ourselves Catholic? A new year is quite truthfully another year of grace. It is more time granted us to look at our lives honestly, to recognize those parts of us that are inclined to sin, and to resolve, with God's grace to confess that sin, do penance, and resolve (!) to avoid sin in the future. And, we can seek to get closer to God in prayer and in action; certainly as Knights there are ample opportunities for action, and we can carve out a bit more time to spend with the Lord in quiet prayer. We can also take advantage of opportunities to witness our faith to others, by faithfulness to the Gospel and sharing the Good News with both the poor and the affluent, and especially our own families. We can also seek to learn more about our faith.
I'm going to try to give some practical assistance with this last item over the next year. As many of you may know, my principal ministry is working with men studying to be deacons. I particularly focus on practical liturgy, marriage, and Sacred Scripture. There are a number of things that may be of interest to my fellow knights that I will attempt to offer.
May you and your families have a wonderful and blessed new year, and may our Knights of Columbus Council grow in service and holiness in this new year of grace.
Deacon Rex Pilger
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Advent 2010
For St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus December newsletter:
Advent is the season of hope with anticipation and waiting without anxiety. We are invited by the Church to look forward to the final coming of Christ Jesus at the end of time. At the same time we prepare to celebrate His first coming in the Incarnation. We look forward by looking back, beginning with the words of Jesus: “…for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
How should we prepare, what are we to do? We are invited by Isaiah: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”
Consider the words of the old hymn: “Rise up, O men of God! Be done with lesser things. Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.”
Let us not be distracted by the red and green that surrounds the season, but focus on the violet color of anticipation and the rose of sublime joy.
Deacon Rex Pilger
Advent is the season of hope with anticipation and waiting without anxiety. We are invited by the Church to look forward to the final coming of Christ Jesus at the end of time. At the same time we prepare to celebrate His first coming in the Incarnation. We look forward by looking back, beginning with the words of Jesus: “…for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
How should we prepare, what are we to do? We are invited by Isaiah: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”
Consider the words of the old hymn: “Rise up, O men of God! Be done with lesser things. Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.”
Let us not be distracted by the red and green that surrounds the season, but focus on the violet color of anticipation and the rose of sublime joy.
Deacon Rex Pilger
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Authority of a Document
What is the significance and authority of the Directory for the Ministry and Life of the Permanent Deacons? The introduction includes this statement:
The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons, as in the case of the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, has, together with its hortative character, juridically binding force where its norms “recall disciplinary norms of the Code of Canon Law” or “determine with regard to the manner of applying universal laws of the Church, explicitate their doctrinal basis and inculcate or solicit their faithful observance”.(1) In these specific cases, it is to be regarded as a formal, general, executory Decree (cf. canon 32).No doubt the Society of St. Piux X is unimpressed with this assertion.
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