Here is this week's installment of "Five Faith Friday" which contains five, faith-based things I found interesting and am sharing on Friday.
What I'm Reflecting On --
Practicing Catholics. Are you a practicing Catholic? Are you doing "the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor”? (CCC 2041) Besides standing up for all that the Church teaches (e.g., not being pro-abortion) there are 5 things we must do at a BARE MINIMUM to be considered a practicing Catholic. They are called the precepts of the Church. What are they?
- Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
- Confession of serious sin at least once a year
- Reception of Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season
- Observance of the days of fast and abstinence
- Providing for the needs of the Church
Remember, these are the bare minimum. Do your kids go to school and do you go to stores yet not to Mass? Has it been more than 1 year since you have been to confession? Do you say, "Ehh I don't need to partake in abstaining from meat on Fridays... that's antiquated and the Church needs to get with the times"? Take these to prayer and come back to the Church - your soul depends on it. Have a question about one of these? Let's chat! I'm happy to answer what I can or point you to someone who is more knowledgeable than I am: DavidRYingling@gmail.com.
Which Bible Verse I Read --
John 15:5. It goes like this: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (emphasis mine). Notice the 2nd half of that verse. "...apart from me you can do nothing." Not 80%. Not 50%. 0% - NOTHING. Nothing you do is because of your own ability. But there is hope to this! Back at the end of the 4th century, beginning of the 5th century time frame, St. John Chrysostom said, "Now it were a great penalty, the being able to do nothing, but He stays not the punishment at this point, but carries on His discourse farther." What comes after John 15:5? Take a look here.
What Letter Was Good To Read --
"Come Home to Hope — Letter from Archbishop Vigneron to the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Detroit." Archbishop Vigneron wrote this letter on Tuesday and it was exactly what I was hoping to hear from one of the successors of the Apostles. He is the kind of clergy we need - standing up for the faith, recognizing that nothing in life is more important than the Eucharist, and being a shepherd for his people in an effort to get them to Heaven. God bless Archbishop Vigneron!
What I'm Reading --
Summons. Summons is "a magazine for Catholic men, written by men in the trenches, striving to follow Christ, live virtuously, and share the faith" and the coolest part is that they are men from my diocese! I got looped in two years ago when I met them at a conference and haven't looked back. They also have 60 second daily e-mails (my personal favorite resource they offer) that hit your inbox Monday through Friday and provide for a great way to get your day off on the right foot.
What I Read --
There were actually two things (a book and a short story) that I read this week and were worth sharing.
The book was called "The Camino Way: Lessons in Leadership from a Walk Across Spain" "Business coach and former COO Victor Prince began his 500-mile trek on the Camino de Santiago as one person--driven, work-focused, and highly competitive--and he finished it a completely different one--more balanced, caring, and present in the moment. As he made his way on foot through rugged countryside and medieval towns, the life-altering journey allowed him to reflect, test his will, and join a community of strangers on a shared mission--resulting in seven essential leadership lessons inspired by the values emblazoned on the back of every pilgrim’s passport.In The Camino Way, Prince shares the lessons he learned while on his pilgrimage and guides readers on their own Camino de Santiago."
The short story was "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" "Some inhabitants of a peaceful kingdom cannot tolerate the act of cruelty that underlies its happiness. The story "Omelas" was first published in New Dimensions 3, a hard-cover science fiction anthology edited by Robert Silverberg, in October 1973, and the following year it won Le Guin the prestigious Hugo Award for best short story. It was subsequently printed in her short story collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters in 1975. This one is free to listen to online and the PDF version is free to view online.
Have a wonderful weekend and may God bless you and your family!
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