Author: geonyayyad

“Take Advantage of the Time” by Bishop DiMarzio

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December 3, 2014 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

We have begun Advent which is basically a time of waiting. Time is really important to us. We live in time – the time of our birth to our death. The time of Advent in a certain sense telescopes our life from its beginning to end. It gives us the opportunity to look back and look forward. To wait, in time, for the birth of Jesus, the Son of God Who is the author of all time.

At this time, an important question is, how do we view time in our lives? Time is not something we really like to waste. We like to make the most of our time in this life, and every day we should use the time God gives us for good purpose. As we think about how we use time, however, we recognize that sometimes we let it slip through our fingers. We do not take advantage of every day and make the best use of it. It does not mean we have to be workaholics, never stopping to take a rest or use leisure properly, but it is an opportunity to analyze the time we have, for time does not belong to us alone.

Time belongs to God. He has given us the time in our lives to find its meaning. As Christians, we find the meaning of time in Jesus Christ whose birth we prepare to celebrate during Advent. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end of time.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

Youth Minister Advent Evening Of Prayer

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On Thursday, December 18, the Office of Faith Formation will host the Youth Minister Evening of Prayer in observance of Advent. The event takes place at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Brooklyn at 7 PM and all youth ministers are invited to attend.

The presenter for the event is Sr. Celia Deutsch, an American religious sister, academic, educator, writer, and scholar of early Jewish and early Christian literature. She was a professor at Barnard College from 1985-2012 and now serves as a research scholar for the college. Currently she serves as vocation minister for the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion.

Please register by Friday, December 5. There are refreshments to follow the service. For more information, contact Paul Morisi at pmorisi@diobrook.com.

“Thankful For The Gifts Of America” by Bishop DiMarzio

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November 26, 2104 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

As we approached Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to prepare by attending a conference on migration in Rome and by visiting a refugee reception center in Sicily. I came away truly thankful for the gifts of our American society.

The conference held in Rome had the theme of “Cooperation and Development of the Pastoral Care of Migrants,” and over 300 people attended, representing 90 countries. About 30 bishops were present.

This World Congress takes place every five years. It assists the Holy See in developing its policy positions and its concern for the pastoral care of migrants and refugees and all itinerant people. The meeting focused on those who are economic migrants, that is, those who migrate because they are looking for a better life for themselves and their families.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

Joint Diocesan Jornada Thanksgiving

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ThanksgivingYouth 2Join us on Wednesday, November 26 for a Thanksgiving Eve Youth Celebration hosted by the Jornada Movement and the Office of Faith Formation! Fr. Joseph Espaillat II will be the special guest and guest speaker. Join us to celebrate our faith and friendship!

The festivities begin at 7 PM at the Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn. For more information, contact Paul Morisi (pmorisi@diobrook.org) or Fr. James Kuroly (jkuroly@cathedralprep.org).

All are welcome, bring a friend!

Important Announcement Regarding Immigration Relief For Undocumented Individuals

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On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a new policy that will provide an opportunity for certain undocumented immigrants in the United States to apply for a limited form of immigration legal relief. It is estimated that at least tens of thousands of people within the Diocese of Brooklyn will be eligible to apply this new benefit which will include employment authorization and protection from deportation.

In furtherance of our mission to “Welcome the Stranger”, the Diocese of Brooklyn aims to provide reliable information and legal assistance to parishioners and other immigrants in response to the President’s announcement. Catholic Migration Services (CMS) will spearhead our Diocesan-wide effort to bring accessible and affordable services to eligible immigrants under this program. A dedicated hotline has been established at CMS to provide up to date information on this topic. All interested individuals are encouraged to call the hotline at 347 979 9360.

Please be aware that the United States government has not yet established procedures for individuals to get relief under this new program. Therefore, it is important that immigrants beware of advertisements or solicitations which promise legal assistance. Additionally CMS will conduct a special information session on Administrative Immigration Relief at St. Sebastian’s Parish Center located at 39-60 57th St. Woodside, Queens on December 6th at 1:00 PM. All interested Individuals are encouraged to attend.

Finally, please see the attached flyer in English and Spanish which may be used as a parish bulletin insert or to announce the services of CMS in relation to this new policy.

For more information about CMS, please contact our Brooklyn office at 718 236 3000 or the Queens office at 347 472 3500. You can also visit our website at www.catholicmigration.org

Theology on Tap 11/24/2014

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On Monday, Nov. 24, Theology on Tap will return, presented by Catholic Foundation! Join us at the 12th St. Bar and Grill in Brooklyn at 7 p.m! The speaker for the night will be Brother Geoffrey Clement O.S.F. and he will be covering Christian-Islamic Interactions in the Middle Ages.

For more information, check out this flyer or contact Paul Morisi at (718) 965-7300 x5556 or email pmorisi@diobrook.com.

Bishop DiMarzio’s Speech To The National Filipino Priests Conference

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Below is a transcript of the Bishop DiMarzio’s speech to the National Filipino Priests Conference in Orlando, Florida on Nov.5, 2014:

Introduction

First, it is my pleasure to be here with you today for the Regular General Assembly of the National Association of Filipino Priests – USA. How fitting is your theme – Paring Pinoy 2014: Nurturing, Sharing, Witnessing Our Call – as you ask me to speak on effective preaching.

What is effective preaching? Obviously, it is preaching that has an effect. An effect first of all on the preacher and then an effect on those who listen in the congregation. Scripture tells us that God’s Word is effective if it is compared to the rain that comes down and does not return to the sky unless it has watered the earth. And so it is with God’s Word. The Word is what is entrusted to us. The Word is all powerful. We are mere instruments of God, we are prophets who speak the Word for God. Not foretelling the future, but in effect presenting the Word of God for the present. We are mediators and the Word of God passes through us to the people who listen. In order to be an effective preacher, we must forget ourselves.

Yes, we must forget ourselves. We must let ourselves go. Saint Teresa of Avila once said, “Preachers who do not let go of themselves will never inspire people. They must be like the Apostles who threw all caution to the wind.” When we are self conscious, we cannot let the Word of God work through us. Forgetting self does not mean that we cannot be personal. We must be personal, however, to be personal does not mean to be self-centered. A homily constantly using the word “I” is a good indication that it is rather self-centered, and the homily will not exude confidence in letting the Word of God speak through us. Giving a homily is somewhat like being on a stage. The best actors are those who exude confidence and conviction. In a sense, they are able to work out of themselves to take on the character of the person they portray. We are to be Christ to God’s people in preaching the Word. We cannot be self-conscious. We cannot worry about making mistakes. We must let the Word of God work through us. Yes, certainly there is a message to be delivered. It is something truly important that we have to say. It is God’s very word intended for the hearers that it might make a difference in their lives. However, sincerity and authenticity are truly important if we are to preach effectively.

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Bishop DiMarzio’s Homily At The Diocesan Pilgrimage

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Below is the transcript of the homily delivered on Oct. 25, 2014 at the Diocesan Pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.:

Screen Shot 2014-11-21 at 11.29.11 AMWe come as a diocese once again to the beautiful Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  This year we dedicate our prayer and sacrifice for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East and all victims of terrorism.  Today, we have chosen the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians because, indeed, the Christians of the Middle East are in need of her motherly intercession and care.  In our First Reading today, the Word of God goes directly to the entrance of evil into the world.  God created the world to be good.  Because of the disobedience of man and woman, however, evil entered the world.  The scene in the Book of Genesis portrays for us the cunning work of the serpent devil and the contradictory nature of evil itself.  The great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas taught that even when man or women choose evil, somehow each believe that they are choosing something that is good for him or her.  Yes, Adam and Eve wanted to know more.  They wanted to be like God.  And, so, when the serpent tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge which had been forbidden by God, she succumbs to that temptation and, in fact, took it to her husband and he too ate of the forbidden fruit.  The trick of Satan is still in our world today to present evil under the appearance of good.  Radical Islam, that today persecutes our brothers and sisters in Christ, appears to these people to be something good.  They must rid the world of those who will not accept their truth of Islam.  And so they pervert their own religion and ruthlessly take the lives of others, or force them to convert or displace them from their own lands.  Evil is not easily conquered, however, it is our Blessed Mother, Mary, who is our hope and intercessor.

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XLT Night with Ike Ndolo Band

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3_XLT_Front_DigitalXLT comes from the word eXaLT and is an amazing night of worship unlike any other! It mixes praise and worship music with a powerful, inspiring, yet challenging witness talk. The main focus is a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Franciscan University and Life Teen are teaming up to present, for the first time over, the Steubenville NYC youth conference in Summer 2015. But they are getting the party started now with the XLT Fall tour. Everyone is invited.

The first XLT takes place at Most Precious Blood Church in Brooklyn at 8 PM. For more information, you can email Paul Morisi at pmorisi@diobrook.org

“Long Live Christ The King!” by Bishop DiMarzio

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November 19, 2104 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

In 1925, Pope Pius XI established a new feast to end the liturgical year, the Feast of Christ the King. That time in history had seen the rise of the totalitarian systems, such as communism and socialism, which infringed on the free practice of the faith. Because the dominion of Christ the King was not a political but rather a spiritual reign, it could really co-exist with any type of government, as long as religious freedom was allowed. Normally, democracy would seem to be the best system of government compatible with the Christian faith, but a monarchy or other forms of government can also allow the Christian faith to thrive, if real freedom of conscience and worship are supported.

This feast allows us to recognize the tension that exists today between faith and politics in our own land. When Jesus was asked the famous question by Pontius Pilate, “Are you a King?,” Jesus simply said, “You say so.”

But what do we say about Christ? Is He our King? Is our conscience guided by our allegiance to Christ or a political party or to some other loyalty?

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.