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| December 5, 2012 |
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Celebrating the Incarnation
God loves us so much that he chose to become one of us! Advent is a good time to reflect on God’s generous and self-giving love, the difference the Incarnation makes in your life, and ways to share Christ Incarnate with others.
Make plans to attend the second annual Mid-Atlantic Congress (MAC) in Baltimore, March 7–9! Stop by Booth 605 to check out our great new
products—especially for the New Evangelization. Early-bird registration
ends December 14. We hope to see you there!
Why God Wanted to Become Human
by Joan McKamey
God Among Us
by Joan McKamey
Many of you have seen Father Robert Barron’s DVD series Catholicism. The solid and inspiring message and breathtaking visuals are exceptional. Franciscan Media brings you the audiobook version of Father Barron’s message—to hear again, or for the first time. In Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, connect with what makes the Catholic faith a unique and special path to union with God. Listen on your commute to and from work—or during your holiday travel. Share it with shut-ins, especially those with impaired vision. Make it a gift to your parish that keeps giving as you place a copy or two in your parish lending library.
I’ve selected a clip to share with you (Windows Media). Consider Father Barron’s intriguing suggestion that “It all begins with a jest” and why we have reason today for the bubbling-up laughter of joy as we consider the meaning of the Incarnation.
If you’re looking for a concise explanation of the Incarnation in a variety of formats, try Father Michael Himes’ Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Available in print, audio, and video, this collection offers treatments of ten essential topics of the Catholic faith: Trinity, Grace, Incarnation, Salvation, Church, Baptism, Eucharist, Sacraments of Vocation, Reconciliation, and Tradition. This is a great collection to enhance your presentations at RCIA!
Spiritual Gift-Giving
by Angela Glassmeyer
Every Christmas, I give my parish catechists a
gift: a token of appreciation for sharing their faith with the children of our parish. I’ve often wondered how
many actually read the books I give. Last year I gave them A
Catholic Christmas by Kathleen Carroll. After Mass one Sunday, a catechist told me, “I really enjoyed that book. I don’t
usually read them when you give them to us. But, this one I did read and I
really enjoyed it. Thank you!”
This year, I’m giving A
Mary Christmas, the final book in the series by Kathleen Carroll. Like A Catholic Christmas, it’s short enough to be easily read, but long enough
to teach and inspire. We offer institutional discounts if you want to give
them to your catechists or parish staff this Christmas. Just give our cheerful
customer service agents a call at 800-488-0488 to place your order, or go
online (but be sure to call if you want the institutional bulk discount).
A little Christmas encouragement for you, from A
Mary Christmas:
Christmas can inspire us to be our
very best and simultaneously exert pressures that make us our very worst. . . . Rather than expecting the
impossible of ourselves or trying to disguise what we’re really made of, the
best practice is to look deeply at who we are, where we’ve been, and where
we’re going. If we spend some time in prayer trying to see ourselves as God
sees us, we’ll have an accurate portrait of what we are—both the faults of the
current moment, and the glorious potential we have as children of the Most
High.
Have a peaceful Advent and a very merry Christmas season!
Faith Formation Forum
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is your bridge to a community of readers who share your passion for catechesis. For our part, we offer monthly
encouragement, ideas, and resources to assist you in your catechetical ministry. We are honored to serve you in this
e-newsletter and hope you find it useful. God bless you in your important ministry of sharing the Good News!
Angela Glassmeyer and Joan McKamey (Find out more about us by clicking here.)
We invite you to share your ideas and questions on our Faith Formation Forum; click here, or on the link at the end
of each segment to leave your comments.
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