Lenten reconciliation service

One of the oddest and most avoided, yet surprisingly beneficial activity is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also knows as confession and penance.  The other two names describe aspects of the sacrament, but not the heart of the sacrament, which is reconciliation and healing. 

Whenever we sin, we miss the mark of the excellence we know we are made to be.  In this, we create a rupture in the fabric of space and time.  This rupture affects oneself, others and even creation.  It also affects our relationship with God, our creator, for we fail to be what we were created to be.  Created in the image of God, we do not do anything small.

For those who believe sin is dead and an obsolete church term, they are not watching the news or reading the paper.  Sin is very much alive, out there and within each of us.  When we hurt others or ourselves, when we fail to love others or ourselves, we sin. 

If we’re going to seek a better path in life and keep from getting stuck, we need to be aware of where we are.  So we are asked to do an examination of our conscience frequently, using the guidance of God to help us see our strengths and goodness, as well as our weaknesses and failings better. 

We then turn to God in sorrow and contriteness for our failures and name them as a sign of our sorrow.  By giving voice to our weaknesses, we join in the power of God’s voice who creates order out of chaos.  Our naming our sins starts the process of creating order out of our personal chaos. 

It’s also useful to get advice and wisdom, especially in areas of blindness.  Hence, the priest will share encouragement and spiritual wisdom.  Then as another sign of contriteness and recognizing that our sins cause damage, we pray a prayer of sorrow for sin and accept a penance, a spiritual exercise, to move us in the direction of healing sin’s damage.  The penance falls under one of the three pillars of the spiritual life, namely prayer (relating), fasting (disciplining), or almsgiving (serving).

The keys we thirsting for, namely peace, healing, and forgiveness, are the fruit of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  In the ancient prayer through the words of absolution, spoken through the priest in the name of Jesus and His body, the Church, our sins are forgiven. 

When such amazing things happen, we cannot but conclude with a proclamation of praise to God, which is in reality, the essential activity and core of who we are.

Repost from Fr. Ivan’s flap 3/31/2019.

All are welcome! No reservations or tickets are needed. Space is limited. Standard safety measures will be enforced. Patio gates open at 2:30pm.

SIGN UP HERE to receive information about this reconciliation service, including Zoom links, update information and any pertinent materials.

Schedule: Monday, March 15, 2021 - 7:00pm

SIGN UP HERE to receive information about these mini Lenten moments, including Zoom links, update information and any pertinent materials.

Fr. Ivan and parishioners will lead these weekly Zoom mini-retreats designed to give pause for thought and reflection on a singular matter related to our Lenten journey.

The format will be:

5-8 minute reflection

10-12 minutes in small group discussion.

10-12 minutes for prayer.

Schedule: Tuesdays, 7:00-7:40pm

From February 23, 2021 until March 30, 2021.

How can you find God in the midst of your busy life? Consider participating in this year’s Busy Person’s Retreat. This self-paced, 3-week retreat can be a way to grow in awareness of God’s presence in the reality of your life. Explore questions like: Who am I in this moment of my life? Where is God acting in my daily life? How can I get in touch with my true self considering the demands of my life? The Busy Persons Retreat features one-hour personal meetings each week which are guided by a spiritual director. You will be invited to take a few minutes our of your busy day to access and foster your spirituality to give you greater clarity, peace, and reassurance.

This retreat is FREE of charge. Materials needed for the retreat will be provided to all participants. You will be able to meet and greet your assigned spiritual director during the Virtual Opening Session.

Sign up here to be a part of this personal guided retreat. Email Laura Bennett or Fr. Steven Bell with any questions that you may have. Deadline for signing up is Friday, February 26, 2021.

Schedule of Dates

Virtual Opening Session - Sunday, February 28, 2021 - 6:00pm

Retreat runs from March 1 - March 18, 2021. Meet with your spiritual director weekly via Zoom.

Virtual Closing Session - Sunday, March 21, 2021

Register for this FREE retreat here!

Registration deadline is Friday, March 5 at 1:00pm.

Do you have any questions? Check back here for developing details or email Fr. Steven Bell at sbell@calnewman.org.

Spring Student Retreat

The Spring Student Retreat Team is excited to announce homesick! This is a low commitment, broken-up, virtual retreat with four sessions on March 5, 7, 12, & 14 from 9:00-10:00pm.

Click the Facebook insignia below to see our Facebook event page!

Prepare your favorite vegetarian or seafood soup and join Fr. Steven Bell for a series of conversations on provocative topics brought up by the Saturday Lenten readings.

SIGN UP HERE to receive information about these prayer services, including Zoom links, update information and any pertinent materials.

6:30pm - 6:45pm - Gathering Social Time and Opening

6:45pm - 7:00pm - This Week’s Super Soup Recipe

7:00pm - 7:20pm - A Look at the Readings

7:20pm - 7:40pm - Small Group Discussions

7:40pm - 7:55pm - Large Group Discussion

7:55pm - 8:00pm - Closing Prayer

Schedule: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Friday, February 19, 2021 - “You REALLY expect me to say something nice about that *!@%!?: A Look at the 2-20 Readings.”

Friday, February 26, 2021 - “How are we suppose to love our enemies, when it’s so much easier (and more natural) to hate them?: A Look at the 2-27 Readings.”

Friday, March 5, 2021 - “Are you sure that God forgives me of that thing I did (and sometimes keep doing)?: A Look at the 3-6 Readings.”

Friday, March 12, 2021 - “What’s so wrong with me thinking that I’m holier than some others, especially when I see that they are not as dedicated or as devout as I am?: A Look at the 3-13 Readings.”

Friday, March 19, 2021 - “We are SO divided! Even in the Church! Is true unity just an illusion?: A Look at the 3-20 Readings.”

Friday, March 26, 2021 - “Idols, Abominations, and Transgressions, O My! What must I die to in order to rise to new life with Christ?: A Look at the 3-27 Readings.”

Retreat registration fee is $25.00.

Register at http://paulist.org/retreat.

Crisis Spirituality Retreat

In this time when missionaries can't go to parishes to do missions this Lent, three Paulist priests bring an of-the-moment, abbreviated mission to you virtually. Join others from the Paulist Ministry-sphere for two hours on Saturday, February 27th (1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CST/10 a.m. PST) and garner ways to approach crises in your life using the spiritual wealth of our faith in God!

RETREAT PROGRAM:

• St. Paul of the Shipwreck, Fr. Frank Desiderio, CSP
  Mission preacher, poet, and author of “Can You Let Go of A Grudge” from Paulist Press. Fr. Frank will tell the story of St. Paul’s shipwreck on the isle of Malta and how his trust in God got him through the hardships.

• From the Bottom Up, Fr. Terry Ryan, CSP
  Retreat leader and teacher of contemplative prayer and meditation. Currently living at a Trappist monastery in Colorado. Fr. Terry will talk about how you can get up after you hit bottom.

• Moving Forward, Fr. Mark-David Janus
  Paulist Press publisher, Ph.D. in psychology and author of “Your One Wild and Precious Life.” Fr. Mark-David will lead us through exercises to look at what is important in our lives and how we can move forward during a crisis. There will be small group sharing and Q&A.

Paulist Come and See Retreat

We are so blessed by our great group of novices and seminarians! Did you know that, in a decade-to-decade comparison, Paulist ordinations to the priesthood have increased 25 percent? (2000 to 2009 compared to 2010 to 2019). Thanks be to God for this blessing! And thank you to everyone who has been praying for vocations!

Our next “Come and See” virtual retreat will be held Saturday, February 20 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central / 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm Pacific).

For details, please contact our vocation director, Paulist Fr. Dat Tran, at: be@paulist.org.

Come, Holy Spirit!

BUSTED HALO LENTEN RESOURCES

From their ever-popular FAST, PRAY, GIVE calendar to a host of article, contests, and videos, Bustedhalo.com is a veritable treasure trove of Lenten goodies to help enrich your journey with every step!

Visit Bustedhalo.com’s Lent page for more information.

Busted Halo is a unique media resource that utilizes a relevant and accessible voice to help people understand the Catholic faith, put it into practice in their everyday lives, and share it with others.

Our vision is for a more joyful and meaningful experience of Catholicism that positively impacts people’s lives. At Busted Halo, we aim to bring the joy of the Gospel to all people in innovative and creative ways. Through articles, video, podcasts, radio, and social media, we aspire to help Catholics embrace their faith more fully. We value the experiences and questions of people seeking to better understand their faith and offer resources to better comprehend and share the richness of the Catholic faith.