Shoring Up the Walls

As we begin a more intensive study of the Catholic faith, I would like for you to listen to Fr Barron's sermon on Nehemiah (# 315 Third Sunday in  Ordinary Time).  You can access it at wordonfire.org.  Part of being Catholic is understanding what practices set us apart, shore up our faith and enrich our lives.  When we lose sight of those practices, we tend to drift away from the faith.  Being Catholic is not just about how we think--it is about what we do, both publicly and privately.

We will begin studying the sacraments this Sunday and, in part, it is our sacramental theology that sets us apart as Catholics.  Over the next few months as we learn about the sacraments and the Catholic life, we will also be exploring Catholic devotions.

Friday is the First Friday of the month, and that is associated with both the Firth Friday Devotion as well as the practice of Adoration.  If you can, please join me in the chapel at 2:30 for some time of Adoration, and stay until Benediction---one of my favorite liturgies.

First Friday devotion is associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Read about it here.
Eucharistic Adoration--the silent adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament--has a long history in the Church.  It lost popularity in the years immediately following Vatican II but has re-emerged.  St. Jude parish in Chattanooga has adoration daily; most parishes have it often, usually on First Fridays and there is a perpetual adoration chapel--where the Blessed Sacrament is always exposed for adoration--in Atlanta (as well as in many other cities and towns).  The Archdiocese has a Eucharistic Congress every year (on Corpus Christi weekend) where 30,000 or so Catholics converge on the Convention Center for Eucharistic Processions, masses, adoration, and talks on the Eucharist as it relates to Catholic life.  It's a great experience, and I strongly encourage you to go (this year--2012-- it will be on June 8-9).