MARCH 2016 1

Pray...Take

ROH33

JULY 2016

HolyHourChallenge

THEME / TOPIC OF THE MONTH: : Pray…Take the Holy Hour Challenge (ROH#33)

SCRIPTURE PASSAGES OF THE MONTH:MATTHEW 26: 40When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?

HOUSEHOLD TEACHINGS OF THE MONTH:Hour of Power by FR. Ed Broom OMV

DISCUSSION QUESTION OF THE MONTH:Can I commit to a daily Holy Hour with and for God? If yes, what do I need to do or what do I have to give up or what do I have to change in my daily schedule to enable me to spend at least one hour in prayer, meditation, Scripture reading?

SONG OF THE MONTH: Take and Receive (St Ignatius of Loyola as sung by Bukas Palad)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QunugfNoAes

“PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC” SECTION OF THE MONTH: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises

SAINT OF THE MONTH: St. Ignatius of Loyola

PRAYER OF THE MONTH:Prayer for Generosity (by St. Ignatius of Loyola)

MEDIA OF THE MONTH:The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) by Pope Francis

JOKE OF THE MONTH:The Right Question

“FAITH WITHOUT ACTION IS DEAD” APPLICATION OF THE MONTH:Commit to pray for one hour daily for the next 7 days and see what happens. Let God surprise you!

the

JULY 2016

Subject: 2016 CFCUSA Pastoral Formation Materials – Pray…Take the Holy Hour Challenge (ROH#33)

Dear CFC USA Family:

In line with the 2016 CFC theme of Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks, we continue this month of July with PRAY…Take the Holy Hour Challenge!!!!

What! One full hour, as in 60 minutes…that’s 3,600 seconds???? Wait a minute (or an hour ☺) here. Our CFC Covenant card specifically states and I quote: “Trusting the Lord’s help and guidance, I shall live as a follower of Christ:•Pray everyday for at least 15 minutes.”

There, isn’t that clear? The deal was for a quarter of an hour… as in 15 minutes! However, I think we have to highlight “at least” 15 minutes. That’s the minimum. But does God deserve the “minimum” from us? Ok reality check – please be honest in your responses: How many minutes or hours in a day on average do you:

1- Spend surfing the internet?2- Check, update or stalk others using Facebook?3- Watch television?4- Sleep?5- Work?

Much more than 15 minutes a day in each of the 5 categories above? Priority check needed? Let us revisit our CFC battlecry: “Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the Earth.” Let us recall our CFC USA PF battlecry: “Be a Saint!!!” Have you noticed Earth lately? Kinda scary huh? Have we personally made a difference?

JULY 2016 3

Brethren, the stakes have increased! We need to double us, triple up, quadruple up our efforts…but our efforts will be in vain if we just rely on our own strength. We need to be more faithful and committed Marys to be better and more effective Marthas!!!! Like Mary, we need to spend more time (an hour daily perhaps?) at Jesus’ feet, listening to His words, meditating on His messages, prayerfully discerning His Divine and Perfect Will in our lives so we, like Martha could be able to love and serve Him better! Let us choose the better part! Let us spend more time in prayer! Take the Holy Hour Challenge!!!!!

I pray that this month’s teaching “Hour of Power” by Fr. Ed Broom will help us be more generous and courageous to undertake the practice of the daily Holy Hour. Commit to a time, wake up an hour earlier than usual, find a quiet place in your house, or better yet visit your nearest church and spend one full hour (not 50 minutes, not 59 minutes) in prayer, reading and meditating on Scripture or just in silence listening to God’s sweet, silent voice. Surrender. Empty yourself. Open your hearts to Him and feel the peace. Experience a foretaste of Heaven!

You may think, as you go through this month’s ROH, that it has a “Jesuit” theme. Well, July 31 is the Feast of one of my all-time favorite Saints – St. Ignatius of Loyola. The song (Take and Receive), prayer (Prayer for generosity), book (Joy of Love), Proud to be Catholic Section (Ignatian Spiritual Exercises) and even the joke of the month are all Jesuit-flavored. Well, the Jesuits have personally played an important role in my spiritual growth…so you know now who to blame ☺

CFC brethren, are you up to the Holy Hour Challenge???Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

In Christ through Mary, Bro. Toffee Jeturian

JULY 2016 4

heme/Topic of the Month: Pray…Take the Holy Hour Challenge

Scripture Passage of the Month: Matthew 26:40

When He returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?

Household Teaching of the Month: The Hour of PowerBy FR. Ed Broom, OMV

The famous Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, famous tele-radio-evangelist, prolific writer, Head of the Missionary Society of the Church, world-renowned preacher and friend and confidant to many Popes, loved by millions attributed his success to one thing: a deep relationship to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The love of this great man of God was particularly manifested in His faithfulness to daily prayer, what He called His Holy Hour or HOUR OF POWER.

At the end of his life he made a decision to give retreats, after he retired as Archbishop of Rochester, New York. However, his audience was very select and specific—to priests and Bishops. He challenged them! He said that when they would speak the listeners

JULY 2016 5

would not always pay attention. However, when he spoke people would listen. The key Sheen emphasized was union with God through the Holy Hour—THE HOUR OF POWER.

We honestly believe in the truth of the words and habit of Sheen. The only way to convert the world is in the forming of an army of saints. Saints are those who are madly in love with Jesus Christ, head over heels! This fire of love can only be ignited through deep prayer and deep prayer becomes a reality specifically through the practice of the daily Holy Hour.

The following are ten reasons why we invite our readers to be generous and courageous enough to undertake the practice of the daily Holy Hour. Incorporate the HOUR OF POWER in the fabric of your daily routine and you will never regret having undertaken this life-changing practice. Sheen believed that the conversion of the priesthood and the Episcopacy should start by prolonged and fervent prayer—the Holy Hour, the HOUR OF POWER! All of us should find the time to give the Lord time. We can easily spend more than an hour in front of the television, computer, your iphone or talking with a friend or simply wasting time. Why not give the Lord and Creator of heaven and earth one hour a day?

1. AVOID SIN. There is a direct relationship between sin and lack or prayer—Example: The Apostles in the Garden. For us to avoid sin we need the grace of God and it come especially through prayer and the Sacraments.

2. LEARN THE ART OF PRAYER. St. Alphonsus says that the art of all artsis that of prayer. In any profession or enterprise perfection comes after hardwork. “No pain, no gain.” A little girl was known to get up andsacrifice hours practicing figure-skating. Olympic athletes train years before their performances. Should not we give the Lord our time, efforts and good will and learn how to pray more and better?

JULY 2016 6

3. IMPROVE THE RECEPTION OF THE EUCHARIST. Indeed, the Sacramental life improves when the personal prayer life is improved. Jesus becomes more real in Holy Communion. Instead of a cold reception; Jesus is received with fire, passion and love!

4. AVOID MEDIOCRITY. We live in a world with religious indifference (The message of Pope Francis for Lent (2015)—the globalization of indifference.) God hates this is! We hear this in the Book of Rev. 3: “You are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth…”

5. START FIRES. Prayer sets our hearts on fire, like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus—“Did not our hearts burn within us as He explained the Word of God to us and in the breaking of the bread… (Luke 24)

6. OVERCOME BAD HABITS. The saying is so true: “Tell me with whom you associate and I will tell you who you are.” If we spend this quality time with Jesus then we will start to imitate Him. Hopefully we will be able to say with St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live but it is Christ who livesin me.”

7. BLESS YOUR FAMILY. We all have many family problems that wewould like to resolve, and we have probably tried to resolve without muchsuccess. We should first talk to God a long time and then we can talk to others about God. It was said of Saint Dominic that he wouldfirst talk to God and then talk about God to others.

8. INTERIOR PEACE OF SOUL. We live in a hectic world of ACTIVISM. Like Martha, many of us prefer to work more than pray and fall into activism or horizontalism. Consequently, we live stressed-out as well as stressing others out. We are lacking in deep prayer. Deep prayer gives us deep peace. Our God is called Emmanuel—God with us. He is the Prince of peace.

JULY 2016 7

9. SALVATION OF OUR SOULS AND OTHERS. Saint Alphonsus says: “There isno such thing as weak or strong people but rather people that know how to pray and those who do not know how to pray.” Fervent prayer with penance are keys to opening up the heart of God for the conversion of sinners. First, the Cure of Ars prayed long hours and shed profuse tears and practiced severe penance and then his Parish was converted.

If we really knew the value of one immortal soul, we would spend muchmore time on our knees begging for the conversion of sinners and their immortal souls. Our souls have been redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

10. JESUS AND MARY REJOICE. The fact that you have made thedecision to give the Lord an Hour—the Holy Hour—is already a sign of good will and this causes the Heart of Jesus to rejoice. When someone comes to visit us with good will, we rejoice at this token of good will and friendship. Jesus is even more grateful. By spending an Hour in the presence of Jesus He will become your Best Friend in time and for all eternity!

SPECIAL THANKS TO FR. ED BROOM, OMV

Discussion Question of the Month:Can I commit to a daily Holy Hour with and for God? If yes, what do I need to do or what do I have to give up or what do I have to change in my daily schedule to enable me to spend at least one hour in prayer, meditation, Scripture reading?

JULY 2016 8

Song of the Month: Take and Receive (St Ignatius of Loyola as sung by Bukas Palad)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QunugfNoAes

Take and receive, O Lord, my libertyTake all my will, my mind, my memoryAll things I hold and all I own are ThineThine was the gift, to Thee I all resign

Do Thou direct and govern all and swayDo what Thou wilt, command, and I obeyOnly thy grace, thy love on me bestowThese make me rich, all else will I forgo.

Saint of the Month: St. Ignatius of LoyolaFeast day: July 31

Born Inigo Lopez de Loyola in 1491, the man known as Ignatius of Loyola entered the world in Loiola, Spain. At the time, the name of the village was spelled “Loyola,” hence the discrepancy. Inigo came of age in Azpeitia, in northern Spain. Loyola is a small village at the southern end of Azpeitia.

Inigio was the youngest of thirteen children. His mother died when he was just seven, and he was

JULY 2016 9

then raised by Maria de Garin, who was the wife of a blacksmith. His last name, “Loyola” was taken from the village of his birth.Despite the misfortune of losing his mother he was still a member of the local aristocracy and was raised accordingly. Inigio was an ambitious young man who had dreams of becoming a great leader. He was influenced by stories such as The Song of Roland and El Cid.

At the age of sixteen, he began a short period of employment working for Juan Velazquez, the treasurer of Castile. By the time he was eighteen, he became a soldier and would fight for Antonio Manrique de Lara, Duke of Nájera and Viceroy of Navarre.

Seeking wider acclaim, he began referring to himself as Ignatius. Ignatius was a variant of Inigio. The young Ignatius also gained a reputation as a duelist. According to one story, he killed a Moor with whom he argued about the divinity of Jesus. Ignatius fought in several battles under the leadership of the Duke of Najera. He had a talent for emerging unscathed, despite participating in many battles. His talent earned him promotions and soon he commanded his own troops.

In 1521, while defending the town of Pamplona against French attack, Ignatius was struck by a cannonball in the legs. One leg was merely broken, but the other was

JULY 2016 10

badly mangled. To save his life and possibly his legs, doctors performed several surgeries. There were no anesthetics during this time, so each surgery was painful. Despite their best efforts, Ignatius’ condition deteriorated. After suffering for a month, his doctors warned him to prepare for death.

On June 29, 1521, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Ignatius began to improve. As soon as he was healthy enough to bear it, part of one leg was amputated which while painful, sped his recovery. During this time of bodily improvement, Ignatius began to read whatever books he could find. Most of the books he obtained were about the lives of the saints and Christ. These stories had a profound impact on him, and he became more devout.

One story in particular influenced him, “De Vita Christi” (The life of Christ). The story offers commentary on the life of Christ and suggested a spiritual exercise that required visualizing oneself in the presence of Christ during the episodes of His life. The book would inspire Ignatius’ own spiritual exercises.

As he lay bedridden, Ignatius developed a desire to become a working servant of Christ. He especially wanted to convert non-Christians. Among his profound realizations, was that some thoughts brought him happiness and others sorrow. When he considered the differences between these thoughts, he recognized that two powerful forces were acting upon him. Evil brought him unpleasant thoughts while God brought him happiness. Ignatius discerned God’s call, and began a new way of life, following God instead of men.

By the spring of 1522, Ignatius had recovered enough to leave bed. On March 25, 1522, he entered the Benedictine monastery, Santa Maria de Montserrat. Before an image of the Black Madonna, he laid down his military garments. He gave his other clothes away to a poor man. He then walked to a hospital in the town of Manresa. In exchange for a place to live, he performed work around the hospital. He begged for his food. When he was not working or begging, he would go into a cave and practice

JULY 2016 11

spiritual exercises. His time in prayer and contemplation helped him to understand himself better. He also gained a better understanding of God and God’s plan for him. The ten months he spent between the hospital and the cavern were difficult for Ignatius. He suffered from doubts, anxiety and depression. But he also recognized that these were not from God.

Ignatius began recording his thoughts and experiences in a journal. This journal would be useful later for developing new spiritual exercises for the tens of thousands of people who would follow him. Those exercises remain invaluable today and are still widely practiced by religious and laity alike.

The next year, in 1523, Ignatius made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His goal was to live there and convert non-believers. However, the Holy Land was a troubled place and Church officials did not want Ignatius to complicate things further. They asked him to return after just a fortnight. Ignatius realized he needed to obtain a complete education if he wanted to convert people. Returning to Barcelona, Ignatius attended a grammar school, filled with children, to learn Latin and other beginning subjects. He was blessed with a great teacher during this time, Master Jeronimo Ardevol. After completing his primary education, Ignatius traveled to Alcala, then Salamanca, where he studied at universities. In addition to studying, Ignatius often engaged others in lengthy conversations about spiritual matters.

These conversations attracted the attention of the Inquisition. In Spain, the Inquisition was responsible for ferreting out religious dissent and combating heresy. The Inquisition was not as it has long been depicted in the media.

The Inquisition accused Ignatius of preaching without any formal education in theology. Without this training, it was likely that Ignatius could introduce heresy by way of conversation and misunderstanding. Ignatius was questioned three times by the Inquisition, but he was always exonerated. Ignatius eventually decided he needed more education, so he traveled north, seeking better schools and teachers. He was 38

JULY 2016 12

years old when he entered the College of Saint Barbe of the University of Paris. This education was very structured and formalized. Later, Ignatius would be inspired to copy this model when establishing schools. The ideas of prerequisites and class levels would arise from the Jesuit schools, which here heavily inspired by Ignatius’ experience in Paris.

Ignatius earned a master’s degree at the age of 44. When he subsequently applied for his doctorate, he was passed over because of his age. He also suffered from ailments, which the school was concerned could impact his studies. While at school in Paris, Ignatius roomed with Peter Faber and Francis Xavier. Faber was French and Xavier was Basque. The men became friends and Ignatius led them in his spiritual exercises. Other men soon joined their exercises and became followers of Ignatius. The group began to refer to themselves as “Friends in the Lord,” an apt description. The circle of friends, shared Ignatius’ dream of traveling to the Holy Land, but conflict between Venice and the Turks made such a journey impossible. Denied the opportunity to travel there, the group then decided to visit Rome. There, they resolved to present themselves to the Pope and to serve at his pleasure. Pope Paul III received the group and approved them as an official religious order in 1540. The band attempted to elect Ignatius as their first leader, but he declined, saying he had not lived a worthy life in his youth. He also believed others were more experienced theologically. The group insisted however, and Ignatius accepted the role as their first leader. They called themselves the Society of Jesus. Some people who did not appreciate their efforts dubbed them “Jesuits” in an attempt to disparage them. While the name stuck, by virtue of their good work the label lost its negative connotation.

Ignatius imposed a strict, almost military rule on his order. This was natural for a man who spent his youth as a soldier. It might be expected that such rigor would dissuade people from joining, but it had the opposite effect. The order grew.The Society of Jesus soon found its niche in education. Before Ignatius died in 1556, his order established 35 schools and boasted 1,000 members. The order was responsible for much of the work of stopping the spread of the Protestant Reformation.

JULY 2016 13

The Society advocated the use of reason to persuade others and combat heresy.

Today, the Society of Jesus is known for its work in educating the youth around the world. Several universities have been founded in the name of Ignatius and in the traditional Jesuit spirit. The Jesuits also perform many other important works around the globe.

Ignatius’ passed away on July 31, 1556, at the age of 64. He was beatified by Pope Paul V on July 27, 1609 and canonized on March 12, 1622. His feast day is July 31. He is the patron saint of the Society of Jesus, soldiers, educators and education.

SOURCE: CATHOLIC ONLINE

Proud to be Catholic Section of the Month:What Are the Spiritual Exercises?

The Spiritual Exercises grew out of Ignatius Loyola’s personal experience as a man seeking to grow in union with God and to discern God’s will. He kept a journal as he gained spiritual insight and deepened his spiritual experience. He added to these notes as he directed other people and discovered what “worked.” Eventually Ignatius gathered these prayers, meditations, reflections, and directions into a carefully designed framework of a retreat, which he called “spiritual exercises.”

Ignatius wrote that the Exercises: “have as their purpose the conquest of self and the regulation of one’s life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment.” He wanted individuals to undertake these exercises with the assistance of an experienced spiritual director who would help them shape the retreat and understand what they were experiencing. The book of Spiritual Exercises is a handbook to be used by the director, not by the person making the retreat.

JULY 2016 14

The Structure of the Exercises

Ignatius organized the Exercises into four “weeks.” These are not seven-day weeks, but stages on a journey to spiritual freedom and wholehearted commitment to the service of God.

First week. The first week of the Exercises is a time of reflection on our lives in light of God’s boundless love for us. We see that our response to God’s love has been hindered by patterns of sin. We face these sins knowing that God wants to free us of everything that gets in the way of our loving response to him. The first week ends with a meditation on Christ’s call to follow him.

Second week. The meditations and prayers of the second week teach us how to follow Christ as his disciples. We reflect on Scripture passages: Christ’s birth and baptism, his sermon on the mount, his ministry of healing and teaching, his raising Lazarus from the dead. We are brought to decisions to change our lives to do Christ’s work in the world and to love him more intimately.

Third week. We meditate on Christ’s Last Supper, passion, and death. We see his suffering and the gift of the Eucharist as the ultimate expression of God’s love.

Fourth week. We meditate on Jesus’ resurrection and his apparitions to his disciples. We walk with the risen Christ and set out to love and serve him in concrete ways in our lives in the world.

Prayer in the Exercises

The two primary forms of praying taught in the Exercises are meditation and contemplation. In meditation, we use our minds. We ponder the basic principles that guide our life. We pray over words, images, and ideas.

Contemplation is more about feeling than thinking. Contemplation often stirs the emotions and enkindles deep desires. In contemplation, we rely on our imaginations to

JULY 2016 15

place ourselves in a setting from the Gospels or in a scene proposed by Ignatius. We pray with Scripture. We do not study it.

The discernment of spirits underlies the Exercises. We notice the interior movements of our hearts, and discern where they are leading us. A regular practice of discernment helps us make good decisions.

All the characteristic themes of Ignatian spirituality are grounded in the Exercises. These include a sense of collaboration with God’s action in the world, spiritual discernment in decision making, generosity of response to God’s invitation, fraternity and companionship in service, and a disposition to find God in all things. Spiritual integration is a prominent theme of the Exercises: integration of contemplation and action, prayer and service, and emotions and reason.

Source: IgnatianSpirituality.com

Prayer of the Month: Prayer for Generosity (by St Ignatius of Loyola)

Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will

JULY 2016 16

Media (Book) of the Month: The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) The Joy of Love brings together the results of the two Synods on the Family convoked by Pope Francis in 2014 and 2015.

Striking for its breadth and detail—and firmly grounded in the challenges of family experiences—the Joy of Love affirms the rich and complex reality of family life with pastoral care, speaking the language of experience and hope. Pope Francis reaches out to married couples, parents, and children in a spirit of accompaniment, asking everyone to read slowly, paying special attention to what applies most to our different needs. The Joy of Love is truly remarkable for its practical and concrete suggestions. It also challenges us to be understanding in the face of complex and painful situations.

Essential reading for CFC USA Servant leaders and members! Order your copy now!

Joke of the Month: The Right Question

A Franciscan and a Jesuit were friends. They were both smokers who found it difficult to pray for a long period of time without having a cigarette. They decided to go to their superiors and ask permission to smoke.

When they met again, the Franciscan was downcast. “I asked my superior if I could smoke while I pray and he said ‘no,’”☺ he said.

The Jesuit smiled. “I asked if I could pray while I smoke. He said ‘of course.’

“Faith without Action is Dead” Application of the Month:Commit to pray for one hour daily for the next 7 days and see what happens. Let God surprise you!