Waterloo Catholics

EVENING EXAMEN FOR SUNDAY

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.

> Take a few moments to reflect on this day:
• How did you experience Christ's presence in Word and Sacrament today?
• Did you have experiences today in which God's presence, love and mercy were missing?
• For what are you most grateful today?
• What do you most regret today?

> Give thanks for this day and its many blessings.
> Ask for the grace to be more aware of God's presence and to become a better agent of God's love and mercy.

Pray these words from Mary's Magnificat:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

Protect us Lord while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep that we may keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

+ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit....
________________
The Examen is a traditional devotional practice popularized by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Our Evening Examen is adapted for individuals living busy lives in the modern world.
> Find out more about the Examen here:
http://waterloocatholics.org/daily-examen
____________________

EVENING COMPLINE
Compline is the final prayer of the day in the Church’s “Liturgy of the Hours”. It marks the close of the day and welcomes the quiet of nighttime by praising the Divine Source of light and life.
> Trinity Church in New York offers a daily virtual Candlelight Compline service at 7:00pm. at
https://www.facebook.com/trinityretreatcenter

LEARN TO GROW…

The Catholic Parishes in the Waterloo Pastorate are committed to life-long formation, education and spiritual growth for adults of all ages.
> See our list of current and future opportunities here:
http://waterloocatholics.org/bulletin-board
> Don’t see what you’re looking for?
Email [email protected]

DAILY READING FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

Today's Scripture reading:

A king dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. ...[H]e said to his servants, The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike. (cf. Matthew 22.1-14)

> Choose a word, phrase or image from today’s reading and reflect on what it means to you. Recall and ponder this word, phrase or image from time to time throughout the day.
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Lectio Divina is a traditional form of "holy reading." Our Daily Reading is adapted for individuals living busy lives in the modern world.
> See our suggested process for Daily Lectio here:
http://waterloocatholics.org/process-for-daily-lectio
> Watch a video reflection on today's reading here:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
> Find a reflection on art related to today’s reading here:
https://christian.art/

Today the church marks the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.

The Second Vatican Council (or Vatican II) was the twenty-first ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. It was convened by Saint John XXIII and lasted for four sessions from 1962 through 1965.
According to the website Vatican II—Voice of the Church, the Council was instrumental in renewing the self-understanding of the Church, its inner life, and its relationship to other Christian traditions, other religions and the world. Those participating in or who lived through the time of the Council felt a profound, exhilarating sense of renewal and virtually experienced a new Pentecost. Pope St John XXIII set the tone when opening the Council: “The Church should never depart from the sacred treasure of truth inherited from the Fathers. But at the same time she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions and the new forms of life introduced into the modern world.”
In the years since the Council, a great debate emerged within the church over the extent to which the Council reaffirmed past teaching or forged a new path forward. Now, more than a half-century after the Council, there is a renewed interest in the Council’s teachings, assisted by Pope Francis’ evident concern for all the People of God, and his actions that reflect the Council’s teachings on the governance of the Church. In 2017, speaking about the Council, Pope Francis called for the Church “to announce the Gospel in a new way, more consonant with a profoundly different culture and world.”
With the many concerns facing the Church, it would be well to recall the words of Pope St Paul VI, speaking soon after the close of the Council: “The Council was something very new; not all were prepared to understand and accept it. But now the conciliar doctrine must be seen as belonging to the magisterium of the Church and, indeed, be attributed to the breath of the Holy Spirit” (Paul VI to the Roman Curia, 23 April, 1966).
St John Paul II wrote on the eve of the new millennium: “There [in the Council] we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning.”
(Courtesy of Vatican II—Voice of the People)

> Learn more about Vatican II here:
https://bit.ly/3SUMw8b
> Find frequently asked questions about Vatican II here:
https://www.wordonfire.org/vatican-ii-faq/
> Read 10 quotes from Pope John’s opening speech:
https://bit.ly/3yA2HzB
> Read Pope Francis’ homily on the 60th anniversary of Vatican II:
https://bit.ly/3em3Fsl
> Read “What Happened at Vatican II”:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-happened-at-vatican-ii
> Read “What Changed at Vatican II”:
https://www.catholicregister.org/features/item/15194-what-changed-at-vatican-ii
> Read “The Style of Vatican II”:
https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/423/article/style-vatican-ii
> Read “The Council’s Spirit”:
https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1767&context=conversations
> Read “Why Is Vatican II So Important?”
https://www.npr.org/2012/10/10/162573716/why-is-vatican-ii-so-important
> Read “Vatican II at 50”:
https://uscatholic.org/articles/201209/vatican-ii-at-50-a-look-back-at-its-highlights/
> Learn more about how Vatican II changed the liturgy:
https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/the-liturgy-prior-to-vatican-ii-and-the-councils-reforms/
> Learn why experts think ideology blocked the implementation of Vatican II:
https://bit.ly/3t8FYuo
> Read a summary of the documents of Vatican II:
https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/1-sentence-on-each-of-the-16-documents-of-vatican-ii/
> Find the documents of Vatican II here:
https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index.htm
> See images of Vatican II:
https://bit.ly/48N6DgW

JOHN XXIII’S “MOONLIGHT SPEECH”
October 11, 1962

What has been called the most popular and memorable papal speech of all time was delivered by St. Pope John XXIII on the evening of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, October 11, 1962.
Although exhausted by the momentous events of the historic day, John agreed to address the thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate the opening of the Council.
His remarks have often been called “the moonlight speech” because they included this comment, delivered under a full moon: “Here all the world is represented. One might even say that the moon rushed here this evening…to behold this spectacle.” However, what made his impromptu speech most memorable in the ears of the crowd and history was his closing remark: “When you go back home, you will find your children and give them a hug and say, ‘This is a hug from the Pope.’”
The gesture became a staple in Italian Catholic folklore about "good Pope John."

Learn More
> Learn how John’s “moonlight speech” was inspired by St. Therese of Lisieux:
https://bit.ly/2Ihqop0
http://www.thereseoflisieux.org/my-blog-about-st-therese/2017/10/11/st-john-xxiiis-famous-moonlight-speech-october-11-1962-on-th.html
> Watch this video report about the “moonlight speech”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBsuMPfc5as
> Read Nicole Sotelo’s reflection on the “moonlight speech”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBsuMPfc5as
> Read the text of John’s “moonlight speech”:
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2010/10/quote-of-day_11.html

Today's Feast

> Learn more about the feast of St. John XXIII:
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-10-11
> Learn more about John XXIII here:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-xxiii/
and here:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/apr/24/pope-john-xxiii-launched-vatican-ii-and-then-some/138167/
> watch this video of John’s life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcGdiv9-2M
> Read Pope Francis's reflection on John XXIII:
https://bit.ly/3D4XUpn
> Read Fr. Joseph Komonchak's reflection on "Good Pope John":
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/remembering-good-pope-john
> Read Bishop Barron's reflection, "The Virtues of St. John XXIII":
https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/the-virtues-of-saint-john-xxiii/2263/
> Read “Pope John XXIII--An Ordinary Holiness”:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/blessed-pope-john-xxiii-an-ordinary-holiness/
> Read “John XXIII’s Legacy”:
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/tom-mcfeely/john_xxiiis_legacy
> Read ‘A Pope of Many Surprises”:
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-curious-case-of-john-xxiii
> Read “John XXIII—A Breath of Fresh Air”:
https://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201404/pope-john-xxiii-breath-fresh-air-28801
> Read “Ten Great Jokes Told by Pope John XXIII”:
https://bit.ly/3op2v1P
> Read John's opening speech to the Second Vatican Council:
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?RecNum=3233
> Read a commentary on John's opening speech:
https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/pope-john-xxiiis-opening-address-second-vatican-council
> Read a summary of Pacem in Terrishttps://educationforjustice.org/system/files/paceminterris.pdf
> Watch Fr. James Martin’s video about John XXIII:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDeQ2q9gwI8
> Enjoy this Grotto Network playlist for St. John XXIII:
https://bit.ly/3Qg5FST
> See images of John XXIII:
https://bit.ly/30Oz0H5

Optional Memorial of St. John XXIII, pope - October 11, 2018 - Liturgical Calendar Today is the feast of St. John XXIII, pope from 1958-1963, best known for convening the Second Vatican Council. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. His feast is assigned to the day on which the first session of Vatican II opened in 1962. His feast is not on the General

Today the Church observes the feast of St. John XXIII (1881-1963)

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte, a small town near Bergamo in northern Italy, the firstborn son of a local farming family. He attended the diocesan seminary and was ordained in 1904. In the early years of his priesthood he studied canon law in Rome, served as the local bishop’s secretary, a church history teacher, and publisher of the diocesan newspaper. During World War I he served as a stretcher-bearer in the Italian army. In 1925 he became a papal diplomat and served in Bulgaria, Turkey and France before being named a cardinal and patriarch of Venice in 1953. Five years later he was elected pope and took the name John. A simple, self-effacing and wise man, John helped resolve the Cuban missile crisis, wrote two historic encyclicals (“Mother and Teacher” [1961] and “Peace on Earth” [1963]), and enlarged the College of Cardinals to include more non-European members. To the surprise of nearly everyone, he convened the Second Vatican Council which opened in 1962. In his opening address to the Council he rejected “those prophets of doom…who see nothing but prevarication and ruin” and announced that the church now preferred to use “the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.” “Good Pope John,” as he was called, died on June 2, 1963; he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2014.

Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, who in the Pope, Saint John XXIII, gave to the whole world the shining example of a good shepherd, grant that, through his intercession, we may with joy spread abroad the fullness of Christian charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Optional Memorial of St. John XXIII, pope - October 11, 2018 - Liturgical Calendar Today is the feast of St. John XXIII, pope from 1958-1963, best known for convening the Second Vatican Council. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. His feast is assigned to the day on which the first session of Vatican II opened in 1962. His feast is not on the General

Daily Prayer for Sunday, October 11

O Lord, let my spirit rise up to meet you
As the day rises to meet the sun

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
Serve the Lord with gladness….
Know that the Lord is God,
Who made us, to whom we belong.
We are God’s people, the sheep of God’s flock.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit….
(cf. Psalm 100)

God of abundant mercy, you protect all who hope in you.
--Inspire all who preach and hear your word this day.
--Advance understanding and goodwill between churches, nations and families.
--Restore integrity and truth to our political process.

(Remember your personal concerns and needs here; give thanks for God's blessings)

Let us pray.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free....
God has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, now and forever.

+ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit….
____________________

Our Daily Prayer is based on the church's Liturgy of the Hours and is adapted from "Give Us This Day" published by The Liturgical Press. See our suggestions for how to use the Daily Prayer and our caution about praying the Psalms here:
http://waterloocatholics.org/daily-prayer

> Find today’s video reflection from Pray-As-You-Go:
https://pray-as-you-go.org/daily-meditation

EVENING EXAMEN FOR SATURDAY

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.

> Take a few moments to reflect on this day:
• Where did you find Christ's presence in national or international events this week?
• Did you observe events in which God's presence, love and mercy were missing?
• For what are you most grateful today?
• What do you most regret today?

> Give thanks for this day and its many blessings.
> Ask for the grace to be more aware of God's presence and to become a better agent of God's love and mercy.

Pray these words from Mary's Magnificat:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
He has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Protect us Lord while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep that we may keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

+ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit....
____________________

The Examen is a traditional devotional practice popularized by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Our Evening Examen is adapted for individuals living busy lives in the modern world.
> Find out more about the Examen here:
http://waterloocatholics.org/daily-examen
____________________

EVENING COMPLINE
Compline is the final prayer of the day in the Church’s “Liturgy of the Hours”. It marks the close of the day and welcomes the quiet of nighttime by praising the Divine Source of light and life.
> Trinity Church in New York offers a daily virtual Candlelight Compline service at 7:00pm. at
https://www.facebook.com/trinityretreatcenter

TODAY IS WORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

Held every Oct. 10 since 2003, World Day Against the Death Penalty was started to unite global voices calling for the abolition of capital punishment.

This year international attention is fixed on the United States. First it was Tennessee's second failed ex*****on in five months and the unprecedented survival of Christa Pike, then it was the Department of War’s plan to livestream the ex*****on of the Fort Hood shooter.

“Every ex*****on—whether successful or botched—is actually a failure because it is affront to human dignity,” said Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national, faith-based group working full-time for an end to capital punishment in the United States. “We don’t make our communities any safer or deter any violence by perpetuating that cycle with ex*****ons. In fact, when we tolerate capital punishment, we devalue humanity and life itself.”

The Vatican's representative, addressing the United Nations this week, explained that in the Catholic Church's view, "the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. This God-given dignity is never forfeited, no matter the gravity of the crime. Advances in penal systems now allow States to protect society effectively without foreclosing the possibility of repentance and redemption."

Learn More
> Pope Leo condemns the death penalty:
https://bit.ly/4jQs4W5
> U.S. bishops condemn plans for public ex*****on:
https://bit.ly/3VtI2vo
> Vatican's statement at the UN
https://bit.ly/4zvtOsF