Matthew Kelly Afterparty

 In July Matthew Kelly spoke in the Ralston Arena.

Many of our parishioners were there. Fr. Dave has invited anyone who was there to a potluck meal at the Steinhausen Center on Friday, August 26th at 6 p.m. It will be a chance for us to discuss what happened and how we might use some of his general thoughts at St. Columbkille.

Understanding the Mass

At our Parish Mission Monday evening, Dr. Edward Sri presented A Biblical Walk through the Mass: Understanding what we Say and Do in the Liturgy. It was based on his book. The clip above is just a portion of what he discussed.

If you want to gain a better understanding of the Mass, the last session of Altaration is Monday, March 21 at 9 a.m. or 7 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center.On April 4th there will be a tour of all the space in the church. On April 11th we will meet in the Steinhausen Center to study the scritpural roots of the Mass.

After Dr. Sri's session Monday night, Fr. Vogel told some parishioners, "Now you know just a smidgen of why I'm a priest and why it's so awesome."

Financial Peace

For the first time, St. Columbkille is offering some classes in money management, budgeting and planning. This was originally inspired by Fr. Damian. In his years counseling, he found that most problems in marriages stemmed from how they handled money. He felt we needed to set up a class where people could learn how to handle and work with money.

Sheila and Mike Brodersen came forward offering to lead the ten week course, starting on Sunday, September 13th at 6:15. Sheila said, "Taking the Financial Peace University class made a huge impact on our communication. I now feel like we are on the same page about not only our finances, but our goals in life. This program brought Mike and I closer to each other. We were able to meet wonderful people who supported us along on our journey as well as teaching us to be givers."

One of the surprises has been finding a number of parishioners who have taken this course before, and have given it very strong reviews. One of those was Marcia Galardi who said, "Every engaged couple should be required to take this class!"

Babysitting will be provided. Anyone seeking more information or a preview or who simply wants to register can contact Sheila at SheilaBrodersen@hotmail.com.

Smells & Bells

What is incense for? Why don’t I still hear bells at Mass? Is Purgatory still in vogue? Should I genuflect when I enter a Catholic Church? Is confession really important? Should Nebraska be ranked #1? Is Limbo a dance or a place? Can Baptists use Holy Water or will it burn their skin? When incense is used at Mass, may I request a nonsmoking section? Is Catholic Heaven different from Protestant Heaven? Will Jews, Muslims or Texas Longhorn fans go to heaven? What are the seven Sacraments all about? Should Catholics read the Bible? Are Catholics Christian? Where & when did the Catholic Church begin?

You’re invited to learn the answers to these and other questions regarding the Catholic faith. This brief session is ideal for anyone who is Catholic and wants an quick update, anyone that is married to a Catholic and wants to understand what their partner believes, or anyone that just wants to know what the Catholic Church is all about.

This basic overview of the Catholic Faith called Smells and Bells, will be presented on Thursday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. as part of our Faith Enhancement Program. This 50-minute presentation will take place in the church, and will be followed by potluck social with snacks and hors d’oeuvres in the Steinhausen Center. Participants are asked to bring a little something to share.

If not totally satisfied with this Catholic Update you will receive double your money back. Admission price – FREE! This may answer every question you ever had, or you may then be interested in participating in a Catholic Inquiry known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) which explores the Catholic faith in more depth. RCIA classes will begin after Labor Day.

Catholics and non-Catholics are welcome.

Learning about the Theology of the Body

Have you ever wondered...What is the meaning and purpose of your life? What does it mean to be human? How do I find real fulfillment and genuine happiness? 

From September 1979 over the course of five years, Saint Pope John Paul II gave a series of speeches that have come to be known collectively as the Theology of the Body. In a profound and coherent way he demonstrated to the world that the above questions can be answered by a proper understanding of the human person and that understanding can be obtained through evaluating the human body in light of Sacred Scripture.

Whether you are married or single, 

your body will make visible to you the answer to the above questions. 

Mondays August 24th to October 19th    

7 p.m. Steinhausen Center

(The Initial Session will be held in the School Library.)

We will begin videos on an Introduction to Theology of the Body with Christopher West for adults running for 8 weeks.  The TOTB program will begin with a prayer and brief introduction to the evening's video (about 10 min) followed by a 30-35 minute video.  The video will be followed by a short break with refreshments and then we will pose a series of questions for each table to briefly discuss. This discussion will be followed by a fostered Q and A surrounding those discussed questions.  We'll close with a prayer and give a real quick intro (1 min or less) on the following week's topic. Weekly topics are as follows:

What is Theology of the Body?
Session 1:  An Education in Being Human
Session 2: The Great Analogy of Spousal Love

The Gift of Our Creation and Redemption
Session 3: Man and Women He Created Them (Our Origin)
Session 4: Man and Woman He Redeemed Them (Our History)

The Marriage Made in Heaven 
Session 5: The Resurrection of the Body (Our Destiny)
Session 6: Celibacy for the Kingdom

The Marriage Made For Earth 
Session 7: Marriage as a Sacrament
Session 8: The Language of Sexual Love

Registration is not required. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Basic handouts will be available and student workbooks can be ordered at a cost of $10. Please contact ncook@saintcolumbkille.org if you desire a workbook.

What is the Theology of the Body?

Rediscovering Catholicism Classes

Rediscovering Catholicism Classes, based on the book by Matthew Kelly, got started last week. It is a chance to reflect on our faith.

If you would like to check this out for yourself, feel free to join tomorrow (Monday) at 7 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center.

Priest Prophet and King

For our Advent Bible Study this year we will be using a new series from Fr. Robert Barron. The Priest, Prophet, King Study Program presents the Old Testament foreshadowing of each of Jesus’ three offices as priest, prophet and king and then describes how Jesus is the fulfillment of each as seen in the New Testament.

Mondays at 9:00 a.m. and

7:00 p.m. in the

Steinhausen Center

The lessons are as follows:
1. Adoratio: Adam as Priest and The High Priest
2. Challenging False Worship: Elijah the Prophet and The Word Made Flesh
3. Ordering the Kingdom: King David and the King of Kings

December 1: Jesus the Priest

December 8: Jesus the Prophet

December 15: Jesus the King

Each session will contain two twenty minute videos from Fr. Robert Barron with follow-up discussions led by Fr. Damian Zuerlein. The Bible Study takes place in the Steinhausen Center. Morning sessions will follow Mass. Each session lasts an hour and a half. Please bring your Bible.

Here is a preview of the video program:

Immigration Information

Bishop Flores wrote:

A few days ago, July 22, to be exact, I was happy to join a visiting delegation of the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention for a tour of the newly opened facility for processing unaccompanied minors, operated by Immigration Enforcement. It is important for religious leaders to see for themselves the extent of the human tragedy unfolding in our time here in the Western Hemisphere.

I am particularly fond of this picture to the side. Not because I am speaking, but because I am really happy to have these gentlemen of faith covering my back!

 

While inside, we had a chance to see the children and speak briefly with them. We also spoke with law enforcement personnel who assist in interviewing the children.  I think the common witness of the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, calling for a humanitarian response to the current influx of unaccompanied minors from Central American, is a singularly important witness. We call on our political leadership to recognize that we as a nation have the resources to respond calmly and effectively to women and children who are fleeing violence and extreme poverty. After we visited the new detention center in McAllen, we traveled together to San Antonio, Texas, where we visited the detention center located at Lackland Airforce Base. Again, we had a chance to speak to officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, who oversee the operation at Lackland. We also had a chance to talk to some of the young people.

 

I think this would be a good moment to answer some basic questions I have heard asked by ordinary folks. Many tell me that the media reports they hear do not necessarily clarify what is happening. 

 

For more click here

Last week many of our parish staff attended a presentation on Immigration Reform led by Jossy Rogers from Catholic Charities and Omar Gutierrez from the Archdiocesan Office of Missions and Justice.

We are delighted that they will be leading a session at our parish. It will be:

Immigration Reform and the Catholic Church

Tuesday, August 26th

7:30 to 9:30

Social Level of the church

Connecting Spirit Mind & Body

On Wednesday Dr. Hand Dethlefs and Fr. Damian led a session on how our physical and Spiritual Health are connected.

Dr. Dethlefs stated his admiration for a colleague who said, "I don't want my patients to be healthy, I want them to be glorious."

Fr. Damian told how his first advice for people desiring to grow spiritually has been to exercise. He also said that he often tells young people, "God knows a lot more about sex than you do."

Fr. Damian said that Dr. Dethlefs did a great job of 

putting this together and could take this "on the road." 

From Shadows to Reality

On the Easter Sunday during a seven mile hike, Jesus taught two of His disciples how everything He did fulfilled what was written in the Old Testament (Luke 24:13-35). Fr. Vogel will cover the same topic without the hike.

In BASIC (Beginning Apologetic Studies in Catholicism),Receive a deeper understanding of the Father’s divine revelation through Sacred Scripture. Discover the important relationship between the Old and New Testaments.  
 

The Major topics include:  

• Principles of Catholic Biblical Interpretation 
• Prophecies of the Messiah and the Kingdom 
• Typology (OT people/events prefiguring greater NT people/events.) 

 

The first of the six sessions is Friday at 7 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center.

Invite Other Christians

Fr. Vogel's next BASIC (Begining Apologetic Studies In Catholicism) session is tomorrow (Friday) at 7:00 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center. The topic will be Our Relationship with Other Christians. The main topic is the unity of Christians - ecumenism. Fr. Vogel is encouraging people to invite any of your non-Catholic Christian family or friends.

Fr. Vogel says, "I have invited some of my good friends, so you can assure them that there will be at least a few other non-Catholics. Be sure to let them know that the purpose for this is not to try to proselytize them (force them to be Catholic), but so that they might learn how Catholics see them as our separated brothers and sisters and how together we can work toward the unity Christ desired for us. The following might be an example of what you could say:

"'At my Church I have been going to a series of talks learning more about my Catholic faith. The next time we meet we will be talking about 'Ecumenism,' the relationship among all Christians and how we can work together to become more united. Our priest has suggested that we invite a non-Catholic Christian friend to come and learn how Catholics desire to work with our brothers and sisters in Christ to heal divisions. I think it could make our own friendship grow, as well as help us both appreciate each other's own faith background. (Don't worry we are not trying to force you to become Catholic, but so we can better learn from each other.) I would love to have you join me. It is on Friday, April 5 at 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Maybe we can meet earlier that evening for dinner...'

"Please seriously consider asking someone you know. It would be great for this to be a truly ecumenical event!"

Fill Your Boots Man

During our Parish Mission, Fr. Larry Gillick shared the Irish expression, "Fill your boots man," which means that you should be who you are meant to be. Live the life God meant for you.

Sr. Bernadette O'Reilly reminded us that each of us has a task that God wants us to undertake. While we should understand that it is not up to us to complete it, there is no excuse for not starting.

Our mission continues tonight at 7 p.m.

Studying Romans

Fr. Damian's Bible Study on Romans has just begun. 

But it's not too late to come.

The study is tomorrow (Monday) at 9 a.m.

 or 7 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center.



The Case of the Missing Pope

Omar Gutierrez is an Archdiocese story teller of non-fiction who told of the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb like a Dan Brown mystery being slowly revealed.

He introduced and described the many characters, Popes, Roman emperors, archaeologists, and clergy in the story as each designed, built, or excavated the Basilica and its tombs.

He revealed clues using humor

 and drawings and photographs.

We felt like a by-stander as the discoveries kept being revealed across the centuries.

Thank you Mr. Gutierrez!

Ruth: A Bible Study

Yesterday Fr. Damian's Bible

Study on the Book of Ruth began.

 

Part of the intent of all of Fr. Damian's Bible Studies is not only to learn about the book, but also how to learning to (and feeling confident about) reading scripture on our own.

 

Fr. Damian gave a lot of background for the study to explain things that people living in Bethlehem would have known automatically. It contains some very adult material and sometimes with a humorous approach.

The next session is Monday at 9 a.m. or 7:00 p.m.

in the Steinhausen Center.

Matthew in a Day

Matthew in a Day is a seminar presented by Jeff Cavins that takes participants on a journey through the Gospel of Matthew. You will see how the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ, who relives the life and struggles of Israel to become the faithful and victorious King. Matthew in a Day will help you know Jesus in a new and profound way, and reignite your faith and love for him.

Saturday, November 17

Registration: 8:00am - 9:00am

Seminar: 9:00am - 3:00pm

St. Patrick's Parish in Gretna

The Fruit of Vatican II

If you missed the first session of BASIC (Beginning Apologetic Studies In Catholicism) titled

Council Purpose & Divine Revelation  

you can see Fr. Vogel's presentation here:



The next session is titled

The Church

and will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 2nd in the Steinhausen Center.
For more information see the BASIC website.

Archbishop Lucas teaches the Catechism

A new series on the Adult Catechism has been developed by Discerning Hearts and the Archdiocese of Omaha.  This audio catechism is presented by Archbishop Lucas and Kris McGregor and features the voices of such notable locals as Teresa Monaghen. 

These podcasts can be listened to online or downloaded for use on an i-pod or other electronic device. 

Hunting for Easter Eggs

A natural result of gathering to grow in faith is the desire to serve. One of our SPIRITuality ALIVE groups, the Morning Moms, experienced this first hand. They planned an Easter Egg Hunt for the women and children at Restored Hope on Sunday, March 25.  These pictures show how it went!!

 



Our Islamic Neighbors

Last night we continued "Getting to Know our Neighbors" as Mr. Chaka Muhammad Benson visited speaking as an American Muslim about his faith and traditions.

Of the 1.8 Billion Muslims in the world, only 18% are Arab. Of the American Muslims, Arabs are only 25%. So not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs.

Mr. Benson related that a man came to the Prophet and asked him, "Who amongst his near one had the greatest right over him?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother". The man then asked, "Who after that?" to which the Prophet replied again, "Your mother". Asked who is next, the Prophet again replied, "Your mother." When the man asked who after that, the Prophet said, "Your father."

Thus the place of a mother is very important in Islam.

We continue our discussions next Monday at 7 p.m.
 in the Steinhausen Center.