Communication

09-04-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

There exists an organization called Twenty-Third Publications which supplies Catholic faith formation, spirituality and pastoral planning resources. The organization was formed in honor of Pope John the twenty-third who inspired the vision to open the doors and windows of the Church. The goal of Twenty-Third Publications is to produce products for lay people to help them take leadership roles in the Church and the world. For some reason or another, the title of the publisher is catchy to my eyes and ears. And, I seem to remember their goal annually on the 23 Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is today. Through these reminders, I typically offer some communication reminders on the 23rd Sunday to inspire our connection to the Church; and in turn, our connection to Jesus Christ.

So to begin with, we look at our local situation. Interestingly enough, at one of the Diocesan Communication Advisory Boards (of which I'm a member) we were reminded that Catholics utilize print media far and beyond any other medium. If my memory is accurate, Catholic usage of print media transcends age and demographics. I recall resisting the temptation that digital communication is not necessarily the answer because Catholics continue to prefer print. The difference in preference is staggering.

That being said, our primary parish communication continues to be a joint effort of the weekly bulletin and assorted mailings. Our members pay attention to these mediums. Adding to that, Bishop Callahan made a decision about a year ago that Catholic Life magazine would become the primary communication tool for the Diocese of La Crosse and would be mailed to every registered household in our diocese. Regarding Catholic Life, I hope you and your families are finding the content to be inspiring andhelpful to some degree.

Regarding digital communication, I remind you that we have a parish cluster website: www.tresecclesiae.org. You may also find the Parish App to be super helpful in many ways; refer to the banners in back of church to connect to MyParishApp. Some of the users of the App feel more connected to the parish and Jesus through the devotional and spiritual material which is accessible through their smart device. Additionally, the website for our diocese has an abundance of information and connections. Ourdiocesan website is: www.diolc.org.

Extending to a more national and global perspective, there is some print media which I continue to recommend. The newspaper titled The National Catholic Register is always excellent and includes some updated news from the Vatican. There are also others who purchase devotional books, The Magnificat continues to be really popular and includes daily reflections and seasonalbooks for usage during Lent and Advent.

I'll offer a few comments on contemporary news through a Catholic lens including the digital form of the Catholic News Agency (CNA). Then, and this is one of my favorites, is the program titled The World Over, which may be viewed on EWTN each Thursday at 7pm and then encore presentations on Fridays at 12am and 8am, Sunday 6pm and Monday 9pm. Raymond Arroyo typically provides a brief of national and global news lasting around 5 minutes, then has discussions with influential and popularpeople; sometimes his guests include athletes, politicians, authors, filmmakers, theologians, clergy and the like.

In summary, there are countless reasons for people to accuse Catholics to be out of touch and old-fashioned. On the other hand, there are countless others who have chosen to use modern means to communicate the relevant truths of the Gospel which are easily accessible for those who take the seconds to connect to these modern means. On this 23 Sunday, I encourage you to take another look at part or all of these suggested resources and rediscover the message of Jesus found in these forms ofcommunication. Enjoy your perusing and I'm sure the Lord will provide some insights along whichever path you choose to travel.

Diocesan Annual Appeal

Many of us are well aware that each autumn we participate in the Diocesan Annual Appeal to support the administrative work and programs of the Diocese of La Crosse. The Diocesan Annual Appeal initial mailing will arrive in your homes within the first half of September. Please be aware of the Diocesan Annual Appeal, familiarize yourself with the promotional material and prayerfully consider giving something, or giving more, to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Stay tuned for more details.

Red, White & Blue Prayer Service and Social

The Catholic Church has held a custom, intermittently practiced, where intentional prayers are offered for people involved in legal matters, law enforcement, fire fighting, EMT's, first responders, health care professionals and other groups of people who run to assist us when we are most in need. Council members of the Church of Saint Lawrence will provide their church, cafeteria and undercroft for a prayer service for people of Buffalo County who fall into one or more of these categories. The primary expectation is intentional prayer. Attendance is for anyone and everyone who wants to unite in prayer for these intentions. Our expectation is to provide a prayer service outside the context of Mass to help our like-minded non-Catholics to feel welcome to join us for this prayer service. No one person or group will be recognized or honored; we just think it's time to enact a long-standing Catholic custom with and for these people who sacrifice a lot to aid us. The Red, White & Blue Prayer Service and Social will begin at 6 o'clock in the evening on Wednesday 14 September 2016 in the Church of Saint Lawrence, under the shadow of the Buffalo County Administrative Building. Share the word and invitation as we gather to pray with and for the people who help us when we need the help the most.

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