Greetings everyone!
During our opening prayer time was this video of Chris Tomlin's performance of "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)". It features scenes from the movie Amazing Grace, one of my favorites that I watch annually.
In celebration of Percy Julian's birthday on April 11, we watched a clip from the biographical documentary on his life Forgotten Genius, in which he shares a story about his great-grandmother at the time of his college graduation. She bore wounds from a beating she received in the waning days of slavery and then said his graduation, with honors, was worth all the scars.
Jesus bears the wounds from His crucifixion as a sign that His wounds were part of the sacrifice by which God redeemed us.
We continue to re-present that sacrifice when we gather for Mass. I shared some analogies about the Eucharist to help us understand this mystery a little better.
We also watched part of actor Jonathan Roumie's speech at the National Eucharistic Congress when he does a dramatic reading of John 6:47-69, a scene that isn't part of The Chosen series in which he stars.
This link is for the entire speech, which lasts about 15 minutes, and his dramatic reading starts around the 9:00 mark.
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| I was there when Jonathan Roumie spoke before tens of thousands gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium on the second to last day of the National Eucharistic Congress. |
Ultimately, at the end of that passage, some disciples stop following Jesus, but the Twelve remained committed, as St. Peter, speaking for all of them, expresses belief in Jesus. We are called to go forth from frequent reception of the Eucharist to confess our faith in God by how we live.
One great example of someone who expressed her faith in Christ was 16-year-old Brazilian Olympic athlete Rayssa Leal, who competed in the 2024 Paris Summer Games, and used sign language to share a verse from John chapter 14.
This video shares the story, and the report itself ends around the 1:30 mark.
On March 25, hundreds gathered to testify to the beauty of all life, including the unborn, at the Illinois March for Life in Springfield. The Diocese of Springfield, IL, made this video recapping the event. I make a cameo appearance at the 2:16 mark.
We concluded class with Philippians 3:8-14, in which St. Paul writes about how he considers the Cross to be the greatest gain, and strives constantly to grow in faith grounded in the Cross of Christ. It was the second reading for Mass in Cycle C of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, which was April 6.)
The Cross is a central part of Holy Week and the Triduum, which will be our focus in our upcoming class on April 15.
Please feel free to contact me with questions, etc.
Remember, you're not just lucky, you're blessed.
We remain united as One Church, professing faith that shows the power of the Cross in our lives:
All my relations.
Paul
P.S. A very Happy Belated Birthday to our class aide, Hadley, whose birthday was on April 9. Thanks to the students in class for signing a card for her.
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