January 7, 2025, Class Update: Celebrating Christmas

Merry Christmas/Happy Epiphany!

On the current liturgical calendar we use, the Christmas Season is from December 25-January 12.

We had plenty to celebrate for Christmas Season during our first class in 2025.

Nativity Scene inside Ascension Church

For our opening prayer, we listened to the song of the angels, "Glory to God in the Highest" from Luke 2:13-14 as it is sung in the famous oratorio, The Messiah.

When Christ was born, God gave us the greatest gift of all in His Son.  So we spent time reflecting on gifts we gave, both items and good deeds.

The amazing and glorious reality of Christmas is that the vast, infinite God came to us as a human person, born of Mary.  He wanted to be close to us, and not be too frightening to approach, like when He came to Mount Sinai to present Himself before His people.  So He came as a baby, closely identifying Himself with us, inviting us to draw close to Him.  He fulfilled the prophecy of Emmanuel, the Hebrew name meaning "God with us".  That is truly Good News.

To elaborate on the big idea of Christmas, I shared a commentary from a Bible he got as a gift when I was in middle school.  I sent it via email to the parents if you want to see it again.

Then, to illustrate, we did a baby/child photo guessing game, ending with me.  My childhood Teddy Bear also made a special guest appearance.

Here I am, about aged 3 or 4, with my Teddy Bear in the park by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis while on a trip with my family.

Again, God wanted to come to us in a form so that we would desire to approach Him, just as people delight in babies and stuffed animals.  My Teddy Bear accompanied me everywhere as a child, just like God accompanies us, and we recognize His presence now in the Holy Spirit.

For the second half of class, Paul's friend Will Haenni joined us as a special guest star.  He is a TV meteorologist with WWMT-TV based in Kalamazoo, MI.  He shared about his work and what faith has meant to him throughout his life.

Our closing prayer was the Holy Name of Jesus prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

On Christmas, we celebrate the Word Made Flesh.  The at-home activity is to spend time with Scripture.  Here's the link to the form with instructions.  It is due on January 21.

Everyone also got blessed chalk that is to be used for an Epiphany house blessing.  Customarily, it's done on January 6, but go ahead and do the blessing if you haven't done so already.

Looking ahead, we'll continue to explore what it means for God to be among us, a major theme of the Christmas Season, and its impact on us as arises in the liturgy of the Feast of the Lord's Baptism, which is January 12 this year.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, feedback, etc.

We remain connected as One Church by faith in God, Who came to us in the Flesh and abides with us forever:

All my relations.

We're not just lucky, we're blessed because God is with us.

Let us rejoice!

God's blessings,

Merry Christmas,

Paul

Nativity scene in the Ellipse Park, just south of, and within view of, the White House in Washington, D.C.

In Baptism, we celebrate that God is with us in Jesus Christ, Who was baptized as He sought to identify Himself with us.

December 17, 2024, Class Update: Getting Close to Christmas

Greetings everyone!

After a wonderful presentation on La Señora de Guadalupe on December 10, we were back in class with great anticipation of the celebration of Christ's Birth.

In the week before the Solemnity of the Lord's Nativity on Christmas Day, the Church observes the days with greater focus and anticipation of Jesus Christ's birth, beginning on December 17 with O Antiphons.

In the spirit of looking ahead to Christmas Day, our opening prayer was the song "Be Born in Me" performed by Francesca Batistelli.  The lyrics speak to how we are called, as people of faith, to let God be born in us so we make Him known in the world.

Then we looked at the O Antiphons, which serve as the basis for the Advent hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel".  This webpage has videos for each of the 7 O Antiphons, similar to how we read about them in our class book.  Also in the book are stories about heralds who announced the coming of Jesus Christ.

During the time period from December 17-24, the Gospel readings are the stories preceding Jesus's birth in Matthew 1 and Luke 1.

We watched video clips from the movie The Nativity Story, one of my favorite movies, with two scenes from those readings, the Annunciation of Gabriel to the Blessed Mother Mary and Mary's visit to St. Elizabeth.  The visit story illustrates how we can experience joy just by anticipating the arrival of God into our lives, which is a major theme of the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.

December 17 is Pope Francis's birthday, and we celebrated in class.  He was present at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, and the theme of that event was based on Mary's fiat, "Let it Be Done to Me according to Your Word".  We saw the international version of the theme song, with the refrain, "Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Speak Your Word in me and let Your Will be done".  (I actually visited some of the places shown in the video.)

Advent is a time that calls us to be more aware of God's presence, especially as He comes to us in the Eucharist.  We watched this short video from Relevant Radio's Eucharistic Encounters series, about a mysterious metal sound.

Our closing prayer was the concluding prayer of the Angelus.

Everyone wrote down that prayer on an index card, and I asked you to display it somewhere during these weeks we're on break.

When we return on January 7, we'll still be in the Christmas Season, and we'll explore its meaning.

At this holy time of year, I pray that you will be gladdened by the presence of Christ deep within you, Who fulfills the promise of Emmanuel, for God is truly with us.

We remain connected as One Church in Jesus Christ, Who was born for us:

All my relations.

And remember that you're not just lucky, you're blessed.

Like the song says, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

God's blessings,

Paul

Advent Wreath at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., with all its candles lit for the 4th Sunday of Advent

December 3, 2024, Class Update: Advent and God's Presence Among Us

Advent Greetings!

Advent has a threefold purpose of preparation: the celebration of Christ's first coming on the Feast of the Nativity on Christmas Day, His second coming at the end of time, and for us to welcome Him into our lives and hearts now.

The Advent wreath inside Ascension Church

Our opening prayer was the song "Even So, Come", which is about Christ's Second Coming with the ancient Near Eastern imagery of the bride waiting for her groom, just as we the church, the Bride of Christ, await the coming of our groom, Christ.

Then everyone had the chance to continue the spirit of Thanksgiving Day by creating a hand turkey and writing what they're thankful for.

On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state.  We had plenty of treats to celebrate Illinois's birthday.

In the spirit of Illinois history, we watched a WGN News report video on Holy Name Cathedral's 175th Anniversary, which was last month on November 18, also Cardinal Cupich's 10th anniversary of installation as Archbishop of Chicago.

A fellow Massgoer photographed me inside Holy Name Cathedral following the Mass held to launch its 175th Anniversary Year.

A special banner is on display near Holy Name Cathedral.

For a great capsule summary of Advent, we watched this Busted Halo video that summarizes Advent in 2 minutes.

One way we can be more aware of God's presence among us now is through the Eucharist.

We watched this mini-movie of about 7 minutes long, "The Veil Removed", which gives a more cosmic view of what happens at Mass.

To conclude class, as a preview of December 10, our closing prayer was the song "Las Apariciones de Guadalupana", sung in Spanish with English subtitles.  It tells the story of how the Blessed Mother as La Señora de Guadalupe appeared to San Juan Diego.

Here is an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe on display at Mass held at St. Cornelius Parish on the North Side of Chicago, where Paul was baptized.

December has two important Marian feasts, La Señora de Guadalupe on December 12. The other is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Patronal Feast Day of the United States.  Normally it is celebrated on December 8, which is a Sunday this year, so the Solemnity is moved to December 9.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception--please see photo below--is a church dedicated to the patroness saint of the United States, Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception.

As an activity due by class time on December 10, please visit this link and follow the instructions to look at the virtual tour page of the Basilica.  Again, spending 5 minutes on this activity is sufficient. If you want to spend more time, that will be extra credit, and you can write in your submission if you look at more than one chapel space.

A big thank you to the class for contributing money to our class gift for the parish giving program.  The students raised $75 and I rounded it up to $100.

Also, thank you again for signing the note for Cardinal Cupich.  I personally handed it to him after a special Mass at Holy Name Cathedral for its 175th anniversary and he was delighted to receive it.

As a reminder, we are meeting at St. Edmund's during our usual class time on December 10 for a presentation on La Virgen de Guadalupe, with the high school teens and a special musical performer.

Please feel free, as usual, to contact me with any questions, feedback, etc.

We remain connected as One Church, the Bride of Christ, preparing ourselves to be ready to welcome the Groom, Christ, our Savior.

All my relations.

We're not lucky, we're blessed.

God's blessings as Advent continues,

Paul

P.S. I referred briefly to the 1789 and 1863 Presidential Thanksgiving proclamations. The language speaks about giving thanks to God as the source of all good gifts and calling upon Him for mercy, which is what we do at Mass.

God bless the USA!

Here is my family's 2024 Thanksgiving Day, which, this year, was also the anniversary of the day I moved with my family from the North Side of Chicago to Oak Park.

November 19, 2024, Class Update: Christ the King and in the Eucharist

Greetings everyone!

In the spirit of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on November 24, our opening prayer was the song "Choral Fanfare for Christ the King", which was sung at Ascension before Masses on Sunday morning.  Some of its lyrics are similar to words in the first reading we heard at Mass from Daniel 7.  Christ the King Sunday is the final Sunday of the liturgical year.

The Rose Window in the back of Ascension Church, with Christ the King in the center, flanked by Alpha and Omega

Then we heard from Faye Homrok, one of my former students, who shared about her experience participating in Appalachian Service Project.  Thank you, Faye, for visiting us.

Then, in the spirit of All Saints' Day at the start of November, I shared a little about Pope St. John Paul II and St. Mother Katherine Drexel.

Next, we turned our attention to the Eucharist a great treasure*, as the presence of Christ comes to us in the forms of bread and wine.  We looked more closely at the words of the Eucharistic prayer, following along with this video of a priest reciting the words.

One part of the prayer I emphasized was the Doxology at the end, "Through Him..."  Father Mike Schmitz had some insights on those words in his presentation at the National Eucharistic Congress.

To conclude class, in the spirit of Thanksgiving Day, I played "I'm Not Lucky, I'm Blessed" a song that deeply resonated with me.

I remind everyone that our next class is on December 3.  We'll join with the Grade 7 class.  Since it will be Advent by then, we'll explore that liturgical season, and also continue learning about the Eucharist.

Thanks to those of you who have brought your monetary contributions to our class gift offering.  If you haven't done so already, the money is due on December 3.  Please remember that you can't ask you parents for it directly.  The money must come from allowance or from doing chores, like helping with any part of the Thanksgiving meal.

And for those who didn't submit a response to the activity on Blessed Carlo Acutis's website, you still have a chance to do so.  Please visit the last website post for the instructions.

You may remember signing a note for Cardinal Cupich.  I personally handed it to him last Sunday when I attended a special Mass for the 175th Anniversary of Holy Name Cathedral.  He was very pleased to receive it.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week, I pray you have a blessed time celebrating.  May this holiday remind you of what matters most in life and how God has filled our lives with His gifts.  May you be renewed in a spirit of Thanksgiving, just like when we celebrate the Eucharist at Mass, which is from the Greek word for Thanksgiving.

I know that I'm not just lucky, I'm blessed and I'm so grateful to God that I am your RE teacher, and I am praying for you.

We remain connected as One Church, brought alive by the gift of Jesus Christ, Who continues to offer Himself in the Eucharist:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

Thanks be to God for the gift of Christ in the Eucharist!

Above and below are views of the sanctuary of Christ the King Parish in Las Vegas, NV

*P.S. I played a clip from National Treasure, one of my favorite movies:  The map to the treasure is on the paper, along with Thomas Jefferson's eloquent words, just as the great treasure of Christ's presence comes to us in the forms of bread and wine.

November 12, 2024, Class Update: What We Believe

Greetings everyone!

Following a hallowed custom during November, we started class remembering those we know who have passed on from this life, which, as a Church, is our particular focus on November 2, All Souls' Day.

Then, our opening prayer was the song "God's Not Dead", which speaks to our belief in the Resurrection.  It also mentions the lion, the symbol of St. Mark, whose Gospel we're reading this year.

During this month, as we approach the end of the liturgical year, the liturgies turn our focus toward the Last Things.

One of the people I remember in light of All Souls' Day and Veterans' Day is my Grandpa Martin Rupe, who served in the US Navy during World War II.

I then shared my faith story.

Next, we spent time on the Nicene Creed.  You, class, did a great job ordering the strips of paper in the proper order.

To bring class full circle, our closing prayer was the Taize song "Be Not Afraid".  Because of the Resurrection of Jesus, we have hope to one day experience newness of Life.

There is an activity with a required submission due on November 19.

Blessed Carlo Acutis, who will soon be canonized, was an Italian teenager who created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles.

Please visit the website, and spend 5 minutes looking at one of those miracles.

Then, in the form at this link, please submit a short reflection of at least 1-2 sentences on what you learned.

You only need to spend 5 minutes completing this activity.

If you read about more than one miracle, you get extra credit.  Please note that in your submission.

Also, contributions to our class Christmas gift to a family in need are due on December 3.  The minium is $5 per person.  You must offer money from allowance or helping with household chores, not by directly asking your parents.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Looking ahead, we'll spend time on the Eucharist in our upcoming class.

Please feel free to reach out to me with questions, etc.

We are bound together as One Church, professing one faith:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

October 29, 2024, Class Update: Church Tour

Greetings everyone!

We had a great time going on a field trip during our class to tour the church.

To begin, we had our opening prayer outside by the Shrine of St. Francis as I proclaimed Psalm 104, which focuses on God in nature, and even as a reference to the Holy Spirit breathing life into the world.  It was a wonderfully mild evening to be outside.

Then we walked around the outside of the church to view the stained glass window.

At the door of the church, I proclaimed Psalm 122, which was a Psalm sung by pilgrims to ancient Jerusalem when they went there for the major feasts.

Inside, we looked more closely at the St. Joseph altar, the High Altar, Mary's altar, and the ambo.  We also looked inside the sacristy.

I also showed everyone the spot where I sat during my Confirmation Mass.

To conclude, I demonstrated the incense.  There are several references to incense in teh Bible as an image of prayer rising to God.  I prayed Psalm 141:1-2 for our concluding prayer.  Other references are Revelation 5:8 and 8:3.

To bring it full circle, we went outside in the great weather to enjoy some treats on the parish green.

You all wrote prayer intentions to offer during our closing prayer time.  Please keep praying those intentions for the next week until we meet again on November 12.

Looking ahead to our upcoming, the tentative plan is to learn more about the Church as the Body of Christ, the Eucharist, remembering those who have passed on from us, and Christ the King.

I will discuss this activity in class, but you are welcome to start it now.  It has a required submission.  Since I have not yet discussed it in class, submissions are due on November 19.

Blessed Carlo Acutis, who will soon be canonized, was an Italian teenager who created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles.

Please visit the website, and spend 5 minutes looking at one of those miracles.

Then, in the form at this link, please submit a short reflection of at least 1-2 sentences on what you learned.

You only need to spend 5 minutes completing this activity.

If you read about more than one miracle, you get extra credit.  Please note that in your submission.

I would also like to share a couple of special opportunities, which count as Faith Boosters for Confirmation preparation.

Check out The Saints podcast, which has 5-part series on several saints, produced by the Merry Beggars, the entertainment division of Relevant Radio.  There are many great stories, and they make for great family-friendly entertainment.  (Please note that some episodes contain content that's more suited for older children, but nothing overly objectionable.)

In addition to attending Sunday Mass on the weekends, we have the opportunity to attend Daily Mass during the week.  Daily Mass at the Oak Park parishes is generally held at 8:30 AM, which runs into the start time for Brooks and Julian.  You are invited to join me at St. Leonard Church in Berwyn for Mass at 5:15 PM.  I will email the parents ahead of time with dates I plan to attend Mass there so you can join me.  It is optional, and if you're available, it's a great opportunity.  If there's a date you and your parent would like to join me, please have your parent contact me ahead of time to coordinate.

Remember, we are connected as One Church:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

Inside Ascension Church

October 22, 2024, Class Update: Pope St. John Paul II

Greetings everyone!

On October 22, 1978, Pope St. John Paul II was installed as Supreme Pontiff of the Church.  Now, October 22 is celebrated as his feast day.

So he was our focus during class.

This Pope St. John Paul II statue is outside the National Shrine of St. John Paul II in Washington, D.C. I highly recommend a visit.

The opening prayer was this video of "We are One Body", the official song for 1993 World Youth Day in Denver.  

As a little bit of background, this event happens annually all over the world with local celebrations.  Every 2-3 years, a large, international gathering is held in a different city where youth and young adults come to spend time in prayer and grow in faith.  It includes large gatherings attended by the Pope.  Pope St. John Paul II started it as a way for young people to experience a spiritual pilgrimage, similar to outings he held for youth when he was a priest in Poland.

His feast is one example of many saints' feast days celebrated throughout Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar.  It's not ordinary because it's uneventful, but because we count the Sundays in between the seasons attached to major feasts.  God sanctifies all time, and we see this in Ordinary Time as we reflect on how God is at work.

I also shared a story about a powerful experience at the First Continental Congress 250 years ago when one of the earliest sessions was opened with prayer by Reverend Jacob Duche, pastor of Philadelphia's Christ Church.

Over the course of 3 years, Pope St. John Paul II, during his weekly audiences, gave a series of talks called the Theology of the Body, which describes what it means to be human.

I gave an overview of Theology of the Body based on this presentation.

The major points are that we are created in the image and likeness of God, meaning that we reflect something about Him.  God is love, which means He gives Himself as a total gift to us, as we see in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  So we are called to reflect God's character by loving and giving of ourselves as a gift to one another.

The concluding prayer was a visual representation of John 7:37-39.  On the last day of the weeklong Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot, a priest would pour out water to symbolize how God provided for His people in their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land.  Jesus uses the imagery of the water to illustrate how the Holy Spirit is poured into us and flows out of us.

Remember that you are a gift, so be a gift of blessing to others.

We remain connected as One Church, the One Body of Christ:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

This statue of Pope St. John Paul II is outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, CO.  Below are two plaques at the Cathedral commemorating his 1993 trip to Denver for World Youth Day.