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warm words from the pastor, offering Mass and
the Sacrament of Penance
and Reconciliation at convenient times, ensuring accessibility of worship
and
inclusion for those with physical and mental disabilities, and using
multiple languages, where needed. Disciples find communion in their fam-
ilies, their parish, and relationships with others.
Questions for Reflection:
•
How do we cultivate a communal and missionary spirit within our family?
•
Are there areas that we need to work on to strengthen our family as a commu-
nity of faith?
•
In what ways can we offer more ongoing formation and support of family life?
•
How can we become a more welcoming parish community? Where are the
areas for growth?
Send
The commitment to living the Christian life is an essential element of the
culture of witness. We witness to the Christian life through living out our
respective vocations. As St. Peter tells us, we must “always be ready to give
an explanation to anyone who asks . . . for a reason for [our] hope” (1 Pt
3:15). We should be looking for ways to share with others the way we have
experienced the salvific love of Jesus Christ. As Bl. Paul VI said, “In the
long run, is there any other way of handing on the Gospel than by
trans-
mitting to another person one’s personal experience of faith?”
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The public
profession of one’s faith
through works of charity and justice—which
promote solidarity, peace, and the stewardship of creation—builds
up the
Kingdom of God. Social justice and direct missionary opportunities pro-
vide powerful encounters with
the person of Jesus and his Church. The
innate dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral
vision for
society. Human life is sacred. Every person has a fundamental right to life
and a right to all that is
required to protect and preserve human dignity.
The Catholic Church believes that every person is precious
and that the
measure of every policy and institution is whether it threatens or enhances
the life of the human
person.
“Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an
instrument of God for the
liberation and promotion of the poor, and for
enabling them to be fully a part of society”.
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A basic moral
test of culture
is to see how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred