January 2003
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Recently,
Pope John Paul II proposed the addition of five "mysteries
of light" -- moments from Jesus' public ministry. These
are listed above and you can find the complete text of the
the popes apostolic letter here: "Rosarium
Virginis Mariae."
In
this isssue of the Catholic Educators News,
we offer reviews of several web sites on the Rosary in general,
on the new mysteries in particular, and on the second of these
mysteries specifically. In future issues of of the newsletter
we hope to offer suggestions of resources relevant to the
other mysteries of light.
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History of the Rosary
 History
of the Rosary, Rosary Light & Life - This web page contains
a brief history of the rosary written by Father Paula Duffner,
O.P.
The
History of the Rosary by Father William Saunders
Rosary:
Explanation and History on the Holy Cross Family Ministries
web site.
History
of the Rosary - an excerpt from Carol, Mariology,
Vol. 3; Cross, Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.
Rosary
Workshop: History - Journaling the Bead - "This little
chronology, is like stringing the beads of history into place.
It opens up two thousand years of time and becomes a wonderful
telling of how important it has been for people to keep track
of their prayers over the centuries so none are left unsaid."
Interesting.
Rosary
- History - A short article by Colin B. Donovan, STL on
the EWTN web site.
Other Resources on the Rosary
Praying
the Rosary - St. Anthony Messenger Press - "The rosary
is a beloved Catholic custom that links the gospel and contemplative
prayer. Here's how to use it." A number of articles on
the rosary. A good source of information.
Mary
Coloring Page with Hail Mary prayer below. |
Resources on the Rosary of Light
Mysteries
of Light - Rev. John Phalen, CSC - Short meditions and prayers
for each of the five mysteries of light.
Man
of Mystery: The pope changes the rosary - an article by
Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal editorial page. |
1. Christ's baptism in the Jordan.
2. "His self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana."
3. "His proclamation of the kingdom of God with his call
to conversion."
4. His Transfiguration.
5. His institution of the Eucharist |
“His mother said to the servers,
‘Do whatever he tells you.’” John 2:5
|
In
the finding of the child, Jesus, in the Temple, he had to be about
the work of his Father, while his mother was upset that he could
have done such a thing as to go missing. Now at Cana it is the
mother of Jesus who prepares the way for his self-manifestation
as the Christ. “Do whatever he tells you.” she says
confidently to the servers, implying that the hour of his self-manifestation
had come. -- from Mysteries
of Light - Rev. John Phalen, CSC |
Background Resources on John
2; 1-12
"Christ's self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana."
www.word-sunday.com has two commentaries for this passage,
one for adults
and one for children
which uses a story to explain the meaning of the text. Both
are quite good.
Mary is active in her Son's mission - "Mary's request at
Cana is a form of co-operation in the beginning of her Son's
messianic mission and shows she was the first to believe in
him " -- article from L'osservatore Romano 12 March 1997.
Jesus
Works Miracle at Mary's Request - "Mary's request:
'Do whatever he tells you', keeps its ever timely value for
Christians of every age.... It is an exhortation to trust without
hesitation, especially when one does not understand the meaning
or benefit of what Christ asks" - Pope John Paul II, General
Audience of Wednesday, 26 February 1997.
The
Wedding At Cana In Galilee - The gospel passage for narrators
and characters. From the Book
of Jesus.
The
Fourth Gospel - from a module in an exegesis course at the
Australian Cantholic University. Objectives of the module are
the following:
+ Explain the main features of John 2:1-4:54.
+ Identify the central theological issues dealt with in this
section of the Fourth Gospel.
+ Describe the role of the Mother of Jesus and the importance
of the first miracle at Cana.
+ Give an initial indication of the relationship between Jesus
and the Temple in Jerusalem.
+ Describe the Johannine understanding of authentic belief.
+ Relate Johannine belief to contemporary Christian experience.
John
2 : 1 -12 - Reading comprehension questions and a small
crossword puzzle on the same page.
Wedding
at Cana - Links to paintings of Great masters depicting
the wedding at Cana. From the excellent web site Text this
Week
They Have No Wine - This is not a Catholic page, but it contains
8 interesting activities suggested as ways of presenting the
scripture passage to children.
|
The
water turned wine has many meanings. God's kingdom was to be a
feast with endless wine and merriment. Water has a baptism motif,
while wine is Eucharistic. Both foreshadow the water and blood
(wine) that flow from Jesus' side at his death. Even nature of
the new wine (the new revelation of Jesus) is superior to that
of the old wine that ran out (the old revelation of Law and the
prophets). All these meanings have one source: Jesus. [7-10] ---
Lectionary
Resource for Catholics: word-sunday.com
On
the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign
- at his mother's request - during a wedding feast. The Church
attaches great importance to Jesus' presence at the wedding at
Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage
and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious
sign of Christ's presence. -- CCC
#1613
The
sign of water turned into wine at Cana already announces the Hour
of Jesus' glorification. It makes manifest the fulfillment of
the wedding feast in the Father's kingdom, where the faithful
will drink the new wine that has become the Blood of Christ. -- CCC
#1335
If the first days of Jesus closed with the reader wondering what
kind of faith is called for by Jesus; we now have the answer:
a complete and unconditional trust in the efficacy of the word
of Jesus, that is, in his person and in everything he has come
to reveal. Such a journey is universally possible. Both Jew and
Gentile have come to express their unconditional trust in the
word of Jesus." -- The
Fourth Gospel
|
The Cana Couple Reminisce
That was only the beginning:
Ached and awkward we were then,
Embarrassed enough without the wine incident,
Indebted to Mary's son for flow of joy.
Ever since it has been miracle:
Touching the shoreline of the other in our sleep,
Waking warm beneath our roof,
Hoeing the wheat shoots in our fields.
|
Even the threats brought blessing:
Brooding death intensified our life,
Illness taught nurture of cherished child,
The needy repaid us with Cana's own poor gold.
Our union was not singular; we fought
And sulked, sickened like the other folk.
But in every glass of common water,
We tasted hints of garnet-gold.
By Kathy Coffey
Theology Today -
Vol 48, No.4 - January 1992 |
Web Sites Reviews
Here
are two interesting and/or useful web sites to explore:
Mother
Teresa of Calcutta: Official site of the cause of Canonization - contains a biography, a facts sheet on her life, a fascinating
document by the postulator, Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C. on The
Soul of Mother Teresa: Hidden Aspects of her Interior Life, a
History of the Cause, including details on the miracle credited
to Mother Teresa.
The
University of Dayton offers a number of online Virtual Learning
courses for the formation of the faith. They are intended for:
* Catechists
* Catholic school Religion teachers
* Catholic School/Parish Administrators
* RCIA Participants
* Any adult interested in enhancing their faith
|
" In partnership with nine dioceses in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, Indiana, Massachusetts and North Carolina, the University of Dayton's Institute for Pastoral Initiatives has established eight courses online and offers them to adult
students. Called the "Virtual Learning Community for Faith
Formation," the program includes basic courses on Catholic
belief, church history, Jesus, sacraments, Scripture, Catholic
schools, and social justice and media literacy. Six new courses,
including sessions on Mary and ecclesiology, are being developed." |
|
Young Art
A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children
while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each
child's artwork. As she came to one little girl who was working
diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks
like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl
replied, "They will in a minute."
On Lying
A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to
preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon,
I want you all to read Mark 17."
The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon,
the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how
many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled
and said, "Mark has only 16 chapters. I will now proceed
with my sermon on the sin of lying."
|
Count your Ribs!
A family came home from Church where the sermon was on Adam
and Eve.
The Mother noticed the boy sitting on the bed feeling his ribs.
She asked what he was doing.
He said, "I counted these things three times now. Mom!
I think I'm having a wife."
She Flew!
A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read,
"The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee
out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to
salt."
His son asked, "What happened to the flea?"
---From
Catholic Jokes
Courtesy of CatholicSites.com |
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