Mission Month

CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, October 1st, 2021 Page 7 Mission Month Journeying with the Word of God

We usher in mission month on the feast of patron saint of missions, St. Therese of Lisieux on October 1. St. Therese said, "Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing. We, the faithful, through our baptism are called to act and speak of love in our everyday lives, not only during mission month. This is our chance to show love and solidarity to our global family. Through our prayers, we support missionaries everywhere in spreading the Good News. By donating, we respond to Christ's call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked" This year's theme is taken from Acts 4:20, "We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard." The Holy Father reflecting on this theme, said that, "When we experience the power of God's love, when we recognize His presence as a Father in our personal and community life, we cannot help but proclaim and share what we have seen and heard." Every year, on World Mission Sunday, the penultimate Sunday in October, this year October 24, the entire global church comes together to support missions. Every single donation from every Mass/Service worldwide goes to support churches, schools and vocations in countries where the church is new, young or poor. We here in Guyana are no exception. We thank you for your generosity.

Sisters of Mercy celebrate Mercy Day

MAKING THE WORD OF GOD YOUR OWN Step 1: Look at today’s Readings prayerfully. 1st Reading: God made man and woman for each other. The bond of marriage means that they are no longer two but one. 2nd Reading: By entering fully into human life and be by experiencing death, Christ became a brother and saviour to all. Gospel: Jesus teaches that the marriage bond comes from God and that it is permanent.

The Sisters of Mercy in Guyana celebrated Mercy Day on Friday, September 24th, with Mass at their Convent in Meadow Brook Gardens. The mass was celebrated by Fr. Paul Martin SJ. 3.“Marriage is a commitment to accept the frustrations and disappointments that are certain to arise when two people live together.” What is this statement saying to you? 4.The Gospel passage tells us that Jesus is not so much against divorce as against remarriage. This is likewise the Catholic Church’s position. Does this show that marriage is for life? Step 3: Accepting the message of God’s In a video message for Mercy Day to Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Associates of CCASA (Caribbean, Central America, South America), head of the Sisters of Mercy in Guyana Sr. Julie Matthews RSM said “It is with great delight that I wish you on this Mercy Day ‘Happy Mercy Day’ to all of us in CCASA. This year has been challenging, but it has also been a year of great blessings. So today we thank God for God’s riches, mercy and blessings in our lives. Have a wonderful day all of you! Mercy Day, celebrated on September 24th each year, marks the day in 1827 when Sisters of Mercy Founder Catherine McAuley opened the House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. Its doors have remained open since 1827 to serve the poor, sick and uneducated.  Step 2: Applying the values of the Readings to your daily life. 1.The First Reading says that men and women should leave parents and join together as one. Yet we know many who cannot make that commitment. What, in your opinion, does this happen? 2.The “little ones” of the Gospel passage could refer to those in our society and church who are not considered as being important people. Who in your Catholic community would you consider to be those “little children”? Word in your life of faith. Marriage celebrates the bond of love between a woman and a man. This is a bond that God blesses and does not wish broken. Just as in a marriage no partner is greater than the other but are both equal, so it is with the different people who make up the Church – the Body of Christ. Even the “little ones” have as much to offer the community as all others. Step 4: Something to think & pray about 1.Think of a marriage you know that you would consider to be a good one. What would you say has contributed towards making it a good marriage? 2.What are the qualities you believe are necessary in adults that would make a marriage a success? 3.Pray that you will learn to trust God to be with you and to help you in all that you do, especially when it comes to taking a big step like marriage. [From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]