Faith Formation Director of Faith Formation: - Deacon Gary DiLallo

The 2023-2024 Faith Formation year is underway! It’s not too late to register and join us this year as we journey together growing in faith!
FAITH FORMATION CORNER by Deacon Gary DiLallo

Faith Formation Corner – Deacon Gary DiLallo
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it
is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Look at this beautifully wrapped package. As you can probably guess by the way it is wrapped,
here is a gift inside. Do any of you like to receive gifts?
Of course, you do! I can’t imagine anyone saying that they don’t enjoy receiving a gift. If I were to
give this package to you and ask you to give me five dollars, would it be a gift? NO.
If you have to pay for it or do something to receive it, it isn’t a gift. When someone gives you a gift, it doesn’t cost you anything. It doesn’t come with any conditions. All you have to do is accept it. That’s what makes it a gift.
What was the best gift you have ever received? Was it your first bicycle? Maybe it was a Barbie Doll, or a video game, but
today I want to tell you about a gift that is, without question, the greatest gift ever given.
It is the gift of eternal life. It is the gift from God and it was given to anyone who wants to receive it. The Bible says, “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Whoever — that’s you and me. Eternal life — what a gift! And all we have to do to receive it is to believe and accept Jesus as
our Savior. Deacon Gary DiLallo-Have a Blessed Week!

God put Abraham to the test.” (Genesis 22:12)

 I arrive at school, we pledge allegiance to the flag, we pray a morning prayer, we settled down and Sister Mary Amelia at St. Hyacinth’s school says to take out a piece of paper and put your name on it.  We are having a test.  (UGH)       God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to give his only son, Isaac. God wanted to know if Abraham loved Him more than he loved Isaac. God’s messenger says: “I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from Me your own beloved son.”        The testings of our faith are the trials we face in our life that help us to develop perseverance and endurance. It is also a way to prove the genuineness of our faith and to show the greatness of our love for God. Abraham trusted God and passed the test. Are you trusting God in the testing of your faith? Abraham put his faith in God completely and unequivocally. Can we say we have the kind of faith that Abraham had? In Romans. 4:11, Abraham is described as the father of all those who believe.” He proved his faith throughout the course of his life.  Nothing got in the way of Abraham’s love for God. Do we allow anyone or anything to get in the way of our relationship with God? God provided for Abraham. We know this because in Genesis 22:8 Abraham was sure of it and told Isaac, “God will provide.”             
You can be sure He will do the same for us.                                        Have a Blessed Week

“But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret”. Matthew 6:6
On Wednesday, February 14, we begin the season of Lent, a time for spiritual preparation before
Easter. The purpose of the Lenten season is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ—to meditate and
consider His life, His suffering, His death, burial, and resurrection. Many will use this time
for fasting, repentance, self-denial, and spiritual discipline.
For me, I try to double down in new prayers and scripture readings. Here are a few suggestions for the
faith formation classes and others, to improve your prayer life during Lent.
Personal reflective prayer- -go to your room and close the door (gently); come to church a few minutes
early and pray the Stations of the Cross; meditate on Sacred Scripture each day as you read your Bible; reflect
more deeply on your liturgical prayer by attending weekly mass; pray with your family. Finally, perhaps the
best advice on praying during Lent is to use the time to instill prayer habits that will last long after Lent has
concluded.
In addition to Lent starting on Wednesday, it is also Valentine’s Day. Over the years it has gradually
changed to become a day to celebrate romantic love expressed with the giving of flowers, sweets, and cards.
So, yes, get your ashes on Ash Wednesday, pray and then send love notes to those special people in your lives.
You may want to skip the sweets for the day, because loving someone is the sweetest gift you can give them
for Lent. Have a Blessed Week.

God sets a father in honor over his children. (Sirach 3:2)
There is nothing easy about being a father, especially nowadays. Scripture may actually change the way you
parent. Be your child’s “First Teacher”. It’s our responsibility, not the school, not the government, but you—Dad, to “train
up a child in the way he/she should go.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Fathers who spend time with their children, and it’s not empty time (Deut. 6: 6-9), it’s very clear in Scriptures that
dads must engage their children in the kind of deep, heart-to-heart conversations that impart more than facts, but teach
wisdom. So schedule some regular “conversational walks” one -on- one with your children.
Fathers should never give up on their kids. The story of “The Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:20-24) is the story of a father
who never gave up hope and was always ready to receive his child back with open arms. We can discipline, we can hold
accountable, but we must never, ever give up.
Finally, dads pray for your children: King David prayed for his son, Solomon. “And give my son Solomon a whole
heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes.” (1 Chronicles 29:19)
Children who know without any doubt that their fathers pray for them every day own a deep sense of love and
security. “When he prays, he is heard.” (Sirach 3:5)

Jesus said to His disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. Mark 13:33
We begin the season of Advent for the next four weeks. The word advent comes from the Latin term adventus meaning
“coming”.
The Advent season, then, is both a time of joy-filled, anticipatory celebration of the birth of Jesus, and the arrival of
Jesus Christ in His second coming at the end of time. So how should we celebrate this time while waiting for His coming?
Well, one way is by putting together an Advent wreath, a custom started in 16th-century Germany.
Typically, the Advent wreath is a circle of branches or a garland with four or five candles arranged on the wreath.
During the season of Advent, one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent services.
Many families enjoy making their own Advent Wreath to celebrate the season at home as well. The traditional structure
involves three purple (or dark blue) candles and one rose or pink one and often with a single, larger white candle in the
center. Each week of Advent an additional candle is lit.
But what if Jesus is coming back for good soon? What should we do? Draw close to Him by spending quality time with
Him in prayer and reading His word in the Bible as a family…”Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the
house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:37
Have a Blessed Week

November 15 is the feast day of St. Albert the Great.  He studied Liberal Arts at the University of Padua and, in 1223, joined the Dominican order where he taught theology in Germany. He made a profound impact on the Church that many saints would build upon.  Albert was also a bishop in Germany and adviser to the pope.  He loved teaching and one of his best-known pupils was St. Thomas Aquinas, who would go on to shape the Church’s intellectual tradition. Albert died at the age of 74 but left behind a treasury of 38 books on a wide variety of subjects.  Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1931, he is the patron saint of medical technicians and scientists. He was the only scholar of his age to be called “the Great”.

Here in Auburn is a Catholic School named St. Albert the Great Academy.  In collaboration with parents and guardians as the primary educators, the school seeks to educate the whole child in the Catholic tradition by providing an excellent education rooted in gospel values; thereby fostering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The school emphasizes classical learning and values moral formation as part of the learning process in all subject areas. Catholic education can make a difference for your child.                                                                           
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:5

Have a Blessed Week!

In Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has
come from their lives and follow the example of their faith. “

November 5-11, 2023 is National Vocation Awareness, an annual celebration in the United States Catholic Church dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life.
We must we plant the seeds of our faith in our youth as they begin to discern God’s call on their lives. We firmly believe that God has a plan for our lives! He calls some to marriage, some to the priesthood and diaconate, and others to religious life or to live as a single person. Fully living our own vocations—and teaching young people how to discern God’s call—is a serious duty.
During this Vocations Awareness Week, please encourage the young people in your life—children, grandchildren, students, and friends—to be open if God calls them to priesthood or religious life.
It is important that we also remember to pray for the priests, deacons and religious in our community. Now, more than ever, we need good and faithful servants. There is no greater asset to the work of vocation promotion than happy, healthy, and holy priests, deacons and religious serving in our parishes and schools.
I believe there is no more convincing sign to a young person about the beauty of a vocation than a servant of God who exudes the joy of the Gospel.
If any of our future confirmation candidates feel like you’re called to ministry, you may wonder if that path is right for you. There is a great deal of responsibility associated with ministry work so this is not a decision to take lightly. A great way to help make your decision is to compare what you’re feeling to what the Bible has to say about ministry. This strategy for examining your heart is useful because it gives you insight into what it means to be a priest, deacon or religious.
Prayer is our greatest resource for navigating the choices we have in life. It is also our greatest strength in our daily battles.
Remember to include our ministries and servants when you and your families are praying together

When considering holidays in November, most people immediately think of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving and that’s it. Don’t get me wrong, they are important too! However, one significant holiday for many Christians falls at the very start of November—
All Saints’ Day, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. It’s preceded by All Hallows’ Eve on Tuesday, Oct. 31, and followed by All Souls’ Day on Thursday, Nov. 2. All Saints’ Day recognizes those known to God as saints, celebrating all faithful followers of Jesus throughout church history. It’s a feast day remembering those who have gone before us, honoring their lives and faithfulness. Believers come together to celebrate communion with saints through the ages, recognizing their continued participation in the body of Christ.

This year All Saints’ Day is a is considered a holy day of obligation, meaning parishioners are required to attend Mass. All Saints’ Day was declared a feast day on May 13 in 609 AD by Pope Boniface IV. On that day, he consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the virgin Mary and all the martyrs. The official date of November 1 was established by Pope Gregory III during his reign (731-741AD), when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica, honoring “all saints” One hundred years later, Pope Gregory IV made All Saints’ Day an official Holy Day for the worldwide Church, not just those churches in Rome. Check your church bulletin for the mass
times and bring the children to church.

“The prayers of the saints rise up before God, and then God acts on earth.”
Revelation 8:3:

On All Souls’ many Christians visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. Some churches offer candles to be placed on the altar which are blessed and marked with the names of the deceased and can be placed at the designated grave sites.
REMEMBRANCE CANDLES are being offered in preparation for All Souls Day, Thursday, November 2, 2023. Each candle can have a photo of your deceased loved one, along with the birth and death dates. The candle will be blessed and lit and made available
at a special Requiem Mass on All Souls Day. The Mass will be at at St. Mary’s Church, Auburn at 7:00 p.m. It is a very beautiful service: if your schedule permits you to attend, it is a good way to remember your family members who have died.


It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. 2 Maccabees 12:46
 

Upcoming Events

March:

4 Monday Confirmation 6:30 pm -7:45 pm St. Francis Church
7 Thursday Bible Study 11:00 AM Nacca Hall
7 Thursday RCIA/RCIC 6:30 pm-8:00 pm St. Mary’s Church Hall
10 Sunday Faith Formation 9:30 AM-10:30 AM Schrader Hall St. Mary’s Church
11 Monday Confirmation 6:30 pm -7:45 pm St. Francis Church
14 Thursday Bible Study 11:00 AM Nacca Hall
14 RCIA/RCIC 6:30 pm-8:00 pm St. Mary’s Church Hall
16 Saturday First Communion Class 1 9:00 Am -10:00 AM Schrader Hall
16 Saturday First Communion Class 2 9:00 Am -10:00 AM Jon Bosco -Basement
18 Monday Confirmation 6:30 pm -7:45 pm St. Francis Church

Parish Eucharist Revival    The Liturgy of the Word      The Liturgy of the Word Nearing the end of the Liturgy of the Word we come to the creed. It is a recognition and restatement of all of scripture on one page. We with the responsorial Psalm, each time we assert “I Believe” we are responding to and affirming God’s Holy Word. Bishop Barron calls those “fighting words” and says “the liturgy makes not a lick of sense without their inclusion.” In a way, the Nicene Creed, can be thought of as a “disinfectant”, the proclaiming of truth over wrong
ideas, novelties, and easy heresies that can contaminate the life of faith.