Have you seen the commercials by AT&T where the child talks about his "New Year's Revolution?"   In the commercial Beck Bennett asks a table of kids “Is it better to be more reliable or less reliable?” The kids reply “More reliable.” Beck has a follow-up question “Why?” One of the kids replies “So you can keep your new years revolution!” Beck asks “A new year's revolution? Oh no! What are you going to do?” The kid replies “I would have more jelly beans this year.” Beck seems relieved “Oh so it’s not much of a revolt more just like you eating things that are bad for you.” The kid answers “Yea.” Beck is glad “Ok, I can deal with that.”

Isn't it funny the things we can "deal with."

In his message for the World day of Peace, titled Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace,  Pope Francis  makes it uncomplicated.  He urges us to open our hearts in a new way to all who are affected by injustices of any kind. Our brothers and sisters who suffer from poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, conflicts, persecution and much more.

The Pope's  opening paragraph is "In this, my first Message for the World Day of Peace, I wish to offer to everyone, individuals and peoples, my best wishes for a life filled with joy and hope. In the heart of every man and woman is the desire for a full life, including that irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us to fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced"

I'm not a theologian, I'm not a scholar. I am just an everyday Catholic Christian that believes we have a unity and common destiny with those in our world that cannot be ignored. The bonds of our fraternity, as Pope Francis writes needs "to be discovered, loved, experienced, proclaimed and witnessed to. But only love, bestowed as a gift from God, enables us to accept and fully experience fraternity" It is this revolutionary culture of encountering each other that will aid us to cultivate  and achieve the Pope's message of a solidarity and peace.

If we truly are relational beings as it has been noted, then.  deep down we long for fellowship and kinship with all. The revolution is that it has to be more that what I am doing now. My relationships and connections via Twitter, Facebook, Google or the Web cannot be like the commercial's superficial  and childish revolt of "eating things that are bad for me."   

The injustices suffered by our brothers and sisters are much more than mere links to be shared or surface prayers offered in 140 characters or less that serve to pacify myself so that "I can deal with that."  This is going to be a revolt of much work.  For "this is the good news that demands from each one a step forward, a perennial exercise of empathy, of listening to the suffering and the hopes of others, even those furthest away from me, and walking the demanding path of that love which knows how to give and spend itself freely for the good of all our brothers and sisters."

For this year's new year revolution,  I'm praying for a new years revolt of the heart.


Cyndi
by Cyndi Marlow
"By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35).

"A Hallelujah Christmas"
(originally by Leonard Cohen)

I've heard about this baby boy
Who's come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You'll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
​

  I know that I love surfing the web. I sometimes can get lost for hours as I seek out new information, insights and inspiration to help me share my Catholic Faith as well as resources in teaching the faith. My guess is, if you stumbled here, that you love doing the same.

With merely a wi-fi hotspot and/or a smart phone, almost everyone has access to information that we would not have encountered in our everyday physical meandering only a decade ago. Of the 60 million Web sites to be found on the web, hundreds of thousands are Christian. I could only begin to speculate how many of these are Catholic. There is literally a faith-based site for every type of person and a site on every type of faith-based subject We are exposed to a myriad of information and teachings on the faith, interpretations of the faith and lots of misinformation and misunderstandings about the faith.

This is why, as we traverse this information super highway, we must be sure that we are guided by a clear lens of discernment and that we have developed a personal Catholic GPS (Grounded in Proficient Study) as a basis for reviewing the information found on the web. Our GPS comes from a lived and practiced faith as well as continued reading and study of the faith. If you have never participated in a bible study or any type of catechetical opportunity to learn about the faith, I very highly recommend this to reinforce your personal GPS.

When I first started my Pinterest Boards for parish catechetical leaders, I quickly found that many times the information that was being passed on (or repinned to use the proper Pinterest vocabulary) would lead to sites that were not grounded in solid catholic catechesis. This process led me to develop the criteria for my personal GPS. I quickly learned that best place to start is to seek the source of the site and to determine if it is official or unofficial. The below became my preliminary list of official website sources:

Vatican
USCCB
Diocese/Archdiocese
Major Catholic Publisher with Imprimatur
Roman Catholic Parish within a Diocese/Archdiocese

The above is not by any means a complete list. These are the initial sites I found as trustworthy. I also learned you should use caution and discernment with any of the below type of website:

Blogs
Unofficial websites
Agenda driven/Content specific faith-based websites
Non-Catholic sites
Videos (You Tube, Vimeo, God Tube)

WHAT? Is she saying you should not visit or seek knowledge from any of the websites listed above? That is absolutely not what I am saying! If you were to follow that advice, you would eliminate ninety percent or more of what is on the web. This is where your personal GPS and a very clear lens of discernment come into play. It is always best to start with this main question: Does it conform to the Faith? By that question I mean; does the site adhere to the basic tenants of what we believe as Catholics. Does it stand true to the very basic beliefs which we profess each week in Mass: The Creed.   Does it adhere to the essential beliefs found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which contains a full description of the tenets of Catholicism (which for anyone wondering, if it follows the Catechism this also means that it is based in Scripture!)   

My personal opinion is that it is always best to practice a reasonable amount of caution with blogs, agenda driven and content specific sites. The best way to do this is to review more than one page or post to determine if the site appears to be slanted or biased in the information that it seeks to convey.  In addition, there should be identifying  information about the author(s) that is easily located.  That doesn't mean that a site is inherently bad or untrustworthy  if it is focused on a specific topic or a particular agenda. There are many wonderful sites that focus on specific aspects of our faith and it's teachings, far more than I could ever begin to name or list. My personal guiding question is to ask myself does the site/author convey a spirit of charity and love in what they have expressed and/or does it conform to the faith.

As everyday evangelizers we should seek out those sites that represent the essence  and  true spirit of evangelization:  inviting people to encounter Jesus in a new way that will profoundly change their lives forever. Since those very first days when the apostles set out on foot two by two, the Church existed and continues to exist  in order to evangelize. We seek out the story of who Jesus is, so that we can share who he is, what he accomplished for us and how he is present to us today.

Choose your destination and let your Catholic GPS  be your guide. 

Cyndi

1. We’re Christian….

“Are you Christian or are you Catholic?”  We hear that a lot and our answer is yes!  Yes we’re Catholic and yes we’re Christian.  Jesus is the center of our lives and our Catholic faith calls us to a personal relationship with Him as well as membership in His Body, the Church.

2. We Love the Bible…..

The Catholic Church is Bible-based! We proclaim Sacred Scripture at daily Mass and even more on Sundays.  The prayers of the Mass and many of our personal prayers use the words of the Bible.  Holy Scripture is incorporated with our lifelong religious education.

3. A lot of good things get done when we work in faith….

Catholics feed more people, clothe more people, shelter more people, educate more people and provide medical care for more people than all religious groups on earth.  It’s not a contest.  We encounter Jesus when we serve with fellow Christians and all people of good will.

4. We don’t always live up to our high calling…..

We’re supposed to be friendly, welcoming and joyful.  But we don’t bat a thousand in those areas.  If you’ve ever visited a Catholic parish and felt unwelcome, please come back.  Through prayer and service to others we try to show the love of Christ in all we do.

5. Although we don’t worship her, we think that the Mother of Jesus - Mary is very special….

When you have a good friend, chances are you know her or his mother and probably appreciate her role in helping your friend be the person that she or he is.  The Person of Jesus has a mom.  In the same way you’d ask a family member to pray for you, we ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us and all who seek her Son our Lord.

6. Our authority structure helps us offer clear and consistent teaching…..

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would keep his church free from error in her doctrinal and moral teaching.  That’s a tall order, but Jesus keeps His promises and calls the successors to the Apostles – our bishops throughout the world – to teach in His name with authority and love.

7. We believe that one way Jesus keeps His promise to be with us is through the 7 Sacraments…..

We can see, touch, taste and smell as well as hear, God made us that way!  In the Sacraments we personally experience the presence of Jesus in ways that complement our encounter with Him in the Bible.  In word and Sacrament Jesus has a personal relationship with us as our Savior.

8. Our worship is unique in a good way….

God loves us too much to leave us guessing about how He wants to be worshiped.  While Jesus died and rose just once to save us all from sin and death, the Mass allows us to be present for that most pleasing sacrifice, and to please our heavenly Father by our worship.  Prayer services are great.  Talks can inspire.  But the Mass is how we fulfill Jesus’ command to “Do this in memory of me.”

9. We want all people of good will to work with us so that together we can build a civilization of love…..

A person of good will knows that some behaviors are better than others and wants to work with all people not based on opinions about right and wrong but on truly discerning the best courses of action for individuals and communities.  People of good will come in all shapes, sizes, colors and faiths.  We love and respect you.  Let’s work together to know and do God’s will.

10. We would love to have you visit us – and maybe even stay a while…..

“My house is your house!”  This phrase expresses the welcoming, joyful attitude that we aspire to in all our parishes.  Catholic churches are houses of worship where visitors often find a quiet place to pray.  At Mass when the community worships – and it isn’t quiet – booklets at every seat usually explain what to do at various points in the experience, especially when it’s time for Holy Communion.  Please stop by and visit, we’d love to see you.

10 Things We Want You to Know

 About the Catholic Faith**
(Items in parentheses refer to paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

1.  Catholics are Christians! (CCC#83)
   
   
2. Catholics Love the Bible! (CCC#105)
   
   
3. Catholics Serve Others!  (CCC#2444)
   
   
4. Catholics are Joyful! (CCC#2500)
   
   
5. The Blessed Virgin Mary Prays for Us! (CCC#2677)
   
   
6. We Love our Bishops! (CCC#77)
   
   
7. Catholics Celebrate 7 Sacraments! (CCC#1117)
   
   
8. Catholics Go to Mass! (CCC#1324)
   
   
9. Catholics Promote a Culture of Love! (CCC#1912)
   
   
10. Our House is Your House! (CCC#2179)

**Source the Archdiocese of Indianapolis

 We evangelize because we are convinced that we have Good News of great joy to share.  Sharing our faith openly and deliberately doesn't come without obstacles.  But our concerns and challenges  are nothing compared to those experienced by St. Paul and the early Christians or those  of our brothers and sisters in Christ who worship secretly because they do not have the freedom to worship otherwise in their home country.   Be bold.  Remember you are called  by your baptism to do this. The things you say and the way you say them might be the closest thing to the Gospel  someone ever hears or sees. 

This year to keep Christ in Christmas,  Boldly Be Christ in Christmas.  


Cyndi

In my next post I will share 10  Things  we want others to know about our Catholic Faith. 

I am taking part in a blogging link-up. This is my first time to try this, please bear with me as I make this required commercial:

I'm participating in the KEEP CHRIST in CHRISTMAS Blog Link-Up 2013 sponsored by the Catholic Bloggers Network..  Be sure to visit as many links as possible  that may be found  below.

Equipping Catholic Families: Keep Christ in Christmas
Simply Homeschool Living Advent Series 12/1 - 12/25
Fifth of Five Keeping Christ in Christmas - Blog Link-up 2013
Coffee Moments with Sam The Light of Hope
Hand-Maid With Love: CHRISTmas Presence: Keep Christ in Christmas 2013 Edition
Open Window Making hay while the Advent wreath shines
Faith Filled Freebies: Keep Christ in Christmas
Written by the Finger of God: Not Christmas as Usual
On the Way Home: Keep Christ in Christmas
Sue Elvis Writes: Bring Christ to Others
Mommy Bares All Why Celebrate Christmas Even After #YolandaPH
Canadian Catholic Mom Keeping The Little Ones Focused: An Advent Link-Up
Mountain of Grace Homeschooling Keep Christ in Christmas
Catholic Inspired: Faith-Centered Family Christmas
A Slice of Smith Life: How we keep Christ in Christmas
Em’s Estuary: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Happy Little Homemaker: December Devotion: Immaculate Conception
Adoro Ergo Sum: How We Keep Christ in Christmas
JoyAlive.net: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Home to 4 Kiddos Keep Christ in Christmas
Embedded Faith Boldly Be the Christ in Christmas
City Girl, Country Home Emmanuel Is With Us. Are we WITH HIM?
Quidquid Est, Est!: Reblog: Advent Posts

Journey to Wisdom: Trusting in your Awkward Fiats
Joy of Nine9 Waiting in Joyful Expectation Like a Child
Splendor in the Home Ideas For Keeping Advent and Christmas Holy
Training Happy Hearts 10 Ways to Celebrate the New Liturgical Year
A Catholic Life Advent: The Beginning of the Liturgical Year & Source of Rich Meditations
Designs by Birgit: Elf on a Shelf and Santa Claus
Catholic All Year: Three Reasons I love Advent
Mary the Defender: Christmas The Battle Begins
Truly Rich Mom: Keep Christ in Christmas
Day By Day in Our World: 40 Days Seeking Him and Keeping Christ in Christmas
Diapers and Drivel: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Raising Soldiers 4 Christ: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Rosary Mom Keep Christ In Christmas With A Teenager
Tercets: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Join Church Ministries
Campfires and Cleats How We Keep Christ in Christmas
Life Unabridged: Celebrating the Fullness of the Advent and Christmas Season
Homeschooling With Joy Keeping Christ in Christmas
Mrs Domestic Bliss Gingerbread Nativity
The Chic Traveller Keeping Christ in Christmas
California to Korea Keeping Christ in Christmas
Dominique's Desk Keeping Christ in Christmas
Our ABC Life:  An Advent Update
Journey Living: Anno Domini
The Road to Rome: Advent Prayer and Reflection Resources
Life of Fortunate Chances: Keeping Christ in Christmas