CATECHESIS OF CONFIRMATION: Calendar 2013-2014

Class times: After 10:00 a.m. Mass until 12:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER
8,     Orientation for Parents and Sponsors and Youth
22,   Class & Catechetical Sunday
29,   Class & Mass participation

OCTOBER
6,     Class & Commitment Contract,
        Community Service Plan & Registration form & Fee Due
        Confirmation I interviews with Pastor
13,   No Class
20,   Class & Confirmation I interviews with Pastor
26,   Life in the Spirit for parents and sponsors (adults only)
27,   Class & Mass participation
        Copy of Baptismal, First Communion
        Sponsor application (Confirmation II)
        Confirmation I interviews with Pastor

NOVEMBER
3,     ASF - Required training - Confirmation Coordinator
10,   Class
16,   Thanksgiving Baskets (Service hours opportunity)
17,   Class
24,   Class & Mass participation
        Saint Report due
28,   Thanksgiving Day Mass

DECEMBER
1,     Class
7,     Advent Retreat
8,     No Class
15,   Class
22,   Class & Exam Day
        Confirmation II: Parent and sponsor meeting
24,   Christmas Eve Mass
29,   Mass participation. No class

JANUARY
5,     Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
12,   Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
19,   Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
26,   Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
        Mass participation

FEBRUARY
2,     Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
9,     Class for Confirmation I
        Life in the Spirit for Confirmation II
16,   No class
23,   Class & Mass participation

MARCH
2,     Class
5,     Mass: Ash Wednesday (Lent begins)
7,     Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
9,     Class
10-13, Lenten Mission
14,   Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
16,   Class
21,   Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
23,   Class
28,   Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
30,   Class & Mass participation

APRIL
4,     Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
6,     Class & Confirmation II interviews with Pastor
11,   Friday of Lent: Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. & Mass
13,   Class & Community Service Hours due
        Confirmation II interviews with the pastor
17,   Holy Thursday Mass at Holy Family Parish
        Vigil service at Santuario at 10:00 p.m.
18,   Good Friday Services at Holy Family Parish
        Vigil service at Santuario at 10.00 p.m.
19,   Holy Saturday
20,   Easter Sunday: Mass attendance mandatory
        No class
23,   Reconciliation Service: Confirmation II & Parents & Sponsors
26,   CONFIRMATION CEREMONY

Mining the Meaning of the Bible

 

Mining the Meaning of the Bible. Beyond the literal word
By Sallie Latkovich, CSJ
Liguori Publications
Missouri, 2011

“A few years ago, my niece, Nancy, was about to celebrate her birthday. I wanted to get her a gift, maybe a book. Her dad asked me, ‘Do you know about any books that would help Nancy understand the Bible? She is full of questions about it.’ (...) There were lots of Bibles for kids, but no books that would help Nancy understand the Bible. So, I decided to write a book for Nancy—and for you— so we could go mining for the treasures of the Bible.” From the Foreword.

Some people read the Bible as if they were reading a local newspaper or a book written several years ago. But the Bible was written thousands of years ago. Try this: go to a library and pick up a book that was written only a hundred years ago. You will probably find that it is not easy to read, and that sometimes you don’t understand the stories and ideas, even though you may recognize the words.

The Bible was not written a hundred years ago but much, much earlier. As a matter of fact, the Bible is not one book but many books —72 books from the Book of Genesis through The Book of Revelation— written between two and three thousand years ago, although some of the stories are still older.

The Bible tells us the Word of God through the stories, traditions, laws, sufferings, dreams, proverbs, wisdom, battles, exiles, etc. of His people. Thus, it is important to know their culture, language, symbols, values, beliefs and so on in order to be able to understand the Word of God. Otherwise, we may think that God is talking when, actually, we haven’t gone beyond the stories and beliefs of the people.

The same words, symbols, numbers, stories and parables may not mean the same today as they did two thousand years ago. This doesn’t mean that the Word of God is less powerful today than when it was written. But it is important to understand why and how the Word of God was proclaimed to the people if we want to understand what the Bible tells us today.

Mining the Meaning of the Bible, a short book —63 pages in small format— written by Sister Sallie Latkovich is a simple and insightful introduction to the Bible that any person thirsty for the Word of God should read. I recommend it to candidates for confirmation, parents, sponsors, and all readers of the Bible.