Fanning The Flame

Chapter 3 – John 17

Fanning The Flame — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:36:19 +0000

In our chapter we learn about Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. Together they present to us one faith, leading to a knowledge of God, the reason for our hope, and both source and goal of our mission in the world. This is a lesson I especially appreciate. I grew up with a love for Jesus and Scripture but eventually, having experienced a variety of protestant traditions, it was the unity of faith and teaching authority that drew me into the Church. I found it a great gift and answer to one of my favorite passages, John 17. Which just happened to be what our Holy Father taught about at his general audience yesterday!

An excerpt from the Vatican News Service summary: “…By this priestly prayer Jesus establishes the Church, “which is nothing other than the community of disciples who, through their faith in Christ as the One sent by the Father, receive His unity and are involved in Jesus’ mission to save the world by leading it to a knowledge of God”. Benedict XVI invited the faithful to read and meditate upon Jesus priestly prayer, and to pray to God themselves, asking Him “to help us enter fully into the plan He has for each of us. Let us ask Him to consecrate us to Himself, that we may belong to Him and show increasing love for others, both near and far. Let us ask Him to help us open our prayers to the world, not limiting them to requests for help in our own problems, but remembering our fellow man before the Lord and learning the beauty of interceding for others. Let us ask Him for the gift of visible unity among all those who believe in Christ, … that we may be ready to respond to anyone who asks us about the reasons for our hope”.”

Have you ever thought of the teaching authority of the church as a gift ? (Laurie Edwards)

Chapter 2 – Not “tame”

Fanning The Flame — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:17:58 +0000

This evening my husband and I watched the first episode of “Catholicism,” the recent DVD series by Father Robert Barron. There was a phrase describing a tendency he wanted to really not give as an option for our response to the person of Jesus. He said we can be for him or against him, but we can’t “domesticate” him. It reminded me of what the children (perhaps Lucy) said about Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia… that he wasn’t a “tame” Lion. They weren’t afraid of him. They could approach him and trust him, but they certainly couldn’t direct or manage him.

Looking at Chapter 2… This God who reveals himself to us is like that… We are reminded that it is not us managing or dictating the nature of the God we worship. What’s more, the truth revealed about God and the Church isn’t a simple academic exercise we get to “domesticate” for our use – rather it is a powerful, transforming relationship into which we are invited to enter – not with fear, but with trust and increasing surrender to his love.

Are there areas I have tried to manage, or have kept off limits, about discovering what God has revealed? Maybe this would be good to take to prayer – an openness to discovery.

Chapter 2 – Metanoia

Fanning The Flame — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:13:01 +0000

“God Comes to Meet Us.” I thought about our chapter while at Mass this morning, the reading from Jonah and the repentance of the Ninevites, and the disciples turning from their work to follow Jesus to become “fishers of men.” When we are alert to God’s revealing himself to us, and are responsive to him, our lives change. But something that was highlighted in the homily was that in Greek the word to repent (metanoia) also means to change one’s mind. Both the USCCA chapter and the Sunday readings really are an invitation (or challenge) to seek what God is revealing to us about himself, about his thoughts, his desire/design for us/his opinion on issues of the day – especially as they relate to how we are to live out our lives consistent with the dignity that comes with being created in his image. Then we are challenged to be ready to change our minds, conforming them to God’s desires/designs/opinions. God comes to meet us, but it is a meeting after which we shouldn’t expect to remain unchanged! (Laurie E.)

Chapter 2 – The Gospel and Culture

Fanning The Flame — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:52:31 +0000

Just yesterday the Pope Benedict XVI spoke to some prelates from the United States as they concluded their ad limina visit. Excerpts from his remarks can be read here and are especially well timed for pages 14-16 talking about the Gospel and Culture. There were several areas that we could respond to. 1) “At the heart of every culture, whether perceived or not, is a consensus about the nature of reality and the moral good, and thus about the conditions for human flourishing.” 2) “The Church’s defence of a moral reasoning based on the natural law is grounded on her conviction that this law is not a threat to our freedom, but rather a ‘language’ which enables us to understand ourselves and the truth of our being.” 3) “…a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience. “ 4) “…we see the need for an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-a-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism…”

As you read the page of remarks what stood out to you? … Or, consider any of the above in the context of sharing the Gospel here in Southern Illinois.

Chapter 2 – God reveals himself…

Fanning The Flame — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:02:08 +0000

Chapter 1 spoke about our thirst for God, the longing we have for God by the very nature of our having been created by God and in his image. Our reason alone can confirm for us that God exists, but doesn’t let us know a great deal about God, not in any case on a personal level. This chapter highlights that God has taken the initiative to introduce himself to us. This journey of faith is an effort to be more intentional about seeking out what he has revealed about himself, not for an academic type of curiosity but because …. fill in the blank, why attend to the self revelation of God?

Chapter 1- When were you first aware…?

Fanning The Flame — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:44:14 +0000

On the study sheet for Chapter 1, Mickey asked when we first became aware of God’s presence in our life. Hopefully others will share, but as a start….. While I was baptized as an infant in the Methodist Church, and would say that was the beginning of my spiritual journey, my first awareness of God’s presence was as a youngster of just over three years old. We had recently moved (an Air Force family) and were visiting friends of my parents. I was on their apartment balcony and my loneliness must have looked sad when a woman asked me what the matter was. Upon me saying I had no friends, she told me there was a friend who I could always talk to and who would always be with me and his name was Jesus. And I believed her. Having that profound confidence, that childhood trust, of never being friendless, of never being alone, has been a gift of faith ever since, even when I wasn’t very faithful…. In time I would add words like Redeemer, Abba Father, Lord, Immanuel, Bread of Life, and many others, but Friend and is the word I return to when I feel closest to Jesus. (Laurie Edwards, FTF core team member)

Chapter 1 – Introductions

Fanning The Flame — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:34:49 +0000

Chapter 1 describes all of us as seekers who yearn for God. The questions ask about our goals, what we are searching for. We are asked how we search for truth and our response to it when it is discovered. How about you? Are you willing to share a little about yourself and perhaps how beginning the journey of FTF is a confirmation of you being a seeker along your journey? And from the USCCA: As a Catholic … “Why does seeking God keep your relationship with him dynamic?”

Time to Begin!

Fanning The Flame — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:31:04 +0000

Yesterday we sent out the FTF Chapter 1 email to all FTF Registrants and tomorrow will be day nine of the Novena we have been praying in preparation. … It is time to begin Blogging!

The role of the Blog is to be a discussion forum for anyone, especially for those who are participating in FTF without the benefit of a group with which to discuss and grapple with the concepts and challenges of the teachings of our Catholic faith. It is reasonable to expect that participants will have first taken the time to read the Chapter of the week before entering the conversation.

Since this is a new endeavor there will likely be a learning curve for all of us about what will best serve the goals of Fanning the Flame. At least for now we will begin each week with an opportunity to make comments on the questions for the weekly chapters, from both the USCCA and Study Sheets. Additionally, there may be posts by members of the FTF Core Team, Chapter Guides, and guests as opportunity presents. Occasionally a comment by a participant might become a post… we will see how it all unfolds a step at time, remembering this is just the beginning!

Thank you for going forward with us! On the way may both the direction we are going and the way we travel – our respectful and honest discourse and openness to ongoing conversion – be pleasing to God, beneficial for our spiritual renewal, and an invitation for others to join the journey.

Novena begins today in preparation for FTF!

Fanning The Flame — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:45:10 +0000

Today is the first day of the Novena for Fanning the Flame. Please click here to join in praying as we start this journey of faith with the goal of spiritual renewal especially during this jubilee year.

Fanning The Flame of our Catholic Faith

Fanning The Flame — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:39:29 +0000

Fanning The Flame Of Our Catholic Faith (or) Fanning The Flame (or) FTF are all titles we use inter-changeably to describe this 36 week program of exploring in depth the richness of the United States Catholic Catechism For Adults (or USCCA).

Please consider taking this journey of faith with us beginning in January of 2012!! It will be very exciting.