Generation Christ - Ann Arbor at 530 Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 US

01-15-2010

~ The Weekly Update ~

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time (OF) / Feasts of St. Paul the First Hermit and St. Maurus (EF)

Greetings GenChrist!

Our weekly holy hour will continue this Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. St. Thomas Deacon, Les Arquette, will lead our meditation.

Please see below for events in the weeks ahead, including many pro-life events and opportunities.

In Christ,
Paul Schultz

News in Brief
Today: Friday Adoration - beginning after 7:00 a.m. Mass
January 18-25: Christian Unity Octave
January 19: "Concert of Prayer"
January 20: Parish Life Night
January 22: March for Life / Day of Penance for the Sin of Abortion
January 24: Respect Life Committee reception following 10:45 a.m. Mass
January 30: Mid-Michigan Pro-Life Summit
February 6: Mary's Mantle Kickoff

GenChrist notes: Pope Benedict's 'State of the Church' and 'State of the World' messages; Scythian; Michigan Catholic Young Adult Conference, March 19-20th; Housing / service opportunity

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

In 1908, Anglican clergyman Lewis Wattson proposed the first Christian Unity Octave - 8 days of prayer for the unity of all Christians commencing on January 18th, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter (until 1960), and concluding on January 25, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

Later, he and his monastic community achieved full unity with the Church and he was ordained under his religious name, Fr. Paul Wattson. Pope Benedict XV approved the unity devotion in 1916 and for a time it was known as the "Chair of Unity Octave." Now it is generally known as the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity."

Since 1968, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has jointly prepared Christian Unity Octave materials with the World Council of Churches. This year's materials are available on the Vatican's website or as a pdf on the WCC's website. The theme emphasized in those materials for this year is taken from Luke 24:48: "You are witnesses of these things."

I have been able to find no on-point treatment of the Octave in the Liturgy of the Hours but the U.S. Bishops' website links to this Daily Scripture and Prayer Guide, on a website administered by Fr. Paul's order.

For those interested, we also have recourse to the devotions / prayers from the older Breviary as well:
January 18th - The union of all Christians in the one true faith and in the Church.
January 19th - The return of separated Eastern Christians to communion with the Holy See.
January 20th - The reconciliation of Anglicans with the Holy See.
January 21st - The reconciliation of European Protestants with the Holy See.
January 22nd - That American Christians become one in union with the Chair of Peter.
January 23rd - The restoration of lapsed Catholics to the sacramental life of the Church.
January 24th - That the Jewish people come into their inheritance in Jesus Christ.
January 25th - The missionary extension of Christ's kingdom throughout the world.

Despite some searching, I've found no events in our area except the one which next follows (and, of course, daily Mass, etc.). Watch next week's update for the possibility of a unity-themed evening prayer or similar during the last four days of the Octave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concert of Prayer - from Fr. Pat

Friends and Partners of PACT,

We are drawing near to the annual county-wide concert of prayer held each January to intercede for 4 topics which all have a special relevance at this time of year:
Unity among Christians
Racial Reconciliation
Pro-life Concerns
Spread of the Gospel in our County

This time of prayer is jointly sponsored by
o The Bible Church,
o St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
o St. Luke Lutheran Church
o PACT [Pastors Alliance for County Transformation]

This year we will meet on Tuesday, Jan 19th, 7:30-9:00pm at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 4205 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor

On behalf of the PACT Directional Team, Phil Tiews

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parish Life Night

Theme: Year of the Priest
PARISH LIFE NIGHT
Wednesday, January 20th

Join us for a delicious Swedish Meatball Dinner and a fun-filled evening. In celebration of the year of the priest, we are honored to have a panel of priests for an evening of questions and answers.
This month's "God's Hero" is St. John Bosco.

If you haven't attended a parish life night yet, consider this a personal invitation! Join the fun and experience the fellowship of your parish family.

Dinner will be served from 5:15-6:30 p.m. Childcare and gym time will be available furing the panel, from 6:30-7:00 p.m.

See you Wednesday, January 20th!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 22: Day of Penance for the Sin of Abortion

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, paragraph 373, provides as follows:
In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass "For Peace and Justice" (no. 22 of the "Masses for Various Needs") should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day.

Even if you are not able to make the pilgrimage to the March for Life, please make some effort next Friday to offer up some penance for the sin of our nation and for its improvement in the the future.

Some will be gathering to pray the Rosary at Planned Parenthood (Professional Drive) from midnight to 9 a.m. and then from 5 p.m. to midnight on this date. Contact Ann Cherney for more info: (734) 769-2271.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mid-Michigan Pro-Life Summit

January 30th
8:15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Montrose Community Schools Auditorium

Speakers:
-the Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing
-Elder Levon R.Yuille, National Director of the National Black Pro-Life Congress;
-Fr. Joseph Krupp, Director of Campus Ministry at Michigan State University
-State Representative Paul Scott
-former CBS reporter Michael Voris
-Rebecca Kiessling, author of Conceived in Rape—A Story of Hope
-Dr. Kyle Beiter, MD, OB/GYN.

Early registration is $30.00 for adults and $10.00 for students. The fee includes lunch.

Rides will be available from St. Thomas (departing at 7:00 a.m.) for anyone who registers and lets Paul know that he or she would like a ride by January 24th.

Brochure Conference Website / Online Registration

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary's Mantle

Email Paul Schultz if you'd like more information about this ministry, which was advertised in the 15 January 2010 Weekly Update email.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GenChrist Notes

Pope Benedict's 'State of the Church' and 'State of the World' Messages

At about this time every year, the reigning pontiff gives two addresses which journalists sometimes give the names written above. The first is the pope's annual exchange of Christmas greetings with the Roman Curia, where he discusses the events of the Church in the year past and the prospects for the year ahead. The second is the pope's annual annual exchange of new year greetings and address to all diplomats accredited to the Holy See.

This CatholicCulture article examines how the press typically covers papal events and these speeches in particular.

I would encourage you to read the papal addresses themselves:
Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia
New Year Address to the Diplomatic Corps

If you'd just like a brief summary, I would recommend those provided by CatholicCulture and Sandro Magister of L’Espresso.


Scythian

Scythian will again play The Ark at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 8th.


Michigan Catholic Young Adult Conference: "Who do you say I am?"

Save the date: March 19th-20th
Registration Website: http://www.micyac.org

Note: For those in attendance, there will be a Holy Hour modeled on Generation Christ on Saturday afternoon.


Housing / service opportunity

There is a unique opportunity for a caring female to live at the Ypsilanti Emmanuel House rent free, in exchange for service. Email House is a free home for older adults who are no longer capable of living alone and have limited income and support. The home is operated by the Servants of God's Love in collaboration with the Diocese of Lansing. For more information contact:
Sr. Mary Zielinksi, S.G.L.
Emmanuel house
3341 Hillside Drive
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 528-9031