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Session 1: Monday, April 30, 2012

Letting Go of the Past
The Power of Forgiveness
Matthew 5:23-24 & John 13: 12-17

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Session 2: Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Empowered to Surrender
Veneration of the Cross
Matthew 5:43-48 & 1 Corinth 1:18

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Session 3: Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Healing Mass (7:00 p.m.)
Prayer for Departed Souls
Healing the Loss of a Loved One
John 14:1-3 & 1John 4:16-21

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As Catholics, we believe that the bread and the wine that we see at Mass are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. If we stop to think about it, how can this happen? Many Protestant Churches have a more symbolic understanding of the Eucharist as a remembrance of Christ rather than the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is true that the Eucharist is a memorial of Christ’s suffering and death and ultimately His glorious resurrection. But it is so much more than a memorial. It is the BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, and DIVINITY of Jesus Christ. Some Recent polls taken in the United States tell us that only 30% or 3 out of 10 Catholic Americans believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This is a very sad statistic.

To find the truth of the Eucharist, we need to open to the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, verses 22-59. I encourage you to read the whole text, but in this article we will concentrate on certain verses. Let’s look at verse 35 to begin. The people that Christ is talking to are asking for the bread of life. They are searching for eternal life, they are searching for truth. How many of us can say that we are searching for truth? We are always on a quest to find what is true and right for our lives, much like the people who heard Christ. Christ’s answer to these people proclaims, “I am the bread of life.” (Jn. 6:35) The people are asking and Jesus is telling them that what they are asking for is right in front of them. Jesus is using the words “I AM” He is telling these people that He is what they are looking for. He is not saying “I have the bread” or “I can get you the bread” He is saying that “I am the bread.”

A little further down in the text in verse 51 Christ tells the people, “I am the LIVING bread… and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (Jn. 6:51) Christ takes the bread statement a step further. He is saying that the bread that He is, isn’t just regular bread, it is Living Bread and that it is truly His flesh. Now at this, the people went into a rage. To eat the flesh of a man was detestable a punishable by death according to the Law. Christ had every chance to clarify and tell them, “Don’t worry, it’s only a sign.” Instead He said, “Truly, Truly, I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life within you.” (Jn. 6:53) Christ takes it a step further and tells them exactly what He means. “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” (Jn. 6:55)

Now we take this discourse in John’s Gospel and we relate it to the Last supper narrative in the Synoptic Gospels and we see the Eucharistic Tradition in all of its beauty. “And He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to them saying ‘This is my body which is given for you.” (Lk. 21:19) Christ is saying that it IS His body given for us. When I introduce my wife to people, I say “this IS my wife, Kristina.” When I say this, I’m not saying this is kind of like my wife or she represents my wife. I’m saying that she IS my wife. This is the same for Jesus. This IS His body, not a symbol or a representation.

Christ has given His apostles the power to change the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. This Eucharistic action occurs at every Mass through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and the wine, become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. When we are in communion with Christ and each other in the Eucharist, do we appreciate the gift given to us? Do we stay after Communion to give thanks to Jesus for the gift He just gave us? We have to remember that Judas left the Mass early too, after taking the Body and Blood of Christ…

• Andrew McGovern works as Youth Minister at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. E-mail Andrew at amcgover@stthomastheapostle.org

The Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory celebrated south Atlanta Curia’s Acies in March with a morning mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King Church in Atlanta.
The Latin word, Acies, means “an army ranged in battle array.” The assemblage of Mary’s Legion was one of fierce devotees. Members walked in reverent pairs to the Legion Altar.
Attendees soulfully glorified Christ with the hymn, “Holy Is His Name,” and adored Mother Mary with the entrance song, “Sing of Mary.” A short pause for thanksgiving to our Lord followed the mass, marking the official beginning of the 2012 Acies Ceremony.

Consecrators made joyful noise with more singing, and Father Cyril Chae, of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Norcross, opened with prayers and led the Rosary. Food was aplenty. Happiness suffused all in this great annual function and unparalleled devotion to the Queen.
Legionaries knelt before Our Lady, placed the right hand on the staff of the Vexillum and recited the consecration in Spanish or English. Father Cyril Chae led the catena and concluding prayers. The finishing touch was a melodious “Hail Holy Queen.”

The St. Thomas the Apostle Church’s Legion of Mary Praesidium is called Our Lady Refuge of Sinners. It has strong participation, but new members are always welcome.
Member Spotlight: Lumanie Jean-Pierre made hundreds of rosaries singlehandedly, which helped Our Lady Refuge of Sinners meet Archbishop Gregory’s fall 2011 Rosary Appeal.

–John Ashibuogwu provided pictures for this article.

• For more information on Legion of Mary, contact  Hycenth Uche at 404-358-4809 or via e-mail at: hyuche@yahoo.com.

I joined the Feed the Hungry mission several months ago, after taking the Just Faith course at St. Thomas.

The Feed the Hungry mission is direct and simple. It follows the Catholic Church’s social teachings. The gospels say, “In as much as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.” (Matthew 25:4)

One of the social teachings of the church is the special option for the poor and vulnerable. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2444 we read: “Love for the poor is even one of the motives for the duty of working so as to ‘be able to give to those in need.’ It extends not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and religious poverty.”

And with many of the poor living just a few short miles from St. Thomas, I felt it my duty to serve them through this mission. We give out about 150 to 200 food packages – each consists of a sandwich, boiled eggs, soft fruits, granola bars and bottled water – on Saturday mornings. We also distribute homemade soup, which is a great favorite among the homeless.

I have made many friends among those we serve. Their stories are often heart-breaking, but they rise above them to show us their love and dignity. My reward is the love and kind words we receive from our poorer brothers and sisters. They have prayed with us, sung with us and even written poetry about us.

Poverty is not a problem to be solved. It is a mystery into which we are called to share. In a small way the Feed the Hungry mission does exactly that.

• Click HERE to learn more about Just Faith

Legacy is a college ministry for young adults. Participants do not have to be attending college, but should be between 18 and 22 years of age. The mission of this ministry is to grow deeper in faith, build a community of support and to serve others.

Jesus is our perfect model for how we respond to the call for a personal relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is a group that encourages and guides us to live out a life centered around Christ: to grow in faith and in community – and to love.

This is His “Legacy” for us and this program has been developed to help young adults realize and continue the “Legacy” they are called to live.

“As college students, we have truly enjoyed being part of this faith-based group. It allows us to dig deeper into our Catholic faith, so that together we may grow and walk in joy with Christ. We encourage every college student to join us and share in the goodness of the Lord,” Alexis Wright and Carmen Guadarrama, Legacy Crew.

We would love for you to join us in this amazing journey as we share and grow as one. Come sit with us at the 5:00 p.m. Sunday mass.

• Contact Julie Chartier, Legacy Ministry Coordinator at 678-797-0829 or via e-mail at yank4eva11@aol.com

What is a Worldwide Marriage Encounter?

The mission of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is to proclaim the value of marriage and Holy Orders in the Church and in the world.
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is a positive and personal experience offering married couples an opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication which they can use for the rest of their lives. It is a chance to look deeply into their relationship with each other and with God. It is a time to share their feelings, hopes and dreams with each other.

This marriage enrichment program was founded by Father Gabriel Calvo in Barcelona, Spain in 1961. Though it began as a Catholic program for the enrichment of the Sacrament of marriage, it soon spread and became a multi-national, multi-denominational program, open to all couples wishing to enrich marriages.

Recently, the internationally known website About.com, which annually conducts its Readers Choice Awards, named Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) the 2012 winner in the Best Marriage Workshop category.

Each year, from October through January, a nationwide search is conducted to find the longest married couple in the United States.

During this search, WWME found four couples who had been married for 78 years. The search also turned up many who were married for more than 60 years.
On Feb. 11, Wilbur and Theresa Faiss of Las Vegas were honored as the longest married couple: they married 79 years ago.

At the celebration, a son of the happy couple spoke on behalf of his parents. Theresa “is grateful but very mystified. She cannot understand all this fuss about a couple simply because they kept their commitments to each other,” the couple’s son said during the celebration. To see more go to: http://wwme.org/node/16064/view?

What is W.E.D.S.?

After couples attend a Marriage Encounter weekend, they are invited to join smaller W.E.D.S. groups within the parishes. The W.E.D.S. meetings are usually held once a month and are designed to support the couples as they continue the journeys they began on their weekend encounter.

Through our common experience of the Marriage Encounter weekend at some point in our marriage, we were taught how to communicate with our spouse through dialogue, which we continue to use daily and in our W.E.D.S. meetings.

During our monthly meetings we share with each other some suggestions of what different couples do to enrich their marriages. We also socialize and have a good time together. Currently, St. Thomas has about 10 active couples in our W.E.D.S. group with a combined total of over 200 years of marriage. Though the lengths of our marriages vary, we have been united in our goal to keep our marriages strong.

• Maria and Rick Croshaw areMinistry Coordinators of Marriage Encounter in our parish. You may contact them at 678/756-5749 or via e-mail at:
  cma13258@yahoo.com

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues the ministry started by the Blessed Frederic Ozanam in 1833. Frederic was 20 years old and a student at Sorbonne University in Paris. It was post-revolution France, when poverty and hunger were rampant. During a discussion with others at the university, Frederic and his friends were challenged to put Catholic creed into action. On April 23, 1833, Frederic met with several friends and started the Conference of Charity. The mission was simple: they collected donations of food and took them to the needy who lived in the immediate vicinity.
Frederic was deeply inspired by St. Vincent de Paul, who lived in France between 1581 and 1660, and decided to rename the Conference of Charity as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Frederic worked hard to get friends in other cities to do the same kind of charity that he and his friends had started. He died in 1853. But the society grew rapidly and today, it is active in 142 countries and is estimated to have about 700,000 members. The society came to the United States in 1845 and to Atlanta in 1903.

The charity is organized as conferences, with each one serving a specific geographical area. This is usually within the parish boundaries. SVdP believes in giving a hand-up to those in need. The motto is to help “Change lives one at a time.” In doing that, no act of charity is considered foreign to the society. Different conferences assist clients in different ways based on the need and availability of resources.
Here at St. Thomas, the society helps clients in the following ways:

• Direct Assistance – rent, mortgage, gas, electricity, phone bills, storage, transportation, etc. The assistance is provided after two volunteers have visited the client at home and discussed the case at the weekly meeting.
• Food – Volunteers purchase food at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and distribute at the Food Pantry or deliver it to clients at their homes.
• Thrift Store – The thrift store stocks donated goods and clients are given vouchers so they may acquire needed goods at no cost. The profits from paying customers are funneled back into the various forms of assistance the society provides.
• House of Dreams – Long-term housing for single women. The women are assigned mentors and taught important life-skills such as budgeting, interviewing, etc. They stay for free while they are looking for jobs. Once they start working, they are expected to pay a small rent while they stay and build up a cushion.
• A Caring Ear – Clients appreciate being treated as people. They have been used to doors being slammed shut or being yelled at. The human interaction that Vincentians provide is perhaps more valued than all the material help from the clients’ perspective.

• The society is grateful for the generous contributions of time, talent and treasure that our parishioners provide. If you have questions or want to volunteer call 770-432-8579 Extension 300.

E-mail sttacommunications@stthomastheapostle.org

• Families featured in our May 2012 newsletter were interviewed by Lauren Russell

• If you are interested in having your family featured, please let us know!�
  E-mail sttacommunications@stthomastheapostle.org

His name was Love. He was one of our favorites on the street.

Love was one of the first people we got to know in the early days of our ministry. The group started with some of the Just Faith graduates who got together each Saturday to hand out food to the hungry.

We’d see him washing cars at one of the stops to feed the working poor, many of whom are homeless. Love was also part of the group that stayed at or near a squat house, “Melanie’s place,” on Hollowell Parkway that the city of Atlanta eventually condemned. After that, Love and many others slept on the street. Most of the group we see at the car wash are delightful, friendly and enthusiastic. They always have a big warm welcome for us.
Love would usually be the first to greet us, wherever we saw him. His hugs were one of the many things that made going out each week a treat for my soul.
We asked once where he got the nickname “Love.” He said his grandmother gave it to him. Love admitted to being spoiled rotten – he was the youngest of 10 children. The story goes, his grandmother looked down at him when he was a baby and said “He ain’t nothin’ but Love!”
No doubt she was looking into his light blue eyes, as bright as his smile, especially against his brown skin.

Over the time, we got to know more and more about Love: his personal triumphs over drug addiction, by the grace of God. He asked for our prayers for his other struggles. He seemed such a good and generous person. Every week he would ask at least one of us to please come back in our cars so he could repay us with a car wash.
“You guys take good care of us. You should let us take care of you,” he’d say.
Last summer, Love got a job working at a Laundromat and we saw less of him. Of course we missed seeing him, but we kept up with him through his friends and his brother, Tommy. It was great that he was working at a steady job.

A few weeks ago, I was unable to join the group to distribute food and I was disappointed to learn I’d missed a visit from Love. I was bummed, especially when I heard we wouldn’t be seeing him for a while: Love was headed down to Florida for work.
What great news and I couldn’t help but think “Is this the break that Love needs to truly turn his life around?”

But it was not.
We learned recently that Love had a heart attack and died on Feb. 23. His family learned of his death a few days later. The shock and sadness were still evident among his friends. Love was a relatively young man. Life is especially fragile for those who live on the street, Shirley D’Souza, a member of the group and a St. Thomas parishioner, pointed out.
I wish I had gotten to see Love that last time, when he delivered news of his upcoming job. I would have given him a big congratulatory hug and an extra squeeze so that he’d have some idea of how much I had missed him these past months and how much I would miss him during his time away. I do hope he knew that he meant something special to all of us.
While driving home shortly after hearing the news of Love’s death, I was still thinking about him. I was in a little bit of shock over his passing. Then, I was distracted by two identical bumper stickers on a truck in front of me, one on either side of the license plate.
They both proclaimed: EVEN A SMILE IS CHARITY.
“What is that supposed to mean,” I thought. “Is that implying that smiling at someone is a sacrifice?”

But then I thought of Love and all the others on the street who give us something each week: their gratitude, their enthusiasm, their favorite scripture, their stories, their prayers and sometimes their tears. But more often, they give us their smiles.
I feel so privileged to be the recipient of such “charity.” Were those bumper stickers Love’s reminder to me that giving of ourselves is the most important gift of all?
Love, you will be missed and I will never forget you.

God bless you all.

• To learn more about Just Faith in our parish, please click HERE.