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We Are 74 Years Old Today
Happy Birthday, CACINA!
- The Catholic Apostolic Church in North America's (CACINA's) history as an independent Catholic Church begins with the establishment of Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira (The Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil) on July 6, 1945. The Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil was established by the late Bishop Carlos Duarte-Costa as a result of ecclesiastic and civil persecutions in Brazil in the 1930's and 1940's
- The Catholic Apostolic Church was brought to the United States by the late Bishop Estefan Meyer Corradi-Scarella who had been consecrated a bishop for that purpose January 23, 1949, from which date CACINA dates its establishment.
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From: Resources for THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
and throughout the year 2023
Day 6
Just as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to me.
Readings
Ezek 34:15-20 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.
Mt 25:31-40 I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.
Reflection
In the Gospel of Matthew, we are reminded that we cannot separate our love for God from our love for others. We love God when we feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner. When we care for and serve “one of the least of these,” we are caring for and serving Christ himself.
The years 2020 and 2021 made visible the immense suffering among God’s family members. The world-wide Covid-19 pandemic, along with economic, educational and environmental disparities, impacted us in ways that will take decades to repair. It exposed individual and collective suffering throughout the world and brought Christians together in love, empathy and solidarity.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin exposed continued racial injustice. Floyd’s cry of “I can’t breathe” was also the cry of many suffering under the weight of both the pandemic and oppression. God calls us to honour the sacredness and dignity of each member of God’s family.
Caring for, serving and loving others reveals not who they are, but who we are. As Christians, we must be unified in our responsibility to love and care for others, as we are cared for and loved by God. In so doing, we live out our shared faith through our actions in service to the world.
Christian Unity
The prophet Ezekiel describes the Lord God as a shepherd who makes the flock whole by gathering in those who have strayed and binding up those who are injured. Unity is the Father’s desire for his people and he continues to bring about this unity, to make the flock whole, through the action of his Holy Spirit. Through prayer we open ourselves to receive the Spirit which restores the unity of all the baptised. Challenge How are the “least of these” invisible to you or your church? How can our churches work together to care for and serve “the least of these?”
Prayer
God of Love, We thank you for your unending care and love for us. Help us to sing redemption songs. Open wide our hearts to receive your love and to extend your compassion to the whole of the human family. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayer: Let the Shooting End
by: Sisters of Mercy
God, our hearts are broken with pain at the senseless deaths caused by gun violence. Families mourn, children live in fear, and some in our nation respond by arming themselves with more guns with greater capacity to end life. Our disconnection and alienation has caused some to turn to guns for protection and safety. We ask that you touch our hearts with your love, heal our brokenness, and turn us away from violence toward peace. Help us to transform our own hearts and to seek peaceful ways of resolving our differences. Let our hands reach out and connect with those who feel alone, those who live in fear, and those suffering from mental illness. Let our voices be raised asking our legislators to enact gun laws to protect all in our society, especially those most vulnerable. Let our pens write messages demanding change while also scripting words of hope and transformation. We ask this in the name of the God who desires that we live together in peace. Amen
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Zebedee: Still Fishing
by: Loretta Pehanich
This story is inspired by Luke 5:1–11.
When my sons dropped everything to accept Jesus’ invitation, I knew my boys would serve him well. They deserve the nickname Jesus gave them: “Sons of Thunder.” God wants the best from us. And sometimes it hurts to give it. In my case, it was the best people in my workforce. I gave Jesus my sons when he called. No, that’s not true. They were never mine to give.
I wondered, Why didn’t Jesus choose me for a high-profile job in his messianic mission? I’m not that old. Maybe I was jealous. OK, I’m not as strong and fiery as my sons, but I have the wisdom of age. Why was I passed over?
Children are tremendous gifts. My sons are excellent fisherman—strong, resilient, dependable, and hard-working. I thought they would take over my business. Now my future was uncertain. I wondered if I would ever retire.
The day after he called my sons, Jesus came back to see me. He greeted me, “Hello again.” Yes, Jesus and I already knew each other. Jesus had a place in Capernaum and was a well-respected craftsman. He repaired my friend’s boat so it was better than new.
I acknowledged his presence and kept mending my nets. My workload had tripled overnight. “How are you?” He asked simply. I was brooding and full of conflicting emotions. He waited silently, just looking at me. At last I said, “God takes away my expectations. God gives what I don’t want to receive.” “You had other plans,” Jesus concurred. “Can I sit beside you?”
I nodded, and he sat down at my eye level. Again he waited. So patient was this man! I inhaled deeply. “Where is my place in your plan? Aren’t I supposed to be doing something great for God? For you? Why am I still fishing? This job is second nature and requires little thought. Isn’t there something more?”
The way Jesus looked at me, I not only felt heard, but understood. “Jesus, I want to go out and change the world! I know you are the Messiah, and I want to join you to fix what’s broken in this country. So much needs mending. There must be more than these nets.”
He was really listening, so I continued. “I heard you tell my sons that they would fish for people. That sounds exciting. I want to do that too. Instead, I’m left to this business, to hire new help, and…” My voice trailed off. I could feel something shift as we were in conversation. “Zebedee.” I loved how he said my name. “Zebedee, I didn’t come into the world to immediately fix the world. I have a much larger plan. And you are a part of it.” He looked at me with love.
“I need you to keep fishing,” Jesus said. “What you do is valuable and significant. It fits perfectly into God’s big picture.”
I felt consoled, and my heart’s eyes opened. Families need nourishment. Somebody has to do the less-visible jobs. And I love sitting quietly on the boat and listening to the waves as we work the nets. Fishing is what I am meant to do.
I’m not going to be an Apostle witnessing amazing healings and hearing astounding teachings directly from Jesus. I’ll never be famous or start new ministries. I continue speaking with God living within. Listening in the silence, I know that God is with me.
And so I am grateful. I love that I am still fishing.
Loretta Pehanich is a Catholic freelance writer and the author of 2022: A Book of Grace-Filled Days, Women in Conversation: Stand Up!, and Fleeting Moments: Praying When You Are Too Busy. A spiritual director since 2012, Loretta is trained in giving the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Her involvement in ministry and parish life includes 20 years in small faith-sharing groups and Christian Life Community. Loretta gives retreats and presentations on prayer and women’s spirituality and is commissioned as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. She and her husband Steve have four children and 10 grandchildren.
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