If you decide to use this program with a group or alone, we’d be thrilled – and we’d like to know, so please drop us a line in the comments if you do!

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Father brings in the Sacrament. We kneel and adore Him.

Together: Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.  Amen.

Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.  (three times)

Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Fatima
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women: “Fear not ye! For I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here. For he is risen, as he said”. (Mat 28,1-6)

The risen Jesus has proved that man, together with Him, can have power over sin and therefore death. Jesus, help raise us, deliver us from sin, from evil, give us Your light, give us Your joy. Rekindle inside us the love, the faith, the hopefulness, and the gift of prayer. Let us ask Mary for the gift of an unshakeable faith. (Source: http://www.theholyrosary.org/glorious.html)

Silence and time for reflection before the prayers begin: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, one Fatima

Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. Jesus, You have not deserted Your apostles in anguish, but have given them the joy of knowing Jesus “glorified” over 40 days . After Your Ascension, You granted to all those who seek You the gift of receiving You in the Eucharist. Through Mary we trust in you. Mary, give us the gift of hope. (Source: http://www.theholyrosary.org/glorious.html)

Silence and time for reflection before the prayers begin: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, one Fatima

Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of The Holy Ghost
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Act 2,1-4)

Jesus, infuse us with the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, enlighten us with the light of Your Spirit, with His strength enter in the deepest parts of our hearts and heal us. Deliver us, fill up our hearts with Your love. Make us apostles of Yours, dear Lord. Let us ask Mary the gift of true love, the gift of prayer from the heart.
“Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” (Source: http://www.theholyrosary.org/glorious.html)

Silence and time for reflection before the prayers begin: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, one Fatima

Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary
After the apostles have dispersed, the Blessed Mother goes to live with John, the beloved disciple. Mary lives many years on earth after the death of Christ. She is a source of comfort, consolation and strength to the apostles. As she had nourished the infant Jesus, so she nourishes spiritually the infant Church. Mary dies, not of bodily infirmity, but is wholly overcome in a rapture of divine love. Her body as well as her soul is taken up into heaven. After her burial the apostles go to the tomb and find only fragrant lilies. Jesus does not permit the sinless body of His Mother to decay in the grave. Corruption of the body is an effect of original sin from which Mary is totally exempted. The bodies of all mankind, at the last judgment, will be brought back and united again to the soul.

Now that Mary is raised into heaven, She prays for Her sons and daughters, those sons and daughters Jesus left Her when He was on the cross. Mary, pray for us, You know our fears, take us into Your Heart, the Heart of a Mother. Help us now and in the time of our death to be with You in Heaven. We ask of you a devotion to Your Immaculate Heart, where we may take refuge in times of trouble. (Source: http://www.rosary-center.org/glorious.htm)

Silence and time for reflection before the prayers begin: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, one Fatima

Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary in Heaven
As Mary enters heaven, the entire court of heaven greets with joy this masterpiece of God’s creation. Mary is crowned by her divine Son as Queen of heaven and earth. More than we can ever know the Hearts of Jesus and Mary overflow with joy at this reunion. Only in heaven will we know the great majesty of that coronation, and the joy it gave to the angels and saints. Even the angels, who by nature are greater than humans, hail Mary as their Queen. Mary shares so fully in the glory of Christ because she shared so fully in His suffering. Only in heaven will we see how central is the role of Mary in the divine plan of redemption. The angels and saints longed for the coming of her whose heel crushes the head of the serpent. Mary pleads our cause as a most powerful Queen and a most merciful and loving Mother. A great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Source: http://www.rosary-center.org/glorious.htm)

Let us trust in Mary, Let us call to Her, let us love Her, let us confide in Her, because She gives Her all to us. We have a Mother in Heaven who is also a Queen; thus we need to turn to Her with full faith and hopefulness. If we ask for something while praying the Holy Rosary, it will be granted to us. Ask Her for the gift of prayer, a prayer of the heart, said only for love, a love for Her and Jesus. Let us also ask for a consistency of prayer, to always be joined to Her Heart, and therefore to the Heart of Jesus. (Source: http://www.theholyrosary.org/glorious.html)

Silence and time for reflection before the prayers begin: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, one Fatima

Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, divine Consoler, I adore You as my true God, with God the Father and God the Son. I adore You and unite myself to the adoration You receive from the angels and saints.I give You my heart and I offer my ardent thanksgiving for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.

O Giver of all supernatural gifts, who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with such immense favors, I beg You to visit me with Your grace and Your love and to grant me the gift of holy fear, so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me from falling back into my past sins, for which I beg pardon.

Grant me the gift of piety, so that I may serve You for the future with increased fervor, follow with more promptness Your holy inspirations, and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity.

Grant me the gift of knowledge, so that I may know the things of God and, enlightened by Your holy teaching, may walk, without deviation, in the path of eternal salvation.

Grant me the gift of fortitude, so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of the devil, and all the dangers of this world which threaten the salvation of my soul.

Grant me the gift of counsel, so that I may choose what is more conducive to my spiritual advancement and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter.

Grant me the gift of understanding, so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts and affections from the vain things of this miserable world.

Grant me the gift of wisdom, so that I may rightly direct all my actions, referring them to God as my last end; so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life, I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next.

Amen.

Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.
ALL:  May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and bless him upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

Our Father.  Hail Mary.

ALL:  O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for priests by Therese of Lisieux
O Jesus
I pray for your faithful and fervent priests
for your unfaithful and tepid priests
for your priests labouring at home
or abroad in distant mission fields
for your tempted priests
for your lonely and desolate priests
for your young priests
for your dying priests
for the souls of your priests in purgatory

But above all, I recommend to you
the priest dearest to me
the priest who baptized me
the priest who absolved me from my sins
the priests at whose Masses I assisted
and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion
the priests who taught and instructed me
All the priests I am indebted in any other way

O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity, Amen.

Closing rite: Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (Adoremus number 246, verse 5 and 6)

Styret i Albert Magnus Katolske studentlag i Trondheim vil i forbindelse med den tragiske saken om Biskop Georg Müllers overgrep, uttrykke vår dype sorg og medfølelse med offeret. Saken var ukjent for oss inntil i dag. Vi setter vår lit til Kirken og ber for offeret og alle som er rammet av denne tragiske hendelsen.

Vi håper alle fakta i saken vil bli belyst i offerets beste interesse. I tillegg vil vi uttrykke takknemlighet for måten saken har blitt håndtert av Troskongregasjonen. Dette er et vitnesbyrd om at Den katolske Kirke viser handlekraft i slike saker. Troskongregasjonen har handlet etter offerets ønske ved ikke å offentliggjøre sakens detaljer. For øvrig er det viktig at hans anonymitet blir respektert.

Pressen henstilles til å rette eventuelle spørsmål til pressekontakt i Den katolske Kirke, Pål Bratbak. Telefon 23 21 95 16 eller 92 61 45 90.

Pia Maria Hoel Sørensen og Karoline B. B. Michalczak,
Albert Magnus Katolske Studentlag i Trondheim

Remember to set your clock to daylight savings! It should be done on the night before Palm Sunday, one hour forward. Be sure to set your clock so you won’t be an hour late!

Here is the program for Easter in St. Olav Church:

27th: Confession 17-18, Mass 1830

28th: Palm Sunday. High Mass celebrated by Bishop Bernt, visiting from Oslo, at 1100 / 11AM. Collection to Caritas. Also Mass at 0900 (Norwegian), 1400 (Spanish), 1600 (Polish), 1800 (English)

29th: Confession 17-18, Mass 1830 with blessing of the oils and priests renew their vows. Please come pray for our priests.

30th: Confession 17-18, Mass 1830

31th: Confession 17-18, Mass 1830

April 1: Holy Thursday

0800: Matutin and Laudes

HOLY TRIDUUM:

1600: Mass of the Lord’s Supper in POLISH

1900: Mass of the Lord’s Supper Norwegian.

2030-2100: Adoration with Filippines

2100-2200: Adoration in Vietnamese

2200-2300: Adoration in Norwegian

2300-2400: Adoration in Polish

April 2: Good Friday. FAST AND ABSTINENCE

0800: Matutin and Laudes

1200: Way of the Cross in St Olav Church in Vietnamese

1330: Ecumenical Way of the Cross downtown. Meet at Our Lady /Vår Frues Church

After Way of the Cross there is usually served a bean soup in Parish Hall

1600: Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in POLISH

1700: Way of the Cross in St Olav Church in Norwegian

1800: Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

April 3: Holy Saturday

0800: Matutin and Laudes

1500: Blessing of the Easter food

1600: Easter Vigils in POLISH

2300: EASTER VIGILS in Norwegian (Blessing and procession of the Paschal candle, Exultet, renewal of baptismal vows and HALLELUJA!

After Mass there will be served refreshments in the Parish hall

April 4: Easter Sunday

1100: High Mass

1600: Polish Mass

1800: English Mass

April 5: 1100: High Mass

Bible study with Taizé

Monks of the Taizé Christian ecumenical monastery are visiting Trondheim in this time of Lent, and will be giving a Bible study session.

You are all welcome! The study will be given in English and will be held in the parish hall of St. Olav Catholic Church, Wednesday March 3rd, at 1915. Mass will be celebrated at 1830, you are welcome to join us.

The visit is organized by the Norwegian Church, who are graciously sharing the brothers with us. In the spirit of Taizé, all Christians of all denominations are welcome.

To read more about the Taizé movement, visit their website at www.taize.fr

The Psalms are recited as the wind endeavours to lift the Church and carry it away. We are here today, five students or young adults, going into the desert to pray like Jesus prayed, to listen to him in silence and love. As we leave Church, still no words are spoken, only a gentle nod and smile as we hurry from the cold wind inside to our breakfast.

A curious scene, really: two young women, friends, usually laughing and talking, having their coffee and bread in complete silence, both encapsulated in the same story: the gospel according to Mark. Usually on top of our assignments, this time is different. The task was set by sister Anne Elizabeth the previous evening: to read the Gospel of Mark slowly, focused, as if for the first time, looking for references of Jesus’ humanity, actions, emotions and the relationship to his father. Completely immersed in Mark’s narrative we spent three hours after Compline, in our own chambers, but are still only half way. Seeing the text with a new pair of eyes, we couldn’t read slowly enough, capturing the details, letting God speak to us with Mark’s voice.

Seven times a day I praise you the Psalm (119,164) says and so our coffee and reading is continued by Lauds first, then Mass, the Eucharist ending the Great Silence. During vigils, the view from the window behind the altar is black. Watch as the light of a single car drives slowly along the road on the other side of the fjord. The yellow light flickers by the curves of the road. Here now, gone now. Now only the black remains. Soon a single tree is visible as the light grows. Then another, and by the time Mass is finished, both the fjord and the mountain across the water is seen. In the same way our Lord is unveiled, first a flicker of light, a star on the heavens, a path is laid and by his teaching, his prophecy and his suffering, the Lord’s plan for us is brought to life and reaches its climax at the foot of the cross and resurrection: the Body and Blood of Christ is presented to us, a gift we do not deserve, but are given nonetheless.

Nourished both in body and spirit, we share a cup of tea, still the voice of Mark sounding in our hearts. Not used to being so quiet and focused, we take a break. A disposable plate quickly becomes a glory behind Andrea’s head, as we take silly pictures of each other. We are children after all, and have let our energy out when sister Anne Elizabeth joins us again.

We share our findings in the gospel, and notice that sister has read it with new eyes over and over again as she pours of her knowledge, explaining any passages we had trouble understanding (Mark 9,43-50). She hands us a list of signs of humanity in Christ and where to find them in the Bible, the perfect companion for when we find ourselves too taken up with our everyday lives to see the greater picture: that God knows us better than we do and still find us worthy of giving his life for.

As the Church bells ring for Sekst, we have an extra spring in our steps, for soon dinner is served. The priest, an Irishman, sings a Norwegian grace as Pole, Italian and Norwegian eat together in silence as we listen to classical music, thus having our bodies and spirits fed at the same time. At first the silence may feel pressing, awkward, then becomes a relief: nobody is forced to fill the silence with interesting or uninteresting conversation. The gospel of Mark and the Psalms are still heard in our hearts.

We are encouraged to leave our cell phones and iPods untouched for the duration of our stay, but there are nobody to check. Nobody will know if an iPod is played during the Great Silence. Our refrigerator has meat inside, but nobody is there to check if it is eaten on Friday. We are told we are welcome to celebrate Vigils at 4.20 in the morning, but nobody will wake you up, in fact they are astonished if you come. And that is the wonder of being on retreat, and also of Christ’s sacrifice: it is his to give and it is given freely.

We gather to talk about the psalms. These 150 songs for every occasion speak of every human emotion, even though they are up to 3000 years old. For learning, for complaint, for joy and celebration. Parts of them are perfect as short one-line prayers for strength, perseverance, comfort and praise (“Create a clean heart in me, O Lord” – “For God alone my soul waits in silence” – “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord” – “Bless the Lord my soul, and all that is within me”). We are encouraged to stay with those that touch us.

Showered with hospitality, friendliness, encouragement, smiles and advice, our time is up. Outside the monastery walls Norway has won one olympic medal and lost another to the Swedes, us none the wiser. It matters little now, for our weekend was ours to give and was given freely to the Lord. I hope we’ll be back soon!

It was very rewarding, as Father described Christian life in different situations, from a forced state religion to today’s secularism, and also how to react to the numbers who leave the Church.

Sadly, his visit came in a bad time, and only five people were able to hear the lecture. I’m sure the number of exams had something to do with it. Some of our students had three exams that week! That’s why I’d like to share my notes from the lecture with you, as well as Father’s notes.

With regards to the Catholic response to secularism, there are three models of thought. Some people would like to bring back state churches. The state churches had some good qualities, but we have to face that that era is over. Albeit nostalgic, it cannot be brought back by anything but power. Since the days of the state church, personal freedom has been established and people have discovered themselves to the point that we are acting only in our own interest. Bringing the church back by power would merely create anger, hostility and maybe indifference.

Remember also that if we strip our catholic culture of faith, the culture becomes meaningless. It’s not right to instrumentalize the Church for a culture that has no meaning. As a defence against other religions, such as Islam, it is unfruitful.

Christianity is over any nation. It is empty to say “I’mPolish, therefore Catholic” or “I’m Norwegian, therefore Lutheran”. If everybody thinks like this, the Church and faith will die. Christianity is international, over all nations and unifies all nations.

By all means, a Christian and Catholic life can only be led and sought by free will. After all, being Christian is about loving God, and love cannot be forced. All those who want to leave the Church, should be allowed to. Just like Jesus allowed people to stop following him when they found His teachings too hard to hear.

Another model in an attempt to win followers, is by adaption to modernism. To say we are modern and kind, we include everyone and tolerate everything. This is practically resigning, and we become the underdog. Imposed on the faithful will be the need for excuses. Secular, modern people can be aggressive or nervous when faced by faith.

It is true the Church should be open and meet reality, like it did with the council of Vatican II, but we must keep our Catholic identity. If our Church is a slave to modernity, it will lose substance and people will leave.

The third model, the best solution: to just be Catholic. It’s better that we are a happy, profiled and faithful minority than to be a bleak majority.

If we look to the first Christians, we see that they were called by Christ to follow him, and to influence the world – not govern it.

They were martyrs, confessors, true believers. They proclaimed the gospel with humility and fellowship – the people who met them said they shared everything with the exception of  their spouse. They were a new people of God among all the peoples.

They should be our role models today. Anywhere we go, we will meet people who do not know Christ or the Church. We should all be prepared to say something intelligent, something we have experienced in our own life. Be completely honest, hide nothing to make ourselves look better, as people will see through it and not take you seriously.

Be prepared to give account for Christ in your own life! This is his ission to all of us. Every Catholic is called to study theology in some form.

Father left us with this quote from the gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 44-71:

44 ‘No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God; everyone who has listened to the Father, and learnt from him, comes to me.

Not that anybody has seen the Father, except him who has his being from God: he has seen the Father. In all truth I tell you, everyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Jesus replied to them: In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day.

For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person. As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me. This is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.

This is what he taught at Capernaum in the synagogue. After hearing it, many of his followers said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’

Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this disturb you? What if you should see the Son of man ascend to where he was before? ‘It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.’But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset who did not believe and who was to betray him.

He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me except by the gift of the Father.’

After this, many of his disciples went away and accompanied him no more.

Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.’

Jesus replied to them, ‘Did I not choose the Twelve of you? Yet one of you is a devil.’ He meant Judas son of Simon Iscariot, since this was the man, one of the Twelve, who was to betray him.

Click here for the full text

For those of you who could not attend or for other Catholic groups looking for a program for Adoration, I’ll post that in just a bit. Let me share some pictures from the evening first.

After Adoration Maria had made us fruit salad! It was absolutely delicious. We were also given some fiskegrateng from the parish priest, which was also delicious. Nice for a hungry student!

Two very interesting conversations going on at once, between Vanessa and Maria, and Huy and father Al

Andrea from Italy and Marie from France

Two Andrea's and one Francesco in the middle. All Italians studying, living and praying together.

Adoration – Focusing on Unborn Life

Father brings in the Sacrament. We kneel and sing Adoramus te Christe (Adoremus nr. 28)

For your created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made  -   Psalm 139

First reading: Jeremiah 1:4-8

Song: Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, thou my true word
I ever with thee, thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only, first in my heart
High King of heavem, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Reading: the gospel of Luke 1:39-45

Song: Bless the Lord (Adoremus number 31)

A poem by By Amy L. Minoski

Hush now, Mommy, why do you weep?
Is it because my sleep is so deep?
Is it because my movements have ceased
That torrents of anguish in you are unleashed?

Hush now, Mommy, why do you sigh?
Is that a tear caught in your eye?
Is it because you were deceived and bought a lie?
That causes you to slowly wither and die?

Hush now, Mommy, why do you grieve?
Is it because you never felt me breathe?
Is it because you never cradled me to your breast?
And my soft, tiny body never caressed?

Hush now, Mommy, although you denied me life.
And both our pain feels like a knife.
And though I never experienced your love
I have no anger, no hatred, no strife.

Hush now, Mommy, so consumed by guilt,
Jesus’ precious blood was spilt
To wash all guilt, sorrow, and sin away
So that tomorrow can be a brand new day.

Hush now, Mommy, don’t you cry
It was for you that Jesus died.
His great love and sacrifice for you was complete
To heal your sin, your pain, your grief.

Hush now, Mommy, to Jesus confess,
Forgiveness is sure and in Him you can rest.
And though on earth our hands will never meet,
Someday in heaven you and I each other will greet.

Hush now, Mommy, don’t you weep
For my soul doth Jesus keep.
And as I look down from heaven above,
Know that I am safe within His love

Song: Laudate omnes gentes (Adoremus number 44)

Prayer for the unborn: Loving God, I thank you for the gift of life you gave and continue to give to me and to all of us. Merciful God, I ask your pardon and forgiveness for my own failure and the failure of all people to respect and foster all forms of life in our universe. Gracious God, I pray that with your grace, I and all people will reverence, protect, and promote all life and that we will be especially sensitive to the life of the unborn, the abused, neglected, disabled, and the elderly.  I pray, too, that all who make decisions about life in any form will do so with wisdom, love, and courage.
Living God, I praise and glorify you as Father, Source of all life, as Son, Savior of our lives, and as Spirit, Sanctifier of our lives. Amen

We share our personal prayers
Response: Kyrie, Kyrie eleison – Christe Christe eleison

OUR FATHER
In English or your own language

Closing rite: Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (Adoremus number 246, verse 5 and 6)
Litany of the Sacred Heart

Having just finished Mass, we gathered some tea and my guess work tells me there was snacks of some kind – fruits? cake?

My memory serves me poorly on the details. Luckily I my notes tell me that we were joined by three new faces – Vanessa, who’s French, Simoneé and another Andrea. We are blessed with so many Andreas this semester I have lost track of their last names – but I do remember that this Andrea is a scout!

St. Mark. Picture from Wikipedia Commons

Father Al had prepared a lecture for us regarding the gospel reading from the last Sunday: when Jesus met the young rich man. Read this, property of Mark:

17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Father put us into four groups and asked us to discuss the text. He asked us to think about where our heart was: what is our greatest treasure? We answered the questions in the groups, and then shared them with everyone. It took some good thinking to figure it out. Also, what we thought was the right answer wasn’t necessarily the truth for our lives, our actions and our thoughts.

He also asked us to consider what would happen to us if we lost our treasure. We had a hard time picturing this, as we so often fail to see that our greatest treasure is God, and get confused by our constant want for iphones and bigger, better and more things.

I want to take the time to remind us all of the next passage in Mark’s gospel. The previous passage can be a bit demotivating. The young man says he follows the commandments, and Jesus says it’s still not enough. How many of us can say they’ve never broken a commandment? Who is free of sin? Luckily Jesus reminds us:

23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

We are not accepted in the kingdom of God by our own strength or cabability, but by the grace of God.

Some of the students said they considered themselves pilgrims, that we’re always on a path. It’s important to never stop trying, to never consider yourself perfect, that there’s no room for improvement – but to also remember that God is with you in every one of those steps. In your trials, your victories, your sin – God is there.

I think the lecture definetely raised some questions in our minds, about the way we lead our lives and what we consider our treasures. Thank you very much, Father Al!

First he was a viking. Later he became the king of Norway for a short time,

before his death, which may have been a martyr death, if he was not murdered by one of his own. After his death, he was named saint by the local bishop. This was before the Vatican took charge and organized the canonization.

Now he is recognized as the patron saint of Norway, and has numerous churches dedicated to him both in Norway (Oslo and Trondheim), and abroad. You will find Olav has greatly influenced Norway when you look for it. Our regional hospital is called St. Olav’s hospital, and Olav, Ola and Ole are still popular names for boys.

Father Etienne also questioned, at the end of the lecture, if it is right to impose faith on others. Saint Olav christened Norway by the sword, and is celebrated by the Church despite this. Today faith is still imposed on people, mostly in other parts of the world. We also discussed whether Church and state should be separate or, as in Norway and England, one.

Father Etienne has been so kind as to give us his whole lecture, for future reference and for those who could not join us. Read it here!