A Child is Born

"For into us this day a child is born. It is Christ the Lord!"

Merry Christmas!

Facebook in the Year O.

Mary & Joseph on fb

The Journey

Waiting

The wait is almost over!

Happy Hanukkah

חג חנוכה שמח

Today begin the eight days of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

It is good to recognize this celebration of our spiritual ancestors.

More info here

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Last week to get yourself spiritually ready for the coming of our Lord. Will you be ready??

Gaudete Sunday

Gaudete in Domino semper!

Rejoice in the Lord always!

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, is known as Gaudete Sunday.

Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice. Today we rejoice because we have passed the halfway point of Advent and our anticipation of the Nativity fills us with joy. The time is near at hand!

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Hail Mary, full of Grace!

We interrupt the penitential nature of Advent to celebrate the great feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without stain of Original Sin. Thus, from the moment of conception, she was full of grace. It makes sense that she, who would be the Ark of the New Covenant, would be free from any taint of sin.

Today is a holy day of obligation. Go say hello to your Holy Mother.

Confirmation I & II Homework

Confirmation II: Read, study, and be ready to discuss sections 1857 & 1863 of the Catechism.

Confirmation I: One paragraph report on your chosen Saint.

These assignments are for class on December 18.

Also turn in any service hours, that have not been reported, to Rob.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. How are your preparations coming along?

(Remember we have class today.)

Conf II Homework

Catechism 2177: Precepts of the Church

First Sunday of Advent

Happy New Year! Today we begin the season of Advent. How will you prepare?

O come, O come Emmanuel

Thanksgiving

Give thanks today for the many blessings you each have in your life.

Most of all, give thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who by His death and resurrection has won eternal life for those who follow His way.

REMEMBER

Remember there is class this Sunday November 20

Instead of next week after Thanksgiving.

Youth group

Remember the pizza/painting party this Saturday at 1 p.m. This is a great opportunity to have fun, meet new friends, and leave your mark on the brand new youth room. Bring a brush and have a blast!

Homework for November 20

Confirmation II: Find and review the section regarding Hell, Purgatory, and the Devil.

Confirmation I: Finish reading the section regarding the Sacraments.
Be prepared to discuss Catholic teaching regarding the social issues of today.

The Church

"There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church—which is, of course, quite a different thing. These millions can hardly be blamed for hating Catholics because Catholics “adore statues;” because they “put the Blessed Mother on the same level with God;” because they “say indulgence is a permission to commit sin;” because the Pope “is a Fascist;” because the Church “is the defender of Capitalism.” If the Church taught or believed any one of these things, it should be hated, but the fact is that the Church does not believe nor teach any one of them. It follows then that the hatred of the millions is directed against error and not against truth. As a matter of fact, if we Catholics believed all of the untruths and lies which were said against the Church, we probably would hate the Church a thousand times more than they do.If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world. Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth. Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself. … the Catholic Church is the only Church existing today which goes back to the time of Christ. History is so very clear on this point, it is curious how many miss its obviousness…”+Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Feast of Christ the King

This coming Sunday marks the end of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. The last Sunday of the year is dedicated to the Lord, Jesus Christ, the eternal King. You will notice the change from the green vestments of Ordinary time to the white of the feast.

The following Sunday begins the new Church year. The First Sunday of Advent begins the penitential season leading to the great Feast of the Incarnation which we know also as Christmas. The vestment color will be purple (except for one Sunday - do you know which one and what color?).

As Advent approaches, what are your plans to prepare for the Coming of the Lord? Are you preparing a place within your heart for the Infant Jesus?

Confirmation II Homework

Homework due November 13th.

Paragraph 85. Dogma (and the associated word).

Confirmation II Questions

Read 721-726 in the Catechism

What prayer came about because of this event?

Read 1037

Tell what God really wants.

QOTD

"I can't. God can. I'll let Him."

courtesy of the Ironic Catholic.

In the end...

Reminder

Next class for Confirmation I & II will be on October 16th.

Atheism

Assignment

This is for the Confirmation II class:

What are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

What are the Fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Where are they found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
(Bring to class the page or reference number.)
If called upon, be prepared to find and read the section.

If students answer the questions every week and have completed 75% of their community service hours by Dec. 16, they will be given an excused absence for the 18th.

Who said learning can't be fun???

Welcome

Welcome to the Saint James the Just Confirmation Blog!

Here you will find all sorts of information about confirmation classes. There is a calendar on the sidebar that will help you keep track of important dates as well as email addresses for the Director of Religious Education and your teachers. Also you will find links to great websites about the Church and resources to help you with your classes. Feel free to post comments and/or questions. Comments are moderated to prevent spam and other junk. Check back often for new posts and info.

Have a great year!

UPDATE: Classes begin on Sunday, September 25, 11:00 - 1:00.
First 30 minutes will be a parent/student information meeting.

Hello New Students

Well we are off to a great start! Nearly 45 students in the two classes. It was great to meet all of you both new and old. Remember we have class again next Sunday, October 2, from 11-1. Confirmation I students need a writing utensil, notebook (with pockets) and a Bible. I believe Confirmation II students will need about the same. If you need a Bible you can purchase one from the CCD office for a small charge. (I think about $10.00).

See you all next Sunday! God Bless!

(posted by Rob)

QOTD

We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.

--Bl. Pope John Paul II

(Courtesy of The Ironic Catholic)