CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Vol. 4:2016
Table of contents
9 important strategies for raising children in a world of 2
technology
Refresh spiritual intimacy in your marriage
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Vol. 4:2016
Great Expectations for Christmas
Why is he so special?
Well, Jesus said he was
Excerpt from Marilyn Adamson
God. If you look at Bud-
Christmas is loaded with expectations, isn't it?
dha or Confucius or oth-
Christmas shopping, decorating and entertaining. Typi-
er religious leaders, of-
cally we knock ourselves out trying to make it the
"perfect" Christmas. And year after year we end up with
the same empty feeling, like Christmas wasn't as personally fulfilling as we'd hoped. Why is that?
Let's look at a few of our expectations.
Picture yourself seated at a beautifully decorated
Christmas dining table. Cheerful Christmas music plays
softly, and a twinkling Christmas tree stands in the
background. This is the time of peace on earth, good
will toward others. Now picture your family and relatives
all sitting together around the table. Do you picture
them…arguing? Sometimes, in spite of our efforts, peo-
ple knock heads, even at Christmas.
Perhaps you’re hoping that this year your children will
be cheerful, patient and thoughtful of others. Well, if
that’s how they are from January to November, you
might have a shot at it in December. Or you might find
them pulling ornaments off the Christmas tree and
opening presents saying, “I already have this.”
Somehow we think the perfect Christmas is happening
in someone else's house, not our own.
Christmas is packed with expectations. Life isn’t perfect
and our expectations can do us in. Rather than be driven by a list of expectations, there is a better way to approach Christmas. There’s a
ten it was their followers
who declared them “God” long after they were dead. In
contrast, Jesus clearly and repetitively told people he
was God.
Jesus said he could give people eternal life and forgiveness for their sins…credentials which clearly belong
only to God.
His communication was also unique. Jesus didn’t
teach people ten steps to achieve holiness, or personal disciplines to reach God. If you want to know God,
Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father but by me.”
To give credence to his claims, Jesus performed blatant, irrefutable miracles. People born blind could see.
The lame who were stuck begging were now walking.
The mentally ill could think soundly. We’re told, “Jesus
went about all the cities and villages…healing every
disease.” His miracles were known by all.
Who is this Jesus?
Jesus plainly said who he was…
"I and the Father are one. If I am not doing the works of
my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them…
know and understand that the Father is in me and I am
in the Father.”
way to find it much more personally satisfying.
First, let’s look at why we
have Christmas…other than
increasing the country’s.
Gross National Product, of
course. Christmas is celebrated because of the birth of Jesus. Now the whole world
The Bible records, “This was why the
Jews sought all the more to kill him…he
called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” His audience understood the message.
Jesus so thoroughly equated himself with
God that he said “to know Him was to
know God (John 8:19, 14:7). To see Him
was to see God. To believe in Him was to
(Continued on page 3)
doesn’t celebrate my birthday.
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
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believe in God (Mark 9:37). To
fect, as your heavenly Father is
hate Him was to hate God
perfect.”
(John 15:23). And to honor Him
Well, let’s be brave and see how
was to honor God (5:23).”
perfect we are. Imagine trying for
Now I should interject here, this
an entire day to be… patient. I’d
is being written by a former die-
have to skip coffee and settle into
hard atheist. I thought people
a near coma. But let’s assume
believed in God simply out of
you’re alert and you’re going to be
need.
patient in all circumstances for one entire day. You’ll be
Part of enjoying all the celebration of Christmas is un-
patient with customers, other employees, your boss,
derstanding who was born that day. The Christmas car-
patient in traffic, patient with your family.
ols suddenly take on more punch…” Joy to the Word,
Let’s pretend you tried so hard, and you actually were
the Lord has come.” Jesus was not another prophet, or
patient all day. Wouldn’t it irritate you that the people
great teacher. This was God revealing himself to us.
around you were so impatient? If I were concentrating
Why did Jesus come to earth?
that hard on being patient, I know I’d be very self-
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it
righteous and judgmental toward all those other rude,
abundantly.”
impatient people. And my self-righteous attitude also
You know how life at times can seem “lite,” pointless,
would not line up with God’s standard of perfection.
without real meaning? Even at Christmas we can go
The Bible says we sin…no surprise to me.
through all the motions, but life can still lack depth. Je-
But what did surprise me is that the Bible says my sin
sus wants to give us a more meaningful, abundant life.
has separated me from God. It’s like an impenetrable
Secondly, he came to offer us a genuine relationship
wall. The Bible says, “The wages (payment) for sin is
with himself. “He was in the world, and the world was
death.”
made through him, yet the world knew him not. But to
Number one on Jesus’ agenda for coming to earth was
all who received him, who believed in his name, he
to pay for our sin. The Bible says, “By this we know
gave power to become the children of God.”
love, that he laid down his life for us….”
To be honest, a lot of people try to approach God the
It’s like the woman who was arrested on a drunk-
wrong way. They try to earn God’s
driving charge. The judge ruled, “thirty days
acceptance by living a “good”
or $1,500 bail.” As she was agonizing over
life. And then they reason with
this, the judge stepped around to the front of
him. “God, I’ve tried to be a good
the bench, pulled out his check book and
person. I’ve tried to be kind and
paid the $1500 fine. Why? The judge was
generous. I’ve gone to church. I’ve
this woman’s father. As an honest judge he
prayed. And I’ve never murdered
couldn’t overlook his daughter’s guilt. But as
or cheated anybody.” Sounds
a loving father, he paid the penalty for her.
good.
If we could have gained a relationship with
But Jesus said we need to know
God based on our living a good life, Jesus
what his standards are. Just how good a life would we
didn’t need to come to earth and he didn’t need to die
have to live? Jesus said, “You therefore must be per-
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(Continued on page 4)
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Vol. 4:2016
on a cross for
important decision you could make in your life. I’ll help
us. But out of tre-
you put\this into words. You could say to him,
mendous love for
“Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. Right now I
us, Jesus was
open the door and ask you to come into my life. Thank
tortured,
you for forgiving my sins and giving me the promise of
whipped, nailed
an eternal relationship with you.”
to a cross and
Unlike other possible relationships, if you asked Jesus
died of slow suf-
into your life right now, he promises never to leave
focation. Three
you. Jesus said, (speaking of us as his sheep), “My
days later he rose
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
from the dead.
me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never
Having done so,
perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”
he now offers us
There is no greater joy at Christmas than coming into a
complete forgiveness and a relationship with him.
relationship with Jesus. Too many times we have worn
I used to think having a relationship with God is some-
ourselves out, driven by our expectations to have the
thing that just “happens” to a person or it doesn’t…like
“perfect” Christmas. It’s a set-up for disappointment.
winning the lottery or being struck by lightning. But actu-
All of the shopping, decorating, entertaining never fully
ally it’s a personal decision.
meets our deepest longings. For Christmas to be spe-
God offers us a relationship with himself, and it’s our
cial, we simply need to receive Jesus’ gift to us…a rela-
decision whether or not to respond to his offer. Jesus
tionship with him. Knowing him brings great meaning
put it simply, “I stand at the door (of your life) and knock;
and enjoyment at Christmas, no matter who knocks
if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
over the Christmas tree.
come in to him….”
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/christmas/ma_great.htm
When we respond to his offer and ask him to come into
our lives, we begin a relationship with God that lasts
eternally. The Bible says, “I write this to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that
you have eternal life.”
Whatever is going on in your world this Christmas, there
is no greater gift you could give yourself than to receive
the One who came to earth for us. He offers you complete forgiveness, a relationship with Him, a more abundant life and eternal life. As long as we trust in ourselves, our own good life, God will remain distant, and
we remain separated from him by our sin. He asks us to
empty our hands of our efforts and receive him and his
gift.
I’d like to give you the opportunity right now to ask him
to come into your life. There is no greater offer, nor more
“He was created of a mother whom He created. He
was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in
the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word,
without whom all human eloquence is mute.”
~ St. Augustine~
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
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God plans that you become holy in your marriage grace of God and put God first in
through loving each other (1 Cor 13)
your marriage at all times.
You are blessed when you mourn
How do you become holy in your marriage? We see
i.e. when you mourn for your sins and ask for-
the answer to this question in the Scripture read-
giveness of each other, when you are not so proud
ings ; we hear Paul’s famous description of love:
that you refuse to admit your need of forgiveness,
Love is patient, love is kind.
but turn humbly to God and each other asking for
It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
mercy.
You are blessed when you are meek, when you are
it does not seek its own interests,
gentle instead of being domineering. As Paul said
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over
in his description of love, love is not quick-
injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but
tempered.
rejoices with the truth.
You are blessed when you are merciful. True love,
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
to use Paul’s description, “does not brood over
things, endures all things.
injury…bears all things, believes all things, hopes
Love never fails. (1 Cor
13:4-8)
all things, endures all things.
You are blessed when you are clean of heart i.e.
when you live your life in a way that reflects your
Every time you love each in this self-sacrificial way,
faith. So you are blessed when for the rest of your
wanting what is best for the other rather than what
life you live your marriage according to the sacra-
you get out of it, not holding grudges but forgiving
ment you receive, being open to the gift of life,
and healing each other, you love with the love of God
living your marriage vow for the rest of your lives.
and receive the love God. Yes, through this perfect
You are blessed if you are misunderstood (or perse-
type of love for each other you give and receive the
cuted) for being a follow of Jesus, e.g. when you
love of God. That is why I say your marriage is the
live your marriage not just as fulfilling a desire of
way to holiness for you.
nature, but as a marriage lived under God and the
way to holiness, when you make Sunday Mass the
Becoming Holy through living the blessed-
center of your week and receive the Sacrament of
ness of the Beatitudes
Reconciliation frequently even if your buddies do
In the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) we see more of the
not.
answer to how you become holy in marriage. These
beatitudes give us many different descriptions of
Every time you live the blessedness of the beati-
what it is to be blessed.
tudes the holiness of God touches
Every time you live the
you. Your marriage is the way to
blessedness of the beati-
holiness for you.
tudes the holiness of God
touches you.
You are blessed when you
are poor in spirit, i.e.
when you rely on the
A Wedding is a Day.... A Marriage is a Lifetime
Excerpt from a sermon by Fr. Tommy Lane
http://www.frtommylane.com/
homilies/weddings.htm#holy
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
A Wedding is a Day.... A Marriage is a Lifetime
Vol. 4:2016
www.ceett1982.org
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CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
The Celestines’ first weekend
January
Vol. 4:2016
Caribbean Carnival Brunch
Deacon Kester blesses the couples
Lenten Retreat—February
Recalls—April and October
We limin’ - Mayaro in August
Christmas Cocktail Party
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