Pauline Cooperator Organization

Coming soon! Charts and structure.

Eucharistic Adoration for the Feast of St. Paul

A Pauline Centenary Pastoral Tool: Eucharistic Adoration n. 4

PAULINE SPIRITUALITY AND MISSION ***

ST. PAUL (January 25, 2014)

“Saint Paul’s Mistica-Metanoia-Missio Experience”

(+) Jesus Master …

INTRODUCTION

On the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus had a profound, dynamic, spiritual experience. It was God’s initiative, grace, and compassion that brought about Paul’s encounter with the Risen Lord. It was an experience of light – of revelation – of who Christ really is for Paul. In this Eucharistic Adoration, let us pray that as we celebrate the Centenary of the foundation of the Pauline Family, we may re-live deeply Saint Paul’s experience of metanoia-mistica-missio.

OPENING SONG: “Earthen Vessels” or another appropriate song

SILENT ADORATION - PERSONAL PRAYER

PROCLAMATION OF PAULINE VERSES

Antiphon: O Saint Paul the Apostle, preacher of truth and doctor of the Gentiles, intercede for us. (sung)

1. After that, Saul began to harass the Church. He entered house after house, dragged men and women out, and threw them into jail. (Ant.)

2. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Sir?” he asked. The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. (Ant.)

3. For he who worked through Peter as his apostle among the Jews had been at work in me for the Gentiles and they recognized the favor bestowed on me. (Ant.)

4. With my many more labors and imprisonments, with far worse beatings and frequent brushes with death. (Ant.)

5. And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (Ant.)

6. But by God’s favor I am what I am. This favor to me has not proved fruitless. (Ant.)

7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on a merited crown awaits me. On that day the Lord, the just judge that he is, will award it to me. (Ant.)

PRAYER

Leader: God our Father,

you taught the gospel to all the world

through the preaching of Paul your apostle.

May we who celebrate his conversion to the faith

follow him in bearing witness to your truth.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Assembly: Amen.

FIRST READING: Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 98 (cf. “All the Ends of the Earth”

by David Haas and Marty Haugen) or another fitting psalm

ALLELUIA - GOSPEL: Mk 16: 15-18

POINTS FOR REFLECTION

The feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul provides wonderful insights into his spiritual journey, which can be summed up as “MISTICA” (spiritual experience), “METANOIA” (conversion-transformation) and “MISSIO” (mission of evangelization). Paul’s spiritual journey was a spiritual experience that produced a transformation and impelled him to assume a mission of evangelization. The converted Paul thus became an apostle of Christ to the nations.

Mistica: On the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus had a profound, dynamic, spiritual experience. It was God’s initiative, grace, and compassion that brought about Paul’s encounter with the Risen Lord. It was an experience of light – of revelation – of who Christ really is for Paul. Christ revealed himself not as an enemy, but as a personal Savior. Moreover, on the road to Damascus, it was revealed that Jesus of Nazareth lives on in his Body, the Church – the suffering Church. It was a knocked-down experience that left Paul vulnerable, defenseless, and open to grace. He could not help but welcome the loving initiative of God. Saint Paul is a model for us of total receptivity and openness to grace.

Metanoia: Paul confessed: “I was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, a man filled with arrogance, but I have been mercifully treated … I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. He has strengthened me … made me his servant” (cf. I Tim 1:12-13). He experienced a change of heart, reorientation of goals, renewed vision, and life transformation. From a bold persecutor of Christ-Church, he became a vessel of grace and the great apostle to the nations. As we look to Saint Paul as a model of true conversion, let us turn away from thoughts, words and actions that negate the love of Christ … from inconsiderate actions and words that wound the Church … from irresponsible deeds that do not promote the dignity and personal worth of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Above all, Saint Paul is our model of “christification”. Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Pauline Family, exhorts us: “So then reach the point of Vivit in me Christus … when our thoughts and desires exist no more, but we live in Christ … It is not I anymore, but Christ in me. Transformation, transformation! In that way we have not only a body and soul, but another natural life – that is, the life itself of Christ.”

Missio: Paul’s mystic experience and conversion led to a special task or mandate: the mission of salvation … the call to evangelization. The Risen Lord who appeared to Paul made him a servant and witness to the nations. He mandated Paul to preach the Gospel that he may turn their darkness to light … that they may be brought back to God … that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and become part of God’s covenant people.

Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 16:15-18) about the missionary mandate to go out to the whole world and tell the Good News and about the signs of protection and power that will accompany the believers is fully exemplified in the life and person of Saint Paul. He went to the Gentile world to preach the Gospel of salvation. He was baptized by Ananias in Damascus. Totally obedient to Christ in faith, he became God’s vessel of salvation to the nations. He made the crippled man in Lystra walk. Through the apostle, God performed unusual miracles in Ephesus. Even handkerchiefs and aprons Paul had used were taken to the sick, and their diseases were driven away, and the evil spirits would go out of them. At Troas Paul resuscitated Eutychus, who fell from the third story to the ground during an evening fellowship meal while sitting drowsily by the window. When they picked him up, Eutychus was dead but Paul gave him back to them alive. After a shipwreck in Malta, Paul was bitten by a snake but was unharmed. Also in Malta, he healed the father of Publius, the chief of the island, and many others. Wherever he went, Paul was speaking a totally “new language” – the good news about Jesus as the Son of God – a marvelously “new language” of love and salvation.

On this beautiful feast of Paul’s conversion, we conclude this year’s Octave of Prayer for the Unity of Christians (January 18-25, 2014). I remember an ecumenical prayer service that I attended in the 1980’s at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy. Pope John Paul II led the prayers for Christian unity with the participation of leaders from various denominations. That evening I felt that the spirit of Saint Paul was with us – challenging us to center our lives on Christ that we may overcome the divisions among us believers. We have a long way to go, but in faith we continue our quest for Christian unity so that at the end we could declare with Saint Paul: “Because there is one bread, we though many are one body, for we all share in the one loaf and in the one cup” (I Cor 10:17). This year’s theme focuses on Saint Paul’s provocative question, “Has Christ Been Divided?” (I Cor 1:13). We continue to be divided by doctrine, policy, and practice, and to maintain our own religious identity, yet our pilgrimage towards unity continues under God’s guidance.

SONG: “One Bread, One Body” or another appropriate song

POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART

Each of us has a spiritual experience. How do we imitate Paul in being receptive and responsive to this experience? Do we imitate him in our work of conversion and “christification”? How do we carry out the mission of evangelization?

PERSONAL RESOLUTION

PRAYER TO SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE: Cf. Manual of Prayer p.233

Holy Apostle who, with your teachings and with your charity, have taught the entire world, look kindly upon us, your children and disciples. We expect everything from your prayers to the Divine Master and to Mary, Queen of the Apostles. Grant, Doctor of the Gentiles, that we may live by faith, save ourselves by hope, and that charity alone may reign in us. Obtain for us, vessel of election, docile correspondence to divine grace, so that it may not remain unfruitful in us. Grant that we may ever better know you, love you and imitate you; that we may be living members of the Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Raise up many and holy apostles. May the warm breath of true charity permeate the entire world. Grant that all may know and glorify God and the Divine Master, Way, Truth and Life.

And, Lord Jesus, you know we have no faith in our own powers. In your mercy grant that we may be defended against all adversity, through the powerful intercession of Saint Paul, our Teacher and Father.

SONG: “For the Sake of Christ”, or “Only This I Want”, or another appropriate song

ROSARY “THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES”: The Rosary may be prayed in part or in full.

PRAYER: “Saint Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ”

Leader: God our Father, thank you for giving us Saint Paul to be the apostle of your Son Jesus Christ. With his great love and passion for Jesus and the Church, Saint Paul used all means and became all things to all so that the power of the Gospel can reach all. With zeal he faced the challenges of travel, cultures and imprisonments and beatings; of shipwrecks and sleepless night, of magic and philosophies. Through all these he steadfastly witnessed to the length, breadth and depth of the mystery of God’s saving love and grace in Jesus Christ.

Assembly: We ask you, loving Father, that we may continue to know Saint Paul, especially his epistles which are now part of our Scriptures. May we understand the love for you and Jesus and the Church that consumed his life. May we serve you and the Church as he did, tirelessly, relentlessly, faithfully and lovingly.

Leader: At the end, Saint Paul gave his life as a lasting witness to his deep and living faith in Jesus and in his Body, the Church. We pray that in celebrating the grace you have shown to Saint Paul, we may also deepen our faith and trust in your loving mercy and grace.

Assembly: Help us to know, understand and love Saint Paul, tireless worker for the Church. Through him, we can be sure that we will be led to you, our Father, in heaven.

Leader: We thank Jesus, who showed his mercy and revealed himself to Saint Paul, for giving the apostle to us as our example and intercessor. May Saint Paul continue to intercede for us and for our country that we, too, may turn from sinful ways and be converted, so that we may attain peace in our hearts, in our families, in our country and in the world.

Assembly: We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

SONG: “Scio Cui Credidi” or another appropriate song

Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM

3700 North Cornelia Avenue, Fresno, CA-USA

***

ARCHIVES

1. Adoration Guide: “JESUS MASTER: He Imparts the Light of Faith”

2. Adoration Guide: “Light of Faith”

3. Adoration Guide: “The Word Became Flesh … The Word Became Bread” 

Pauline Centenary Prayer

Prayer to the Trinity for our one hundred years of service to the Church

O HOLY TRINITY, 
you make us shine your light divine, 
receive our joyful praise and blessing, 
for the first hundred years of the life of our Pauline Family.

We thank you , Father of immense tenderness 
for the rich outpouring of grace 
poured out on our family during these years of service to the Church, 
for the wonders of apostolic holiness operated 
in Blessed Alberione, our founder, the Blessed Giaccardo, 
in Maestra Tecla, in Mother Scholastica, 
and many brothers and sisters in the "marvelous Pauline Family", 
we thank you for all the initiatives in the various apostolic sectors, 
through the riches of communication 
have helped you, Father, to the knowledge and worship Thy name 
and show me your glory.

I humbly ask forgiveness , Divine Master, Good Shepherd, 
because we have not always responded generously 
to the needs of our mission, 
because we have not taken the time and care enough 
to know your Word and the depth of our charism, 
to be assigned to more than our abilities and means 
that the gift of your infinite mercy.

I beseech you , Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, 
through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Apostles, 
filled with lively wisdom to guide those who have put 
so that they can clearly discern 
in what ways you want to lead our family; 
inondaci with your breath of life, as in a renewed Pentecost; 
make us able to new prophecy 
to give fulfillment to the dream of our Blessed Founder: Jesus Christ live and donate - as Way, Truth and Life - the men and women of our time, and to be "Paul alive today" in the Church of God

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit ...

What about the Rosary

What About the Rosary - History and Devotion
          The Rosary, the blessed beads that quietly slip between our fingers as we pray over the mysteries of Jesus’ redemptive life, has an ancient origin.  Most likely its pre-Christian ancestor originated in the ancient East, perhaps in India, and not in the medieval West.  It was and still is a popular prayer device among the Muslims, who use the Arabic term masbahat , which means to give praise.  Devout Muslims used the masbahat  in repeating the attributes of God, just as it was used by the early Christian hermits.  Following the Crusades the Rosary found its way to the West, and the prayer form kept that name.  “Rosary” comes from the Latin rosarium, which means a rose garden Click here to read more 

A Time of Silence

At this stage of great and blind violence the rule of silence is imposed.
Anyway our little voices are stifled by the long and heavy Calvary of (few people) small nation from one side and a complexity that is blocking any diplomatic solution from the other side ....

This small nation is sinking into suffering and pointless violence and still does not see the end ... For over 16 months and the central government is facing in a protracted conflict the successive waves of rebellions who are passing over the authority ....

When getting out in the street of Damascus the men would be crossing angry refugees seeking a refuge and a shortage of assistance.
The lack of charity organizations, the embargo and, the limited available resources, do not help into solving the problem and feed furthermore the anxiety.

Apart from political divisions, the prolonged unemployment and insecurity have
favored the terrible wave of kidnapping of people for ransom.
The person often kidnapped while leaving his school or work, is either a son or a brother or a father of a family who had to continue on working under the fear ...
You have to see the panic and anxiety of the family who struggles to raise the sum of money from relatives, neighbors, friends and parishes to save a son, a brother or a father ...
This bad practice is terrorizing the social and the parish life: the religious practice already weakened is going down again, the children no longer come to catechism and to pastoral activities.
The terrorized families are only thinking of the exodus that is becoming impossible because the closing of the foreign consulates and the official authorities who are banning the families from crossing the borders. It is a depressing situation …

So the Christian minority is turning now to its martyrs who are present in the history and the collective memory … 
 "DO NOT BE AFRAID  ..." John 6.20 says the Lord...

Our Martyrs of Damascus - 1860 were celebrated on July 10, 2012 in a foretaste of the Kingdom...
                                                      

Summer 2012 + Samir Nassar
                                                               Maronite archbishop of DamascusEmail: mgrsamirnassar@gmail.com

Preparing for the 100th Anniversaries of Founding

If you are interested in a Pilgrimage to the place of our foundations in Italy now is the time to express interest. In 2014 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Pauline Family. In 2015 we celebrate the founding of the Daughters of St. Paul. In 2017 we celebrate the founding of the Pauline Cooperator Association. Keep an on on this blog for Pilgrimage updates.

Sr Margaret

Pilgrimage and Filming Blessed Alberione Documentary

The Pilgrimage is now filled. Those who are coming will join the film crew for the Blessed James Alberione documentary - the chance of a lifetime! Welcome!

The film crew is from Spirit Juice Studios: http://www.spiritjuicestudios.com/

Arriving in Newark for the Pilgrimage to Rome

Travel Arrangements for Newark Airport

On October 20, the departure time from Newark will be at 06:00PM from Terminal B on TAP (Portuguese Airlines) flight # 104 to Lisbon.
On October 30, the return will arrive in Newark, Terminal B at 03:35PM TAP flight # 103 from Lisbon.
We recommend that everyone check in for the flight 2-3 hours before departure, given the lengthy security lines.

We will be sending you all the documents to distribute to the group about 2 weeks before scheduled departure. Everyone will get a travel portfolio containing itineraries, flight information, emergency contacts, bag tags, name tags and other goodies.

Novena to Jesus Way Truth Life during Pilgrimage: Leads to the Feast Day!

It turns out that our pilgrimge "road" takes us to the Feast of Jesus Way, Truth and Life. Sr Anne Joan will lead us in the novena as we travel the roads of early Paulines and saints and follow in their footsteps as they traced out the life of Christ - our very calling. Feast of Jesus Divine Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life: October 30, 2010

Getting closer to the Pilgrimage

There is still one month left for you to join us on Pilgrimage to Italy. The Alberione Film Crew is also joining us. See the movie trailer on this page. This statue of St Francis waits for us in a field in Assisi. Assisi has been a deep part of Italian culture since the time Francis joyfully sang in the streets even as he begged for food and lived the life of a poor one of God. Blessed Alberione is not contrasted to Francis. He realized that the gospel is preached and when necessary we use words. The first book people read, Blessed Alberione reminded us, is the book of our life. When we visit the birthplaces of these two heroes of the church our own hearts will reflect the light they put on a lampstand for all to see.

Very Rev. Robert Hospodar joining us on Pilgrimage!

Very Rev Robert Hospodar, JCL

Fr. Hospodar is the Chancellor of the Eparchy of Passaic, NJ for the Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church and Pastor of St Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church in the Lower Eastside of New York City. He is a long-time patron of our Pauline Book & Media Center in Manhattan and a friend of the Daughters of St Paul community. He recently has inquired into the Institute of Jesus the Priest, one of the ten institutes founded by Blessed James Alberione, so this pilgrimage is a chance for him to understand and learn about the Pauline life, charism and mission in greater depth. He is a canon lawyer, historian, sports fanatic and reads about jurisprudence in Italian for fun.

Still time to join us on our movie Pilgrimage to Rome!

There is still time to sign up for this historical Pilgrmage that includes the making of the James Alberione documentary. Join us as we explore the land of Alberione, Thecla and Giaccardo with film studios Spirit Juice, script writer Sr Helena Burns, historian Sr Anne Flanagan, our Pauline guides - and a great group of friends! Check out the posts here for more info.

Milan, Turin, Alba, Assisi, Rome Information

1. You will depart from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) at 06:00PM on an overnight TAP (Portuguese Airline) flight to Lisbon then connecting to Milan (MXP).

2. You will arrive in Milan at 11:40AM the following day. The group will have an opportunity to do some sightseeing in Milan via motor coach, so it should not be too tiring. The drive from Milan to Alba should take about 1 hour.

Suggested tips:3. Tips: we recommend giving the bus driver $3.00 per day, per person = $33.00 total

The tour guide should get $5.00 per day per person = $55.00 total
The hotel chambermaid should get $2.00 per day = $20.00 total
Euros are preferred and the rate of exchange right now is around 1.25 but could easily change by October.

4. It is a good idea to use a Debit Card. Pilgrims should check with their banks ahead of time to make sure their pin numbers are compatible with Italian ATM machines. Credit cards charge 5% on transactions, and should only be used for large purchases. Travelex offers prepaid cards that we strongly recommend, since they only charge about 1% per transaction. Travelex can be accessed via the internet at travelex.com. You can lock into a low exchange rate and the card can be used as a credit or debit card good for 4 years.


5. It is better to exchange money once in Italy, perhaps exchanging a little bit at the airport. The amount of cash to bring along depends on the individuals. Total tips will average $110.00 for the whole stay, which converted to EUROS, right now would be about EURO 85.00

6. October weather brings warm days and cool nights. Layers work best and definitely comfortable shoes.

7. One suitcase alone should be checked no heavier than 50 lbs. Additional bags will be charged by the airlines and Select International is not responsible for additional charges for baggage and/or weight excess. One carry-on is permitted that should fit in the overhead compartment or underneath the seat and weigh no more than 40lbs.

8. The return time into Newark (EWR) from Rome (FCO) via Lisbon (LIS) is 03:35PM on October 30.

also see TRAVEL TIPS file here:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AePIh0MeUzvnZGRnOWJkNWtfMTk2emhtNm1xa3Q&hl=en