50 Ways Week 6

Today is the Feastday of St. Gregory VII, also known as Hildebrand.

The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated this weekend.  At the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the Apostles question Jesus.   Eventually, the Apostles will be filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to fulfill their roles as witnesses and messengers who bring the message of Jesus to the world.  You will find a number of resources for celebrating the Ascension here.

You will find some ideas for celebrating the Ascension with food here.

 

Today is the Feastday of St. Rita of Cascia.   She is a patron of impossible causes, along with St. Jude Thaddeus and others.   Roses are often associated with St. Rita; today, share a rose (real or virtual) with someone to show you are praying for them and their intentions.

There is a movie about her life at Formed.org
She is also featured at the beginning of the film, The Rookie.

As we prepare to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension this weekend,  check out this guide.  

Help us prepare to live stream our Masses.   We need 1000 subscribers to our YouTube channel so we can stream more than one hour of time.  You can easily subscribe here.

Today is the Feastday of Saint Cristóbal Magallanes.

This day is especially important to Father Olvin because he was ordained a deacon on this day four years ago. If you like, you can send him an email at frolvin@olpls.org

We are in the 10th week of our stay-at-home order.   Have you been keeping a diary of these days to look back on?  Here's a page you might use.

Our Dynamic Parish exclusives continue!  Check this link for all the information.



 

Are you a Flannery O'Connor fan?   Here's a trailer from a film Bishop Robert Barron has made about her.  You may also want to sign up for this webinar on June 3.  Click the photo for more information.



During this time of restricted gatherings, families are prevented from celebrating the lives of their loved ones in usual ways.   Listen to this Song of Farewell as you pray for those who have died and their families.

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours is a treasure of the Church.  Liturgical Training Publications offers prayers and guidance here.

 

We are living in challenging times. Increasing the time and quality of our prayer is one way to keep calm.   This 3-minute retreat may be what you need today.

This week, some dioceses will celebrate the Ascension on Thursday while we will celebrate on Sunday. 

What is the Ascension and why is it important to us?  Wondering why it is celebrated on different days?  Learn more here.

In this morning's readings, we learn about Lydia, a wealthy woman, who welcomes St. Paul and his company into her home.  Offering hospitality at a time when we cannot open our homes to others is challenging; phone calls to check on neighbors, letters to loved ones, signs placed on lawns or Zoom parties are ways to continue to open our homes and hearts to others in generous ways.



We also hear Jesus tell his apostles that they will be persecuted and killed for their witness to him.  The more informed we are about our faith with the intent of growing closer to Jesus prepares us as witnesses during difficult times.  This Online Faith Formation program for adults offers online classes.  You can access it here.

Here are the answers to yesterday's Trizia Quiz on Apostles and Disciples.  

Stay tuned for future quizzes!

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter, and also the feast of St. Paschal Baylon.

While we are quaratined and following stay-at-home orders, we rely on social media to connect with others.   This article from Catholic blogger Sarah Galone gives some easy tips for evangelizing with Facebook.

Click the graphic to access this week's trivia quiz:  Apostles and Disciples.  Check back tomorrow for the answers!