January 26 Class Update: The Power of One

Greetings students (and parents)!

As the date of Confirmation draws near, we spent time in our most recent class on the deeper significance of Confirmation, when we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, completing our initiation into the Church.

One Bible passage that mentions the anointing of the Spirit is in Luke 4:14-21, when Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah.

Then, we did a guided meditation on baptism, the sacrament when we first receive the Holy Spirit.  The meditation was from a homily by Father Chris at St. Teresa's, the church Paul attended in college.  The entire homily can be found here.  The meditation is from the 6:50 mark until about 11:00.

It is an experience that draws us more deeply into the catholic, or universal, Church, and equips us with the gifts to fulfill God's mission.  After sharing responses to the prompt of places we have traveled and want to travel, we looked at the story of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples gathered in Jerusalem.  

Above is an image Paul took of the Pentecost window in Church, on the south side of the nave, the long part extending from the altar to the East Avenue entrance. If you look closely, you can see small flames on the heads of the people.

People from all over the Mediterranean world and Ancient Near East were gathered there and saw the descent of the Holy Spirit. On this webpage is a map of those places specifically mentioned in Acts 2. This account is a great story about how the Holy Spirit truly binds us together as one church.  Paul connected the story of Pentecost with his experiences at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama City.  You can read more about his trip and see photos on this post on his personal blog.

We listened to the song "I Believe", performed by Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and its lyrics contain ideas about the power of a world brought together as one.

We watched this version in class.

We also saw a small portion of the French language version, with the English translation included.

Here is a bilingual version performed by Nikki Yanofsky and Annie Villeneuve in 2010.

Here is a bilingual version performed by the One Voice youth choir.

Looking ahead, next week Tuesday, February 2, we aren't meeting for a virtual RE class.  Instead, you'll go to church for reconciliation, as a way of preparing for Confirmation.  Please spend some time preparing for reconciliation by reviewing the handouts from the RE office that include tips for making a good reconciliation and an examination of conscience.  Please contact us if you need us to send you those handouts again.  And if you haven't registered for a time to attend reconciliation, please do so at this link.

February 2 is also Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which happens 40 days after Christmas.  The story of this feast is recorded in Luke 2:22-40.  When St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary bring the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate Him to the Lord, a godly man named Simeon approaches the Holy Family and praises God for keeping His promise, that he would see the Messiah before his death.  Simeon's canticle is regularly prayed as part of the Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.  We encourage you to offer up this short prayer at night before going to bed, found in Luke 2:29-32.  Here is a webpage with the lyrics, in both Latin and English, and a video of this prayer.

Confirmation liturgies are scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, February 6.

We look forward to being present with you next week for the sacramental experiences.

We're back in class again on Tuesday, February 9, when we'll have opportunity to continue learning about faith and what it means for our lives. 

As usual, please feel free to contact us with questions, for clarifications, etc.

Please be assured of our prayers for you as you prepare to be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

God's blessings,

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

January 12 Class Update: Baptism and Confirmation

Greetings Students (and Parents)!

In our most recent class, Paul started out sharing a reflection about his visit to the birthplace of Pastor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Above is the home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, GA, where Pastor King was born on January 15, 1929.  Typically, free tours are offered to the public of the inside. If you haven't had the chance to visit yet, hopefully, you will. Below is the grave of Pastor and Mrs. King, about 2 blocks from his birth home.

Then, Paul shared clips from when he participated in the 2005 Geography Bee School Round as a student at Julian.  The winning question included olive oil, which has been used for centuries as a means of anointing, and is used today in sacraments.

Above is a container of olive oil in Paul's home. Perhaps your family has it at home, too, for cooking or when eating bread.

Below is a photo Paul took of the blessed oils used for sacraments in our Church.

The Confirmation rite uses blessed and scented olive oil as a way of sealing the confirmand in the Holy Spirit.  Oil is also part of anointing in baptism, when the Holy Spirit first comes upon a person, just as it came upon Jesus at His Baptism, which we celebrated recently at the conclusion of the Christmas Season.

During the latter half of class, Father Rex addressed questions that were submitted in the Confirmation e-log.  One major point he emphasized is that God gives us the opportunity to cooperate in the works He has been doing in this world, and that's part of living out Confirmation.

Please note, for this Tuesday, January 19, there is a schedule change.  The calendar states we are meeting, but we are excusing everyone from class based on our understanding that there is a required meeting that same evening for 8th graders who are transitioning to OPRFHS in 2021.

January 19 is the due date for submitting a letter to the parish center to Father Rex requesting to be confirmed.

If you haven't yet received an e-mail with instructions for the letter, please contact the RE office as soon as possible, as the office might be missing something in your Confirmation e-log.

Please also register for a time slot for confession on February 2 on this sign-up page. 

We resume class on January 26. We'll spend some time on Confirmation and confession, too.

The letter to Father Rex requesting Confirmation is due at the Ascension Parish Center on January 19.

During the week leading up to January 26, the activity to do is to spend some time learning a little bit more about the significance of Confirmation.

There are three options:

1. Watch this video by Donald Hying, currently Bishop of Madison, WI, but was serving as Auxiliary Bishop in Milwaukee at the time of the video.  It is a little over 2 minutes long.

2. Watch this video extracted from Bishop Barron's series on the sacraments. It is 1 minute and 40 seconds long.

3. Read this article that Bishop Barron wrote about Confirmation, or watch the video version of it--about 10 minutes long.

Submit a reflection of at least 2 sentences on what you learned from what you watched or read in this Survey Monkey form.  Please also state which option you chose.  This submission is due by class time on January 26.

As an in-depth option, do two or more of the above options and submit a 2-sentence reflection.

As usual, please feel free to contact us with questions, for clarifications, etc.

Enjoy the extended weekend, and may it be an opportunity for you to ponder how to put faith in action in the spirit of Pastor Martin Luther King, Jr.

God's Blessings,

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

January 5 Class Update: Christmas Season and Confirmation

Greetings 8th Graders (and Parents)!

We thank you for the effort you made to attend class this past Tuesday during a week of break.

Merry Christmas to you all as we continue through the final days of the Christmas Season.  We started this special season on December 25, when we celebrated the birth of Christ.  There have been other feasts when we recall the ways God has manifested, or shown, Himself to us: the Feast of the Holy Family on December 27; the Feast of Mary, Mother of God on January 1; and the Epiphany, observed throughout the USA on January 3, and in other parts of the world on January 6.

We spent time in our most recent class on the Good News of Christmas, which was announced by the Angel to shepherds near Bethlehem.  God has entered our world, born as a baby, to redeem us, and restore us to right relationship with God.  Now that Christ is God with us, He is so close to us, and accompanies us always, through the Holy Spirit.

He shines a bright Light into the darkness of the world.  We draw close to that Light, just as Magi traveled a long distance, following the light of a sign in the Heavens, to worship the Christ Child. We are called to embrace that Light, and be transformed by it, so we can bring it to others.

Paul illustrated these ideas through various photos from his childhood years.

One significant passage that talks about the meaning of God among us in Christ is found in John 1:1-18.  We looked at verse 14 specifically.

We viewed two YouTube videos of songs during class, "Christmas Angels" by Michael W. Smith, and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", performed by the Christian musical group Casting Crowns, which is slightly different from other performances in the arrangement of the lyrics.  Here's a link to the version we watched with the lyrics, and another version that shows its live performance.

The song was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in a difficult time in his life in the 1860's, when there was war in the United States, which affected him personally.  Here's a link to read more about the story behind "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", which truly speaks powerfully about the Good News of Christmas.

Looking ahead, the Christmas Season ends this Sunday, January 10, with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, another way in which God revealed Himself to us in the world.  We'll spend some time on the meaning of this Feast in our next class on January 12, and also spend time on the significance of Confirmation, too.  We are just about a month away from Confirmation on February 6, and the classes during this month will have that as a point of focus.

For this week's activity, please spend some time reflecting on the meaning of the Christmas Season in one of the following activities:

1. Read the Prologue in John 1:1-18, online or in a print Bible, and write a reflection on it.

2. Watch any one of the video reflections from the Archdiocese of Chicago for the 12 Days of Christmas and write a 1-sentence reflection on it.  This link goes to a playlist with all of them.  As an in-depth bonus option, you may watch all of them.

3. Listen to any one song in this YouTube video collection of Christmas songs and write a 1-sentence reflection on it.  You can look at the list of songs in the description, and then click on the link to go directly to that song.  As an in-depth bonus option, you may watch all of them.

4. Read the PDF file with a Bible commentary sent via e-mail to your parents and write a 1-sentence reflection on it.  We can send it to you again if needed.

Submissions can be entered in this Google form.  Even if you've already completed the minimum 5 faith boosters, please still submit a reflection for one of these activities.

All those who completed their Confirmation e-log should receive an e-mail this week from the RE office with information on writing a letter to Father Rex about why you want to be confirmed.  The letter is due January 19.  If you haven't received anything yet, it is likely because there is something missing in your Confirmation e-log.  Please contact us and we can check what, if anything, you might be missing.

Please feel free to contact us with any other questions, clarifications, etc.

Let us continue to rejoice in the God Who has come so close to us in Christ.

Joy to the world!

Come let us adore Him!

God's Blessings,

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

Above is the beautiful Nativity scene inside Ascension Church. Below is a view of the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction, in a photo from December 20, 2020, right by the Oak Park Conservatory.  The conjunction appears as a white dot just above and to the right of the tree near the center of the photo.

December 15 Class Update: Gifts, Christmas, Break

Greetings 8th Graders (and Parents)!

Summary of Most Recent Class

Ms. Lawrence led our time of learning in class as we explored the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, each of which was represented by a symbol.

Here is a link to the slides shown during class.

Please feel free to eat the edible symbols and blow the bubbles.

Please also share the card that was in the envelope with your family if you haven't done so already.

Recent Exit Slip Questions

Someone wondered if Confirmation will be via Zoom or in-person:

Sacraments, including Confirmation, are permitted in-person activities in Church, and sacraments must happen in-person.

Here are responses from Paul's Uncle Bernie to exit slip questions from when he visited our class on December 8:

Poverty rates: 16% US, Cook Country 21%, North Lawndale 64% (a number which Paul's uncle feels is low based on what he's seen)  - Oak Park overall poverty is 8%

Chicago Voyagers is able to host the outdoor activity programs because they developed 3 pages of guidelines based on guidelines from health agencies, which include coverings on the face, staying outdoors, keeping safe spacing, and cleaning hands and equipment regularly.

The video shown toward the end of class on December 8 wasn't necessarily an ad, but was created originally for a fundraising event which is important so that donors and prospective donors of Chicago Voyagers can see how their donations make an impact, especially when hearing from the youths who participate.

Important note: We are on break from RE class on December 22 and 29.  We resume class on January 5.  We recognize that this class falls during District 97's Break: We only realized recently that District 97 shifted its break.  However, we still intend to have class that evening because we want to maximize the amount of time we spend learning together during the month preceding Confirmation.  During that class, we'll spend time unpacking the meaning of the Christmas Season, which starts on December 25, 2020, when we celebrate Christ's birth, and extends to Sunday, January 10, 2021, and includes several major feasts.

Faith Booster Activities
During the break time, please spend some time doing one of the following activities.

You can submit your reflection in this Google form.

If you haven't yet submitted the minimum of 5 required Faith Boosters, the deadline for them has been extended.  They are now due on December 31.  Please let us know if you are unsure how many more you still need to complete.

Even if you already completed the required minimum of 5 faith boosters, you are still to complete one of these activities.

Your submission is due by class time on January 5.

1. Watch either of the following videos: Bishop Barron on The Nativity of Luke's Gospel or Bishop Barron on Christmas.  Write a short reflection on what stood out to you and why.

2. Listen to any song in this video compilation of Christmas songs on YouTube.  

You can go to the description to view the entire list, by clicking on Show More if needed, and click on any of the links to go directly to that song. Reflect on what stood out to you and why.

As an in-depth option, listen to all the songs, just under 1 hour.

3. In-depth option: Watch the Advent Vespers Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Sunday, December 20.  The livestream starts at 2:50 PM CT, with the prayer service beginning at 3 PM CT and lasting until about 3:30 PM.  You may also view an archived video of it later.  This link goes to a webpage where you can view the Vespers prayer service and it includes a PDF program booklet with the lyrics of what is sung.  The video and PDF for the Vespers may not appear until after 2:30 PM CT on Sunday.  This link goes directly to the YouTube channel video, where you may also access the videos for Vesper prayer services from previous Sundays.

4. In-depth option: Watch the movie The Nativity Story, made in 2006, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac, rated PG. It is about 1 hour and 40 minutes long. It is available to watch in its entirety on YouTube for free.

You can check back later during the break period to see more options, as there's a good chance more may be added to the above list.

You can also pick one of the options listed in the previous update for December 8 class.

A particularly pertinent option to this time of year is G.F. Handel's oratorio, Messiah.  There is a part where the story of Christ's birth is sung.  Please see the videos in the list of Faith Boosters for the December 8 class update.

As usual, please feel free to contact us with any questions, etc.

We pray you and your families have a blessed remainder of the Advent Season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year from 2020 into 2021.  May you be filled with great joy deep within because God has come to us in Christ.

God's Blessings,
Debbie Lopez
Paul Rubio

December 8 Class Update: the Immaculate Conception and Chicago Voyagers

Greetings Students (and Parents),

Summary from the Last Class

We gathered most recently for class on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

For our opening prayer, we listened to this song, "Be Born in Me", sung by Francesca Batistelli.

This Feast Day celebrates when Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother, whom tradition has named St. Anne.  Because Mary obediently submitted to God's will for her to bear the Son of God, the Church teaches that she was conceived free from the stain of original sin.  She took up an important role in God's plan of salvation that has unfolded throughout the centuries, and participated in advancing His victory over sin, represented by how she stands over a serpent in this statue at Mary's altar inside Ascension Church.

We all have the chance to do the same as we obediently follow God's will for our lives.

It is also the Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America.

In Washington, D.C., is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  Paul has visited it several times since his first time there 7 years ago and highly encourages going there whenever in the city of Washington at any time in the future.

Then, we heard from Paul's Uncle, Bernie Rupe, who shared about his work with Chicago Voyagers.  He is the executive director of this organization that serves inner-city youth by providing them opportunities to go on outings in nature areas to help them heal from traumatic experiences and build strong character.  He also talked about how to put faith into action by helping those in need, especially since God has chosen us.  Please feel free to visit the link to learn more about this organization.

Here is a promotional video for Chicago Voyagers that we watched:

Faith Booster Activities for this Week

Here is the link to the submission form for this week's faith booster activities.  Please note that this link goes to a Google form, and this link is the only place where you need to submit Faith Boosters for class.  It is no longer necessary to submit them through the Survey Monkey form as previously stated.

Your submission is due by class time on December 15.  Please be sure to indicate which option you chose along with your brief reflection of 1-2 sentences.  

And if your parents were contacted about missing submissions from previous weeks, please complete them as soon as possible.  You can let us know if you're not sure which ones you're missing.

Please note: In consultation with Ms. Lawrence, any of these activities count as Faith Boosters.  A minimum of 5 Faith Boosters are due by December 15.  A minimum of 10 service hours are also due by then. Even if you have completed all the required number of faith boosters, you must still complete at least one of these options. 

1. Spend time with one of the following daily Advent reflection resources, or pick one of your own choosing.  Please click on the links to sign up for any of these programs.  Once you sign up, each day of Advent, you get a short reflection.

Relevant Radio "Advent Inspirations"

These are 1 minute long each.

Dynamic Catholic "Best Advent Ever"

These videos are about 3-4 minutes long.

Real Life Catholic "Unshakeable Joy" Advent program.

These videos are about 3-4 minutes long.  To access this program, you create a free account on the website.

Miracles Abound Advent booklet, which was mailed to all RE families

Please note that there are suggested activities for each day, and doing any of those counts as Faith Boosters.

For your activity submission, write a 1-2 sentence reflection on any 1 day of these Advent daily reflections.  You can also pick another daily Advent reflection resource not listed here, but please state in your submission which one you picked, and a web link, if applicable.

2. Watch the two videos for selections from G.F. Handel's oratorio, Messiah, in which the choir sings the words of prophecy from Isaiah 40, both "Comfort Ye" and "And the Glory of the Lord".  Write a 1-2 sentence reflection on what stood out to you in these words that were sung and why.

In-depth option: Listen to all the prophecies in part 1 of the Messiah, about 50 minutes long, or listen to the entire oratorio, just over 2 hours long.  Here are YouTube videos for part 2 and part 3.

3. Listen to any one Advent song in this YouTube video.  You can go to the description to view the entire list, by clicking on Show More if needed, and click on any of the links to go directly to that song.

For your reflection, write 1-2 sentences reflecting on what words in the song stood out to you and why.

In-depth option: Listen to all the songs in this video, about 45 minutes, and reflect on what stood out and why.

4. Go on a virtual tour of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. This church has multiple side altars that are dedicated to a different version of Mary.

Write a 1-2 sentence reflection on what stood out to you in the basilica's design and why.

5. Reflect on the 54 titles of Mary in the Litany of Loreto, in the novena that Relevant Radio offered recently.  Pick any one title, listen to the 1-minute reflection on it, or read its transcript, and write a reflection on what stood out to you about that title and why.

In-depth option: listen to all 54 titles, and write a reflection on what stood out to you and why.

6. Watch the short video about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe on this webpage.  You may also click on the links to the right of the video and read the articles on those pages.

Write a 1-2 sentence reflection on what you learned from the video or from reading the articles.

7. In-depth option: Watch the December Taize Prayer Service, posted on the Ascension YouTube channel.  You can watch it when it airs at 7:30 PM CT on Friday, December 4, or watch the archived video at a later time.  Write a reflection about what stood out to you, perhaps even song lyrics.  (You may also watch the Taize prayer services for September or November. All three of these prayer services are just under 30 minutes long.)  Please note, the video will go live on the YouTube channel close to 7:30, so please feel free to tune in 5 minutes ahead of time and refresh the webpage as needed until the video appears.

7. In-depth option: Watch the Advent Vespers Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Sunday, December 13.  The livestream starts at 2:50 PM CT, with the prayer service beginning at 3 PM CT and lasting until about 3:30 PM.  You may also view an archived video of it later.  This link goes to a webpage where you can view the Vespers prayer service and it includes a PDF program booklet with the lyrics of what is sung.  The video and PDF for the Vespers likely won't appear until after 2:30 PM CT.  This link goes directly to the YouTube channel video.

Vespers prayer services will happen on this YouTube channel every Sunday of Advent at the same time.  You can watch an archived video of the prayer service for November 29 and December 6 on the Shrine's YouTube channel.  Please note that the prayer services begin around the 13:00 mark in both videos.

Looking ahead

In class on December 15, Ms. Lawrence will join us to lead a time of learning on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This class is one of the Confirmation-specific focus sessions that takes the place of the quasi-monthly sessions that were to happen in-person.

As usual, please feel free to contact us with if you have any questions, seek clarification, etc.

Let us rejoice as we reach the midpoint of Advent, beholding how God is at work even now while we await the celebration of His first coming on Christmas Day and His Second Coming at the End of Time.

May you be filled with joy as we light the rose candle on our Advent wreaths this Sunday, which is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent.

May Mother Mary of the Immaculate Conception intercede for all of us and the United States of America.

And we remain ever connected as Church: All my relations.

God's blessings,

Joy to you all,

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

December 1 Class Update: Starting Advent

Advent Greetings!

Recent Class Summary

In our most recent class, we spent some time focusing on the meaning of Advent.

We watched this video for our opening prayer, the song "Even So Come", performed by Chris Tomlin:

And we watched this Busted Halo that summarizes Advent in 2 minutes:

Advent is a season when we look forward to the celebration of Christ's First Coming on December 25, His Second Coming at the End of Time, and how He is coming to be present with us in our lives even now.

We spent a little bit of time on the passage Isaiah 40:1-5, which is the 2nd reading for this coming Sunday's Mass.  Dr. King included words from this passage in his "I Have a Dream" speech.

During class, we also had a visit from Aura Lee and Nathan Kelly, two friends Paul knows from Valparaiso University.  They shared their perspectives on faith: Aura Lee talked about how she converted from the Presbyterian Church to the Roman Catholic Church, and they both discussed how they live faith as a married couple and in their professional work.

Exit Slip Questions

One exit slip question addressed in class was a follow-up from Father Rex's presentation on Jesus Christ back on November 17.  He mentioned that we don't know much about the early life of Jesus, and someone in class asked why.

In Luke 2:51-52, it says Jesus returned from Jerusalem to Nazareth with His parents, and "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."  Jesus was fully human and fully divine, and all that He did during His early years was God's way of preparing Him for HIs mission around the age of 30.

Also, remember that the Gospel writers had a specific purpose in writing their Gospels, and as part of that, they chose to focus on specific parts of Jesus's life, while not mentioning much about other parts.

Paul also addressed a comment from November 10 when we looked at the Eucharistic prayer.  It's a great mystery that the wine changes into Jesus's blood, which the Church explains in the concept of transubstantiation.  As we spend time at Mass, we can better understand this mystery.

Faith Booster Activities

For class on December 8, please pick at least one of the following activities to do.

Here is the link to the submission form.

Your submission is due by class time on December 8.  Please be sure to indicate which option you chose along with your brief reflection of 1-2 sentences.  

And if your parents were contacted about missing submissions from previous weeks, please complete them as soon as possible.  You can let us know if you're not sure which ones you're missing.

Please note: In consultation with Ms. Lawrence, any of these activities count as Faith Boosters.  Even if you have completed all the required number of faith boosters, you must still complete at least one of these options. A minimum of 5 Faith Boosters are due by December 15.  A minimum of 10 service hours are also due by then.

1. Spend time with one of the following daily Advent reflection resources, or pick one of your own choosing.  Please click on the links to sign up for any of these programs.  Once you sign up, each day of Advent, you get a short reflection.

Relevant Radio "Advent Inspirations"

These are 1 minute long each.

Dynamic Catholic "Best Advent Ever"

These videos are about 3-4 minutes long.

Real Life Catholic "Unshakeable Joy" Advent program.

These videos are about 3-4 minutes long.  To access this program, you create a free account on the website.

Miracles Abound Advent booklet, which was mailed to all RE families

Please note that there are suggested activities for each day, and doing any of those counts as Faith Boosters.

For your activity submission, write a 1-2 sentence reflection on any 1 day of these Advent daily reflections.  You can also pick another daily Advent reflection resource not listed here, but please state in your submission which one you picked, and a web link, if applicable.

2. Watch the two videos for selections from G.F. Handel's oratorio, Messiah, in which the choir sings the words of prophecy from Isaiah 40, both "Comfort Ye" and "And the Glory of the Lord".  Write a 1-2 sentence reflection on what stood out to you in these words that were sung and why.

In-depth option: Listen to all the prophecies in part 1 of the Messiah, about 50 minutes long, or listen to the entire oratorio, just over 2 hours long.  Here are YouTube videos for part 2 and part 3.

3. Listen to any one Advent song in this YouTube video.  You can go to the description to view the entire list, by clicking on Show More if needed, and click on any of the links to go directly to that song.

For your reflection, write 1-2 sentences reflecting on what words in the song stood out to you and why.

In-depth option: Listen to all the songs in this video, about 45 minutes, and reflect on what stood out and why.

4. In-depth option: Watch the December Taize Prayer Service, posted on the Ascension YouTube channel.  You can watch it when it airs at 7:30 PM CT on Friday, December 4, or watch the archived video at a later time.  Write a reflection about what stood out to you, perhaps even song lyrics.  (You may also watch the Taize prayer services for September or November. All three of these prayer services are just under 30 minutes long.)  Please note, the video will go live on the YouTube channel close to 7:30, so please feel free to tune in 5 minutes ahead of time and refresh the webpage as needed until the video appears.

5. In-depth option: Watch the Advent Vespers Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Sunday, December 6.  The livestream starts at 2:50 PM CT, with the prayer service beginning at 3 PM CT and lasting until about 3:30 PM.  You may also view an archived video of it later.  This link goes to a webpage where you can view the Vespers prayer service and it includes a PDF program booklet with the lyrics of what is sung.  The video and PDF for the Vespers likely won't appear until after 2:30 PM CT.  This link goes directly to the YouTube channel video.

Vespers prayer services will happen on this YouTube channel every Sunday of Advent at the same time.  You can watch an archived video of the prayer service for November 29 on the Shrine's YouTube channel.  Please note that the prayer service begins around the 15:00 mark.

Here is the link to the submission form for recording your service hours and faith boosters for Confirmation.  Please enter your submissions here for the RE office records in addition to the link above where Paul will check submissions and look at the reflections.  The reflections are only needed in the above link, not the one in this paragraph.

Looking ahead

In class on December 8, we'll spend some time on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We're also scheduled to have another guest speaker who will talk about the social justice work of the organization Chicago Voyagers.

Please contact us if there are any questions, etc.

God's blessings on your Advent journey, that you may be ready to welcome Christ even in today's circumstances.

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

Above is a photo of the Advent wreath in Church. Below is a photo of the Advent wreath in Paul's home.  Both photos are by Paul.

November 17 Class Update: Jesus Christ

Christ the King Sunday Greetings 8th grade class (and parents)!

First of all, those of you who sing or play a musical instrument may be interested to know that November 22 is the Feast of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music.  Perhaps you'll want to play a joyful tune to celebrate.

As the "Circle of Life" moves us toward the end of the liturgical year, we celebrate on this Sunday the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  Christ died and rose again, and now rightly has earned His Kingship over all.

As Paul discussed this important feast in our class this past Tuesday, we had the opportunity to hear Father Rex share about Jesus Christ.  He described how Jesus Christ is an important figure in humanity.  Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people.  During His adult life, Jesus preached the Kingdom of God, and ministered to meet people's needs, and chose 12 apostles to be part of His mission.  The Jewish religious authorities felt threatened, and so decided to crucify Him.  This crucifixion happened the day after the night when, at supper with His disciples, He offered His Body and Blood.  Then Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven.

The important question for us to consider is what Jesus means to each of us, and why we are still talking about Him 2000 years after His time on earth.  Ultimately, Jesus Christ makes an impact on each of us when we enter into a personal relationship with Him.  Father Rex used the example of John Newton, whose life was changed by faith in Christ, so that he ended his work as a captain of a slave ship, and then became a pastor in London, during which time He wrote the famous hymn "Amazing Grace."

We are off from class this Tuesday evening, November 24.

We resume class on December 1.

During this time, there are again several options for spiritual activities to do.  Please pick at least one of these activities to do.

Here is the link to the submission form.

Your submission is due by class time on December 1.  Please be sure to indicate which option you chose along with your brief reflection of 1-2 sentences.  

And if your parents were contacted about missing submissions from previous weeks, please complete them as soon as possible.  You can let us know if you're not sure which ones you're missing.

Please note: In consultation with Ms. Lawrence, any of these activities count as Faith Boosters.  Please note, even if you have completed all the required number of faith boosters, you must still complete at least one of these options. A minimum of 5 Faith Boosters are due by December 15.  A minimum of 10 service hours are also due by then.

1. Write down one thing you're thankful for each day, big or small. Towards the end of these two weeks, write a reflection on one thing you wrote over the course of the two weeks and what it felt like to give thanks each day.  You can also include everything you wrote.

2. Write a thank-you note to someone who has done something for you: a teacher, a friend, an employee at a store or business you patronized in-person or online, someone who delivered something to your home, or even your baptismal godparents.  Write a reflection on what it meant to you to write a note of thanks and why you chose that person, and what kind of response you got.

3. Read President Washington's and Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamations, and reflect on what was similar and what was different about each, and what phrase stood out to you in each.

4. Read about the places associated with the Thanksgiving celebration of September 8, 1565, Mission Nombre de Dios and the St. Augustine Cathedral Parish in St. Augustine, Florida, and write about what you learned.  

5. If you attend Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 9 AM at Ascension, write a 1-2 sentence reflection on what stood out to you.

6. Listen to one of Bishop Barron's homilies from a previous year's Christ the King Sunday, and write a short reflection about what stood out to you in any of those homilies.

7. In-depth option: Watch the November Taize prayer service, posted on the Ascension YouTube channel. Write a reflection about what stood out to you.  (You may also watch the September Taize prayer service. Both of these prayer services are just under 30 minutes long.)

8. We will start a new liturgical year on November 29, with the First Sunday of Advent.

Here are several daily Advent reflection resources to help you enter into the spirit of this season.  Please click on the links to sign up for any of these programs.  Once you sign up, each day of Advent, you get a short reflection.

Relevant Radio "Advent Inspirations"

Dynamic Catholic "Best Advent Ever"

Real Life Catholic "Unshakeable Joy" Advent program.

Miracles Abound Advent booklet, which was mailed to all RE families

For your activity submission, write a 1-2 sentence reflection on any 1 day of these Advent daily reflections.

9. In-depth option: Watch the Advent Vespers Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Sunday, November 29.  The livestream starts at 2:50 PM CT, with the prayer service beginning at 3 PM CT and lasting until about 3:30 PM.  You may also view an archived video of it later. Vespers prayer services will happen on this YouTube channel every Sunday of Advent at the same time.  If you want to have a worship program booklet to look at to refer to the lyrics of what is sung, please contact Paul, who has a copy.

We will talk more about Advent during our class time on December 1.

As usual, please feel free to contact us with any questions, etc.

We pray you and your families have a blessed week with all its celebrations, as we conclude this liturgical year with Christ the King Sunday, and then enter into the season of Advent.  Let us rejoice that He is our King, and He has called us to be part of advancing His Kingdom on Earth through works of righteousness, justice, and mercy.  He is the King Who has come and is coming again.  May we open our hearts to welcome Him even now.

We pray your families have a blessed Thanksgiving.  It is a fitting holiday for us as Roman Catholics, because the Eucharist comes from a Greek term that means "thanksgiving", so we celebrate this holiday every time we gather for Mass.  May we on this occasion, and each day, give thanks for how God blesses us, even with the gift of His presence with us, which we can always count on.  And let us give thanks for the many ways, even in the difficult circumstances of our world, that God shows His goodness to us each day.  We are certainly thankful for the opportunity to be part of Religious Education class with you.

Enjoy your time off, and we look forward to seeing you on December 1.

Christ is the King, let us rejoice!

Thanks be to God!

Debbie Lopez

Paul Rubio

P.S. If you would like to refer to it again, we read Psalm 100 at the beginning of class this past Tuesday, which speaks about Thanksgiving to God.

Above is an image of Christ the King that appears on the outside of Ascension Church at the East Avenue doors.  Below is an image of Christ the King that is visible inside the church in the rose window by the organ.

Above is an icon image of Christ the King that we have at Ascension Church.

May this hand turkey be a symbol that represents the many blessings for which we offer thanks, on Thanksgiving Day, and each day of our lives, just as we do at the Eucharist each time we gather for Mass.