09.16.18

Demonstrating Faith Through Our Works In the second reading this Sunday we will hear from the Letter of Saint James.  This letter has been the source of no little controversy over the centuries, perhaps especially because of that famous line: “Faith without works is dead.”  It was because of this that the Protestant reformer Martin Luther wished to distance himself from the letter and even questioned its place in the Bible, calling it an “epistle of straw.”  This was because statements like “faith without works is dead” seemed to undercut the “sola fide” (“faith alone”) pillar of Luther’s reform (i.e. that we are justified before God by our faith alone and not by any of our works).  Since that time Protestants have accused Catholics of believing they could earn their salvation by their good works, and Catholics have accused Protestants of believing that it effectively didn’t matter what one did as long as one professed to believe in Jesus.  Both of these exaggerated positions not only misrepresent the other side, but also miss the mark in terms of the relationship between faith and works.  Thankfully there has been much good dialogue between Catholics and Protestants on this point in more recent decades.  No serious Christian I know believes either that you can “earn” salvation or that our actions are absolutely inconsequential.  In a way, we could say that not only is faith without works dead, but that it isn’t even really faith.  Faith by definition is living and desires to express itself even in the minutiae of everyday choices.  Perhaps this line from Saint James says it all: “I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.”  If we profess to be people of faith, then let’s live as people of faith.  Fr. Thom. SPECIAL MASS & MORE BLESSING Wednesday, September 19 Chapel With it being Homecoming next weekend, we especially invite members of the Football, Cheer and Dance Teams, Color Guard, and Marching Band to join us for Mass & More on September 19 and receive a special blessing. SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION Sunday, September 30 After 10:30am Mass Interested in learning more about joining the Catholic Church or receiving a Sacrament of Initiation (especially First Communion, Confirmation)?  Come to this informational meeting.  Contact Tammy to learn more! KATE HENNESSY - GRANDDAUGHTER OF DOROTHY DAY Thursday, September 27 - 6:30-8pm Christ the King Chapel Come listen to Kate Hennessy, author of the best-selling book Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved By Beauty, as she shares her stories and reflections about her grandmother, Dorothy Day (1897-1980) - a prominent Catholic, writer, social activist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker.  Click here to learn more. LOOKING FOR MORE PEN PALS! We are expanding our Pen Pal program, and are looking for even more students to commit to writing monthly letters with local children at an after-school program.  Contact Kaitlin if you are interested! SERVICE ON SATURDAYS Service projects every Saturday.  Contact us to sign up! DAVENPORT COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY September 15 8 am - noon Help guests pick out food items for their families. Sign up by Sept 14!   RESCHEDULED SERVICE Due to the abundance of rain we've had, a couple of outdoor service projects have been rescheduled.  Be sure to save the dates! Living Lands & Waters Tree Project Friday, September 28, late afternoon Juan Diez Rancheros Horse Ranch Landscaping Saturday, September 29, late morning SELFING: Knowing Ourselves and Treating Ourselves Well Monday, Sept 17 @ 6pm Join Amber Dopler from the Counseling Center for a series of workshops to discover new ways to deal with stress.  Contact Amber to learn more!                    QUICK BUZZ                    BeesKnees is a prayer ministry for the needs of our campus community.  Email us if you have a prayer request or want to join in.   "Bee" on the lookout for Fall Antioch applications in the coming weeks.  Fall Antioch 2018 is October 26-28.  Mark it on your calendars!

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