ARISE Together in Christ at St. Luke's
A letter from the PastorDear Friends in Christ, Do you feel something tugging at your heart, leading you to consider new ways of nourishing your faith? Are you feeling that the hectic demands of life are preventing you from connecting with others? Chances are you are not alone in feeling that something in your life needs to change. I believe that a wonderful program created by RENEW International provides an answer to these needs. ARISE Together in Christ offers a unique opportunity for each of us, individually, and as a parish community, to begin a faith journey that can deepen our relationship with God and each other. Because I believe so strongly in the value of ARISE, I am delighted that our parish has the opportunity to participate in the process. You will be receiving an invitation to sign up for a small faith-sharing group which will meet for 90 minutes each week for six weeks beginning in October. It is my sincere hope that you will respond positively to this invitation and join us as we journey toward spiritual growth and new life in our parish community. I support this process wholeheartedly and look forward to participating in the small Christian communities that form the heart of ARISE. Let’s make this journey together! - Father Petringa "RENEW provides an opportunity for clergy, parishioners and all members of our Catholic community to experience God's wondrous love by committing to a period of renewal through prayer and sharing of our faith. The time is right to bring our people together in an endeavor centered on the loving and healing message of Jesus. - Cardinal Seán O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., The words of Cardinal Seán speak beautifully of ARISE Together in Christ as an "endeavor centered on the loving and healing message of Jesus," but what does that mean for you? |
ARISE PrayerGracious God and Father, we enter into your presence realizing you know us better than we know ourselves. You know the cares and sufferings we carry in our hearts. You call us to holiness and we trust you to lead us together on our journey to be a renewed Church, for with you all things are possible. Create us anew in Jesus Christ your Son. Literate us from all that keeps us from you. Heal us from every form of sin and violence. Transform us to live your Word more profoundly. Awaken us to the sacred; rebuild trust among us. Enliven our parishes; reunite our families. May your Holy Spirit empower us to live as a community of love, freed to share in your work of recreating our world and restoring justice. We believe you are doing something new, calling us to arise together in Christ to celebrate the fullness of life. Amen ARISE Parish Team MembersFor more information, or to see how you can be involved, call one of the ARISE Parish Team members.
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An Invitation ...With three simple words, "Come and see ..." Jesus invited the Apostles to get to know him, and each other, as they traveled together in faith. This group of acquaintances, soon to be friends, accepted Jesus' invitation and formed a small faith community. ARISE is about building the same kind of small faith-sharing communities. 
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An Opportunity ...Gathering together to learn from their Teacher, the Apostles also nourished each other by sharing their stories. They supported each other, laughed and cried together, ate and prayed together, and in the process their faith grew and their lives were enriched. ARISE is about people like you nourishing and supporting each other as you face the challenges of life. 
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A Journey ...With Christ as their center, the Apostles began a journey of faith which spanned their lifetimes and which bears fruit even today. As their spritual lives grew so did their committment to serving the poor and the needy. Using their unique God-given gifts, the sought to transform the causes of injustice in their world. ARISE is about this spiritual journey which leads us to live the Gospel in our daily lives. 
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"Come and See ..."Listen to your heart and accept the invitation! Come and learn about ARISE, a process of spiritual renewal and evangelization that enables people to develop a closer relationship with Christ, grow in community, and reach out in service to others. "We want everyone to feel welcome, to feel that the candle is in the window calling them back in." - Cardinal Seán |
