The Word Among Us

June 2007 Issue

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

How God has used this simple substance to bring about death and life.

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. Amazing, isn’t it? This one simple sentence from the blessing of water in the Rite of Baptism expresses the whole of the church’s teachings about sacraments. Through signs like water, oil, and a candle, we are brought into contact with the "unseen power" of God. Each of these "sacramental signs" brings with it the power of God, even as it tells us its own story about our heavenly Father and about the sacrament we are celebrating More »

Through baptism, we can become a new creation.

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

Every Sunday at Mass, when we recite the Profession of Faith, we all proclaim with one voice that we "acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin." As with so many other parts of the creed, this one sentence tells a whole story about God’s goodness, our need, and the amazing salvation Jesus has won for us. It may sound at first like an exaggeration to proclaim that "one baptism" can bring about the forgiveness of all of our sins, but the Catechism confirms the sense of this prayer: More »

How a few small gestures minister God’s eternal power.

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) With these words, Peter urged the crowd at Pentecost to surrender their lives to Jesus, Israel’s promised Messiah. Newly filled and emboldened by the Holy Spirit, Peter proclaimed the resurrection to those who had gathered around him, and he pointed the way for them to receive salvation. More »

Special Feature

I was surprised at how Jesus showed up that June day.

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

A heavy wool suit trimmed with fur isn’t what I usually wear in ninety-five-degree weather, especially in a car with no air conditioning. Yet there I was, one hot and humid Michigan afternoon, wearing not just the suit, but boots, a snowy white beard, and a thick woolen hat. More »

Defending Life at the Grass Roots Level

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

Sometimes the best ideas strike at the most unexpected times. Jonathan Tonkowich’s moment of inspiration hit as he sat in math class during the final semester of his senior year at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California. More »

St. Dominic, Founder of the Order of Preachers

Comment | Posted Jun 01, 2007

Most people are familiar with the eight hundred-year-old Dominican Order, one of the ten largest religious communities in the world. But how many know much about its founder, St. Dominic? More »