THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY . . .HOPE REVEALED

"In choosing to be born for us, God chose to be known by us.  He therefore reveals himself in this way, in order that this great sacrament of his love may not be an occasion for us of great misunderstanding . . . .

"Today the magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, humanity in God, God in humanity, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body."     Peter Chrysologus, Fifth Century

"The gifts of God are multiplied, and we in our time experience all that the first believers did.  For though the gospel account tells us only of the days when three men, untaught by prophetic preaching or the testimonies of the Law, came from the distant East in order to know God, yet we see the same thing happening now even more clearly and on a far larger scale in the enlightenment of all who are called. "   Leo the Great, Fifth Century

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
In these last few days of the Christmas season and the first days of the secular New Year, our prayer for you is the same as in this solemn blessing from the Roman Rite.

"God has called you out of darkness,
into his wonderful light.
May you experience his kindness and blessings,
and be strong in faith, in hope, and in love.

"Because you are followers of Christ,
who appeared on this day as a light shining in darkness,
may he make you a light to all your sisters and brothers."

As receivers of what Church Father Peter Chrysologus names the"great sacrament of love," we are called and privileged to bear that gift to all we encounter in this broken and hurting world.  As in the faith tradition of our Jewish sisters and brothers, we are each responsible for the principle of "tikkun olam," the task of healing the world.

At St. Rita's it is our hope that we might provide opportunities for all who spend time with us to experience a profound sense of God's love that might equip us and impel us to be bearers of that light, hope, and love to all.  We invite each of you to consider joining us for a retreat in the coming year.

RETREATS, EXPERIENCES OF LIGHT AND HOPE . . .
After a long hiatus caused by the COVID pandemic, we were happy to host a few weekend retreats this past fall.  The groups included some old friends and some new.

One of the most exciting weekends was our Scandalous Women Retreat with enthusiastic participation from a beautiful group of both Catholic and Episcopalian women.  We had the opportunity to reflect on the lives and challenges of holy women across the centuries and to share our own journeys with one another while relaxing, renewing, ad having a lot of fun.

We are excited that the schedule for this coming spring is full and includes the return of some of our long-time Catholic retreats.  We encourage you to consider participating in one or more of these great weekends.

Catholic Men's Retreat
Friday, February 3, 6:00 PM until noon, Sunday, February 5
Fr. Theo Lange, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley, will be the presenter on the theme of "The Joy of the Lord."  The suggested donation is $175 for pre-registration or $185 at the door and includes two nights accommodations, all meals, and all materials.  The fee for commuters is $100.  To register, please contact Don at 541-531-2929.

Women's Pre-Lenten Retreat
"Living as the Beloved of God"
Friday, February 17, 2:30 PM until Saturday, February 18, 4:00 PM
Watch for more information in the coming week!

Women's Cursillo
Thursday, March 16 through Sunday, March 19
Please contact Fr. Karl Schray at 541-227-8274 for more information.

Day of Preparation for Holy Week
Wednesday, March 22 and/or Saturday, March 25
Watch for additional information in the near future.  Please note that, if there is sufficient interest, we may be able to offer this day of reflection on both a weekday and a weekend day to accommodate different schedules.

Men's Cursillo
Thursday, April 13 through Sunday, April 16
Please contact Fr. Karl Schray at 541-227-8274 for more information.

                                                                                     
AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU . . .
We could not offer these opportunities without your support.  We send out our many thanks to those of you who have shared your financial gifts during the past several months while our finances were impacted by the pandemic.  You have kept us going!

We are also so grateful to the faithful volunteers who help to maintain our facilities and grounds.  During the fall, a great deal of work was done on grooming the walking trails, repairing some structures, building a staircase to one of the utility outbuildings, and repairing the pumping system for our water supply.  Just recently some of our volunteers were called upon to cut up and move two large trees that fell across the driveway during a wind storm.  

We ask for your continued support as we look to make more improvements and to offer more events for your enrichment and renewal.

CELEBRATING THE EPIPHANY . . .
In the early days of the Church, calendars were not generally available and much of the teaching of the faith was done orally.  Because of this, it was the practice to announce the dates of the major solemnities and feasts at the celebration of the Epiphany.

Though we have shared this proclamation with you in a previous newsletter, it is something that deserves to be shared often.  It not only gives the dates for the current liturgical year, but also offers a "mini-catechism" of our most central doctrines.  (Note: there is a contemporary version included in the latest Roman Missal that is not as extensive but the version offered here is quite beautiful.)

The Epiphany Proclamation
Dear brothers and sisters:
The glory of the Lord has shone upon us, and shall ever manifest itself among us, until the day of his return.  Through the rhythms and changes of time, let us call to mind and live the mysteries of salvation.

The center of the whole liturgical year is the Paschal Triduum of the Lord, crucified, buried and risen, which will culminate in the solemn Vigil of Easter, during the holy night that will end with the dawn of the 9th of April.  Every Sunday, as in a weekly Easter, holy church makes present that great and saving deed by which Christ has forever conquered sin and death.

From Easter there comes forth and are reckoned all the days we keep: Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the lenten spring, the 22nd of February; The Ascension of the Lord, the 21st of May; and Pentecost, the 28th of May; the First Sunday of Advent, the 3rd of December.

Likewise in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, of the apostles and saints, and in the commemoration of the faithful departed, the pilgrim church on earth proclaims the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

To Christ who was, who is, and who is to come, the Lord of time and history, be endless praise forever and ever!  Amen!

AS  WE END THE CHRISTMAS SEASON . . .
The Church Fathers quoted above remind us that the message of Christmas is meant for all people.  A contemporary liturgical and sacramental theologian on the faculty of Notre Dame University, Dr. Nathan Mitchell, speaks of our role and the role of the local parish in making this message manifest.

Dr. Mitchell writes, "The parish community, as the real expression of a local church, cannot limit its attention to the search for justice and intimacy among it own members; it must be prepared to take up the cross, standing against evil and injustice wherever they exist in the world.  This may seem like a harsh message for the Christmas season, but in fact it is the church's message at all times, in all seasons.  There is, ultimately, only one mystery Christians celebrate: the paschal mystery, Jesus' dying and rising in a new human community called 'Church.'"

At this time, when there is so much suffering in the world . . .Iran, Afghanistan, the Sudan, the Ukraine (and, yes, in Russia as well) . . . and along our own borders and within our own country, the call to be light, hope, and love is ever more urgent.

This month our music video offers a very simple song with this message.  It was recorded in a "sound cave" in the hoy city of Tzfat, Israel, by members of a Jewish synagogue called The House of Love and Prayer.  Sung in both Hebrew and English in the style of a Jewish "niggun," it is a lovely, gentle song for reflection and meditation (and you will learn a few Hebrew words!)

OLAM CHESED YIBANEH
Olam chesed yibaneh (repeat) . . .

I will build this world from love . . .
You will build this world from love . . .
And if we build this world form love
Then God will build this world from love . . .

(Note: there was some difficulty with the URL provided below.  If the hyperlink does not work, type the following into your search engine and it should produce the video:  youtube  Rabbi Marc Phillippe  Olam Chesed.)

We look forward to sharing the beauty of St. Rita Retreat Center with you in the coming months.  If we can be of service in any way, please let us know.

God bless you richly,

Jeanne Ellen
Manager, St. Rita Retreat Center

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