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This summer I had the opportunity to take the Apostolate on the road.

Monica Hejkal and I spent a week in Curtis NE running the CCD summer program of St. Joseph Parish.We taught Confirmation and the Eucharist to 15 children. Jordan, the youngest exclaimed, "You came all the way from Omaha just for us!" Our host family children had come to our Festival of Faith ten years ago and were happy to see us return.

In August Leela , Jennifer and I went to Walthill NE to lead the Vacation Bible

Camp with Father Gall at the Omaha Indian Reservation. Our theme was the Holy Spirit.

We also taught the children how to journal. Nick and Jordan were our Walthill High school

student helpers who also assisted with our afternoon work on the parish grounds.

If you would like to share your faith with the young children in Omaha or go on

the road, call Anne at 553-4418 or email psm@mitec.net.

We are looking for volunteers to be on the Festival of Faith core team. If you would like to share your faith with the young children around Omaha or go on the road call Anne at 5534418 or send an email to psm@mitec.com.

Dear Friends,

Holiness in daily life? Are you sure?

Yes, I am sure. The Lord tells us to, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). Soon we will be celebrating this message on All Saints Day, which is also the day that Pro Sanctity highlights the universal call to holiness. This is a time to live more fully our call to holiness as received in baptism. This is a time to take the gifts we have received in baptism even more seriously. I think however, that many of us, myself included have daydreamed of the perfect place, perfect community or perfect lifestyle where we could really be holy. Like me, you may have thought, "if only I lived in a secluded place or off in the desert somewhere, then I could be close to God and grow in holiness!" This is tempting to think but totally untrue. In our baptism the Lord has given us all that we need to live holy lives every day, in the ordinary circumstances of our day. He wants us to be holy in the "here and now" of daily life! We mistakenly think that because we struggle or because it is difficult that we must be doing something wrong. Yet this is where we find God and this is where we can say, "I NEED God, I cannot do it alone, God, not my will, but your will be done." True and authentic holiness is a gift received and lived, it is not something we can do without God! How funny we are to think we have to struggle alone when our good God is there to pour upon us all the graces and the strength we need to live full and holy lives. We often sit back and wait for the perfect day and or the perfect community/family that never comes along. I feel that the greatest deterrent to our growth in holiness is DISCOURAGEMENT. It is the anti-virtue and poison to our spiritual lives. It must not be allowed to enter our system.

Let me remind you that the goal is not how far we go, the goal is to be faithful to the process, day-by-day, moment-by-moment growing in love for God and our neighbor. There has never been a time in history when this is as important as it is today! Holiness, living fully the life of Christ, is the ONLY answer to the ills of our society. Holiness is Jesus Christ and He is our answer, our hope, our rock and our salvation! We must not let discouragement or anything else stop us from living a daily life of love and holiness.

Holiness in daily life? Yes! Begin today to think in this manner, and may I suggest to help yourself, that you join Pro Sanctity in spending nine days in preparation for All Saints Day and the Celebration of our Holiness in Daily Life. Pray with the many people around the globe for a greater commitment to your call to holiness and especially for the gift of perseverance in living out your call to holiness. This is our answer to the American Attack: All Saints, All Brothers and Sisters!

Let me conclude with the words of our Holy Father,

"The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this

high standard of Christian living. The whole life of the Christian

community and of Christian families must lead in this direction" (IMA #31)

Novena for Holiness

"Holiness in Daily Life"

October 23 - October 31, 2001

Pray with us the

Novena for Holiness:

We invite you to follow the Saints who lived ordinary lives, like you and I, with extraordinary desire to love the Lord.

Before reading the selected passages from Scripture, pause for a few moments and ask the Saints to be with you and inspire you to live fully your call to holiness.

Opening Prayer Each Day

Immaculate Virgin, model of every holiness, give us and all your children, a firm trust and a constant desire to become saints. Amen

Read the day's passage slowly and prayerfully in company with the Holy Spirit, the Angels and the Saints. Pause and reflect.

(All quotes are by Bishop

Giaquinta, Founder of the Pro Sanctity Movement, unless otherwise noted.)

Concluding Prayer: Use your own words.

Two more suggestions:

1) Pray the novena with others and share your insights.

2) Keep a nine day journal and record your daily thoughts and prayers.

(Turn to the back cover page of