Global Ministries University
Global Ministries University offers contemporary interfaith and non-denominational ministerial and theology degree and certificate programs that are ideal for ministry training and ordination.
http://www.globalministriesuniversity.org/
The Celebrant Training Center
The Celebrant Training Center is affiliated with Global Ministries University and offers a program that formally trains individuals to be wedding and/or funeral celebrants completely online. Participants are awarded a certificate through GMU upon completion of the program. https://www.becomeacelebrant.org
Marriage Ceremony Preparation Resources
- www.prepare-enrich.com
- By the Power vested in me..: A Guide for Wedding Celebrants/Officiants
https://www.amazon.com/Power-vested-Wedding-Celebrants-Officiants/dp/1495368769 - Help! I’ve been asked to officiate a Wedding Ceremony!
https://www.amazon.com/Help-asked-officiate-Wedding-Ceremony/dp/1794637443
Dances of Universal Peace:
They have a beautiful website and all their information is there as well as events people can attend, workshops, etc.
http://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org/
Spiritual Resources
2X2 4 FCM
Tom Cusack suggests that a highly effective response to the present
culture of injustice is to deepen one’s own spiritual life. He requests your involvement in a specific program of spiritual attention that he calls 2 X 2 4 FCM (two by two for FCM).
This proposal suggests you supplement your daily spiritual devotions by adding two minutes of prayer and two minutes of meditation specifically for the benefit and growth of FCM as an instrument of Christ and the Gospel. He comments that his experience with
focusing on meditation is that it is life-changing. So please consider bending some of your energy toward a response to this request. In this way each of us will be better directed internally by the Spirit to our best course of action under the umbrella, “Thy will be done.”
A Simple Examen First thing in the morning,
❖ Give thanks to God for all the blessings you will receive today. Anticipate them!
❖ Ask for the grace to know your faults and failings and for the courage to make different choices during the day. (If nothing comes to mind, ask for light to see yourself more fully.)
❖ Ask for the grace of direction and guidance for what lies ahead today.
❖ Move forward with one “resolution” for the day. In the evening, review your day.
❖ Observe (visualize) yourself going through your day, hour by hour, without evaluating or judging your behavior.
❖ Name and “hold” with gratitude each blessing you received during the day for a few seconds.
❖ Ask for forgiveness for the times you may have missed something important or done something you wish you hadn’t.
❖ Pay attention to how God directed you through the day.
❖ Resolve to amend your life, naming a particular behavior that bothers you about your day.
An African model of Lectio Divina that Carl Yusavitz uses with his CPE students (from the Lumko Missiological Institute of South Africa)
We finish our weekly evening group educational activities with this exercise. My CPE students rotate facilitation. A CPE student reads a short passage of Scripture that touched their heart during the week.
❖ During the reading, each person names the word or phrase that catches their attention silently in their heart, then shares that word or phrase out loud with the group. Just the word or phrase, no explanation. Another CPE student reads the same passage of Scripture again, but from a different translation.
❖ Each person answers on a piece of paper the question: “How does this bible passage touch my heart today?” Then, each person shares with an “I” statement or statements with the whole group. The passage is read again from a different (third) translation.
❖ Each person answers on a piece of paper the question: “From what I have heard and shared (in this passage of Scripture, in the group, and in my heart), what is my spiritual work this week?
❖ Each person shares what they wrote with an “I” statement or statements with the whole group. Finally, the group facilitator invites the group to pray for or bless one another out loud. We use “pray for” or “bless” because our CPE students come from different faith traditions with different ways of praying. and the person leading the groups chooses how this is done. For example, he or she may ask each person to pray for or bless the person on their right or across from them – or however he or she decides to direct the prayer time. The prayer or blessing reflects what the person prayed for shared in the group. The group facilitator invites the group to pray for or bless that person daily until the CPE group meets again in a week.
Carl R. Yusavitz, D. Min., Supervisor, ACPE
Resources for Preaching
Association of Catholic Priests (Ireland) http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/ – Scroll down for links to site content on the right St. Louis University – Center for Liturgy – The Sunday Website http://www.liturgy.slu.edu/
Center of Concern – Lectionary Reflections https://www.coc.org/resources/lectionary-reflections – Prepared by John Bucki, SJ – Solid resource for social teaching
Creighton University – Daily Reflections http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html – A variety of staff people take turns commenting on daily readings. Of uneven quality.
Today’s Good News – Gospel Commentary (Ireland) http://www.goodnews.ie/calendar.php – Generally well done.
Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry – Sunday Connection https://www.loyolapress.com/sunday-connection.htm – Generally well done.
Catholic Doors
http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/
Catholic Homilies http://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/home_page
Catholic Links
http://www.catholiclinks.org/homiliasenglish.htm
Word on Fire
http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/
Homilies
https://www.homilies.net/
Catholic Homily Resources
http://catholichomilyresources.com/
Recommended Reading:
Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis
Pope Francis: Why he leads the way he leads by Chris Lowney
