A Year of the Word: 2019-20 - Centre for Catholic Formation

10/23/19

                                  A Year of the
                                  Word: 2019-20

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    WAYS INTO PRAYER
    Prayer lies at the very heart of the life of the Church and is the foundation
    of Christian discipleship. In prayer we relate to God with the whole of our
    being: with heart, mind, body and soul. Prayer will always be a journey of
    discovery where we continue to be surprised by God.
    (Introduction, Ways Into Prayer)

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    WAYS INTO PRAYER
    The Spirituality Commission for the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark,
    in collaboration with the Anglican Diocese of Rochester, has produced
    Ways Into Prayer. Its purpose is to help us to develop and deepen our
    relationship with God. It is primarily intended for use in parishes, schools
    or group settings.
    Downloadable from southwarkdsc.org.uk
    Printed sets from CCF bookshop

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    WAYS INTO PRAYER
    11 Ways into Prayer – Leader’s Guides and
    Prayer Guides available at present.

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    The God Who Speaks
    The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have designated
    2020 as 'The God Who Speaks': A Year of the Word to celebrate the
    10th anniversary of Verbum Domini - Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic
    Exhortation, and the 1600th anniversary of the death of St Jerome, who
    translated the Bible into Latin.

    We are invited to listen afresh to the word of God as did Our Blessed Lady
    at the Annunciation, to encounter anew the presence of that word, and to
    proclaim it afresh in the Church and the World.

    Therefore, 2020 will be a year of celebrating, living and sharing God's
    word, through a range of events, activities and resources.

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    General timeline for TGWS

    30 September 2019 – Birthday of St Jerome (launch)
    1 December 2019 – First Sunday of Advent (official launch)
    8 December 2019 – Second Sunday of Advent (Bible Sunday)
    26 February 2020 – Ash Wednesday
    5 March 2020 – World Book Day
    12 April 2020 – Easter
    21 September 2020 – Birthday of St Matthew
    31 December 2020 – Close of the Year

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    Thematic timeline for TGWS
    Month      Focus
    OCT 2019   St Jerome (including National Prisons’ Week, 13-19 October 2019)
    NOV 2019   Death and Dying
    DEC 2019   Advent (Bible Sunday, 8 December 2019)
    JAN 2020   St Matthew; Education, Catechesis and Formation
               Human Trafficking and Migration (Racial Justice Sunday, 9
    FEB 2020
               February 2020; Ash Wednesday, 26 February 2020)
               Disability, Work and Employment (World Book Day, 5 March
    MAR 2020
               2020)
    APR 2020 Baptism (Easter Sunday, 12 April 2020)
             National Marriage Week and Migrants’ Masses (Pentecost, 31 May
    MAY 2020
             2020)

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     Thematic timeline for TGWS
     Month       Focus
                 Eucharist (including Corpus Christi, 14 June 2020; SS Peter and
     JUN 2020
                 Paul, 28 June 2020)
     JUL 2020 Saints and Pilgrimage; Catholic Heritage and Patrimony
              Christian Unity and inter-faith dialogue (Assumption, 15 August
     AUG 2020
              2020)
                 Environment (Feast of St Matthew, 21 September 2020; 1600th St
     SEP 2020
                 Jerome’s death, 30 September 2020)
     OCT 2020 Mary; Retreats
     NOV 2020 Mental Health and Healthcare
     DEC 2020 Celebrating the God Who Speaks; Advent

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     Celebrating God’s Word
     Ezra read from the Law of God so that the people
     understood what was read. (cf. Nehemiah 8:8)

     Whenever we celebrate the liturgy, the Scriptures are
     proclaimed. We listen to God speaking to us with the Church.
     In the Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and in our prayers
     we encounter Christ; through our responses we deepen our
     participation which transforms our lives.
     In discovering and renewing a genuine love for the word of
     God, we nurture our relationship with Christ. Lectio…

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     Living God’s Word
     Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path.
     (Ps 118 (119): 105)

     Scripture shapes our actions, our choices and how we relate to
     God, to ourselves, to our neighbours and to our world. It
     guides all our relationships and how we live our lives.
     Scripture teaches us how to live in society, to respect each
     human being and to work towards the common good. The
     Scriptures inspire us to put faith into action, living God’s word
     and doing God’s word. Social justice…

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     Sharing God’s Word
     You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

     We are shown what it means to live in relation with God and
     each other through a relationship with Christ.
     God speaks to us today in a variety of ways. The Bible has
     inspired, and continues to inspire, learning, culture, art, music
     and literature. It enables science and faith to build up mutual
     understanding through dialogue. It challenges technology
     and social media to open up new ways to encounter Christ
     in the world.

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     Diocesan and Formation Events

     8 December 2019 – Bible Sunday, blessing of bibles
     January 2020 onwards – Bible Timeline, 10+ sessions (2 locations)
     February 2020 – Study Day on Scripture in Catechesis
     Eastertide 2020 – Concert on Salvation History at St George’s Cathedral
     26-27 June 2020 – Diocesan Festival at Aylesford (inc. Word on the Road)
     26 September 2020 – Liturgical Catechesis Workshop at Day for Catechists

     Further dates to be confirmed: Story-telling roadshow for children; workshops
     featuring poetry/writing & Scripture; Lectio Divina and readers’ training

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     Scripture and You

     We are invited, in this year, to listen afresh to the word of God as did Our
     Blessed Lady at the Annunciation, to encounter anew the presence of that
     word, and to proclaim it afresh in the Church and the World.

     1.   How do you use or read Scripture in your own prayer life?
     2.   How does Scripture feature in your catechetical programme or process?
     3.   How might you engage afresh with Scripture in this Year?
     4.   Might the themes provided by the Bishops’ Conference feature in your parish life?
     5.   What would you consider helpful in your personal life and catechetical practice?

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     Further information

     We are invited, in this year, to listen afresh to the word of God as did Our
     Blessed Lady at the Annunciation, to encounter anew the presence of that
     word, and to proclaim it afresh in the Church and the World.

     Bishops’ Conference
     https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-god-who-speaks/
     Diocese
     http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/2020Word.htm
     Centre for Catholic Formation
     https://www.ccftootingbec.org.uk/scripture2020

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