Hope Saves ( Spe Salvi ): An Advent Reflection

The Advent season always makes me feel excited, not just because Christmas is coming, but.....something feels warm and fuzzy in the air. This year, Advent seems like a tornado for me. It's swirling rather quickly and I'm just trying to keep everything in place.

Despite of my travels and busy routines, I managed so far to not miss any events (Advent Masses, Reconciliaton, Immaculate Conception, Guadalupe, Giving Trees, Holiday Meals, Mary's Place, Shelters and Outreach Ministries ). I just had to sleep late and wake up early to share my reflections -- and Yeah! It's manageable I think.

My biggest focus this year has been the Society of St Vincent de Paul Conference that my parish had restarted last Spring. This outreach ministry is so important in my heart. It is an opportunity to reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters. Although this ministry has been in service to the poor since 1833 in Paris, today, it's still alive and growing due to the tremendous needs in our world. I have been blessed to partake in this mission.

Last Saturday, I made some home visits. This year, we had enough donations from our church that we were able to give out christmas gift cards to our neighbors. A couple of our visits stood out and affected me more than the usual. First a mother with seizures and her 15 year old son with the same condition live in a 1-bedroom apartment with very few furnitures. She wanted some rental assistance this month because of medical bills. She's trying to look for another job. Her son plays football but because of his recent seizures, he might not be able to play again and he's "bummed". As he said that with a smile he's happy that he has a place to live in and that he has good grades. We gave him a small christmas gift card and he suddenly started jumping in joy and reached out to hug me. As we walked away from their home, I felt my heart flutter in hope as we walked on to the next home visit.

Our last visit caught me stunned, speechless and sobbing. We did not sat long enough with this disabled senior man living in a subsidized housing in Belltown. When he opened his door he immediately said :
" I don't need your help this month, as I can still pay my rent. I'll just be broke this month. Give it to someone who really needs it. I'll be ok."

All I can say was " OH, OK". I handed him a gift card and said Merry Christmas then he closed his door saying this is great, Thank You and God Bless You.

Boom !!!

As I sobbed on the way back home...

As a catholic, it's hard to imagine a life without Hope. Hope is an inspiration for me to continue to try the best I can to live my life as Christ had taught us. Hope is a saving grace as we carry on his teachings and example for his promise of Eternal Life. On this season of hope, all I can try if to open the manger in my own heart for the coming of Christ. He came to this world in the midst of the poorest, the outcasts, the shepherds and animals. He is there in the least of our brothers and sisters.

Have a Blessed Advent.

To donate to SVDP Society - click on the link below

https://svdpseattle.org/give-today/

Downtown Seattle

Advocate, Ambassador...

 St John Chrysostom's love of the written scriptures reminded me today of his most powerful quote:

“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, 

you will not find Him in the chalice.”

   These words encourage me to  work harder as an advocate for some of our neighbors in need and as an ambassador of the catholic social teachings of the CRS ( Catholic Relief Services ) and supporter of its works locally ( through the CCS )  and globally.  The CRS funds help some programs in our very own parish. Do you know that our expenditures to help with Hospitality, Immersions, The Josephinum, St Vincent de Paul to name a few are just some of the benefits of the CRS? This is why I continue to be an ambassador.  The lives of the individuals and families that have been changed locally and globally have been an inspiration to me. Victor Hugo's resonating quote on
" to love someone is to see the face of GOD"  is what really makes sense to me -  from the amazing work of CRS on Options for the Poor and Social Justice/ Human Migration.  I want to see the FACE of GOD everyday - may it be through the Eucharist or through simple acts of kindness to those in need. It doesn't have to be great things that we have to do - but as St  Mother Theresa of Kolkata said - It's the "doing of little things but with great LOVE "...

   Every year , the Archdiocese of Seattle holds a CRS Ambassador Training/ Retreat.  It's a 2 plus-day retreat of prayer, fellowship, inspiration and strategic planning. My experience 3 years ago was a memorable one that it lit a fire in me to be an ambassador for the CRS. I loved learning about the successful works of the CRS globally and the fun part for me was learning peasant recipes from these countries. I feel like I got to walk as how the villagers from those countries walked everyday. With them in mind, I learn and empathize with their daily struggles . It made me more conscious about my own wasteful footprints. It makes me to try to live simply everyday so others may simply live. 

So join me and others to be an ambassador of goodwill - an ambassador of CRS or any OUTREACH. The more ambassadors we have, the more programs we can create in our own church community.

   Remember:
   One of Mother Teresa's favorite texts in the Bible, which she often quoted to support her ministry to the poor, is "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45)



Cate Lichten
categabe329@gmail.com

CRS Ambassador
St Vincent de Paul Conference Spiritual Adviser
Hospitality Steward
Spe Salvi Co-coordinator
Outreach Commission Member

Christ Our Hope Catholic Church
Seattle, WA

MALAWI - CRS RICE BOWL FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

   The 5th week of Lent at Christ our Hope Catholic Church continued with a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl Lenten Soup Supper after the 7 pm on Sunday March 18th. This week's Catholic Social Teaching Focus is " Option for the poor and vulnerable".

During the CRS Soup Supper, we learned about the story of Alefa. 

ENCOUNTER ALEFA...

She is a mother, grandmother and farmer. She provides for her three children, three grandchildren and husband by selling her crops. If they fail during one of Malawi’s rainy seasons—or in a drought—her family goes hungry. One particularly difficult year, Alefa was forced to sell some of her land to make ends meet.

We also watched a video of the Religious Sisters in Malawi on Project SCORE. 

SCORE-ECD, a CRS project funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, harnesses the power of Catholic religious sisters to ensure children grow healthy and thrive throughout their lives. By educating caregivers on the importance of nutrition, positive parenting, and early stimulation of babies including through play and making toys from local materials, the project covers children from zero to five years of age, but there is a special focus on those under two years of age, as well as those infected or affected by HIV

See video below.

Lauren Pusich- who is the Immersion Coordinator, a part of the COH Outreach Commission, spoke about the Outreach Projects such as Youth Immersion tot he congregation in attendance. She also led the CRS Lenten Prayer before meals were served.

Lauren in Action

Soups and Salad were donated by Katherine Hartline and her husband Darrell - who made a traditional Malawian soup

Marc made an African inspired pumpkin soup

And Paul G. made a Faro and Arugula salad

Our weekly bread supply was generously donated by Essentials Baking Company. 

It was another successful CRS Lenten Soup Supper. As we continue to celebrate as a communit  the blessed season of Lent and in preparation of the Easter celebration, let us be reminded of the 3 words that Pope Francis reminded us of during his Ash Wednesday Homily -

  PAUSE, SEE AND RETURN

In behalf of the COH CRS Ambassadors - Thank You for your support!!!

Here are more pictures from our CRS Lenten Soup Supper

By: Cate Lichten

COH - CRS Ambasador

HAITI: WEEK 4 -CRS LENTEN SOUP SUPPER

Christ Our Hope ( COH) Catholic Church celebrated the CRS (Catholic Relief Services)  Rice Bowl Week 4 of LENT highlighting the country of HAITI. The story of Andrise, a school teacher in Haiti, was shown to the attendees of the CRS Lenten Soup Supper after the Sunday's 7 pm mass.

See Andrise's Video below:

The Liturgy Commission led by Chuck, together with Ruth, David, Christine and Nick prepared a traditional Haitian Vegetable stew - and it sure was scrumptious. Ruth and David also made a peanut brittle surprise for everyone ( a Haitian recipe ) - my personal favorite.

See video of the traditional Haitian vegetable stew recipe below:

Ruth of the Liturgy Commission shared to the congregation a personal story of her grandson Jack about Haiti and Kelly Hickman's testimony on Haiti. Kelly who is an Assistant Director for the CRS in the Archdiocese of Seattle was recently in Haiti to witness the wonderful work of CRS in that country. 

We prayed together as a community before we (both parishioners and some Josephinum residents) broke bread and shared soup. We have lots of leftover soup for a takeaway for everybody.

In behalf of the CRS Ambassadors, Thank You for all of your support to this amazing cause - especially to the Liturgy Commission, Fr Paul, COH Staff, parishioners and residents for your efforts and presence.

Have a Blessed Lent

See more Pics below:

    

Haitian Vegetable Stew

Ruth and David in action

Christine and Nick in the kitchen

Ruth sharing a testimony on Haiti

Soup Service

Call to Family, Community and Participation

Catholic social teaching inspires and guides how we are to live and work in the world. In this principle, Call to Family, Community and Participation, we remember that human beings are social by nature-we need each other. We, like the early disciples, are called to come together and grow as a community-whether that community is in our classroom, workplace or family.

for more info on CRS Rice Bowl: 

https://www.crsricebowl.org/stories-of-hope/week-4

Cate Lichten, CRS Ambassador, COH

BURKINA FASO: CRS Rice Bowl Soup Supper

The 3rd WEEK OF LENT highlighted the West African Country of Burkina Faso. CRS has worked in that country since the 1960's working on Hunger Prevention and other Food Aid Programs. The Catholic Social Teaching of Caring for God's Creation is the CRS topic for this 3rd week of Lent. 

At Christ our Hope Catholic Church, the SVdP Conference Commission coordinated the Sunday Soup Supper. Lisa C. led the prayer before soup was served. CRS Story of Hope video - the story of Safiata from Burkina Faso was shown to the parishioners and some residents of the Josephinum who were present. 

The soups were donated by Kristi and Stu Smith who made a delicious African peanut soup. Paul G and Marc W. also donated a vegetarian soup and helped serve and with the clean up afterwards. Jackie and Ann B helped with food preps and soup service respectively.The SVdP Conference members donated the fruits and made the traditional bean cakes from Burkina Faso as featured in the CRS Rice Bowl website. 

See video below:

We served 60 plus people that evening..

traditional bean cakes and recipe below

BEAN CAKES

Makes 6–8 Bean Cakes

• 1 can black-eyed peas, drained
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 egg, whisked
• ½ t salt
• ½ t black pepper
• 1 c flour
• ¼ c vegetable oil

Place black-eyed peas in a blender with the onion, carrots and egg. Blend to a smooth paste, and add salt and pepper. If bean mixture has too much liquid to form cakes, add flour, ¼ cup at a time to thicken until you can form into cakes. Divide into 6 to 8 portions and place in hot vegetable oil. Flatten each one into a disc using a spatula. Fry until browned (about 5 to 7 minutes), turning occasionally. Serve with rice.

Here are more pictures of our parishioners and Josephinum residents during out soup supper.

Lisa leading the CRS Prayer

Kristi and Stu

Marc and Paul - the soup serving duo

Ann B - CRS Ambaasador - serving soup and bean cakes

Young Professionals representation ( Dalton , Gabe and Obi)

Thanks and Have a Blessed Lent...

Cate Lichten

CRS Ambassador 

Christ our Hope Catholic Church

Seattle, WA