Walk in His Paths

First Sunday of Advent 2013 A

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”  Isaiah 2:3b
You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.  For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand.  Romans 13:11-12a

Therefore, stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.  Matthew 24:42-43

Piety Waiting is part of our piety. We are awaiting the coming of Christ. It is the second coming we honor when he will come to take us to his eternal joy in us. Piety is the fullness of our relationship to Christ. It unfolds in all the things we do to honor him in our lives as we get ready for his coming. We celebrate his birth in such a special way that we can get lost in all the gifts we give. But we are honoring his coming into our lives as our Savior. He comes as the child that we all once were to let us knows where our relationship to him begins. He comes in such an unassuming way that we are not afraid of him. We prepare for his coming by showing the gratitude of love to all the people in our lives that are special to us. We give as a response to God giving His to us. How can we love the God we do not see if we do not love the neighbors we do see?  Every gift at Christmas time opens us to the gift that God is to us in his son Jesus.

Study Our prayer and the reading of Scripture give us a profound awareness for whom we are waiting. His coming makes a difference in our world despite how secular our world is becoming. How focused we are on the coming gives Advent its deepest meaning. Christ is the truth of who we are meant to be. We study his life that by our exposure to him we can find out who we are meant to be. We are created in the image and likeness of God in Christ. Christ is so much more than our ticket to heaven. We study who he becomes in his humanness to realize who we should become as children of God.

Action A good Advent takes planning. A morning of prayer can whet our appetite for Christmas. The meaning of our lives takes its form through how we share Christ with each other. We are motivated by seeing the expectation of the Hebrew people for the coming of the Messiah. At the Church of St. Aloysius in Washington D.C. on Dec. 8th there will be a morning of prayer with Mass that will be hopefully a good start for building up the spirit of Christmas in our hearts. Contemplative prayer is the language of love for God.  There will be three examples of Contemplative prayer to model the experience of that type of prayer. The experience is better than words to describe it. The Morning of prayer will start at 9 and will finish around 12. All are invited to be part of the celebration of the Immaculate Conception as a preparation for the Birth of Christ. In a world that has gone too secular, it is good to have a chance to put Christ back into Christmas.  Mary is a wonderful teacher of how to welcome the coming of Christ.

Posted by The Lighthouse Keeper at 10:27 PM

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on “The Joy of the Gospel” (“Evangelii Gaudium”) reads like a series of the best Cursillo rollos you have ever heard, and is well worth reading in its entirety by all in our Cursillo communities.  It clearly focuses our attention as individuals and as a Church on our primary mission of being joyful evangelizers of the Gospel.  It highlights important things to do and to avoid in carrying out this mission, all in a very readable and comprehensible manner.  It truly lives up its title by arousing a sense of awareness, conviction, wonder, freedom, and joy to truly live what is fundamental to being a Christian.


APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
EVANGELII GAUDIUM
OF THE HOLY FATHER
FRANCIS
TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,
CONSECRATED PERSONS
AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
IN TODAY’S WORLD

INDEX

I. A JOY EVER NEW, A JOY WHICH IS SHARED [2-8]
II. THE DELIGHTFUL AND COMFORTING JOY OF EVANGELIZING [9-13]

Eternal newness [11-13]

III. THE NEW EVANGELIZATION FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF THE FAITH [14-18]

The scope and limits of this Exhortation [16-18]

CHAPTER ONE
THE CHURCH’S MISSIONARY TRANSFORMATION [19]

I. A CHURCH WHICH GOES FORTH [20-24]

Taking the first step, being involved and supportive, bearing fruit and rejoicing [24]

II. PASTORAL ACTIVITY AND CONVERSION [25-33]

An ecclesial renewal which cannot be deferred [27-33]

III. FROM THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL [34-39]

IV. A MISSION EMBODIED WITHIN HUMAN LIMITS [40-45]

V. A MOTHER WITH AN OPEN HEART [46-49]

CHAPTER TWO
AMID THE CRISIS OF COMMUNAL COMMITMENT [50-51]

I. SOME CHALLENGES OF TODAY’S WORLD [52-75]

No to an economy of exclusion [53-54]
No to the new idolatry of money [55-56]
No to a financial system which rules rather than serves [57-58]
No to the inequality which spawns violence [59-60]
Some cultural challenges [61-67]
Challenges to inculturating the faith [68-70]
Challenges from urban cultures [71-75]

II. TEMPTATIONS FACED BY PASTORAL WORKERS [76-109]

Yes to the challenge of a missionary spirituality [78-80]
No to selfishness and spiritual sloth [81-83]
No to a sterile pessimism [84-86]
Yes to the new relationships brought by Christ [87-92]
No to spiritual worldliness [93-97]
No to warring among ourselves [98-101]
Other ecclesial challenges [102-109]

CHAPTER THREE
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL [110]

I. THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF GOD PROCLAIMS THE GOSPEL [111-134]

A people for everyone [112-114]
A people of many faces [115-118]
We are all missionary disciples [119-121]
The evangelizing power of popular piety [122-126]
Person to person [127-129]
Charisms at the service of a communion which evangelizes [130-131]
Culture, thought and education [132-134]

II. THE HOMILY [135-144]

The liturgical context [137-138]
A mother’s conversation [139-141]
Words which set hearts on fire [142-144]

III. PREPARING TO PREACH [145-159]

Reverence for truth [146-148]
Personalizing the word [149-151]
Spiritual reading [152-153]
An ear to the people [154-155]
Homiletic resources [156-159]

IV. EVANGELIZATION AND THE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE KERYGMA [160- 175]

Kerygmatic and mystagogical catechesis [163-168]
Personal accompaniment in processes of growth [169-173]
Centred on the word of God [174-175]

CHAPTER FOUR
THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF EVANGELIZATION [176]

I. COMMUNAL AND SOCIETAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE KERYGMA [177-185]

Confession of faith and commitment to society [178-179]
The kingdom and its challenge [180-181]
The Church’s teaching on social questions [182-185]

II. THE INCLUSION OF THE POOR IN SOCIETY [186-216]

In union with God, we hear a plea [187-192]
Fidelity to the Gospel, lest we run in vain [193-196]
The special place of the poor in God’s people [197-201]
The economy and the distribution of income [202-208]
Concern for the vulnerable [209-216]

III. THE COMMON GOOD AND PEACE IN SOCIETY [217-237]

Time is greater than space [222-225]
Unity prevails over conflict [226-230]
Realities are more important than ideas [231-233]
The whole is greater than the part [234-237]

IV. SOCIAL DIALOGUE AS A CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE [238-258]

Dialogue between faith, reason and science [242-243]
Ecumenical dialogue [244-246]
Relations with Judaism [247-249]
Interreligious dialogue [250-254]
Social dialogue in a context of religious freedom [255-258]

CHAPTER FIVE
SPIRIT-FILLED EVANGELIZERS [259-261]

I. REASONS FOR A RENEWED MISSIONARY IMPULSE [262-283]

Personal encounter with the saving love of Jesus [264-267]
The spiritual savour of being a people [268-274]
The mysterious working of the risen Christ and his Spirit [275-280]
The missionary power of intercessory prayer [281-283]

II. MARY, MOTHER OF EVANGELIZATION [284-288]

Jesus’ gift to his people [285-286]
Star of the new evangelization [287-288]

1. THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.

I. A JOY EVER NEW, A JOY WHICH IS SHARED

2. The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.

3. I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.[1] The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards!

4. The books of the Old Testament predicted that the joy of salvation would abound in messianic times. The prophet Isaiah exultantly salutes the awaited Messiah: “You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy” (9:3). He exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). The prophet tells those who have already seen him from afar to bring the message to others: “Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem” (40:9). All creation shares in the joy of salvation: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones” (49:13).

Zechariah, looking to the day of the Lord, invites the people to acclaim the king who comes “humble and riding on a donkey”: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he” (9:9).

Perhaps the most exciting invitation is that of the prophet Zephaniah, who presents God with his people in the midst of a celebration overflowing with the joy of salvation. I find it thrilling to reread this text: “The Lord, your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives you the victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival” (3:17).

This is the joy which we experience daily, amid the little things of life, as a response to the loving invitation of God our Father: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means… Do not deprive yourself of the day’s enjoyment” (Sir 14:11, 14). What tender paternal love echoes in these words!

5. The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice. A few examples will suffice. “Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41). In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47). When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29). Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). Our Christian joy drinks of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52). The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34). Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?

6. There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved. I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress: “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is… But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness… It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam 3:17, 21-23, 26).

7. Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met. To some extent this is because our “technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to engender joy”.[2] I can say that the most beautiful and natural expressions of joy which I have seen in my life were in poor people who had little to hold on to. I also think of the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detachment and simplicity, a heart full of faith. In their own way, all these instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.[3]

8. Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?

--End of section--

None But This Foreigner Thanksgiving Day

And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will!  May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you.  Sirach 50:22-23

As they were going they were cleansed.  And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.  He was a Samaritan.  Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not?  Where are the other nine?  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”   Luke 17:15-18

Piety
Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation.  We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the land and the challenge of the cities.  We thank you for our work and our rest, for one another, and for our homes.  We thank you, Lord: accept our thanksgiving on this day.  We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Study
The foreign leper makes an intentional choice.  He and his companions experience an encounter with Jesus.  Some go off on their own way.  The lesson we learn from the foreign leper is that he returns to the Lord in thanksgiving.  He recognizes that the encounter changes him and changes the way he should live out his life.

Action
In addition to the normal readings for Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time, the magisterium also provides a set of readings for the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving. Those readings align with the Gospel from the closing Mass of the Men’s 103rd Cursillo in Arlington, VA.
The point of the Cursillo experience is that once we encounter Jesus on the mountaintop, we need to stay connected to Him and the mission He has for us in life.  Even though it can be hard to stay so focused without the support of our friends and community, Cursillo gives us methods to stay focused and supported.  We mark our continuing experience by choosing to intentionally incorporate piety, study and action in our daily lives. 
Thanksgiving is a day that is meant to change how we sleepwalk through out lives without considering the help we get from others.  In some ways, joined with Christmas and Easter, it is an ideal day to align with our Cursillo experience.  The Daily Examen is a practice that can strengthen our Fourth Day and help us emulate the Samaritan.  The five steps of this practice include:

            1. Become aware of God’s presence.
            2. Review the day with gratitude.
            3. Pay attention to your emotions.
            4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
            5. Look toward tomorrow.

Posted by The Lighthouse Keeper at 8:19 PM

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Thank you so much for your massive outpouring of compassion & generosity in creating so many boxes of relief materials and supplies for our destitute brothers and sisters in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).  I have received reports of dozens of boxes being packed and shipped by individuals and groups, including 35 boxes prepared by Cursillistas and parishioners of St. Andrew Church in Daly City, CA.   Special thanks to LBC for graciously shipping all of these boxes for free to the Philippine Red Cross for distribution to the needy victims (their free offer continues through November 30, 2013).   May God bless you all abundantly with His grace, peace, and joy for your kindness to others in their greatest time of need.

Deacon Bobby Peregrino, the Spiritual Advisor for the Sacramento Filipino Cursillo community,  has kindly shared his homily for last Sunday’s Mass on November 17, 2013.  Its message is very timely and reassuring.  You may read below.

-Deacon Ben Agustin


Homily for Cycle C - 33rd ORDINARY - NOVEMBER 17, 2013 - Luke 21:5-19

Most, if not all of you, know of and must have seen on TV the massive destruction of lives and properties in Central Philippines because of the strongest typhoon that ever made landfall in recorded history. It is just an overwhelming heart-breaking tragedy – to say the least.  Just a few weeks ago, there was a major 7.2 earthquake also in the area…

People lost everything they had – including their loved ones.

We grieve the lives of those who died and we cannot fathom the misery of the survivors who suffered and continue to suffer hunger and thirst, injury, infections, psychological trauma, horrible and desperate living conditions.

Having said that - this tragedy, disaster - point up to one truth: the transient or passing nature of things in this world.  Nothing lasts.

Jesus spoke of this in today's Gospel. The disciples were celebrating the beauty of the temple. And Jesus said: "These things which you see shall not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." He was referring to the temple… although we can say – it also literally happened in Tacloban and other areas.  The truth that He spoke applies to all worldly things . They may last a long time, but eventually, they will be gone.

This realization causes a certain amount of anxiety about the future and it is natural and understandable. The future is full of uncertainty and if we are not careful and if we become so preoccupied with questions about the future, we become vulnerable to those who prey on such anxiety.

Despite the claims of many, no one can really tell us with certainty what will happen tomorrow.  Specific events of the future are not pre-determined, and our own free choices help shape the future.

The Good News is - Through the Incarnation of God – God becoming One of us in Jesus Christ, God has entered time and history. Christ sheds light on the future. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end… and this sets the future in its proper context.  Meaning – we now have this great hope because – in Christ - All things move toward the fulfillment of the plans and purposes of God. The end belongs to God.

We cannot see very far into the future. Abraham Lincoln said “the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” Twelve-Step programs prescribe “one day at a time” as the best way to managing the challenges of life. Similarly - Faith must be lived one day at a time.

Jesus’ instruction was that the disciples should live each day fully prepared for the coming of God’s kingdom.  Each day is a gift from God, and we are to live each day to the fullest in service to the world in Christ’s name.

We are not guaranteed years or months or even days… Tomorrow may never come. What we have is one moment in time. It is a treasure because it will never come again. What we do with each moment of time is our gift to God.

When people asked Jesus for some reassurance from Him about their future, He gave them one simple response.  Live faithfully now and you will be prepared for whatever the future brings!

Faithfulness means that we must persevere through the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult times.  Living daily life in a faithful way means that we choose to embrace whatever comes our way.  We live in each moment without backing away.  It is that faithfulness that will prepare us for the coming events of our lives.




Faith is not a matter of speculating about the future but living faithfully in the present moment reality. We are to live wisely and responsibly, being faithful stewards of our days, our gifts, and our opportunities. We don’t know how much time any one of us has left.

The more important question is this - Have you done your best with the gifts you’ve been given?  If not - Then here is good news - You are still alive and therefore – it is no time for idleness. It is time to do the work of God’s kingdom.

The purpose of life – of living - is to find faithful, redemptive, loving ways to give what we have been given back to God. And God will make us adequate for all that lies ahead - - - until the very end.

Jesus is clear and consistent about the future.  He says that it will include the good and the bad.  We will have suffering and gladness.  At times, we will feel extremely full and blessed, and at times we will feel so empty and abandoned.  Jesus is very clear that we will not be able to predict any more than that.  Fear is useless.  All we need is trust… faith in God.

Only if we live- in the NOW - will we be ready for whatever the future brings.  We cannot put our trust in wealth, health, possessions, beautiful buildings, in power, in weapons, etc.  Our perseverance in faith, to God and one another, is what will be our saving grace. As we heard in the Gospel, “by your perseverance, you will secure your lives.”

These are truly times of trials and struggles… but we are assured that they will come to pass.  What is being tried is our willingness to be who we profess to be.  So - can we be a sign of hope in these times?  Can we hope, not in the signs of power or material possessions or wealth or health, but can we hope and can we be signs of faithfulness and love?

God is a loving Father.  He has showered us with blessings beyond our perceptions and understanding.  

As we get closer to the end of the liturgical year – Feast of Christ the King next Sunday - we are challenged and asked to examine our own lives.  Do we really spend enough time thanking God with our words and actions.  How much time each day do we spend in prayer, how much time do we spend helping others?

As we come to the table of the Lord – to enter into communion with Him and with one another, let us reflect and give real thought to what has happened in the Philippines.  Let us learn from the tragedy. 

AHA 2013 Day 1: Improving Survival in Cardiac Arrest—A worthy goal!

She had gone to bed after a normal day. They had been together for years. It was unusual that he was awake; maybe it was the gagging sound that woke him. She wasn't breathing, her color gone. His mind raced. He called 911 and began pushing. Rhythmically. Tears came, but he pushed on and on. Ten minutes, 20. Finally, the paramedics came with their machine.

Days later in the hospital, she and I went over the internal recording from that device. Ventricular fibrillation had gone on for too many minutes for her full recovery to seem like anything less than a miracle. When we talked, her face beamed with the joy that comes with having a second chance—which, of course, meant that circulatory support had worked. It seemed impossible to me that she was well.

Life and nothingness, separated by mere minutes. This is sudden death; this is cardiac arrest. And it happens to more than 300 000 Americans each year. So it is appropriate that the first day of the American Heart Association 2013 Scientific Sessions is dedicated to a resuscitation symposium.



An old picture (circa 1980s) of a Holter monitor taken from a golfer who died suddenly from ventricular fibrillation. No CPR was initiated.

The treatment of cardiac arrest is a worthy topic on so many levels. First, there is the matter of dismal medical treatment. In developed countries; fewer than one in 10 patients survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Second is the fact that survival rates can be easily improved: all one needs is the most powerful potion of all—knowledge. Third is the need for teamwork. Out-of-hospital cardiac-arrest victims can't help themselves; neither can their doctors.

Which team, then? Here it gets really good. Consider that modern society works because of a tacit social contract, like driving without texting and getting vaccinated. What if learning basic life support and intervening in the event of an arrest became part of that contract? Because sudden death most often happens at home, the life saved is most likely to be that of a loved one.

Finally, in the matter of benefit/risk trade-offs, it's hard (for even for the most skeptical) to see much downside in promoting effective early intervention in cardiac arrest.

With that in mind, two studies from the resuscitation symposium deserve mention.

Can a One-Minute Video Save Lives?

The first was a simple but elegant study carried out in a shopping mall. Dr Ashish Panchal (Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus) and colleagues in Arizona set out to determine whether an ultrabrief video on compression-only CPR was an effective instrument to teach laypersons CPR, and more important, whether this one-minute ad would lead to superior responsiveness in a simulated cardiac arrest. The two study groups included 47 volunteer shoppers who were shown a one-minute video compared with 48 volunteers who sat idle. Subjects were then taken to a private area where a simulated cardiac arrest was ongoing. Study subjects were instructed to do what they "thought was best."

The results were striking. Bystanders with just one minute of training performed better on all measures of CPR quality. Compared with controls, educated bystanders called 911 more frequently, initiated compressions sooner, had less hands-off time, and performed more effective compressions. These findings allowed the investigators to conclude that an "ultrabrief video may have potential as a ubiquitous intervention for public venues to help improve bystander reaction to cardiac arrest.""

Thirty-Eight Minutes of CPR?

Japanese investigators used a large prospective registry of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2005 and 2011 to evaluate the relationship between favorable outcomes and time interval from collapse to return of circulation (ROC).

Results: The study group included 284 814 patients with witnessed arrest, of which 31 845 (11%) achieved return of circulation and 8714 had favorable neurologic outcomes. Analysis revealed that shorter collapse-to-­ROC time predicted favorable outcomes. Not unexpectedly, the likelihood of neurologic recovery decreased 5% for every one-minute increment in collapse-to-ROC time. A threshold at 38.5 minutes resuscitation time was found, wherein favorable neurologic outcomes could still be had. The authors concluded that, based on this large nationwide registry, resuscitation efforts may be needed for as long as 38 minutes.

My take:

In the struggle to improve survival of cardiac arrest, education looms large.

Bolstering my view that public education matters comes from this French study published earlier this year in the European Heart Journal. Researchers looked at regional variation in outcomes from cardiac arrest at sporting events. They found that "major regional disparities exist in survival rates (up to 10-fold) after [sudden cardiac arrest] during sports. [Sudden-cardiac-arrest] cases from regions with the highest levels of bystander resuscitation had the best survival rates to hospital admission and discharge."

This was a powerful study because survival rates varied in bordering French counties. That means there were not likely other confounders that could have resulted in disparate survival rates. Consider this quote from the discussion:

T  he Côte d'Or region in Burgundy and the Nord region, which had the highest survival rates among all regions, have been the two most active in terms of public education, with the first [automated external defibrillator] AED deployments and associated community-based sessions, which started in 1993, 14 years before the registration of public AEDs in France.

Regular readers of this column know that I think modern cardiology practice overemphasizes therapy of established disease. We should never stop promoting the idea that if we eat and sleep well and we move and smile a lot, there would be far fewer cardiac arrests to treat. Humans, with their ability to make simple choices, have great control over the factors that cause cardiac arrest, like plaque rupture, inflammation, and electrical instability.

But . . . in the treatment of cardiac arrest we can have success in both—prevention and intervention. While we promote healthy lifestyles and see fewer cardiac arrests, we can still work hard at promoting the early and effective intervention in cardiac arrest. That this requires education of and teamwork with the public constitutes a win-win-win situation.

It's good for cardiac arrest victims, it's good for the bystander who intervenes, and it's good for society in general. Plus, it's easy!

Good job, American Heart Association!

JMM

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Are you ready to save a life?  My brother-in-law, Dr. Danny Fong, sent me the following link to four 2-minute videos that will teach you quickly how to perform life-saving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) should you encounter a loved one or stranger who has collapsed from a cardiac arrest:

  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HandsOnlyCPR/DemosandVideos/Demos-and-Videos_UCM_440561_Article.jsp. 

A couple of these videos are not only informative but also funny (see Dr. Ken Jeong’s lesson).   Do yourself a favor and watch them with your family & friends.  The life that is saved may be a loved one, or even your own!  As Mr. Spock used to say on Star Trek, “Live long and prosper.” Click Here to read the article:

American Heart Association: 2013 Day 1; Improving Survival in Cardiac Arrest- A worthy Goal!

Please pray for the many people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines. Click here to read about what Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is doing to help those who have been devastated by the natural disaster.

The Articles of Operation provides a description of how the organizational entities and leadership positions of the U.S. Cursillo Movement interact at the national, regional, and diocesan levels.  This document is a compilation of and replacement for the previous editions of the National Policy, Articles of Operation, and Regional Structural Guidelines.  The Regional Service Team Spiritual Advisor is mentioned on page 24 (however, a full description is found in the 2012 Spiritual Advisor’s Manual available for $10 from the National Cursillo Center:  https://www.natl-cursillo.org/orderl.html).

Of particular interest to diocesan movements are pages 22-27.   This information should be of interest to current and potential Spiritual Advisors and Cursillo lay leaders, especially the members of your diocesan Secretariat and School of Leaders:



1.       Section B – Diocesan Representation at Regional meetings (page 22)

2.       Section C – Meetings & Section D – Regional Service Team (page 23)

3.       Article VI – Diocesan School of Leaders (page 25)

4.       Article VII – Criteria for Diocesan Movements (page 25)



I also received and have attached the National Cursillo Apostolic Plan (dated November 3, 2012) which describes the overall mission of the U.S. Cursillo Movement.  This “big picture” overview is useful information for all Cursillistas.



Any questions about information in these documents should be addressed first to your diocesan Cursillo Secretariat and if necessary forwarded to your Cursillo Regional Coordinator, Sis. Margie Acol.

Pope Francis is having a picture perfect week.

The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics donned a bright red nose and clowned around with a newlywed couple inside the Vatican on Wednesday.

The Argentine-born pontiff posed with the bride and groom, who are volunteers at a charity that brings clown therapy to sick children.

The lighthearted moment came hours after Pope Francis kissed and prayed with a severely disfigured man at the end of his general audience at St. Peter’s Square.

In the eight months since he was elected pope, the 76-year-old pontiff has emerged as an endearing figure known for his humility and desire to build a more inclusive church.

When a young boy wandered on stage during a homily last month, the pontiff let him stay by his side and even gave him a playful pat on the head.

Pope Francis has stayed true to his humble Jesuit roots by choosing to live a simple life. He has declined to move into the lavish papal apartments and insists on carrying his own bags .

Oh, and his clown car of choice for getting around the Vatican? It’s a 1984 Renault.