NFP: A Preachable Message (book/CD)

[Guest guest]

BOMA-USA has a book and CD called, "NFP: A Preachable Message" which are excellent tools for clergy.

They started years ago when we produced an audiotape version (before CDs were prominent).

The audiotape/CD features candid interviews with bishops and priests (and a physician-deacon from

Canada) about how they have preached on Humanae vitae/NFP from the pulpit and in person. A bishop

on the East Coast liked the interviews but said what they really need are some homilies. To make a long

story short, the interviews were transcribed, a dozen homilies were obtained and we had a

priest research the Liturgies of the Day and he gave specific scripture passages that lend themselves to

discussing HV/NFP.

If anyone is interested in being notified when the second printing is available, please contact

me directly: boma-usamsn. They feature a number of well-known clergy.

Sue Ek

BOMA-USAwww.boma-usa.org

www.billingslife.org

To: nfpprofessionals From: jrvg98@...Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:24:01 -0700Subject: Re: Supporting Priests who Preach about Contraception from the Pulpit

Hello ,

I happened to meet Bishop Finn yesterday and today and we spoke a little bit about this. Thanks be to God for bishops like him. Your idea about the support of married couples for the priest preaching about beauty goodness and truths of married love is a very good one. I was glad to read the comments and ideas by Fr. and Fr. Tom, and hope to read 's blog. Dominic's question (comment) generated this interesting thread.

Fr.

To the priests on the loop here:

As long as I have been the lesser half of an NFP teaching couple, I have come to respect the way the Holy Spirit inspires my wife. She has most recently been wrestling with the issue of the silence from the pulpit for this core teaching of the Faith, particularly since some of the priests we know - who are "orthodox" - continue to be silent in spite of their professed admiration in this teaching. As such we have taken a great interest in these discussions, and she was sharing with me some of the discussions from this server list. When we were discussing this matter a moment ago, two ideas struck me.

First, our local ordinary, Bishop Finn, once told us that he got the courage to preach on contraception not to convert the unconvinced, but to encourage those who practice this lifestyle. Without the leadership from the pulpit, the discussions cannot begin in the pews, where those who practice can at least have a chance of having conversations with those who oppose the concept of NFP, or who are curious about NFP. Secondly, I have observed that those priests who have waded into the contraception fray from the pulpit invariably tell the stories of getting waylaid after Mass by the angry notion that a celibate man has no business talking about a married couples married life.

A small sort of strategy came to mind. Many years ago, when we were active in Marriage Encounter, they would have a short talk after Mass to invite people to a weekend. Methinks that if a priest is going to draw the ire of those contraceptors in the pews, he should have a lighting rod for them to gravitate towards. Those of us who practice this lifestyle should make ourselves available to absorb the shock, and reverse the ire into something more positive - a discussion of the great fruits of this lifestyle, for instance. So my strategy is simple - acknowledge that it is an unpopular teaching, and present a real live example of its fruits at the end of the Mass.

I'm sure this isn't really ground-breaking, and has been tried somewhere before I am sure, but perhaps THIS is the key to giving some priests the courage to preach this important message.

What do you think, Padres?

In Christ,

on

NFP Intl.

Kansas City, MO

Fr. ,

I fully agree with you and would encourage all faithful Catholics especially those in the pews not to remain so silent and counter the vocal detractors within the Church. Imagine how effective it would be were parishioners leaving mass saying, We needed to hear that. We need to break through the wall of disapproval which so many priest either face or imagine. Christ have mercy.

Fr. Tom

Fr. Tom,

You remind us of this important responsibility we have as priests. In talks and retreats to my brother priests I will keep this in mind.

I do think, however, that well formed physicians, should respectfully meet with their bishop and offer to help them. Some of them are willing to do to something but don't know what. Recently one on the server list met along with a priest with the bishops of two neighboring dioceses and spoke with them about the vision of Catholic health care. If I recall correctly from a brief e-mail she told me the meeting was very positive.

Diane, what you write is essential. Some people have been working on this. I noted Sr. Hanna's comment. Attached are some brief notes which I occasionally give to parents. I would welcome your comments. The format is unfortunately not the original.

Please pray for a group of health care students at UCSF. We are planning some talks and activities for the Fall.

Fr.

-- Fr. R. Vélez765 14th Ave, Apt 1San Francisco, CA 94118Website: www.newmanbiography.com

-- Fr. R. Vélez765 14th Ave, Apt 1San Francisco, CA 94118Website: www.newmanbiography.com

[Guest guest]

It has been several years since One More Soul published Called to Give Life: A Sourcebook on the Blessings of Children and the Harm of Contraception by . He started with a collection of homilies we had acquired over the years--Part II. He added enough Foundations--Part I--for a priest/deacon/bishop to compose his own homily, and a Part III on "Pastoral Considerations". It has a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, a Blessing by Cardinal Rigali, a Foreward by Archbishop Chaput, and testimonials from Archbishops Pilarczyk and Chaput, Bishop Vasa, West, Sam & Bethany Torode (Sam designed the cover), and Steve Ray. Though the book is out of print, an electronic version can be purchased for $5.95 at http://onemoresoul.com/catalog/called-to-give-life-pdf-p388.html . A Study Guide is included.

"Called to Give Life is an extremely useful resource for all those who wish to preach and teach what the Church preaches and teaches."--Most Reverend E Pilarczyk, then Archbihshop of Cincinnati

We could reprint this great resource if several dioceses would commit to purchase it for all their priest and deacons.

Thanks and blessings.

Steve Koob

Director

One More Soul

To: nfpprofessionals From: boma-usa@...Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 09:38:13 -0500Subject: NFP: A Preachable Message (book/CD)

BOMA-USA has a book and CD called, "NFP: A Preachable Message" which are excellent tools for clergy.They started years ago when we produced an audiotape version (before CDs were prominent). The audiotape/CD features candid interviews with bishops and priests (and a physician-deacon from Canada) about how they have preached on Humanae vitae/NFP from the pulpit and in person. A bishop on the East Coast liked the interviews but said what they really need are some homilies. To make a longstory short, the interviews were transcribed, a dozen homilies were obtained and we had a priest research the Liturgies of the Day and he gave specific scripture passages that lend themselves todiscussing HV/NFP. If anyone is interested in being notified when the second printing is available, please contactme directly: boma-usamsn. They feature a number of well-known clergy. Sue EkBOMA-USAwww.boma-usa.orgwww.billingslife.org

To: nfpprofessionals From: jrvg98@...Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:24:01 -0700Subject: Re: Supporting Priests who Preach about Contraception from the Pulpit

Hello ,

I happened to meet Bishop Finn yesterday and today and we spoke a little bit about this. Thanks be to God for bishops like him. Your idea about the support of married couples for the priest preaching about beauty goodness and truths of married love is a very good one. I was glad to read the comments and ideas by Fr. and Fr. Tom, and hope to read 's blog. Dominic's question (comment) generated this interesting thread.

Fr.

To the priests on the loop here:

As long as I have been the lesser half of an NFP teaching couple, I have come to respect the way the Holy Spirit inspires my wife. She has most recently been wrestling with the issue of the silence from the pulpit for this core teaching of the Faith, particularly since some of the priests we know - who are "orthodox" - continue to be silent in spite of their professed admiration in this teaching. As such we have taken a great interest in these discussions, and she was sharing with me some of the discussions from this server list. When we were discussing this matter a moment ago, two ideas struck me.

First, our local ordinary, Bishop Finn, once told us that he got the courage to preach on contraception not to convert the unconvinced, but to encourage those who practice this lifestyle. Without the leadership from the pulpit, the discussions cannot begin in the pews, where those who practice can at least have a chance of having conversations with those who oppose the concept of NFP, or who are curious about NFP. Secondly, I have observed that those priests who have waded into the contraception fray from the pulpit invariably tell the stories of getting waylaid after Mass by the angry notion that a celibate man has no business talking about a married couples married life.

A small sort of strategy came to mind. Many years ago, when we were active in Marriage Encounter, they would have a short talk after Mass to invite people to a weekend. Methinks that if a priest is going to draw the ire of those contraceptors in the pews, he should have a lighting rod for them to gravitate towards. Those of us who practice this lifestyle should make ourselves available to absorb the shock, and reverse the ire into something more positive - a discussion of the great fruits of this lifestyle, for instance. So my strategy is simple - acknowledge that it is an unpopular teaching, and present a real live example of its fruits at the end of the Mass.

I'm sure this isn't really ground-breaking, and has been tried somewhere before I am sure, but perhaps THIS is the key to giving some priests the courage to preach this important message.

What do you think, Padres?

In Christ,

on

NFP Intl.

Kansas City, MO

Fr. ,

I fully agree with you and would encourage all faithful Catholics especially those in the pews not to remain so silent and counter the vocal detractors within the Church. Imagine how effective it would be were parishioners leaving mass saying, We needed to hear that. We need to break through the wall of disapproval which so many priest either face or imagine. Christ have mercy.

Fr. Tom

Fr. Tom,

You remind us of this important responsibility we have as priests. In talks and retreats to my brother priests I will keep this in mind.

I do think, however, that well formed physicians, should respectfully meet with their bishop and offer to help them. Some of them are willing to do to something but don't know what. Recently one on the server list met along with a priest with the bishops of two neighboring dioceses and spoke with them about the vision of Catholic health care. If I recall correctly from a brief e-mail she told me the meeting was very positive.

Diane, what you write is essential. Some people have been working on this. I noted Sr. Hanna's comment. Attached are some brief notes which I occasionally give to parents. I would welcome your comments. The format is unfortunately not the original.

Please pray for a group of health care students at UCSF. We are planning some talks and activities for the Fall.

Fr.

-- Fr. R. Vélez765 14th Ave, Apt 1San Francisco, CA 94118Website: www.newmanbiography.com

-- Fr. R. Vélez765 14th Ave, Apt 1San Francisco, CA 94118Website: www.newmanbiography.com