Catholic Charities of Arkansas is preparing to conduct COVID-19 vaccination clinics at 4 parishes in central Arkansas. The possible timeframe for these clinics will be late March to mid-April. In preparing for these clinics, we are seeking healthcare professionals who are licensed to give shots to volunteer to help with these clinics. If you are interested in assisting, please contact Liz Tingquist at the Diocese of Little Rock, ltingquist@dolr.org or call (501) 664-0340, ext. 333.
Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church offers a virtual career transition group for those who are unemployed or underemployed. The group is open to all denominations of faith. The group will: (1) provide a spiritual network for the unemployed/underemployed, (2) will introduce tools and techniques in the job search, and (3) will provide networking opportunities for those un-employed/underemployed. The group will meet via Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday on the month at 7:30 p.m. For those interested in joining the group, please email lrcareertransi-tion@gmail.com.
Help Our Marriage: A Marriage program that helps couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship. A Christian marriage program, Catholic in origin, where couples of all faiths or no faith background are encouraged to attend. Primarily a practical program to improve communication, build stronger marriages, and help couples reconnect. Presenters are not trained marriage counselors, but rather couples sharing their personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to rediscover their love. A Virtual Weekend on ZOOM will be held January 28-31, 2021. To sign-up go to helpourmarriage.org. For further information call 800-470-2230 or 501-834-1956
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate the Mass for Life Sunday, Jan.17 at noon in the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. It was moved to the Cathedral to safeguard against COVID-19. This Mass will also be live streamed on the Diocese of Little Rock YouTube channel to allow anyone to watch online. Subscribe to the channel to get notifications of when new videos are posted. Each year, this Mass is held to mark the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions that legalized abortion in the United States in 1973. For more information, please contact Catherine Phillips, in the Respect Life Office, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 326.
Unfortunately, because of the ongoing pandemic, there will not be Eucharistic Procession for Life or a Hearts for Life Conference in 2021. Arkansas Right to Life still plans to host the March for Life on January 17 at 2:00 p.m. behind the Capitol. For questions or more information, please contact the Respect Life Office 501-664-0340 ext. 326 or email cphillips@dolr.org for more information.WHEN GOD WHISPERS “You don’t need to shout. My hearing works just fine.” Are you a parent that has used that one on your kids? I’m not sure at what age they realize that the volume of their voice doesn’t correlate to the likelihood of receiving a favorable reply —it might be sometime in the teenage years, when the talking slows down altogether. But I’ve got to admit, it would be nice if God always gave us a loud and dramatic sign when He wanted something —the booming voice and the torn-open heavens (“This is my beloved Son!”) re-ally get the message across. Sometimes I find my-self envious of the Apostles, who were able to witness such things in person.The fact of the matter is, in the year 2021, God is more likely to speak in a whisper than in a shout. The prophet Isaiah forewarns that Christ himself will not be a noisemaker —for all his preaching, he will not cry out or shout to bring forth justice to the nations. His way is altogether different than that.We are not the Apostles, and we do not have the privilege of seeing the Holy Spirit descend on Christ like a dove. But here’s the good news: God doesn’t need to shout. Our spiritual hearing works just fine. We just have to be listening.Let’s wake up each morning ready to hear God’s whispers throughout the day. Let’s make a conscious effort to invite those whispers into our hearts, where they can become a catalyst for grace in this world.—Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS