Monthly Archives: December 2014

Catholics Return Home offers free workshop

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By John Robb
Catholics Returning Home (CRH) is a program designed to help lay parish leaders and clergy invite inactive Catholics back to Mass and the sacraments. The program’s founder, Sally Mews, will be the keynote speaker at a special Southeast regional CRH boot camp to be held Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, at St. Ignatius Paris in the Archdiocese of Mobile, Ala.
“I’m so excited about the great response Alabama and Mississippi volunteers have gotten in just a few years, that I feel called to personally help you take CRH to the next level,” said Mews. About 200 returning Catholics have participated in CRH sessions in Mobile. Many have returned to the sacraments.
Some CRH “graduates” sponsor their unbaptized spouses, children and siblings in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, (RCIA) to prepare them to enter the church. CRH has proven to be a fruitful companion program to RCIA since many candidates for each often come from the same families.
Both processes also share the same goal: bringing people to Christ. This organic link between CRH and RCIA will be just one of the workshop topics.
Mews has ministered to inactive Catholics for more than three decades and served on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Evangelization Committee that produced its definitive directory: A Time To Listen … A Time To Heal. She has also written several books about reaching inactive Catholics. CRH is offered across America, Canada and world-wide as far away as Australia. In the Mobile Archdiocese, CRH is now offered by seventeen host and co-sponsor parishes.
The regional CRH Boot Camp for parish volunteers and workers starts at 9 a.m. Saturday Jan. 31st at St. Ignatius Parish on Springhill Avenue.
The workshop is free and includes a free continential breakfast and box lunch. Attendees must reserve a place by contacting John Robb, 251 605-9710, or john.robb@raymondjames.com.

Women of Spirit: Diocesan Sisters celebrated

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The Leadership Conference for Women Religious has turned a touring exhibit, seen above, into a one-hour documentary called “Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America.” The documentary is coming to Jackson St. Richard Parish in January. (Photos courtesy of www.womenandspirit.org)

As part of the celebration for the Year of the Consecrated Life, St. Dominic Hospital and Jackson St. Richard Parish are hosting a screening of the documentary, “Women and Spirit, Catholic Sisters in America,” as well as a discussion on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, at 1 p.m.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) prepared an exhibit that traveled to several cities in the U.S. The documentary is an offshoot of the exhibit. The exhibit and film, according to press materials, narrates the virtually untold story of women who exercised leadership at a time when few women enjoyed such possibilities. Theirs is a story of quiet courage during many dramatic moments in the history of America.
The one-hour film documents the work these women did in healthcare, education, social justice, civil rights, research and many other fields as well as profiling modern women religious with an eye to the future.

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Sisters were able to advocate at events such as the March on Washington. The documentary tells the story of how Catholic religious women in America took on leadership roles and how they impacted the history of the nation through their work in healthcare, education, social justice and many other areas.

“To understand what the women religious have done for our state of Mississippi and their faithful engagement in ministry the past 150 years, is an overwhelming gift to us as well as all of America,” said Sister Therese Jacobs, BVM, the event organizer. After the screening, Sister Helen Garvey, BVM, the chairperson of the LCWR Committee which prepared the traveling exhibit, will speak. “Sister Helen is informed, articulate, delightful and has a great sense of humor,” said Sister Jacobs.
In the morning, before the public viewing, sisters from across the diocese will enjoy a reception and luncheon in their honor. To learn more about the exhibit and film, visit www.womenandspirit.org.
The planning committee is also hoping to make DVDs of the documentary available after the event. For information, contact Sister Jacobs, 601-366-2335.

Obispo agradecido por peregrinación a Saltillo

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por obispo Joseph Kopacz
Desde que fui ordenado e instalado como el 11ª obispo de Jackson en febrero de este año, una de las corrientes constantes de conversación ha sido la relación entre la Diócesis de Jackson y la Diócesis de Saltillo, en el Estado de Coahuila, México. Se hizo evidente para mí que un gran cruce cultural de evangelización se ha estado desarrollando durante más de 45 años, y ha tocado las vidas de miles de personas en ambos lados de la frontera.
Uno de mis objetivos durante mi primer año como obispo era el de encontrar un momento adecuado para realizar una peregrinación para visitar a nuestros amigos en Cristo que están a 1000 millas al sur de los Estados Unidos. La oportunidad se presentó en la semana del Día de Acción de Gracias, y la siguiente es un relato de esta breve incursión en la increíble experiencia de la misión.
Monseñor Mike Flannery y yo fuimos a visitar la misión diocesana en Saltillo, México, este 27 de noviembre y regresamos el 2 diciembre. Monseñor Flannery había servido en la misión en Saltillo durante tres años a principios de los años 70, al final de los 29 años del servicio misionero del Padre Patrick Quinn. El siguiente es un resumen de nuestras actividades de acuerdo a la descripción del Padre Mike.
“El Obispo Kopacz quería conocer San Miguel y los diversos programas de extensión patrocinados por la misión. Nos reunimos con los sacerdotes, los catequistas y los voluntarios y visitamos dos ejidos (Santa Rosa y Sabanillas). Dentro de la ciudad de Saltillo visitamos las siete iglesias patrocinadas por la misión. En nuestra última noche participamos en la bendición de la primera piedra para la construcción de la Divina Misericordia con el Obispo Raúl Vera, Obispo de Saltillo, y al final de la reunión disfrutamos de una cena con el Obispo Vera y el Padre David Martínez y el Padre Evelio Casarrubias, los dos sacerdotes mexicanos asignados a San Miguel. Nuestra reunión con el Obispo Raúl salió muy bien. El acogió con beneplácito nuestro compromiso con la misión y espera que continúe la cooperación inter-diocesana mientras seguimos avanzando.
La Divina Misericordia es una impresionante nueva aventura que incluirá todo un complejo que tendrá una iglesia, un hogar para madres solteras, y un dormitorio para los estudiantes de los pueblos cercanos que quieren asistir a la universidad de la ciudad de Saltillo, pero no puede pagar el alquiler de viviendas. El lote es de una magnitud considerable (100 metros por 100 metros) y tiene un gran potencial para una futura expansión. El Obispo Kopacz quedó encantado de San Miguel, los sacerdotes, los colaboradores, los catequistas y los voluntarios. Él compartirá con ustedes sus impresiones.”
Como indica el Padre Mike, disfrutamos de cuatro días completos de actividad pastoral. Permítanme resumir algunos hechos recientes en la historia de nuestra relación con Saltillo. El Padre Bennie Pavone, un sacerdote jubilado de Nueva Orleáns, había estado trabajando en la Misión San Miguel durante seis años, y él y yo habíamos planeado mi visita pastoral para principios del este verano. Él murió repentinamente en agosto, y su comunidad parroquial de la Ascensión del Señor en La Plaza, Louisiana, lo encomendó a Dios con abundante amor y respeto. Antes del Padre Bennie, los sacerdotes de las diócesis de Jackson y Biloxi había prestado servicios en la misión durante 40 años. El Padre Patrick Quinn fue el bien amado pastor por 29 años y derramó su vida en el cuidado del pueblo del Señor, sobre todo en muchos ranchos lejanos.
Hasta hace unos seis años, un gran número de católicos de Mississippi viajaban todos los años a Saltillo para servir en las misiones. Esto creó una red de relaciones personales que figuran en las palabras del Papa Francisco, una cultura de encuentro entre discípulos misioneros. Una red de oración, generosidad, y ayuda fluyó hacia el norte y hacia el sur. El objetivo de la misión es servir a los pobres, especialmente a los marginados que se olvidan fácilmente. A la luz de esta notable historia, el Padre Mike y yo reconocimos la urgencia de nuestra visita.
En primer lugar, fue una oportunidad para fortalecer los lazos que nos unen. Yo tuve la oportunidad de partir el pan (tortillas) con el Obispo Raúl como Padre Mike indicó, y conocer a los principales dirigentes de la Misión San Miguel. Para el Padre Mike también fue una oportunidad conocer a los directivos de esta generación, y reavivar los lazos que se establecieron hace más de 40 años. Después de muchas inspiradoras liturgias, muchas comidas suntuosas que siguieron a la mayoría de las liturgias, y muchos kilómetros de senderos entre los sinuosos caminos de la ciudad, el Padre Mike y yo podríamos decir que teníamos el olor de las ovejas en las palabras del Papa Francisco, en el conocimiento del ambiente rural y de las muchas personas que conocieron.
Nuestra misión era determinar el grado en que los dirigentes actuales en la Misión San Miguel están fomentando la visión del Padre Quinn y la visión de las miles de personas de Mississippi que viajan a la misión, y/o apoyan a través de la oración y la generosidad. Esta visión se articula en un libro publicado recientemente en testimonio al Padre Quinn escrito por Jesús Alberto Salas Cortes.
A principios de su ministerio, cuando la gente del pueblo empezó a murmurar que él está pasando demasiado tiempo en el monte, él respondió que “había ido a Saltillo para servir a la gente de los ranchos, y que no estaba preocupado por las críticas y denuncias que ésto provocaba. Por lo tanto, dedicó la mayor parte de su tiempo a visitar los ranchos, donde construyó capillas con la asistencia de la población de las diócesis de Mississippi.
Como el Padre Mike indicó en su resumen de nuestra peregrinación, pudimos palpar de cerca la dedicación de los dirigentes actuales, y el fiel desarrollo del sueño del Padre Quinn. Las mujeres y los hombres, los sacerdotes y los religiosos, están trabajando juntos para desarrollar esa área en base a esa visión.
Me sentí edificado, humilde, e inspirado al experimentar tanto en un breve período de tiempo, y les quiero asegurar que nuestro apoyo a la misión en el futuro continuará el legado.
Es triste que la realidad en México es demasiado peligrosa para los viajes misioneros, y que ni la diócesis de Biloxi ni la de Jackson pueden ofrecer un sacerdote para el servicio. Pero podemos permanecer activos en el futuro inmediato a través de la oración, la generosidad y las visitas pastorales. A través de nuestro mejorado sitio web diocesano y red de comunicación vamos a poder traer nuestra familia misionera muy cerca a casa de una forma regular.
En resumen, además de orar, comer y conversar, cociné mi primera tortilla, preparé cemento para la piedra angular de la construcción de la Divina Misericordia, y anduve por senderos y carreteras durante horas. Mi primera peregrinación a nuestra querida misión no será la última.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros.
En el Adviento fe y esperanza, Ven, Señor Jesús.

Bishop thankful for Saltillo pilgrimage

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By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
Since I was ordained and installed, as the 11th bishop of Jackson way back in February, one of the steady streams of conversation has been the relationship between the Diocese of Jackson and the Diocese of Saltillo, in the State of Coahuila, Mexico.  It became obvious to me that considerable cross cultural evangelization has been at work for more than 45 years, and it has touched the lives of thousands on each side of the border. One of my goals for my first year as bishop was to find a suitable time to make a pilgrimage to our friends in Christ 1,000 miles to the south.  That opportunity presented itself over the Thanksgiving weekend, and the following is a snap shot of this brief venture into an amazing mission experience.
Msgr. Mike Flannery and I went to visit our inter-diocesan mission in Saltillo, Mexico on November 27th and returned on December 2nd. Msgr. Flannery had served in the Saltillo mission for three years in the early 70’s at the outset of Father Patrick Quinn’s 29 years of missionary service. The following is a summary of our activities from Msgr. Flannery. “Bishop Kopacz wanted to get to know San Miguel, and the various outreach programs sponsored by the mission. We met with the priests, catechists and volunteers and visited two ejidos (Santa Rosa and Sabanillas).
“Within the city of Saltillo we visited the seven churches sponsored by the mission. On our final night we participated in the blessing of the foundation stone of Divina Misericordia with Bishop Raul Vera, Bishop of Saltillo, and we ended the meeting enjoying dinner with Bishop Raul Vera and Father David and Father Evelio, the two Mexican priests assigned to San Miguel. Our meeting with Bishop Raul went very well. He welcomed our involvement with the mission and hoped for a continuance of cooperation in the inter-diocesan agreement as we move forward.
“Divina Misericordia is an impressive new venture that will include a whole complex consisting of a church, a home for unwed mothers, and a dormitory for students from the villages who want to attend university in Saltillo but cannot afford the housing rent. The lot is quite sizeable (100 meters by 100 meters) and has great potential for future expansion. Bishop Kopacz was enamored with San Miguel, the priests, staff, catechists and volunteers. He will share with you his impressions.”
As Msgr. Flannery indicates we enjoyed four full days of pastoral activity. Allow me to summarize some recent history in our relationship with Saltillo. Father Bennie Piovan, a retired priest from New Orleans, had been laboring in the San Miguel Mission for six years, and he and I had arranged for my pastoral visit earlier in the summer. He died suddenly in August, and his parish community of the Ascension of the Lord in La Place, Louisiana, commended him to God with abundant love and respect. Prior to Father Bennie, the priests of the Jackson and Biloxi dioceses had served the mission for 40 years.  Father Patrick Quinn was the beloved good shepherd for 29 years and poured out his life in the care of the Lord’s people, especially on many remote ranchos.
Up until about six years ago countless thousands of Mississippi Catholics had journeyed to Saltillo to serve in the missions. This created a network of personal relationships that embodied in the words of Pope Francis, a culture of encounter among missionary disciples.  A pipeline of prayer, generosity, and assistance flowed north and south. The mission was to serve the poor, especially those on the fringes who are easily forgotten. In light of this remarkable history Msgr. Flannery and I recognized the urgency of our visit.
First and foremost it was an opportunity to strengthen the ties that bind us together.  I was able to break bread (tortillas) with Bishop Raul as Msgr. Flannery indicated, and to meet the key leadership throughout the San Miguel Mission. For Msgr. Flannery it was an opportunity also to meet the leadership of this generation, and to rekindle older bonds that were forged more than 40 years ago. Many inspiring liturgies later, many sumptuous meals following most of the liturgies, and many miles off the beaten paths including winding city streets, Msgr. Flannery and I could say that we had the smell of the sheep, in the words of Pope Francis, and the lay of the land.
Our mission was to ascertain the degree to which the current leadership in the San Miguel Mission was fostering the vision of Father Quinn and the vision of countless thousands who journeyed from Mississippi to the mission, and/or supported it through prayer and generosity. This vision is articulated in a just published book in testimony to Father Quinn written by Jesus Alberto Salas Cortes. Early in his ministry, when people in town began to murmur that he was spending too much time out in the boondocks, he replied that “he had come to Saltillo to serve the people of the ranchos, and that he was not concerned about the criticism and complaints that this provoked. Thus he dedicated the greater part of his time visiting the ranchos, where he built chapels with the assistance of the people of the Diocese of Jackson.
As Msgr. Flannery indicated in his summary of our pilgrimage, we experienced firsthand the dedication of the current leadership, and the faithful development of Father Quinn’s dream. Women and men, priests and religious are working together to build upon that vision. I was edified, humbled and inspired to experience so much in a brief period of time, and I want to assure you that our support for the mission going forward will carry on the legacy. It is sad that the reality in Mexico is far too dangerous for mission trips, and that neither Biloxi nor Jackson is able to release a priest for service. But we can remain active for the foreseeable future through prayer and generosity, as well as through pastoral visits. Through our enhanced diocesan website and communication network we will be able to bring our mission family very close to home on a regular basis.
In summary, along with praying, eating and conversing, I baked my first tortilla, ladled cement for the cornerstone of Divine Mercy, and bounced along rutted roads for hours. My first pilgrimage to our beloved mission will not be my last.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
In Advent faith and hope, Come Lord Jesus.
(Editor’s note: see related story on page 16)

The Pope’s Corner: Pope composes prayer for Immaculate Conception

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ROME (CNS) – In the heart of Rome’s high-end shopping district, sparkling with Christmas lights and shiny baubles in the windows of famous designers, Pope Francis prayed that people would spend time in silence and in service as they prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, Pope Francis prayed for Mary’s intercession so that, “in us, your children, grace also will prevail over pride, and we can become merciful like our heavenly Father is merciful.”
Before laying a basket of cream-colored roses at the foot of a statue of the Immaculate Conception near Rome’s Spanish Steps, Pope Francis recited a special prayer he composed for the occasion.
Pope Francis said Mary being conceived without sin should give all Christians hope and strength “in the daily battle that we must conduct against the threats of evil,” because her immaculate conception is proof that evil does not have power over love.
“In this struggle we are not alone, we are not orphans,” he said, because Jesus gave his mother to be our mother.
“Today we invoke her maternal protection on us, our families, this city and the world,” the pope said, praying that God would “free humanity from every spiritual and material slavery.”
“In this time that leads up to the feast of Jesus’ birth, teach us how to go against the current,” Pope Francis prayed to Mary. Teach people how to be unencumbered, “to give ourselves, to listen, to be silent, to not focus on ourselves, but to leave space for the beauty of God, the source of true joy.”
Commenting on the feast day’s Gospel reading – Luke’s story of the annunciation to Mary that she would be Jesus’ mother – the pope said it was important that Mary did not respond, “I will do what you say,” but “May it be done unto me.”
“The attitude of Mary of Nazareth,” he said, “shows us that being comes before doing, and that we must let God do in order to be truly as he wants us to be. He will accomplish marvels in us.”
“We, too, are asked to listen to God, who speaks to us and accept his will,” the pope said. “According to Gospel logic, nothing is more effective and fruitful than listening and accepting the word of the Lord.”
And while Mary was conceived without sin – a special and unique privilege – “we, too, always have been ‘blessed,’ that is loved, and therefore ‘chosen before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him,’” as the day’s reading from Ephesians said.
Recognizing how blessed they are, the pope said, Christians must be filled with gratitude and ready to share their blessings with others.

Self-Sacrifice and the Eucharist

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IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
In 1996, Muslim extremists martyred nearly an entire community of Trappist monks in Atlas, Algeria. Many of us, thanks to the movie, Of Gods and Men, are familiar with their story and are familiar too with the extraordinary faith and courage with which these monks, particularly their Abbott, Christian de Cherge, met their deaths. Indeed the last letters of Christian de Cherge reveal a faith and love that is truly extraordinary.
For example, in the months leading up to his death, when he already sensed what was to befall him, he wrote a letter to his family within which he already forgave his killers and hoped that they would later be with him in heaven, with both them and him playing in the sun before God.  As well, after his first face-to-face meeting with a terrorist leader, who has just beheaded nine people, he prayed: “Disarm me, disarm them.”
In his journals, which are published today, he shares this story: On the morning of his First Communion, he told his mother that he really didn’t understand what he was doing in receiving the Eucharist. His mother replied, simply: “You will understand later on.” His journals then trace how his understanding of the Eucharist deepened during his lifetime, especially in the light of his interrelation with Islam and one extraordinary incident in his life.  This was the extraordinary incident:
From July 1959 until January 1961, Christian was an officer serving with the French army in Algeria. While there, he befriended a man named Mohammed, a family man, a simple man, and a devout Muslim. They soon forged a very deep bond. One day, during a military skirmish, Christian was taken captive by the Algerian army. His friend, Mohammed, intervened and convinced his captors that Christian was sympathetic to their cause. Christian was released but, the next day, Mohammed was found murdered, in retaliation for his role in freeing Christian.
This act of selflessness by his Muslim friend, who in effect gave his life for Christian, permanently seared Christian’s soul. It was never far from his mind and his decision, as a monk, to return to Algeria and live in solidarity with the Muslim community at Atlas and remain there until he died, was largely a result of that foundational event. But it also deepened his understanding of the Eucharist.
His mother had told him: “You will understand later,” and now he did understand: The Eucharist doesn’t just make Jesus present; it also makes present his sacrificial death for us. Jesus died for us “and for the many;” but so too did his friend, Mohammed. He also gave his death for another and in that sacrifice both imitated Jesus’ death and participated in it. Thus, for Christian, every time he celebrated the Eucharist, he celebrated too the gift of Mohammed’s sacrifice for him. His friend, Mohammed, had also shed his blood “for the many.”
Mohammed’s sacrifice helped Christian to recognize and more deeply appropriate Jesus’ sacrifice because he believed that, in the Eucharist, Jesus’ sacrifice and his friend’s sacrifice were both made real and both rendered present. Christian believed that Christ’s sacrifice includes the sacrifice shown in every act of sacrificial love and consequently his friend’s sacrifice was part of Christ’s sacrifice.
He’s right. At every Eucharist we memorialize the gift that Jesus made of his death, but that memorial includes too the sacrificial gift of everyone who has imitated Jesus’ selfless love and sacrifice. In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ that we memorialize includes the sacrifice of all who have died, however unconsciously, “for the many.”
The Eucharist is a far-reaching mystery with multiple depths and levels of meaning. We don’t ever fully grasp it. But we’re in good company: When Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper the apostles also didn’t really understand what he was doing, as is witnessed by Peter’s protests when Jesus tries to wash their feet. Peter’s protests show clearly that he did not comprehend what Jesus meant in this Eucharistic gesture. And so, Jesus’ words to Peter and the apostles are almost identical to those Christian de Cherge’s mother spoke to him when he told her that he didn’t understand the Eucharist: “Later, you will understand.”
When I made my First Communion, I had a childlike understanding of the Eucharist. In my seven-year-old, catechized mind, I believed that I was receiving the real body of Jesus and that, at the Mass where the Eucharistic hosts were consecrated, we celebrated the sacrifice of Jesus that opened the gates of heaven for us. Numerous theology degrees and 60 years later, I know now that what I understood about the Eucharist as a child was correct; but I also know that when those two things, Christ’s real presence and Christ’s sacrifice for us, are unpackaged, we find ourselves immersed in an ineffable mystery within which, among other things, all who sacrifice in love for us are also part of the Real Presence.
And so we keep going to Eucharist, knowing that later, we will understand.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.)

Let Isaiah inspire cooperation

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Complete the circle
By George Evans
I am writing this column during the first week of Advent.  After hearing the voice of Isaiah from the Lectionary on Tuesday and Wednesday I knew I had my choice of topic as I stared at my blank computer screen. I find these two passages from Isaiah, 11:1-10 and 25:6-10, as the most meaningful, uplifting, inspiring and beautiful of anything in the Old Testament prophets. Please read them and join me in this Advent reflection.
“A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” Why is this shoot so special? Because, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” And because of this ‘’Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”
This special one shall wear “Justice as the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” As Catholic Christians we know this special one in Isaiah’s prophecy is Jesus whose birth we wait with anticipation to celebrate shortly once again. To do so well we must wear justice as a band around our waist and judge the poor accordingly not by appearances or hearsay. We must sprout because the Spirit of the Lord has rested upon us as He did upon Jesus. Isaiah then paints the magnificent vision of what will happen when all the above takes place.
The wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the calf and the young lion, the cow and the bear, the lion and the ox shall all lie down together and be at peace and “There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.”
The knowledge of the Lord shall do all these things. It does it for us as well. Democrats and Republicans shall cooperate and rule for the good of all, progressive and conservative Catholics shall drop their anathemas directed at each other and embrace for the good of Christ’s body, the church. Rich and poor shall share the goods of creation given to all by the Lord of all and do the necessary tough work together to heal the scars of poverty, resentment, prejudice and fear in our culture. Our systems will be changed so that all prosper by the efforts of each other.
Isaiah’s Wednesday passage is so special I want it read at my funeral. “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.”
Everyone gets great food and wine.  No one can complain about that but we must all cooperate with the Lord to make it come true. And if we do, that same Lord will “Destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” That intimacy we all long for with the Lord which St. Augustine and all saints proclaim will finally be realized.
“On that day it will be said: Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.”
The Jesus we long for again in this Advent season, though already with us, will come again in the blessed spirit of Christmas so that in the neediness of our flesh and blood we can be nourished in the incarnation of God into flesh and blood to forever show us the way and give us a model to follow.
Isaiah tells us what God will bring from the shoot from the stump of Jesse, how He will impact the world we live in, how He will bring peace and harmony to the animals and children, how on His holy mountain there will be no more harm or ruin for anyone. He invites us to eat rich food and drink choice wines, to have our tears wiped away forever, to rejoice and be glad that he has saved us.
We now need to buy in as He has taught us. To believe in Him as Lord and Savior, to seek and follow the will of the Father, to pick up our cross and follow him, to be a servant and not a master. To love unconditionally as He has loved us. To let love and compassion rule in our lives rather than anger and greed and to be active rather than passive. To welcome him again at Christmas with open arms and sheer delight. To enjoy rich food and choice wines and be glad and grateful that He has saved us.
(George Evans is a pastoral minister at Jackson St. Richard Parish.)