By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Just shy of 47 years a priest and now 10 years as the 11th Bishop of Jackson, I give thanks to the great High Priest, Jesus Christ for the gift of serving Him, His body the church, and the Kingdom of God in this world.

The Lord pronounced that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) This promise has been fulfilled ten-fold in my life. Indeed, abundance is the stamp of priesthood and episcopal ministry. Whether blessings or burdens, for me iIt has been a life of purpose especially over the unanticipated bends in the road.

A few days following my consecration and installation on Feb. 6, 2014, I treasured the opportunity to fly from Madison to St. Mary’s Basilica in Natchez, to St. Joseph in Greenville, to St. James in Tupelo, and to St. Joseph in Starkville, and in the process to have my first encounters with the faithful. During those 12 hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from an ariel view of 3,000 feet a large swath of the Diocese of Jackson stretched out before me, a grand view that remains vivid to this day. Play it forward, and 10 years and 300,000 miles later, via modern day horsepower, have given me boots on the ground experience forming a deep bond with the Diocese of Jackson and the State of Mississippi. Of course, it’s not a matter of miles, but of mission and ministries and the Catholic people who make up the communities of faith throughout 65 counties.

As my anniversary approached there were two events a week ago that afforded me the opportunity to deepen the understanding that the gift I have received can only be graciously lived in turn. Unexpectedly, Bishop Mario Dorsonville died from health complications after serving only 10 months as the Ordinary of Houma-Thibodaux. At his Mass of Christian burial, the shock and sadness of those in the congregation were plain to see, and at moments I could not help but be self-referential considering the timeframe of his ten months and my ten years. If he were blessed to serve ten years, he would have been my age looking back in gratitude over a decade of service in the Bayou of Louisiana. We know not the day nor the hour, only that each day is the moment at hand, and the weeks, months and years follow rhythmically under the wings of Divine Providence.

The following day, on Friday of last week I had a visitor from Northeastern Pennsylvania, who was on his way to begin a new chapter of active duty in the Army Corps Band at Fort Hood, Texas. Liam and his brother Luke, my godson, served at my Mass of consecration and installation as early adolescents. Now they are 23 and their adult lives are unfolding with energy and enthusiasm.

Over breakfast at Broad Street Bakery, he just happened to mention that he could retire after 20 years at age 42, and then floated the question – “by the way, how old will you be at retirement?” That’s a number he couldn’t even compute. As he savored his grits it struck me that over ten years a number of folks in my life have left this world, and others have come of age. And yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and yes, someday I will retire. But meanwhile I am still on active duty and grateful for the energy and motivation that propel me forward each day. Another way of naming this is God’s grace in varied and splendid ways, especially implored in the Eucharistic prayer at each Mass when I am lifted up by name.

Finally, I give thanks for the countless collaborators in the ministry – ordained, religious, and lay – whose love for the Lord Jesus and the church, whose generosity and Gospel commitment are a fountain of inspiration every day. Let the new decade begin and may the bends in the road ahead continue the adventure in that sacred space between time and eternity. Ad multos anos!

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Coming out of the splendor of the Christmas season with the culminating feasts of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord, we now return to ordinary time to remain steadfast in the work of the Lord to announce the Good News of Salvation, and the presence of the Kingdom of God, the work of conversion, and of justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)
The feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus Christ to all nations, inspired us to follow the radiance of the Gospel while circumventing the power and pull of evil in our world, as did the Magi in eluding King Herod. The Baptism of the Lord inspires us as God’s children, baptized into the life-giving death and resurrection of God’s beloved Son, to hear the call of the Lord and to put it into practice as his disciples. With the Holy Spirit as out guide we pray and dedicate ourselves to the will of God “on earth as it is in heaven.” The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the foretaste and promise of glory (2Corinthians 5:5), raising us beyond the horizon of this world to the vision of eternal life.

The national holiday this weekend offers us the bonus of an additional day away from many of our offices and workplaces and much more in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. At our Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, we are going to mark this occasion in an extra special way with an additional Mass on Sunday afternoon honoring the legacy and witness of King and of our own Sister Thea Bowman, Servant of God. They were not exactly contemporaries of one another, yet they breathed the same air with the same passion for civil rights, for freedom, justice and equality for all of God’s children.
When Martin Luther King Jr. was slain in Memphis in April 1968, Sister Thea was pursuing an advanced degree at Catholic University in Washington DC. She would take up the torch for the next 20 years until her untimely death. They were committed disciples of the Lord Jesus, MLK, Jr. a Baptist, and Bowman, a Catholic, who like the Magi were inspired to live by the light of faith and the power of the Gospel.
When Pope Francis spoke to the United States Congress in 2015, he honored King as a prophetic voice for our nation’s conscience, along with Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and Abraham Lincoln. As a national icon, Martin Luther King Jr. is a Christian prophet whose life and violent death challenge us to resist the many-sided faces of evil nonviolently. His witness still confronts us today to turn away from the sins of racism, and unbridled materialism and militarism.
On the other hand, Sister Thea is not as well known nationally but her life, cut short by cancer, also rises to the distinction of prophetic witness. She labored untiringly in the vineyard of the Lord for greater justice and peace with a passion securely anchored in the joy of the Holy Spirit. Her cause for canonization continues to gain traction in our Catholic world around our nation, while the Diocese of Jackson works behind the scenes to fulfill the requirements to move the cause forward. For example, in the recent past the diocese sponsored a documentary on her amazing life, entitled “Going Home Like a Shooting Star.” (https://bit.ly/SisterTheaFilm) Later this spring we will unveil a life-size bronze statue of Sister Thea to be nestled in the cathedral until a shrine is built in a permanent location in the diocese.
In conclusion, allow the words of these two spiritual giants to capture our imagination and vision for living.

“Everyone does not have access. When I say that, I mean that Martin Luther King Jr. was demonstrating for the rights of the poor, he was demonstrating for fair and decent housing, he was demonstrating for opportunities for adequate education. And not just adequate educational opportunity for blacks, but for all children. He was demonstrating for a land where we could love another as brothers and sisters and work together for a solution to our common problems.” (Sister Thea Bowman)
“Love yourself, if that means rational, healthy, and moral self-interest. You are commanded to do that. That is the length of life. Love your neighbor as yourself. You are commanded to do that. This is the breath of life. But never forget that there is even a greater and first commandment, ‘Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind.’ This is the height of life. And when you do this, you live the complete life.” (MLK, Jr.)

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you, they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”

These awe-filled words of St. Augustine from Book 10 of his Confessions are indeed ever ancient and ever new. They are an echo of the voices who have summoned us to prepare a way for the Lord, the eternal beauty of whom Augustine gushes. Isaiah and St. John the Baptist on behalf of the living God, have called and shouted to break through our deafness. Though them God flashes, shines and dispels our blindness.
Both prophets in extraordinary ways bring us into the presence of the light of the world, Jesus Christ, the Son of God once again this Christmas. The words of the prophet Isaiah are the ancient origin of the liberating experience of St. Augustine nearly a millennium later.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.” (61:1-2)

It was and is God’s voice calling individuals and a people out of darkness into the marvelous love of the Savior. Through faith and baptism, we are the Lord’s anointed and thus charged to be bearers of the Good News though the uniqueness of our lives and circumstances of the current generation. The gift is to be shared, and the opportunities are endless.

Next, we turn to Mary, highly favored, the chosen one full of grace who was enfolded in the beauty and power of God’s love and so exclaimed for pure joy.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid.”

God touched her, and she was aflame in his peace. John the Baptist, the final prophet of the Old Testament, and our guide during Advent, who once leapt for joy in the womb of his mother Elizabeth in the moment of Mary’s visitation was perfectly aligned with the long-awaited Messiah as “the voice of one crying out in the desert preparing the way of the Lord.” (John 1:23) This bridge to the Reign of God knew that he was the voice, not the light, not the Word made flesh but the voice summoning people to prepare for God’s eternal beauty and power that was dawning upon them.

St. Paul encouraged the first Christians in Thessalonica to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances.” (1Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How is this possible in the face of so much suffering in our age, any reasonable person might ask?
In Advent we dare to hope; we dare to dream and we sing, “O come, O come Emmanuel,” a name that means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) and for whom nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) With St. Augustine may the Lord break through our deafness, dispel our blindness and inspire us to experience deeply his beauty which is pure gift, ever ancient, ever new. Come, Lord Jesus and dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.

Merry Christmas in the light and love of Jesus Christ.

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ be with you,” was proclaimed on the first Sunday of Advent in the second reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (1:3) We can say that this is St. Paul’s signature salutation when he wrote to each of the Christian communities he helped to establish.

This is the greeting at the outset of the letters to the Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. Likewise, St. Peter greets his fellow Christians in his two letters with the near identical greeting and goes a step further in his enthusiasm with the phrase “in abundance.”

This signature salutation was not only a friendly greeting from the two apostles but is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit across the pages of the New Testament, as well as the mind and heart of Jesus Christ begun at the Last Supper and announced throughout the resurrection appearances. This salutation frames the Bible as the final inspired words of the book of Revelation. “The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.” (Revelation 22:20-21)

Maranatha – come, Lord Jesus – is the longing and the vision for the season of Advent. But this desire is central to our belief and hope throughout the year, especially in our celebration of the Eucharist.

After the consecration and transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord, the congregation pronounces, “when we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.”

Before the reception of holy communion following the Lord’s prayer the priest makes the following entreaty of the living God. “Deliver us, Lord, we pray from every evil, and grant us peace in our days, that with the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” When we proclaim the Nicene Creed after the homily, we express our eagerness for the Lord’s coming, “as I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Amen.

The concluding verses of the Bible infuse the Mass with eschatological hope and graciousness, reminding us that “for here we have no lasting city,” (Hebrews 13:14) and that our citizenship is in heaven and from there we are expecting our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20) At regular intervals it is a gift to be able to transcend our world and circumstances and raise our hearts and minds to God through faith, prayer and praise.

However, this is not an invitation to escape from trials, tribulations and temptations. Come, Lord Jesus is also rooted in the present moment.

With St. Paul, we rejoice to know that the Lord is near, standing at the door and knocking. (Revelations 3:20) Thus, our prayer for the Lord to come is intended for the moment at hand.

The signature salutation of St. Paul and St. Peter for grace and peace in abundance from God is the gift package from God to help us reach our eternal destiny. They are intended to deliver us from every evil, to free us from sin, and to keep us safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope. Are these not among the finest of gifts?

As we rightfully consider the gifts, we are purchasing for those we love, let us not leave this package of grace and peace unattended and unopened. These gifts are at our disposal in daily prayer, at Mass, and in all of our acts of loving care in daily living. Indeed, it is the package that keeps on giving forever. It is God’s abundance. Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus!

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
As we celebrate the cherished national holiday of Thanksgiving, it is a time to recall the foundations of this long weekend that breathes life into the heart and soul of our nation. George Washington, our nation’s first president, with the backing of Congress in 1789, declared the last Thursday of November as a day set apart for Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, the harvest and much more. President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 called for the renewal of this day set apart for Thanksgiving to inspire greater unity in our nation in the midst of the Civil War. This many years later our national time of thanksgiving can soften and heal the divisions that plague our nation in 2023.

As Catholics, we are inherently by God’s grace a people of thanksgiving, most notably whenever we gather at the altar to celebrate the Eucharist, the great prayer of gratitude for the love of God poured out in Jesus Christ for the gift of salvation. An abiding spirit of thanksgiving is at the center of the current Eucharistic revival, a permanent disposition that allows us to live in a manner worthy of our calling within and beyond the hallowed walls of our churches.

The prayers that are proclaimed at each Eucharistic celebration embrace the reality of thanksgiving from hearts and minds that are open to God’s transforming grace. At the beginning of the Preface, the portal of the Eucharistic prayer and Consecration, the priest declares. “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, your Word through whom you made all things.”

This marvelous expression of gratitude is already unfolding at the Preparation of the Gifts when the priest proclaims, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation for through your goodness we have received this bread and wine which we offer to you, fruit of the earth and of the vine, and the work of human hands, they will become for us the bread of life and spiritual drink.” The prayers over the bread and wine are offered separately at the altar and after each, the congregation responds, “Blessed be God forever.” What a heartfelt expression of thanksgiving!

One of the most powerful expressions of thanksgiving at the center of worship is Psalm 100. You can feel the joy and read how it captures the spirit of the faithful people of Israel so many centuries ago.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

May the Holy Spirit bestow upon us this marvelous spirit of praise and thanksgiving as we funnel into our churches and gather around our family tables for Thanksgiving.

The national holiday of Thanksgiving has deep roots in our Judaic Christian tradition. As we give thanks to the Lord on the day itself and throughout the weekend, which is the feast of Christ the King, the culminating celebration of the church year, may the prayer for unity, and a greater spirit of loving generosity be at the center of our intentions.

“But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made the two into one by breaking down the barrier of hostility…As a result, you are no longer strangers and foreigners. Rather, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:13-14, 19-20)

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The Feast of All Saints is the portal at the beginning of November that invites all of the living members of the church to transcend time to see the Cloud of Witnesses that surround the throne of the Lamb in Heaven. The lives of the holy ones reveal God’s ultimate plan for us in eternity, and a well-defined pathway for this life to reach the goal.

In the book of Revelation, the heavenly vision is comprised of a “vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.” (7:9) What a great gift of hope the apostle John has given to the church for every generation until the Lord comes again.

In manifold ways the Lord Jesus molded all of the saints in their uniqueness into his image and likeness. Among this number, too great to count, are the six African American causes for canonization. They are remarkable women and men whom God called out of the darkness of slavery and unforgiving segregation into the light of sanctity and dignity. They are Mother Mary Lange, Father Augustus Tolton, Mother Henriette DeLille, Pierre Toussaint, Julia Greeley, and, of course, our own Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman. They are outstanding witnesses of faithful discipleship for the universal church and even more so throughout November which is dedicated to Black Catholic History.

We know that the church was insnared in the evils of slavery and its aftermath, and for this we are called to repentance and the light of a new day. This month we also want to celebrate the church as a loving mother who nurtured the seeds of faith, hope and love through loving service and education within many African American settings.

St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians is the paradigm for the church as the beating heart of Christ. “Brothers and sisters: We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us. You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” (1Thessalonians 2:7-9 and 13)

This was Sister Thea’s experience when the religious brothers, sisters and priests shared their lives in the manner that St. Paul describes. “I was drawn to examine and accept the Catholic faith because of the day to day lived witness of Catholic Christians who first loved me, then shared with me their story, their values, their beliefs; who first loved me, then invited me to share with them in community, prayer and mission. As a child I did not recognize evangelization at work in my life. I did recognize love, service, community, prayer and faith.”

Last weekend on Saturday at the outset of Black Catholic History month, I participated in a parade, walkabout and program in Jonestown, Mississippi in honor of the late Sister Kay Burton, SNJM, a sister of the Names of Jesus and Mary. This religious community was founded by Eulalie Durocher in 1843 in Quebec, Canada. Sister Kay had overseen the development of various Jonestown community services and programs during her thirty years of ministry. The gift is that they continue through local leadership among this generation of Christian collaborators.

On Sunday I participated in the Women’s Day Program sponsored by the Holy Ghost Ladies Auxiliary. Our diocese was fully immersed in the quest for justice and peace in the late Jim Crow years and Civil Rights era, a reality that was gratefully acknowledged during the program. All of this is to say that along with the six Black Catholic women and men on the path of canonization, there are countless other Black Catholics here in our diocese and throughout our nation who are now witnessing, serving, teaching, and evangelizing because the gift they once received continues to flourish.

The participants at the Synod that recently concluded in Rome at the end of October had representation from nearly every county in the world, or as we proclaim, from every nation and tribe, people and language. For them and for all of us may the Holy Spirit deepen our commitment to unity, participation and mission. With St. Paul and Sister Thea, may the beating heart of Christ direct our steps in this life and enflame our vision for the promise of eternal life.