For Lent, read the Gospel, fast from gossip, pope says at Angelus

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – People should fast from gossiping and spreading hearsay as part of their Lenten journey, Pope Francis said.
“For Lent this year, I will not speak ill of others, I will not gossip and all of us can do this, everyone. This is a wonderful kind of fasting,” the pope said Feb. 28 after praying the Sunday Angelus.
Greeting visitors in St. Peter’s Square, the pope said his advice for Lent included adding a different kind of fasting “that won’t make you feel hungry: fasting from spreading rumors and gossiping.”
“And don’t forget that it will also be helpful to read a verse from the Gospel every day,” he said, urging people to have on hand a pocket-size edition to read whenever possible, even if it is just a random verse.
“This will open your heart to the Lord,” he added.
The pope also led a moment of prayer for the more than 300 girls who were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen Feb. 26 in Jangebe in northwestern Nigeria.
Adding his voice to statements made by Nigeria’s bishops, the pope condemned the “vile kidnapping of 317 girls, taken away from their school,” and he prayed for them and their families, hoping for their safe return home.

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 28, 2021. In his Angelus address, he encouraged people to read the Gospel during Lent and fast from gossip. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The nation’s bishops had already warned of the deteriorating situation in the country in a Feb. 23 statement, according to Vatican News.
“We are really on the brink of a looming collapse from which we must do all we can to pull back before the worst overcomes the nation,” the bishops wrote in response to a previous attack. Insecurity and corruption have put into question “the very survival of the nation,” they wrote.
The pope also marked Rare Disease Day, held Feb. 28 to raise awareness and improve advocacy and access to treatment.
He thanked all those involved in medical research for diagnosing and coming up with treatments for rare diseases, and he encouraged support networks and associations so people do not feel alone and can share experience and advice.
“Let us pray for all people who have a rare disease,” he said, especially for children who suffer.
In his main address, he reflected on the day’s Gospel reading (Mk 9:2-10) about Peter, James and John witnessing the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain and their subsequent descent back down to the valley.
The pope said pausing with the Lord on the mountain “is a call to remember – especially when we pass through a difficult trial – that the Lord is risen and does not permit darkness to have the last word.”
However, he added, “we cannot remain on the mountain and enjoy the beauty of this encounter by ourselves. Jesus himself brings us back to the valley, amid our brothers and sisters and into daily life.”
People must take that light that comes from their encounter with Christ “and make it shine everywhere. Igniting little lights in people’s hearts; being little lamps of the Gospel that bear a bit of love and hope: this is the mission of a Christian,” he said.

Prayer for gentleness

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

Reflections on Life
By Melvin Arrington
As Christians, we are called to evangelize. Clearly, that’s our primary responsibility. But how do we go about doing it in a world in which things of the spirit are regularly given short shrift? Specifically, when people question our faith, how are we to answer them?
Fortunately, the Scriptures offer sufficient guidance on this question. I Peter 3:15-16 says we should always be ready to respond when our beliefs are challenged, but we must do it “with gentleness and reverence.” No one ever leads souls to Christ by beating them over the head with the truth because, as Proverbs 15:1 tells us, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Not surprisingly, we ought also to exhibit gentleness in our dealings with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:1-2). In II Timothy 2:24 we find essentially the same teaching: Christians “should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone.”

As I look back, I can recall, with sadness, more than one occasion when my conduct did not exemplify the qualities embodied in the eighth Fruit of the Spirit. I’m sure if we reflect long enough, we can all remember times in our lives when our behavior merited punishment, but instead of giving us what we deserved, God was lenient with us. He has certainly gone easy on me. So, if He treats me tenderly and with compassion, I should, therefore, do likewise in my relations with others.
My grandmother was someone who, to paraphrase Philippians 4:5, made her gentleness known to everyone. Some of my happiest childhood memories revolve around my grandparents, who often took care of me when my parents were working. My grandfather was strong, outspoken, and quite a jokester. But my sweet grandmother was, in many ways, the total opposite with regard to her personality. Low key and reserved, she nevertheless always enjoyed a good laugh. She was calm, patient, and kind, and her faith was strong. In short, she was the epitome of gentleness. I never heard her raise her voice or speak a harsh word. The way my grandmother lived her life had a deep and lasting impact on me. If you were to ask me what authentic gentleness looks like, I would say it looks like my grandmother.
But the best model for all of us to imitate is always Jesus. He not only preached kindness, meekness, and humility; He also practiced these qualities. I’m reminded of some of the old hymns that speak of Jesus in these terms, hymns such as “Pass me not o gentle Savior,” “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,” and especially the second verse of “In the Garden:” “He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing.”
Consider how our Lord dealt with the woman caught in adultery. Unlike her accusers, who were ready to stone her, Jesus employed milder tactics. He could have condemned her, but instead He was merciful, telling her to go on her way and not to sin again. Also notice how He treated His oppressors. Rather than striking them down, He forgave them, even from the cross. If we want to be more like Jesus, we need to follow his advice in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Now, where and when do we see these Christ-like characteristics on display nowadays in our modern, materialistic society? Well, frankly, we don’t, at least not very often. Examples abound for sure, but they’re typically found in those places where works of charity and kindness are performed quietly, without fanfare, and without recognition or reward. People who do good works for the right reasons don’t seek headlines.
As a consequence, the soft approach is just not that visible these days, at least not on our TV screens. Instead, we see images that are shocking and disturbing to us. For some reason, the actions of the meanest, loudest, and harshest, those behaviors that expose our baser instincts, seem to garner the majority of the airtime. Think of all the violent street confrontations that have plagued our land over the past year – physical assaults, rioting, looting, shouting matches, taunting, not to mention the armed mob storming the Capitol building. Are the ones who engage in these kinds of activities happy? Do they have love in their hearts for others? If they do, I don’t see any signs of it.
As Christians, we have been trained to clothe ourselves with gentleness in our relations with others (Colossians 3:12) and “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone.” (Titus 3:2) Many today would find this laughable, but in reality it’s the only worthwhile formula for anyone who wants to lead a happy life and find inner peace.
In the Beatitudes Jesus taught, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” (Matthew 5:5) Whenever I read this verse, I hark back to a former colleague who used to attach various cartoons and humorous sayings to his office door. One of his postings was a little card that simply read: “the meek don’t want it.” That’s a truthful statement because the meek and humble, those who try to pattern their lives after Christ, have no real interest in earthly possessions. They “don’t want it” because their eyes are focused on their heavenly reward.
Since we all want to gain the Heavenly Kingdom, here are some questions worth pondering: How do I conduct my life? Am I doing my part to heal wounds and promote unity? Do others view me as meek, humble, and gentle? If not, how can I possibly be effective in the work of evangelization? It all boils down to this: Do others see Christ in me as I go about my daily life? If they don’t, please have mercy, o Lord, and grant me the grace that I might at least be a little more like you every day.

(Melvin Arrington is a Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages for the University of Mississippi and a member of St. John Oxford.)

Lent’s radical call to each person and every nation

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

Making a Difference
By Tony Magliano
“Repent and believe in the Gospel” – the call we received from Christ on Ash Wednesday – is a radical call, the most important call we will ever receive. It directs our attention to uprooting all that is sinful in our lives and to ever more fully live lives of love – for friend and foe alike – with a special emphasis on the vulnerable and poor. It’s a radical call that is meant to be heard, reflected on, and acted upon beyond the season Lent – throughout all the seasons of our lives!

In the Gospel the biblical word used for repent is the Greek word “metanoia” – a radical change of mind, heart, soul and action. It happens when one changes course and turns around to walk in the right direction – walking out of the darkness of our lives and into the light of Christ. Metanoia means a life-changing conversion. That’s what Jesus is calling us to when he says “repent!”
Think of some of the great saints who deeply repented, who truly experienced a metanoia.
St. Paul did a complete about face. He went from persecuting the followers of Christ, to championing their cause and suffering with them.
St. Augustine of Hippo turned from fleeting unmarried sexual pleasure and unsatisfying philosophical pursuits to a totally fulfilling surrender to the will of God. In his famous autobiographical “Confessions” he sums it all up so well: “You [God] have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
When you and I allow our heart to rest in God, we become a new creation, fully dedicated to advancing his kingdom. But this takes humility, honesty, selflessness, much prayer and hard work. True repentance (conversion) is not for the faint-hearted!
The renowned Catholic English writer G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
And making it even more difficult, a life dedicated to listening to the Holy Spirit concerns itself not only with personal repentance/metanoia, but also with the conversion of the nation, that is, praying and working to change in our country what St. Pope John Paul called the “structures of sin” – everything from abortion to war – into structures of life, love, social justice, peace.
In this year’s Lenten message, Pope Francis encouragingly writes, “To experience Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In these days of deep uncertainty about the future, let us keep in mind the Lord’s word to his Servant, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you’ (Is 43:1). In our charity, may we speak words of reassurance and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters.”
“Only a gaze transformed by charity can enable the dignity of others to be recognized and, as a consequence, the poor to be acknowledged and valued in their dignity, respected in their identity and culture, and thus truly integrated into society” (Fratelli Tutti, 187).
As one important concrete way of charity, please consider a selfless Lenten donation to the poorest of the poor.
Let us pray that the God of love, the God who is love, will transform all our gazes into gazes of charity, thus inspiring us to recognize the dignity of each poor person near and far, and to therefore do all in our power – as individuals and governments – to help lift our brothers and sisters out of poverty into the decent dignified conditions of life they deserve.

(Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag6@comcast.net.)

Poorer parishes, dioceses take a bigger hit from pandemic

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

By Mark Pattison
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Just as it was in much of American society this past year, the financial toll exacted by the coronavirus pandemic affected poor parishes and dioceses more starkly than it did larger and more well-to-do Catholic institutions.
While that’s not to say that bigger dioceses and parishes didn’t feel any sting – some dioceses started making cuts in the early months of the pandemic – smaller churches and dioceses at the outset didn’t have the financial wherewithal to deal with its consequences.
One thing is certain: The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program was a lifeline to parishes and dioceses of all sizes.
If a diocese is “mainly rural or there’s not a lot of Catholics in that region, those things affect a diocese,” Patrick Markey, executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, told Catholic News Service. “For the most part, the church relies on Catholics to support it.”
“Working with 86 of the poorest dioceses in the United States, if you were to add up all of the financial assets of the 86 dioceses we work with, they do not equal the assets of a large metropolitan archdiocese like Chicago or New York or L.A.,” said Joe Boland, vice president of mission for Catholic Extension.
Boland added, “It’s a far different playing field. They were financially struggling even before the pandemic started.”
He compared it to society at large: “There were people that made it through and organizations that made it through the pandemic OK – barely scathed. And there were the people who were on the shakiest financial footing, those are the ones who suffered the most. … The same is true for the Catholic Church.”
Catholic Extension labels the 86 dioceses with which it works “mission dioceses,” most often due to the small percentage of Catholics in a diocese relative to the diocese’s sizable territory, which means Catholics are spread far apart. Eighty of those 86 dioceses received PPP grants, Boland said.
“The financial impact of the pandemic was not equally felt even among our dioceses,” he added. “We know that particularly in the Southwestern dioceses – many of them the poorest to begin with, even before the pandemic began – they are the ones that were reporting to us the greatest signs of distress.
By comparison, Markey said initial parish collection drop-offs nationwide were in the 40%-60% range, and have since settled in the 15%-30% range.
Boland spoke of the situation of Father Fabian Marquez, pastor of El Buen Pastor Parish in Sparks Colonia, an unincorporated area of El Paso, Texas. “They had to shut down El Paso, and the entire county was experiencing a great deal of infection,” Boland said. “We remember the images of the refrigerator trucks just to keep up with the death toll that they were experiencing.”
Because of the pandemic-related deaths, infection, job losses and fear of contracting COVID-19 all affecting Mass attendance, “their weekly collection would go down to, like, $45 on a Sunday. He had to look at forgoing his salary just so he could pay staff, so he could make sure the church was open … to the community,” Boland said.
Catholic Extension unveiled Ash Wednesday its Catholic Kinship Initiative – Parishes United Across America, hoping to match 1,000 U.S. parishes with 1,000 of Extension’s poorest parishes in the country, in hopes the stable parish can raise or contribute $1,000 during Lent and beyond to its matched parish.
The largely rural Diocese of Victoria, Texas, is getting by. It qualified for PPP loans for many of its 50 parishes, 17 missions and some schools. Offertories are down 3%-45%, and school enrollment is down 6%, according to Tony Martinez, chief financial officer of the diocese.
“Our parishes suffered … They don’t have a big staff. They’re just a few people. But they were able to operate,” said Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria.
He acknowledged the PPP loans were seen as “controversial for the Catholic Church, but we’re an employer, and the idea was to protect people’s jobs. And that helped our schools, especially.”
The upshot, said the DFMC’s Markey, is “there’s a lot of adjustments that need to be made or have been made.” He said, “We have to see what happens in this year. Offertories will probably stay low until people can come back into churches again.”
Markey added, “On the other hand, people are incredibly generous. The generosity we’ve seen in our parishes and our charities – people are hurting but they’re giving. They’re really helping one another. From my perspective, it’s really heartwarming.

(Editor’s note: Sacred Heart Greenville is one of the parishes selected for Catholic Extension’s Kinship Initiative. To learn more, visit https://www.catholicextension.org/advent-alms-across-america/)

Returning from Iraq, pope talks about ‘risks’ taken on trip

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

By Cindy Wooden
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM IRAQ (CNS) – The Catholic Church’s commitment to dialogue with other churches and with other religions flows from the Gospel, but Pope Francis said he knows some Catholics disagree.
“Often you must take a risk” to promote harmony, he told reporters March 8 as he flew back to Rome from Baghdad. “There are some criticisms: ‘The pope isn’t courageous, he’s reckless.’ He’s doing things against Catholic doctrine. He’s a step away from heresy.’”
Still, he said, through prayer and listening to the advice of experts and aides, he has become convinced that God wants the church – and all humanity, for that matter – to continue promoting a sense of belonging to one human family.
And, he said, it does not matter if some religions, sects or groups seem further from sharing that vision.
“The rule of Jesus is love and charity,” the pope said. “But how many centuries did it take us to put that into practice?”
Preaching and living “human fraternity” – recognizing that all men and women, created by God, are members of the same human family and brothers and sisters to one another – is a process that requires effort, emphasis and repetition.
“You are human. You are a child of God. You are my brother or sister,” the pope said.

Pope Francis is greeted by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures, during a courtesy visit in Najaf, Iraq, March 6, 2021. (CNS photo/Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani office)

With sporadic violence continuing in Iraq, the pope’s trip March 5-8 involved a massive security operation with the deployment of thousands of police and military officers. Even the Vatican police and Swiss Guards wore bulletproof vests under their dark suits, an unusual practice on a papal trip.
But the other danger was posed by COVID-19 and the risk that people gathering to see the pope, who has been vaccinated, would create a surge in the already-rising number of cases in Iraq.
Pope Francis said the pandemic – not the security issue – was what made him repeatedly think, “maybe, maybe not” about the visit.
Decisions about foreign trips are “stewed over time,” the pope said. “I thought so much, prayed so much” about the Iraq trip because of the coronavirus pandemic, “and in the end I made the decision freely, but it came from within. And I said to myself the one who helped me decide this will take care of the people.”
And even though many experts do not expect the pandemic to be resolved by the fall, Pope Francis said he has promised to go to Budapest, Hungary, for a day in September to celebrate the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress, which was postponed from 2020.
The other trip he would like to make soon, he said, is a visit to Lebanon.
Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, even asked him to stop in Lebanon on the way to or from Iraq, the pope said, but doing that would seem like giving the Lebanese people “crumbs” given how they are suffering.
Asked about his meeting March 6 in Najaf with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, an authority figure for Shiite Muslims in Iraq and around the world, Pope Francis described him as “a great man, a wise man, a man of God.”
The meeting, he said, “was good for my soul” and was another step on the path of promoting greater understanding and cooperation with Muslims.
The day after meeting the ayatollah, Pope Francis traveled to Mosul, a city terrorized and left largely in ruin by Islamic State militants who controlled the area from 2014 to 2017.
Even though he said he had seen photos of the ruined churches of Mosul, Pope Francis said standing amid the rubble was “unbelievable, unbelievable.”
But even more touching, he said, was the testimony of survivors, including of a mother who lost a son, who spoke about the importance of forgiveness and of rebuilding.
“We are so great at insulting people and condemning them,” he said, but too many people have forgotten the power of forgiving others.
Asked when, if ever, he will make a trip to Argentina, Pope Francis repeated that he imagined either dying or resigning and remaining in Rome, “my diocese.”
He joked that he had spent 76 years in Argentina and didn’t see why people wanted him to spend more time there.
But, denying he had what he termed “patrio-phobia,” he told reporters that he had planned a trip to Argentina, along with Chile, in November 2017. However, the trip was pushed back to January 2018 because of elections in Chile. And January in Argentina would have been just too warm.
“I don’t know if the trips will slow down now, but I can tell you that on this trip, I’ve felt more tired,” he said, adding that being 84 comes with some baggage.
However, he said, he does enjoy being with people, especially “after these months of imprisonment” because of the pandemic and the lockdown in Italy.
“I feel different when I am far from the people,” he said, adding that he would continue to follow the recommendations of government health authorities as far as holding general audiences or other events that could attract a large public.
“Closeness to the people of God” is an essential part of being a priest, the pope said. “The only ones who save us from pride are the holy people of God,” otherwise priests run the risk of acting like “an elite caste.”

In memorium: Sister Brenda Monahan

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

EVANSVILLE – Sister Brenda (Brenda Mary) Monahan died peacefully on Feb. 28, 2021 at Seton Residence in Evansville, Indiana. Sister Brenda was born on May 23, 1964 in Wildwood, New Jersey and was one of four children of Elizabeth (Ryan) and Michael Monahan. Sister graduated from Tallassee High School in Alabama in 1982 and received a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama in 1986. She entered the Daughters of Charity in Evansville, Indiana on June 29, 1991.

After initial formation in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Sister Brenda began her ministry in education in Pritchard, Alabama as a teacher and principal. During this time, she also earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton, Ohio. In 2003, Sister was missioned to St. Therese School in Jackson, Mississippi to serve as principal of the school until 2009 when she went to Chicago, Illinois to participate in the Vincentian Integration Experience (VIE). In 2010, Sister returned to Alabama as Principal of St. Barnabas School in Birmingham and later as Director at Beacon of Hope, Inc. In 2014, Sister Brenda began her ministry as principal of Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, Maryland until 2019 after which she was missioned to San Antonio, Texas and was asked to serve as Mission Coordinator for Sponsored Works of the Daughters of Charity until she came to Seton Residence in Evansville, Indiana to serve in the ministry of prayer until the time of her death.
On March 6, a Wake Service and Mass of Christian Burial were held in the Chapel at Seton Residence; burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery, Evansville. Sister Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, brother-in-law Vernon Stabler and sister-in-law Nati Monahan, and she is survived by her sister, Patricia Lee Stabler and her brothers Michael David and William John (and wife Kellie) Monahan, nieces Alexandria Monahan and Shannon Sayler (and husband Matthew) great-niece Lorelei, great-nephew Caspian and nephews Mitchell and John Monahan, as well as her Sisters in Community and many friends. Donations may be made to the Mother Seton School Scholarship Fund, 100 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727.

Word change in missal doxology took effect on Ash Wednesday

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

By Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) – A change in wording to the concluding doxology of orations in the Roman Missal, from “one God, for ever and ever” to “God, for ever and ever,” took effect on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17.
A Feb. 4 memo to bishops from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship said the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments wrote to the English-speaking bishops’ conferences in May 2020 to point out the current English translation that concludes “in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever” is “incorrect.”

An altar server holds a copy of the Roman Missal during Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Va., in this 2011 file photo. (CNS photo/Nancy Phelan Wiechec)

“There is no mention of ‘one’ in the Latin, and ‘Deus’ in the Latin text refers to Christ. Therefore, the correct translation … is simply “in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever,” the memo said, adding that the prefect of the congregation “pointed out the importance of affirming this Christological truth amid the religious pluralism of today’s world.”
A copy of the memo was provided to Catholic News Service.
It said the correct translation was already reflected in the Roman Missal in other languages, including Misal Romano, the USCCB’s Spanish translation of the missal.
English translations of the Roman Missal for use by Catholics prior to the Second Vatican Council, such the St. Joseph’s Missal of the 1950s, “reflected the correct translation,” the memo noted. “However, when the postconciliar texts were published in English, the word ‘one’ was added.”
When the translation of the Roman Missal currently in use was underway in the 2000s, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy “pointed out the discrepancy to the congregation in Rome, but was told to retain the use of ‘one God’ in the new translation,” according to the memo.
After the doctrinal congregation’s directive last May, the USCCB’s Latin-rite bishops voted to amend the concluding doxology of orations, or “collects,” of the Roman Missal to reflect the change. The congregation confirmed the decision, as it had for the episcopal conferences of England and Wales, Ireland and Canada.
The translation change – “God, for ever and ever” – applies to other liturgical books, such as the Liturgy of the Hours, the memo said, adding that there is no need to publish new Roman Missals, because “it should not be difficult for the celebrant simply to omit the word ‘one’ when offering the prayer.”
But it added that publishers “are being informed of this change” and reprints or new editions of the Roman Missal will reflect the new translation, as will any worship aids for the faithful and other similar publications.

Three new books explain pope’s approach to facing world’s tribulations

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

By Jan Kilby Catholic News Service
“Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future” by Pope Francis and Austen Ivereigh. Simon and Schuster (New York, 2020). 160 pp., $26.
“Our Mother Earth: A Christian Reading of the Challenge of the Environment” by Pope Francis. Our Sunday Visitor (Huntington, Indiana, 2020). 103 pp., $16.95.
“Letters of Tribulation” by Pope Francis, with Antonio Spadaro, SJ, and Diego Fares, SJ. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, New York, 2020). 144 pp., $20.
New books by Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of over 1 billion Catholics and a worldwide leader, provide guidance and encouragement for readers.
“Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future” by Pope Francis and Austen Ivereigh offers hope to readers coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises of our time. The authors suggest how to view crises, discern how to deal with them and then take action.
In their prologue, Pope Francis and Ivereigh identify some contemporary crises. They assure readers, however, that God’s mercy will always help them cope. They state that “times of trial” are opportunities for “purification.” They say that these can help people mature and change their priorities.
Early in the book, they urge people facing a crisis in what they call a culture of “individualism and self-obsession” to “commit to the small, concrete, positive actions.” They assert this is better than responding selfishly or despairing.
They cite recent events signaling a societal call for change. These include the #MeToo movement, the protests over racial injustice after the death of George Floyd while in police custody and the anti-racist protests resulting in the removal of statues. The pope also shares three of his own personal crises.
In the second part, the authors encourage readers to discern the best actions to take in a challenging time. This requires openness, prayer and reflection, and valuing “fraternity over individualism.”
Finally, they suggest how to act on one’s beliefs. This involves respecting universal human rights and values.
The authors’ epilogue contains their advice to readers to let themselves be transformed by the current crises and be of service. They also include an inspiring poem. Ivereigh in a postscript describes how and why the book was written. “Let Us Dream” offers profound, practical and timely advice about surviving turbulent times.

These are the covers of “Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future” by Pope Francis and Austen Ivereigh; “Our Mother Earth: A Christian Reading of the Challenge of the Environment” by Pope Francis; and “Letters of Tribulation” by Pope Francis, with Jesuit Fathers Antonio Spadaro and Diego Fares. They are reviewed by Jan Kilby. (CNS photo/Simon and Schuster; Our Sunday Visitor; Orbis Books)

In “Our Mother Earth: A Christian Reading of the Challenge of the Environment,” Pope Francis calls everyone to honor God’s gift of nature. He says that this can reduce pollution, climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the exploitation of resources.
The book includes a preface by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, two opening essays on the pope’s theology of ecology, ideas from 12 of his past encyclicals, audiences and homilies on the subject and a final new essay.
In his first two essays, Pope Francis calls for “global cooperation” to protect nature. He says new policies, programs and habits can help do this.
In his collection of past works, the pope reminds readers that “the future of all nations is interconnected.” He also says the earth’s resources are gifts and not simply to be used for greed, consumption and profit. He calls Christians to an “ecological conversion,” quoting his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”
In his final essay, the pope suggests what can give readers hope for a better future – technology, a commitment to conversion, the liturgy and “a universal brotherhood.”
“Letters of Tribulation” by Pope Francis, with Jesuit Fathers Antonio Spadaro and Diego Fares, is a new version of the pope’s 1987 book of the same title.
In the original book, the pope – then a Jesuit priest in Argentina – shared a spiritual approach to dealing with difficulties, based on letters that 18th-century Jesuit superiors general had sent to their bishops coping with persecution. This had led to the Vatican’s suppression of their order in several countries from 1758 to 1831.
The pope’s expanded 2020 book includes a modern tribulation – the sexual abuse of minors and the abuse of power by priests and others in church leadership roles.
In it, he includes letters that he sent to the bishops and the church and the people of God in Chile in 2018. He had been prompted to write these after reading a Vatican report of 2018 on the problems of clerical sexual abuse there. These showed his desire to restore public trust in the church and church leaders’ integrity with themselves and to heal abuse victims.
The book reveals the spiritual discernment needed by those facing persecution from “cultural and historic events.” The pope says this can help people avoid temptations to “argue over ideas, to not give to the matter the importance that it should be given, to concentrate too much on the persecutors and to keep going over the desolation of one’s mind.” Instead, he says to “move toward virtue and spiritual perfection” and suggests ways to do so.
This excellent book shows Pope Francis’ spiritual and moral maturity and insight about people and the nature of sin and conflict. He offers wise counsel to readers.
Also of interest: “Christ in the Storm: An Extraordinary Blessing for a Suffering World” by Pope Francis. Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Indiana, 2020). 104 pp., $19.95.

(Kilby is a writer in San Antonio.)

Calendar of events

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Tereza Ma

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
NATCHEZ Retreat, “A Day of Hope” by Father Anthony Okwum, SSJ, Holy Family Administrator, will be held at St. Joseph’s Inn/Edgewood, 31 Airport Road, Saturday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sister Anne of the Theotokans will be speaking. Worship led by Alvin Shelby and his Gospel choir. Lunch will be brown bag and water. Details: RSVP to hedyboelte@gmail.com.

PARISH AND SCHOOL EVENTS
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Knights of Columbus Blood Drive, Sunday, March 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Details: call the church office to schedule your appointment (601) 833-1799.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Holy Hour with Adoration for Vocations led by Father Nick Adam, Vocations Director on Tuesday, March 16 from 6-7 p.m. Young men and women who might be discerning God’s will for their future are espectially invited, along with anyone of any age who would like to pray for this cause. All are also welcome to the Mass at 5:30 p.m. Details: Father Kent Bowlds at (662) 588-5868.
GRENADA St. Peter, Lenten Bible study program “Come, Lord Jesus!” Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Join in this Lenten journey to study and meditate upon the Sunday Gospels with an unparalleled spiritual process. Books are $5. Details: office (337) 233-6277, comelordjesusprogram@gmail.com or Annette Tipton (985) 518-5674.
GREENVILLE St. Joseph, Central Grocery Muffuletta Sale. Thursday, April 8, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds benefit St. Joseph School. Pick-up location is St. Joseph Parish Hall. Cost: $25 Details: office (662) 335-5251
MAGNOLIA St. James, “Faith and Racial Equity” is a nine-session online experience from the Just Faith Program. It will be held every other Thursday, beginning April 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom. It introduces a framework for understanding and recognizing racial disparities and takes a deeper dive into specific issues related to power and privilege. There are three primary goals for Faith and Racial Equity: 1) Develop awareness of the ways that racial privilege impacts our communities and ourselves; 2) Through a deep dive into the Gospel of Luke, learn how Jesus’s teachings guide us in seeking racial justice in today’s world; 3) Learn practical tools for becoming anti-racist, and for effecting change in our communities. Cost: approximately $25 plus cost of the three books required for this course. We look forward to YOU joining our group. Details: Call Chris at (301) 266-0433 or send an email if interested to gracie_eddie@yahoo.com.
MERIDIAN Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, Wednesday night Spaghetti Dinners at the Family Life Center from 5:30-6:30 p.m. All dinners will be served in to-go boxes. Cost: $2 per person with a $5 maximum for a family. There will also be limited seating in the gym and/or outside on the grounds for anyone who may want to eat their dinner on site. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, “A Biblical Walk Through the Mass” led by Father Augustine on Wednesdays that PSR is in session beginning Feb. 24 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. All adults are welcomed. Details: Mary Billups at the church office (601) 693-1321 Ext 5.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Save the Date — Spring Blood Drive, Tuesday, March 23 in the Family Life Center from 1-6 p.m. We hope that all our regular donors and many new donors will give blood on this date and help to save lives! Call the church office to schedule an appointment at (601) 445-5616 or go to www.vitalant.org to schedule your appointment.

YOUTH BRIEFS
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Big Deal meets Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join us! Get connected to stay informed! Details: youth@spaulcc.org or the church office (601) 992-9547.
MADISON St. Francis, Senior Bible Break, Sundays 4-5 p.m. in the Family Life Center lounge to break open the Sunday Scripture.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Save the Date, Annual St. Patrick School Countdown, Friday, April 16. Tickets are now available from any School Advisory member or at the school office or parish office during regular business hours. Details: school office (601) 482 6044.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Trivia Night, St. Mary’s Vanguard (Young Adult Ministry) will host in the Family Life Center Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. Cost: $5 to play, $1 soft drinks available, no food, prizes for the winner(s). Don’t forget your mask! Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
SOUTHAVEN Sacred Heart School, accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year. They are recognized by Today’s Catholic Teacher as one of three most innovative Catholic Identity Schools in the U.S. They provide a small, close knit family atmosphere with students representing 25 different countries. Details: (662) 349-0900 or bmartin@shsm.org.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Stations on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. followed by Mass at 6 p.m.
CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth and Immaculate Conception, Fridays at 5:30 p.m., alternating churches each week.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Stations on Fridays at 5:30 p.m.
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Stations on Fridays at 6 p.m. during Lent. The responses will be displayed on the monitors. (Stations will also be livestreamed.)
FOREST St. Michael, Stations, Sundays at 8:30 a.m. before 9 a.m. Mass
JACKSON St. Richard, Stations at 5:30 p.m. (Stations will also be livestreamed.)
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Rosary on Fridays at 6 p.m. followed by Stations at 6:30 p.m.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Stations on Fridays, March 19 and 26 at 6 p.m. The Hispanic Ministry will lead a special Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Stations on Fridays at 5:15 p.m. and Assumption, Stations on Fridays at 5:30 p.m.
OXFORD St. John, Stations on Fridays at 5 p.m.
STARKVILLE St. Joseph, Stations on Fridays at 5:30 p.m.
TUPELO St. James, Stations on Fridays following 12:10 Mass and at 6 p.m. English, 7 p.m. Spanish.

LENTEN DINNERS AND FISH FRIES
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Fish Dinners to Go, Knights of Columbus will be frying fish and serving it to go with a drive thru. Sign up each week on the website to reserve your dinners. Donations will be accepted. Pick up will be a drive thru at 6:30 p.m. Fridays during Lent. Delivery within a 10-mile radius of the church is available. Be sure to complete the address and phone number section if you need your dinners to be delivered. Details: church office (601) 992-9547.
JACKSON St. Richard, Knights of Columbus Friday Fish Fry To-Go in Foley Hall. Cost: adults $10; kids $5 (12 and under); $35 family maximum. Pick up at 6 p.m. after Stations of the Cross. Boxes include catfish, sides, and dessert.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Knights of Columbus annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday of Lent. The Fish Fry will be drive thru only at the Family Life Center from 5-7 p.m. Cost: catfish dinners $10; shrimp dinners $11 and combo dinners $12. Dinners include: fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. For grilled catfish, please call 30 minutes ahead: Darren (601) 597-2890 or Joe (601) 431-7744.
OXFORD St. John, Knight of Columbus Friday Catfish Dinners, take out only. If you want five or more plates, order in advance by 3 p.m. Fridays. Details: Basil (662) 816-0252.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Knights of Columbus Council 7120 will be serving Lenten Fish Dinners on Friday, March 19. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, this will be carry-out only. Funds raised from Knights of Columbus fish fries are used to support ministries such as the Pregnancy Care Center. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.
TUPELO St. James, Knight of Columbus Meatless Spaghetti Dinner, March 19 5-7 p.m. in Shelton Hall. Cost: $8 adults, $5 children under 10. Details: Robby (662) 871-8995 or Calvin 662-372-0948

Youth

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Tereza Ma

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