COLUMBUS – Annunciation students follow Ace the Eagle during their “Celebrating our Nation Day” parade. Annunciation seventh grader, Hayden Torres works on renaissance models in art class. (Photos by Logan Waggoner)
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson celebrated the anniversaries of married couples from around the diocese with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. According to World Marriage Day history, the idea of celebrating marriage began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1981, when couples encouraged the Mayor, the Governor and the Bishop to proclaim St. Valentine’s Day as “We Believe in Marriage Day.” The event was so successful, the idea was presented to and was adopted by Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s National Leadership.
By 1982, 43 Governors officially proclaimed the day, and celebrations spread to U.S. military bases in several foreign countries. In 1983, the name was changed to “World Marriage Day,” designated to be celebrated each year in February. In 1993, St. Pope John Paul II imparted his Apostolic blessings on World Marriage Day. World Marriage Day celebrations continue to grow and spread to more countries and faith expressions every year.
To honor couples in 2023, the Office of Family Ministry on behalf of the Diocese of Jackson asked parishes to submit the names of couples celebrating their 60th, 50th, 25th or any significant anniversary. This year, 36 couples from throughout the diocese submitted their names in celebration of their anniversaries.
At the World Marriage Day celebration at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, couples received an anniversary certificate blessed and signed by Bishop Kopacz.
Please join us in celebrating the anniversaries of the following couples:
71 Years
Al & Bea Katool
St. Richard, Jackson
62 Years
Henry & Corinne Anderson
Holy Family, Jackson
60 Years
James & Gloria Culver
St. Paul, Flowood
Jody & Judy Hill
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison
John & Mary Kraft
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison
Jimmy & Mary Frances Lang
St. Joseph, Greenville
John & Luise Lauzon
Holy Spirit, Hernando
Millard & Mary Lynn Powers
St. Joseph, Greenville
53 Years
Gary & Marie McCall
Holy Cross, Philadelphia
50 Years
Ron & Jo Ann Brumfield
St. Mary Basilica, Natchez
Dennis & Gina Conner
St. Patrick, Meridian
Dr. James & Naomi Cook
St. Paul, Vicksburg
Joseph & Nancy Harben
Immaculate Conception, Raymond
Ed and Corley Marsalis
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison
James & Kathy Mathews
St. Paul, Flowood
James & Roxanne McIngvale
Holy Spirit, Hernando
Manny & Melanie Mitchell
St. Patrick, Meridian
Jerry & Linda Perez
Sacred Heart, Canton
Ken & Carolyn Pribyla
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison
Leslie & Sharon Southwick
St. Richard, Jackson
John & Cathy Stone
St. Patrick, Meridian
44 Years
Ned & Debbye Garner
Christ the King, Jackson
31 Years
Dan & Rosa Buzzarde
St. Peter, Grenada
30 Years
Tommy & Traci Avalon
Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson
27 Years
Pete & Janys Canizaro
St. Paul, Flowood
26 Years
Aracely & Reynaldo Acosta
St. James, Tupelo
Leonel & Cristina Blanco
St. James, Tupelo
Mario & Conny Villasenor
St. Therese, Jackson
25 Years
Eddie & Renee Borne
St. Paul, Flowood
Lawrence & Patti Greene
St. Joseph, Gluckstadt
Denzil & Gina Lobo
Christ the King, Jackson
James & Katrina Maier
St. Mary Basilica, Natchez
Burkie & Debora McGee
St. Jude, Pearl
Sean & Heidi Summers
Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson
Ron & Laura Tarbutton
Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson
21 Years
Lee & Ashley McCall
Holy Cross, Philadelphia
From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Let us pray for Bishop David O’Connell, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who was murdered this past weekend. Let us also pray for his family in Ireland.
Having served in the diocesan chancery for 30 years and in particular having served the Office of Bishop under Bishops William Houck, Joseph Latino and Joseph Kopacz, and having assisted or been mentored by bishops across the region and world, this is poignantly disturbing. As we enter the great Lenten season, it is a sharp reminder of the fragility of life and the violence that dwells in the hearts of many.
This week I thought I would replay a difficult adventure of Bishop Thomas Heslin, relayed by Bishop John Gunn in his diary. It is an account of an accident that more than likely led to Bishop Heslin’s death a few months after it occurred. This week is the anniversary of Bishop Heslin’s death (Feb. 22, 1911) and Bishop Gunn’s death (Feb. 19, 1924).
Here is a condensed version of the infamous mule cart ride:
“Visit to Montpelier. This is a little mission chapel about 13 miles from West Point, without a railroad and with the poorest roads imaginable. On the way out from West Point to Montpelier I heard a story about Bishop Heslin which is worth recording.
“The good Bishop was, like myself, going out to the little chapel to give Confirmation. The best pair of mules in the neighborhood were commandeered to bring the Bishop out. The Bishop’s carriage was a spring wagon and a plank put over the sideboards formed the cushions for the driver and the Bishop.
“The roads were of that peculiar type known in Mississippi as ‘corduroy’ roads. Branches of trees, stumps, logs, etc. are imbedded in the mud roads during the Winter, In the Spring these are covered with dirt and there is a good road until the first rain comes. Then the dirt is washed up and the stumps are very much in evidence, especially when the mules get into a trot.
“It seems that on the past visit of Bishop Heslin, the driver talked all he knew about cotton, lumber, and the country and talked so much that the mules fell asleep. It is thought that Bishop Heslin – if he was not asleep, was at least nodding – and at the moment the driver woke up and commenced to whip the mules into some kind of activity.
“The sudden start caught the Bishop unprepared and he made a double somersault over the spring wagon and fell on the road. The driver was so busy with the mules that he forgot the Bishop and did not know of the mishap for nearly half a mile.
“Then there was the difficulty of turning the pair of mules on the road and a convenient turning spot had to be reached. This delayed the recovery of the Bishop for a considerable time and when the mule driver and his mules found the Bishop – Bishop Heslin was in a dead faint.
“The good Bishop was a big man and a heavy man, and the mule driver was lean and lanky and there was no help in sight or available. There was nothing to do only to take the sideboards from the wagon and form an inclined plane and roll the Bishop up the plane and make him comfortable in the wagon. “He recovered consciousness before he reached West Point.
“It is said that the Bishop never really recovered from the shock and the injury sustained by this fall. [The event occurred in late 1910 and Bishop Heslin died the following February.]
“The driver who brought me out to Montpelier was the same one who had brought Bishop Heslin and he gave me the story as written.”
This account is a reminder of difficult days of travel and ministry for bishops in our diocese prior to paved roads, 70 mph speed limits and Siri’s step by step directions.
So, as we move into these forty days of Lent 2023, let us pray for our bishops and for the people of Los Angeles whom Bishop O’Connell served. Let us strive to build peace in our hearts and the hearts of our communities. We also must work hard at examining the violence within us no matter how big or small and work to quell it through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Find a big tree to pray under as a reminder of the outstretched arms of the Cross on which the Savior of the world, our ultimate shepherd, opened His arms and offered His life for us. Have a blessed Lenten journey.
(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)
By Laura Grisham
SOUTHAVEN – The Sacred Heart community said goodbye to their Brazilian exchange students over the last weekend in January. By all accounts, their time in the United States was much too short. The four students – Alice, Joana, Luisa and Maria, along with their teacher, Mariane – are from São Luiz (St. Louis) in Brusque, a school sponsored by the Priests of the Sacred Heart.
Sacred Heart School (SHS) students have been pen-pals with students from São Luiz for several years. As part of the Dehonian educational community, students are also able to connect with POSH schools throughout the United States and in other parts of the world via zoom at various times through the year.
While visiting the SHS students, the girls from Brazil were fascinated by all things new and different, but more importantly, formed a bond through a shared universal language love and sisterhood.
The girls attended regular classes on weekdays with their Sacred Heart counterparts. Though many activities during the school day here and abroad are similar, there are some subtle differences. “The sequence of the classes and everyday life at school are so different from ours in Brazil. For example, we don’t have lunch at school. Classes finish at 12 p.m. Most of us go back home and eat lunch with our families. It has been a great experience to eat at school,” said Luisa.
Another difference the girls found curious was the changing of classes. “In Colégio São Luiz, in Brazil, we don’t exchange between rooms; we stay all the period in our homeroom,” Alice explained. “It is really nice to stand up and move between classrooms!”
Sacred Heart welcomed the girls with open arms. The camaraderie between the Dehonian students was instantaneous. Students were particularly enthusiastic about the Dehonian crosses on the Brazilian uniforms, inquiring if this was something that could be incorporated into the Sacred Heart uniforms in the future.
During their month-long stay, the São Luiz crew was able to experience a great deal of the Mississippi Dehonian community, including celebrating Mass at several of our parishes, and touring many of our facilities. They were able to meet with Holy Family School students, tour Sacred Heart Southern Missions’ main office, the Walls Food Pantry and the Dehon Village neighborhood. The girls also lent a hand at two mobile food distributions and helped serve meals at the Garden Café. “We loved being part of the mobile food pantry and the dinner at the Garden Café,” said Maria. “It felt so good being part of the community and helping the people. That is an idea we are going to propose back home!”
Their time in the country was also filled with all kinds of special activities, such as seeing the Memphis Zoo Lights, attending a local high school basketball game and going to Memphis to tour the National Civil Rights Museum. The girls were also introduced to something very familiar to many of us – a Walmart Supercenter.
One of their first excursions was to Graceland to celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday. (The King of Rock n Roll would have been 88 years old this year.) Unfortunately, during their stay in our country, his only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, passed away unexpectedly. While the student visitors would have loved to have gone to her memorial service, an early morning visit to Lisa’s grave later in the week gave them a private opportunity to send up a prayer and say goodbye.
While here, the Brazilian guests were able to taste all kinds of cuisine, with stops at a Waffle House, a Wendy’s and the exquisite Peabody Hotel. Throughout the month they got a heavy dose of local flavor as a number of families from the Sacred Heart School community hosted dinners, welcoming the girls to their homes.
When asked about their time here in the United States, the response from each of the exchange students was the same, “Everything has been so great! These days here in Southaven are going to be in our memories forever.”
No doubt these young women have left an indelible mark on the hearts of everyone here. As one of our parents so eloquently put it, “There are times in our lives when God delivers special and unexpected gifts right to your front door. Never having experienced exchange programs before, I was unsure of how it would work within our school system. I was met with such unconditional love and openness! The culture and universal language of kindness that these students and teacher brought will forever be part of me. I feel honored and grateful that I have met such sweet friends … and I know I am not alone! God is so very good and this is an example of his perfect love working around us every single day.”
(Laura Grisham is the communications manager for Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Walls.)
Schedules subject to change. Some meals may have cost associated.
LENTEN MEALS AND STATIONS
ABERDEEN St. Francis, Lenten meal of soup and bread after Stations at 6 p.m. on March 24.
BATESVILLE St. Mary, Knights of Columbus Fish Fry on March 31 from 5-7 p.m. Cost $12/plate.
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. followed by a light meal.
CANTON Sacred Heart, Stations every Friday at 5:30 p.m. followed by a soup supper in the parish center (no charge). All are welcome!
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Lenten lunch and reflection on Fridays during Lent from 12-1 p.m. in McKenna Hall.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Parish potluck after Stations at 5:30 p.m. on March 17. Meat available due to dispensation by Bishop Kopacz for St. Patrick’s feast day.
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Fish Fry in the Activity Center, after Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel.
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Knights of Columbus Fish dinner every Friday after Stations at 6 p.m. Donations accepted. All are welcome. On March 17, Knights will serve corned beef, cabbage and potatoes with dispensation granted by Bishop Kopacz.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Lenten dinner/Fish Fry on March 31 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Stations every Friday at 6 p.m. Cost: $10 per plate. Includes three strips of catfish, coleslaw, fries, hushpuppies, tea or water. Dine-in or carry out. Grilled cheese sandwiches with fries for $3.
GREENVILLE St. Joseph, Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, Friday, March 31 in the parish life center from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $15 per plate.
GREENWOOD Immaculate Heart of Mary, Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, every Friday during Lent from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $12 per plate. Dine in or carry out.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Soup Supper after Stations on Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
Holy Spirit, Men’s Association Fish Fry on March 31 beginning at 4 p.m. – eat in or takeout.
JACKSON St. Peter Cathedral, Stations at 5:15 every Friday in Lent (except March 10 at 6 p.m.), followed by simple, meat-free meal in the parish center. Spanish stations at 7 p.m.
JACKSON St. Richard, Stations at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays during Lent with Knights of Columbus Fish Fry in Foley Hall following. Dine-in or carry out. Cost: $12 adults; $6 children; $40 families of 5+ members.
MADISON St. Francis, Rosary 6 p.m., Stations 6:30 p.m. and Lenten meal 7 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
MERIDIAN St. Joseph, Stations at 6 p.m. on March 17 and 31, followed by fish fry in Kehrer Hall. Plates $10 each.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, every Friday of Lent, beginning Feb. 24 from 5-7 p.m. in the Family Life Center. No fish fry on March 17 due to St. Patrick parade. Cost: Catfish $12; Shrimp $12; Combo $14. Dinners include fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. For grilled fish, call 30 minutes ahead. Details: Darren (601) 597-2890.
OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Soup Suppers at 5:30 p.m. March 10, 24 and 31; Knights of Columbus Fish Fry fundraiser on Friday, March 17.
OXFORD St. John, Stations in Church at 5 p.m. and Knights of Columbus Fish Fry at 5:30 in parish hall. Dine-in or take-out. Cost $10, plate includes fish, fries, hushpuppies, slaw and a drink.
PEARL St. Jude, Fish Fry following Stations every Friday at 6 p.m. Reservations required. Dinner includes catfish, fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw and tea. Dine-in only. No cost, donations encouraged. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.
STARKVILLE St. Joseph, Knights of Columbus catfish dinner after Stations in the Church at 5:30 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Fish Fry at 5:30 p.m. and Stations at 7 p.m. on March 17 and 31. Lenten meal served on March 10 and 24. Potluck meal at 5:30 p.m. on March 31. Seder meal on Monday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m.
TUPELO St. James, Lenten Pasta Dinners, Friday March 31 at 5:30 p.m. in Shelton Hall. Dine-in or carry-out. Meatless spaghetti (choice of red or white sauce), salad, garlic bread and dessert. Cost: adults $9; kids $6.
VICKSBURG Knights of Columbus Fish Fry every Friday during Lent.
YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Stations and Soup, Tuesdays during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
PENANCE/RECONCILIATION SERVICES
BATESVILLE St. Mary, Penance service, Thursday, March 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. Youth Penance service, Saturday, March 25 at 1 p.m.
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Reconciliation with several priests available, Thursday, March 30 from 5-7 p.m.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Reconciliation with several priests available, Wednesday, March 22 from 4-6:30 p.m. Fr. Bowlds will hear confessions beginning at 4 p.m. with three other priests joining at 5 p.m.
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Penance Service, Thursday, March 23 at 6 p.m.
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Penance Service, Monday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
GREENVILLE Sacred Heart, Penance Service and Individual Confessions, Wednesday, March 29 at 6 p.m.
GRENADA St. Peter, Penance Service, Wednesday, March 22 at 6:15 p.m.
JACKSON St. Richard, Reconciliation with four priests available, Thursday, March 23 from 6-8 p.m.
MAGEE St. Stephen, Penance Service, Saturday, April 1 at 4 p.m.
OXFORD St. John, Penance Service, Monday, March 27 from 5-6:30 p.m.
RIPLEY St. Matthew, Lenten opportunity for Reconciliation/Confession, Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. with Father Cesar Sanchez or Thursday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. with Father Mario Solorzano.
SHAW St. Francis, Penance Service and Individual Confessions, Monday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Penance Service, Wednesday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
STARKVILLE St. Joseph, Penance Service, Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m.
TUPELO St. James, Reconciliation Service, Thursday, March 30 from 5-7 p.m. in the Church.
YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Penance Service, Monday, March 20 at 6 p.m. Confession also available in Spanish.
VICKSBURG St. Michael, Reconciliation Service, Tuesday, March 21 at 7 p.m.
STATIONS ONLY
BATESVILLE St. Mary, Stations, 30 minutes before all weekend Masses and on Fridays before 11 a.m. Mass.
CANTON Holy Child Jesus, Stations at 12 p.m. on Fridays during Lent.
CHOCTAW St. Therese, Stations on Fridays during Lent at 6 p.m.
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Stations on Fridays during Lent at 2:30 p.m. (with school students) and 5:30 p.m. rotating between St. Elizabeth and Immaculate Conception.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
CLINTON Holy Savior, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. followed by Mass.
FOREST St. Michael, Way of the Cross in Spanish at 7 p.m. on Fridays during Lent.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Stations on Fridays at 6 p.m. during Lent.
GREENVILLE Sacred Heart, Stations, Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m.
GREENWOOD Immaculate Heart of Mary, Stations at 12 p.m. on Fridays during Lent.
GREENWOOD St. Francis, Stations at 6 p.m. on Fridays during Lent.
GRENADA St. Peter, Stations at 6:15 p.m. on Fridays during Lent.
JACKSON Christ the King, Stations at 6 p.m. every Friday during Lent. Rosary after Stations.
JACKSON Holy Ghost, Stations at 4 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
MADISON St. Francis, Live Way of the Cross, Good Friday, April 7 at 2 p.m.
MAGEE St. Stephen, Way of the Cross, Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Bible study to follow in parish hall.
MAGNOLIA St. James, Stations at 5 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
MCCOMB St. Alphonsus, Stations at 6 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Stations, March 24 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.; March 31 at 2 p.m. and outdoor Stations led by Hispanic community on April 7 at 5 p.m.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Stations every Friday during Lent beginning March 3 at 5:15 p.m. No Stations on March 17, will have Mass at 5 p.m.
Assumption, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
NEW ALBANY St. Francis, Mass followed by Stations, every Friday during Lent at 8:30 a.m. (English)
OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Stations every Friday during Lent at 7 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA Holy Rosary, Stations on Fridays during Lent at 6 p.m.
PONTOTOC St. Christopher, Stations at 6 p.m. each Friday during Lent.
RAYMOND Immaculate Conception, Stations at 6 p.m. every Friday during Lent.
RIPLEY St. Matthew, Stations at 4:30 p.m. (English) every Friday during Lent; Way of the Cross (Spanish) at 6:45 p.m.
ROBINSONVILLE Good Shepherd, Stations on Wednesdays during Lent at 2 p.m.
SHAW St. Francis, Stations every Friday after 6 p.m. Mass.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Stations every Friday during Lent at 7 p.m. Good Friday there will be a live outdoor Stations at 3 p.m.
TUPELO St. James, Stations on Fridays following 12:10 p.m. Mass (English) and at 6 p.m. (English). Spanish stations following 6:30 p.m. Spanish Mass.
VICKSBURG St. Mary, Stations every Friday during Lent at 6 p.m.
VICKSBURG St. Michael, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
VICKSBURG St. Paul, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m.
SPECIAL LENTEN NOTICE
Abstinence: Catholics abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22, 2023) and Good Friday; and also on Fridays during Lent; however, Bishop Joseph Kopacz has granted a dispensation from the requirement of abstaining from meat on Friday, March 17, 2023 in honor of the Feast of St. Patrick, as on this feast day various cultural dishes with meat are traditionally served. The dispensation is granted with the condition that those who take advantage of the dispensation will substitute another profound act of penance, such as prayer and alms giving to mark this day. Norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding on Catholics from age 14 onwards.
Fasting: Catholics fast (eating one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal) on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22) and Good Friday (April 7). Catholics 18-59 years old are bound by this obligation.
By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Once in a Blue Moon, a natural occurrence nearly every three years, the Gospel of Matthew flows seamlessly from Ordinary Time into Ash Wednesday. Since the Christmas season the church has been proclaiming our weekly Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount from the fifth chapter of Matthew. We are in Cycle A of our three-year rotation with the Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke.
This year the timing was picture-perfect to go from chapter 5 into the traditional Ash Wednesday Gospel taken from St. Matthew’s sixth Chapter on prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Recall that the Sermon on the Mount encompasses Chapters 5-6-7 in Matthew’s Gospel, the first book of the New Testament. The well-known words “repent and believe in the Gospel” or “remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return” as each person is marked with the ashes are the bridge to the Lenten season of conversion and new life in Jesus Christ. This is heaven-sent because the Sermon on the Mount is at the essence of the Lord’s standard for holiness of life, and an exceptional examination of conscience for our 40-day spiritual journey. Each chapter is brimming with God’s wisdom and by allowing Jesus’ words to find a home in our hearts and minds, and our actions will keep us firmly fixed on the road to life from on high .
Immediately following the Ash Wednesday Gospel on prayer, fasting and almsgiving is one of the Lord’s summary statements on storing up treasures in heaven. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth, rust and thieves are powerless.”
Why? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (6:19-21)
As disciples of the Lord, the first foot forward is not about receiving pennies from heaven, as it is storing up treasures in heaven. “But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
We are in the world and for sure, want to live a full life, but we are not of the world. “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:11, 14-15.)
The treasures we are storing up in heaven are rooted in prayer, fasting and almsgiving, or generosity of life, walking on the path Jesus trod, in the desert overcoming temptation, and as a treasure trove of blessing in daily life.
The Ash Wednesday demand to repent and believe in the Gospel is the foundation of the Lord’s call in each of our lives. St. Mark’s Gospel, without the Infancy Narratives of Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, and the Prologue of John’s Gospel wastes no time over who Jesus is and what are the demands of his mission. “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) Immediately after his identity is established Jesus sets out on his public ministry. “After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the Gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Jesus invites us to place our faith in him as the Son of God and to repent, embracing a life-long journey of conversion of mind and heart, of mindset and attitude. We have been buried with Christ in baptism so that we can die to self and rise with him each day. This is not a once in a Blue Moon display of ashes, but a way of living with a storehouse of treasures.
By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Our Lady of Guadalupe is a message of “mestizaje,” or a fusion of cultures that leads to an encounter between humanity and God, Pope Francis said.
In a message to Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo, Spain, Pope Francis reflected on the figure of Guadalupe to mark the occasion of the shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and in Spain becoming “sister shrines.”
“Mary, our mother, is always a bond of communion for her people,” and her invitation to prayer and communion “has been expressed in many places in the world with the invitation to build a temple that would be a house with doors always open to all,” the pope said in his message, which was published Feb. 13.
Two of the most famous temples in Hispanic culture built at Mary’s request are the Guadalupe shrines in Spain and Mexico which are considered “sister shrines” following a ceremony in Guadalupe, Spain, Feb. 13 in which Archbishop Cerro and Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, archbishop of Mexico City, Mexico, both participated.
The royal monastery of St. Mary of Guadalupe in Spain was constructed in the 14th century on the site where tradition holds that Mary appeared to a farmer who discovered a dark-skinned statue of Mary. Many Spanish conquistadors who traveled to the New World came from the area around Guadalupe and had a strong devotion to the Marian figure.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City houses St. Juan Diego’s tilma, the mantle that bears the miraculous image of Mary who appeared to the Indigenous saint and spoke to him in Nahuatl, an Aztec language. An estimated 12 million people visited the basilica each year before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, making it Catholicism’s most popular Marian shrine.
In his message to Archbishop Cerro, Pope Francis said the origin of the word “Guadalupe” is not entirely known, and its roots have been traced to Arabic, Latin or Nahuatl. He noted that while this could be interpreted as a conflict, it can also “be read as a sign from the Holy Spirit who makes his message of love heard in every language.”
The pope then traced how the different linguistic interpretations of “Guadalupe” combine to produce new meanings: in Arabic it means “hidden river,” which refers to grace; its Latin origins could mean “river of wolves,” referring to a “haven of peace for those troubled by their own sins” and violence; and the Nahuatl roots would mean “the one who conquers the serpent.”
The Gospel, while remaining the same, is “enriched in meaning” in every historical moment and by every culture it encounters, the pope said.
IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
More than a half century ago, Flannery O’Connor wrote a short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find. One of the main characters in the story is an elderly woman who is a difficult, stubborn and not a particularly happy person. Traveling to Florida with her family, she is constantly whining and complaining. Then, thanks to some carelessness on her part, they get in a traffic accident and while their car is stalled, an escaped convict (the Misfit) chances on them and executes the whole family. Just before she is shot, the unhappy elderly woman, fearing for her life, reaches out and touches the Misfit and has a gentle moment with him. After killing her, he says, she would have been a good woman, if there had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.
I suspect we would all be better persons if there were someone there to shoot us every minute of our lives. At least I know that I would because I once had someone there to shoot me and it made me a better person at least during the time when the threat was there. Here’s my story.
Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. The initial prognosis was good (surgery and chemotherapy and the cancer should be stopped). For a while it was. However, three years later it again made an unwelcome reappearance. This time the prognosis was not good. My oncologist, whom I trust, shared that situation was grave. Chemotherapy would be tried again; but he assured me, that barring the exceptional, this treatment would not be effective for long and would be more for palliative purposes than for any real hope of remission or cure. He felt it his duty to deliver that message clearly. I was facing the shooter. You have about thirty months to live!
As you can guess, this wasn’t easy to accept and process. I struggled mightily to make peace with it. Eventually, through prayer, I wrote a creed for myself as to how I would try to live out those two years. Here’s the creed:
I am going to strive to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can.
I am going to strive to be as productive for as long as I can.
I am going to make every day and every activity as precious and enjoyable as possible.
I am going to strive to be as gracious, warm, and charitable as possible.
I am going to strive to accept others’ love in a deeper way than I have up to now.
I am going to strive to live a more-fully “reconciled life.” No room for past hurts anymore.
I am going to strive to keep my sense of humor intact.
I am going to strive to be as courageous and brave as I can.
I am going to strive, always, to never look on what I am losing, but rather to look at how wonderful and full my life has been and is.
And, I am going to, daily, lay all of this at God’s feet through prayer.
For some months I prayed that creed intensely every day, trying to live out its every tenet. However, the chemotherapy treatments were, surprisingly, very effective. After five months of treatment, all the indications of cancer were gone, I was healthy again, and my oncologist was optimistic that, perhaps, his diagnosis had been too dire and that with some maintenance chemo, I might enjoy many more years of life. And, indeed I did for the next seven years.
However, during those seven years of remission, feeling healthy and optimistic, with no one there to shoot me every day, I now prayed my creed less frequently and with less intensity. And even though its challenges were now more ingrained in me, my old habits of taking life for granted, of praying St. Augustine’s prayer (Make me a better Christian, Lord, but not yet!), of losing perspective, of impatience, of self-pity, of nursing grievances, and of not appreciating fully the richness of life, began to seep back into my life.
The “shooter” reappeared two years ago with another reoccurrence of the cancer. Initially the prognosis was dire (thirty months and chemotherapy for the rest of my life) and the creed again took a central place in my life. However, a new treatment unexpectedly offered a much longer future and, with no one there to shoot me every day, the creed again began to lose its power and my old habits of impatience, ingratitude and self-pity began again to mark my days.
I am deeply grateful for all the post-cancer years that God and modern medicine have given me. Cancer has been a gift that has taught me a lot. Having my life parceled out in six months chunks has me appreciating life, others, health, nature, the simple joys of life and my work like never before. I’m a better person when there is someone there to shoot me every day!
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)
God doesn’t call the qualified – He qualifies the called. In my four and half years as a priest I have learned to do countless things that I once thought had “nothing to do” with ministering to God’s people, but which I now realize are mandatory if I am going to be an effective parish priest. I have learned to create agendas and run meetings – not exactly the height of spiritual union with the Lord, but very important if you want your staff, finance council, pastoral council and other committees to be in a good mood. I have learned how to fundraise and create budgets and produce purchase orders and expense reports – not what I immediately thought about when I began to consider the priesthood, but very important when it comes to day-to-day stewardship of the goods that the People of God entrust priests within the church.
I have learned to do all kinds of things that at one stage or another I thought had “nothing to do” with ministering to God’s people, but now I realize that as a priest, especially a diocesan priest, everything that I do can be caught up in the mystery of God’s call to be a priest. When we entrust our lives to the Lord by following his will for us, we allow him to take our lives in whatever direction he sees fit. This is what we prepare men studying for the priesthood to do. They need to be generally prepared to be good leaders, good organizers and good business managers, but they won’t know exactly what will be asked of them until they are out with their flock. Getting ready to be a priest is probably something like getting ready to practice medicine – you get lots and lots of training in med school and then when you put the white coat on, you begin to be challenged by things you never expected.
All this is to say: our seminarians may not take a ‘class’ for every possible situation they’ll be faced with, but they are trained to expect the unexpected and do their best, because God doesn’t call the qualified – he qualifies the called. This means that the most important thing that a man learns in seminary is how to pray and how to remain in relationship with the Lord who has called him to this task and this identity. If a man is deeply rooted in a life of prayer and a joy-filled relationship with the Lord, then he will be up to the task even when the task at hand is something he had never prepared for.
In the past week at my parish, I’ve done a wide scale edit of the website (didn’t learn how to do that in seminary), revamped our social media presence (didn’t learn how to do that either), issued purchase orders for seminarian education (same) and filed expense reports (same). It can be easy to see these tasks as “added burdens,” but that is not the message that the seminary sends to our men. For the diocesan priest, all of these administrative tasks are a part of a loving response to God’s call to the priesthood. These things are important to the life of the church and the life of our people, and so we are trained over 6-9 years to expect the unexpected, and to see every part of our day as an opportunity to minister to the People of God.
– Father Nick Adam
For more info on vocations email: nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.
