Catholic Connection May 2016

Connection The Catholic

Vol. 25, No. 10 May 2016

Gifts of the

Holy Spirit

Also Inside Bishop’s Reflection on and

Summary of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation: Amoris Laetitia on Love in the Family May 2016 1

Archbishop Pierre Appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. Publisher Bishop Michael G. Duca Editor Jessica Rinaudo Contributors Jim Beadles

Fr. Rothell Price

Shelly Bole

Rosalba Quiroz

Bishop Michael Duca

Jessica Rinaudo

Steven Griego

Katie Sciba

Kim Long

Courtney Smith

Fr. Matthew Long

Bonny Van

Lucy Medvec

Mike Van Vranken

Editorial Board Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Kelly Phelan Powell Dianne Rachal Christine Rivers Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox Mission Statement The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Diocesan Service Appeal; mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport.

Our Mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic Faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ’s teachings and our Church’s mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and diocesan faith community.

Subscriptions & Address Changes Contact: Jessica Rinaudo, Editor Email: jrinaudo@dioshpt.org Write: Catholic Connection 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 Call: 318-868-4441 Fax: 318-868-4609 Website: www.thecatholicconnection.org

The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Press Association.

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’s Protecting God’s Children program. Classes are offered every second Wednesday of the month at the Catholic Center in Shreveport. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call Glennda Lawson.

Hotline is 318-294-1031 and your local law enforcement agency.

2 Catholic Connection

P

ope Francis has appointed Archbishop Christophe Pierre, titular archbishop of Gunela, as the new apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Pierre, 70, has served as nuncio to Mexico since 2007 and succeeds Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who has held the post since 2011 and reached the retirement age of 75 in January.

Christophe Pierre was born January 30, 1946 in Rennes, France. He was ordained a priest in 1970 and has previously served as nuncio to Haiti (1995-1999) and Uganda (19992007). An apostolic nuncio is the pope’s personal representative in a country that has full diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

bishop’s may calendar MAY 1 Confirmation; St. Joseph Parish, Bastrop; 10:00 a.m.

Shreveport-Bossier Holocaust Memorial Service; St. Mary of the Pines Parish, Shreveport; 3:00 p.m.

MAY 3 Priests Retirement Committee meeting; Catholic Center; 11:00 a.m.

MAY 4 St. Francis Medical Center Board of Directors’ Meeting; Monroe; 11:30 a.m.

Confirmation; St. Joseph Parish, Zwolle; 6:00 p.m.

St. Mary of the Pines 2016 Multicultural Festivities; Southern Hills Park Facility, Shreveport MAY 17 Marquette Reading Circle End of the Year Luncheon; East Ridge Country Club, Shreveport; 12:00 p.m.

MAY 18 Legislators’ Mass; St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge; 7:30 a.m.

MAY 6 Red Mass; Holy Trinity Parish, Shreveport; 9:00 a.m.

MAY 19 St. Frederick High School Baccalaureate Mass; St. Frederick High School, Monroe; 5:00 p.m.

MAY 7 Mass; St. John the Baptist Parish, Many; 4:00 p.m.

St. Frederick High School Graduation; St. Frederick High School, Monroe; 6:00 p.m.

MAY 8 Mass; St. Terence Church; Many; 8:00 a.m.

MAY 21 Confirmation; St. Jude Parish, Benton; 5:00 p.m.

Mass; St. John the Baptist Parish, Many; 10:00 a.m.

MAY 9 Presbyteral Council Meeting; Catholic Center; 1:00 p.m.

MAY 11 Confirmation; St. Ann Church, Stonewall; 6:30 p.m.

MAY 12 Loyola College Prep Baccalaureate Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 6:30 p.m.

MAY 22 Confirmation; St. Paul Parish, Minden; 11:00 a.m.

Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 5:30 p.m.

MAY 24 Catholic Charities of North Louisiana and Diocese of Shreveport Eastern Deanery Office Ribbon Cutting Ceremony; Monroe; 3:00 p.m.

MAY 13 Loyola College Prep Graduation; RiverView Hall and Theater, Shreveport; 6:30 p.m.

MAY 28 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Commencement Ceremony; Centenary College’s Gold Dome, Shreveport; 10:00 a.m.

MAY 14 Confirmation; St. Paschal Parish, West Monroe; 5:30 p.m.

MAY 29 Corpus Christi Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 8:30 a.m.

MAY 15 Mystagogy: RCIA; Library, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 9:45 a.m.

Corpus Christi Procession/Adoration/ Benediction; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 9:30 a.m.

Confirmation; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 11:00 a.m.

MAY 30 Memorial Day Mass; St. Joseph Cemetery, Shreveport; 10:00 a.m.

contents

may 2016

columns Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love by Bishop Michael Duca...................................... 4-5 Mike’s Meditations: Mercy is a Eucharistic Gift by Mike Van Vranken................. 6 In Review: Teaching from Rest by Katie Sciba ..................................................... 7 Faithful Food: A Joyful 50 Days by Kim Long.......................................................... 8

13

Domestic Church: Follow the Lead of Mother Mary by Katie Sciba................... 9 From the Pope: The Presence of Risen Jesus Transforms Everything

by Vatican Information Services..................................................................................10 Navigating the Faith: The Jesus Prayer by Shelly Bole ..........................................11 Second Collections for May by Fr. Rothell Price ....................................................12 Vocations View: The Great Seminary Flood of 2016 by Steven Griego ..............13 Mercy in Action: Prayer Blankets from OLBS Bring Peace to the Sick

by Bonny Van .......................................................................................................... 17 Kids' Connection: Pentecost: The Birthday of Church .........................................24

14

features Gifts of the Holy Spirit

by Kim Long ............................................................................................................. 14-15

news Catholic Charities Provides Help for Victims After the Flood

by Lucy Medvec .......................................................................................................16 Red Mass to Celebrate Legal Professionals and Heart of Hope

by Jessica Rinaudo ....................................................................................................18 Our Lady of Hope: St. Joseph Mansfield & St. Ann Churches Donate to Mary's House by Fr. Matthew Long ......................................................................19

19 on the cover

Summary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia on Love in the Family

by Vatican Information Services .................................................................................20-22

Hispanic News by Rosalba Quiroz ...........................................................................23 School News ...........................................................................................................25 Local High Schoolers Win Top Knights of Columbus Award & Scholarship

by Jessica Rinaudo ....................................................................................................26 The Holy Year of Mercy and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

by Jim Beadles ..........................................................................................................27 Across the Diocese ................................................................................................28-29 Mark Your Calendar ...............................................................................................30 May Calendar ........................................................................................................31 Picture of the Month...............................................................................................32

Holy Spirit Stained Glass.

May 2016 3

la reflexión Del Obispo por Obispo Michael G. Duca

Amoris Laetitia: La Alegría del Amor

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a alegría del amor que se vive en las familias es también el júbilo de la Iglesia.” Con estas palabras comienza el Papa Francisco su Exhortación Apostólica Amoris Laetitia, que fue publicada el 8 de Abril del 2016. Una Exhortación Apostólica es una enseñanza papal que comunica lo que piensa el papa sobre cierto tema. Esta nueva exhortación, Amoris Laetitia (AL), comparte las conclusiones del Santo padre de sus los sínodos de los obispos y su reflexión y enseñanza sobre el amor, el matrimonio y la familia.

En algunos círculos de la iglesia, ha habido temor que el Papa Francisco cambiara con este documento, las enseñanzas de la Iglesia en lo referente al matrimonio y la familia. Leyendo el texto cuidadosamente mostrará que el Santo Padre presenta una afirmación de clara de nuestro entendimiento sobre el matrimonio y la familia. Este documento también es un entendimiento clave del mundo de hoy. “Se teme la soledad, se desea un espacio de protección y de fidelidad, pero al mismo tiempo crece el temor a ser atrapado por una relación que pueda postergar el logro de las aspiraciones personales”. (AL 34). También, se encuentran en todo el texto descripciones hermosas que afirman el concepto católico sobre el matrimonio. Por ejemplo: “Después del amor que nos une a Dios, el amor conyugal es la manera “más grande de amistad.” Es una unión que posee todas las cualidades de una buena amistad: preocupación por el bien del otro, reciprocidad, intimidad, calor, estabilidad y las similitudes que nacen de una vida de compartimiento. El matrimonio une todo esto como una exclusividad indisoluble expresada en el compromiso estable de compartir y dar forma juntos a toda la vida… Los que se casan no esperan que su emoción se acabe… (ellos) confían que va a sobrepasar la prueba del tiempo. Los hijos no solamente quieren que sus padres se amen uno al otro, sino que también le sean fieles y se mantengan juntos. … es la naturaleza de un amor conyugal que sea definitivo… Para los creyentes, también es una alianza ante Dios…”

O este ejemplo: “No obstante, esta unión está ordenada a la generación por su propio carácter natural. El niño que llega no viene de fuera a añadirse al amor mutuo de los esposos; brota del corazón mismo de ese don recíproco, del que es fruto y cumplimiento. … Desde el comienzo, el amor rechaza todo impulso de cerrarse en sí mismo, y se abre a una fecundidad que lo prolonga más allá de su propia existencia”. (AL 80) Aun cuando el Santo Padre presenta claramente este ideal, también aclara el punto de que hay muchos retos en el mundo en la vida del matrimonio y la familia. Necesitamos tomar en cuenta las realidades concretas que enfrenta el matrimonio en nuestros tiempos.

El Papa recalca al final de los reportes de los dos sínodos nombrando algunos de los muchos retos a la familia. Habla del reto en concreto de la migración, el rechazo ideológico de diferencias entre sexos (“ideología del género”), la mentalidad del rechazar la vida, la falta de vivienda y trabajo, la pornografía y el abuso a menores, la falta de atención a personas con discapacidades, el descuido a las personas mayores, la destrucción de la familia y la violencia contra la mujer.

Mirando realísticamente a las familias manteniendo su ideal, el papa recalca un punto muy importante. Los ideales del matrimonio no deben tener como una línea divisoria, donde tenemos familias perfectas en un lado y las familias desechas en el otro. NO. Él recalca que: “ninguna familia es una realidad celestial y confeccionada de una vez para siempre, sino que requiere una progresiva maduración de su capacidad de amar... Todos estamos llamados a mantener viva la 4 Catholic Connection

tensión hacia un más allá de nosotros mismos y de nuestros límites… No desesperemos por nuestros límites, pero tampoco renunciemos a buscar la plenitud de amor y de comunión que se nos ha prometido. (AL 325) Nos exhorta a no juzgar arduamente ni alejar a familias en problemas a las periferias. Si no más bien, el papa Francisco nos invita a atesorar a todas las familias en todas sus realidades incluyendo a nuestra familia extendida. Nos anima a afirmar la bondad y lo sagrado de su vocación, a acompañarlas en los retos que enfrentan, y a incluirlas en la vida parroquial para que puedan acercarse más a la vida de la Iglesia.

Hay mucha riqueza en esta exhortación. Todos se ayudarán leyéndola con una mentalidad de oración, especialmente parejas casadas o las que están preparándose para el matrimonio. Como siempre, NO DEJEN QUE LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN SEAN SU GUIA EN ESTA ENSEÑANZA. Escuchen a sus sacerdotes, publicaciones Católicas y para más recursos, visiten la página de internet de la Conferencia Episcopal de los Obispos de Estados Unidos en: www.USCCB.org Oración a la Sagrada Familia Jesus, María y Jose, en vosotros contemplamos el esplendor del verdadero amor; a vosotros confiados nos dirigimos. Santa Familia de Nazaret… haz también de nuestras familias un lugar de comunión y cenáculo de oración, auténticas escuelas del Evangelio y pequeñas iglesias domésticas. Santa Familia de Nazaret… que nunca más haya en las familias episodios de violencia, de cerrazón y división; y que quien haya sido herido o escandalizados sea pronto consolado y sanado. Santa Familia de Nazaret… haz tomar conciencia a todos del carácter sagrado e inviolable de la familia, de su belleza en el proyecto de Dios. Jesus, María y Jose, escuchad, acoged nuestra súplica. Amen.

bishop’s REFLECTION

by Bishop Michael G. Duca

Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love “

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he Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” With these words Pope Francis begins his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, released on April 8, 2016. An apostolic exhortation is a particular kind of papal teaching that communicates the mind of the pope on a certain topic.

This new exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (AL), shares the conclusions of the Holy Father from the two synods of bishops and his reflection and teaching on love, marriage and family.

There has been, in some circles of the Church, a fear that in this document Pope Francis would change the teachings of the Church on marriage and family. A thoughtful reading of the text shows that the Holy Father is presenting a clear reaffirmation of our understanding Bishop Duca of marriage and family. This document also shows a keen understanding of the world today. In an insightful statement Pope Francis notes: “The fear of loneliness and the desire for stability and fidelity exist side by side with a growing fear of entrapment in a relationship that could hamper the achievement of one’s personal goals” (AL 34). Also, spread throughout the text are beautiful descriptions of marriage that affirm the Catholic understanding of marriage. For example: “After the love that unites us to God, conjugal love is the “greatest form of friendship.” It is a union possessing all the traits of a good friendship: concern for the good of the other, reciprocity, intimacy, warmth, stability and the resemblance born of a shared life. Marriage joins to all this an indissoluble exclusivity expressed in the stable commitment to share and shape together the whole of life.. Those who marry do not expect their excitement to fade…(they) trust that it will pass the test of time.

Children not only want their parents to love one another, but also to be faithful and remain together. ...it is in the very nature of conjugal love to be definitive... For believers, it is also a covenant before God...”

AND “Nonetheless, the conjugal union is ordered to procreation “by its very nature.” The child who is born “does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment”. ...From the outset, love refuses every impulse to close in on itself; it is open to a fruitfulness that draws it beyond itself” (AL 80).

Yet while the Holy Father states clearly the ideal, he makes a clear point that there are many challenges in the world to marriage and family life. We need to consider the concrete realities facing marriage today.

Pope Francis draws heavily on the final reports of the two synods naming some of the many worldwide challenges to the family. He speaks of the concrete challenges of migration, the ideological denial of differences between the sexes (“ideology of gender”), the anti-birth mentality, the lack of housing and work, pornography and abuse of minors, inattention to persons with disabilities, lack of respect for the elderly, the legal dismantling of the family and violence against women.

By taking a realistic look at families while holding up its ideal, he wants to stress a very important point. The ideals of marriage are not to be held up as a dividing line where we have perfect families on one side and broken families on the other. NO. He stresses that, “No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love... All of us are called to keep striving towards something greater... May we never lose heart

because of our limitations, or ever stop seeking that fullness of love and communion which God holds out before us.” (AL 325) He urges us not to harshly judge or push struggling families to the periphery. Rather, Pope Francis invites us to treasure all families in all their realities including extended family as well. He encourages us to affirm the goodness and the sacredness of their vocation, accompany them in meeting the challenges they face and include them in parish life so they can draw strength from the life of the Church.

There is so much richness in this new exhortation.

Everyone will benefit from a prayerful reading, especially married couples or those preparing for marriage. As always, DO NOT LET THE SECULAR MEDIA BE YOUR GUIDE TO THIS TEACHING. Listen to your pastors, Catholic publications and visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website, USCCB.org, for other resources.

Prayer to the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

May 2016 5

mike’s meditations

by Mike Van Vranken

Mercy is a Eucharistic Grace

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s we continue to ponder the depths of God’s infinite Divine Mercy, I would like to suggest that God’s mercy could be viewed as a Eucharistic grace. In other words, our real unity with God that we experience in the Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) and which we celebrate in the consumption of Jesus’ body and blood (Holy Communion), transform us so we have a longing desire to share that unity with others.

Do we understand this unity with God is so real, so absolute, so comprehensive, that we can only become more God-like as a result? We find so much Van Vranken love in God that we desire to move out of ourselves and into unity with Him. When someone loves you so much they are willing to give their life for you, and you love them back so much that you want to be totally united with them, then each of you continue to lavish each other with gifts of love. Each of you shares the one love you have for each other by merging your lives together. To be totally united with God, the lover, inspires us to love Him in return to such a great extent that we long to merge with Him and show that love by giving gifts of love to Him. “How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me” (Psalm 116:12)? What do we have that we can give back to God? The Bible tells us that the earth and everything in it belong to God (Psalm 24:1). So what do we have to give God as a gift? We have what He has given us first.

Because we are talking about Divine Mercy, our goal here is to understand the only way we respond to God’s gift of mercy from Him is by lovingly giving it back to Him. But, why would the God of the universe need our mercy? And, how would we give it back to Him? We know that Jesus is the revelation of God’s love for us in human form. We are taught in scripture that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). We are taught by Jesus to show love and compassion to everyone we meet, and that’s the link to God’s Divine Mercy. One of the definitions of mercy is “compassion.” God’s daily gift of mercies to us is the result of His great compassion for us. Out of our great passion to be in unity with Him, we become like Him and return those gifts of mercy and compassion.

How do we do that? Jesus, God in human form, taught us “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). We return our mercy (love and compassion) to God by giving it away to other human beings. Our love for God is so strong that it demands we love our neighbor as ourselves, not because it is a commandment, but because we love God in return. We ask ourselves: “How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me?” Our only loving response to that question is to be so unified with God that we share His love, compassion and goodness with others who are all made in His image.

We can view God’s Divine Mercy as a Eucharistic grace because when we take and eat the sacred body, when we take and drink the sacred blood, 6 Catholic Connection

we are in such unity with God that we experience His own hunger to lavish mercy and compassion on others. We intellectually understand this unity every time we take communion at Mass. But we only practice our oneness with God, we only live it out when we share Him, who is love, with all we meet.

Our perfect unity with God in the Eucharist is so “on fire” with love, our only response is to return all the good He has done for us in mercy and compassion to those He strategically puts in our paths. •

MONTHLY REFLECTION Spend time each day this month in a quiet place of prayer and imagine yourself in total unity with God. • What does that look like? • How does it make you feel? • Try to think of as many loving descriptions of God as you can; such as: He is forgiving. He is our provider. He is our healer. He is our helper. You can then realize you have those same characteristics because you are also one with Him. When you take communion, pray for the grace to not only know you are one with God in the Eucharist, but also for the grace that God will show you many ways to love Him by pointing out those people in your life to whom you can share His mercy and compassion.

Mike is a writer and teacher, and co-author of the book: Faith Positive in a Negative World. You can contact him at www.mikevanvrankenministries.org

in REVIEW

by Katie Sciba

Teaching from Rest

by Sarah Mackenzie

I

“

could never homeschool. I’d go crazy and I don’t feel like I’d do a good job.”

I spoke these words a thousand times before I started homeschooling our kindergartener. I wrote off home education out of fear of the unknown. The whole idea is daunting - taking on the entire schooling of a child from Kindergarten through 12th grade is a grand responsibility and I didn’t feel up to the task. I had no idea how to start: Which curriculum do I choose? What happens when he has to learn chemistry and his teacher-mom is totally lost? I was ready to quit before I even began.

Which is why I was and continue to be so grateful for Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace. Written for both new and veteran homeschooling parents, the book is Mackenzie’s invitation to give homeschooling a try and she set my mind at ease asserting that not only was it possible regardless of which curriculum I selected or what kind of schedule I maintained, but I could do all of the above and more with peace. Her words come hard-earned, as she herself is a mother and homeschooling mom of six children, who returns to this idea of rest over and over.

Every homeschooling book out there is chock full of pragmatic wisdom; but the prize in this book is its faith-filled content, structured in a natural progression of topics. The brief, page-turning text is divided into three parts: “Whose ‘Well Done’ Are You Working For?”, “Curriculum Is Not Something You Buy,” and “Be Who You Are!” - all of which are founded on entrusting all of our efforts to God and “resting in [His] care.”

Mackenzie’s initial words soothe the anxious soul with wisdom from C.S. Lewis, the saints and scripture. She encourages the reader to focus on individual prayer to cultivate one’s own trust in God, and from that peace rest will come. It comes once

we realize that perfection is unreachable, but God’s grace to do the work is right there with us already. “I am not meant to take on this task of teaching and raising my children in my own strength, and neither are you,” Mackenzie asserts. “We are, however, meant to recognize every facet of our day as coming from the hand of God. Surrender your idea of what the ideal homeschool day is supposed to look like and take on... the day that it is.” Taking each moment at a time and in stride shakes us free of idealism and places us in reality.

After setting a solid foundation, Mackenzie moves into what every homeschooling parent must consider curriculum. While it’s tempting to regard prearranged unit themes and lesson plans as a big item on our children’s educational checklist, we have to remind ourselves that the materials we use serve us and our purposes, not the other way around. And the whole purpose of homeschooling is to enable and witness firsthand the love of truth, beauty and learning. It’s in this section of Teaching From Rest that she encourages simplifying, a word that makes me breathe easy.

The book’s final section on being yourself as a homeschooling parent also alleviated some anxiety on my part. There’s more than one way to homeschool and we are living out our parenthood in a particular way. It’s here Mackenzie draws her focus saying, “If, by the grace of God, we can manage to remember that our children are all made in His image – and more importantly, if we can treat them as such despite the mess and the chaos – then we will really be able to teach from rest.”

I wish a single page review could do this book justice, but I leave it to you to discover the wealth of wisdom in Teaching From Rest. It will be my go-to every time I need a revival, and a call to trust in God and experience the consequential peace. •

“ If, by the grace of God, we can manage to remember that our children are all made in His image--and more importantly, if we can treat them as such despite the mess and the chaos--then we will really be able to teach from rest."

Sarah Mackenzie in Teaching From Rest

Teaching from Rest is available through Amazon.com.

May 2016 7

faithful FOOD

by Kim Long

A Joyful 50 Days Let the Lord Lead You Through Eastertide

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his year, for me at least, Lent seemed compressed, concentrated, the days rolled one into another in a seamlessness that hardly allowed me to catch my breath. Now Eastertide is here, 50 days of rejoicing. I Long don’t want to miss a moment of Eastertide, the joy of which cannot be contained in just one day, the joy that, if allowed, unfolds and leads us gently into the long stretch of ordinary (counted, not lackluster) time.

I had some experiences this past year with, of all things, dancing. I did not grow up dancing, even with the benefit of ballet lessons I was not particularly comfortable with myself. I was shy and usually had my nose stuck in a book.

Dancing was something my sister, mother and my dad owned. They were wonderful and I stood by and watched.

Later in adult life I hadn’t improved much, so imagine my amazement when I joined a group of women and formed an Irish ceili dance group. We are totally self-taught and step out on the faith that we can do it and trust one another

with our rhythm and missteps, our successes, our struggles with a particular movement or sequence. Trust, rather than rhythm, moves us forward.

There is great energy in dance, something I had never known before.

In Israel there are a certain set of things to see and do when on pilgrimage, a route if you will. One of the stops is a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was easy for me to imagine Jesus beside me when things were quiet, meditative and prayerful, but when our guide turned on Israeli folk music and we danced and sang on that boat, I no longer had to imagine Jesus’ presence – it was felt in the trust, the rhythm, the moment. Hand to hand we moved to the music, our bodies praying without words, our mouths smiling from joy rather than humor, a moment not just relegated to memory, but a moment which for me has been “re-membered” when I dance today: with my sisters in the ceili group, with women from our parish who spontaneously rose up to dance to an Israeli folk song on Palm Sunday

evening when we came together to read the Exodus story and contemplate the journey of slavery to freedom, bondage to redemption. As we circled and came together smiling, laughing, we were not in Shreveport but we had been transported to the shores of the sea with Miriam. We were before the tabernacle of the Lord with David. We were laughing at the wedding in Cana with Jesus. We were free and wrapped in trust and wordless prayer. We had exited the desert and were on the road to a joyful 50 days.

So for the question about what to do during Eastertide, let the Lord lead you! You may dance, you may not, but whatever you do find a way to express the joy and gratitude that are as much a part of Eastertide as those delicious chocolate bunnies. There is room for it all. As the psalmist tells us, Chocolate Candy Eggs “you have turned our wailing into dancing; you have removed my Ingredients: to your taste. I used cherries, coconut sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

• 8 cups sifted powdered sugar and maple extract.

As Rod Stewart sang, “you wear it • 1 cup butter, softened 2) Melt dipping chocolate (semi, well.” Happy Eastertide, all 50 days • 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice dark, milk or white chocolate). of it!

• 1 cup finely chopped nuts ( I used 3) Form flavored sugar mixtures into I give you an old recipe for pecans) egg shapes by using a large serving chocolate eggs or rather chocolate • 1 3 oz can of coconut spoon. (The egg shape will be flat candy in the shape of eggs. It is very • 1package of 12 oz of chocolate on bottom, rounded on top like the rich and very good. • chips spoon).

Directions: 1) Mix sugar and butter until creamy. Divide and flavor according 8 Catholic Connection

4) Dip into melted chocolate and place on wax paper to harden.

You may refrigerate to hasten the hardening process. Enjoy!

Kim Long is the Director of Religious Education at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport.

domestic CHURCH

by Katie Sciba

Follow the Lead of Mother Mary

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eing a mom is not for the fainthearted. We dream about it. We play house as little girls. Then when the dream is at last realized, we spend our days reeling from feeling both exhausted and enchanted by our kids.

It’s the kind of calling that needs a special strength and heavenly guidance.

Thank the merciful Lord we have the Blessed Mother herself to navigate Sciba us through challenges.

Take a few of her own tips to survive motherhood and rally your strength.

1. Be humble and trust that you’re not alone – Mary said in Luke 2, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.” The archangel Gabriel had just lain out God’s desires for Mary and His plans for the salvation of the world, asking her to be the vessel of the Messiah - the kind of news most of us would take sitting down; but in her humility, this Holy Mom rises to the occasion, not just accepting God’s will, but clinging to it. As a beloved daughter of God, Mary trusted that he would sustain her. I can see the Heavenly Father beckoning us to the same faith and trust when we feel in over our heads with kids and life, “You won’t be alone. I know what I’m doing.”

2. Go outside yourself – No one would blame Mary for withdrawing for a while after such overwhelming news; but no, the incumbent Queen of Heaven not only stayed on top of her game, she immediately set out for the hill country with haste.

Because when your previously infertile cousin is pregnant, you go congratulate her and stick around to help. The lesson here is that what helps us survive our own challenges and difficult circumstances is seeking out the needs of others and tending to them ourselves. Yes, we have our own problems to deal with and it’s good to set the boundaries to do so; but helping

another mom, family, or friend is a fantastic way to add perspective to our situations.

We’re not the only ones hurting and there is remarkable peace in solidarity.

3. Look at your life through God’s eyes – At the birth of Christ, scripture says that “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).

In a whirlwind of travel, childbirth and prophecies fulfilled, Mary quieted herself to consider everything up until that point.

If we were to imitate Our Lady here and like the Psalms say, “muse on what [God’s] hand has wrought” (Ps. 143:5), we’d see the events and nuances of our lives on a grander scale. Things click and make sense when we see God guided us through decisions and turning points to bring us right where He wanted us to be.

Through motherhood, the Lord refines us, drawing us out of the center of our own worlds to see life beyond our immediate experience. Regardless of their ages, our children will always concern us, ever the objects of our worry and prayers. By imitating Mary the Mother of God in her humble trust, ready service and considerate heart, we’ll make it. And by God’s grace, we pray to eventually reach the heavenly gates and hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.” •

Prayer

for Mothers Heavenly Father, you have entrusted the souls of my children to my love and care and I return them to you, asking for faith, hope and charity on their behalf. Keep them close during their lives on earth and remember your mercy when they wander.

Lord Jesus Christ, give me the graces you bestowed upon your own Mother - that I may imitate her sweetness with my children, and hold them as preciously as she holds You. Help me to be sensitive to their needs, to serve them with joyful humility and to lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Give me courage when I am hesitant and certainty when I fear I’m unequal to the task. I ask all of this through the Holy Spirit, who breathes holiness into families and strengthens us as an imitation of the Trinity.

“Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.” Amen.

Katie Sciba is the author of thecatholicwife.net. She lives in Shreveport with her husband, Andrew, and four children.

May 2016 9

from the POPE from Vatican Information Services

The Presence of the Risen Jesus Transforms Everything

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esus goes in search of His disciples when they begin to think that the past years with Him have been like a dream.

When it seems that all had ended, He reappears and His presence transforms everything. The Pope Francis feeling of being abandoned gives way to the certainty that Christ is with us, now as then.”

This was Pope Francis’ comment on today’s Gospel reading, which narrates the third appearance of Christ to his disciples, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Before praying the Regina Coeli with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father explained that the account describes the life of the disciples, who return to their routine after the distressing days of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. “It was difficult for them to understand what had happened. But when it seems that all has come to an end, it is once again Jesus Who goes in search of them. ... This time He encounters them at the lake, where they have spent the night in the boats without catching anything. The nets appear to be empty, in a certain sense like the outcome of their experience with Jesus: they met him, they left everything to follow him, full of hope ... and now?

Yes, they had seen him risen again and they thought, ‘He has gone and left us. It was like a dream.’”

But when at dawn Jesus appears on the bank of the lake, the tired and discouraged fishermen do not recognize him, so he tells them to “Cast the net on the right side of the boat.” The disciples trust him, so they obey and the result is an extraordinary catch. “It is then that John turns to Peter and says, ‘It is the Lord!’. Peter immediately dives 10 Catholic Connection

into the water and swims towards the bank, to Jesus. In that exclamation, ‘It is the Lord!’, there is all the enthusiasm of Paschal faith, full of joy and wonder, in stark contrast with the confusion, desperation and sense of powerlessness that had accumulated in the spirit of the disciples. Jesus’ presence transforms everything: darkness is overcome by light, futile work again becomes fruitful and promising, and the feeling of weariness and abandonment gives way to new enthusiasm and the certainty that he is with us.”

“From that moment onwards, these same sentiments have animated the Church, the Community of the Risen Christ,” emphasized the pope. “While at a first glance it may seem that the darkness of evil and the hardship of everyday life prevail, the Church is sure that upon those who follow the Lord Jesus, the light of Easter shines forever. The great proclamation of the Resurrection instills an intimate joy and invincible hope in the hearts of believers. Christ has truly risen! Today, too, the Church continues to make this joyous proclamation resound: joy and hope flow in hearts, in faces, in gestures and words. As Christians we are all called to communicate this message of resurrection to those we meet, especially those who suffer, those who are alone, those who find themselves in precarious conditions, the sick, refugees, the marginalized. Let us bring to all a ray of the light of the risen Christ, a sign of His merciful power.”

After praying the Regina Coeli, the pope renewed, “in the hope that the risen Christ brings us,” his appeal for the liberation of all those held hostage in zones of armed conflict. “In particular, I wish to recall the Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil, abducted in Aden, Yemen on March 4.” •

In theWords of

Pope Francis

“The Church is not a community of the perfect, but rather of journeying disciples who follow the Lord because they recognize themselves as sinners and in need of His forgiveness.

Christian life is therefore a school of humility that opens us up to grace.”

(General Audience 4/13/16) “It is not the appearance that counts, but rather the capacity to stop and to look in the face of the person who asks for help. We can all ask ourselves, 'Am I able to stop and look in the face, look in the eyes, the person who is asking me for help?' We must not therefore identify almsgiving simply with the money offered hastily, without looking at the person and without stopping to speak to understand what they truly need. At the same time, we must distinguish between the poor and the various forms of begging that do not perform a good service to those who are genuinely poor.”

(Jubilee Audience 4/9/16) “Sport is a universal language that brings peoples closer and can contribute to facilitating encounter and overcoming conflicts. I therefore encourage sport to be experienced as a school of virtue in the complete growth of individuals and communities.”

(General Audience 4/6/16) “The sacrament of Reconciliation restores to everyone the strength of the forgiveness that springs from the Cross and renews in our life the grace of mercy that Jesus obtained for us.

We must not fear our miseries: the power of the love of the Crucified is boundless and endless. And this mercy cancels out our miseries.”

(General Audience, 4/6/16)

navigating the Faith

by Shelly Bole, Director of Catechesis

The Jesus Prayer

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welve simple words, each with their own power that when combined, form a statement of faith, plea for mercy and recognition of our sinfulness. The Jesus Prayer is: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The Jesus Prayer was developed in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine by desert fathers and mothers such as St. John Cassian and St. John Climacus. This prayer was favored by Sts. Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal. It is a way of practicing St. Paul’s call to ‘pray constantly.’

What does it mean to pray constantly? You know when you are trying to pray or say the rosary or focus on the Stations of the Cross and your mind wanders off? Or your mind and body restlessly bounce around trying to find something, anything at all, to think about? That is the challenge of prayer. We can say the words of the prayer, but the hard part is meaning them. In Greek there is a word, nous, which is your mind, but not your talkative or cognitive mind. It is an understanding or comprehension on a different level. The nous is often called the “eye of the mind” or the “ear of the soul.” Our thoughts are what control us and often are influenced by the world around us. Much of the time those thoughts are off base and can undermine our trust in God. The nous helps us tune into God’s presence. St. Paul told us to pray constantly and we need help discerning God’s presence. The Jesus Prayer helps us to do this.

It is simple. Go to a quiet place where there are few distractions. Pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Repeat.

Let’s look deeper at each word.

Lord: This statement acknowledges Jesus as your Lord.

Jesus is the name above all names (Luke 1:31). It is the name given to Christ

by God Himself (Phil 2:9-10; Eph 1:21).

Christ means the anointed one or the messiah. Jesus is our Lord and the one who saves us.

Son of God: In Matthews’s gospel (16:16-18) Jesus asks the disciples “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Calling Jesus the Son of God is acknowledging God is His Father.

Have mercy on me, a sinner. In Luke the tax collector says “God be merciful to me a sinner,” the Canaanite woman cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Son of David.” In the various healing miracles we hear the same cry: “Jesus Master, have mercy on us; Son of David have mercy on me;” “Lord have mercy on my son.” None of these cries are for leniency, rather they are cries for help. The plea comes from people who know that they are needy. The plea for mercy appeals to Jesus’ compassion. Mercy has many different faces, but in this prayer we ask for God’s mercy because we are sick with sin and we know that we will go on sinning.

Sin is like an infection – it is in our blood and affects every part of our bodies – encouraging us to choose, say and think things that damage creation and hurt other people.

Pope Francis repeatedly reminds us that God is always merciful, even when we don’t ask. Unless we make a habit of asking for mercy, we forget that we need it.

Back to the Prayer. The Jesus Prayer is traditionally said with the use of a prayer rope or bracelet made of 33 knots. Somewhat like a rosary, you work the bracelet as you pray, repeating the prayer over and over.

I was introduced to the prayer 20 years ago as a youth minister. It began as a

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Have mercy

on me, a sinner.

way to re-focus my mind after listening to the painful stories of youth. It was a way to also pray for that young person, as I would put their name in the prayer, rather than “me.”

There was a time in my life when I really struggled with anxiety. The Jesus Prayer became my rock, my go to prayer to calm me, to remind me that God loves me and that I desperately needed His mercy.

For over 25 years I played the cello. When I started learning to play, I hated learning scales. I was not good at them. I got bored and wanted to actually make music. But I had to learn them. The scales became second nature using muscle, cognitive, intuitive and longterm memory. I imagine that if I picked up a cello now, I could play a scale without even thinking – it may be wildly out of tune, but I would know how to do it. The Jesus Prayer is like that, when I don’t even realize I need it, it wells up inside of me. There is a memory in my nous which longs for a connection to Jesus; a need to cry out for mercy and be still.

And like the cello, I can pick it up at any time.

I will need to practice it, relax into it, pray it and let my nous bubble to the surface.

To pray constantly, as St. Paul exhorts, is not easy. But God sees and loves our intention to pray constantly. To cry out for God’s mercy and remind ourselves that we are indeed sinners, is not easy either. We are prideful people. When we begin to recognize our own sinfulness and need for mercy, it is then that we are able to be merciful towards others. • May 2016 11

second COLLECTIONS

by Fr. Rothell Price

Second Collections for May

Bishop Duca with Msgr. Carson LaCaze (left) and Msgr. Earl Provenza (right) who both continue to work past retirement age and receive support from the Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Fund.

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN Collection Dates: May 7th & 8th Announcement Dates: April 24th & May 1st he Collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) provides grants to Catholic organizations that share our experience of faith, worship, and witness through television, radio, social media, podcasts and print media. Your generosity is a direct act of witness in itself, as you facilitate the communication of the gospel message. One of the main thrusts of the Easter season is to be a witness to the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. Your support gives witness to our belief in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.”

It joins your announcing of Jesus Christ victorious and risen from the dead through the various social media of our day and time to that of the apostles.

Evangelization is the essential mission of the CCC. Fifty percent of this collection remains in our diocese to fund our local and specialized evangelization needs. Through electronic and paper billboards, our website and other forms of social media, we can reach out to children, youth and adults in our diocese and beyond. The remaining 50% of this collection is sent to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help with evangelization on the national level. Please give generously to the Catholic Communication Campaign. Let others hear and experience the message of divine mercy through your sacrifice.

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DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT RETIRED PRIESTS FUND Collection Dates: May 28th & 29th Announcement Dates: May 15th & 22nd his past year, we had the sad and yet glorious task of ushering four of our retired priests into eternal life. With great love and gratitude we commended Bishop Friend, Fr. Clayton, Fr. Moore and Fr. McMullen

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12 Catholic Connection

to the Lord at end of their earthly pilgrimages. We remember with the same love and appreciation our dear Fr. Richter, who though not retired, entered his eternal rest last year.

Your participation in the Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Fund made it possible for all the grateful people of our diocese to be at the bedside of each of these men and their families when they needed us most.

Your participation in the Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Collection makes it possible for us to journey faithfully with our retired priests in their senior years. Your generosity helps make their retirement years and end of life truly “golden.”

Bishop Duca wants our priest retirees to know that they are not forgotten, but instead constantly reminded that their work for the Good Shepherd has born fruit. He wants them to be secure in the knowledge that we are grateful for all they’ve done and given, and be free of all anxiety in the certainty that we will remain faithfully by their side. Our generosity to them in their retirement joyfully proclaims the Father’s merciful nearness to them.

Please give generously to the Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Collection.

Help us walk faithfully with Fathers Ebarb, Graef, Lombard, Puthuppally, Scully and Williams. Your gift also enriches the sacrifice of priests who still serve in active ministry well beyond their retirement years: Monsignors LaCaze and Provenza and Fr. Pike Thomas. Thank you for blessing the senior years of our retired priests. Thank you for participating generously and gratefully to our annual Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Collection. • Fr. Rothell Price, Vicar General, is the Director of Second & Special Collections.

vocations View

by Steven Griego, Seminarian

The Great Seminary Flood of 2016

St. Joseph Abbey Seminary underwater

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hat began as a normal Friday morning on March 11th quickly transformed into a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. Following morning prayer and Mass at 8:30, the St. Joseph Abbey seminarians and I were shocked by a sudden surging of water onto campus. It began with an inch of water quickly covering all of the campus grounds. Before we knew it, the water began to rise extremely rapidly. We had expected heavy rains overnight and were forced to cancel Abbey Youth Fest, which was scheduled for Saturday, but after waking up to light rain, we thought the worst was over.

Around 11:00 the water was so high that we all rushed to our cars and began a mass exodus to the few remaining areas of higher, dry land in an attempt to save them. I was one of the last ones to get to my car, and as a result I had no choice but to drive through a cloud of propane gas that was spewing from a ruptured propane tank out to the Abbey cemetery.

Not being able to see the cemetery road, a friend and I were forced to drive over a grassy area in order to park on the slight hill in the middle of the cemetery. After about 15 feet of driving on this thick, marshy grass, we both came to a halt...we were stuck. We weren’t able to get my friend’s car out of the grass, but after minutes of back-breaking pushing, rocking and sliding in the shredded, muddy grass, I was able to back my Jeep out of the grass and find the road that led to the last dry hill.

After this, I made a 30 minute trek (one that normally takes five) with a few seminarians back to campus against the raging current of the waist level, lake-sized river that now covered the campus. After lifting all that I could off the floor in my room and moving what I could to the second floor of a different building, a group of us explored the campus and took footage of all the submerged cars and dumpsters sailing

past. There were armadillos being swept out of trees and drowning in the three feet of water, desperately trying to find something to climb on. I happened to rescue one by putting it on a chair on a raised patio. The waters crested and disappeared overnight, leaving a war zone in its wake.

Coming together after the flood, our seminary rector Fr. Gregory Boquet shared his perpetually wise reflections with us. Although every building on campus except for the Abbey Church was dealt around 30 million dollars worth of damage and dampened with three feet of water, Fr. Gregory’s spirit was not. He encouraged us to see this as an opportunity to truly be a poor Church in solidarity with those who are homeless everyday and forced to live in difficult situations, as Pope Francis constantly encourages us to do. He emphasized the need to reject mediocrity and pick up our cross during the time of Lent, during this uncharted time of disaster, darkness and tribulation and prepare for the Resurrection to come. His leadership during this time was inspiring, and still is as recovery efforts are underway. He has shown me the meaning of being a spiritual father who lays down his life for his sheep and reminded me that God is able to bring about the most beautiful things out of even the most horrible situations if we unite ourselves to His most perfect will. • To help St. Joseph Abbey Seminary recover from such terrible flood damage, please visit www.saintjosephabbey.com/donate

May 2016 13

Gifts of the

Holy Spirit

by Kim Long

ne Christmas many years ago, I sat in my grandmother’s living room, which was smothered and covered in Christmas finery. Several wrapped packages sat near my chair on the floor. I was excited watching everyone open their presents. Colored paper, hope and anticipation were flying around the room at top speed. My grandmother noticed I was just watching and urged me to open my gifts, too. Smiling I ripped the paper from a large box that was sporting a full color picture of a food processor. Could it be? Well seeing is believing and my frugal grandmother had repurposed a box. Inside was NOT a food processor, but a beautiful sweater. Disappointment and gratitude simultaneously struggled to cross the finish line.

Since this is so vivid in my memory, I believe they crossed the finish line together, tied. My grandmother’s gift to me was chosen and given in love (and I am sure in practicality, since my children were very young and my budget for new clothes was almost nil). It was up to me: would I receive this gift in the spirit in which it was given?

This was long ago, but it helped me to forge a philosophy about gift giving and receiving. Christmas is not the one day a year when a person waits for someone else to give them “what they have always wanted,” rather gifts are given year round in the spirit of love and in the intimate knowing of another human being.

Isaiah 11:2-3 tels another story of gifts being given. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.” Much later in the second chapter of Acts we hear of this kind of gift giving again in the story of Pentecost complete with tongues of fire and unbridled enthusiasm.

As the sacrament of Confirmation is being celebrated all over the Catholic world, I’d like to take a look at some other gifts – gifts offered, designed in love and care with the intimate knowledge God has of each one of us. I am speaking of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I am no scholar, rather a seeker, a storyteller, a mother, a daughter, who tries to be open to what God has for me. I’d like to consider these gifts through the lens of everyday life.

14 Catholic Connection

Wisdom, if we allow it, helps us make the decisions which

lead us toward God, rather than away from Him. In the Serenity Prayer, we have a short powerful statement about wisdom: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” That is a prayer that is often in my heart and on my lips. We don’t have to save wisdom for the “Solomon” moments when there are major decisions in our path, wisdom can be prayed for on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

How many times have we wailed, not unlike the psalmist, to God that we aren’t being heard? These words are cried out in frustration, or even anger, “You don’t listen!” “You aren’t can offer a nice hearing me!” The gift of assist here as it helps us know when compassion and care are needed rather than “driving home your point,” or “I told you so.” Understanding also helps us break through the ego barrier of thinking we know best. A friend once asked me in a pointed way, “Do you want to be right or do you want to be married?”

While humor is the first thing visible in that sentence, there is a great lesson. And whether the situation is marriage, friendship or a relationship with our children or family, we don’t know best ALL the time. Understanding helps us remember that if we acknowledge God in all ways, He will direct our path.

understanding

Right judgement or counsel is a tricky one at times.

People come to me often for advice and I seek advice from others –or at least I say I do. Very often I want affirmation, and that is not what good counsel is. Good counsel is more often listening to another and also listening to that inner voice tugging at our hearts so our focus is recalibrated. Recently a friend suffered a terrible loss and was grieving. My first instinct was to present myself to her so I could “minister” to her, be physically present to her. She asked for privacy, and though it was difficult not to race over with casserole and kleenex, I respected her wishes. Later she wrote a beautiful note thanking me for my good counsel. I wondered as I read the note who was counseling whom. In this instance I am loathe to admit I was thinking how I wanted to “do” something, not realizing at the time that just “being” was a greater gift. In her card she quoted this passage

of scripture, “the heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” She taught me quite a lesson.

Courage or fortitude – talk about

a gift! One of my children gave me a poster showing John Wayne swaggering toward the camera with the following caption, “Courage is being scared but saddling up anyway.” We can amend that by saying courage is admitting we are scared, but knowing that God has got this. Courage and anger are not the same.

People sometimes have the impression that a person is courageous when they are merely angry. Courage is a gift that helps us to overcome any obstacle in our path by reminding us we are not now, nor have we ever been, alone.

Knowledge is the gift of

enlightenment. I have often heard it said that with knowledge comes responsibility.

Knowledge helps us to avoid obstacles on our path. There is an old story about a person who walks down a street and falls in a hole. The next time the person falls in the hole, but asks for help. Later, walking down the same street, they avoid the hole by walking around it. Finally, they choose to walk down a different street. Knowledge doesn’t serve to garner us “bragging rights,” instead it opens our eyes to alternatives. In knowledge we walk “in the light.”

Reverence can be seen as the gift

of confidence in God. It also helps us to find joy in serving others, for by serving others we are serving God. The passage from Hebrews 13:2 is a great reminder of this, “be careful to entertain strangers by so doing you may have entertained angels unaware.”

One day I picked up one of my sons from lacrosse practice and, for reasons unknown, I took a different route to our house. We crested a hill and a red light.

There was a car in front of me and a homeless man standing near by. He had his hat in his hand and in that moment time seemed to stand still. I could think of nothing except that scripture.

I put a little money in the man’s hat and he grasped my hand and, with the bluest eyes, stared at me and said, “God bless you.” As we drove away, I felt as

though the passage was fulfilled, I HAD entertained an angel. Now, I am not advocating you give money to anyone, I am just sharing this experience that remains profound to me. If God knew me before he formed me in the womb, surely I am not the only one. God knew this man, nameless to me, in exactly the same way. When we respect any of God’s creation, we are in effect reverencing God. It is so easy to forget that all the people who cause us pain, aggravation and annoyance are as beloved by God as we are.

The last gift of the Holy Spirit is

Fear of the Lord

, which is wonder and awe. In any relationship there is the honeymoon phase which then settles into routine. So it is with my relationship with God. I recently told a friend I missed the feeling I had when I first became Catholic. Secretly I wanted to feel pursued by God, I wanted to be called back in the same way He called me the first time. I wanted, needed, a reminder, and it came in a dramatic way in a place called Masada.

All my life I have been told there is a piece of the Divine Spark within each of us. Standing on the mountaintop fortress Herod built so long ago, I didn’t feel like God was in me, rather I was in God. That God-given experience has helped sustain me. At that moment there was no need for external expression of God’s desire; God whispered to me and I was filled.

We have been given these gifts of the Holy Spirit to help draw us closer to God and help build up His kingdom as we follow the example of Jesus.

These are some of my own experiences with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They may or may not be like yours; that’s ok.

In Corinthians Paul reminds us that “there are many gifts but one Spirit, many kinds of service but the same Lord.”

There are different kinds of working and in everyone it is the same God. These gifts are both subtle and awe inspiring. I don’t believe they are to be reserved for special times of need or distress, rather they stay with us, inviting us to explore the larger canvas of life, inviting us to be what we are created to be. •

What are the

GIFTS of the

Holy Spirit?

WISDOM to love

spiritual things more than material ones

UNDERSTANDING to comprehend how we need to live life as followers of Christ

COUNSEL or right

judgement to know right from wrong

FORTITUDE or

courage to take risks as followers of Jesus Christ

KNOWLEDGE to

understand the meaning of God and choose the right path through life

PIETY or reverence

to have a deep sense of respect for God & Church

FEAR OF THE LORD or wonder and awe to be aware of the glory & majesty of God

May 2016 15

local NEWS Catholic Charities Provides Help for Victims After Flood

by Lucy Medvec

that was hit the hardest. “We are working through our Catholic Charities satellite office in Monroe and the local VOAD organization to set up a Long Term Recovery Group to provide assistance to residents who will face many challenges in the coming months,” said Dresley.

“We will be able to provide resources for many people who will need support once their initial assistance from FEMA has been depleted.”

Catholic Charities can also provide support to local immigrants who may not qualify for federal assistance. In March when the Mexican Consulate came to Shreveport, Catholic Charities was there working with the Hispanic community providing help for those who had not received funds.

“Our area has been hit hard with the March floods and we need to be able to help those in our communities get back on their feet and into their homes,” Dresley emphasized. •

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hen excessive rainfall created flooding this spring throughout North Louisiana, thousands of residents across the state suffered property damage and loss. In the 16 parishes that encompass the Diocese of Shreveport, 14 were declared disaster areas by the federal government. National organizations such as FEMA and the American Red Cross were quick to arrive after the floods to provide immediate help to displaced victims and worked with local churches, volunteers and nonprofits to help those who were affected by the flooding.

For Jean Dresley, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana, this was the second time in nine months that she was deeply involved in the flood relief efforts. Dresley served as the co-chairman of VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) both during the June 2015 and March 2016 floods. VOAD coordinated all volunteer and relief efforts for the area, working with both national and local relief organizations. This experience gave her the knowledge of how to provide assistance to flood victims not only in the immediate aftermath, but in the many months following floods. “With the recent flooding, thousands of people have lost or sustained damage to their homes and will have to make living arrangements to carry them through the rebuilding period,” said Dresley. “It is during the long term period that organizations such as Catholic Charities of North Louisiana can provide vital assistance to those who need it most.”

Of all the parishes that were affected in the diocese, Ouachita was one 16 Catholic Connection

Catholic Charities Disaster Relief Catholic Charities of North Louisiana accepts donations that will be used exclusively for those who have been affected by the recent floods.

Donations can be made online at www. ccnla.org, or by sending a check to Catholic Charities of North Louisiana, 331 E. 71st Street, Shreveport, LA 71101 (please note that your donation is for Disaster Relief).

If you are interested in volunteering in ongoing community clean-up efforts, please visit www.lincc.us for volunteer opportunities.

Mercy in Action

Youth from far left, clockwise: Le’Asia Bailey, Robert Esters, Dylan Allen, Edward Lee, Jordan Joshua, Jon Levy, Kourrey Samuel, Qylan Miles

Prayer Blankets from OLBS Bring Peace to the Sick

by Bonny Van

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very weekend at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Shreveport, a fleece blanket is laid across the railing of the front pew. It’s a simple blanket: two pieces of fabric attached to each other by knotted ties. There are about 100 knots and each one represents a prayer.

“People say a prayer for the person receiving the blanket as they tie the knot. When all the knots are finished, we present the blanket to that person,” said Nadalie Thomas, Catechetical Leader at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish. “We have families come up together to tie a knot and say a prayer, but this is especially for the children.”

The Blanket Ministry started three months ago as a Lenten project for the youth. Thomas says she came up with the idea from her knitting group. “One of our friends in the group had lost her husband, so we knitted her a prayer shawl. While you were knitting, you said a prayer. And, she wrapped herself up in the prayer shawl every night. Not everyone can knit, but everyone can tie a knot, so I thought of the fleece blankets,” she said.

Thomas added, “We want to teach the children that we are like a family and we pray for one another. We want the children to learn about praying for the sick,

the dying and the elderly because they are all a part of our family here at the church.”

Debra Weber, Youth Coordinator for Praise Dance at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, says she has made many fleece tie blankets in the past but never as part of an offering of prayers. “Our group will gather after Mass and say the Hail Mary or Our Father as we tie knots,” she said. “I think the youth like the idea that they are doing something good by helping to pray for others.”

So far, two blankets have been handed out. The first blanket was given to a parishioner with cancer. “It just really made a difference when we gave him the blanket. It made him so happy,” says Thomas. “He hugged the blanket and cried. He said it was a great feeling knowing that so many people are praying for you.”

The second blanket was designated for another parishioner who had been ill, but he died before receiving it. Still, Thomas gave the blanket to his family and she says they were very happy and moved by the gesture.

A third blanket, now under construction, will be given to the church’s oldest member, Mary McIntyre, who is 95-years-old. “She is unable to come to church now,” says Thomas. “She was a long-time cook at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Academy.” Thomas says it takes about two weekends to complete a blanket.

“This activity with prayer holds us together, brings us together,” added Weber. “It’s a different way for us to bond.” And, the ties that bind these blankets are bringing comfort to others. • May 2016 17

Red Mass to Celebrate Legal Professionals and Heart of Hope

by Jessica Rinaudo

It actually has a place out in Keithville, Louisiana where these young women can stay and get counseling and get support in making a big decision in their life.”

“We have members of the honoree, this year Heart of Hope, that come to the Mass and Bishop Duca will ask them to come forward and they will get a special recognition during the Mass,” Hiller added. “Also, the Red Mass Society provides a donation to the Heart of Hope Ministry.”

Hiller is also looking forward to having Bishop Fabre as the guest homilist, as well as the music.

“Bishop Fabre is a wonderful homilist.

I’d really like people to come to the Red Mass to hear Bishop Fabre, but not only that. What’s also great about he Red Mass, which takes place annually at Holy Trinity Catholic Church the Red Mass is that the music is quite in May of each year, has become a fixture in the Diocese of Shreveport. Now extraordinary. We have the Zion Baptist in its 24th year, the Mass, which invokes God’s blessing and guidance in the Church do the music before Mass, they administration of justice, is well attended by local judges, lawyers and government start at about 8:30 a.m. The Mass is officials. The Mass always takes place the first Friday in May in actually at 9:00 a.m. conjunction with the nationally recognized Law Week. on Friday, May 6 at The Red Mass has a rich history originating centuries ago in Holy Trinity. The Rome, Paris and London. Its traditional name is derived from the judges and officials color of the vestments worn by the celebrants of the Mass. Over gather across the the centuries, the Red Mass has officially opened the judicial year street at the second of the Sacred Roman Rota, the Tribunal of the Holy See. During circuit, [then] they the reign of Louis IX, Saint Louis of France, La Sainte Chapelle walk across,” he was designated as the Chapel for the Mass and is now used only said. “During the once a year solely for the Red Mass. In England, the tradition service we have the began in the Middle Ages and continued even during World War St. Cecilia Choir.

II when judges and lawyers attended the Red Mass annually at If you like music, the Westminster Cathedral. The tradition was inaugurated in want to hear a the United States in 1928 at old Saint Andrew’s Church in New wonderful homilst, York City. Since then, the Red Mass has been celebrated annually and recognize a very there and in many cities in the United States. deserving honoree Locally, the Red Mass Society of Shreveport has been in Heart of Hope, I sponsoring the Mass since 1993. Their primary mission is Bishop Shelton Fabre will be the hope you will come to organize the annual Red Mass, which includes selecting a guest homilist at the Diocese of Shreveport Red Mass. to the Red Mass.” homilist and honoree.

The Red Mass Richard Hiller is a local attorney and Chairman of the Red is an ecumenical event with pastors Mass Society. He is excited about this year’s event during which Bishop Shelton of different faiths coming together to Fabre from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux will give the homily, and local nonbestow their blessings and prayers on legal profit Heart of Hope will be the honoree. professionals. All people of all faiths are “Heart of Hope is a local non-profit ministry that helps young women who welcome to join the Red Mass Society are facing a pregnancy – it helps them with making a decision on their child and the Diocese of Shreveport at this and adoption,” said Hiller. “It’s a local, non-profit that strictly relies on local annual event. • community donations. It doesn’t get any money from any government agencies.

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18 Catholic Connection

Our Lady of Hope St. Joseph & St. Ann Churches Donate to Mary's House

by Fr. Matthew Long

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upporting, promoting and working for the sanctity of human life is one of the most important things that the Catholic Church undertakes. In our diocese, I have witnessed the work of countless committed individuals to the pro-life movement. One of the great steps forward that has been taken in the diocese is Mary’s House. This Catholic pregnancy resource and counseling center was something that was greatly needed and long prayed for by the people of the diocese.

The faithful of Desoto Parish were excited about the opportunity to do something constructive to support the pro-life movement. Many of them gave their time and money to get Mary’s House up and running, but they wanted to do something more.

Under the direction of Deacon Bill and Angel Kleinpeter we began an apostolate of prayer for Mary’s House.

Parishioners are encouraged to pray spiritual bouquets that are collected monthly listing the number of rosaries, prayers, novenas and chaplets prayed each month. These are then taken to Mary’s House.

The people are so devoted that they wanted to do more. So, they ordered a statue of Our Lady of

Save the Date Memorial Day Mass

Hope, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary near the end of her pregnancy.

On March 7, they began a Novena to Our Lady of Hope in St. Joseph Church in Mansfield. The intention was for healing and conversion and reconciliation of the mothers. For eight days a faithful remnant gathered in the church before the statue and prayed. On the ninth day they took Our Lady of Hope and their prayers on the road. When they arrived at Mary’s House they prayed the last day of the, novena and presented the statue to Mary’s House founder, L’Anne Sciba. Then they escorted Our Lady to the chapel where their prayers for all the women who seek guidance and support at Mary’s House will continue to be lifted up.

The way we change minds and hearts is through our prayer and the people of St. Joseph in Mansfield and St. Ann in Stonewall will continue to offer up prayers for the work of life, especially for the work of Mary’s House. If your group or parish would be interested in taking up this work of prayer for life, please contact the church office at St. Joseph in Mansfield at 318-872-1158.

Our Lady of Hope, pray for us and pray for all expectant mothers. •

with Bishop Duca at St. Joseph Cemetery This year has been proclaimed an “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.”

What better time to bring more attention and focus to both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy surrounding the dead and the Christian rites of burial? The spiritual works of mercy ask that we teach the uninformed, comfort the afflicted and pray for the dead.

In this year of Mercy the Diocese of Shreveport wants to pay a special tribute to the many veterans buried in St. Joseph Cemetery.

Bishop Michael Duca will celebrate the Eucharist as the presider at a special Mass on Monday, May 30, 2016, Memorial Day, at 10:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery located at 2100 Texas Avenue in Shreveport, LA. ALL are invited to come to this event honoring veterans interred in St. Joseph Cemetery and those who have died around the world.

May 2016 19

across the GLOBE from Vatican Information Services

No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed;

families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love.

Summary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia on Love in the Family

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he following is a summary of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), on love in the family, signed on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, which brings together the results of the two synods on the family convoked by Pope Francis in 2014 and 2015. It frequently cites their final reports, documents and teachings of his predecessors, and his own numerous catecheses on the family.

Introduction

The introductory paragraphs plainly set out the complexity of a topic in urgent need of thorough study. The interventions of the Synod Fathers make up [form] a “multifaceted gem” whose value must be preserved. But the pope cautions that “not all discussions of doctrinal, moral or pastoral issues need to be settled by interventions of the magisterium.” Indeed, for some questions, “each country or region... can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs.”

Chapter One: “In the light of the Word” 20 Catholic Connection

The pope begins his reflections with the Holy Scriptures in the first chapter, which unfolds as a meditation on Psalm 128. The Bible “is full of families, births, love stories and family crises.”

This impels us to meditate on how the family is not an abstract ideal but rather like a practical “trade,” which is carried out with tenderness, but which has also been confronted with sin from the beginning, when the relationship of love turned into domination. Hence, the Word of God “is not a series of abstract ideas but rather a source of comfort and companionship for every family that experiences difficulties or suffering.”

Chapter two: “The experiences and challenges of families”

Building on the biblical base, in the second chapter the pope considers the current situation of families. Families face many challenges, from migration to the ideological denial of differences between the sexes (“ideology of gender”); from the culture of the provisional to the anti-birth mentality and the impact of biotechnology in the field of procreation; from the lack of housing and work to pornography and abuse of

minors; from inattention to persons with disabilities, to lack of respect for the elderly; from the legal dismantling of the family, to violence against women. The pope insists on concreteness, which is a key concept in the Exhortation. And it is concreteness, realism and daily life that make up the substantial difference between acceptable “theories” of interpretation of reality and arbitrary “ideologies.”

The pope notes that rampant individualism makes it difficult today for a person to give oneself generously to another.

The humility of realism helps us to avoid presenting “a far too abstract and almost artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families.” Idealism does not allow marriage to be understood for what it is, that is, a “dynamic path to personal development and fulfilment.” The pope stresses the need to make room for the formation of the conscience of the faithful.

Chapter three: “Looking to Jesus: The vocation of the family”

The third chapter is dedicated to some essential elements of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family. This chapter is important because it concisely depicts the vocation of the family according to the Gospel and as affirmed by the Church over time. Above all, it stresses the themes of indissolubility, the sacramental nature of marriage, the transmission of life and the education of children.

The chapter provides a broad view and touches on “imperfect situations” as well.

We can read, in fact: "Discernment of the presence of ‘seeds of the Word’ in other cultures can also apply to the reality of marriage and the family. In addition to true natural marriage, positive elements exist in the forms of marriage found in other religious traditions,’ even if, at times, obscurely.” The reflection also includes the “wounded families” about whom the pope says, “it is always necessary to recall this general principle: ‘Pastors must know

that, for the sake of truth, they are obliged to exercise careful discernment of situations.’ The degree of responsibility is not equal in all cases and factors may exist which limit the ability to make a decision. Therefore, while clearly stating the Church’s teaching, pastors are to avoid judgements that do not take into account the complexity of various situations, and they are to be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience and endure distress because of their condition.”

the initial decision has to be frequently renewed.” As physical appearance alters, the loving attraction does not lessen but changes as sexual desire can be transformed over time into the desire for togetherness and mutuality: “There is no guarantee that we will feel the same way all through life. Yet if a couple can come up with a shared and lasting life project, they can love one another and live as one until death do them part, enjoying an enriching intimacy.”

Chapter four: “Love in marriage”

Chapter five: “Love made fruitful”

The fourth chapter treats love in marriage, which it illuminates with St. Paul’s Hymn to Charity in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This opening section is truly a painstaking, focused, inspired and poetic exegesis of the Pauline text. It is a collection of brief passages carefully and tenderly describing human love in absolutely concrete terms. These psychological insights enter into the emotional world of the spouses – positive and negative – and the erotic dimension of love. This is an extremely rich and valuable contribution to Christian married life, unprecedented in previous papal documents.

This section digresses briefly from the more extensive, perceptive treatment of the day-to-day experience of married love which the pope refuses to judge against ideal standards: “There is no need to lay upon two limited persons the tremendous burden of having to reproduce perfectly the union existing between Christ and his Church, for marriage as a sign entails ‘a dynamic process…, one which advances gradually with the progressive integration of the gifts of God.’”On the other hand, the pope forcefully stresses that conjugal love by its very nature defines the partners in a richly encompassing and lasting union, precisely within that “mixture of enjoyment and struggles, tensions and repose, pain and relief, satisfactions and longings, annoyances and pleasures” which indeed make up a marriage.

The chapter concludes with a very important reflection on the “transformation of love” because “Longer life spans now mean that close and exclusive relationships must last for four, five or even six decades; consequently,

The fifth chapter is entirely focused on love’s fruitfulness and procreation.

It speaks in a profoundly spiritual and psychological manner about welcoming new life, about the waiting period of pregnancy, about the love of a mother and a father. It also speaks of the expanded fruitfulness of adoption, of welcoming the contribution of families to promote a “culture of encounter,” and of family life in a broad sense which includes aunts and uncles, cousins, relatives of relatives, friends. Amoris Laetitia does not focus on the so-called “nuclear” family” because it is very aware of the family as a wider network of many relationships. The spirituality of the sacrament of marriage has a deeply social character. And within this social dimension the pope particularly emphasizes the specific role of the relationship between youth and the elderly, as well as the relationship between brothers and sisters as a training ground for relating with others.

Chapter six: “Some pastoral perspectives”

In the sixth chapter the pope treats various pastoral perspectives that are aimed at forming solid and fruitful families according to God’s plan. It reiterates that families should not only be evangelized, they should also evangelize.

The pope regrets “that ordained ministers often lack the training needed to deal with the complex problems currently facing families.” On the one hand, the psycho-affective formation of seminarians needs to be improved, and families need to be more involved in formation for ministry; and on the other hand, “the experience of the broad oriental tradition

of a married clergy could also be drawn upon.”

The pope then deals with the preparation of the engaged for marriage; with the accompaniment of couples in the first years of married life, including the issue of responsible parenthood; and also with certain complex situations and crises.

Some causes of crisis are analyzed.

Mention is made of accompanying abandoned, separated or divorced persons. The Exhortation stresses the importance of the recent reform of the procedures for marriage annulment. It highlights the suffering of children in situations of conflict and concludes: “Divorce is an evil and the increasing number of divorces is very troubling.

Hence, our most important pastoral task with regard to families is to strengthen their love, helping to heal wounds and working to prevent the spread of this drama of our times." It then touches on the situations of a marriage between a Catholic and a Christian of another denomination (mixed marriages), and between a Catholic and someone of another religion (disparity of cult).

Regarding families with members with homosexual tendencies, it reaffirms the necessity to respect them and to refrain from any unjust discrimination and every form of aggression or violence. The last, pastorally poignant part of the chapter, “When death makes us feel its sting,” is on the theme of the loss of dear ones and of widowhood.

Chapter seven: “Towards a better education of children”

The seventh chapter is dedicated to the education of children: their ethical formation, the learning of discipline which can include punishment, patient realism, sex education, passing on the faith and family life as an educational context.

There is a particularly interesting and pedagogically fundamental paragraph in which Francis clearly states that “obsession, however, is not education. We cannot control every situation that a child may experience… If parents are obsessed with always knowing where their children are and controlling all their movements, continued on page 22

May 2016 21

they will seek only to dominate space. But this is no way to educate, strengthen and prepare their children to face challenges.

What is most important is the ability lovingly to help them grow in freedom, maturity, overall discipline and real autonomy.”

The notable section on education in sexuality is very expressively entitled: “Yes to sex education.” Sound education needs to be carried out “within the broader framework of an education for love, for mutual self-giving.” The text warns that the expression ‘safe sex’ conveys “a negative attitude towards the natural procreative finality of sexuality, as if an eventual child were an enemy to be protected against. This way of thinking promotes narcissism and aggressiveness in place of acceptance.”

Chapter eight: “Guiding, discerning and integrating weakness”

The eighth chapter is an invitation to mercy and pastoral discernment in situations that do not fully match what the Lord proposes. The pope uses three very important verbs: guiding, discerning and integrating, which are fundamental in addressing fragile, complex or irregular situations. The chapter has sections on the need for gradualness in pastoral care; the importance of discernment; norms and mitigating circumstances in pastoral discernment; and finally what the pope calls the “logic of pastoral mercy.”

Chapter eight is very sensitive. In reading it one must remember that “the Church’s task is often like that of a field hospital.” Here the Holy Father reaffirms what Christian marriage is and adds that “some forms of union radically contradict this ideal, while others realize it in at least a partial and analogous way.” The Church therefore “does not disregard the constructive elements in those situations which do not yet or no longer correspond to her teaching on marriage.”

As far as discernment with regard to “irregular” situations is concerned, the pope states: “There is a need ‘to avoid judgements which do not take into account the complexity of various situations’ and ‘to be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience 22 Catholic Connection

distress because of their condition.’”

And further: “The divorced who have entered a new union, for example, can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable personal and pastoral discernment.” In this line, the pope states that “the baptized who are divorced and civilly remarried need to be more fully integrated into Christian communities in the variety of ways possible, while avoiding any occasion of scandal.”

The pope makes an extremely important statement for understanding the orientation and meaning of the Exhortation: “If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations, ... it is understandable that neither the synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases. What is needed is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment of particular cases, one which would recognize that, since ‘the degree of responsibility is not equal in all cases’, the consequences or effects of a rule need not necessarily always be the same.”

The last section of the chapter treats “The logic of pastoral mercy.” To avoid misunderstandings, Pope Francis strongly reiterates: “To show understanding in the face of exceptional situations never implies dimming the light of the fuller ideal, or proposing less than what Jesus offers to the human being. Today, more important than the pastoral care of failures is the pastoral effort to strengthen marriages and thus to prevent their breakdown.”

The overall sense of the chapter and of the spirit that Pope Francis wishes to impart to the pastoral work of the Church is well summed up in the closing words: “I encourage the faithful who find themselves in complicated situations to speak confidently with their pastors or with other lay people whose lives are committed to the Lord. They may not always encounter in them a confirmation of their own ideas or desires, but they will surely receive some light to help them better understand their situation and discover a path to personal growth. I also

encourage the Church’s pastors to listen to them with sensitivity and serenity, with a sincere desire to understand their plight and their point of view, in order to help them live better lives and to recognize their proper place in the Church.”

On the “logic of pastoral mercy”, Pope Francis emphasizes: “At times we find it hard to make room for God’s unconditional love in our pastoral activity. We put so many conditions on mercy that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance. That is the worst way of watering down the Gospel.”

Chapter nine: “The spirituality of marriage and the family”

The ninth chapter is devoted to marital and family spirituality, which “is made up of thousands of small but real gestures.”

The pope says, “those who have deep spiritual aspirations should not feel that the family detracts from their growth in the life of the Spirit, but rather see it as a path which the Lord is using to lead them to the heights of mystical union.”

Everything, “moments of joy, relaxation, celebration, and even sexuality can be experienced as a sharing in the full life of the resurrection.” He then speaks of prayer in the light of Easter, of the spirituality of exclusive and free love in the challenge and the yearning to grow old together, reflecting God’s fidelity. And finally the spirituality of care, consolation and incentive: the pope teaches that “all family life is a ‘shepherding’ in mercy. Each of us, by our love and care, leaves a mark on the life of others.” It is a profound “spiritual experience to contemplate our loved ones with the eyes of God and to see Christ in them.”

In the final paragraph the pope affirms: “No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love … All of us are called to keep striving towards something greater than ourselves and our families, and every family must feel this constant impulse. Let us make this journey as families, let us keep walking together. ... May we never lose heart because of our limitations, or ever stop seeking that fullness of love and communion which God holds out before us.” •

hispanic NEWS por Rosalba Quiroz

Celebrando el Maravilloso Regalo de una Mamá Calendario del Mes de Mayo 2016 1 Día Final de Retiro Emaús para mujeres, Scottsville, TX. 2-3 Retiro anual, Ministerio Hispano de Luisiana. Grand Coteau, LA.

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ujer, un regalo muy especial de Dios para el mundo; tan especial la vio Dios, que quiso venir a la tierra como bebe a través del vientre de una mujer. ¡Qué ejemplo tan maravilloso el de María aceptando ser la Madre de Dios! aunque de momento no entendió su misión, la obediencia y amor que le tenía a Dios Padre, la motivaron a decir Sí y así se convirtió en la primera misionera del mundo. El Papa Francisco dice: “una sociedad sin madres sería una sociedad inhumana, porque las madres saben testimoniar siempre, incluso en los peores momentos, la ternura, la entrega, la fuerza moral”. Que gran bendición que Dios en su obra redentora permita que el mismo ser humano – su creatura predilecta, colabore con Él en la procreación y prolongación de la vida terrenal.

En la foto vemos a Jeanne, con su esposo Shawn, sus hijitas Adriana y Hailey – la familia Brown. Jeanne ha sido la secretaria del Ministerio Hispano por más de 5 años y día con día, como lo hacemos muchas mamás, deja a sus hijas en guardería/escuela para luego atender la oficina y además la oficina de Vocaciones. En noviembre del 2015 recibió la maravillosa noticia que sería mamá por tercera vez y en esta ocasión serán gemelos, un niño y una niña. Jeanne y su familia dejarán Luisiana para unirse a sus familiares en Florida y recibir la ayuda que requiere el cuidado de su pequeña

familia. Pese a que les gustaba vivir aquí, tenían trabajo y amistades, la decisión, como la de muchas madres, fue tomada por el bienestar y porvenir de sus hijos.

Los sacrificios de una madre como el que hizo la virgen María y San José, como el de la familia Brown y los que hace una madre diariamente, son prueba del poder del amor de Dios por sus hijos. Todos somos producto del amor, el Amor de Dios Padre que nos amó antes de nacer: “Yahvé me llamó desde el vientre de mi madre, conoció mi nombre antes que naciera”. (Is 49.1) Jeanne: Te felicitamos por ser mamá otra vez; Muchas Gracias por la alegría y servicio que diste a la Diócesis de Shreveport. Gracias por aceptar el don de la vida y decir que sí al Señor con tus nuevos retoños. ¡Dios bendiga tu familia siempre! •

May 2016 23

Kids' Connection!

What Can We Learn This Month?

Pentecost the Birthday of the Church!

what is it?

Pentecost Symbols

Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter, ending the Easter season. On Pentecost we celebrate when the Holy Spirit came and filled the 12 apostles, giving them “tongues of fire,” allowing them to speak in different languages.

Both flames and doves are symbols of the Holy Spirit and are often used to depict Pentecost. Similarly, priests and deacons wear red vestments for Pentecost Sunday!

Read It!

Word Find

Pentecost comes from Acts 2, 1-4: “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”

Celebrate It!

Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church!

Wear RED, the color of flames. Share a piece of birthday cake and read the scripture together.

24 Catholic Connection

COUNSEL

HOLY SPIRIT

TONGUES UNDERSTANDING

DOVE

KNOWLEDGE

FLAMES

PENTECOST

WISDOM

FORTITUDE

PIETY

WONDER

school NEWS

SJB Student Wins Essay Contest

Destination Imagination at St. Joseph

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t. John Berchmans School eighth grader, Adam Cook, competed against 1,000 other entries to earn first place in the Knights of Columbus Essay contest for the entire State of Louisiana. Congratulations Adam!

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t. Joseph Catholic School took Destination Imagination (DI) by storm this year, and one of their teams will be traveling to Knoxville, TN, to compete globally!

DI is a fun, hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and

service learning. Participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas and the collaborative problem solving process.This year, St. Joseph School’s Elementary Technical Team (Garrett Hawes, Audrey Dufrene, Alex Horton, Anna George, Sawyer Nelson, Brooke Tuminello and Jonathan Robichaux) won first place and heads to Knoxville in May to compete in the global competition.

Living Stations of the Cross at JGS

Band Performs for Our Lady of Fatima Students

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he group DREAM came to Our Lady of Fatima to perform for the students.

Children from local schools participate in the band. They teach life skills and music.

Discover Weekend

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he students and faculty of Jesus the Good Shepherd School celebrated Holy Week with the Annual Living Stations of the Cross.

The dramatic performance presented

by the 5th and 6th grade classes was held in the school gymnasium for the student body and the JGS community for two days during Holy Week.

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t. Frederick School is a member of the STEM-Discovery program which is a collaboration with Louisiana Tech and Cyber Innovations. Blair David and Joni Dollar attended the Discover Weekend at Louisiana Tech in March. This program is an integration project based partnership with hands-on collaboration across multiple disciplines.

May 2016 25

Local High Schoolers Win Top Knights of Columbus Award & Scholarship

by Jessica Rinaudo

Brandy Solice and John Henry Hobgood with members of the Knights of Columbus Louisiana State Society.

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ach year the Knights of Columbus Louisiana State Society offer a Catholic Youth Leadership Award scholarship competition for Catholic high schoolers across the seven dioceses of Louisiana. To be eligible, students must complete an application and be the selected representative for their church. Then, selected students compete at the diocesan level. One boy and one girl are then chosen from each of the seven Louisiana dioceses to compete at the state level.

“These young men and women ... one of my favorite were judged based on spiritual, passions is teaching and academic, athletic, community and social activities during helping people learn their four years of high school. more about their They began the competition Catholic faith. by submitting an eight-page application to a local Knights of Columbus (KC) council in January. Each KC council selected a top boy and girl applicant to send to the diocesan level competition during February. At this level, a panel of diocesan area KC judges reviewed and scored applicants from among hundreds of applications,” according to a press release from the KC Louisiana State Council.

This year’s diocesan winners were Brandy Solice from St. Mary of the Pines Parish and John Henry Hobgood from St. Joseph Parish, both in Shreveport.

“At the state competition you have to go down to Baton Rouge, and go to St. Joseph Academy, then you go through two rounds of interviews and they announce the winners there,” said Brandy.

The final round consisted of a separate panel of KC State Judges (including 26 Catholic Connection

two past CYLA winners) who are tasked with reviewing the applications of these 14 outstanding finalists in March prior to the State Finals event in April. The finalists met the judges for two rounds of interviews at the state finals. After the judges submitted their interview scores and the results were tabulated, all present were treated to a delicious lunch of Catfish Atchafalaya prepared and served

by Most Blessed Sacrament KC Council 10455.

Following lunch, both Brandy and John Henry learned that they had beat out the other applicants to both take first place, each winning a $4,000 scholarship.

Both Brandy and John Henry were thrilled to be the winners and look forward to using the scholarship money to help them with their college education.

Brandy Solice is a senior at Caddo Magnet High School and will attend Louisiana Tech in the fall.

“I plan on going to Louisiana Tech and majoring in Animal Science in hopes to be a vet – not sure what kind of vet though. I just know that I really do want to take care of God’s creatures,” said Brandy. “I plan on helping out with the youth group, at least, because one of my favorite passions is teaching and helping people learn more about their Catholic faith. There’s so much to learn.”

John Henry is a senior at Loyola College Prep, and while he hasn’t decided on a university yet, he is excited about his future.

“I’d like to go to law school, so I’ll probably major in Economics for my undergrad,” said John Henry.

The CYLA program began in 1959 by the Louisiana Society Knights of Columbus to recognize outstanding Catholic senior boys. In 1971, the scholarship program began including outstanding Catholic senior girls.

Congratulations to state winners Brandy and John Henry. •

MAY 1 - 7

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ast month, in the first of this fourpart series, we learned that Blessed Frederic Ozanam founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) in 1833 while in law school in France.

Frederic was challenged by a peer to, in essence, be an example by going out into the streets and actually serving the poor instead of just talking about it.

Frederic did just that, but as he was learning how, he reached out to several people for guidance. One of those to become a servant of Christ. Her people was Sister Rosalie Rendu (1786message for serving the poor was one of 1856). She is recognized as a co-founder compassion, patience, mercy, dignity, of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul gratitude and deep humility. She knew and served as a mentor to Frederic and the needs of those the Society served his fellow students as they began their were as varied as the circumstances from mission. which they came. She insisted Frederic When Sr. Rendu was a child, many and his fellow servants see beyond the priests and religious in France were hunger and really see the people with forced to take an oath of loyalty to the whom they visited. Her example was the government. When they refused, they origin of the home visits that are at the were either put to death or forced to center of the SVdP mission now. escape and hide. The Rendu family Last year alone, the Diocese of became a refuge for those priests. This is where Sr. Rosalie learned, at an early age, Shreveport Vincentians conducted more the importance Her message for serving the poor was one of of the care and compassion, patience, mercy, dignity, concern for others. gratitude and deep humility.

Before the age of 16, she than 3,100 home visits. began her life as a Daughter of Charity The influence that Sr. Rosalie had in Paris. Sr. Rosalie served the poorest on the formation of the Society cannot of the poor. Their poverty came in be overstated. In serving the poor, the many forms: psychological, emotional, Society works toward the goal that she so physical and spiritual, much like eloquently instilled in the founders: “Be many of the neighbors we serve in our kind, and love, for love is your first gift communities today. She lived the words that St. Vincent de Paul spoke to the first you give to the poor. They will appreciate your kindness and your love more than Daughters of Charity: “You will go and all else you can bring them.” • visit the poor ten times a day, and ten This is part two of a four-part series, times a day you will find God there!” which will introduce you to the works, Frederic sought her wisdom, history and people who influenced SVdP. knowledge and humility while learning

MAY 8 - 14

“There is something that is choking me and takes away my appetite… the thought that so many families lack bread.” ” – Sister Rosalie Rendu

J

oin us in our 52 Weeks of Mercy campaign throughout the Year of Mercy. Follow along, use the hashtag and let’s serve together.

MAY 15 - 21

by Jim Beadles, VP Shreveport Diocesan Council of SVdP

#52WeeksofMercy

MAY 22 - 28

The Holy Year of Mercy and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

May 2016 27

Zwolle Senior Citizens Day

around the DIOCESE

A

Senior Citizens Day was hosted by the Council of Catholic Women on March 30 at St. Joseph Parish in Zwolle. Everyone enjoyed the food, bingo and door prizes from the religious gift shop.

Divine Mercy Celebration

Pro-Life Speaker Engages Students

I

t isn’t often that a nationallyknown pro-life speaker comes to Ruston, but that’s just what happened the last week of March.

Bulldogs for Life, the pro-life organization at Louisiana Tech, sponsored Aimee Murphy of Life Matters Journal to speak on the Louisiana Tech campus.

Aimee, a rather unconventional pro-lifer, arrived by Greyhound bus sporting a “This is What a Pro-Life Feminist Looks Like” t-shirt and a multicolored hairstyle. Right out of college, she founded Life Matters Journal, a non-partisan publication that addresses human rights issues.

Now at 27, she travels around the country to speak at conferences, rallies and universities.

Her first appearance on Tech’s campus involved a tabling display.

She invited students to participate in a survey using a banner that read “Who Deserves Human Rights?” and showed pictures of all kinds of people – including POWs at Guantanamo, unborn children and death row 28 Catholic Connection

inmates. Students used sticky notes to identify those they believe deserve human rights, while she and Bulldogs for Life members engaged the participants as to why they chose or excluded those they did.

The underlying message – they

She gave a message of compassion and peace, teaching her listeners to

T

he group “Mary’s Servants of Mercy” made their Divine Mercy Consecration on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 3, after completing Fr. Michael Gaitley’s new book 33 Days to Merciful Love.

Youth Faced Off in Diocesan Quiz Bowl

love not only the idea of human rights, but the human too. all deserve human rights. The following night, Aimee spoke to a crowd of nearly 60 students about the fundamental dignity of the human person, a dignity that is not dependent on size or usefulness or good behavior. She gave a message of compassion and peace, teaching her listeners to love not only the idea of human rights, but the human too.

by Courtney Smith

O

n Sunday, April 10, Middle School Youth from across the diocese joined together to compete in a Catechetical Quiz Bowl at St. Thomas Aquinas in Ruston. The event winners were from the team “Kids of Christ” from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish (pictured). In second place was the “Gospel Gang” from St. Paschal Parish in West Monroe.

SJB Students Win Regional Robotics Competition

R

ecently, the St. John Berchmans Robotics team, coached by Andy Hitt and sponsored by Annalisa Blanchard, competed in the Regional Autonomous Robotics Circuit (RARC) competition. RARC is a series of three competitions throughout the year that allow students to showcase their STEM skills by competing against other students in their division in a series of STEM challenges.

Why are STEM competitions so important? According to the February

Jesus the Good Shepherd Welcomes Fr. Moran

T

he students and faculty of Jesus the Good Shepherd School would like to extend a warm welcome to Fr. Jim Moran. Fr. Jim is a member of the Oratory of St. Phillip Neri in Rock Hill, SC. He has been given leave to work in the Diocese of Shreveport as Parochial Vicar of Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish in Monroe. Fr. Jim was raised in Natchitoches and has family and friends throughout Shreveport and north Louisiana.

2012 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report to the President, the nation will require approximately one million more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), professionals than what will be produced at the current rates over the next decade.

The competitions are sponsored by the Cyber Innovation Center’s National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center (NICERC), the City of Bossier, SciPort: Louisiana’s Science Center, Bossier Parish Schools and Caddo Parish Schools.

During the second competition of the year, St. John Berchmans Robotics Team One took home the first place trophy in the elementary division – a division that was represented by 89 teams from across the region. Congratulations to our 5th grade Robotics team on winning first place!

What a bright future you have ahead of you!

Sacred Heart Helped Families in Need for Easter

E

very year Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Shreveport prepares Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas presents for children and Easter baskets for the less fortunate in our area. This year our Society of St. Vincent de Paul had 113 families signed up to receive Easter baskets. April Johnson expressed her gratitude, “I thank Sacred Heart so much. They always bless us each year with lots of good things. May God bless y’all. We love y’all.”

May 2016 29

mark your CALENDAR 5/6

Red Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Please join us for the Red Mass honoring all judges, lawyers and government officials on Friday, May 6. This Mass is to invoke God's blessing and guidance in the administration of justice. Music begins at 8:30 a.m. and Mass begins at 9:00 a.m. Guest homilist for the Mass is Bishop Shelton Fabre from the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux. The Red Mass this year is celebrated in honor of Heart of Hope - A Sanctuary of Women. All faith traditions are invited to attend this annual event.

5/6

Novena to the Holy Spirit at Sacred Heart Church in Shreveport Sacred Heart Church is preparing for their upcoming Novena to the Holy Spirit which will take place on Friday, May 6 through May 14 for nine consecutive days.

Pentecost Sunday is May 15. They invite members, families and friends to join their choir for the Novena. For more information, contact the church office at 318-635-2121.

5/14

Annual David Rice Memorial 5k Holy Angels is hosting the 15th Annual

David Rice Memorial Angel Walk and Run 5K, which will be held at Holy Angels, located at 10450 Ellerbe Road in Shreveport, Saturday, May 14, beginning at 8:00 a.m. It features a race path through scenic south Shreveport. Register for the 5K Angel Walk and Run by visiting www. laholyangels.org and clicking on the Events Tab. For more information on this event or to learn more about Holy Angels, contact Elizabeth Landman Speights at 318-797-8500 or espeights@laholyangels.org.

at 3500 Fairfield, Ave. from 10:30am1:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Jennifer Stevens from the Diocese of Alexandria. Jennifer serves on many committees in her diocese including the ACTS Core Committee, Neighborhood Outreach. She is also a member of the Interfaith group.

Brunch will be Saturday, June 4, at 10:30 a.m. at the Catholic Center as Jennifer talks about her faith journey and why she hungers for more. For more information, contact Susan Tousignant, 318-366-1392.

5/15

7/22

Pentecost Latin Mass at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans A traditional Latin Mass will be held on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans.

The Solemn High Mass – Schubert Mass in C will be presented with the full Cathedral Choir with members of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra.

All are welcome! See Cathedral website for all details: sjbcathedral. org.

6/4

Magnificat Brunch at the Catholic Center Ladies are invited to brunch being held at the Catholic Center, located

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend Find some new ideas on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is 44 hours where married couples can get away from jobs, kids, chores and phones‌and focus on each other (the way it all began). This weekend can help you find greater depth, growth and enrichment in your relationship.

The next two Weekends are July 22-24 and Oct 14-15, 2016 at the Bishop Robert E. Tracy Center in Baton Rouge. You can get more information or register online at LAMSwwme.org or by calling 470-297-8560.

2 0 1 6 D i o c e s a n s t e wa r d s h i p A p p e a l

I / We would like to contribute to the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal with a total yearly pledge of: $10,000 $7,500 $5,000 $3,500

$2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000

Please send monthly reminders to:

$800 $750 $650 $500

$400 $350 $300 $250

At this time I / we are enclosing:

$200 $150 $100 $_______

$_____________

Print Name________________________________________________________________________________

Diocese of Shreveport The Catholic Center 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 www.dioshpt.org

30 Catholic Connection

Address___________________________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________________State_________Zip Code____________ My / Our Church Parish______________________________________________________________________ Signature__________________________________________________________________________________ You may make a credit card payment online at: www.dioshpt.org (Click on Stewardship)

MAY

2016

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Confirmation, St. St. Athanasius, Joseph, Bastrop, bishop & doctor of the Church 10am ShreveportBossier Holocaust Memorial Service, St. Mary of the Pines, 3pm

Priests Retirement Committee Meeting, Catholic Center, 11am

Confirmation, St. Joseph, Zwolle, 6pm

The Ascension of the Lord

Red Mass, Holy Trinity Parish, 9am

Second Collection: Catholic Communication Campaign

Sts. Philip & James, apostles

RED MASS / MAY 6

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Mother's Day

Second Collection: Catholic Communication Campaign

Presbyteral Council Meeting, Catholic Center, 1pm

Deadline for the June issue of the Catholic Connection

Protecting God's Children, Catholic Center, 6pm

St. Damien de Veuster, priest

Confirmation, St. Ann, Stonewall, 6:30pm

Loyola College Prep Baccalaureate Mass, Cathedral, 6:30pm

Loyola College Prep Graduation, RiverView Hall, Shreveport, 6:30pm

Sts. Nereus & Achilleus, martyrs; St. Pancras, martyr

Our Lady of Fatima

Confirmation, St. Paschal, West Monroe, 5:30pm St. Matthias, apostle

Graduation / May 13 & 19

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pentecost Sunday

St. John I, pope & martyr

Confirmation, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 11am

St. Frederick High School Baccalaureate Mass & Graduation, St. Frederick High School, 5pm

St. Bernardine of Siena, priest

Confirmation, St. Jude, Benton, 5pm St. Christopher Magallanes, priest, & companions, martyrs

Pentecost / MAY 15

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Catholic Charities Eastern Deanery Office Ribbon Cutting, Monroe, 3pm

Confirmation, St. Paul, Minden, 11am The Most Holy Trinity

Theology on Tap, Monago Fieldhouse, Monroe, 6:30pm

St. Bede the Venerable, priest & doctor of the Church; St. Gregory VII, pope; St. Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi, virgin

St. Philip Neri, priest

St. Augustine of Canterbury

Second Collection: Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Fund

Catholic Charities Ribbon Cutting / may 24

29 30 31 1 2 3 4 Second Collection: Diocese of Shreveport Retired Priests Fund The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Memorial Day Memorial Day Mass with Bishop Duca, St. Joseph Cemetery, Shreveport, 10am

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Justin, martyr

Sts. Marcellinus & Peter, martyrs

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Corpus Christi / MAy 29 May 2016 31

Connection The Catholic

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

•

Shreveport, LA 71104

Photo of the Month

Bishop Michael Duca blesses the new rectory at St. Pius X Parish in Shreveport with Fr. Joe Kallookalam, CMI.

32 Catholic Connection

Fairfield