Catholic East Texas: November 2016 (Vol. 30, No. 1)

Reconciliation Come back to the sacrament of

November-December 2016

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This Issue

THE MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF TYLER

Vol. 30 Issue 1 November-December 2016 Catholic East Texas (USPS 001726) is a publication of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, 1015 ESE Loop 323, Tyler, Texas 75701-9663. Telephone: 903534-1077. Fax: 903-534-1370. E-mail: news@ catholiceasttexas.com. ©2016 Diocese of Tyler.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CET Subscriptions, 1015 ESE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701-9663 Published five times per year. Periodical postage paid at Tyler, Texas, and additional mailing office.

Subscription is $20 per year. News, calendar and advertising deadlines: Aug. 10, Oct. 10, Dec. 10, Feb 10, April 10.

The publisher and editor reserve the right to reject, omit or edit any article or letter submitted for publication. The Diocese of Tyler and/or the Catholic East Texas cannot be held liable or in any way responsible for the content of any advertisement printed herein. All claims, offers, guarantees, statements, etc., made by advertisers are solely the responsibility of the advertiser.

Deceptive or misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. Complaints regarding advertising should be made directly to the advertiser or the Better Business Bureau.

Publisher Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland Bishop of Tyler Editor-in-Chief Peyton Low peyton@catholiceasttexas.com Managing Editor and Photographer Ben Fisher ben@catholiceasttexas.com Assistant Editor Susan De Matteo sue@catholiceasttexas.com Spanish Editor Sr. Angélica Orozco EFMS sistera@dioceseoftyler.org

www.dioceseoftyler.org

03 04 06 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 34 36 38 41 42 44 46 48 50 52

Bishop Strickland Diocesan News and Calendar Susan De Matteo

The Sacrament of Reconciliation Bishop Joseph Strickland

Examine your Conscience Father Matthew Stehling

How to go to Confession Come to a priest of Jesus Christ Father Daniel Dower

At the regular time or by appointment Father Christopher Ruggles

Confession times

For the parishes of the diocese

Confess your sins Father Michael Adams

It is completely private Father Anthony McLaughlin

Receive counsel and penance Father Selvaraj Sinnappan

Pray the Act of Contrition Father Joshua Neu

And be forgiven Father Anthony Stoeppel

Nothing bundt Catholic

An interview with Jack and Mona Gabriel

Do-it-yourself evangelization KJXP-LP Radio in Nacogdoches

I confess review Father Matthew Stehling

Perspectives

An interview with Glen Smith

Monseñor Strickland El Sacramento de la Reconciliación Monseñor Strickland

La Catequesis y La Reconciliación Teresa Vazquez

Hacia el V Encuentro Una Oración para Lograr Vivir Reconciliados Hna. Angelica Orozco

El Sacramento de la Reconciliación P. Jose Luis Vidarte

Dancing around the car

Ben Fisher

All registered parishioners in the Diocese of Tyler receive the Catholic East Texas magazine for free. If you are a member of a parish or mission in the Diocese and you are not receiving your free subscription to the magazine, please contact your parish/mission or complete this form so that we may add you to our mailing list: http://cetmag.org/cetsubscribe

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With Neal Slaten’s guidance, Bishop Strickland prepares to “push the button”, powering up KJXP-LP, Holy Name Catholic Radio in Nacogdoches, for the first time. Covering the city on 100.9 FM, the new station offers EWTN programming. Read more on page 34.

Bishop Strickland

Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler

As I reflect on these final days of the Year of Mercy in the ther’s choice to have mercy on us. As we plead for mercy, we context of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it occurs to me that as are also expressing our desire to be merciful. As with sin, the sin is a very personal reality, so is mercy. We can, of course, think real presence of mercy in our lives comes down to the choice of of both in more abstract terms, but I believe it is most helpful to one child of God to be merciful. Just as we individual Christians consider sin and mercy in very personal terms. make up the Body of Christ, so our individual conversions and We live in a sinful world but no sin happens in a void. Only a individual acts of mercy make up the holiness which is a mark person created in the image of God can choose to rebel against of the Church. We are One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, their nature and commit sin. We speak of the sins of a people, made up of individual members turning toward God and performbut that corporate reality is the result of many individual sinful ing those acts of mercy. choices. Ultimately, the sinful structures and brokenness of our The Year of Mercy is drawing to a close. Let us not forget the world always traces back to individual sinful choices. profound mercy God offers to us, and the daily opportunity we This twofold nature of sin, its particular effect on the indi- have to give that mercy to others.q vidual human person and its effect upon the whole world, is reflected in many places in Catholic teaching. The account of the first sin is one of both an individual choice to rebel and the universal fall of all humanity. Likewise, while the judgement at the end of time is an event yet shrouded in mystery, we know that it contains both a particular, individual element in which each individual is judged, and a universal element wherein mankind will be arrayed before God on the last day. Most important of all, we know that it is each one of our own, individual private sins that Christ bore on the cross, and that all together they are ‘the sin of the whole world’ for which He was ransomed.

Sin is private, and sin is corporate. We cannot fix the sins of the entire world; only God has such power. However, we can go to work, today, on our own sins. We can avail ourselves of God’s grace for forgiveness and conversion. In opening ourselves to this conversion, we make the entire world a holier place.

I believe it is fruitful to consider mercy in these personal terms as well. Once again, only one created in the image of God can choose to be merciful.

The beautiful Kyrie Eleison, Lord have mercy, that we pray at Mass is an expression of this personalization of mercy. It can serve to remind us to choose mercy for others as we ask God to choose mercy for us.

If we desire to follow the example of our Lord and be merciful, we cannot simply act in a pleasant way to the whole world. We can’t just ‘send happy thoughts’ to mankind. We must do the hard work of practicing mercy right in our own lives, today. We must make mercy personal. We must be merciful to a family member. We must be merciful to a co-worker. We must be merciful to a stranger. We must find Bishop Strickland welcomed Archbishop Emeritus Michael an opportunity to perform a real act of mercy for a Sheehan of Sante Fe to the Cathedral for the annual Red real person in our lives, and do it. This means giving Mass. To see more photos from the Red Mass and other something of ourselves. diocesan events, go to www.dioceseoftylerphotos.com Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God the Fa3

Diocesan News

For more news, go to www.dioceseoftyler.org/news

The Texas Catholic Conference Advocacy Day at the State Capital is April 4, 2017. Advocacy Day is a daylong event with a rally on the steps of the State Capitol with the bishops of Texas to promote the Church’s values of life, justice, charity, and religious freedom to members of the Texas Legislature. After the rally, small teams of Catholics will meet with their state lawmakers and educate them on the Texas bishops’ legislative priorities.

The Organization for Faith, Education, and Community at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches will host a one-day interfaith dialogue on injustice and its effects on local communities on Friday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater. The conference will explore how different faiths understand and respond to issues of injustice. Father Pat Delahanty, chair of the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, will be the keynote speaker. The day will feature three breakout sessions with 14 speakers) and a panel discussion.

CEUs will be offered to LPC (Provider no.

7723) and Social Workers (Social Worker CEUs provided by SFASU’s School of Social Work and approved by TSBSWE). As a pre-conference activity, the organization will sponsor a free showing on Friday, Oct. 14, of Dead Man Walking, the 1995 theatrical film starring Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean, an advocate for abolishing the death penalty. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Cole Art Center in downtown Nacogdoches. Register online for the conference at https://faitheducationcommunity.org/conference/register/.

Cost is $55. Student price is $20 (must bring ID).

St. Mary’s Catholic Campus Ministry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches is having its second annual Spirit Brunch on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Ganter Hall, 211 E. College St. in Nacogdoches. The Spirit Brunch is the annual fundraising event for the ministry, held the Saturday of homecoming week. This is a time for alumni to reunite, and for the students, parents, and friends of the ministry 4

to celebrate and give thanks. We will enjoy a champagne brunch, live jazz band, and a cupcake auction with our guest of honor and keynote speaker, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland. Seats are $25. Raffle tickets are also available. Go to sfacatholic.net/ spirit-brunch to make a reservation or purchase raffle tickets. Checks can also be sent to the office, or to reserve by phone, contact the office at 936-564-0661.

The Daughters of Divine Hope will offer Mass for bishops and priests who have ordination anniversaries and birthdays, for deacons who have ordination anniversaries, and for deceased clergy Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Lunch will follow in the Cathedral Center. The next clergy Mass will be Dec. 12.

The diocesan Office for Marriage and Family Life has scheduled marriage a preparation weekend for Nov. 5-6 (Spanish) at Casa Betania in Tyler. A marriage preparation day has been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Chancery in Tyler. For information or to register, contact the office at 903-534-1077, ext. 165, or email mbesze@dioceseoftyler.org.

Catholic Charities East Texas is hosting a fundraiser, Forget-Me-Not in the Garden of Charity, Saturday, Nov. 5, 6:308:30 p.m. in a backyard garden at 6090 Graemont Blvd., Tyler. The event, to be held in honor of Louis Owen, will include cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts, and is intended to raise funds for Catholic Charities hunger relief mission and other programs benefitting the poor, devalued, and marginalized in society. Sponsorships at various levels are available. For information, contact CCET at 903-258-9492, email info@cctyler.org, or see the website. http://www.cctyler.org.

Support Catholic Charities East Texas through Amazon.com. When ordering from Amazon, go to Smile.amazon.com and choose Catholic Charities, Diocese of Tyler, as the recipient of the donation from the purchase.

The Diocesan Liturgical Commission will host a class on the chants of the Roman Missal Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Cathedral Center. Chant master Dr. Lowell A. Davis will lead the class. Topics covered will include: Why sing chant today in the liturgy; what chant is, and what chant can be sung today by a schola, a congregation, or a cantor; the spiritual and liturgical role of chant in the Novus Ordo; chant as sacred language; and chant as singing the text of the liturgy. After the class, participants will sing at the 5:30 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The cost is $20 before Nov. 1 and $25 at the door; lunch is included. For reservations, contact: Deacon John Ragland, 936558-8708, jragland@catholicweb.com.

Mission Dolores State Historic Site in San Augustine is hosting Foodways on the Frontier, an educational program about traditional Spanish, French, and Native American meals eaten by those who established and lived in Mission Dolores and others established in Texas. The program is designed for children ages 12 and under, and will run 1-2 p.m., Nov. 19 and 26 at the Mission Dolores Historic Site at 701 South Broadway St., San Augustine, TX 75972. Mission Dolores was established by the Spanish in 1721 among the local Ais native peoples to counter French incursions into the area. To learn more about the history of the mission, see the website, visitmissiondolores.com.

The Maria Goretti Network is a peer ministry group for survivors of abuse and their families. The East Texas Chapter of the Maria Goretti Network meets the third Saturday of every month in the Cathedral Office meeting room (not the Cathedral Center) at 7 p.m. For information, contact Peggy Hammett, 903-592-1617, ext. 19, or email phammett@thecathedral.info.

The Diocese of Tyler is committed to providing a safe for children Catholic Eastenvironment Texas, the diocesan and vulnerable adults.

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and review in the magazine is written by the c of Tyler. Access the magazine onlineuu.co Buffalo St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church. The children’s St. Nicholas Party will be Dec. 4 at 12:30 p.m.

Carthage St. William of Vercelli Church. The Ladies Guild will have lunch and games Monday, Nov. 7. Come join us for a few hours of friendship.

The next St. William’s Open Door will be Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 a.m.

Knights of Columbus Council 11026 meets the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

Hilltop Lakes St. Thomas More Church. The annual Fall Fish Fry is Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., or until the food is gone, at the Community Center in Hilltop Lakes. Delicious fried fish with all the trimmings will be available for $10 for adults and $5 for children. Raffle tickets and arts and crafts items will also be available.

Holly Lake Holy Spirit Church. Casino Night will be Saturday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person or $280 for a table, and include $1,500 in casino chips per person. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Please stop by before or after Mass to buy your tickets, or call Bridget Rich at 903-769-3235 or 972979-3985.

We will have 36-hour adoration beginning Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 a.m. and ending at Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. The sign-up sheet is in the narthex.

Longview St. Anthony Church. Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court 1339 is sponsoring Turkey Bingo Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Shopka Center. Food goes on sale at 6 p.m., and the games begin at 7 p.m. Prizes include cash, a turkey, and two food baskets. Tickets are $2 each.

The Knights of Columbus Co. 2771 is sponsoring a “Coats for Kids” Drive. Please consider donating any gently used coats.

All coats can be dropped off at the church office during the week.

If you have old cell phones that you no longer use, please consider donating them to the church. They can be dropped off at the church office.

St. Mary Church. The St. Nicholas Bazaar will be Nov. 19, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., and Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. We are collecting items to be sold in the general store, such as new and gently used nativities, Santas, wreaths, candles, ornaments, homemade canned goods, and gift items. Call Jeanie Folsenlogen, 903-736-5653, or drop off items next to the church office in the big box.

We also need Christmas trees of all sizes, burlap, mason jars, rolls of Christmas ribbon, and Christmas lights. We will pick up trees; call Margaret at 903-452-3474. For more information, call Pat Smith, 903-240-1635.

The bazaar also will feature a café, vendors, a Kids Korner, raffle, silent auction, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Lufkin St. Patrick Catholic School. The school is collecting boxtops to raise money to purchase new computers and keep art supplies on hand. The boxtops can be found on cereal and granola boxes, Ziploc brand items and more. To see a complete list of participating products, see the website here (http://www.boxtops4education.com/).

Each boxtop is worth $0.10. Turn in boxtops to the school office.

If you are interested in selling Yankee Candles to support the school, please call the office at 936-634-6719. Candles may also be ordered from students.

The school Pumpkin Patch is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and weekends, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

St. Patrick Church. Father Vaverek will offer an adult faith formation class Nov. 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., on Amen: Our Liturgy, Our Faith. The class has a $5 registration fee for lunch.

We are planning a trip to Rome April 23-30, 2017. If interested, please contact Jan Kupec for details, 936-671-3863, or jan.kupec@yahoo.com.

Malakoff Mary Queen of Heaven Church. Denise Bentley and Jane Drake have volunteered to work on our history books. If you have any old photos of our church history you would want to contribute, contact Denise, Jane, or the office.

Mineola St. Peter the Apostle Church. First Communion and Confirmation will be celebrated Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.

Nacogdoches St. Mary Catholic Campus Ministry.

Catholic Daughters of the Americas has established a chapter at Stephen F. Austin State University. The organization has the purpose of helping women on the campus grow in faith, practice the Christian virtues, and develop their God-given talents in a way that influences the welfare of the community and the Church. For information, see the website at sfacatholic.net/catholic-daughters.

Tyler Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary is taking orders for delicious pumpkin rolls for $16 each. Profits will be used to support local area Catholic charities. Orders will be taken through Nov. 13 and can be picked up on Sunday, Nov. 20, 12-4 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 3509 South Southwest Loop 323 in Tyler. Orders can be placed by calling Diana at 903-539-5710 or Mary at 903-939-1032.

Adult faith formation classes are held Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Center, Room 2. Classes use the Didache book series. Classroom copies are available to share, or copies can be purchased for $15. For more information about the class, contact Peggy Hammett, 903-592-1617, ext. 119, or email to phammett@thecathedral.info.

Baptism preparation class in English will be Monday, November 14 and 21, 6:308:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Center. Parents and godparents are required to attend the classes. If you have questions, contact 903-592-1617 ext. 130, or email edietel@ thecathedral.info. Please bring a copy of the child’s birth certificate to the class.

The Cathedral once again is able to offer a faith formation class for children with special needs. We are blessed to have two certified teachers returning from last year who have once again dedicated themselves to offering this class. These classes are for any student with a special need or who might benefit from some extra help. For more information please contact Peggy Hammett at 903-592-1617, ext. 119 or phammett@ thecathedral.info.q 5

Reconciliation The sacrament of

God’s Mercy through the Ministry of the Church An Exhortation of Bishop Joseph Strickland Given at the Diocesan Chancery on November 1, 2016 The Solemnity of All Saints.

TO THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF TYLER, HEALTH AND BENEDICTION

As we bring the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy called by Pope Francis to a close, a year in which we have contemplated the Lord Jesus as the face of the Father who is rich in mercy, my hope is that the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Tyler have come to better understand that the mystery of God’s mercy is truly a wellspring of joy, serenity and peace. 1

During this Year of Mercy, we have continually been reminded that God’s mercy is infinitely greater than even the most heinous sin we might commit, and that God’s unfathomable love for us is made tangible and visible through acts of mercy. This tangibility and visibility means that God’s mercy is not an abstract theological concept or an act that is hidden, but rather something we can feel, hear and touch as human beings. This is how God has interacted with his people throughout history, and it is why Christ instituted the sacraments and entrusted them to his Church – so that down through the ages we might personally experience through our senses the visible reality of the invisible grace that is being given to us.

With this in mind, I write to you at this time to focus our attention more deeply on the sacrament most directly associated with mercy – the sacrament of reconciliation, also called penance, confession and forgiveness. My experience as a priest has often led me to reflect on the personal encounter with Jesus Christ that occurs in this outward and visible sign of his mercy. Our faith as Catholics is firmly founded on the beautiful gift of the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the fundamental mystery of our faith that the consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Many converts are drawn to the Catholic faith 6

because they come to understand that they are experiencing a true and deep encounter with the Son of God when they receive the Eucharist. With regard to the sacrament of reconciliation, I believe we need to nurture a similar statement of faith and remind ourselves that this sacrament is also an intimate personal encounter with the living presence of Jesus Christ. No one can come to the Father except through the person Jesus, and in the sacrament, Jesus himself has given us the method for doing

The purpose of this letter is to help us, in some small way, better understand the “why” of this encounter with the Lord and to answer a question that we have probably been asked before and that we may have even had ourselves: why do we confess our sins to a priest? this.2 Through the centuries, saints and scholars have written volumes about the great beauty of this sacrament and the richness of the Divine Mercy, and I will not endeavor to add to that here

or to try give a complete overview of all the various aspects of reconciliation. Rather, the purpose of this letter is to help us, in some small way, better understand the “why” of this encounter with the Lord and to answer a question that we have probably been asked before and that we may have even had ourselves: why do we confess our sins to a priest? This question can take many different forms, but a clear understanding of why the Lord wants us to experience his mercy in this very personal way can allow us to enter more deeply into our relationship with him.

As Christians, we understand that pardon for our sins comes from Christ’s work on Calvary, the offering of himself as the perfect and once-for-all sacrifice to the Father. However, this does not immediately have its full effect “since Christ, after redeeming the world at the lavish cost of His own blood, still must come into complete possession of the souls of men.”3 Each of us must individually choose to participate in the Lord’s work, so, in his great love, he provided a path for us to receive his pardon and experience the effects of his forgiveness. Sacred Scripture tells us that he established two means by which our sins can be taken away: the sacraments of baptism and reconciliation.

Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ’s grace, washes away all sin, both original sin transmitted to us from Adam and any personal sins committed before receiving the sacrament.

Through baptism, we are united to Christ, transformed by grace and saved, but the consequences of the first sin still impact all humanity, and we are left with a human nature that is weak and inclined to evil. Consequently, in this earthly life Christians are in the midst of a spiritual struggle, striving daily for holiness and to avoid sin with the help of grace.4 Because of his infinite mercy, God never abandons us, even if we turn away from him. Deeply aware of our human frailty and our tendency to sin, the Lord instituted the means to provide forgiveness of sins and to restore us to grace and communion with God and one another after our baptism. On the evening of his Resurrection, Jesus breathed on his Apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23). Jesus, who had the authority on earth to forgive sins, now unconditionally entrusted this same authority to the Church he had established.5 Knowing that he would soon ascend to heaven, Christ told his Apostles that they were now to take on his mission and act in his place and with his authority, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). Just as the Apostles were to carry Christ’s message to the whole world, they were also instructed to carry his forgiveness, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on 7

earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).

This authority Christ gave the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, was twofold: to forgive sins or to hold them bound, or unforgiven. Several things logically follow from this.

On the evening of his Resurrection, Jesus breathed on his Apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23) First, Christ does not give gifts needlessly – in handing this power to the Church, he intended for it to be used. Next, in order to know what sins to forgive or retain, the Apostles must be told the sins – which is the act of confession. This is further established later in the New Testament when the early Christians are enjoined to “confess your sins to one another” (James 5:16).

Further, the Apostles were not merely to preach of God’s forgiveness, but they were told to go exercise the same power that Christ possessed. Christ’s ministers understood that this power was not their own, but was coming from God, “And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). St. Paul expressed this reality clearly, “So we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20).

The bishop and his priests, the ambassadors for Christ,

act as the instruments of the Lord’s forgiveness. The power of binding and loosing which Christ gave to the Apostles calls the priests to an important and necessary role in discerning who is eligible to receive the Lord’s forgiveness, but it is always and only God who forgives.6 Christ is always freely offering his forgiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit seeking to reconcile us to the Father, but the priest’s crucial role makes this forgiveness visible and tangible, and ensures that the penitent is truly sorry for their sins and has a sincere desire to amend their lives.

The answer to our original question, “Why do we confess our sins to a priest?” is clear: we confess to a priest because it is the way that Christ Jesus established and intended for us to have a personal relationship with him in faith and objectively experience his forgiveness. We do not confess our sins to a priest “instead of God,” no, we make our sins known through a priest because God the Father encounters men in Christ the Son, and Christ encounters us in his body the Church.

This is a great gift! The sacrament of reconciliation is a visible and external sign of Christ’s mercy available to us 2,000 years after his Ascension. When the priest, acting for the Church and in the person of Christ, pronounces the beautiful formula of absolution, we are able to hear God’s forgiveness with our own ears and know with absolute and unconditional certainty that he has forgiven us. Moreover, we are strengthened in our efforts to resist sin and we grow in humility before God. Pope Francis, like his predecessors, has emphasized again and again that the true heart of our Catholic faith is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. An authentic and theologically sound celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation is a beautiful example of what that intimate relationship is

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truly about. There are few experiences more deeply personal than an honest, soul searching confession in which we bare our souls before God and encounter Jesus Christ in the mystery of his mercy through the person of the priest. As I write these words, I am reminded, as I have been many times, of the awesome responsibility this sacrament places on the shoulders of the priest. It is the responsibility of the priest to make present the true forgiving mercy of the Savior of the World, and this is only possible when the priest is deeply rooted in the reality that he too is a sinner in desperate need of the Lord’s mercy. When the priest approaches his role in the sacrament of penance in this way, he allows the Lord’s mercy to flow through him, and he is always humbly aware of the great mystery he is celebrating.

This is what the Church celebrates in this beautiful sacrament: the reality that the healing love of Jesus Christ the Forgiver is really present in the world today, longing to allow His Mercy to flow over us and forgive our sins. When we examine our conscience, have sorrow for our sins, firmly resolve to amend our lives, make a good confession, and receive the penance and absolution, we hear Christ’s words in the Gospel echo through the world as words of great mercy for every sinner today, “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.”q Footnotes: 1. Papal Bull Misericordiae Vultus, 2 2. John 14:6 3. Encyclical Letter Mediator Dei 77 4. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 405, 1426 5. Matthew 9:6; CCC 1461 6. CCC, 1441

Catholic Ascension Garden

How will will your your final final arrangements arrangements be be decided? decided?

How Rose Lawn’s Lawn’s Ascension Ascension Garden Garden is is aa place place for for all all Catholics Catholics to to Rose have hope and reflection.

This area serves as a visual reminder have hope and reflection. This area serves as a visual reminder of the the Paschal Paschal Mystery, Mystery, the the dying dying and and rising rising of of Christ Christ in in which which of we all share.

It is the place that reminds us to hold a joyful we all share. It is the place that reminds us to hold a joyful hope for Christ’s return to glory, with all those who have gone hope for Christ’s return to glory, with all those who have gone before us, marked with a sign of faith.

Putting plans into place before us, marked with a sign of faith. Putting plans into place now becomes becomes aa testimony testimony to to both both our our faith faith and and our our love love of of now family.

It is a loving and considerate thing to do for those we family. It is a loving and considerate thing to do for those we leave behind. behind. Come Come out out and and visit visit our our compassionate compassionate people people leave and find how simple this decision can be.

With each sale Rose and find how simple this decision can be. With each sale Rose Lawn will make a donation in your name to the Church of Lawn will make a donation in your name to the Church of your choice or the Catholic Diocese of Tyler. your choice or the Catholic Diocese of Tyler.

Rose Lawn Lawn Cemetery Cemetery is is located located on on Blue Blue Mountain Mountain Blvd., Blvd., Rose One block East off Old Jacksonville Hwy, just South of of One block East off Old Jacksonville Hwy, just South Swann’s Furniture.

Swann’s Furniture.

2003 Blue Blue Mountain Mountain Blvd.

Blvd.

2003 Tyler, TX TX 75703 75703 Ph.903-939-9922 Tyler, Ph.903-939-9922

Catholic East Texas, the

diocesan magazine, is online!

Share the link to our fullcolor publication with family and friends. The magazine is an evangelical publication designed to implement Bishop Strickland’s vision for sharing the beauty of Catholic teaching, history, culture, spirituality, and liturgy in a way that makes our ancient faith attractive to both Catholics and non-Catholics in Northeast Texas. Every article, column, and review in the magazine is written by the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Tyler. Access the magazine online at http://issuu.com/

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Matthew Stehling St. Leo the Great Parish

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Centerville, Texas

Examine your

Conscience Make a change Confessing our sins at least once per year is one of the precepts of the Catholic Church. Many Catholics, however, don’t make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and this is tragic.

The sacrament is a limitless source of God’s mercy.

I think many of us stay away from the sacrament because we know that we need to address a certain part of our life, and so we avoid thinking about it. C.S. Lewis famously wrote that “a person in financial distress hates the sight of his checkbook,” because he knows it needs to be balanced. I think many Catholics dread the confessional in the same way.

We must make a change. We must confess our sins at least once per year, and we must confess all of our serious sins before receiving the Eucharist. This is what Catholics do, but this process of examining our lives and confessing our sins doesn’t have to be frightening. It can be profoundly liberating.

2042 The second precept (“You shall confess your sins at least once a year”) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.- Catechism of the Catholic Church

The man in the tree The story of Zaccheus the tax collector (Luke 19) is instructive. Zaccheus was corrupt, as many tax collectors were in ancient Judea. Jesus came to his town and, being short, Zaccheus climbed up in a tree to see Jesus over the crowd.

Jesus singled him out and said, “Zaccheus, I am coming to stay with you tonight.” Zaccheus, especially when the townspeople began to grumble, recognized that he was not fit to receive Jesus. So, he confessed his sin and promised to make amends for his theft. Jesus then said, “Salvation has come to this house.”

We know that when we are trapped in sin, we are not ready to receive Jesus, either. The Church wants us to have the same experience Zaccheus had, to confess our sins and make ourselves ready to receive Jesus, and for salvation to come to us.

This process starts with an examination of our conscience.

Knowing ourselves I do prison ministry; it has turned out to be one of my favorite things I have done in my priesthood so far. I have seen the effects of incarceration. Being imprisoned gives the people I minister to a lot of opportunity to consider their mistakes.

The effects of their sins are right before them, all the time, and

cannot be ignored. Being in prison is a big, unavoidable examination of conscience. As a result, I hear amazing, wonderful, and life-changing confessions in the prison.

In our everyday lives, however, we don’t have this enforced examination of ourselves. We can ignore our sins, and frequently do. We can also remain ignorant of the effects our sins have on others. Does anyone want to be ignorant? No. No one respects someone else because they are ignorant, or lack self-awareness.

No one ever said, “I want to fool myself, ignore my own behavior, and remain unaware of how I hurt other people.” A good examination helps us to see what we haven’t seen before, not only our sins but their consequences. It’s a process of becoming aware.

The lives of the saints bear this out; the saints went to confession frequently. So, were the saints, then, greater sinners than us? No, they were better examiners of themselves, and thus understood better the effects of sin on their lives. A person who has made a habit of examining their conscience often and really figuring out how sin is affecting them will be in confession much more often. To be in confession, often, means that you know yourself.

A good examination In order to know what we have done wrong, we need to submit ourselves to the higher authority. A sin is a rebellion against God, an event in which we did something which God prohibits. We all need a guide to use when examining our lives, because we are human and will not do a perfect job on our own.

There are many examinations of conscience that are used by Catholics to guide this examination of one’s life. One is printed in this issue of the CET; it is an examination from the US Catholic bishops intended for married people. Others are availble for children, for single people, and for other states of life. Most parishes have examinations available. Look at some, and begin to use one to examine your life.

You can (and should) spend a little time each day examining your conscience. Many of the saints set aside time each evening to examine their day with God. This practice helps us to know ourselves better, to recognize where we are failing, and to commit our efforts to being better each day.

Before coming to confession, examine your conscience.

If you have been away from the sacrament for a long time and have much to confess, don’t worry. The priest is there to help you.

Make an appointment with him. He can help you to go through the examination if necessary. We do this all the time.

When you have done an honest examination of your conscience, and have confessed your sins to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you are truly unburdened. You have been honest with yourself, and honest with God. You are ready to receive Jesus, and Christ can say to you, “Salvation has come.”q Father Matthew Stehling, STB, is administrator of St. Leo the Great Parish in Centerville, Texas.

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An examination of

conscience

This is an examination of conscience intended for married adults,from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops. It is organized according to our responsibilities to God, to our spouses, our children, and society. Many other examinations of conscience for people in other states of life are available online at : http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacramentsand-sacramentals/penance/examinations-of-conscience.cfm Consult an examination of conscience before going to confession, to know your sins and to be able to make a succinct confession of them by name. If you need help to go through an examination of conscience, you should contact the parish for an appointment with a priest.

Responsibilities to God: Have I gone to Mass every Sunday? Have I participated at Mass or have I day dreamed or been present with a blank mind?

Have I prayed every day?

Have I read the Bible? Have I studied the truths of our faith and allowed them to become more part of the way I think and act?

Have I read any spiritual books or religious literature?

Have I told God that I want to love him with my whole heart, mind and strength? Do I hold any resentments toward God? Have I recognized my need for Jesus and his salvation? Have I asked the Holy Spirit to empower me to live the Christian life, to be a proper husband/wife and parent?

Have I been financially generous to the Church? Have I participated in parish or religious activities?

Have I held resentments toward the Church or Church authorities? Have I forgiven them?

Responsibilities to Spouse: Have I cared for my spouse? Have I been generous with my time? Have I been affectionate and loving? Have I told my spouse that I love him or her?

Have I been concerned about the spiritual well-being of my spouse?

Have I listened to my spouse? Have I paid attention to his or her concerns, worries, and problems? Have I sought these out?

Have I allowed resentments and bitterness toward my spouse to take root in my mind? Have I nurtured these? Have I forgiven my spouse for the wrongs he or she has committed against me?

Have I allowed misunderstanding, miscommunication or accidents to cause anger and mistrust? Have I nurtured critical and negative thoughts about my spouse?

Have I manipulated my spouse in order to get my own way?

Have I tried to bully or overpower my spouse?

Have I spoken sharply or sarcastically to my spouse? Have I spoken in a demeaning or negative way? Have I injured my spouse

through taunting and negative teasing? Have I called my spouse harsh names or used language that is not respectful?

Have I physically abused my spouse?

Have I gossiped about my spouse?

Have I undermined the authority and dignity of my spouse through disrespect and rebelliousness?

Have I been moody and sullen?

Have I bickered with my spouse out of stubbornness and selfishness?

Have I lied or been deceitful to my spouse?

Have I misused sexuality? Have I used sexual relations solely for my own selfish pleasure? Have I been too demanding in my desire for sexual fulfillment? Have I been loving and physically affectionate in my sexual relations or have I used sexual relations in a way that would be demeaning or disrespectful to my spouse? Have I refused sexual relations out of laziness, revenge or manipulation?

Have I refused to conceive children out of selfishness or material greed? Have I used artificial means of contraception?

Have I had an abortion or encouraged others to have one?

Have I masturbated?

Have I flirted or fostered improper relationships with someone else, either in my mind or through words and actions?

Have I used pornography: books, magazines or movies?

Have I committed adultery?

Have I misused alcohol or drugs?

Have I been financially responsible?

Responsibilities to Children: Have I cared for the spiritual needs of my children? Have I been a shepherd and guardian as God has appointed me? Have I tried to foster a Christian family where Jesus is Lord? Have I taught my children the Gospel and the commandments of God? Have I prayed with them?

Have I been persistent and courageous in my training and teaching? Have I disciplined them when necessary? Have I been lazy and apathetic?

Have I talked with them to find out their problems, concerns and fears? Have I been affectionate toward them? Have I hugged them and told them that I love them? Have I played or recreated with them?

Have I been impatient and frustrated with them? Have I corrected them out of love in order to teach them what is right and good? Have I treated them with respect? Have I spoken to them in a sarcastic or demeaning way?

Have I held resentments against them? Have I forgiven them?

Have I been of one heart and mind with my spouse in the upbringing of the children? Or have I allowed disagreements and dissension to disrupt the training, educating and disciplining of our children?

Have I undermined the role of authority in the eyes of my children by speaking negatively against God, the Church, my spouse or others who hold legitimate authority over them?

Have I been a good Christian witness to my children in what I say and do? Or do I demand one standard for them and another for myself?

Have I been properly generous with my children regarding money and physical and material well-being? Have I been miserly?

Have I been extravagant, thus spoiling them?

Responsibilities to Society: Have I been a Christian witness to those with whom I work or associate? Have I spoken to anyone about the Gospel and how important it is to believe in Jesus?

Have I held resentments and anger against those with whom I work, relatives or friends? Have I forgiven them?

Have I been unethical in my business dealings? Have I stolen or lied?

Have I allowed the Gospel to influence my political and social opinions?

Have I had a proper Christian concern for the poor and needy?

Have I paid my taxes?

Have I fostered or nurtured hatred toward my “political” enemies, either local, national or international?

Have I been prejudiced toward others because of race, color, religion or social status?

How to go to

confession: Before You Go...

Examine your conscience to understand and recall your sins.

1. Introduction/Greeting All confessionals/environments are not the same. Sometimes, you may wait in line for confession, or you may have an appointment. In any case, when you enter the confessional or reconciliation area, the priest will greet you. Traditionally, confession begins with the sign of the cross, and the penitent saying, out loud: “Bless me, Father, I have sinned. It has been (how long) since my last confession. These are my sins...”

2.Confession List the sins you have committed that came to mind when doing your examination of conscience. Try to list them by the kind of sin, and how often you commit that sin. Be specific if possible.

If it has been a long time since your last confession and there is much to cover, tell the priest and he will assist you.

The priest may ask a question to clarify your confession.

3.Counsel Sometimes, the priest will offer advice to the penitent. Usually, this is advice on how to avoid the particular sins one has just confessed.

4. Penance The priest will asign something for you to do or pray as a response to God’s mercy. You’ll have to remember what this is and do it after the confession is over, so pay attention.

5. The Act of Contrition The priest will then ask you to pray the “Act of Contrition,” demonstrating your sorrow for your sins. This needs to be prayed out loud for the priest to hear. Most confessionals have a copy of the Act of Contrition posted inside, but you can certainly carry a printed copy of the prayer with you. There are some variations on the prayer, but they all express the same idea.

ACT OF CONTRITION O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

Amen.

6. Absolution During or after the Act of Contrition, the priest prays the prayer of absolution: “God, the Father of Mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

You respond: Amen.

7. Conclusion The priest will then likely say something like, “God has freed you from your sin. Go in Peace.” To which you can respond: “Thanks be to God.” After You Leave...

Don’t forget to do your penance. If it is saying certain prayers, it’s best to do it right away in the church before you forget.

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Daniel Dower Christ the King Parish

Kilgore, Texas

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Come to a priest

of Jesus Christ I am sometimes asked, living in East Texas as I do, why Catholics go to a priest to obtain forgiveness for their sins. The Catholic practice of confession seems strange to many non-Catholic people, and often they say that they just “ask forgiveness of God in their hearts.” I always respond to them, “Jesus knows us, really well. He instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us human beings, because He knows exactly what we need.”

Jesus understands us 1131 The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.- Catechism of the Catholic Church The sacraments are signs of God’s grace in the physical world.

God’s grace is invisible, so He gave us these tangible signs, for our benefit, so that we could know and see his grace coming to us.

For example, water and the spoken Trinitarian formula make up the sacramental sign of Baptism. This washing, however, is not only physical. It really does make present the grace by which a soul is cleansed of original sin and incorporated into the family of God. Washing with water is a sign for this which makes sense to us. We can understand Baptism as being cleansed.

All of the sacraments are signs which make sense. The Eucharist is that most intimate communion with Jesus, and it takes the sacramental form of eating and drinking, the act by which we sustain the life of our bodies. That tells us something about how vital to the life of our soul communion with Jesus is. The sacramental message to us is: by taking Christ into ourselves can we be spiritually nourished and have life within us, and communion really accomplishes that.

Confession works the same way. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we really are forgiven by Jesus Christ, who accomplished that forgiveness on the cross, and it comes to us in this beautiful sign of the sacrament. Jesus decreed that the sacramental sign for forgiveness of sins would have the form of a confession, a meeting with Himself. Do you see the sacramental message? Only by meeting Christ can we have our sins forgiven.

Tell me what’s wrong We understand instinctively the need to verbalize important things. When one person is obviously angry at another, we often say “Tell me what’s wrong.” To verbalize the disagreement is the first step to solving it. If no one speaks and people keep everything bottled up inside, we know the situation will worsen.

Our relationship with God also needs speech. It needs the

speech of prayer and the speech of confession. It is a gift of God’s mercy that the act required for sacramental fogiveness, speaking our sins out loud, is also a great psychological and emotional unburdening.

Real ears to hear Real spoken words need real ears to land on. Christ established the priesthood to act in His place, in His person, in confession. Just as the other sacramental signs help us to see and feel God’s grace in a tangible way, so the presence of the priest in confession helps us to understand what we are doing in the sacrament. We are coming before a person, Jesus Christ, and we are admitting out loud what we have done wrong. Speaking those words to a real human being ordained to act in His place helps us greatly. It keeps us honest. It is a real encounter. It provides physical and emotional relief.

Likewise, the priest needs to speak real words to the penitent. Sometimes, people need guidance to make a good confession. Sins are a matter of God’s law, not our own opinions, and the priest can help the penitent with clarity. The priest may need to help a person understand that something troubling them is not actually a sin, or he may need to keep the penitent focused upon their own sins, and not someone else’s. Finally, the priest speaks the beautiful words of absolution.

1466 The confessor is not the master of God’s forgiveness, but its servant. The minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ. He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord’s mercy. - Catechism of the Catholic Church

Come receive the gift All of us want to be healed. All of us want to feel compassion and have our burden lightened. Whatever might be keeping you away from reconciliation, it will seem as nothing once you experience God’s mercy in this beautiful sacrament.

Jesus knows you. He loves you, and He knows you better than anyone. He has designed and instituted this sacrament just for you, because he knows exactly how sin wounds you, and He knows exactly how to restore you to health, spiritually and emotionally.q Father Daniel Dower, STL, EV, is Vicar of Education and pastor of Christ the King Parish in Kilgore, Texas.

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Fr. Anthony McLaughlin Christopher Ruggles Mary, Queen Heaven Parish Sacred Heart of Parish

Reconciliation The Sacrament of

McLaughlin Fr. Anthony Christopher Ruggles Mary, Queen Heaven Parish Sacred Heart of Parish

Nacogdoches, Texas Malakoff, Texas

At the regular time

or by Appointment 1464 Priests must encourage the faithful to come to the sacrament of Penance and must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably ask for it. - Catechism of the Catholic Church

God’s mercy is waiting Most parishes have regular times for the Sacrament of Reconcililation, sometimes before or after Masses, sometimes on a particular day of the week, and sometimes at penance services with several priests who come to the parish to hear confessions.

You can and should use these times to experience God’s mercy.

If, however, you have been away from the sacrament and you experience a prompting, a pang of conscience, or even just a fleeting feeling that you should confess your sins, act on it. Don’t wait. If you delay, you may not go. Act on these feelings. The fact that you know that you have committed sins and you need mercy means you have a working conscience. Rejoice!

You can call a parish and ask for an appointment for confession. People do this all the time. It’s wonderful. It’s particularly appropriate if a person has been away from the sacrament for a long time and needs help to confess and has a lot to unburden in the sacrament. Don’t worry that the priest is busy. Yes, priests are busy, but forgiving sins is what we are ordained to do. To be the instrument of God’s mercy and love is a profoundly fulfilling thing to do. We love it. It’s never an imposition upon us to ask for God’s mercy.

1465 When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is the sign and the instrument of God’s merciful love for the sinner.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church

Do not be afraid There are many reasons people avoid confession, but all of them can be overcome. It’s important to see this sacrament as a healing sacrament. It’s an opportunity to get better.

If you are afraid that God cannot forgive you, do not worry. If we are sorry for our sins, there is nothing God cannot forgive.

If you are uneasy because you are caught in one habitual sin and you feel there is no way out, do not despair. Come to God and let Him work on it with you. It’s only by bringing these sins to God, no matter how many times we need to, that we can be freed.

If you are nervous about confessing your sins to a particular

priest, perhaps you own pastor, don’t worry. That can come later if you are comfortable. For now, you can make an appointment at the next parish down the road. People also do this frequently.

This is how I was raised, in fact. My father took all of us kids to confession every Saturday, at the next parish over.

If you are nervous that the priest who hears your confession will think less of you or despise you for your sins, he won’t. He is another human being, just like you, who is also a sinner. Priests go to confession, too. I’ve been going to the same confessor for 20 years. I depend on this sacrament. Any priest who hears your confession has recently been in the same place as you: speaking out loud his sins which he is embarrassed and ashamed of.

He confessed many times before he was ordained, and he has continued to use the sacrament as a priest. He understands.

If you are nervous that you will confess something that the priest hasn’t heard before, don’t worry. We hear thousands of confessions, and we hear all the sins. You’re not going to shock or surprise us.

If you have been away from the sacrament because you had a bad experience once, don’t worry. I had a bad experience in confession once, myself. It was before I was ordained, and I stayed away for bit, but God’s mercy drew me back. Don’t let anything, certainly not one bad experience, keep you away from God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Not just for serious sins 1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. - Catechism of the Catholic Church Most of us are aware that the Church teaches that there are less serious sins, called venial sins, and more serious sins, called mortal sins. We are required to confess our serious sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but I want to encourage you not to worry over this distinction when you first come back to the sacrament. We can and should confess all of our sins to God, because any confession is an opportunity for grace.

This is a sacrament of equal importance to the others. I think sometimes people forget that this really is a sacrament, and it gets ignored. We need this sacrament, like we need the others.

Jesus gave it to us, and He knows what we need.

If you have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a long time, resolve today to come back. Make a decision to change your life and shake off the sins that are burdening you.

Bring all of your sins, and let God wipe them away and renew your life.q Father Christopher Ruggles, JCL, is a canon lawyer and the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Nacogdoches, Texas.

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Confession Times For the parishes of the Diocese of Tyler, as of 10/21/2016 Alto – Ven. Antonio Margil Mission Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Athens – St. Edward Parish Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Atlanta – St. Catherine of Siena Parish Saturday: 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Sunday: 30 minutes before Masses Buffalo – St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish Saturday: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Canton – St. Therese Parish Saturday: 30 minutes before all Masses Sunday: 30 minutes before all Masses Carthage – St. William of Vercelli Parish Saturday: 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Center – St. Therese of Lisieux Parish Friday: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Centerville – St. Leo the Great Parish Thursday: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Chandler – St. Boniface Mission Saturday: 4:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

Chireno – Our Lady of Lourdes Mission 30 minutes before and after Masses Clarksville – St. Joseph Parish Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

Crockett – St. Francis of the Tejas Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Daingerfield – Our Lady of Fatima Parish 30 minutes before all Masses Diboll – Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Emory – St. John the Evangelist 30 minutes before and after Masses Fairfield – St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish Saturday: 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Flint – St. Mary Magdalene Parish Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Frankston – St. Charles Borromeo Parish Saturday: 4:30 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.

Gilmer – St. Francis of Assisi Parish Saturday: 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Gladewater – St. Theresa of the Inf. Jesus Parish Saturday: 4:30 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.

Grand Saline – St. Celestine Mission Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Gun Barrel City – St. Jude Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Hallsville – Our Lady of Grace Mission First Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Hemphill – St. Pius I Parish Saturday: 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Sunday: 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Henderson – St. Jude Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Hilltop Lakes – St. Thomas More Parish Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.

Holly Lake – Holy Spirit Parish Saturday: 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Sunday: 8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

Jacksonville – Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Friday: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Jefferson – Immaculate Conception Parish Saturday: 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Sunday: 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Kilgore – Christ the King Parish Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wed.: 8:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Sat.: 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Sun: 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Lindale – Holy Family Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Longview – St. Anthony Parish Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Longview – St. Mary Parish Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Friday: 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Sunday: 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.

Longview – St. Matthew Parish Tuesday: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Paris – Our Lady of Victory Parish Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Thursday: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Pittsburg – Holy Cross Parish Saturday: 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Rusk – Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Lufkin – St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

San Augustine – St. Augustine Mission Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Sunday: 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Lufkin – St. Patrick Parish Thursday: 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Sulphur Springs – St. James Parish 30 minutes before all Masses

Madisonville – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Saturday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

First Saturday: 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Tatum – San Pedro the Fisherman Mission Thursday: 7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Malakoff – Mary Queen of Heaven Parish Saturday: 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Teague – St. Mary Mission Sunday: 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Marshall – St. Joseph Parish Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.

Thursday: 6 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.

Friday: 6 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Timpson – St. Mary of the Epiphany Mission 30 minutes before and after Masses

Mineola – St. Peter the Apostle Parish Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday: 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Moral – Immaculate Conception Mission Saturday: 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

30 minutes before and after Masses

Texarkana – Sacred Heart Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Trinity – Most Holy Trinity Parish Weekdays: 30 minutes before and after Masses Saturday: 3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Sunday: 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Tyler – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Thursday: 6 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. (Chapel) Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant – St. Michael Parish Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Thursday: 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Tyler – John Paul the Great at UT Tyler Tuesday to Thursday: 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Sunday: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Mt. Vernon – Sacred Heart Parish Tuesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday and Friday: 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tyler – Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Tuesday to Friday: 3 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Saturday: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Nacogdoches – Sacred Heart Parish Saturday: 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Monday to Friday: After all Masses

Tyler – St. Joseph the Worker Parish Saturday: 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.

Nacogdoches – St. Mary’s Chapel at SFA Monday to Friday: 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Tyler – St. Peter Claver Parish Saturday: 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

New Boston – St. Mary of the Cenacle Saturday: 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

New Summerfield – Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Wednesday: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday: 30 minutes before Masses

Waskom – St. Lawrence of Brindisi Mission Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Whitehouse – Prince of Peace Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Overton – Our Lady, Queen of Angels Mission Sunday: After 10:30 a.m. Mass

Wills Point – St. Luke Parish Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: 2:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Palestine – Sacred Heart Parish Saturday: 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Sunday: 20 minutes before Masses

Winnsboro – St. Ann Parish Saturday: 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Michael Adams Sacred Heart Parish

Texarkana, Texas

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Confess

Your Sins

God’s lost sheep When a person enters my confessional and tells me they haven’t been to confession in a long time, I know that God is working in their heart. This person is responding to grace. They are listening to God. It’s wonderful, and I always tell them so.

When a person is confessing to me, I feel the love of God working in the sacrament. I feel the compassion that God the shepherd has for His lost sheep, when He takes it and embraces it to Himself. There are many false images of confession that you can find in our culture. The idea that priests are shocked at sins, or are judging people harshly in the confessional, that’s just a lie the devil uses to keep us away from God. If you are afraid or embarrassed to come to confession, consider that your sin is not who you are. It does not define you. God is working in your soul to bring you to reconcile with Him. He’s saying to you, “I know you. I love you. You are better than this.

Come back to me.”

We need to say it 1455 The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.- Catechism of the Catholic Church We need, deeply, to say our sins out loud in confession. We need to claim our actions before God. If you look at the Gospel accounts to see how Jesus treated people, Jesus did not accuse repentant people of sins. Jesus let people confess their own sins, and then offered them forgiveness.

In the confessional here at Sacred Heart, we have a print of Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son hanging on the wall. It’s a perfect image for the sacrament. When the Father saw the prodigal son returning, he didn’t get angry. Instead, scripture says he was “filled with compassion.” The Father didn’t accuse the son of anything.

The prodigal son offered up his own confession, with his own mouth. He claimed his own sins, and did not let those sins own him. The Father responded with mercy and joy.

We must confess our sins out loud to be forgiven of them, but we also need to confess our sins out loud so that they no longer have a hold on us. Confession is for forgiveness and conversion. When we speak our sins out loud to the priest acting in the person of Christ, we are taking a stand against those sins. It’s difficult and sometimes embarrassing, but it is also dignified. We respect the prodigal son because he had the courage and dignity

to go before his Father and admit his sins. He didn’t hide them, lie about them, make excuses for them, or ignore them. He didn’t allow his sins to own him.

If we don’t confess our sins, if we hold on to them, the devil will very efficiently use them against us. We will stay in a circle of despair and unhappiness that leads us into more and more sin. We have to break this cycle, and confession does that. God knows us, perfectly, and He has designed this sacrament to give us everything we need. He will help us break out of sin and begin to grow in virtue through confession. It works.

It takes time If it’s your first confession, or your first in a long time, you’re probably not going to do it perfectly. It takes time to learn to examine one’s conscience well. It takes practice to be able to make a good confession, but what is important is that you come to the sacrament. Don’t worry. Give yourself a break. We priests know what it’s like to go to confession, we go frequently.

If a person has done a thorough examination of conscience, they will be more ready to make a good, thorough confession, but I have helped many people who were not prepared. It’s okay. We can go through the Ten Commandments together, which is the original examination of conscience, and examine where a person has failed to follow God’s law.

Over time, a person will become better at partaking in the sacrament, and be better able to give a good confession of all of their sins by type and the number of times they have committed each sin. At first, however, the important thing is to try. God simply asks us to do the best we can.

Whatever it takes As to whether you decide to go to confession face-to-face with a priest, or to use a privacy screen in the confessional, do whatever makes you most comfortable. The seal of confession protects your confession completely either way. If someone desires confession by appointment and still wants to remain anonymous, I just meet them in the confessional. It’s no problem.

If it’s your first confession in a while and you expect it will be lengthy, or if you are nervous to wait in line for confession, I recommend that you make an appointment. That’s easier on the penitent, since there’s no worry about another person waiting on you to finish.

If you lose your train of thought during confession and need to start over, just say so. If you are too embarrassed and just can’t say the name of a particular sin, tell the priest what is happening.

He’ll help you. We are ordained to bring God’s mercy to his children. We’ll be glad to help you make a good confession.q Father Michael Adams is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Texarkana, Texas.

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Anthony McLaughlin Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish

Malakoff, Texas

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It is completely

Private

1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him.

He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents’ lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the “sacramental seal,” because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains “sealed” by the sacrament.- Catechism of the Catholic Church

Absolute and total privacy What a person says to a priest in the sacrament of confession is completely private. This is foundational to the sacrament.

The Church has taught constantly, since the earliest days, that everything confessed in the sacrament, most especially sins, are protected by the highest level of confidentiality. This level of confidentiality is called the sacramental seal or the seal of confession.

The seal of confession is absolutely inviolable. The seal, by its nature, is a matter of divine law. This means it can never be violated, for any reason.

We have the seal for two reasons. First is for the good of the sacrament. If there was not this ultimate level of confidentiality, it would be more difficult for people to approach the sacrament and have their sins forgiven. Secondly, the seal exists for the good of the pentitent, that is, the good of the person who is confessing their sins. The seal exists to protect the reputations of all penitents who make use of the sacrament.

The seal of confession means than not only may a priest never reveal to any person what anyone has confessed in the sacrament, a priest may never even allude to it or hint at it. Further, any aspect of the confession including the identity of the penitent and even what penance was given is bound by the seal.

Any and all confessions It doesn’t matter if a confession is conducted anonymously from a behind a screen or face-to-face, the seal is total and complete either way. It doesn’t matter if a penitent tells a priest, “you may talk about this,” the priest cannot. A priest may not reveal anything about a confession to law enforcement authorities, or to anyone else, under any circumstances.

Because the seal is complete and absolute, it is very important to understand that it covers the sacrament from the beginning to the end. While everything which is said to a priest in confidence during a counseling session is subject to the highest normal level of confidentiality (like it would be between an attorney and client), the actual sacrament of reconciliation carries the

special protection of the seal. This is one reason why the sacrament has a beginning and an end. Anything occurring between this beginning and end is protected by the seal.

For this reason, if the priest suggests that a pentitent consider further counseling with him for some issue which was revealed in confession, the priest will ask the person to re-state the problem anew when the counseling session begins. He is not allowed to reveal your confession even to you.

As you can see, the Church and her priests take the seal of confession very seriously. There are severe canonical penalties for any priest who violates the seal, beginning with excommunication. It is a matter of the gravest importance to the Church.

During the formation of a priest in seminary, he is trained in a very determined manner about the seal.

Martyrs of the Seal Throughout the history of the Church, many priests have been imprisoned and killed rather than violate the seal of confession.

Saint Matteo Correa was a priest in Mexico during the antiCatholic persecutions of the 1920’s. Arrested by the government, he was asked to hear the confessions of Catholic prisoners. After he heard these confessions, he was threatened with death if he did not reveal what had been said. With a gun literally pressed to his head, he was given the choice to break the seal or die. He heroically refused to reveal anything and was murdered.

Saint John Nepomuk was a priest and canon lawyer in Prague, now part of the Czech Republic. In 1393, the King of Bohemia suspected the Queen of infidelity and was convinced she had confessed this sin to Father John. He had the saint arrested and tortured, and finally threatened with drowning if he did not reveal the confession. Saint John refused to divulge anything, and was thrown from a bridge into the Vltava river, where he died.

Take another look The Church knows of no other ordinary way to receive forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism besides the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If a person stays away from this sacrament, then in essence, they are staying away from the forgiveness and mercy of the Lord. If you have been away from confession, please, take another look at this sacrament which Christ gave us for the forgiveness of sins. We all need this sacrament, not just occasionally, but regularly. To seek forgiveness for our sins and to commit ourselves to sin no more should be a regular part of the lives of all disciples. Take another look.q Father Anthony McLaughlin, JCD, is a canon lawyer, Vicar General of the Diocese of Tyler, and pastor of Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish in Malakoff, Texas.

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Selvaraj Sinnappan Saint Therese Parish

24

Canton, Texas

Receive

Counsel Penance and

This wonderful sacrament, which goes by many names, is also rightly called the Sacrament of Conversion. Conversion always involves a change, and when we approach this sacrament we invite God to change us by His grace. This change has to take root in our lives, and part of that process involves the counsel the priest gives and also the penance assigned in the confessional.

Counsel is an act of mercy A priest may choose not to give advice during a confession. It is not a required part of the sacrament, but many priests will often give advice to the penitent, as I often do. A priest sometimes has many people to minister to in a limited time, and so his advice may be brief. When a priest gives you advice in during the sacrament, it is given as an act of God’s mercy.

Listen carefully to any advice the priest gives you. He is well trained in the teaching of the Church, and he has heard many confessions. He knows the many ways in which we can gradually fall into sin in our lives. In a fatherly way, the priest guides the pentitent to see how sins can be avoided in the future and the pentitent can grow in virtue.

This advice is not scolding. It’s not meant to belittle or embarrass the penitent. It is meant to help the penitent to recognize how sin enters his or her life. Try to follow the advice you are given; it is a form of God’s mercy and love for you. It is an aid to the process of conversion.

The process of conversion excites me, and when I encounter a person in the sacrament who has been away for a long time, I rejoice. I am awed that God is working in their heart, and this person is responding to God’s grace. I am humbled that God uses me in this situation to be a channel of His grace.

Penance 1459 Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins.

This satisfaction is also called “penance.”- Catechism of the Catholic Church Penance is a necessary part of the sacrament. After you have finished confessing your sins and after the priest has concluded any advice he chooses to give, he will assign you a penance. Typically, the priest will say, “For your penance...” and then give you a task to do. This task should be done as soon as is practically possible after the confession is concluded. Many penances can be done in the Church immediately after leaving a confessional.

This task may be practical, or it may be prayerful, or both. The sins we have committed have damaged our spiritual life and penance helps to set this right.

I, like most priests, assign a variety of penances depending on the sins confessed. Penances are part of this process of continuing conversion. I particularly like a penance that involves reading scripture. To meditate on the Word of God is a powerful aid to conversion. Whatever the problem the penitent is facing, there is a passage of Scripture which can speak to that person, directly. Whether it is the story of the prodigal son which demonstrates the mercy and love of God, or the crucifixion and death of Jesus which proves that He loves us unto death, these and many other readings can be very helpful.

Penances can also involve prayer and charitable works. No matter what penance you are assigned, strive to perform this penance as soon as possible after the conclusion of the confession so that you do not forget.

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent’s personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary selfdenial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, “provided we suffer with him.”- Catechism of the Catholic Church

We are all children of God Every priest uses the sacrament of confession frequently. Although we are ordained to forgive others in the sacrament and counsel them, we are also children of God who need his forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to come to the confessional; I was in the confessional as a penitent recently myself!

I urge everyone who is away from this sacrament to read the parable of the prodigal son, in Luke 15:11-32. It is a short story and takes only a few minutes to read, but it is so full of meaning for us. Did you know that prodigal has two meanings? One is “wasteful,” and certainly, this describes the son, who wasted what the father gave him in his debauchery. Prodigal also means “lavish” in a positive way, which is to give something extravagantly, and this is how God gives us his mercy. God’s mercy is overflowing, and he is waiting to give it to us. There is no reason not to partake of the great and lavish bounty of God’s mercy.q Father Sinnappan is pastor of St. Therese Parish in Canton, TX. 25

Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Fr. Joshua Neu Diocese of Tyler

Pray the

Act of Contrition 1451 Among the penitent’s acts, contrition occupies first place. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.”- Catechism of the Catholic Church In any relationship, if we have done something hurtful, we must apologize. The Act of Contrition is how we tell God we are sorry.

During the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest will ask us to make an Act of Contrition. The Act of Contrition is a prayer that expresses our sorrow for our sins and our intention to avoid sinning again. When the priest asks us to make an Act of Contrition, we recite the prayer aloud.

The word “contrition” comes from a Latin word meaning “ground down” or “broken up.” The Act of Contrition could be called an Act of Brokenness. First, when we say we are sorry for our sins, we are telling God that we have broken our relationship with him by sinning. Also, we are also saying that we feel, in a way, broken, that we need God to fix us up again. Finally, when we sin, our wills and desires are pointed away from God, so the Act of Contrition is when we break our evil desires and turn them back toward God. There are several versions of this prayer, but all the versions have the same basic format. Using the prayer as I learned it at my Catholic grade school, I want to go through it step by step so that all of us will understand the prayer more deeply.

“O my God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart” This encapsulates the whole meaning of the Act of Contrition.

It is a prayer directed to God, “O my God.” We are simply telling God sorry, and we mean it with our whole heart.

“Because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell” Sin separates us from God and has eternal consequences. If we die separated from God through our sins, we will spend eternity separated from God. This part of the prayer expresses our sorrow for sins because we are afraid of punishment. This is like a child who tells his parents “sorry” because he doesn’t want to be put in time out. He is sorry because he doesn’t want to be punished. This fear of punishment is the first inspiration for our sorrow. We don’t want to be punished!

“But most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love.”

As a child matures, his relationships mature, too. In a more

mature relationship, a person says “sorry” not simply because he is afraid of punishment, but because he has hurt someone he loves. In this part of the prayer, we express sorrow for our sins for this deeper reason. We are sorry most of all because we want to love God who is so good.

“With the help of Your grace” We need help from God to overcome our sins. We can’t do it on our own. Grace is God’s way of helping us overcome our sins.

In this line, we ask God to help us out of the mess we have made by sinning.

“I firmly intend...to do penance to make up for my sins” When we do something hurtful, we try to make amends, to make up for what we have done. It could be a gift or an act of service, even setting aside quality time to spend with that person. In this part of the prayer, we say we will do penance, which could be quality time in prayer or some act of service we do. This penance is how we make amends, making up for our sins.

“And to avoid whatever leads me to sin.”

When we apologize to someone, we must try not to do the same hurtful thing again. If we apologize but we don’t plan on acting differently, our apology isn’t worth much. In this line, we tell God we will change our actions and our situation to keep us from falling into the same sins. Since we are truly sorry, we will do whatever we can to avoid sinning.

Lastly, I want to leave you with a few practical tips for making the Act of Contrition. After all, this is our chance to apologize to God, so we want to make it count!

You can pray the Act of Contrition anytime. It is one of those prayers all Catholics ought to know, like the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Make it a part of your morning or bedtime prayers.

Most confessionals will have a copy of the prayer for you to read. The prayer can be found in any Catholic prayer book or by a simple internet search for “Act of Contrition.” If you get into the confessional and cannot remember the prayer, simply ask the priest to help you recite it.

Take your time! There is no need to rush. Say the prayer slowly and intentionally. Do your best to mean every word of it.

Look at the crucifix when you make the Act of Contrition. The crucifix gets me every time.

After you have said the Act of Contrition, get excited. You are about to be forgiven! q Father Joshua Neu is a priest of the Diocese of Tyler currently studying at the Pontifical Biblical University in Rome.

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Reconciliation The Sacrament of

Dower photo

Fr. Anthony Stoeppel Our Lady of Victory Parish

Paris, Texas

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and

Be Forgiven

1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church: God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

-Catechism of the Catholic Church

God’s act of forgiveness After the penitent has said the Act of Contrition, the priest absolves the penitent. The gestures involved will be different depending on the setting of the confession, and whether it is being done face-to-face or from behind a screen, but the prayer and the act is the same. Whether the priest places his hands on the head of the penitent, or makes the sign of the cross over the penitent, because of his ministry granted to him by Jesus, when the priest says “I absolve you from your sins,” God performs this act of forgiveness. It is real. We can have total and complete faith in it.

From that moment, all eternal punishment due to those sins is remitted, wiped away. The penitent, provided they confessed all the mortal sins they could remember honestly and really were sorry for them, is returned to a state of grace and fellowship with God. He or she is strengthened to resist temptation and grow in virtue. The person who comes out of the confessional is different than the person who went in, and this is a wonderful gift of God.

Will I feel anything?

This is an important topic that I try to talk and preach about often. We know by faith that God forgives our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but this doesn’t mean that we will feel something, either in the sense of emotions or physical sensations.

Some people are disappointed or upset when they are absolved and fail to experience some emotional high. We have to understand, we aren’t coming to confession for a high, we’re coming to confess our sins and be forgiven. Emotions aren’t nec-

essary for the sacrament, and emotions are not how we know a sacrament is effective.

We know that the sacraments are effective because Jesus Christ promised this to us, and for 2,000 years the Church has been observing their sanctifying effects on the people of God. The sacraments, obtained faithfully, make us saintly. They don’t necessarily make us feel a particular emotion.

On the other hand, it is perfectly natural to feel happy upon being forgiven. I know I often do. Knowing we were separated from God by sin and are now returned to Him is objectively a happy thing. It can certainly put a spring in your step.

Sometimes, people report warm or comforting sensations upon being absolved, and God can certainly send these kinds of spiritual consolations if He wishes. The absence of such things, however, is also perfectly normal. Personally, I have experienced such things from time to time during my life. Whatever you do or do not experience during the reception of the sacraments, remember that these things are not where our faith in the sacraments comes from. Our faith comes from our trust in God and the promises He makes to us.

Come back!

So, no matter how happy we may feel after being absolved, I have some bad news: You will most likely sin again at some point. We should strive with all of our might to be true to the promise we made to God in our last confession – to avoid sins and the occasions that lead us into sin. However, if we fall, we know the remedy: The Sacrament of Reconciliation.

To return again and again to the sacrament, even for the exact same sins, is not failure. It is trust in God’s mercy. No one fails by trusting in God. To stay away from God’s mercy, that’s failure. When we read the parable of the Prodigal son, and he is starving in a foreign land, what are we saying to ourselves? “Go home, you fool! Run back to your Father!” We should take this advice ourselves, every single time we become conscious of a serious sin we have committed.

How often should we return? Saint Padre Pio encouraged people to go every week, cleaning their soul as often as they dusted their houses. Saint John Paul II went at least once a week, and I’m not sure any of us sin less than he did.

I advise my parishoners to try to confess their sins at least once per month. If they find themselves falling into sin regularly or struggling in any way, they should come more often.

Lastly, many of us have important, long-term prayer intentions for family members and friends that we pray about every day. Cleansing your own soul in confession is a foundational part of a devout life of prayer. Make confession part of your life.

God’s mercy is boundless, run home to Him and He will embrace you.q Father Anthony Stoeppel, STD, is pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Paris, Texas.

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30

An interview with Jack and Mona Gabriel about Catholicism, business, and stewardship Jack and Mona Gabriel are both converts to the Catholic faith.

After careers in the grocery industry and state government, and raising a family, they retired in Lufkin. After a few years, they both became restless and started looking for a new challenge.

A stop into a Nothing Bundt Cakes location in McKinney, Texas, provided the answer…

This is it!

“When we walked into the business, we said ‘this is it!’ We knew this was right for us. We could utilize our skills and interests to do something great,” Mona remembers. “We just knew it was what we wanted to do. We started investigating, and in December of 2012 we moved to Tyler to open the Tyler location. In January 2015 we obtained a location in Flowood, which is a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi. We opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, in April, 2015, and we are about to open in Harker Heights, Texas, near Killeen.”

“It’s a lot growth for a couple of ‘retired people’,” Jack quips, “but we want our family to have this as a foundation. It’s a foundation that is integral with our Catholic faith and Catholic values.

Do a good job. Treat people well. Take care of your family, your Church, and your community. And no chaos! That’s important.”

“This business keeps our family working together. It’s fun to see your family every day, and we work well together,” Jack explains. “We all have different talents, and these all contribute.

Our son, Daniel, is our regional manager, and we couldn’t have found a better one anywhere in the world. Our daughter-in-law also manages in the company, and she trains our people. Our grandchildren are involved and we want to keep building around our family.”

A Catholic philosophy of Business The Gabriels are passionate about doing business as Catholics. Jack becomes animated when discussing it, “A lot of people in our world today have such a negative view of business, one centered on selfishness. Well, anything in our world can be misused, but you can also do things well for the glory of God and love of your fellow man. The foundation of faith we receive from the Catholic Church, it’s supposed to inform our personal life, in the workplace and the home. It’s supposed to be one Catholic life, that you live all the time.”

Mona agrees, “Of course you can do business poorly, we just

choose to try to do it well. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but it does mean that we want to run our business in an ethical, honest, Catholic fashion. This informs even the smallest things about how we do business. If you want to be able to honestly say, ‘we offer the finest product’ then you have to do everything the best you can. That’s a very Catholic thing. A Catholic couldn’t honestly sell other people something which they wouldn’t be proud to use in their own home.”

The Gabriels note that running a business is not something that someone should take lightly. Mona warns, “If you employ people, this is a matter of morality. Many warnings in scripture deal with cheating others out of wages. We strive to treat all of our employees well and fairly, while also holding them to a high standard.”

Catholic Management, taught by the Boss “I find a tremendous amount of truth about life in the Gospels,” Jack says. “I can see that Jesus Christ really, really understood human beings, and that’s what a manager strives to do. A good manager of people is a Christlike manager of persons. One of the first aspects of being Christlike in management is to never brand a person as a failure because of a mistake. Jesus Christ helped people up after their mistakes and set them on the right path. This is right in our moral lives, and it’s also right in a business. To help people become the best, we have to be like Jesus, and help people to see that from failure comes success. Encouragement of others is an aspect of Christian mercy, just like it’s an aspect of good management.”

“You know,” Jack says, “you can find an infinite number of books on management. The General Patton management book, hundreds of how-to management books, even the Mafia management book! I’ve read them all. But I keep coming back to the Bible as the best management text of all. Jesus had to manage his Apostles, He had to interact with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations, and He did it with perfect justice and charity. We just need to follow His lead.”

Giving Thanks “Giving thanks to God is an important part of doing business,” Jack says. “When we have a particularly good month, we go to the Cathedral, get down on our knees and give thanks to God. Now, someone might say, ‘No, hard work did that, or good 31

marketing did that, or a booming economy, or some human factor’ and that’s not false. We know as Catholics, however, that everything relies on God. All human creativity, all skill, all invention – everything good comes from God. We can and should give thanks to God for every good thing, even if we also recognize an earthly cause for it. It’s not contradictory.

“It’s also vital to recognize that we human beings are all interconnected, and business and the economy is a perfect example of this. We are interdependent on all of the businesses and people in Tyler. Catholic business is not about being selfish, and grabbing everything you can. It’s about being a good neighbor and partner with everyone. We have to try to create a rising tide that lifts all the boats. We do that by running our business well and honestly.”

“We all know the parable of the master who gave money to his servants and went away,” explains Mona. “He was pleased with the ones who invested wisely and made more for him, and displeased with the one who did nothing. Our lives are like that, and our time is a gift of God. We only have so much of it, and we have to use it wisely. We have to try to improve the things around us.”

Taking care of the Church “Running a business has given us insight we never had before on how difficult it is to run a parish or a diocese. We understand now how expensive everything is! So, we try to support the Church as much as possible. The Church needs to grow; it’s our missions to bring souls to Jesus, and that means we need more people and stuff to operate. More priests, bigger buildings, more books, and all of that takes resources,” says Mona.

Jack agrees, “Yes! We can see the good things the Diocese of Tyler is doing with its resources. We can see it in the expansion, in the evangelization, and in the good, good men who are priests and are becoming priests for the diocese. We’re going in the right direction, and so we are dedicated to supporting our bishop’s vision in the annual bishop’s appeal.”

A solid Foundation As part of their desire to give back to the Church, earlier this year Jack accepted the nomination to become chairman of the newly formed East Texas Catholic Foundation. Beginning in 2014, The East Texas Catholic Foundation manages permanent endowments which support the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Tyler, and provides help to those who want to make an impact on the Church through planned giving.

“In caring for the Church,” Jack says, “we have to think about the long term. An annual appeal is totally necessary for the expenses of today, just like parish collections, but we also have to

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save for the long haul.”

“Look at successful companies,” Jack explains, “They have long-term plans stretching decades into the future. We do exactly that sort of planning for our small business, and I’m so glad to see that the Diocese of Tyler is doing the same sort of long-term planning. We all need to participate in it. That’s why we have the East Texas Catholic Foundation, and that’s why I’m proud to serve as chairman of the board of trustees for it.”

“With the East Texas Catholic Foundation, gifts are not spent, they’re invested. The money given for support of the Church never goes away, it stays in the foundation, perpetually. By only using the investment gains and never spending the principal, the Foundation will be with us for decades to come. Did you know,” Jack asks, “that Benjamin Franklin left $1,000 of his estate to the City of Boston? Even with the city spending some of the income, by 1990 it was worth $5 million. We need to be thinking just that far ahead for the Church.”

“If you want to help the Church,” Jack says, “think about setting up a directed fund in the East Texas Catholic Foundation. It can be directed to go to a particular need, such as seminarians, or your home parish, or Catholic schools, and in the Foundation, the funds wil be secure and will work for the Church for years to come.”q As we were going to press with this issue, the Gabriels and their family management team were awarded the Circle of Honor, the highest award given in the Nothing Bundt Cakes organization of almost 200 bakeries coast-to-coast. The award is given to those franchisees who best embody the philosophy of the organization. The national organization, founded in 1997, encourages its members to value “a servant’s heart” in the operation of their bakeries.

Introducing the...

As the Diocese of Tyler enters its 30th year, the Church in East Texas is coming of age. With growth in our Catholic community, we must think beyond today and into the future. As we look to the next generation of the Church, you may ask, how can I direct my giving to where it is most needed? How can I ensure my planned gifts are invested according to my faith? How do I make a LASTING impact? To help your generosity pay dividends for generations to come, the East Texas Catholic Foundation is here to serve.

Joseph Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

What is the East Texas Catholic Foundation?

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The East Texas Catholic Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation governed by a board of expert trustees who manage the permanent funds and endowments of the Catholic causes you care most about while faithfully stewarding the intent of your gifts.

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Managed by a board of clergy and lay leaders in our community, the Foundation serves the parishes, Catholic schools, agencies, and ministries within the 33 East Texas counties comprising the Diocese of Tyler.

For more information: (903)266-2152 info@easttexascatholicfoundation.org

DO-IT-YOURSELF

EVANGELIZATION

A new Catholic radio station is on the air in Nacogdoches

Eddie Ironsmith, Bishop Strickland, Neal Slaten and Dr. Jeremy Higgins in front of the KJXP-LP satellite receiver dish.

KJXP-LP is a new low power FM radio station, bringing programming from the EWTN Global Catholic broadcasting network to the city of Nacogdoches on 100.9 FM. A project of the St. Joseph Catholic Men’s Fellowship at SFA, it was was spearheaded by Neal Slaten with the help of Eddie Ironsmith, Dr. Jeremy Higgins, and their families.

“I have a bit of background in radio,” Neal told us. ”I worked as a country music DJ here in Nacogdoches decades ago, and so I felt I understood this medium of communication better than others. I listen to EWTN Catholic radio a lot and really felt the people here needed better access to this resource.

“My wife and I actually learned about this opportunity while listening to EWTN. They announced that the deadline to apply for low-power FM station licenses was fast approaching, and so we decided to investigate, quickly. From the time that we first heard about it to our application was 90 days.

“That started a two and a half year journey. In a lot of ways, we didn’t know what we were getting into. We didn’t even know what we didn’t know! EWTN promised to help, and we had faith in the mission, so we kept going. We had to learn the regulations and the technology, from scratch.”

Neal and his family are no strangers to big projects. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Neal went to work as a car salesman for Tipton Ford in 1994. In 2007, he bought the dealership. He continues to operate Tipton FordLincoln today.

“The hardest part,” Neal judged, “was all of the paperwork to be filed with the federal government. It’s tremendously complicated, and the three of us who worked on it, we all have day jobs. This was a spare-time labor of love.”

Dr. Higgins said, “It sounded crazy at first, but Neal had a vision and I wanted to be a part of it. I took over the accounting side of the project, and a little over two years later it’s become a reality. Anything is possible with determination and a good team of people. It got tough along the way, but Neal is a great leader and we worked well together. “ Eddie Ironsmith, who handles the computer and technical aspects of the project, said, “Our men’s group began to debate ‘how can we evangelize?’ We were looking for some purpose, some project, so that we could do our part.

“When Neal suggested creating a Catholic radio station, we just said ‘Yes!’ The project needed a computer specialist, and that’s what I do, so I was glad to help out. I get to use my skills, do what I love doing, and evangelize in the process. It’s perfect.”

“This is a project any parish could do,” Neal said. “KJXP-LP came out of the the work and prayer of our little men’s fellowship which has been meeting at the St. Mary’s student center on the SFA campus for the last nine years. You don’t need a large group of people or a lot of money, you just have to be determined.”

Father Christopher Ruggles, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Nacogdoches, is excited about the station. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Catholic people of Nacogdoches who don’t have other access to EWTN, and it’s a fantastic evangelical outreach to non-Catholic people in our community.”

Father Ruggles explained, “We want everyone to hear about the joy of our Catholic faith, and this station is really going to help do that. We not only are a vibrant city of about 33,000 people, but we also have the SFA University campus here, and so we really needed this as an outreach to all of those people.”

KJXP-LP is a “low power” FM radio station, a class reserved for educational and other non-commercial uses. “We had hoped to cover the City of Nacogdoches with approximately a 12-15 mile radius. We are surprised and delighted to hear reports that our signal is reaching as far as a 25 mile radius,” said Neal.

Father Ruggles commended the effort: “This is an important lesson about what a group of families can do to share the faith. What Neal and his team have done for our community is tremendous.”

Father Mitch Pacwa of EWTN said about KJXP-LP, “What these men are doing with their station, it’s part of a growing trend in in the Church. Lay people are starting to educate the world about Catholicism.

“There’s a lot of ignorance in the world about the Catholic faith. I’ve spent time in East Texas, and as we all know, there’s plenty of ignorance about the Church there. This ignorance isn’t going to be overcome just by experts.

"No, it's only going be overcome by people with gumption who dig in and commit themselves to doing the work. If you know that you don’t know, then you can educate yourself, overcome obstacles, and make evangelization happen, just like it is happening in Nacogdoches.”

Neal Slaten commented, "We've only been on the air about two months, but already we are receiving tremendous response. People are telling us how far away they can receive our signal, and if they hear anything amiss with the broadcast, they let us know.”

The station is computerized and automated to operate contunuously, broadcasting the EWTN feed of Catholic programming. Despite all the automation, it still takes a lot of continuing work. Neal explained, “A lot of EWTN’s programming is live broadcasts from around the world, so there are a lot of adjustments to be made. Eddie Ironsmith is working hard to keep the broadcast smooth, and to integrate messages about local and regional Church events.

“I think the Radio Shack here sold more AM/FM radios in the last month than ever before. We have listeners who carry a radio with them from room to room now, so they don’t miss a bit of the programming. People who have older cars have been telling us how much they appreciate EWTN being on the FM dial now, since they don't have satellite radio."

Asked to sum up what he has learned from this experience, Neal said, "We often seek out ‘active’ ways to express our faith, change the culture, and spread the Gospel. I want to encourage others to undertake a bold apostolate in their community and parish. Find a group of like-minded people who will commit themselves to prayer, obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and perseverance, and good results will flow from it. We may never know how many people are affected by Holy Name Radio, but we do know that over 40,000 people now have a new way to hear the truth of the Catholic Church."q 35

Father Matthew Stehling reviews this classic film about the sacrament from one of the greatest filmmakers

I love Alfred Hitchcock movies. The Birds, Lifeboat, North By Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, and Rear Window are a few favorites that come to mind. Hitchcock was a master of suspense and was definitely an innovator in the art of filmmaking. When I was in seminary, I was introduced to an Alfred Hitchcock film I’d never seen before, I Confess (1953). It quickly became my favorite, and is one, I think, every Catholic should see.

Hitchcock himself was Catholic and displays in this film a deep love and understanding of the Sacrament of Confession, all the while weaving an entertaining tale of suspense. (Spoiler alert!)

The film opens in typical Hitchcock fashion with a man lying murdered on the floor. Outside, we see the silhouette of man in a cassock leaving the scene of the crime. We follow the murderer to the nearby church where Fr. Logan, played by Montgomery Clift, observes a man going in. Fr. Logan follows the man and discovers it to be Otto Keller, a German immigrant who works for the parish as a gardener. Keller is visibly upset and praying in the church, asks Fr. Logan to hear his confession. When they enter into the confessional Keller confesses he has just murdered a man in order to steal some money, and used the cassock to avoid being recognized.

The next day, Fr. Logan is part of the crowd formed in 36

front of the murdered man’s house. The detectives on the case question him about his presence at the crime scene, to which he responds that he had an appointment with the dead man, Mr. Villette, a lawyer. As Fr. Logan leaves the house, he meets a young woman, Ruth Grandfort, played by Anne Baxter, and the two converse briefly before departing.

The investigation continues and the lead detective, Inspector Larrue, played by Karl Malden, begins to view Fr. Logan more and more as a suspect. Two witnesses are found and questioned and report a “priest” leaving the scene of the crime that night. It is learned that the Ruth Grandfort and Fr. Logan were in a relationship before the war and before Fr. Logan entered seminary, but Ruth married a local member of Parliament during Logan’s war service. Ruth confesses that two were seen together when he returned home. Their rendezvous is misinterpreted as a lover’s tryst and is used to blackmail Ruth; the blackmailer is Mr. Villette, the murdered man. The bloodstained cassock is planted by Keller in the rectory. Everything begins to point to Fr. Logan as having murdered Mr. Villette.

As the supposed clues and motives unfold, Fr. Logan begins to feel the pressure of not being able to defend himself against the accusations. He cannot reveal the truth because of the Seal of Confession, the absolute prohibition of priests re-

vealing what they hear in confession. He contemplates running away, trying to escape the cross he’s forced to bear. But he ultimately remains true to the seal, and the tension and frustration build and boil over in a dramatic climax that includes a murder trial and shootout. I won’t give away any more of the details.

I love this movie because it’s one of the few that gets things right about the teachings of the Church. It also showcases a faithful priest who is pushed to the brink, but remains true to his priesthood. I show this film to my Faith Formation students as well when I teach about the Sacrament of Confession, because it puts the reality of what the Seal of Confession means on dramatic display, showing the lengths Christ calls his priests to go to in order to protect the sanctity of the Sacrament of Confession.

I Confess is also a warning to us as Catholics to stand up for our faith in the public square.

The premise of this film is unfortunately not very far removed from the reality the Church has faced in the past and may be facing in the future. St. John Nepomuk (c.13451393) was martyred in part because he refused to reveal the confession of a local ruler’s wife.

Closer to home, a priest in Diocese of Baton Rouge was asked by the court to break the Seal of Confession, just a few years ago. Appeal courts eventually ruled that he could not be compelled by the court to testify, and the case has not gone to trial.

Despite being made half a century ago I Confess has political and societal relevance today.

Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess is a dramatic and suspenseful story that puts the inviolable nature of

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) was often called “the master of suspense” and pioneered many elements of the “thriller” film genre. He directed more than fifty feature films and is considered by many to be the greatest British filmmaker.

Of English and Irish ancestry, Hitchcock was raised in a Catholic household and received a Jesuit education. His wife was a convert to Catholicism.

The Hitchcocks moved to the United States in 1939 and his first American

the Sacrament of Confession to the test. It is a film that can be enjoyed by Catholics and non-Catholics, those who go to confession regularly and those who haven’t been in a while, and will certainly be enjoyed by Hitchcock fans. I highly recommend this film. (While the film deals with murder and more adult themes there is no gore/graphic violence, crude language, or sexually explicit scenes and can be enjoyed by younger family members as well.q Father Matthew Stehling is the administrator of St. Leo the Great parish in C e n t e rville.

film won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940. His career peaked in the late 50’s and early 60’s with Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, and The Birds. In 1978, he was described as “the most recognizable person in the world.”

Hitchcock practiced Catholicism during most of his life, but was apparently away from the Church in his later years. After his death in 1980, Jesuit priests in Los Angeles confirmed that they had said Mass for the Hitchcocks in the family home in his final days.

37

Glen and Sarah Smith are parishoners at St. Thomas More mission in Hilltop Lakes, Texas. Glen worked for most of his career as an artist and manager for the City of Houston. He and Sarah are both converts to Catholicism. Glen painted the cloudscape in the apse (the large semi-circular roof above the altar) of St. Thomas More mission, and we asked him to tell us what inspired him.

My summer job in 1965, before I went to college, was with NASA. They had set up an office in an old movie theater in South Houston where they were doing the art and graphics, training materials for the astronauts, and various things. At the time, NASA was spread out all over, in whatever buildings they could find.

One department that was in there was photo developing, and so I happened to be among the first few people in the world to see the photos from the first American spacewalk. I’ll never forget, having that experience like so many people had then, of seeing the Earth from space from the first time. It certainly changed my perspective.

I was thinking about that when I was painting the apse in this Church.

To paint an apse like this, which is a shape like the inside of a globe, you have to do a mathematical projection of the shape you wish to paint. If you just go at it without a plan, there’s no way it will look right. The geometric distortion imposed by the shape of the apse has to be accounted for when the image is planned out. It’s the same problem posed by representing the world map in various types of projections of its surface.

Back at the time of that spacewalk, I wasn’t a Catholic. I was raised Southern Baptist, and I was a Protestant until I was 45 years old. I guess the Catholic seed was first planted when I was in college at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. My wife and I were in a history class together, and one of the assigned books was The Riddle of Roman Catholicism

by Jaroslav Pelikan, a historian of Christianity who at the time was a Lutheran. That was in 1967. That got us thinking about

Catholicism, at least a little bit.

My wife, Sarah, who was also a Protestant, started teaching at a Catholic school in 1978, and taught for 28 years in Catholic schools. Eventually she converted. She had more experience with Catholicism than I did because she had some Catholics in her extended family. Not me. I was a lot more resistant.

For the next decade, what was working on me, in the back of my mind, was the issue of equality. You have to understand, I was raised in the fully segregated South. There are still a lot of us on this Earth who can remember those times. That was the culture that my parents had been brought up in, and it was all around us. Then, my wife became Catholic, and she was now part of this fully integrated, worldwide Church. At her parish, there were people of every race at Mass. It was amazing to someone raised as I was.

I could see that the Catholic Church was ahead of everyone, centuries ahead. The Church’s theology of humankind was informing Catholics of the truth, even when it was really unpopular. It moved me profoundly. I finally relented and became Catholic in 1988. Once again my perspective was changed.

Now that I’m Catholic, I can see that the Church is still ahead of everyone. Some people like to claim that religious people are in some way “unscientific,” but nothing could be farther from the truth. It was Catholics who, from ancient times, knew that unborn children were distinct persons with rights and taught against abortion. Now, we know through scientific research that from the moment of conception, a child has a distinct genome, and a distinct existence of its own: obviously a human being and nothing else.

The rest of the world is still mired in lesser, unsophisticated definitions of personhood, which some people use to try to justify abortion. It’s the Catholics, however, who have the scientific, as well as the moral perspective in this case.

I think there are a lot of people who need to change their perspective, today.q

39

2016 Diocese of Tyler

Server Appreciation Mass Misa de Apriaciรณn para los Servidores 10am December 3 Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul, Tyler

All altar servers in the Diocese of Tyler are invited and encouraged to attend in vestments. Lunch provided by the Knights of Columbus will follow Mass. For more information, contact Father Justin Braun (903) 534-1077

Monseñor

Strickland

Al reflexionar en estos últimos días del año de la Misericordia, en el contexto del Sacramento de la Reconciliación, se me ocurre que así como el pecado es una realidad muy personal también lo es la Misericordia. Podemos, claro que sí, pensar de estas dos realidades en términos abstractos pero creo yo que es más saludable considerar el pecado y la Misericordia en términos personales.

Vivimos en un mundo pecador, pero ningún pecado sucede por sí solo. Solo una persona creada a imagen de Dios puede elegir revelarse a su naturaleza y cometer pecado. Hablamos de los pecados de las gentes pero esa realidad cooperativa es el resultado de muchos pecados individuales. Al final, las estructuras del pecado y rupturas de nuestro mundo siempre regresan a los pecados elegidos individualmente.

Esta doble naturaleza del pecado, su efecto particular en la persona humana y su efecto sobre el todo el mundo se refleja, en muchos lugares, en las enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica. La narración del primer pecado refleja dos realidades, la elección de un individuo que se revela y la Caída universal de la humanidad. De la misma manera, el juicio al final de los tiempos es un evento envuelto en misterio, y sabemos que contiene un elemento particular e individual en el que cada persona será juzgada y un elemento universal donde la raza humana será traída ante Dios en el día final. Lo más importante de todo, es que sabemos que cada uno de nuestros pecados, individuales y privados son los que Cristo llevó a la cruz y que todos estos pecados juntos componen ‘el pecado de toda la humanidad’ por el cual Cristo padeció.

El pecado es privado y el pecado es cooperativo. No podemos remediar los pecados de todo el mundo, solo Dios tiene ese poder.

Pero, podemos trabajar, hoy mismo, por nuestros propios pecados.

Podemos disponernos a la gracia del perdón y de la conversión a Dios. Al abrirnos a esta conversión hacemos que este mundo sea un lugar más santo.

Yo creo que también produce fruto el considerar la Misericordia en estos términos personales. Una vez más, solo una persona creada a imagen de Dios puede elegir ser misericordiosa. La belleza del Kyrie Eleison, Señor ten piedad - que rezamos durante la misa es una expresión de esta misericordia personificada. Esta nos recuerda que podemos elegir la misericordia para los demás al pedirle a Dios que elija la misericordia para nosotros.

Si deseamos seguir el ejemplo de Nuestro Señor y ser misericordiosos, no podemos actuar simplemente de forma placentera para el mundo. No podemos solo enviar ‘pensamientos felices’ al ser humano. Debemos trabajar duro, durante nuestra vida, para practicar la misericordia correctamente. Debemos hacer personal la misericordia. Debemos mostrar misericordia al que trabaja con nosotros. Debemos mostrar misericordia a los extraños. Debemos encontrar la oportunidad de practicar la misericordia para con una persona real que participa de nuestra vida, y practicarla. Esto significa dar algo de nosotros mismos.

Nuestro Señor Jesucristo es la encarnación de la elección del Padre al elegir ser misericordioso con nosotros. Al implorar

misericordia estamos expresando, también, nuestro deseo de ser misericordiosos. Así como el pecado la presencia de la misericordia en nuestras vidas llega por la elección de un hijo de Dios que quiere ser misericordioso. Así como cada cristiano individualmente edifica el Cuerpo de Cristo, también la conversión individual y los actos personales de misericordia animan la Santidad, una de las marcas de la Iglesia. Somos Una Iglesia, Santa, Católica y Apostólica compuesta por cada miembro que se torna a Dios y realiza actos de misericordia.

El Año de la Misericordia llega a su fin. No olvidemos la misericordia, tan profunda, que Dios nos ofrece ni las oportunidades cotidianas que se nos presentan para ser misericordiosos con los demás.q

41

El Sacramento de la Reconciliación JOSEPH EDWARD STRICKLAND

POR LA GRACIA DE DIOS Y LA SEDE APOSTÓLICA OBISPO DE TYLER A LOS FIELES CATÓLICOS DE LA DIÓCESIS DE TYLER, SALUD Y BENDICIÓN

Al cierre del Jubileo Extraordinario de la Misericordia convocado por el Papa Francisco, un año en el que hemos contemplado al Señor Jesús como el rostro del Padre que es rico en Misericordia, mi esperanza es que el clero y los fieles de la Diócesis de Tyler hayan llegado a entender mejor que el misterio de la misericordia de Dios es verdaderamente un manantial de gozo, serenidad y paz.1 Durante este año se nos ha recordado continuamente que la misericordia de Dios es infinitamente más grande que aun el más atroz pecado que podamos cometer, y que el amor insondable de Dios por nosotros se hace tangible y visible a través de los actos de misericordia. Esta tangibilidad y visibilidad significan que la misericordia de Dios no es un concepto teológico abstracto, sino más bien algo que podemos sentir, oír y tocar como seres humanos. Así es como Dios ha interactuando con su pueblo a través de la historia, y es la razón por la cual Cristo ha instituido los sacramentos y los ha confiado a su Iglesia— para que a través de todas las edades podamos experimentar personalmente a través de nuestros sentidos la realidad de la gracia invisible que se nos es dada.

Con esto en mente, les escribo ahora para enfocar nuestra atención más profundamente en el sacramento que está más directamente asociado con la misericordia—el sacramento de la reconciliación, conocido también como el sacramento de la penitencia, de la confesión y del perdón. Mi experiencia como sacerdote me ha llevado frecuentemente a reflexionar en el hermoso encuentro personal con Jesucristo que ocurre en este signo externo y visible de su misericordia. Nuestra fe como católicos está firmemente fundada en el hermoso regalo de la presencia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo en la Eucaristía, la creencia fundamental de nuestra fe de que el pan y el vino consagrados se convierten en el Cuerpo y Sangre, Alma y Divinidad de Jesucristo. Muchos conversos son atraídos a la fe católica porque llegan a entender que están experimentando un encuentro verdadero y profundo con el Hijo de Dios cuando reciben la Eucaristía. Con respecto al sacramento de la reconciliación, creo que necesitamos fomentar una declaración de fe similar y recordarnos a nosotros mismos que este sacramen42

to es también un encuentro personal íntimo con la presencia viviente de Jesucristo.

A través de los siglos, los santos y los eruditos han escrito volúmenes sobre la gran belleza de este sacramento y las riquezas de la Divina Misericordia, así que no voy a intentar añadir aquí a lo que ellos han dicho ni tampoco voy a tratar de dar un resumen completo de los varios aspectos de la reconciliación. Más bien, el propósito de esta carta es ayudarnos, aunque sea de forma pequeña, a entender mejor el “porqué” de este encuentro con el Señor y a contestar la pregunta que probablemente se nos ha hecho o que nosotros mismos hemos tenido: ¿por qué confesamos nuestros pecados a un sacerdote?

Esta pregunta puede contestarse de diferentes maneras, pero un entendimiento claro del porqué el Señor quiere que experimentemos su misericordia en esta manera muy personal nos puede permitir entrar más profundamente en nuestra relación con él.

Como cristianos entendemos que el perdón de nuestros pecados viene de la obra de Cristo en el Calvario, la ofrenda que él hizo de sí mismo al Padre como sacrificio perfecto una sola vez y para siempre. Sin embargo, tenemos que escoger participar en la obra del Señor, quien, en su gran amor, proveyó un camino para que nosotros como individuos recibamos su perdón y experimentemos los efectos de su perdón. Él estableció dos medios por los cuales nuestros pecados pueden ser borrados: los sacramentos del bautismo y la reconciliación.

El bautismo, impartiendo la vida de la gracia de Cristo, lava nuestro pecado, tanto el pecado original transmitido a nosotros desde Adán, como los pecados personales cometidos antes de recibir el sacramento. Por el bautismo, somos unidos a Cristo, transformados por la gracia y salvados,2 pero las consecuencias del primer pecado todavía impactan a toda la humanidad, a través de una naturaleza humana debilitada e inclinada al mal.

Consecuentemente, en esta vida terrena, los cristianos se encuentran en medio de una batalla espiritual, luchando diariamente por la santidad y por evitar el pecado con la ayuda de la gracia.3 Por causa de su infinita misericordia Dios nunca nos abandona, aun cuando le demos la espalda. Profundamente

consciente de nuestra fragilidad humana y nuestra tendencia a pecar, el Señor instituyó los medios para proveer perdón de los pecados y restaurarnos a la gracia y la comunión con Dios después de bautismo. En la tarde de su Resurrección, Jesús sopló sobre sus Apóstoles y les dijo “reciban el Espíritu Santo. A quienes ustedes perdonen los pecados, les quedarán perdonados; y a quienes no se los perdonen, les quedarán sin perdonar” (Juan 20:22-23). Jesús, quien tenía la autoridad en la tierra de perdonar pecados, ahora le confió esta misma autoridad a la Iglesia que él estableció.4 Sabiendo que pronto ascendería al cielo, Cristo le dijo a sus Apóstoles que tenían que continuar su misión y tomar su lugar, “Así como el Padre me ha enviado, yo los envío a ustedes” (Juan 20:21). Del mismo modo que los Apóstoles tenían que llevar el mensaje de Cristo a todo el mundo, ellos también fueron instruidos a llevar su perdón, “De cierto les digo que todo lo que aten en la tierra, será atado en el cielo; y todo lo que desaten en la tierra, será desatado en el cielo” (Mateo 18:18).

Esta autoridad que Cristo le dio a los Apóstoles y sus sucesores, los obispos, era doble: perdonar pecados o retenerlos sin perdonar. Varias cosas lógicamente se derivan de esto como consecuencia. Para saber qué pecados deben ser perdonados o retenidos, se les tiene que decir a los Apóstoles los pecados— el acto de confesión. Más tarde esto se establece otra vez en el Nuevo Testamento cuando a los primeros cristianos se les ordena “confiesen sus pecados unos a otros” (Santiago 5:16).

Más aun, los Apóstoles no solo se supone que predicaran el perdón de Dios, sino que se les dijo que fueran a ejercer el mismo poder que Cristo poseía. Los ministros de Cristo entendieron que este poder no era de ellos, sino que venía de Dios, “Y todo esto proviene de Dios, quien nos reconcilió consigo mismo a través de Cristo y nos dio el ministerio de la reconciliación” (2 Corintios 5:18). San Pablo expresa claramente esta realidad, “así que somos embajadores de Cristo” (2 Corintios 5:20).

El obispo y sus sacerdotes, los embajadores de Cristo, actúan como los instrumentos del perdón del Señor. El poder de atar y desatar que Cristo le dio a los Apóstoles requiere de los sacerdotes que ejerzan un papel importante y necesario en el

discernimiento de quien puede recibir el perdón del Señor, pero siempre y solamente es Dios quien perdona.5 Cristo siempre está ofreciendo gratuitamente su perdón en el poder del Espíritu Santo, buscando reconciliarnos al Padre, pero el papel crucial del sacerdote hace que este perdón sea visible y tangible, y asegura que el penitente está verdaderamente arrepentido de sus pecados y tiene un verdadero deseo de enmendar su vida. ¡Esto es un gran regalo de Dios! El sacramento de la reconciliación es un signo externo y visible de la misericordia de Cristo disponible para nosotros 2,000 años después de su Ascensión. Cuando el sacerdote, actuando en la persona de Cristo, pronuncia la hermosa fórmula de absolución, somos capaces de escuchar el perdón de Dios con nuestros propios oídos y saber así con absoluta certeza e incondicionalmente que hemos sido perdonados. Más aun, somos fortalecidos en nuestro esfuerzo de resistir el pecado y crecemos en humildad ante Dios.

El Papa Francisco, como sus predecesores, ha enfatizado una y otra vez que el verdadero corazón de nuestra fe católica es una relación íntima con Jesucristo, el Hijo de Dios. La celebración auténtica y teológicamente correcta del sacramento de la reconciliación es un hermoso ejemplo de lo que verdaderamente se trata esa relación íntima. Hay muy pocas experiencias tan profundamente personales como lo es una confesión honesta después de un serio examen de consciencia, en la cual desnudamos nuestras almas ante Dios y nos encontramos con Jesucristo en el misterio de su misericordia a través de la persona del sacerdote. Mientras escribo estas palabras, me recuerdo—como en muchas otras ocasiones—de la asombrosa responsabilidad que este sacramento coloca sobre los hombros del sacerdote. Es el deber del sacerdote hacer presente la verdadera misericordia perdonadora del Salvador del mundo, y esto es posible solamente cuando el sacerdote está profundamente enraizado en la realidad de que él también es un pecador en desesperada necesidad de la misericordia del Señor.

Cuando el sacerdote se acerca a su papel en el sacramento de la penitencia en esta manera, esto le permite a la misericordia del Señor fluir a través de él, y a su vez él siempre está humildemente consciente del gran misterio que está celebrando.

Finalmente, esto es lo que la Iglesia celebra en este hermoso sacramento: la realidad de que Jesucristo está verdaderamente presente en el mundo hoy anhelando permitir su misericordia fluir sobre nosotros y perdonalr nuestros pecados.

Cuando examinamos nuestra consciencia, tenemos pesar por nuestros pecados, firmemente resolvemos enmendar nuestras vidas, hacemos una buena confesión y recibimos la penitencia y la absolución, escuchamos las palabras de Cristo en el Evangelio haciendo eco a través del mundo como palabras de gran misericordia para cada pecador hoy, “Tus pecados te son perdonados, vete y no peques más.”

Dado en la Cancillería Diocesana el 1 de noviembre de 2016, Solemnidad de Todos los Santos.q 1.Bula papal Misericordiae Vultus, 2 2.Romanos 6:3-7; Tito 3:3-7; 1 Pedro 3:21 3.Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica (CIC), 405,1426 4.Mateo 9:6; CIC 1461 5.CIC, 1441 43

La Catequesis Por: Teresa Vazquez

y La Reconciliación

Vivir una vida sacramental da, a nuestra espiritualidad, un sentido profundo del amor y la ternura de Dios. Un Catequista sin una vida sacramental activa no puede crecer en su vida espiritual ni tampoco experimentar este amor que se derrama a manos llenas sobre aquel que lo desea. La vida espiritual del catequista se alimenta y fortalece, lo sabemos, especialmente por la celebración del Sacramento de la Reconciliación y la Eucaristía, sin olvidar, por supuesto, lo que la Palabra de Dios, la Oración, las buenas obras, la formación espiritual, humana e intelectual añade a este alimento.

Jesús bien sabe de qué barro estamos hechos, Él sabe también la necesidad que tenemos de que la gracia bautismal, perdida muchas veces por el pecado, sea restablecida. Es por eso que el Sacramento de la Reconciliación es el camino habitual por donde el ser humano camina con Cristo, y donde sana el dolor causado por el pecado.

Creo vivamente que vivir una vida sacramental enriquece la vida espiritual que un catequista debe tener, por eso es bueno que hagamos nuestras las actitudes propias de Jesucristo, para poder decir como San Pablo: “Ya no soy yo quien vive, es Cristo quien vive en mí.” (cf. Gálatas 2:20). Cuando podamos convencernos de esta realidad, vamos a poder proclamar con viva voz que Jesús es la fuente de donde mana toda gracia de santidad, la columna que nos sostiene y nos fortalece, el alimento que nos nutre, nos vivifica y nos transforma, que es El mismo quien nos invita a vivir plena, consciente y activamente la vida de la gracia. Una vida sacramental no activa mata y convierte al ser humano en un simple “sepulcro blanqueado” (cf. Mateo 23,27) y 44

¡qué vergüenza! que esto le suceda al catequista.

Jesús dice: “Yo soy la Vid y ustedes los sarmientos, el que permanece en mí y Yo en él, ese da mucho fruto, pero sin mí, nada pueden hacer” (cf. Juan 15,5). Muchas veces como catequistas nos sentimos fracasados, pero no nos damos cuenta de que esto es el fruto de una vida espiritual pobre y desnutrida, el fruto de una “anemia espiritual” como decía Santa Teresa de Calcuta. Cuando creemos que solos podemos logarlo todo sin tomar en cuenta que sin El nada podemos hacer, experimentamos frustración, desanimo, desaliento y por lo tanto, tristezas y vacíos. De nuestras experiencias de debilidad y fracasos, debemos aprender a ser humildes, a confiar y depender totalmente de Él, en lugar de sentirnos autosuficientes.

Si permanecemos en Cristo, especialmente a través de la celebración del Sacramento de la Reconciliación y de la Eucaristía, Jesús nos compartirá de su amor y de su vida. Cada vez que experimentemos el amor y la misericordia de Dios, a través de este Sacramento, lo podremos trasmitir a los niños, a los jóvenes y a los adultos que el Señor ha puesto a nuestro cuidado en el ministerio de la catequesis, ¿Que mejor bendición existe para un catequista, que el poder transmitir el amor y la misericordia de Dios a los demás y ser puente entre Cristo y los ellos?

Ninguna por supuesto. ¿Con que frecuencia celebramos nosotros, catequistas, el sacramento del amor y la misericordia de Dios? ¿Por qué desaprovechamos continuamente las oportunidades de un encuentro íntimo con Jesús a través de este sacramento? ¿Nos preparamos con la intención de ser mejores personas y con la

debida disposición para este encuentro con El? ¿Qué es lo que nos impide hacerlo con más frecuencia?

El Código de Derecho Canónico no. 989 dice: “Todo fiel que haya llegado al uso de razón, está obligado a confesar fielmente sus pecados graves al menos una vez al año.” Pero, ¿Por qué no lo hacemos con más frecuencia? ¿Cuáles son los retos y los obstáculos para no hacerlo? Si el Santo Juan Pablo II se confesaba una vez por semana, ¡Cuánto más nosotros, pobres y débiles Catequistas, expuestos a las inclemencias y a las tentaciones de este mundo! Nuestro Señor Obispo Joseph Strickland recomienda que nos confesemos una vez al mes. Pero, ¿de verdad lo hemos considerado?

Al celebrar el amor y la misericordia de Dios en el Sacramento de la Reconciliación, celebramos que Jesús viene a nuestro encuentro para mostrarnos cuanto nos ama. Si queremos servir al Señor, dándolo a conocer, ayudando a los demás a encontrarse con El para que ellos también experimenten su misericordia, debemos considerar celebrar este Sacramento con más frecuencia para ser coherentes con lo que decimos, de otra manera, no podremos enseñar lo que no sabemos, dar lo que no tenemos y mucho menos ayudar a los demás para que experimenten el la misericordia de Dios si nosotros no la hemos experimentado.

El Papa Francisco nos dijo, a los Catequistas, en uno de los Congresos para la Catequesis: “No serás fecunda si trabajas como Catequista, porque ser Catequista es una VOCACIÓN, ser Catequista implica toda la vida, es ser guía al encuentro con Cristo, con las palabras, con la vida y con el TESTIMONIO. Ser Catequista es dar testimonio de la FE y ser coherente con la propia vida.” Y también, “Ser Catequista es un DON de Dios antes

que un compromiso, una VOCACION antes que una opción personal, una RESPUESTA DE FE antes que un simple servicio a nuestros hermanos, COHERENTE Y AUTENTICO, SEMBRADOR de la alegría y de la esperanza, SERVIDOR del AMOR y de la VERDAD.” Por lo tanto, ser catequista se trata de vivir una vida sacramental plena centrada enteramente en Cristo, alimentada y fortalecida con la Palabra de Dios, la oración, y la celebración de los Sacramentos, especialmente el de la Reconciliación y de la Eucaristía. Se ha comprobado que cuando nos sabemos perdonados y amados es cuando podemos ser la mejor versión de nosotros mismos. Cuando esto sucede todos los que se acercan a nosotros para que les mostremos nuevas formas para encontrarse con Dios se verán beneficiados por la presencia del Señor que habita en nuestros corazones.

Recordemos pues, catequistas, que al celebrar estos Sacramentos, celebramos la misericordia de Dios y hacemos realidad ¡Nuestra Vocación! q Teresa Vazquez es la Coordinadora de la Catequesis en la Parroquia de St. Celestine en Grand Saline, TX. Ha estado ejerciendo este servicio por los últimos cuatro años. Ha sido catequista de esta misma parroquia por 12 años y además sirve en otros ministerios.

Ella, junto con su esposo apoya a su comunidad ofreciendo pláticas prematrimoniales, preparación pre-bautismal, Quinceaneras y además es Lectora.

Zona de la reconciliación en el santuario de la Divina Misericordia, Jornada Mundial de la Juventud 2016 45

Hacia el V Encuentro

El V Encuentro, ¿Qué es?

El V Encuentro es una iniciativa Episcopal que promueve un compromiso serio a ser verdaderos discípulos misioneros y testigos del amor de Dios e invita a todos los católicos a responder fielmente al llamado de ponerse en camino y salir al encuentro del hermano. El V Encuentro es también una propuesta que los Obispos de Estados Unidos han puesto como prioridad para promover la Nueva Evangelización en todas las áreas de pastoral hispana. El Proceso del V Encuentro es de cuatro años y anima a todos los líderes parroquiales a salir a la periferia, como dice el Papa Francisco, y llegar a los más alejados a los que viven en condiciones de extrema pobreza y o son ignorados por la sociedad. ¿Y la Meta del V Encuentro, cuál es?

La meta del V Encuentro es la de discernir las formas en las que la Iglesia en los Estados Unidos pueda responder mejor a la presencia de los Hispanos en Estados Unidos y potenciar formas para que estos respondan, como discípulos misioneros, al llamado de la Nueva Evangelización y sirvan, con alegría, a toda la Iglesia. ¿Y, quienes pueden participar?

Todos los líderes en las diócesis, en las parroquias, los movimientos eclesiales y otras organizaciones. A estos se les invita a salir al encuentro de los hispanos católicos, particularmente de aquellos que viven en la periferia, mediante el proceso misionero evangelizador propuesto por el V Encuentro. Para su preparación, a estos líderes se les invitará a la reflexión y a la acción siguiendo la inspiración de un mismo espíritu misionero iluminado por la Nueva Evangelización.

Los Objetivos del V Encuentro, ¿Cuáles son? w Llamar a todos los católicos en Estados Unidos a ser misioneros auténticos y alegres que sean testigos del amor de 46

Dios con una voz profética en una iglesia culturalmente diversa. w Proporcionar una visión eclesial renovada que desarrolle vías eficaces para invitar, acompañar y formar jóvenes hispanos católicos y a sus familias a vivir su vocación bautismal. w Invitar a todos los líderes católicos a encontrar y acompañar a hispanos católicos que se encuentran en las periferias de la Iglesia y la sociedad, en especial los que viven en situaciones de riesgo y que no están involucrados activamente en su comunidad de fe. w Identificar y promover oportunidades para los líderes pastorales católicos hispanos para servir en todos los niveles ministeriales de la Iglesia y la sociedad en general, y aumentar el número de protagonistas de la Nueva Evangelización. w Estimular una nueva ola de formación en la fe y de las iniciativas de desarrollo de liderazgo que preparan a los católicos hispanos para compartir y celebrar la Buena Nueva de Jesucristo y llegar ase fermento del Reino de Dios en la sociedad.

Al ver y estudiar los objetivos del V Encuentro nos damos cuenta de que su ejecución traerá como consecuencia el surgimiento de nuevos líderes hispanos que promuevan un ambiente de entrega y servicio en sus comunidades parroquiales, en la Diócesis particular y en la Iglesia del mundo.

El Proceso del V Encuentro, bajo la supervisión de los Obispos de Estados Unidos, está siendo organizado por un equipo formado por un grupo de organizaciones católicas, de la nación, comprometido a velar para que el llamado del V Encuentro sea respondido con alegría y compromiso. Este grupo ha pedido a todas las diócesis en Estados Unidos a formar un equipo diocesano que servirá como un equipo de acompañamiento para los equipos parroquiales.

En la Diócesis de Tyler, ya tenemos un equipo diocesano de

Discípulos misioneros: Testigos del Amor de Dios

acompañamiento, y está coordinado por el P. Ariel Cortes, quien ha sido designado por el Obispo Joseph E. Strickaland como “la cabecilla” de este equipo. El Equipo Diocesano está integrado por: Rev. Ariel Cortes, como Coordinador y el Dcn. Luis Baca, Sra. Dyana Noriega como Delegados. Los demás integrantes son: Dcn. Jesús Reyes, Dcn. Federico Aguilar, Hna. Georgina Sierra, Sra. Clara Aguilar, Sr. Constantino Borja, Sra. Veronica Baca, Srta. Diana Espino, Jvn. Gabriel León, Srita. Karina Chávez, Srta. Esmeralda Pena, Jvn. Marciano Morales, Seminaristas Hector Arvizu y Roselio Fuentes, Sr. Luis Noriega, Sr. Alberto Robledo, Sr. Jose Coss, Sr. Ignacio Flores, Sra. Rosalinda Lemus y como Asesores, Dcn. Rubén Natera y la Hna. Angélica Orozco, EFMS. La función de este equipo es la de acompañar, a los equipos parroquiales, en su proceso de formación en un futuro no muy lejano. El proceso del V Encuentro animará tanto al equipo diocesano como al equipo parroquial a integrarse en una espiritualidad de discípulos misioneros que saben salir con alegría al encuentro de las personas y acompañarlas, en donde se encuentren, en su jornada de fe. Para lograr este cometido, se hará una reflexión profunda sobre el camino de los discípulos de Emaús, que decepcionados por la muerte del maestro, regresan a su pueblo desilusionados y confundidos, por la muerte de su maestro. Pero, en esa misma confusión se encuentran con el Señor y lo reconocen al partir el pan. Al reconocerlo, no pueden seguir con su amargura, se levantan y se ponen en camino. Con alegría emprenden ponen en camino de regreso a Jerusalén y con entusiasmo se animan a compartir su experiencia con el Señor Resucitado.

Esta espiritualidad de discípulos misioneros es la que moverá los corazones de todos los que entren en el proceso del V Encuentro y es la que los motivará a salir del “lugar de confort”

e ir a las periferias a consolar, acompañar y aliviar a los que por motivos ajenos a sus posibilidades, viven escondidos, asustados, heridos y solos.

Animamos a todos los líderes parroquiales a animarse y prepararse para participar de esta iniciativa episcopal y de esta forma apoyar la pastoral hispana en esta área del Este de Texas.

Oración del V Encuentro Dios misericordioso, Tú que saliste al encuentro de los discípulos de Emaús, concédenos un espíritu misionero para salir al encuentro de nuestros hermanos y hermanas, unirnos a su caminar cotidiano, escuchar sus tristezas y alegrías, encender sus corazones con el fuego de tu Palabra, prepararlos a reconocerte en la Eucaristía y enviarlos como discípulos misioneros a compartir la alegría del Evangelio a generaciones presentes y futuras de toda raza, lengua y cultura.

Te lo pedimos Desde nuestros corazones ardientes En el Espíritu Santo, En nombre de tu Hijo amado Y por la intercesión de nuestra Madre Maria de Guadalupe, Estrella de la Nueva Evangelización.

Amen.q 47

48

Por: Hna. Angelica Orozco

para Lograr Vivir Reconciliados Vivir reconciliados es un proceso que cada bautizado podría abrazar aun sabiendo que vivimos en un mundo y una sociedad en la que construir barreras es más común que levantar puentes. Cuando se construyen barreras la reconciliación entre las gentes y los pueblos se torna casi imposible.

Hubo un hombre, en la historia de la Iglesia, que pasó su vida intentando reconciliar todo con Cristo. Un hombre “puente”. Sí, estoy hablando de San Francisco de Asís. Este hombre, porque vivía reconciliado consigo mismo, logró la armonía personal y la paz interior de una forma inimaginable.

Este hombre consiguió conectar su amor por Cristo, en todo lo que se proponía y luchó por hacer del Evangelio su estilo de vida. Por esta razón, la oración que lo identifica es una que la Iglesia propone a cada hombre y mujer que anhela ser constructor de paz y reconciliación.

Tomemos esta oración y reflexionemos su contenido.

Señor, hazme un instrumento de tu paz.

Esta frase es una petición de un corazón que busca ser portador de la paz de Jesús (Jn. 14:27). La paz es un fruto del Espíritu Santo y contribuye grandemente para que el ser humano busque maneras de ser puente de reconciliación. La paz cuando se experimenta en el corazón humano, esta es fuente de alegría.

Donde haya odio siembre yo amor.

Algunos viven con un corazón pesado por la falta de amor.

El desamor engendra odio y rencor. Todos somos llamados a practicar el temor de Dios. Este fruto del Espíritu Santo anima a aquellos que se abren a él y procuran no ofender a Dios por amor. El ser portadores del amor ayuda a la persona a despertar los corazones apesumbrados e incitarlos al amor ágape.

Donde haya injusticia, perdón.

Cuando el hombre es injusto se cierra a la reconciliación.

La justicia es darle a cada cual lo que le corresponde y cuando se experimenta la injusticia lo que único que siente el corazón es deseo de venganza. Un corazón que es dócil y que perdona no se permite la injusticia, al contrario, perdonando la rechaza.

Cristo pide que seamos capaces de animar a otros al perdón, a no guardar rencor en el corazón y buscar en todo momento la reconciliación (Rm. 12:10).

Donde haya duda, fe.

La falta de fe es causa de un sinnúmero de sufrimientos humanos. El mal se mete en el alma del que es débil y que no confía. La duda no es mala en sí, lo que es malo es la esclavitud causada por la duda. El ser capaz de sembrar fe en donde hay duda es una labor para los valientes. La Reconciliación se da cuando se tiene fe en las personas y no se duda de su intención. Cuando la fe derrota la duda, en el alma, esta se fortalece

y se convierte en columna que sostiene el deseo de ser reconciliados.

Donde haya desesperación, esperanza Para lograr ser portadores de esperanza es preciso practicar la virtud del gozo. El santo de Asís, vivía alegre, su amor por Cristo lo animaba a vivir con un corazón no solamente pacificado sino que también gozoso. Una persona que se desespera y opta por la salida fácil, necesita tener a su lado una persona que es portadora de esperanza. La esperanza muere al último, dice un dicho por ahí, y sí, hay algo de razón en esto porque muchos de los que experimentan “depresión” o “males emocionales” son aquellos viven en las tinieblas y no ven claro su futuro, su esperanza no está en su lugar.

Donde haya oscuridad, luz El pecado logra que el alma experimente la oscuridad. Cuando una persona no se abre a la gracia vive en oscuridad. La reconciliación permite que la luz entre a esos rincones e ilumine con el poder de la gracia lo que permanecía en tinieblas.

Traer luz a los lugares oscuros es un deber de todo bautizado pusto que todos hemos recibido la luz de Cristo.

Oh Señor, que no busque ser consolado como consolar, ser entendido como entender, ser amado como amar.

Reconciliar implica desprendimiento, implica olvido de lo que se puede obtener a cambio. El ser humano que se apresura a prestar su servicio sin esperar recompensa es aquel que se anima a decir como San Pablo; “no soy yo quien vive, es Cristo quien vive en mi” (Gal. 2:9). Una persona que vive reconciliada ayuda a otros a vivir en paz consigo mismos y con sus hermanos. Buscar el bien del otro es la mejor manera de mostrar la belleza de la reconciliación.

Porque es dando que recibimos, perdonando que somos perdonados y muriendo es que volvemos a nacer.

Cuando se logra vivir con un corazón pacificado, como Francisco de Asís, se puede entonces descubrir que cuando se sirve desinteresadamente se experimenta mayor alegría que cuando se es servido (Mt. 6:3). De la misma forma, cuando la persona logra perdonar la ofensa cometida contra ella, experimenta en su ser el verdadero sentido del perdón. La reconciliación es como la miel, una vez que se gusta de su dulzura, no se puede prescindir de ella.

San Francisco, con esta su oración, invita a pedir, al Señor, la gracia de ser de aquellos que buscan la reconciliación.

Agradecemos a Dios, por la vida y ejemplo de San Francisco de Asís, su amor seráfico por Cristo lo llevó a identificarse con El, y lo hico de tal manera que logró convencer a sus contemporáneos de que SI es posible una verdadera fraternidad entre los hombres.q 49

El Sacramento de la Reconciliación

Perdona los pecados, libera del mal y nos sana Por P. Jose Luis Vidarte Saint Therese of Lisieux, Pastor Center, Texas El catecismo de la Iglesia Católica llama a los sacramentos como “las obras maestras de Dios” (CIC 1116) para significar que las palabras y las acciones de Jesús durante su vida oculta y su ministerio público eran ya salvíficas. Jesús en muchas ocasiones despide a las personas “Tu fe te ha salvado” Jesús no solamente ofrece el alivio de sus tristezas y sus dolores, sino que también les ofrece en una manera la certeza de la salvación.

En su sentido litúrgico los sacramentos son signos eficaces de la Gracia, es decir, son signos visibles que nos permiten percibir una acción divina invisible que está sucediendo.

50

La Santa Madre Iglesia nos ensena que los sacramentos se clasifican en sacramentos de Iniciación Cristiana, de Sanación y de Servicio. Los sacramentos de la Iniciación Cristiana son el bautismo, la confirmación y la Santa eucaristía. Los sacramentos de sanación son la reconciliación y la unción de los enfermos.

Mientras que los sacramentos de servicio son el matrimonio y las órdenes sagradas. Todos estos sacramentos fueron y son hoy en la Iglesia las obras maestras de Dios porque en los sacramentos Jesús nos ofrece su gracia por el poder del Espíritu Santo.

Estas obras maestras y estos signos eficaces han sido insti-

tuidos por Jesús. El sacramento de la reconciliación fue instituido por Jesucristo después de su resurrección. En el Evangelio de San Juan 20, 21-23 encontramos la institución de este sacramento: “La paz sea con ustedes. Como el Padre me ha enviado así los envío yo. Dicho esto, sopló sobre ellos y les dijo: reciban el Espíritu Santo; a quienes les perdonen los pecados, les son perdonados; a quienes se los retengan, les son retenidos.” Es Jesús quien les da el Espíritu Santo a los apóstoles para ejercer la tarea más preciosa de reconciliar al pecador con la insondable misericordia de Dios.

Como sacerdote y ministro de los sacramentos de la Iglesia encuentro mucho gozo al ser partícipe de esos bellos encuentros de Cristo con sus hermanos y hermanas que lo buscan. Es en el sacramento de la reconciliación donde como ministro experimento la plenitud de mi servicio y vocación. Por el sacramento del perdón mis hermanos y mis hermanas vuelven a Jesús, vuelven a la santa comunión, vuelven al amor de Dios. El sacramento de la Reconciliación nos devuelve la gracia perdida por el pecado y nos habilita para recibir los demás sacramentos.

El catecismo de la Iglesia Católica en su numeral 1421 no dice: “El Señor Jesucristo, médico de nuestras almas y de nuestros cuerpos, que perdonó los pecados al paralitico y le devolvió la salud del cuerpo, quiso que su Iglesia continuase, con la fuerza del Espíritu Santo, su obra de curación y de salvación, incluso en sus propios miembros.” Así la Iglesia expresa el fin último de los sacramentos de sanación. Es el mismo Jesús que sigue hoy sanando y perdonando nuestros pecados a través del sacramento de la reconciliación.

En este Año Jubilar de la misericordia de Dios que el Papa Francisco nos ha invitado a vivir es una oportunidad para vivir de una manera más autentica el sacramento de la Reconciliación.

Ciertamente todos hemos sido evangelizados y enseñados que el sacramento de la reconciliación nos perdona los pecados, pero en su realidad es más que eso, el sacramento de la reconciliación también nos libera del mal y nos sana.

En nuestra diócesis hay lugares de mucha bendición en donde muchos hermanos y hermanas experimentan vivamente el amor y la ternura del Padre Dios. En cada confesionario de nuestra diócesis se vive este milagro del perdón. También en el movimiento de Cursillos de Cristiandad, los Grupos de Oración Carismática, grupos juveniles, etc. La administración del sacramento que va acompañado de una preparación, de una reflexión o en el ambiente de un retiro o jornada ayuda a las personas a percibir más eficazmente los efectos del sacramento de la confesión.

Yo tuve la bendición de vivir mi Cursillo de Cristiandad en el año 2005. Como cursillista yo he vivido y he testimoniado que en el Cursillo de cristiandad se vive intensamente este encuentro sacramental con la misericordia de Dios. En la clausura de cada cursillo las nuevas o los nuevos cursillistas ofrecen un testimonio de su encuentro con Jesús “nuestro hermano mayor”. Su testimonio siempre va acompañado de un “perdón público” siempre hay hijos que piden perdón a sus papas, esposos y esposas que piden perdón a sus parejas y también papas que piden perdón a sus hijos. El sentirse perdonados por el poder infinito de Dios los hace a ellos mismos agentes de perdón y de sanación. ¡De colores!

En el sacramento de la reconciliación Cristo nos perdona los pecados, nos libera del mal y nos trae la salud del cuerpo. Estos frutos del perdón de Dios se viven siempre y cuando el penitente

tenga un sincero arrepentimiento. El arrepentimiento sincero del corazón del hombre y de la mujer despierta la misericordia de Dios que al darse no conoce límites. Esta misericordia de Dios no solo borra los pecados si no que recibimos la gracia y el poder del Espíritu Santo para resistir ante el tentador. Cristo nos arrebata del poder de Satanás y en sus hombros nos lleva con EL. El arrepentimiento sincero y la misericordia de Dios en acción nos llevan a sentir sanación del cuerpo.

Esta sanación del cuerpo es de esperarse sin pretender darle un sentido mágico al sacramento. La sanación de los diez leprosos, la salvación de la mujer hallada en adulterio, la sanación del paralitico, y otros muchos más en el Evangelio nos dicen que el perdón de Dios tiene consecuencias sensibles en nuestro cuerpo.

Cada vez que vayamos al sacramento de la reconciliación debemos tener la confianza que Dios perdona todos nuestros pecados y también ese perdón de Jesús nos habilita la esperanza de la sanación corporal, mental y espiritual.

Ya estamos prontos a terminar el Año Jubilar de la Misericordia. Que este año en que se nos ha llamado a ser Misericordiosos como el Padre busquemos un arrepentimiento honesto, una confesión sincera y un propósito de volver a ser fieles a Jesucristo.

Que el Espíritu Santo siga guiándonos para encontrar en todos los sacramentos esa fuente inagotable del amor y la gracia de Dios. Y que María de Guadalupe, madre de misericordia, nos anime a perseverar en el amor misericordioso de su amadísimo hijo Jesucristo. Amén. q

51

Dancing around the car

by Ben Fisher, managing editor I was raised in Houston, where, as they say, there are more Baptists than people. I attended a little Baptist school in the woods, where we had chapel every Wednesday. So, every week, I experienced an altar call.

For those of you who do not know, an altar call happens in some non-Catholic Churches, and during an altar call, people are invited to make a salvific commitment to Jesus. This is the act of “being saved” that is talked about in the non-Catholic Christian world. The principal of the school, who was also the preacher, would invite all of us schoolkids to “ask Jesus into our hearts” and thus be saved.

I liked the little school. It was a good, safe, nurturing place.

I learned a lot about the Bible (particularly Daniel, we really liked Daniel), and I learned to be a good person via the golden rule. I also learned my 3 R’s. I look back on it fondly.

I can also remember, however, sitting in that pew, trying to “ask Jesus into my heart” and not knowing if I had done it or not. Nothing happened. I didn’t feel anything. Other kids seemed to be having some sort of experience of this, and so I figured I hadn’t done it right.

I tried again and again.

I focused as hard as I could, trying to do whatever it was I needed to do inside my mind to make salvation happen, trying to ask Jesus into my heart.

I tried year after year, altar call after altar call. I prayed and prayed that God would give me the secret and I could be saved, but still, nothing happened. Was I saved? I didn’t feel saved. I wasn’t able, for some reason, to ask Jesus into my heart.

Eventually, I just gave up.

The car.

In my teens, I had the same experience that a lot of young people exposed to fundamentalism have. I figured out that the kangaroos couldn’t possibly have hopped from Australia to the Middle East to get on Noah’s Ark, and then hopped back from Mount Ararat to Australia. Thinking myself extremely smart to be the first Christian to ever realize this, I gave up on the whole thing and became some sort of atheist. Atheism wasn’t the popular fad then that it is today (thanks be to God), and so I didn’t go to meetings or anything. I just stopped worrying about religion altogether.

I went through college, married a wonderful girl who had also had the same epiphany about the kangaroos, and we went on, not worrying about religion. Then my mother became Catholic. When she did, she started to work on us, and she made sure we had every book, every cassette tape (that dates me a bit) and every resource about the Catholic Church she could find. She sent Catechisms and lives of saints and philosophy 52

books and apologetics tapes, and it kept coming and coming.

We started reading this mountain of material, and slowly we became convinced. We decided to become Catholic, but looking back on it, it wasn’t much of a conversion. We “converted” without even making a confession of sins, and certainly without examining our lives. At that point, we could quote scripture about justification and point you to the early Church fathers who wrote about the Trinity in the 2nd century, but we really had no idea what we were doing.

We kept studying, though, and two years later, we reached an impasse. On a Saturday in the fall, I went to my wife and told her, “We’ve been using artificial contraception. That’s against the teaching of the Church. It’s a sin. We have to confess it.”

Well, she had been thinking the exact same thing, but she had been too scared to say it, just like I had. We were both terrified of the idea of going to a priest and confessing, but she called my bluff. “Then we’re going right now,” she said.

We called the parish, not really knowing what we were doing, and said, “We need confession.” God bless that priest who just said, “Sure. I’ll be here.”

I was as terrified as I’ve ever been, going into that confessional. My wife was too.

She went first, and I sweated bullets outside. Neither of us knew how to do a proper examination of conscience, and we made a mess of it. It didn’t matter. The priest guided us right through it. We got out all of the important things, the most important of which was simply a tearful, “I’m sorry.”

Then, something completely unexpected happened to me. The priest said, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In an instant, all of the angst and frustration of my young life, of wanting to feel saved, of wanting some confirmation of God’s love for me, all of it was resolved. The sacraments which I had memorized the matter and form and history and philosophy of...suddenly were real. I understood, in that moment, what they were for.

When my wife and I had both (very imperfectly) said the prayers assigned for our penance, we went outside and danced around our rusty old car. For anyone that knows me, I don’t dance, so that was a special day. That was the day I asked Jesus into my heart, finally.

Since that moment, I have never had to ask myself why I’m a Catholic. No matter what frustrations may come or go, no matter whether the news in the Church is good or bad, I know what I’m here for. I am Catholic to have my sins forgiven by God who loves me, and it is the sweetest thing in the world.q

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