December 2012

morality everyday

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Praying at the manger Devotions for the season

Why is religious liberty important?

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contents 6 yourlife The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Earl Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

Dec. 2012 • Volume 13: Issue 10

Patrick M. O’Brien

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Cynthia Vandecar

MARKETING MANAGER

Patrick Dally

ART DIRECTOR

Michelle Hildebrandt WEBMASTER

Jillane Job

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

InnerWorkings

PRINT MANAGEMENT

Jim Berlucchi | Michelle Sessions DiFranco | Kevin Duffy | Doug Culp | Dcn. Tom and JoAnne Fogle | Bob Horning |Rev. Charles Irvin | Paul Jarzembowski | Rev. Joseph Krupp | Dr. Gelasia Marquez | Dr. Cathleen McGreal | Nancy Schertzing | Sister Ann Shields CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PROOFREADING

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bob Patten | Chris Sushynski CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Catholic, Diocese of Lansing, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906-5550. FAITHTM is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and is published monthly except for February and August. To purchase a subscription, log on to FAITHmag.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid in Lansing, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing MI 48906-5550. ©2012 FAITH Catholic. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Catholic.

Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR

For advertising information:

12 in the know with Father Joe Is Dec. 25 really Jesus’ birthday?

14 spiritual fitness Praying at the manger.

Devotions for the season.

16 theology 101 The fundamental truth.

19 morality everyday Why is religious liberty important?

Call 517.853.7600

20 yourstories

20 T. Gennara

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20 my story Helping children in the courtroom. Judge Lisa Sullivan.

22 cover story Sister Attracta Kelly shields children, protects women and helps immigrants.

26 feature story How Jason helps people make end-of-life decisions.

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Carlson Productions | Tom Gennara | James Luning (cover) | Michael Schimpf | Philip Shippert | Don Quillan

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table of contents

6 work life I flunked my mock interview!

8 parenting journey I don’t know how to be a good godparent.

8 conflict resolution Her cat has died.

She needs to move on!

9 marriage matters She says: “Our daughter is old enough to choose her own boyfriend.” He says: “Her boyfriend is all wrong for her – we need to step in!” What do they do?

10 culture ReADVENTing a calendar.

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Liturgical Calendar: First Sunday of Advent Dec. 2 | St. Francis Xavier, priest Dec. 3 | St. John Damascene, priest and doctor of the Church Dec. 4

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from the editors

Make the Christmas season last

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n mid-October, I happened to drop by an area retailer to take a peek at a computer that I am interested in purchasing. As I was making my way to the computer display, I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the very familiar strains of some favorite Christmas music. Did I mention that it was mid-October? Halloween was still two weeks away. I actually walked over to the area where the music was playing, just to make sure my ears weren’t playing tricks on me. They weren’t.

As I make my way to my parents’ home in Saginaw on December 26 to celebrate our family Christmas, I will drive by a number of very sad scenes. Each scene will have one item in common: a family

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Father Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude. E-mail: editor@ FAITHmag.com.

Christmas tree, the beautifully-decorated center of attention just the day before, will be forlornly sitting at the end of the driveway, waiting to be taken away. If it’s lucky, that tree may be bunched with a number of others to form safe shelter for winter wildlife. It is just a likely that it will be fed to an industrial chipper, made into compost for garden use later in the year. How sad.

On the one hand, certain forces can’t wait to get the Christmas season started very prematurely. On the other hand, it seems as though some can’t wait to bring it to an end too quickly. But in contrast to all this, the Church offers us the beautiful seasons of Advent and Christmas. Both seasons are distinct from one another, and both are distinc-

saint of the month

Be humble

St. John of the Cross Feast Day: Dec. 14

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tive in how they encourage us to celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation.

Because of when Christmas falls on the calendar this year, the fourth week of Advent is truncated, lasting from the vigil Mass on Saturday evening, December 22, until the first Mass of Christmas Eve. Although this year’s Advent journey is slightly shorter than in other years, it still provides us with ample opportunity to prepare for Christmas, using the days of Advent to recall Christ’s comings in history, mystery and majesty.

Contrary to what some seem to believe, the season of Christmas will actually last until January 13 this year, when we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord.

During those sacred days, we will celebrate St. Stephen and

St. John of the Cross, born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, (June 24, 1542 – Dec. 14, 1591) holds the title of Doctor of the Church. He was a Carmelite friar and priest, a mystic, and a major figure of the Counter-Reformation.

His writings and poetry, including Ascent to Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and A Spiritual Canticle, are considered to be the summit of

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

the Holy Innocents, martyrs all.

We will reflect on the mystery of the Holy Family and rejoice with Mary, the Mother of God. The Christmas season affords us the opportunity to journey with the Magi, seeking to place our most precious gifts at the feet of the Christ-child.

The season will conclude and Ordinary Time will resume as we watch in awe on the banks of the River Jordan, as the Spirit descends upon Christ as he is baptized by his forerunner, John the Baptist.

Compared with some of the Church’s other liturgical seasons, the seasons of Advent and Christmas are relatively short. Yet the beauty which they seek to help us celebrate should neither be hastened nor cut short. The days ahead afford us the opportunity to slow down just a bit, savoring moments of quiet and winter darkness. These days will also fill us with exultant joy, not limited to just a single day, but to an entire season of days, as we rejoice in God’s desire to become an intimate part of our human existence.

May we all grow in love for Christ during the wondrous days of Advent and rejoice in God’s gift to us at Christmas.

And so, our journey in FAITH continues.

mystical Spanish literature.

He also founded the Discalced Carmelites with St. Teresa of Avila. It was an attempt to reform the Carmelite order through a return to a life of prayer.

However, many in the order felt threatened. This led to St. John’s kidnapping and imprisonment. He spent nine months in a tiny cell, during which time he was also

St. Nicholas, bishop Dec. 6 | St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Dec. 7 | Solemnity o

75th CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING

Anniversar y

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Diocese

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Lansing

The Diocese of Lansing celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Throughout the year, we’ll be presenting pieces of our history, thanks to our diocesan historian, Msgr. George Michalek.

The North American College in Rome and the Diocese of Lansing

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he mission of the Pontifical North American College in Rome is the education and formation of priests at all stages of their lives. Over the years, the Diocese of Lansing has contributed to that mission through three of its priests.

The college was founded in 1859 when Pope Pius IX gave Casa Santa Maria, originally a convent for Dominican nuns, to the North American bishops as a seminary. In 1953, a bigger house on Janiculum Hill overlooking the Vatican was finished for the seminarians, and Casa Santa Maria is now used for priests doing post-graduate study.

Msgr. William Meyers was the first of the Lansing priests to serve the college, as director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education from 1988 until his death in 1993. He was known for his innovations and organizational ability wherever he served.

Msgr. Meyers, born in Lansing, was ordained in 1955. He prepared for his position at the college through past assignments – superintendent of schools beaten three times per week. It was during this dark time that he wrote much of his mystical poetry.

Upon his escape, he spent his life sharing and explaining his experience of God’s love. Instead of anger and resentment, his imprisonment and harsh treatment produced the mystic who would say, “Where there is no love, put love – and you will find love.”

St. John of the Cross also provides invaluable advice to those who would set out to travel the path to holiness in his classic works. In Dark Night of the Soul, he addresses certain “spiritual imperfec-

and director of the Office for Priestly Life and Ministry for the diocese. He taught at the university level, and was dean of studies at St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth.

Msgr. Meyers was known for his story-telling ability, gourmet cooking, and his willingness to be a guide and driver on the streets of Rome.

Msgr. Steven Raica, currently the chancellor for the diocese, was the superior of Casa Santa Maria for five years, beginning in July 1999. He was also available as a spiritual director for seminarians.

Msgr. Raica lived as a graduate student at Casa Santa Maria and earned his doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was responsible for the daily life of the Casa tions” which “beginners” often have with respect to the capital sin of pride. For example, he writes that beginners normally consider themselves to be fervent and diligent in spiritual things and devotions.

This sense can lead to a secret form of pride, whereby “they come to have some degree of satisfaction with their works and with themselves.”

What are the red flags that indicate we might be falling prey to spiritual inflation? Avoiding spiritual directors or other spiritual authorities who do not grant unconditional approval of one’s spiritual experiences, attitudes and behaviors is

Seminarians at the Pontifical North America College attend a Mass at which they were installed as acolytes in Rome

and for maintaining an atmosphere of prayer, study and priestly camaraderie, and was to have a fatherly concern for the priests.

In August 2010, Msgr. Jerry Vincke began a five-year term as a full time spiritual director at the college. He had been director of the Department of Formation and vocations director for the diocese. He also had been director of Bethany House, the youth retreat center in DeWitt.

Msgr. Vincke said that “the spiritual life is at the heart of everything that happens (at the college). I hope I can be an instrument of God’s peace and joy.”

Three priests, three ways Lansing adds to the ongoing education of those studying at the North American College. a sure sign. Other indicators according to St. John are an anxiousness to give outward evidence of one’s spirituality and devoutness, a tendency to minimize one’s faults, or a tendency to become overly distraught over one’s faults, as if one is already a saint.

Humility, of course, is the defense and antidote to pride, whether spiritual or not. It flows from the recognition that all comes from God for the benefit of all humanity. It is only through emptying ourselves that we can see that what is impossible for us, is possible only through God.

of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dec. 8 | Second Sunday of Advent Dec. 9 | St. Damasus I, pope Dec. 11 | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12

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Jim Berlucchi is the executive director of the Spitzer Center, whose mission is to build cultures of evangelization (www.spitzercenter.org). velop. “How could I have made a better impression? What behaviors/answers would make you want to hire me? What strengths do you see in me”?

work life

I flunked my mock interview!

5 tips to get it right for the real one

Q

a

We just went through a round of mock interviews at school, and nobody wanted to hire me! They said I came across as “difficult” – how can I fix this for real job interviews?

Good for you.

Rather than feeling hurt or defensive, you want to improve yourself. Negative input is never easy, but often valuable.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1) Now ratchet up your courage and follow up with your peers.

How were you “difficult?” Common interview failures include being: unprepared, too nervous, withdrawn, or pushy. “Difficult” is

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vague. You need specifics.

Try these steps: 1. Make a roster of students who interviewed you. Pick four or five with whom you feel comfortable with. Then, within the course of a few days, ask each one of them to fill you in on how you came across. Ask them to be honest and specific.

You don’t want vague, beataround-the-bush feedback. Jot down their comments so you can compile and compare. You’ll

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

earn their respect and, likely, their cooperation.

2. Ask them some questions to clarify their perceptions. “Was I kind of defensive?

Did I seem irritated? Was I avoiding answering questions?

Did I seem smug?” You need to trigger their thinking so you can get some meat on the bones.

Depending on their comments, get them to be even more specific. “How was my body language? Did I frown or look away? Was I sarcastic?” Again, you need to dig for specific impressions.

3. Then ask them some questions about specific positive behaviors to de-

4. Take some time to reflect on what you’ve heard.

Focus on just a couple areas of feedback and write a short letter to yourself. Summarize what you’ve learned about yourself and how you are going to change. Focus more on improving specific character traits than interview techniques. You actually want to become less “difficult” as a person.

5. To put the icing on the cake, I’d suggest that you share your insights with a wise and trusted adult. This could be one of your parents, your counselor, a teacher, etc.

– ideally it would be someone who knows you well and also has some job and interviewing experience. Ask them for their impressions and advice.

Your future is bright. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:9)

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr Dec. 13 | St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Dec. 14 | T

maximize your business potential with one of mid-Michigan’s largest magazines

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CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING

Phone: 517.853.7650 | E-mail: beverett@faithcatholic.com | www.FAITHmag.com

Pass along the

COME HOLY SPIRIT Presider: Let us pray that every person within the Catholic Diocese of Lansing will come to know and love our Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way, Grow in maturity as a disciple of Christ, Become actively engaged in the full life of the Church, and joyfully utilize his or her gifts for the building up of the kingdom of God and the salvation of souls.

When you are finished with this issue of FAITH magazine, please pass it along to a neighbor or friend. Or leave it at the dentist, the doctor, the laundromat or the hairdresser. It is an easy way for you to pass along the FAITH!

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ome Holy Spirit, fill the hearts

of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Aug. 2012 - Dec. 2013

Third Sunday of Advent Dec. 16 | St. Peter Canisius, priest and doctor of the Church Dec. 21 | Fourth Sunday of Advent Dec. 23 | Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Dec. 25

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parenting journey

I don’t know how to be a good godparent

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We were asked to be godparents by some friends who are expecting a baby. We are not that close to them, so we were surprised to be asked and are not sure what our obligations would be for supporting the child in the faith. How can we “parent” spiritually?

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Since my daughter, Shannon, was away on a college internship when she celebrated her birthday this year, her godfather sent birthday wishes through Facebook! When she was a baby, we couldn’t foresee communication patterns in the 21st century. But we did know that her godparents planned to remain active in her life.

The task of the godparent is an ecclesial function. Our Catechism stresses the vocation of the godparents: “For the grace of baptism to unfold, the parents’ help is important. So too is the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized – child or adult on the road of Christian life. Their task is a truly ecclesial function (officium).” (CCC #1254) If you accept their request, then attend the baptismal preparation classes with the parents; read the books that are suggested by the facilitators. Pray for your godchild and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in your relationship. Plan joyful celebrations to mark the baptism anniversary. As time passes, have your godchild choose a favorite Scripture and pray the baptismal vows together on each anniversary. Play an active role as your godchild prepares for each sacrament. Remember that what your godchild observes in your behaviors is teaching about the faith, too!

For more details, visit tinyurl.com/parenting1212

Dr. Cathleen McGreal is a psychology professor and certified spiritual director.

Her cat has died.

She needs to move on!

conflict resolution

My sister’s cat died several months ago, but she’s still actively grieving. I think it’s time to suck it up and move on –how can I tell her she’s driving me crazy with this?

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dies, it’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your sorrow.

Talk to your sister and help her find ways to cope with her grief. She may want to reach out for help from the Delta Society, which has a list of pet

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

loss hotlines for those grieving over the death of a pet, or to her local humane society to see whether it offers a pet loss support group.

You can also ask her to write a journal or a poem of those memories of her cat that bring smiles instead of tears. And in prayer, she may want to ask the intercession of St. Francis, who loved animals and is the patron saint of our pets.

S. Kendrick

People love their pets and consider them members of their families. Animals provide companionship, acceptance, emotional support and unconditional affection during the time they share with us.

So when the beloved pet

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Why did they choose you? Baptism is not a one-day event. Instead it opens the path to a new journey in Christ. Godparents are individuals who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the growth of the godchild’s faith: “For

all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after baptism… Baptism is the source of that new life in Christ from which the entire Christian life springs forth.” (CCC #1254) Talk to your friends about their reasons for choosing you. Has your faith inspired them? Perhaps they are hoping that their child’s faith will be equally enriched. Or are

they appreciative of your support during the pregnancy? In that case they might view the role as honorary, rather than substantive. Remember, in order to be an involved godparent, you must maintain a strong relationship with the parents, too.

Dr. Gelasia Marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr Dec. 26 | Feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist Dec. 27

She

says:

He

“ Our daughter is old enough to choose her own boyfriend”

“Her boyfriend is all wrong for her – we need to step in!”

Steve says: How can Mary suggest just standing by and watching our daughter ruin her life? I don’t think that’s being a good parent – we need to tell our daughter to stop seeing this guy.

Mary says: Our daughter is seriously dating a man who is not right for her – he just doesn’t have the education and ambition he should. Steve wants us to intervene, but I think she needs to make her own decisions, even if they’re mistakes.

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What

do they do?

e could say you are both right, but that may not help much. Steve and Mary’s correct response should be somewhere in the middle.

Mary is right that living with the consequences of your actions greatly benefits the ability to differentiate self and mature.

parents felt we were ready to make a lifelong commitment to each other; but we felt we were. We still do.

It is normal for parents to want the very best for their children and selecting a spouse is certainly one of those major events in a person’s life. Your daughter has a right to select the best person who meets her needs. As parents, you have an obligation to help guide her and even suggest marriage prep through your local parish, but not to make the selection of her future spouse. You can ask questions like, “What future plans do you have as a couple?” and “How do you envision your lives together?” they are legitimate and can facilitate thought and discussion between your daughter and boyfriend.

Even if you feel this is the time for words of caution to your daughter, this is also the time to

your marriage matters support her and let her know of your love, as well as your concerns. We are reminded of the words of Mother Teresa, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Our concern is primarily with the stress you are placing on your relationship. One valuable suggestion that is often overlooked is to get some help – help from the Holy Spirit. Scripture is clear that if we ask Jesus for assistance, it will be granted so that the Father may be glorified. All we, as couples and parents, need to do is to make sure we are asking for the right thing. When we ask God to grant wisdom to our child, when we ask for the gift of patience for ourselves, when we ask for the gift of discernment of God’s will and we do it with sincerity of heart and trust, it will be granted.

Steve and Mary, you will be surprised at the power and strength your relationship will receive when the Holy Spirit becomes involved.

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On the other hand, how many of us parents feel comfortable standing by while our children walk off the proverbial cliff?

As parents of young adults, our roles are diminishing, and sometimes we are relegated to watching them fail. In many ways, it is no different than watching them fall when they were taking their first steps.

They fall, but jump back up on their feet, and even learn to run. If we catch them too often or hold them too tightly, how will they learn to stand or run?

We encourage both of you to reflect on how your parents reacted when you announced your intent to marry.

Is it possible that one parent (or set of parents) expressed doubts? Did anyone hint that, “She could do better” or “Why would he want to marry her?” Did you listen to the doubters or did it heighten your resolve to be together for life?

We remember all too well when we, as young adults, presented the idea of marriage to our folks. Our backgrounds were totally opposite and neither set of

says:

Deacon Tom Fogle and JoAnne Fogle help prepare couples for marriage.

Pass along FAITH Magazine to a friend. Visit www.FAITHmag.com to purchase a gift subscription

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ReADVENTing a calendar FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Feast of The Holy Innocents, martyrs Dec. 28 | St. Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr Dec.

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hen I was a child, I was given one of those chocolate Advent calendars. It was explained to me that each day until Christmas, I was allowed one piece of chocolate behind the perforated door. Well, after eating that first piece behind door No. 1, my eyes became fixated on door No. 2. I was tempted, taunted and tortured. If discipline and patience were the intended lessons behind the gift, I was a horrible student. Within an hour after opening the first door, my Advent calendar was reduced to a torn, spent, and empty cardboard box.

To this day, I remember my euphoria turning to sadness. The instant gratification of inhaling all 24 pieces of chocolate at once left me feeling empty – I had nothing left to look forward to. I was disappointed in myself for not having had more self-control.

And I certainly didn’t absorb any deeper understanding or appreciation of Advent.

My behavior at that moment, years ago, is emblematic of how Advent is treated every year by so many good Christians. Its intended purpose is forgotten and neglected as we busy ourselves with the “sweet stuff.” The quiet time of Advent is drowned out by the frantic noise of holiday sales and Christmas music on the airwaves a month and

Michelle DiFranco is a designer and the busy mom of two children.

a half in advance. And later, when the chaos ends and the Christmas holiday has arrived and passed, we feel a sense of regret that we didn’t commit ourselves more deeply and spiritually to preparing for Christ’s arrival.

In our minds and hearts, we all know Advent should be a time of contemplation and patience. It should be a time to prepare for the coming of our Lord and an opportunity to pray and reflect on the truth of our sacred scripture. And that is what the Advent calendar is for.

But, when I was a kid, the chocolate got in the way of the message.

So I am proposing an alternative: a fun and easy way to create your very own Advent calendar. This one is unique since it presents the Advent season as observed in the Catholic Church and focuses on a reading or meditation for the day rather than just being used as a countdown tool to Christmas. What also separates this calendar from those that are commercially bought is that it can be reused every year.

Whether you make one for yourself, family, or a friend, I hope it helps you spend a part of each day preparing for the coming of Christ our Savior.

c. 29 | Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Dec. 30 | St. Sylvester I, pope Dec. 31

Advent calendar You will need: • 1 ½ - 2 yards of twine • 25 - 27 small envelopes •2 5 - 27 mini clothespins (purchase at a craft store or online) •N umbered stamps (or stickers) • I nkpad or paint •S crap pieces of patterned paper •G lue stick or double stick tape •S cissors or craft knife • Printed Scripture or Advent reflections (can be found online) Decorate and number each envelope using patterned paper, stamps (or stickers). Be creative!

If you plan to reuse this calendar, you may want to create a few extra envelopes with additional dates, since the Advent season begins on a different date every year. Fill each envelope with printed Scripture or reflections (which correlate with that day).

There are plenty of great online Catholic sources for this, or you can grab one of those Little Blue Books for Advent from your parish. Attach each numbered envelope on the piece of twine with the

mini-clothespins. Tie a loop at each end of twine and hang finished Advent calendar on a fireplace mantle or a wall.

ANOTHER IDEA: Leave the envelopes empty so that a special prayer or petition can be written on each day of Advent and placed into the envelope as that day’s special intention.

Photography by Philip Shippert

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yourfaith in the know with Father Joe

Q

Dear Fr. Joe: I heard that Christmas is simply a pagan feast that Christians took and made about Jesus. Is that true? Does that mean Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas Day? If he wasn’t, what are we celebrating?

a

It’s a great time for these questions – with all the information out there, how do we know what’s true?

Truth be told, there is a lot of debate about the actual date of Jesus’ birth. The amount of information out there on this is pretty substantial. What I hope to do here is talk about what we celebrate on Christmas and then talk about the different theories about Dec. 25 as the date we celebrate Christ’s birth.

So – what do we celebrate on Christmas? I think a good way to think of it is this: On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that Christ was born, not necessarily the exact anniversary of that birth. Here is what we are sure of: God saw our plight and came to our rescue. He took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus came to us, fully God and fully man as a little child who had to be cared for, nurtured and protected. Just like the mystery of the Eucharist, our God became small so that we

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could be holy and close to him. What an amazing thing!

On Christmas Day, we celebrate God taking flesh and living among us: this is what we call the incarnation. The incarnation is so important to us as Catholics that we actually bow every time we mention it in the Creed. This incarnation changed everything about our human experience as Jesus entering into our lives changed the experience of our lives from simply human to divine. Here is a great quote from a Dr. Kreeft lecture called “Suffering”: God’s answer to our pain was not a philosophy, but a person. I like to see Christ as the tears of God. Instead of telling us why not to weep, he wept, and transformed human tears into divine tears. … He suffered for us not to make our sufferings go away, but to make them enter him – to make them his own. He changed not the existence, but the essence, of suffering. Not the quantity, but the quality.

This is a great and beautiful mystery that we celebrate on

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

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Is Dec. 25 really Jesus’ birthday?

Christmas Day. Beyond that, you have the incredible reality that Jesus, fully God and fully human, was able through his humanity to take on our sins and, because of his divinity, he was able to overcome them!

Why didn’t our early Christians mark the date of Christ’s birth? Honestly, marking birth dates just wasn’t important to them: I even found quotes from early Church Fathers more or less sneering at those who attempted to figure out the date. To them, (and hopefully to us!) the big thing was the fact that Christ was born and how that changed everything for us.

So, why do some people say Christ was not born on Dec. 25? Well, the Bible gives us some information, but we don’t know what to make of it. For example, Luke tells us that Jesus was born during a census, so some people have used this knowledge to try to figure out when his birth would have occurred. There are reasons why a census in winter would have been a bad idea and reasons why it would have been a good idea – but here is a key point: The Romans would not have cared whether or not it was convenient for the Jews. They simply didn’t care about such things.

Others have looked at the fact that Luke specifically mentions the priest Zachary working in the Temple at the time of Jesus birth and tried to draw a date from there. This is an exceptionally complex equation that seems to point us to October as the month for Jesus’ birth, but frankly, there is a lot of guesswork in there.

Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com Probably the strongest theories about why we picked Dec.25 as the date to celebrate the fact that God took flesh in Jesus revolves around pagan feasts. The Roman pagans had a lot of feasts around December, the most notable being the Feast of the Unconquered Sun (Invictus Sol), when they noted that Dec. 25 was the first day when the hours of sunlight were noticeably longer.

Remember, Christianity was illegal for a long time and, as a result, we got into the habit of gathering as Christians secretly when pagans were gathering for “their” feasts –it was a sound strategic move! Once Christianity became legal, Romans continued the practice of picking dates of pagan feasts to celebrate Christian ones to show their surrender to the old ways and their embracing of the truth.

This Christmas season, amidst all the hustle and bustle, we simply must pause and recognize the gift that God has given us in the birth of Christ and thank him for it.

We are so blessed to love and be loved by our God! Enjoy another day in God’s presence!

Perfect Christmas gift for the Year of Faith The gift of faith for Christmas and all year Everyday Catholics share their turning points of faith

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spiritual fitness

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FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Praying at the manger Devotions for the season

I

remember when I was a child that my father built a crèche out of balsam wood. We most often had three smaller Christmas trees that provided a backdrop for the manger. The figures were put in the last week before Christmas. For my family, it was just a custom, but Pope Benedict, in some of his Advent exhortations over the last few years, has encouraged us to put up, in a prominent place in our homes, the manger scene. The size of the crèche does not matter; the focus does! Daily prayers together could be said by the crèche. When Christmas Eve comes, some time together could be spent before the crèche thanking God for giving us his Son. Such a daily focus during Advent can help us to put Christ back in the center of the holiday season where he belongs, and can enable us to be open to the graces that God wishes to give us.

During the first three weeks of Advent, the empty crèche reminds us to clear out all that clutters and distracts us from the centrality of Christ in our personal lives. What sin most makes it difficult for Christ to find room in my life? What should I do about that this Advent?

As we place other figures in the scene in the days leading up to the great feast, think of Mary and Joseph’s concern as to how they would provide for this new life. Humanly, Joseph could provide only an empty, dirty stable. So often we have economic concerns, or other personal concerns about how to provide for those we love. Bring those needs to the stable and ask God to carry our burdens. Put your faith in Him to provide what you need.

Take time to look at the shepherds, obedient

A blessing for the Christmas tree

to the voice of the angel. They were poor, eking out an existence, unnoticed by the world, of no account to most, yet God chose to use them as the first to see Him. God’s ways are not our ways. This Advent is a good time to ask God for an increase in faith – that you might begin to see life and relationships and work from his perspective.

Take some time to look at the Wise Men, whenever you insert them into the crèche.

They gave up a lot to follow a star. The star over Bethlehem is the light of Christ himself – coming into the world for your salvation – and mine. Can you allow that light to penetrate your life so that you can see yourself more clearly in the light his presence gives you? “Be not afraid. Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

This Christmas, the Christ Child comes to you anew to save you from your sins. Rejoice!

the new life that shines in our hearts.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Just before the lights are turned on for the first time on Christmas Eve, the tree may be sprinkled with Holy Water as the following prayer is said:

Holy Lord, we come with joy to celebrate the birth of your Son, who rescued us from the darkness of sin by making the Cross a tree of life and light. May this tree, arrayed in splendor, remind us of the life-giving Cross of Christ, that we may always rejoice in

Blessing for the Christmas Crib A Blessing prayer for Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, when the Christ Child is placed in the manger.

The Crib may be sprinkled with Holy Water as the following blessing is said.

T. Gennara

Year of FAITH – Year of PRAYER

Sister Ann Shields is a renowned author and a member of the Servants of God’s Love. Questions can be addressed to Sister Ann Shields, Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

For more complete teaching: A free booklet, “Captured

by Mercy” is available by calling 1.800.282.4789.

A CD, “Captured by Mercy” is available for $10. Order by writing Renewal Ministries, Att: Laura, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. (Check payable to Renewal Ministries) “FAITH: More Precious Than Gold” by Sister Ann Shields is a free booklet. Order by calling 1.800.282.4789

manifest your love: When our need for a Savior was great, you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. To our lives He brings joy and peace, justice, mercy and love.

Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, and raise up our thought to Him, who is our Emmanuel and Savior of all, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

– From Celebrating Advent and Christmas – A Source-

O God of every nation: From the very beginning of creation you have made

book for Families, Women for Faith & Family, St. Louis, MO

For another Christmas blessing, visit www.dioceseoflansing.org

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Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful as he arrives to celebrate a Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 11 to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Mass also opened the Year of Faith.

The fundamental truth

S. Olson

Part 1 of a year-long study of the Catechism

Doug Culp is the CAO of the secretariat for pastoral life at the Diocese of Lexington, Ky. He holds an M.Div. from Mundelein Seminary in Chicago.

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P

ope Benedict XVI announced a Year of Faith from Oct. 11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013 (Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe). The goal of the initiative is conversion and to re-discover faith so that all members of the Church can become credible witnesses of truth.

The pope has asked Catholics to mark the year by studying and reflecting on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism for the purpose of deepening their faith. So for the next year, Theology 101 will help the reader do just that.

The fundamental truth The prologue to the Catechism opens with the fundamental truth that God freely created the human person to share eternal life in communion with God. In other words, the human person is by God, for God and unless we live in harmony with that for which we have been made, i.e. communion with God, then we will not have a full, properly ordered life.

But what is communion? St. Paul offers us the perfect definition in Philippians 2:2 – “to be of the same mind, the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.”

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

So the key to our happiness is to be of the same mind, love, heart and thought as the God for whom we were made. We come to know this truth by faith.

What is faith?

The Catechism (1814) explains that the freely given gift of faith is the theological virtue “by which we believe in God, in all he has said and revealed, in what Holy Church proposes for our belief, as he is truth itself.” The theological virtue of faith is the virtue by which we can recognize and know the truth.

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theology 101

Year of FAITH – Year of PRAYER Because it is a gift, there is nothing we can do to grasp it. It is beyond our power to fill the lack of truth in our lives on our own. Rather, the gift of recognizing and knowing the truth, the prerequisite for properly ordered desire, must be received.

Pope Benedict XVI captured this sense in Porta Fidei, “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received.”

Where does faith come from?

St. Paul tells us in Romans 10 that faith comes precisely from hearing the Word of God. Obviously, we must first hear the Word of God before we can believe it. But we then must believe the Word. For it is by believing, as St. Augustine teaches, that we are made obedient to God; by being obedient (from the Latin “to listen to”) to God, we live a good life; by a good life, we obtain purity of heart; and with a pure heart, we understand the things we believe.

The problem is that to the degree that there is fear in our hearts, there is no true faith in God. They are mutually exclusive realities that move in opposite directions. Faith in God leads to life while fear leads to death.

In Scripture, Hebrews 11:1 states, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Then in verse 3 we find “what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” In other words, faith enables us to move from the visible to the invisible; to move from mere dependence on our senses (immanence) to the reality of life in the Spirit (transcendence).

In contrast, fear presents false evidence and makes it appear real. The result is worry and doubt that clouds and distorts one’s vision of that which is not yet visible.

What’s more, both faith and fear come from hearing. Again, faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Fear comes from hearing that which contradicts the Word of God.

Vatican II How did the Q: Council define religious liberty

A:

The Council declared that no one should be forced to act against his or her convictions or be restrained from acting in accordance with his or her convictions in religious matters “in private or public, alone or in associations with others” by individuals, social groups or any other human power. The Declaration on Religious Liberty (Dignitas Humanae) grounds this freedom on the dignity of the human person “as known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself.” The document goes on to assert that this understanding of religious liberty must be recognized as a civil right.

Does this mean Q: there are no limits to one’s exercise of religious liberty?

A:

First and foremost, Dignitas Humanae establishes the

highest norm of human life as divine law – “eternal, objective and universal.” Because God has allowed humanity to participate in this law, everyone has first the duty and subsequently the right to “seek the truth in religious matters so that, through the use of appropriate means, he [or she] may prudently form judgments of conscience which are sincere and true.”

In addition, because the exercise of the right to religious freedom occurs in human society, its use is subject to certain regulatory norms. Like the exercise of any freedom, a person must respect the moral principle of personal and social responsibility: “in exercising their rights [individuals] and social groups are bound by the moral law to have regard for the rights of others, their own duties to others and the common good of all.”(7) Further, civil society has the right to protect itself against possible abuses committed in the name of religious liberty.

In short, the right to religious freedom is always accompanied and limited by the duties to God and neighbor – the duties that make the claims to the right of religious liberty possible.

Catechism quiz

Q:

Catholic doctrine teaches that three degrees are conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders. The episcopate, or degree of bishop, receives the fullness of the sacrament. The presbyterate, or degree of priest, is ordained to be co-workers of the bishop. Can you name the third degree?

A:

Diaconate, the degree of service.

(CCC 1569 – 1571)

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Y O U R

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from the bishop

Year of FAITH – Year of PRAYER

God’s love is the greatest gift of Christmas

W

Carlson Productions

e prepare to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

But this is more than just a birthday! We are really celebrating an incredible truth about God. We have been given the gift of knowing God. Now God, perhaps, could have let us know all this by some kind of spiritual vision into each of our hearts and minds, or, perhaps, by some prophet speaking words which came to him from God. Yet, these methods had been used already and were not enough. Instead, God chose to become manifest in our flesh. God chose to use matter, our material reality, in order to show forth the divine.

Bishop Earl Boyea is the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing.

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He did not just use tablets of stone or rock altars or burning bushes. No, this time, God sent his son, Jesus, to tell us all we need to know about God. Most of what we now know about God could not be known except by this coming of Jesus in the flesh.

First of all, we now know that God is a communion of persons. God is not an isolated being who knows nothing of relationships. In fact, now we know that God is love and love is relationship – that loving relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This now becomes for us the real model of what our relationships should be. As in the Trinity, our relationships should be between equals even when we are different; they should involve

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

the gift of our self to the other, not the use of the other. We would not know any of this about God if Jesus had not come to tell us and show us this truth. Instead, now we know what real love is.

Second, we now know that God loves us. Sure we may know that God wants us to behave in certain ways and to give glory and honor. But because God became one of us so as to die for us and thus save us from our sinfulness, we now know how much God loves us. This is not just the love of Jesus for us, since he was the one who died for us. This is also the love the Father for us, since he willed his own Son to die for us sinners, unworthy as we are. What human parent would will that for a child? Without Jesus, we might think that God is a powerful taskmaster who just expects us to obey or be destroyed.

Instead, we now know that the love in the Trinity is also a love meant for us.

Third, we now know that God does not just love our souls, but loves all that we are. Our bodies and this material world are not things to be discarded, to be ignored or to be abused.

Rather, they really are all temples, housing God’s creative power and God’s redeeming love. God sent his Son in our flesh demonstrating that God loves all that we are, wishes to redeem all that we are, and so bring all that we are into his divine love. Without Jesus, we might think that we must escape our bodies and this world or, at the other extreme, that we can do whatever we want with our bodies since they don’t matter. Instead, we now know that we are body and soul and thus valued and treasured by God. Finally, we now know that God does not want us just as individuals, but as the body of his son, Jesus. Just as God is not an isolated individual, neither are we meant to be isolated individuals.

We are meant to be one with God and one with each other. That is why Jesus established the Church to be his body – so that we might worship God together, that we might grow in holiness together, that we might love and serve one another together, and that we might help bring salvation to the entire world together. Without Jesus, we might think that it is only about God and me. Instead we know that God is a ‘we’ and that God intends us to be a ‘we’ as well.

Now, if we do not believe that Jesus is God, then all this knowledge is in vain. But if we believe that Jesus is God, that he came in the flesh more than 2,000 years ago, and that he died for our salvation, then everything must be different about us and the way we live our lives.

A Blessed Advent and Christmas to you all.

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morality everyday

Why is religious liberty Why isimportant? religious

T

liberty important?

here are at least three different concepts of religious liberty at play in American culture. None of them are the same as the Catholic understanding of religious liberty.

The first might be properly called “religious tolerance.” This view equates religious belief and practice with any other human idiosyncrasy, such as being a Yankees fan or dyeing one’s hair green. Most of us see no particular value in such commitments or actions, but are happy to tolerate such if they don’t harm others. Although most Americans are religious, the attitude that religion is simply to be tolerated is an attitude that is surprisingly and distressingly widespread.

Most Americans seem to forget that the original settlers of this country left all the comfort and familiarity of their homeland and traveled over a dangerous ocean in rickety ships to relocate on an undeveloped continent full of frightening elements. All so they could practice their faith in an unimpeded way; we might call this “the original settlers’” view. Not all of these settlers were prepared to extend religious liberty to others, but the Catholics of Maryland were, and they passed the first Toleration Act in the United States.

The view of many Founding Fathers of this country, those who identified religious liberty as our first right, agreed with Plato that

religion is vital to a democracy. Democracy cannot succeed without virtuous individuals who have good values, and religion is highly effective in promoting virtue and good values. Democracy without proper values is quickly taken over by those who violate fundamental rights. A democratic state then risks turning into a totalitarian state.

The Catholic Church has a fourth understanding of the importance of religious liberty. Pope John Paul II spoke of religious liberty as the most fundamental liberty. It is most fundamental because we are on the face of this earth to be in relationship with God; anything that curtails our ability to be in that relationship is something that truly violates our human nature.

Catholics are committed to helping non-Catholics and we often employ non-Catholics. The HHS mandate permits employers who employ only Catholics and who serve only Catholics to have the freedom of conscience to refuse to comply with policies that violate the Catholic faith, but does not extend that to those who serve or employ non-Catholics.

Yes, we should tolerate people with green hair and, yes, religion is useful for producing virtuous individuals.

But above all else, religion and a life in accord with the dictates of one’s conscience are at the heart of being.

Religious liberty is the liberty most worth fighting for; we don’t yet have to fight with weapons of destruction or try to find a more compatible place to live, but we do need to call on our leaders to uphold religious liberty and to make wise policy decisions. The stakes are very high.

Janet E. Smith holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

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yourstories my story

Helping children in the courtroom Judge Lisa Sullivan

C

linton County Probate Judge Lisa Sullivan hears cases affecting children. Most require decisions on who should care for them and how their families can provide safe, healthy environments. Some cases test her faith in humanity, while others make her heart soar. Through it all, her Catholic faith shapes and guides Judge Sullivan’s efforts to find the best long-term solution for everyone.

“The system has so much anger and fear,” she explains.

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“Usually I don’t see couples who are able to co-parent effectively. Instead, I see

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

For information about adoptions in the Diocese of Lansing, go to tinyurl.com/DOLcca. Your area Catholic Charities Agency can help you.

people at some of the most emotionally troubling times of their lives. Often these are parents who have ended their marriage and are trying to make new lives work, but they’re sabotaging relationships, telling untruths and name-calling in order to win custody of their children, or just to cause their former partner more pain.

“I talk with children caught between parents who are adults, but aren’t acting like it. These kids are under so much stress just trying to navigate their relationships with the people they love most.

“I hear cases where the state has removed

By Nancy Schertzing | Photography Photography by by Tom Tom Gennara Gennara

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Sister Attracta Kelly shields children, protects women, and helps immigrants

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How Jason helps people make end-of-life decisions Superstorm Sandy wreaks havoc – how you can help

Then he placed a little child among them; and taking the child into his arms he said ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name is welcoming me.’ (Mark 9:36-37) children from their parents’ custody. These usually involve abusive or neglectful parents and even some who let their partners abuse or exploit their children.

“Yet through all of these situations, my faith calls me to be compassionate.

Whatever they’ve done, I don’t need to be hateful or turn my back on them. Instead I try to understand where they are coming from and who they are – especially the young parents who make harmful, misguided judgments.

“Simple compassion can defuse a lot of negative feelings. When parties walk through the door, my staff and I treat them with dignity and respect. If people feel they’ve been treated fairly and respectfully, they often can move forward toward a solution that benefits everyone.

“Trying to punish all the time won’t resolve people’s anger and fear. We need to find win/win solutions for the children’s sake. If I can be even-tempered and respectful, I can usually set up a system for growth that parents can move through to repair relationships and care for their kids without further court intervention.

“In addition to compassion, my faith also calls me to empathy. I make mistakes.

Sometimes I sin. But I never feel that God would turn his back on me. There are consequences for negative actions, of course, and sometimes to protect the children I have to be tough. But if I look to Jesus’ example, I know that he loves each of the people before me and holds us all in his arms. How could I turn my back on someone and claim to live my faith?

“Despite all these situations, court isn’t always full of anger and fear! Good things also happen in my courtroom. Thirty to 50 times a year, for example, I have the honor of presiding over adoptions.

“Each year we designate the Tuesday before Thanksgiving as Adoption Day. We hang a banner on the courthouse to celebrate. Beginning at 2 p.m., families gather in the courtroom to listen to a

guest speaker, then come up one by one to share what this day means to them.

They take photos and sign the adoption papers. The local Wendy’s restaurant provides treats, and we have gifts for the adopted children and their siblings.

“The joy that fills my courtroom that day carries me through the rough times.

I get to see foster parents cementing the bond with children they had welcomed as temporary family; step-parents embracing children, both feeling so lucky to be a family; and men and women creating or expanding families through private adoptions. I celebrate them all.

“Still, I have the greatest empathy for the private adoption parents because I was one of them. Though our son is a teenager now, when I preside over these adoptions I can still feel the emotions of that day.

“It’s hard to express the joy and gratitude my husband and I felt to God and to the woman who gave birth to our child. Every day since, I have admired the strength and the love she showed in releasing him to the life we have made. In her hardest time, she stayed true to her faith and gave us happiness we would

never have known without her love.

“Even on his worst day, our son makes my life so much better than not having him at all! Knowing the joys awaiting these families makes Adoption Day so special for me.

“In addition to empathy and compassion, my faith provides trust. Like my son’s birth parents, I have to trust that God has a plan for the little lives that pass through my chambers. Then I have to release them, knowing that once their families get their lives worked out I won’t see them again.

“I only get a brief glimpse of these families at the most emotionally disruptive time of their lives. So it can be hard to make a decision, knowing I will impact them long-term. I prepare well and follow the law. Then I take a step back and review my notes, watching that I haven’t lost my objectivity. About 95 percent of the time, this is enough to make me feel confident in my decision for the children.

“For about 5 percent of the cases I add to that a special call on my faith, asking God to guide me. Then I trust that he is taking that child into his arms. That’s the time I can let go.”

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“O

ften, often

often,

goes the

Christ in the

stranger’s guise.” As Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, prioress of the Adrian Dominican Congregation, quotes this ancient Irish rune, the walls of her office seem to fall away and she is home again in County Roscommon, Ireland. “My mother used to say that to us so often as we were growing up,” she smiles.

“At 17, I knew God was calling me to the religious life, and I had dreams of becoming a ‘real missionary.’ My father balked at the idea of losing me, but my mother supported my choice.

She emphasized education and taught us to meditate and recognize God’s presence in all aspects of our daily lives so we knew we never had anything to fear.

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FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

By Nancy Schertzing | Photography by Jim Luning

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cover story

In October, Sister Attracta accepted the St. Thomas More Award from the Diocese of Lansing’s Catholic Lawyers Guild. The Guild cited her “tireless efforts to shield children from human trafficking, to protect women from violence and to advocate for immigrants in need of asylum.”

“After soul-searching, discussions with Dad and some divine intervention, I entered the Adrian Dominican Congregation. I committed my life to preaching and living the Gospel by following Jesus’ teachings on love and his example of going out to those ‘strangers’ who need love most.

“Growing up in the West of Ireland, I had never met people from other races, but I understood the viewpoint of the oppressed. My father fought for Irish independence, and he raised our consciousness about different perspectives on history and equality. He and my mother stressed that we are all equal in the eyes of God and we should

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think well of people no matter how they treated us.

“This foundation guided me as principal of St. Bede School in Montgomery, Ala., in 1969.

Assuming all applicants at the Catholic school were received with the same openness, I taught classes on racism, prejudice and integration. I learned quickly that not all people iden-

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

tified with the viewpoint of the oppressed, and this led to a difficult period of soul-searching.

“Six years later, I served a church in Louisiana with a faithfilled, theologically competent sister and priest. We went into parishioners’ homes for prayer and discussion and helped open the eyes of many who had fled New Orleans neighborhoods when African Americans moved in. What a gift to have time to listen and to help people see and come to understand these ‘strangers’ some had avoided all their lives!

“Next, our prioress sent me and three sisters to rural west Tennessee. The Civil Rights movement had barely touched this area when we arrived in 1977. Everything in local government was controlled by white citizens whose neighborhoods had fully modern sewer and roads systems. At the same time, black and poor-white neighborhoods were unpaved and residents used outhouses.

“Sister Pat Siemen and I focused on helping these men and women find their voices through an ecumenical organization we called JONAH—Just Organize Neighborhoods Area Headquarters. JONAH helped many African Americans overcome their fears and speak out against practices that kept their

communities in poverty.

“Lexington, for example, received federal funds to pave roads and install sewer lines and bathrooms in the houses of the poor sections of town. Through JONAH, community members made sure the funding actually went to the areas of need. As a result, the wife of the local director of the federally funded program circulated a petition to have Sister Pat and me expelled from town. The examples of these brave ‘strangers’ in JONAH gave us strength and courage because, despite great cost to themselves and their families, they never gave up.

“By 1986, we had organized eight rural counties, and I returned to Adrian to serve on our General Council. At that time, Salvadorans and Guatemalans sought refuge from wars that dictators were waging on their populations. The U.S. wouldn’t offer asylum, but Canada did.

Freedom House in Detroit asked the Adrian Dominican sisters to care for these refugees while they waited for their paperwork to get into Canada. We supported them with education and housing.

“Navigating the U.S. immigration and legal systems became a daily struggle on their behalf.

I decided I could help more effectively if I had a law degree, so, at 52, I entered the Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C. I graduated in 1996 and passed the bar in Maryland, then was waived into the DC bar where I became an immigration attorney.

“In 1997, my family needed me, so I returned home to Dublin and began working in a wonderful ministry with Jesuit Refugee Services. Ireland’s booming economy was attracting men

By Nancy Schertzing | Photography by Jim Luning

and women trying to escape poverty and persecution in their home countries. This rush caught Ireland and its limited trained attorneys unprepared, so I worked both within and outside government to help develop and implement new asylum policies. I advised officials at different levels of government on refugee and asylum issues and, working with nongovernmental organizations, helped Ireland establish a just policy that addresses immigrants’ needs.

“When I first returned home to Ireland, I was the ‘stranger.’

I think people heard me and wondered why they should be listening to this Yank telling them how to do things. My time in Dublin gave me back my Irish accent and a chance to reconnect with my foundation.

It also gave me the profound

Catholic Refugee Services In Lansing, St. Vincent Catholic Charities’ program offers intensive services to refugees, those seeking asylum and human trafficking victims. STVCC locates housing, provides basic household items, initial food and picks up refugees at the airport to welcome them to their new home. STVCC offers translation, access to health screenings and medical follow-up, cultural orientation, assistance in applying for necessary documents and programs funded through the U.S. Department of State, employment services, and more. Go to www.stvcc.org for more information.

experience of accompanying my family as we faced the deaths of my 23 year-old niece and my aged mother. What a gift to recognize that love is all that matters in the end.

“In 1999, I returned to direct the Immigrants Legal Assistance Project for the North Carolina Justice Center. We served thousands of low-income immigrants in North Carolina, representing them before

immigration-related agencies.

We saw heart-breaking cases of domestic violence; abused, neglected and abandoned children; victims of human trafficking and more. Their stories of resilience and faith remind me constantly of Christ’s resurrection in our world today and his message when he first appeared to the women at the tomb: ‘Do not be afraid.’

“My call as a Dominican

compels me to share their stories. When I became prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 2010, our leadership team committed itself to continuing our mission of seeking truth, speaking truth and identifying and responding to the needs of those who have no one to speak for them. We are using our resources to meet their needs as we are able – covering the basics and creating literacy centers and prayer centers to give all people a safe place to meet in community for prayer and support.

“This is what Jesus taught us to do. Love everyone. Go out especially to the strangers who have no one else to love them – the poor, rejected, the outcasts.

He went to them in love. And when we follow his teaching, we find him there – the Christ in the stranger’s guise.”

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Y O U R

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my story

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FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

By Mary Kay McCormick | Photography by Tom Gennara

How Jason helps people make end-of-life decisions

E

nd-of-life care is a confusing area for many people. Because the topic is sensitive or seems far in the future, people spend little time considering how end-of-life issues should be handled ethically. We talked with our columnist, attorney Jason Negri, about how to navigate this challenging part of life – and death.

In your work, you see how people tackle life’s most challenging ethical questions – life and death. How do you approach these sensitive topics? Most of us go about our daily business without any thought to our own mortality, but these sensitive topics are entirely appropriate within the context of estate planning, so the conversation isn’t as awkward as you might think. I approach the particular issue of end-ofFor more information life medical care by asking on the ethical questions involved in estate planning, questions that encourage my visit Jason Negri’s website at clients to go a little bit deeper www.jasonnegri.com. than the usual knee-jerk reaction of “I don’t want to be kept Catholic teaching on alive by tubes.” I ask them end-of-life issues can be explored further at tinyurl. to reflect upon thought-procom/USCCBendoflife voking statements regarding end-of-life care like the idea of burdensome medical treatment, organ donation, artificial nutrition and hydration, etc. In our follow-up conversations, we discuss these topics at length.

In the end, it is my client’s decision how he or she wants the personal documents to read and what care is or is not wanted.

These questions are meant to inspire some thoughtful reflection about issues possibly never considered.

How do people tackle ethics differently? All the issues I deal with are questions of competing goods – the efficacy of a proposed treatment versus the burden that treatment would impose; the good of self-determination versus the good of respecting life. Everyone seeks what they believe to be good, but may not have the knowledge or the tools to assess the ethics involved. I try to help them see the ethical dimensions of the issues.

What is the difference in how someone with faith tackles an ethical question vs. someone without faith?

People of faith have their ethical decisions influenced by that faith. If you believe in the Gospel of Life and the life-affirming principles it espouses, you’re going to see human life as having more than mere utilitarian value. Not that we must do everything possible to sustain life – there comes a time when most people acknowledge “enough treatment is enough” – but for those of us whose faith informs our ethics, we’re going to

respect human life as a good in itself and make our decisions accordingly.

How do you help clients deal with planning living wills?

How do you help them understand all the moral issues related to determining their end-of-life instructions?

It’s interesting, because Michigan actually does not recognize the living will. This very fact allows me to discuss the dangers inherent in those types of documents, because a living will is not a good option. Too much authority is given to the attending physician rather than those who know the person best. A living will suggests a person can predict beforehand what he or she wants done if they are in a particular condition, and it is subject to interpretation and second-guessing.

However, like most estate planning attorneys, I do have a “guidelines” section in my durable power-of-attorney for healthcare document that discusses the removal of medical care. The decision to remove medical treatment deemed burdensome or futile rests with each individual making that decision, or with his designated agent if he is unable to participate in his own decisions. I hope speaking with me will not only help my clients indicate their desires in their documents, but will prompt them to have that all-important conversation with their agent and their loved ones about their wishes.

How does your faith sustain you in your work? My faith informs what I do, both in the substance of my work with endof-life medical ethics, but also in terms of my own integrity. I make sure I charge reasonable rates, I don’t overbill even when I know I could get away with it, and I will refuse clients if I need to. I have an overriding sense of service to my clients, to the justice system and to my family. It’s my job to reconcile these separate areas, and serve my clients’ interests and needs without compromising my own standards of integrity.

In particular, I think my faith is an encouragement for me to share what I know regarding ethical standards for end of life medical treatment. I work with my clients to share my knowledge of ethics, and hope they consider the information shared as they make their decision.

Tell us about your work with the Patients Rights Council – how are you working to expand Catholic moral teaching into the public sector? The Patients Rights Council is a nonsectarian organization. It happens that our position is shared by many faiths, including the Catholic Church. So without referencing God or religious dogma, we are educating people about the issues involved in making these decisions, and working toward a society that protects those who are elderly, those who have disabilities, and those who are medically vulnerable. It’s a different way of serving the poor and marginalized, as well as affirming the dignity of human life, both of which are intrinsic to Catholic moral teaching.

To read Jason Negri’s columns on these issues, visit www.dioceseoflansing.org

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yourcommun community

things to do: Dec. 1, beginning with 9 a.m.

Mass, Holy Spirit Church in Brighton is hosting a one-day conference with Dr. Henry Russell entitled, “The Christian Origins of the Lord of the Rings.”

Tickets are advance sale only, $20 per person or $30 per family. For more information, call 810.231.9191 ext. 215 or visit www.hsrcc.net.

Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Michael Parish School will have a Christmas Bazaar, with more than 60 vendors, lunch available, as well as its cookie factory and bake sale. For information, call the school office at 517.627.2167.

Dec. 2, 4 p.m., the Advent Festival of Choirs will be hosted

by St. Mary Star of the Sea in Jackson. There is no charge, but a free will donation is accepted. For more information, contact Susan Wood at 517.787.5627.

Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m., Vigil Mass at St. Mary Parish, Flint celebrating its feast day of the Immaculate Conception followed by a potluck dinner in St. Mary Center. The meat will be provided. Everyone is invited. Please RSVP by calling the parish office at 810.232.4012.

Dec.7-8, 7:30 p.m., “The Story of Salvation” will be performed at Mt. Zion Pastoral Center, 8228 N. McKinley Rd. in Flushing. Beginning with creation and ending with Pentecost, it incorporates music, drama and comedy recounting God’s faithful love through the ages.

For more information, visit www. youthtoyouthcatholic.com/.

Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m., St. James Parish in Mason is hosting a Candle Light Remembrance for all who have lost a child at any age, regardless of when the death

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Catholic Charities

Parish Advent Activities Dec. 2, 4 p.m., St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn’s Posada/Family Night is a prayer, play, party and gathering for families, parishes and the community. Soup, sandwiches and drinks will be provided. Please RSVP by Nov. 18 to StJoesFamily@aol.com or call 517.467.2183.

Dec. 7, 7 p.m., St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor will host Advent by Candlelight in the parish hall. Women interested in attending should contact Julie at jmussio@sta2.org.

Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., St. Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing will have a Festival of Lessons and Carols Concert with combined parish choirs. For more information, contact the parish office at 517.351.7215.

Dec. 8, St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor will have a Day of Prayer and Reflection for middle school through adults with prayer experiences involving art, music, lectio divina and spiritual direction. For information, contact Jen Delvaux at 734.821.2126.

Retreat Centers Dominican Center at Marywood, 616.454.1241; links to all fall programs and online registrations are at www.dominicancenter.com/ open-programs Dec. 7 or Jan. 4, Create, Pray, Heal is bilingual in Spanish and English, cost $10 a session; Dec.

Livingston County Catholic Charities, www.livingstoncatholiccharities.org or 517.545.5944 Jan. 15-16, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., We C.A.R.E. marriage preparation class will be offered at St. Patrick Parish, Brighton. Cost $75. The class fills quickly, please register early.

St. Vincent Catholic Charities, 517.323.4734 or www.stvcc Your generosity and compassion enabled STVCC to provide help and create hope for thousands of children and families this year. To show our appreciation, please join us for our Radio Appreciation Open House on Dec. 7, 6 a.m.-10 a.m. Come enjoy a hot breakfast including eggs, sausage, coffee and more. There is no cost to you and no RSVP is required to attend. This is our opportunity to show our thanks.

Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee counties, 810.785.6911 or www.ccsgc.org Share the joy of Christmas. You can provide toys, towels, toiletries or socks for those in need at Catholic Charities’ three soup kitchens in Genesee county. For more information, call 810.785.6911 or givehope@ccsgc.org.

2, 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Advent in Art, cost $15; Dec. 12, 7 p.m., Interior Graze: An Advent Concert with Amanda Vernon, cost $7; and Dec. 19, 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m., Men’s Spirituality Breakfast – Joseph and His Son – Beyond His Wildest, cost $10.

St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main St., DeWitt,

866.669.8321 or www. stfrancis.ws/ The retreat center will host a traditional Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend April 2628, 2013. To register or for more information, visit www. wwme.org, contact Harry and Karen Porter at 888.628.7433 or email hrporterhouse@hotmail.com.

December café events Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-noon, Holy Family, Grand Blanc will have an Advent Morning of Reflection. Presenter is Janene Ternes. All are invited to reflect, relax and be refreshed as we wait for Christ’s coming. For information, contact the parish office at 810.694.4891.

Dec. 11, 7 p.m., an Advent Evening of Reflection with occurred. Parents, grandparents and siblings are invited. Bring a

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Vespers and a presentation by Bishop Boyea at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 955 Alton Rd., East Lansing; and at 9:15 p.m. a Mass and homily will be celebrated by Bishop Boyea at St. John Church and Student Center, 327 MAC Ave. in East Lansing. All are welcome. For information, contact Deacon Al Weilbaecher, 517.351.5460.

Dec. 19, 7 p.m., St. Joseph free-standing candle and photo of the child. For information, contact

Shrine in Brooklyn will have a Penance Service. For more information, call the parish office at 517.467.2183.

Rose at 517.676.9111 ext. 13 or stjameros@gmail.com.

nity St. Francis School celebrates its 60th anniversary

The children’s choir sang Hallelujah as part of the 60th anniversary Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. The eighth-graders assisted the first-graders during the Mass.

The anniversary Mass was held Oct. 4 on the feast of St. Francis. After Mass, the faculty and students gathered outdoors to bless the Peace Garden. A mosaic of St. Francis has been in the garden for 20 years, but recently a peace pole was added.

Almost 20 retired principals and teachers attended the event. After Mass, women from the parish served lunch and escorted tours through the school. – Jan Hoffbauer

2012 National Catholic Youth Ministry Awards Ronald Landfair, director of Multicultural Ministry for the Diocese of Lansing, has been selected as a 2012 national award recipient for his outstanding leadership and significant contributions to youth ministry by recognizing the gifts and influences of a multicultural Church and enabling others to share their gifts in the larger Church. He will be presented with the 2012 National Youth Ministry Award on Dec. 1 at the end of the closing liturgy of the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Bishop Boyea leads rosary at 40 Days for Life prayer vigil at abortion clinic Bishop Boyea prayed at the local 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside the Womancare abortion clinic on East Grand River Avenue in East Lansing. Bishop Boyea was warmly greeted upon arrival and was joined by more than 50 other prayer participants of all ages.

Before leading those present in the rosary, Bishop Boyea addressed the crowd of prayer warriors asking them to pray for the women considering abortion that they may not feel that abortion is their only option. He went on to thank them for their constant prayers and continuous vigil outside the Womancare abortion clinic.

40 Days for Life has become an international movement to end abortion through prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil and community outreach. More than 6,000 abortion-minded women have changed their minds and chosen life in the last five years because of 40 Days for Life campaigns.

Emmaus House – a place of discernment Dawn Hausmann, director of consecrated vocations for the Lansing Diocese, invites college-age and young professional women to join her at Emmaus House, a place for discernment across the street from St. John Church and Student Center in East Lansing.

This is an opportunity for women to walk with the Lord, see where Jesus is leading them and be open to learn what path Jesus wants them to follow.

If you have questions or for more information, contact Dawn at 517.342.2506 or dhausmann@dioceseoflansing.org or visit the diocesan website www.dioceseoflansing.org under vocations. – Jan Hoffbauer

Friends of the poor walk Walkers from St. Joseph Parish in Adrian participated in a nationwide event for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The event raised funds and food for those in need in Lenawee County.

Usually Catholic Charities in the area serves 25 families who need food three days a week, but, beginning in August, that number jumped to 800 people and remains high.

“We don’t turn anyone away. The parish is very good about supporting the food pantry,” said Denise Borkowicz, chairperson for the walk.

If your area Catholic Charities has a food pantry, please think about donating or promoting events to raise money to support it. – Jan Hoffbauer

Catholic Charities receives new equipment from Knights of Columbus Catholic Charities’ North End Soup Kitchen received a donation of more than $10,000 in equipment from the Grand Blanc Knights of Columbus Council 6742.

Catholic Charities soup kitchen programs still need additional kitchen appliances. To make a contribution or donate items, call Jon Manse at 810.785.6911 or email givehope@ccsgc. org. All gifts are tax deductible.

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29

special report

A statue of Mary stands amid the remains of homes destroyed by fire and the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the Breezy Point section of the New York borough of Queens

Superstorm Sandy wreaks havoc – how you can help Sandy, a superstorm that began as a hurricane, slammed into the East Coast of the United States Oct. 29. At least 74 people are reported dead, and millions were without power.

New York City’s transportation system, vital to residents’ lives, sustained significant damage.

Bishop Boyea released a statement via Twitter: “Please pray for all those affected by the hurricane, especially the homeless and the poor.”

At his General Audience on Oct. 31, the Holy Father prayed for those affected: “Conscious of the devastation caused by the hurricane which recently struck the East Coast of the United States of America, I offer my prayers for the victims and express my solidarity with all those engaged in the work of rebuilding.”

The president has declared a major emergency for this area, and many organizations are providing assistance.

Donations toward the relief

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efforts can be made via checks made payable to “Diocese of Lansing” and sent to: Hurricane Relief Diocese of Lansing 228 N. Walnut St. Lansing, MI 48933

Hurricane Sandy’s impact in New York From Catholic News Service The damage from the wind, rain and flooding brought by Hurricane Sandy “is almost overwhelming,” said Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.

FAITH Magazine / December 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

“We’re reaching out to parishes and getting them to directly assist those in critical need – they know their own people and their neighborhoods,” he told Catholic News Service Oct. 31.

Several Catholic agencies and religious communities have stepped forward to address the greatest needs of victims of the super storm.

“Reaching out to parishes and other communities and neighborhoods is imperative at this point,” Msgr. Sullivan explained. “The response on the parish level has been tremendous. We’re also working very, very closely with several municipal, state and private agencies, including Red Cross, to figure out the best way to respond to this disaster.”

When New York state and New York City were preparing for Sandy’s unprecedented onslaught, emergency responders had met with Msgr.

Sullivan and Catholic Charities to plan how to best utilize its resources and personnel after the storm.

“We’ve been in conversation with dozens of governmental agencies and made sure we put our staff in place.

We have a lot of social work case managers who are trained to deal with emergencies like this,” the priest said.

“They know how to get greater access to available services to those in need,” he said. “Many people suffering through disasters fall through the gaps. Our staff is in place to make sure that doesn’t happen. We found this is the best way to work with victims in this situation.”

Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey Oct. 29, caused flooding, power outages, downed trees and other calamities over a large swath of the East Coast and into the Midwest. As of Nov. 1, the U.S. death toll from the storm stood at 74 people and more than 5.6 million homes and businesses were still without power.

Cleanup and repair in New York City were going forward after the storm, but only so much could be done with more than 500,000 New Yorkers living without electricity and without the use of the nation’s largest subway system.

“The greatest need is in southern Manhattan, the Long Island shore, Far Rockaway, the Bronx, large parts of Staten Island, and large parts of Brooklyn,” said Msgr.

Sullivan. “The power outages and lack of transportation are compounding the already bad situation. These people need everything – food, shelter, clothing, communications, medical care, legal assistance – every conceivable need.

We’re doing our best.”

A chief concern for Catholic Charities is making sure that services to the people it already serves on a daily basis continues unabated especially its year-round services to the homeless, children, the

What is the ‘big picture’ at Christmas?

last word

E

very year, Christmas gives us the opportunity to set aside all the busyness of everyday living and look at the Big Picture. Christmas gives us a time of happiness and joy in so many ways. Its message is offered to all people everywhere because it is a message telling us that God is near.

We should not take that for granted, because, when you look at human history and at our contemporary world, we see much pain, suffering, anger and violence.

If we ask why this is so, we cannot fail to note that it is because God is absent – absent from the hearts and souls of too many. His presence, power and love are not found in the hearts and souls of so many men and women – His sons and daughters whom he created to receive his love and to love him in return.

The joyful Good News is that in spite of human failure and sin, God has, in the abundance of his love, come near to you and me by becoming one of us. Prior to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, perceptions of God were that he was remote, distant, angry and vindictive. The

poor, the elderly, infirmed and disabled.

“Those who needed it were evacuated to shelters to better care for them. Sometimes there were public facilities and sometimes our own in areas unaffected by Sandy,” the priest said. “Those who are most vulnerable need the most care especially those with physical and emotional challenges.

Where necessary, they are evacuated to safer situations.”

“We are coordinating by parishes, but the Holy Spirit is doing most of the coordinating,” Msgr. Sullivan said with a chuckle.

In addition to the assistance Catholic Charities is providing, he urged lay Catholics to “reach out to their neighbors on a one-to-one basis.

We are grateful for all our

Good News of Jesus Christ is that God is love itself, that he is compassionate, infinitely merciful and limitless in his kindness. Sadly there are those today who, even though they claim to be Christian, speak of God in dark and negative terms.

In wishing you a Merry Christmas, I hope that, along with that wish, you will experience the nearness of God. Doubt, disillusionment, discouragement and all such feelings are the tools of the devil. Drive them out, along with all of the other negatives that the

Prince of Darkness uses to tear you away from God’s loving presence to you.

May the peace of Christ fill your hearts and souls, that peace that comes from realizing that God is not uncaring, distant, remote, and angry. Christmas peace has the power to release you from internal anxiety and guilt, all the while filling you with the realization of God’s personal care and love for you. You are special. You are a gift from God. God the Son was born in Bethlehem and lay in the wood of a manger, later to die on the wood of a cross, in order to draw you into his love. That is the joyful Good News of Christmas.

So hold him close to you as did his mother, Mary, and, along with the Magi, seek him out and offer him not gold, frankincense and myrrh, but your love – the gift that is more precious to him than anything else and is the gift that he thought was worth dying for.

Father Charles Irvin is the founding editor of FAITH Magazine and is retired.

parishioners who are reaching out to those in need, driving neighbors to shelters and just checking up on people.”

“If they’re capable, they should volunteer at shelters.

They can make contributions and, above all, they can pray.

There’s a lot of need. There are a lot of people who are hurting especially because of the power outages.”

Msgr. Sullivan said Catholics “are concerned and those who are capable of lending a hand are doing so.” He told of a parishioner at St. Augustine in Ossining in Westchester County, north of New York City, “who is organizing other parishioners in going doorto-door to check up on their neighbors and the elderly in the town making sure they have everything they need.”

The Diocese of Lansing celebrates its 75th anniversary this year

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING

Do you recognize this parish?

If you recognize this parish, drop us a line on our Facebook page. Answer next month!

Last month’s answer: St. Joseph Shrine, Irish Hills

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31

notes:

Considering Take the religious Nun Run life? 2012 The Nun Run 2012 can help answer questions you have and provide an up-close look at religious life. Young women are invited to visit convents throughout the Diocese of Lansing to have the opportunity to talk with the sisters and other consecrated women – to ask questions, see how they live, what they do and how they pray.

Sat., Dec. 1 from 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Meet at Emmaus House, located at 320 M.A.C. Ave., East Lansing, Mich.

For more information or to register, contact: Dawn Hausmann dhausmann@dioceseoflansing.org 517.342.2506

Nun Run 2012

The deadline for registration is Fri., Nov. 23.

Visit. Learn. Discern.

Catholic Diocese of Lansing | www.dioceseoflansing.org/vocations

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