Holy Family
February 2015
Volume 19, Issue 7
Cathedral News
In this Issue: Fr. Jovita continues the discussion of Intentional Catholicism Local Artist creates Triptych for the Cathedral Parish Mardi Gras party precedes Ash Wednesday & Lent Knights of Columbus explore the history of Lent 1
SPIRITUAL AND LITURGICAL RENEWAL: MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER BY V. REV. JOVITA C. OKONKWO
Welcome dear faithful people of Holy family Cathedral Parish and School to the month of February. In this edition of our newsletter, it is my desire to continue our discussion on the pastoral initiative enunciated in the January newsletter with regard to intentional Catholicism. Let me however, first thank all of you who took part in the school auction and were present to honor Monsignor Gier who received an award of excellence for support of Catholic education. Thanks also to those who took part in the Mike Petzet fundraising dinner and Holy Family Cathedral School open house. The Month of Purification February is par excellence the month of purification. In point of fact, the name Februarius came from the Latin februus, meaning purification; named in relation to the purification ritual februa that usually comes on the 15th of the month (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. Something that should strike us about it is that the month of February usually marks the beginning of the season of Lent, the season of spiritual reform and purification. In this edition of the newsletter, I will take up one of the five initiatives that the five deacons of Holy Family and I discussed as means to attain intentionality. As a reminder, the five-pronged approach includes spiritual and liturgical renewal, ongoing communication, catechesis or religious education, effective administration, and stewardship. SPIRITUAL AND LITURGICAL RENEWAL Spirituality is the bedrock of every effort to reform lives and grow in intentionality. No one can become an intentional catholic without spiritual foundation. In fact, the reason that many Catholics are not intentional Catholics is because the pantry of their spiritual food is exceedingly bare. Spiritual renewal will lead to meaningful liturgical reform. I believe that the new translation of the Roman Missal failed to bring as much renewal in the liturgical life of the faithful as predicted because it was not preceded by a spiritual transformation of the people; so, the translation became merely a change in the words of our prayer and could not generate
the change in our attitude of prayer which was its goal. After learning the new words, we grew used to them and continued to recite them without fervor as we did the old words. Spiritually, the words rolled off like water off a duck’s back. Meaningful Spiritual Renewal A meaningful spiritual renewal for us Catholics must begin with internalizing the good news (gospel) and conversion. Jesus knew that approach and hence began his ministry with the announcement of the good news and call to conversion (Mk 1:14f). Catholics must open their hearts to receive the good news. If you want to know whether Catholics are truly people of the gospel, try asking your Catholic neighbor what he or she understands by the term gospel or good news. You would notice utter stumbling in words. The good news is simple: it is the message that God loves us so intensely that he decided to be one of us. If you like, compare it to the way your teenage son loves Justin Bieber so much that he would want to wear his haircut. The difference is that God, unlike our teenage son, knows that Justin Bieber’s haircut was less than graceful. He knows that we have adjusted to things that bring us trouble, relationships that cause us headaches, foods that sicken us, and a way of life that would lead us to decay. He comes bringing us something better. Conversion means that we must accept that our ways are not right, and that God’s ways are right. We too have the capacity to be like God in our choices because we were divinized at the incarnation of Jesus and through regeneration in the waters of Baptism. A fancy way to look at it is that we were able to gain divine attributes just as our dog would be very pleased (if endowed with consciousness) to know geometry and our cat recite Chaucer or Shakespeare. While our animals cannot gain human attributes, God graced us so we can go beyond human and become spiritual. Conversion is a spiritual experience that we gain by letting the life of Jesus diminish our humanity and mortality. When we are truly converted, we learn to trust (Continued on page 3)
Identification Statement: The Cathedral New s Issue 7 February 2015 (USP S 022-729) is published 10 x per year (monthly, except for June and July) by Holy Family Cathedral at 122 W 8th St., Tulsa OK 74119-1402. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CATHEDRAL NEWS, PO BOX 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101-3204.
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and sweet (30 minutes); I like Fr Mike’s Mass; I like the extraordinary form; I like the bells, etc.” I’ll spare myself the agony of stating what I have been told they do not like. Nor would I acquiesce to an ill-prepared and shabby celebration of the liturgy that wouldn’t give room for “full, conscious and active participation” urged by the norms of the Council (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 50). I would rather challenge Catholics to take a leap above themselves and truly enter into mystery w henever they are present at Mass. What you like is not as important as what truly gives God honor and praise. We cannot make the Mass about ourselves or what our cherry-pie society wants. Those belong to the TV-churches in town: a ride on golf carts to the Church from where you parked; being served coffee and cookies as you enter; cushioned seats for your magnanimous effort to come and worship your maker; and a pat on the back for the one hour you would have put into other beneficial uses.
V. Rev. Jovita C. Okonkwo (Continued from page 2)
Jesus, we have the hunger to be with him in prayer, we are open to the change he brings into our lives, we become spiritual seekers, no longer passive church-goers, and we become intentional Catholics awash in the sea of divine grip. Liturgical Renewal Among all creatures, only humans consciously worship. This does not simply stem from the “capax entis, capax dei” flourish. We are not just capable of being; we are truly capable of God. Only when we are able to know or be something other than ourselves can we truly appreciate and even delight in our humanity. For example, only truly spiritual people know, like God, that death is not a loss but a gain. Liturgy is an opportunity given to us to participate in the life of God. Liturgy is About God, Not Us I have heard Catholics say, “Oh, I like this Mass because of XYZ. I like the quiet Mass without singing; I like the adult Mass without children crying; I like the Mass to be quick
Practical Areas for Urgent Spiritual and Liturgical Reform! We must start with the following areas that require urgent effort to reform. • Singing and responding at Mass with greater intensity • Consciousness of how we dress for Mass (dress better than you do for work; avoid shabby and provocative dressing; be sure the children and grandchildren comply) • (All ministers) Read and serve at Mass with noble simplicity rather than show-off. • Receive the Eucharist reverently (remove your gum before entering the Church; the chewing-gum and the Eucharist do not mix well) • Respect the sacredness of the House of God (avoid turning our sacred space into a meeting forum for ongoing private conversations before and right after Mass while others are praying) Spiritual and liturgical renewal demands a humility and conversion of heart. May our Mother Mary teach us the value of obedience, resignation, and openness to God’s will so we too may bear Jesus in our hearts, and find him in our prayers and liturgical gatherings! Welcome to the Holy Season of Lent!
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Ash Wednesday Lent begins on February 18. Masses will be at 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:05 p.m. & 5:05 p.m.. All Masses will be in the Cathedral and will include the distribution of ashes. Bishop Edward J. Slattery will say the 12:05 Mass.
Fridays of Lent The new Fridays of Lent schedule includes Mass at 5:05 p.m., then Holy Hour with Rosary during the hour. Benediction will immediately follow the Holy Hour and then Stations of the Cross. All of these will conclude at 7:00. Various parish groups are planning on offering a Lenten Dinner at 7:00. Watch the bulletin for more information.
It’s not too early to plan your Summer Retreat! Join the Holy Family Cathedral Bible Study Group at beautiful Subiaco Abbey on June 12-14, 2015. The Retreat master will be Deacon Jerry Mattox. Fees are $130 for a double occupancy room and $190 for a single, and are due and payable on the day of arrival. This includes two nights lodging, six meals, and the conference room. Rooms are limited, so reserve early by contacting MaryAnne Lovell at 918-445-4480 or mlovell.4468@gmail.com.
Notes from the Knightstand: Thanks to those who worked hard in 2014 BY MARTIN REIDY
If Candlemas be fair and bright come winter have another flight; If Candlemas bring clouds and rain go winter and come not again! And so goes the English folk song regarding Candlemas and the weather - but more on that later! Alas, alack! I am afraid that Candlemas is long forgotten in these modern times - probably because we no longer burn candles for lighting though that is not the origin of the Feast of Candlemas but is rather tied into the ancient Jewish rites of Purification where at a woman presented herself in the Temple forty days following the birth of a male child to experience the Rite of Purification according to the dictum of Leviticus 12: 28 which you may refer to in your leisure time in order to further your enlightenment. There was also a time limit were the child to be a "maiden" but the Feast to which this article refers is that of the birth of Christ and the subsequent forty days of purification by Mary when she then can present herself in the Temple for the blessing of the High Priest, Simeon. Simeon prophesized Mary 's soul would be pierced by a sword in reference to the eventual Passion of Christ - but he first referred to her Son (Christ) as the Light of Revelation of the Gentiles and it is from this that is derived the Blessing of the Candles, or Candlemas, at Mass forty days after Christmas. Now, for those of you who are really, really, "old Church" the time to take down your Christmas tree and put away the manger scene is on the eve of the Feast of Candlemas! And so it is that we begin the month of purification - for that is, literally, the meaning
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of February - not only from our Christian perspective but also from an historical stand point as the Romans, for whom February was the LAST month of the year, utilized this month to "purify" all their relationships with family, friends, acquaintances - and even the dead! In other words, begin the New Year (March 1st) with a clean slate - no hard feelings, no animosities, no evil happenings to affect the coming year - as the Romans believed that such negative relationships could actually adversely affect the course of the events of the coming year. They believed that the souls of the dead could actually come back from the grave and "haunt" them were they - the dead - not treated right. So, they also had a rite of Purification to attend to this probability called the Parentalia (from whence comes our word, "parent" meaning to "bring forth") which was held from the 13th to the 21st of February, with the 21st culminating in the Feralia, or grand celebration of "carrying" to the dead their portion of grain, wine, violets and appropriate closing prayers. The Feralia was a day of celebration, a free day from all work and responsibilities and from that root we have "ferial" or "ferial day" - a term at one time could be found on every Catholic calendar and which meant that there was no designated saint or other ritual encumbrances on that day and from which comes the word "fair" for a celebratory market and in medieval times occurred on a saint's feast day. The history and development of Lent as we know it has a cloudy past as to ritual preparation for Easter though fasting appears to be a significance factor in its development. It became cohesive over the early centuries and by 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the Great - and church (Continued on page 7)
Mardi Gras & Valentine’s Day Party A Holy Family tradition continues on February 14
How to Teach Your Kids True Love: First Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. HFCS 4th Floor February 4, 2015 How do I Protect My Kids from the Media? – Ms. Katie Boudreau March 4, 2015 When is my Child Ready to Date? – Fr. Bryan Ketterer, St. Benedict Having THE Talk with your Children April 1, 2015 How do we Model Chastity in Our Marriage? – Ed and Laura Hiberger
An energetic crowd dances like they’re in New Orleans.
Ash Wednesday signals the onset of Lent. Large groups of Catholics will come to the Cathedral on February 18 to participate at Mass and receive their ashes. So begins forty days of penance and self-denial and prayer.
The event features Authentic Louisiana food, a costume contest, a silent auction, and a drawing for Romantic Couple’s package. The band Midnight Radio will be performing live music again this year.
In various places around the world, some indulge in music, dancing, and rich foods one last time before Lent begins. Begun only a few years ago, Holy Family’s Mardi Gras celebration has grown into one of the parish’s most anticipated events of the year.
Tickets may be purchased through the HFC Women’s Club members or HFC Knights of Columbus Council #10388 members. You may purchase tickets directly from Ed or Ann Owen at 918-660-6844 or 918-748-9419, or from Paul Louderback at kofc10388@hotmail.com.
The Cathedral’s annual Mardi Gras & Valentine’s Day dinner fundraiser is February 14, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It will be held in the Heiring Auditorium. The cost is $20 per person. Reservations are required.
Bad weather? Is RE cancelled?
Ms. Davis sends out updates about RE via texts. To sign up, send the message @f5fd6 to 405-880-8595. If you prefer email, send an email to f5fd6@mail.remind.com. If you wish to unsubscribe, reply with unsubscribe in the subject line.
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New Art graces Holy Family’s interior Parishioner Joseph Chavez creates Our Lady of Guadalupe Triptych BY JOSEPH CHAVEZ
Detail from the triptych: Saint Juan Diego 6
It was a tremendous honor to have been chosen by Monsignor Gregory A. Gier for this most precious commission, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. My devotion to Our Blessed Mother is one that has only grown throughout the years. I have throughout my artistic career promoted Our Lady in my art and through my faith. I have brought attention to this most significant apparition in the New World. After many meetings and discussions, I suggested a three panel folding wood screen called a triptych. I wanted to create a piece of art that would further complement our beautifully painted Gothic cathedral. I wanted the triptych to appear as if it has always been there. I studied the color palette in the stained glass windows and newly painted Stations of the Cross. I have always enjoyed a challenge and thus I went to the extreme of using early Renaissance techniques and materials. I used poplar wood, one widely used by artist at the time. The wood has to be prepared by many coats of gesso/plaster. I opted to use the marble dust and gypsum from Carrera, Italy, the same mine where Michelangelo got his marble. As a binder I used Italian rabbit skin glue. The mixture is prepared and painted onto the wood allowing each coat to dry and then sanded before applying yet another coat. I did over thirty coats on the poplar wood, to give it an almost mirror finish for the actual painting. I have always enjoyed painting with natural pigments, both organic and inorganic. Crushing the substance to a fine powder then using an oil base to make my own paints. A fellow artist friend gave me a lead to a new substance called Mayan Blue. It
is a blue dye that has been used by indigenous people in central Mexico for over two thousand years. The blue dye is precipitated into soil, the same soil from the Tepeyac countryside, and the place of Our Lady’s apparition. I did panic when the blue would not dry – days and days after application. But its results turned out to be magnificent. Our Lady’s manta (veil) shows the satin like quality of her radiance. The Aztecs were polytheistic and used human sacrifices for their many gods. In one year, it was common to sacrifice 20,000 men, women, and children. In fact one of every five children would end up being sacrificed. It was in 1487 that the most horrific of rituals ended up with over 80,000 men sacrificed over a four day, four night event as they constantly beat giant drums covered in snakeskin. They were sacrificed to their snake god with blood streaming down like a river from atop one of their pyramids. The Virgin Mary crushed the serpent as written in the Bible in the Book of Genesis, “a woman shall crush your head.” Twenty years after her apparition over 20 million Aztecs were converted to Catholicism. The panel on the left depicts Juan Diego, a humble owner of a small plot of land where he grew the cactus that was beaten into fibers and used to weave cloth to be used by the lower class. Cotton garments and sandals were used only by society’s elite. Walking barefooted through the hills, he would leave at early dawn, walking over ten miles in time for Mass, where afterwards he would remain for religious classes to improve his faith. He converted and was baptized at age 50. Juan Diego was his Christian name. His wife Maria Lucia passed away shortly after her conversion (Continued on page 7)
Continued: Notes from the Knightstand (Continued from page 4)
reformer - moved the beginning of Lent to Ash Wednesday from the previous Sunday, instituted the practice of the anointing of all Christians with ashes and not just the catechumens preparing for baptism and those in the state of serious sin, and made Sunday a feast day. But be glad that you did not live in those days as the fasting was rigorous until the 800's you were allowed only water for 40 days! This changed at that time to being allowed to eat something after 3 p.m., and by the 1400's you only had to wait until noon! However, it was during the 800's that meat was disallowed except on Sunday - and so remained until 1966. (There were exceptions: In Oklahoma St. Patrick's Day was a feast day, thus no Lenten obligation and no school!)
Well, enough of history and etymology and to move onto final thoughts: We share in the ancient practice of February forgiveness by our Lenten preparation for Easter which, in a sense, is for us a "new year, a new time". Many of our rituals and customs are amalgamations derived from both our Jewish and nonChristian past though these have been lost in the passing of time and are now decidedly Christian in meaning and character. And, now, allow me if you would my February moment of forgiveness to Deacon Tom Gorman for failing to mention the turkey drive, the pie contributors from the Women's Club, and failing to note that Msgr. Gier was selected to be Knight of the Year in last month's column (though brevity of space contributed to this omission).( A thought: You may wish to stop by Monsignor's office and view his award - and you just may
be receptive of a glass of Solera 1847 Cream Sherry...- if there is any left! It was part of the award!)
time of her appearance. The third panel shows the bewilderment of the skeptic Bishop Zamarraga when presented with the celestial sign he requested. Having heard Juan Diego's narrative, the bishop had dismissed him twice, and finally asking for a sign to substantiate his story. To his surprise, in the dead of winter he brought him his tilma/cloak filled with the radiant, fragrant roses of his native Castile, Spain. His proof was acknowledged. I was able to research 16th Century Advent vestments and monstrance to further accurately document the scenario. He gave his uncle his meager belongings and moved into a small room at the Bishop's palace to document his sightings and her words for all of us to believe. It was over 450 years after her appearance that Pope John Paul ll canonized Juan Diego on July 31,
2002. l delivered the triptych to Holy Family Cathedral on December 22, 2014 with her most admired declaration in my heart, "am I not here, who am your Mother?" And thus l have created this triptych with my God given talent for the faithful and devoted in prayer to Our Lady, Virgin Holy Queen, Holy Mary, mother of our Lord, Our Mother and protectress of all unborn children, patroness of the Americas! Our Lady of Guadalupe. With the humility of Juan Diego, with the sorrowful grateful tears of Bishop Zamarraga, and with nurtured faith by my grandparents, Nabor & Maria Chavez, I humbly present to you this work of art for the glory and honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Holy Mother, ever Virgin Mary.
And finally this: An easy way to remember Candlemas? Simple! It is the same day that Punxsutawney Phil predicts the continuing winter weather - by or by not his shadow! In other words Candlemas and Groundhog Day are on the same day - February 2nd! See you all at Mardi Gras on Valentine's Day! (Now that's an easy one: Saturday, February 14th!) Pax!
Continued: New Art (Continued from page 6)
and baptism. Seven years later was the first miracle apparition. I tried to capture the surprise, the astonishment, the gratitude of seeing such a beautiful apparition. He documented his thoughts, thinking he had died and had crossed into Heaven. The surroundings were gleaming in radiant colors, the cactus sparkling. She called him by name and made her request. The middle panel depicts our glorious Lady on the hillside. Her benevolent radiance creates an unending aurora of love. She wears a gown depicting some of the Aztec symbols of motherhood along with the black maternity belt used at the time. The Aztec priests would also sacrifice pregnant women. Her satin manta/veil shows the exact placement of the stars in our constellation at the
Viva! Our Lady of Guadalupe! Viva! 7
Holy Family Cathedral PO Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 Return Service Requested
Upcoming Activities and Events Bible Study meets Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Halpine Room. Deacon Jerry Mattox leads a study of one book of the Bible at a time, exploring it in context and in depth. Dinner & a Movie: On the first Friday of the month, the Knights of Columbus sponsor a monthly pot luck dinner and the showing of a full length Catholic or Christian movie. The pot luck dinner starts around 6:30 p.m. and the movie begins around 7 p.m. Working on your taxes? If you w ould lik e a statement of your 2014 contributions to Holy Family, please call the Parish Office, 918-5826247.
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Cathedral Youth (7th-12th grades) will be doing a service project at Catholic Charities on Tuesday, February 10 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Also, on Thursdays of Lent, we will begin Saints Alive!, something new that includes praying, eating pizza, and studying the life of a different saint each week - all in the Auditorium from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 19 & 26, Mar. 5, 12 & 26. Parents are welcome to either event, but must be covered volunteers. RSVP to Mike Malcom, 918-8100652 or mikemalcom@gmail.com. The annual Women’s Club Garage Sale will take place next Spring. The Cathedral Women’s Club is collecting items for the
garage sale. Contact Ann Owen, 918-7489419, or Helga Gorman, 918-636-0860 to arrange pickup. Retrouvaille helps spouses unc over or reawaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together. The program is highly successful in saving hurting marriages, even bringing reconciliation to couples who have already separated or divorced. For confidential information about or to register for the Retrouvaille of Tulsa program beginning February 13-15, call 918695-7010 or visit the website at www.helpourmarriage.com