Bayou Catholic Magazine December 2020 by Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

INSIDE:

Bayou

Christmas

Catholic

The official magazine of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Joy to the World To us a Savior is born DECEMBER 2020 ~ VOL. 41 NO. 4 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

Contents

Columns 8 Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Pope Speaks

Pope Francis I

Readings Between the Lines

By Father Glenn LeCompte

Reading With Raymond

By Raymond Saadi

33 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 16 Scripture Readings 22 Heavenly Recipes 23 Daily Prayer for Priests,

Deacons and Seminarians

Youth In Action

Guest Column 43 Symbols of Christmas

By Father Michael Bergeron

Announcements 26 Wedding anniversary celebrations 32 Local priest receives missionary award 35 Christmas Mass and confession times 40 Catholic Charities and Santa’s Helpers On Our Cover On our cover … The first nativity scene was constructed by St. Francis in the year 1223. His nativity, however, consisted of live animals, people and a real baby. Jesus was actually born in a cave, and the manger (which was a feeding trough) was probably carved from the rock. There is Christ in Christmas everywhere. Father Michael Bergeron writes about the symbols of Christmas in this month’s issue. See pages 43-46. December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 3

Special Collection for Diocesan Priests Retirement Fund December 12 and 13, 2020

â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the weekend of December 12 and December 13, I pray that everyone will support the collection for the retired priests of the diocese.â&#x20AC;? Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Bayou Catholic Heavenly Recipes

How to reach us: BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132

18Janet Eschete

BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395 BY FAX: (985) 850-3232 BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org

The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription rate is $35 per year.

Janet makes a:

CRANBERRY MOLD 22

When one thinks of cranberry sauce and the holidays, it’s ot uncommon to think of a burgundy colored blob of jell on dish in the shape of a tin can that tastes as bad as it looks. he following recipe will change your mind about cranberry auce forever. This month’s heavenly recipe, cranberry mold with pecans, omes from Janet Eschete, receptionist for the Diocese Houma-Thibodaux at the Pastoral Center. Janet has erved as receptionist for the past five years. Prior to that he worked in the Office of Finance and Accounting for 35 ears. She celebrated her 40th anniversary with the diocese n March of this year. Janet, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Francis e Sales parish in Houma, says her cranberry mold is popular addition to a holiday meal. “I received the ecipe from a friend in the late 1970s. It has been a art of our meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas ver since. This particular recipe is easy because ou can prepare it a day or two early. My family lways asks for it. My father enjoyed it very much. can also be used as a dessert. I usually prepare for office gatherings. My coworkers enjoy it and ave come to expect it during our gatherings for

The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association.

Cranberry Mold with Pecans

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

April LeBouef

business manager

INGREDIENTS:

Janet Marcel 1-6 oz. pkg. Jell-O (cherry, raspberry or strawberry) staff writer/administrative assistant 1-1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup sugar Lisa Schobel Hebert 1/2 cup pineapple juice graphic designer 1-1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained Meridy Liner 1 cup chopped pecans accounts receivable/payable assistant 1 can jelled cranberry sauce, mashed 1 packet of gelatin, unflavored

DIRECTIONS: Dissolve Jell-O and gelatin in boiling water. Add sugar and blend well, then add in mashed Likecranberry us on Facebook sauce. Add all other ingredients, mix well and pour or in mold. Refrigerate until set and unmold on Find tray.us on the web Notes: Can be prepared a couple ofwww.bayoucatholic.org days before needed. Bundt pan can also be used as a mold. Nuts can also be ground. One can of whole cranberries Where to find yourcan Bayou Catholic Bayou magazine be used or half of each. One half cup of Catholic sugar may be can be found at all enough. Sugar free Jell-O can also beCatholic used. churches Do not and useCatholic schools throughout the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. juice of canned pineapple. To pick up a copy, you may also visit the

merchants who advertise in our issue. Those wishing to receive the magazine by mail can call Janet Marcel at (985) 850-3132 or write to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.com

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 5

her spiritual life at the Pastoral

From the Editor

2020: What a year!

Here we are in December 2020. What a long, difficult year it has been. The year got off to a pretty normal start with New Year’s celebrations and Mardi Gras following. It was shortly after Mardi Gras that things began to go downhill quickly with the news of a deadly virus coming out of China that was very contagious. The damage was already done. Crowds of people traveling to New Orleans and South Louisiana from all parts of the world were carrying the virus and spreading it all across Southern Louisiana. Soon, we were part of a nation-wide lockdown. Millions of Americans were out of work; students finished the school year through distance learning. Our churches were closed. Pastors got creative and began livestreaming Sunday Masses. Social media became the predominant way to communicate in parish life. We were experiencing a new normal, and were part of a global pandemic that would change our lives for the remainder of the year. It’s likely that we will still be battling the pandemic through 2021. This was a summer of protests in many streets in America. The protests began the day after George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man was killed during an arrest where Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as three other officers looked on and prevented passers-by from intervening. Local protests began in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota before quickly spreading nationwide to over 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries in support of the

Black Lives Matter movement. It is estimated that between 15 and 26 million people participated at some point in the demonstrations in the United States, making the protests the largest in U.S. history. Protesters gathered for months in an effort to call out those within law enforcement to change the way people of color are treated in this country. It is to be one of the largest protest efforts of antiracism from coast to coast. The year 2020 was not short on natural disasters either. While we were experiencing an overactive Atlantic hurricane season, out west there were record-setting wildfires. The Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires. Severe August thunderstorms ignited numerous wildfires across California, Oregon and Washington, followed in early September by additional ignitions across the West Coast. Fanned by strong, gusty winds and fueled by hot, dry terrains, many of the fires exploded into record-breaking mega fires, burning more than 8.2 million acres of land, mobilizing tens of thousands of firefighters, razing over 10,000 buildings, and killing at least 37 people. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has been the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. It is an ongoing season featuring tropical formations at a record-breaking rate. So far, there have been a total of 31 tropical or subtropical cyclones, 30 named storms, 13 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. It is also the second tropical cyclone season to feature the Greek alphabet to name storms. Of the 30 named storms, 12 made landfall in the United States, breaking the record of nine set in 1916. In addition, the season is the first to see seven named tropical cyclones make landfall in the continental United States before September. During the season, 27 tropical storms have broken the record for the earliest formation by storm number. It has been the fifth consecutive above average

6 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

season, from 2016 onward. At one point or another, Cristobal, Marco, Laura, Sally, Beta and Delta all had forecasted tracks that included Louisiana. Lake Charles took the hardest hit in Louisiana when Hurricane Laura made landfall in the southwestern part of the state as a Category 4 hurricane. Autumn 2020 brought a national election. The United States of America isn’t looking very united these days. We are living in a sharply divided country along political lines of conservatives and liberals. Our country has become so divided that it has even begun to take its toll on families who have members with opposing views. Even during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, politics plays into how we think, act and respond to the virus. We can’t even agree on wearing a mask for protection, social distancing and large group gatherings. More than ever we need to hear the Good News of the Advent season and the preparation for Jesus’ second coming. More than ever we need the Good News of the Christmas season with the birth of the child Jesus. We are in desperate need of peace on Earth and goodwill toward all people. It’s a longstanding prayer of hope during a time where there seems to be little hope. God gave us his son so that there would be peace on Earth. He sent his son to be an example for all. Let us take time this season of Advent and Christmas to reflect on what it means to be a child of God. Ask yourself, “What can I do to bring about peace in a world that is swimming in turmoil?” Remember, after reading Bayou Catholic, pass it on to a friend or relative who might not be attending Mass. It’s one of the great ways to do your part in spreading the Good News. BC

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Catholic Schools

St. Genevieve Catholic School has new media center Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Bishop Shelton J. Fabre recently blessed and dedicated a new media center on the campus of St. Genevieve Catholic School in Thibodaux. Cheryl Thibodaux, principal of the school since the 2019-20 school year, says the funds for the new building were raised through a capital campaign. “We are truly blessed to have such generous donors that assist us in living out the mission of St. Genevieve Catholic School,” she adds. Construction began in June 2019 on the new four-room, 5,953 square foot building. The media center, which consists of a new band room, computer lab, library and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Lab, was completed in April 2020. Thibodaux explains that the new band room will provide a permanent location for the school’s music education program. The new computer lab houses 30 computers in a spacious environment. The new library will afford the school an opportunity to expand its book selection, as well as address future technology needs. And, the new STEM lab will provide an extra space for students to participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities. BC December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 7

Comment

The season of Advent has much to tell and teach Comfort For My People Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Greetings in this holy season of Advent!!! With the beginning of the season of Advent we embark upon a new Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Year is the structured format that Roman Catholic Church undertakes in accepting the challenge to reflect upon and to live the reality of God’s love in our lives. Advent means coming or arrival, and the season of Advent invites us to reflect on the coming or the arrival of Jesus Christ to us in two ways. First, the season of Advent invites us to pray and reflect on the fact that Jesus will come again at the end of time. Therefore, the liturgies of the beginning of Advent are filled with readings about the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time. However, on Dec. 17, the second focus of Advent emerges. The second focus of Advent shifts our reflection and prayer to preparing to celebrate again during the Christmas season the first coming of Jesus in his historical birth at Bethlehem. Each season of the Liturgical Year has its own unique character that is supported by the readings and prayers of the different celebrations that are a part of it. In my opinion, the character that is given to the season of Advent by its prayers and readings are among the most hope-filled images found in the Liturgical Year. Some of the most beautiful images in Scripture are found in the prophecy of Isaiah, and some of the most powerful of these images have become heralds and hallmarks of the season of Advent.

The readings from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that will be used during the liturgies of Advent will provide us again with great reflection themes during this season of preparation and anticipation. They are images of the peace that God has promised to us when the Kingdom of God is fully established. Some of these promises are partially available to us now, but they will all be fully available when Jesus Christ comes again in his glory. So I encourage you to stay with the season of Advent during its very short time span, and I encourage you not to surrender too quickly in prayer and anticipation to the arrival of the joy of the Christmas season. The season of Advent has much to tell and to teach those who will be faithful to its call and character. Advent is one of my favorite liturgical seasons. In Advent, I find great joy and hope in the promises that God has made to us. At this stage in my life, I much prefer colder weather to warmer weather, and this probably makes me more open to the Advent season! I remember speaking to my Dad in his older age and sharing with him my preference for cold weather over warm

8 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

weather. He jokingly told me that when I got older and the cold began to more so affect me in my bones, he could see me preferring the warmer weather over the colder weather, just as he had done. Well, that has not happened yet, but I still remember my Dad’s sage advice in this regard. The end of the month of December ushers in the joy of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the entire Christmas season. As I have said before, Christmas is the most sentimentally significant celebration of the church’s liturgical year, and Easter is the most spiritually and theologically significant season of the church’s year. Christmas invites us to rejoice in the Child born at Bethlehem, who is the “Emmanuel,” or “God with us.” In these days as we continue to deal with COVID-19 and the effects that it may have upon the size of our family and other gatherings during this Christmas, I pray that we will nonetheless sense the nearness of the Lord who was born for us at Bethlehem. Along with many of you, I am ready for the celebration of a New Year that will happen on Jan. 1. The year 2020 has been a very difficult year for many reasons, but the New Year 2021 will bring the promise of new hope and new resolve to overcome together the challenges that we face as a church, as a nation, and in the world. I do not usually stay up on New Year’s Eve, but this year I will be doing so. As many have stated, I want to see 2020 gone, and welcome with prayer and hope the year 2021. As we enter into Advent, followed by celebrating with joy Christmas Day and the Christmas season, and then prepare to welcome a New Year, let us do so with trust in the Lord our God. Blessings on your Advent season, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!! BC

Comentario

El tiempo de Adviento tiene mucho que decir y enseñar ¡Saludos en esta santo tiempo del Adviento! Con el inicio del tiempo de Adviento, nos embarcamos al nuevo Año Litúrgico. El Año Litúrgico es el formato estructurado que toma la Iglesia Católica Romana al aceptar el desafío de reflejar y vivir la realidad del amor de Dios en nuestras vidas. Adviento significa venida o llegada, y el tiempo de Adviento nos invita a reflexionar sobre la venida o llegada de Jesucristo a nosotros en dos maneras. Primero, el tiempo de Adviento nos invita a orar y reflexionar sobre el hecho de que Jesús vendrá de nuevo al final de los tiempos. Por lo tanto, las liturgias al principio del Adviento están llenas de lecturas acerca de la segunda venida de Jesucristo al final de los tiempos. Sin embargo, el 17 de diciembre, el segundo enfoque de Adviento emerge. El segundo enfoque del Adviento torna nuestra reflexión y oración a prepararse para celebrar otra vez durante el tiempo de Navidad la primera llegada de Jesús en su nacimiento histórico en Belén. Cada tiempo del Año Litúrgico tiene su propio y único carácter que es sostenido por las lecturas y oraciones de las diferentes celebraciones que son parte de este. En mi opinión, el carácter que es dado en el tiempo de Adviento por sus oraciones y lecturas es el que está más lleno de imágenes de esperanza encontrados en el Año Litúrgico. Algunas de las más bellas imágenes de las Escrituras son encontradas en la profecía de Isaías, y algunas de las más poderosas de estas imágenes han llegado a ser heraldos y símbolos del tiempo de Adviento. Las lecturas del libro del Profeta Isaías que serán usadas durante las liturgias de Adviento nos darán de nuevo temas de gran reflexión durante este tiempo de preparación y anticipación. Estas son imágenes de paz que Dios nos ha prometido cuando el Reino de Dios se establezca totalmente. Algunas de estas promesas están parcialmente disponibles para nosotros ahora, pero ellas estarán totalmente a

nuestra disposición cuando Jesucristo venga de nuevo en su gloria. Por lo que los animo a mantenerse en el tiempo de Adviento durante su breve periodo, y los animo a no rendirse pronto en la oración y anticipación de la llegada de la alegría del tiempo Navideño. El tiempo de Adviento tiene mucho que decir y enseñar a aquellos quienes serán fieles a su llamado y carácter. El Adviento es uno de mis tiempos litúrgicos favoritos. En Adviento, encuentro gran alegría y esperanza en las promesas que Dios nos hace. En esta etapa de mi vida, prefiero el clima más frío que el clima caliente, y esto probablemente me hace estar más abierto al tiempo del Adviento. Recuerdo conversar con mi papá en su edad mayor y compartir con él mi preferencia por el clima frío al caliente. Graciosamente me dijo, que cuando me hiciera más viejo y el frío empezara a afectarme mis huesos, podría verme que preferiría el clima más cálido al clima frío, así como a él le había pasado. Bueno, eso todavía no ha pasado, pero sigo recordando el consejo sabio de mi papá respecto a eso. El fin del mes de Diciembre recibe con alegría las Vísperas de Navidad, el día de Navidad, y toda la estación de Navidad. Como dije antes, Navidad es la celebración más significante sentimentalmente del año litúrgico

10 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

de la Iglesia, y Pascua es el tiempo más significante espiritualmente y teológicamente del año de la Iglesia. Navidad nos invita a alegrarnos en el Niño recién nacido en Belén, quien es el “Emanuel” o “Dios con nosotros”. En estos días al continuar lidiando con el COVID-19 y los efectos que quizás han alcanzado nuestras familias y otras reuniones durante esta Navidad, rezo para que, no obstante, sintamos la cercanía del Señor que nació para nosotros en Belén. Junto con muchos de ustedes, estoy listo para la celebración del Año Nuevo que será el 1 de Enero. El año 2020 ha sido muy difícil por muchas razones, pero el Año Nuevo 2021 traerá la promesa de nueva esperanza para vencer juntos los desafíos que enfrentamos como Iglesia, como nación, y en el mundo. Usualmente no estoy despierto en las vísperas del Año Nuevo, este año lo haré. Como muchos han dicho, quiero ver que se fue el 2020 y recibir con oración y esperanza el año 2021. Al entrar en el Adviento, le sigue la celebración gozosa del día de Navidad y la estación de Navidad, después nos preparamos para recibir el Año Nuevo, hagamos esto con confianza en el Señor nuestro Dios. ¡Bendiciones en tu tiempo de Adviento, Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo! BC

Binh luan bang loi

Mùa Vọng Có Nhiều Lời Hay và Hướng Dẫn Lời chào thân ái gửi anh chị em trong Mùa Vọng!!! Khởi đầu Mùa Vọng chúng ta hành trình đức tin vào năm phụng vụ mới. Năm phụng vụ được xếp đặt chiếu theo Giáo Hội Công Giáo Rôma giúp ta quyết tâm chấp nhận mọi thử thách và suy tư để sống trọn vẹn thực tại mà tình yêu Chúa dành cho chúng ta. Mùa vọng có nghĩa là sự khởi sự hay đến, và Mùa Vọng mời gọi chúng ta suy tư về ngày Chúa Giêsu đến với chúng ta qua hai cách. Thứ nhất, Mùa Vọng mời gọi chúng ta cầu nguyện and suy tư một điều chắc chắn là Chúa Giêsu lại đến trong ngày tận cùng. Bởi thế, phụng vụ Thánh Thể khời đầu Mùa Vọng có nhiều bài đọc nói về Chúa Giêsu sẽ đến lần hai trong ngày tận thế. Tuy nhiên, ngày 17 tháng 12 mục đích thứ hai Mùa Vọng sẽ lộ rõ. Mục đích thứ hai đó là định hướng suy tư và cầu nguyện để chuẩn bị mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh mà lần đầu tiên Ngài xuống thế tại Bê-Lem mà lịch sử đã ghi rõ. Mỗi năm phụng vụ có ý nghĩa riêng mà nó được xếp đặt qua các bài đọc, lời nguyện của mỗi Thánh Lễ đã được chuẩn bị kỹ. Theo ý tôi, ý chỉ của mỗi Mùa Vọng mà các lời nguyện cùng càc bài đọc đó mang lại nhiều hình ảnh sống động tìm được trong năm phụng vụ. Một trong vài hình ảnh sống động trong kinh thánh được ghi chép trong sách tiên tri Isaiah, và một vài hình ảnh sống động khác trở thành tiếng nói và dấu chỉ của Mùa Vọng. Những bài đọc lấy từ sách tiên tri Isaiah dùng cho các Thánh Lễ Mùa Vọng một lần nữa cho chúng ta cơ hội lớn suy tư về các đề tài chuẩn bị đón chờ và sẵn sàng đón Chúa. Các đề tài đó là bình an mà Chúa đã thề hứa với chúng ta khi nước Chúa được hoàn tất. Một vài lời hứa đã được thực hiện trong lúc này, nhưng mọi thứ sẽ được đáp ứng khi Chúa Giêsu trở lại trong vinh quang. Vì thế tôi khuyến khích anh chị em tham gia tích cực trong Mùa Vọng ngắn ngủi này, và tôi khuyến

khích anh chị em đừng lơ là trong kinh nguyện và hân hoan mong đợi ôm ấp mùa Giáng sinh. Mùa Vọng có nhiều điều hay và khuyên bảo cho những ai sẽ trung thành trong ơn gọi của mình. Mùa Vọng là một trong những mùa phụng vụ mà tôi mến. Trong Mùa Vọng, tôi tìm được hân hoan và hy vọng lớn lao trong lời hứa mà Chúa đã dành cho chúng ta. Tới thời điểm này trong đời, tôi chọn thời tiết lạnh hơn ấm, và có lẽ vì thế tôi mở lòng đón nhận Mùa Vọng! Nhớ lại câu chuyện với Cố tôi khi ngài đã về già và tôi đã chia sẻ với Cố là tôi thích thời tiết lạnh hơn nóng. Ông Cố ghẹo và nói với tôi khi về già thời tiết lạnh sẽ ảnh hưởng xương cốt nhiều hơn, nên Cố nhìn ra được tôi sẽ chọn thời tiết ấm thay vì lạnh, như Cố đã có kinh nghiệm. Tạm thời điều đó chưa ứng nghiệm nhưng tôi vẫn nhớ tới lời khuyên hay trong vấn đề này. Cuối tháng 12 là bước vào ngày Lễ Vọng Giáng sinh, ngày Giáng sinh và Mùa Giáng sinh. Như tôi đã nói Giáng

sinh là ngày Lễ mang nhiều cảm súc trong năm phụng vụ, và Phục sinh là ngày Lễ mang đậm ý nghĩa thần học. Giáng sinh mời gọi chúng ta vui mừng trong Chúa Hài Nhi nơi Bê Lem, Ngài là “Emmanuel,” hay “Chúa ở với chúng ta.” Cùng với anh chị em, tôi sẵn sàng mừng Năm Mới vào ngày 1 tháng giêng. Năm 2020 là năm có nhiều thử thách, nhưng năm 2021 sẽ mang lại nhiều hứa hẹn mới và sẽ mang lại lối thoát để chúng ta cùng giải quyết xảy ra trong Giáo Hội, quốc gia và thế giới. Tôi thường đi ngủ sớm tối giao thừa, nhưng năm nay tôi thức khuya hơn. Như anh chị em đã nói, tôi muốn năm 2020 qua đi, và đón mừng năm mới với nguyện xin và hy vọng cho năm 2021. Chuẩn bị Mùa Vọng tốt dẫn đến ngày Giáng sinh và Mùa Giáng sinh vui mừng, và rồi chuẩn bị đón Năm Mới, chúng ta cùng làm chuyện đó với niềm tin vào Chúa. Chúc lành đến với anh chị em Mùa Vọng, Mừng Chúa Giáng sinh, và Năm Mới vui vẻ. BC

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 11

Comment

Pope Francis: Consistent prayer strengthens us in times of tribulation The Pope Speaks

Vatican City, (CNA) Jesus teaches us that we must be consistent in our prayer, Pope Francis said at the general audience recently. Speaking in the library of the Apostolic Palace, the pope described prayer as an “art” that must be “practiced insistently.” “We are all capable of sporadic prayers, which arise from a momentary emotion; but Jesus educates us in another type of prayer: the one that knows a discipline, an exercise, assumed within a rule of life,” he said. “Consistent prayer produces progressive transformation, makes us strong in times of tribulation, gives us the grace to be supported by Him who loves us and always protects us.” The audience was the first since August without members of the public present. The Vatican decided to hold the pope’s weekly catechesis behind closed doors amid a rising number of coronavirus cases in Italy and after at least one person attending the pope’s Oct. 21 audience was discovered to have been positive for COVID-19. Addressing pilgrims via livestream, the pope said: “Unfortunately, we’ve had to return to holding this audience in the library, to defend ourselves against contagion from COVID.” “This also teaches us that we must be very attentive to the prescriptions of the authorities, both political authorities and health authorities, to defend ourselves against this pandemic.” He continued: “Let us offer to the Lord this distance between us, for the

good of all, and let us think, let us think a lot about the sick, about those who are already marginalized when they enter hospital. Let us think of the doctors, the nurses, the volunteers, the many people who work with the sick at this time. They risk their lives but they do so out of love, love of neighbor, as a vocation. Let us pray for them.” In his address, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on prayer, which he began in May and resumed in October after a series of audiences devoted to the coronavirus crisis beginning in August. The pope observed that Jesus’ public life was sustained by solitary prayer. “There is, therefore, a secret in Jesus’ life, hidden from human eyes, which is the fulcrum of everything else. Jesus’ prayer is a mysterious reality, of which we have a slight intuition, but which allows us to interpret His entire mission from the right perspective,” he said. He recalled an episode in the town of Capernaum, recorded in Mark 1:35-38, when Jesus spent an evening healing the sick. In the morning, he rose early and withdrew to a deserted place to pray. When his disciples found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you,” to which Jesus replied, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” The pope commented: “Prayer was the rudder that guides Jesus’ course. It was not success, it was not consensus, it was not the seductive phrase ‘Everyone is searching for you,’ that dictated the stages of His mission.” He said that Jesus’ example revealed four essential characteristics of Christian prayer. First, Jesus shows that prayer must come before all else. He said: “First and foremost, it possesses primacy: it is the first desire of the day, something that is practiced at dawn, before the world awakens. It restores a soul to that which otherwise

12 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

would be without breath. A day lived without prayer risks being transformed into a bothersome or tedious experience: all that happens to us could turn into a badly endured and blind fate.” When we put prayer first, daily trials turn into opportunities to grow in faith and charity, he explained. “Prayer has the power to transform into good what in life could otherwise be condemnation; prayer has the power to open the mind and broaden the heart to a great horizon,” he said. Second, Jesus shows the importance of persistence in prayer. Third, Christ prayed in solitude, indicating that we should also retreat daily to “deserted places” to pray. “There, in silence, many voices can emerge that we hide in our innermost selves: the most repressed desires, the truths that we insist on suffocating, and so on. And, above all, in silence God speaks,” he said. “Every person needs a space for himor herself, to be able to cultivate the inner life, where actions find meaning. Without the inner life we become superficial, agitated, and anxious -how anxiety harms us! This is why we must go to pray; without an inner life we flee from reality, and we also flee from ourselves, we are men and women always on the run.” Fourth and finally, Jesus shows that prayer enables us to see our dependence on God. “Sometimes we human beings believe that we are the masters of everything, or on the contrary, we lose all selfesteem, we go from one side to another,” he noted. “Prayer helps us to find the right dimension in our relationship with God, our Father, and with all creation.” Concluding his reflection, the pope said: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us rediscover Jesus Christ as a teacher of prayer in the Gospel and place ourselves in His school. I assure you that we will find joy and peace.” BC

Pass on a Gift of

Faith

Share the good news with someone you love this holiday season.

Wishing everyone a

Merry Christmas from the

Bayou Catholic Staff

Bayou

Catholic

Reflections

Who is the child born to Mary and adopted by Joseph? Readings Between the Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

“Father, you’re not going to make me read all those names, are you?” Concerned about their ability to pronounce biblical names not common to us, several deacons have posed that question to me just before the Christmas Vigil Mass. They are referring to the “long form” of the Gospel reading, which includes Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Granted, some of the names are unfamiliar and a genealogy might not be the most interesting type of literature to which we might listen. Nevertheless, Matthew 1:18-25, the narrative of Jesus’ birth, is more fully understood if we read the 17 verses which come before it. What should we look for in biblical genealogies? First, to whom is the genealogy leading? Secondly, with whom is the ultimate subject of the genealogy being associated? Thirdly, what transpires between the person at the beginning of the genealogy and the ultimate subject of it? Matthew introduces his book’s main character, Jesus, as the Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (1:1). With regard to the question of the ultimate subject of the genealogy, it is obviously Jesus. Matthew characterizes Jesus as “the Messiah” (“Christ” in Greek). It is evident from the Gospels themselves that opinions about the role of a Messiah in first century Jewish thought were multiple. Was it a priestly, political, prophetic or military figure, or all of the above? By narrating his story of Jesus, Matthew will tell us what he believes the Messiah is.

Jesus is Son of Abraham, the great patriarch of the Jewish nation. For Jesus to be depicted as the most critical descendant in Abraham’s line is to say that through Jesus the promises God made to Abraham of becoming a great nation, of land for him and his descendants and to be a source of blessing for all nations (Genesis 12:2-3) are fulfilled. Outside of 1:1-25 Abraham’s name appears three times in Matthew’s Gospel. In 3:9, John the Baptist declares to the Jewish crowd listening to his preaching that descent from Abraham is no longer enough to be considered a child of Abraham. Rather Abraham’s true children will bring the “fruits of repentance.” In 21:43 Jesus will declare that the Kingdom will be transferred from the current leadership of Israel to a fruitbearing nation, a nation comprised of people who repent and believe in Jesus. In 8:11, Jesus declares that many from “east and west” (in other words, the whole populated world, including Gentiles) will recline with Abraham at table in the kingdom of heaven. This statement by Jesus reflects the promise to Abraham that through Abraham and his descendants all nations of the earth would find blessing. Finally, Jesus proves to the Sadducees, who claim the doctrine of bodily resurrection is not contained in the Jewish Law and

14 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

therefore not a belief of Judaism, uses a passage (Exodus 3:6) which mentions Abraham to prove that eternal life is indeed envisioned in the Pentateuch. God declares to Moses he is (currently) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and therefore they live in some way in God’s presence. Jesus’ resurrection will confirm his interpretation of the Law concerning eternal life. Jesus is also Son of David, who is, of course, the model king of all the monarchs of Judah and Israel. When the Jews were released from the Babylonian Exile, even though they were governed by the Persians, they held out hope for an heir to David’s throne to rise up and reestablish their nation (see e.g. Ezekiel 34:2324). The title “Son of David” is used in reference to Jesus seven times in Matthew’s Gospel (9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15) and once by Jesus in a question he poses to the religious leaders (22:42). The people acknowledge Jesus’ royal status as he enters Jerusalem by cheering him as Son of David (21:9). This kingly acclamation of Jesus as he begins the final phase of his ministry in Jerusalem recalls the regal status attributed him as the descendant of David in Matthew 1:1-25. In three instances, Jesus is addressed as Son of David by people who ask

Reflections

him to heal them (9:27, 15:22; and two times in 20:30-31). Why should they associate the Son of David with having the ability to heal? In Ezekiel 34:1-10, God chastises the irresponsible leaders of Israel, who “did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured” (34:4). One of the remedies God proposes to address this situation is to “appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, (God’s) servant David” (34:23). Here we have a precedent for people to recognize Jesus as a healer under the title, “Son of David.” Finally, in 22:41-45, Jesus poses a question to the religious leaders concerning interpretation of Jewish religious teaching. Jesus prompts them to articulate the belief that the Messiah is commonly held to be David’s son. But he points out a puzzling riddle in Psalm 110:1. David calls the Messiah his Lord, but how can this be if the Messiah is David’s son? The religious leaders are unable to answer, but Jesus

can assert that as both Son of God and the Messiah, he is the solution to the riddle. What does all this say about the child born to Mary and adopted by Joseph? He represents the fulfillment of God’s promises to and culmination of his plan for his chosen people. Jesus will at once bring the chosen people to its fullness and fulfill God’s promise to bring blessing to all the earth through Abraham. The chosen people-cometo-fulfillment will consist of Gentiles along with Jews, will bear the fruit of repentance, and the “land” they will inherit is the kingdom of heaven, not a physical location but an end-time society of people redeemed through Jesus, the Son of Abraham. In addition, as Son of David, he is the fulfillment of the people’s expectation of both a Messiah and the re-emergence of an heir to David’s throne. He will especially fulfill this role by saving all people from sin. His status as “Emmanuel,

God-with-us,” (1:23) means he became at his incarnation and continues to be through his risen life the ever-constant presence of God for us. BC

Reflection Questions v At Christmas we celebrate Jesus as heir to David’s throne, Messiah and savior. What practical implications might you see in acknowledging Jesus as such for yourself? v As Son of Abraham, Jesus brings about a new chosen people, whose membership transcends culture and race. What does it mean to you to be a part of this people? v Jesus is invoked as Son of David when people ask him to heal them. What kind of healing might you request from the Son of David?

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www.ptcenter-la.com December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 15

Scripture Readings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 December

Advent Weekday Isaiah 11:1-10 Luke 10:21-24

6 Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

13 Third Sunday of Advent Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28

20 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38

7 Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the church Isaiah 35:1-10 Luke 5:17-26

Advent Weekday Isaiah 25:6-10a Matthew 15:29-37

Advent Weekday Solemnity of Isaiah 40:25-31 the Immaculate Matthew 11:28-30 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the church Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a Matthew 21:23-27

Advent Weekday Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Matthew 21:28-32

Advent Weekday Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21c-25 Luke 7:18b-23

Advent Weekday Song of Songs 2:8-14 Luke 1:39-45

Advent Weekday 1 Samuel 1:24-28 Luke 1:46-56

Advent Weekday Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Luke 1:57-66

Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, priest Isaiah 26:1-6 Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Advent Weekday Isaiah 41:13-20 Matthew 11:11-15

Advent Weekday Isaiah 48:17-19 Matthew 11:16-19

Advent Weekday Advent Weekday Genesis 49:2, 8-10 Jeramiah 23:5-8 Matthew 1:1-17 Matthew 1:18-25

24 Advent Weekday 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a Luke 1:67-79

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:22-40

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs 1 John 1:5—2:2 Matthew 2:13-18

Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:3-11 Luke 2:22-35

Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:12-17 Luke 2:36-40

Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:18-21 John 1:1-18

16 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Advent Weekday Isaiah 29:17-24 Matthew 9:27-31

Advent Weekday Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 Matthew 9:35— 10:1, 5a, 6-8

12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Zechariah 2:14-17 Luke 1:26-38

19 Advent Weekday Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a Luke 1:5-25

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-6 John 1:1-18

Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr Acts 6:8-10, 7:5459 Matthew 10:17-22

December

Holy Father’s prayer intentions

Life is great ~

Get busy living.

Evangelization For a life of prayer. We pray that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ may be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer.

See www.apostleshipofprayer.org

Independent Living Community

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December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 17

Special

‘Fratelli tutti’

During pandemic, Pope Francis issues social encyclical calling people to care for one another as brothers and sisters

Editor’s Note: In the coming months, Bayou Catholic magazine will feature eight guest columns by local priests, highlighting a different chapter of Pope Francis’ new encyclical Fratelli tutti, while exploring the importance of fraternity and friendship in society. Vatican City (CNA) - Pope Francis presented his vision for overcoming the world’s growing divisions, laid bare by the coronavirus crisis, in his new encyclical Fratelli tutti, published recently. In the letter, released Oct. 4, the pope urged people of good will to promote fraternity through dialogue, renewing society by putting love for others ahead of personal interests. Throughout the encyclical, the pope emphasized the primacy of love, in both social and political contexts. Fratelli tutti, the text’s opening

phrase, means “All brothers” in Italian. The words are taken from the writings of St. Francis of Assisi, to whom the pope paid tribute at the beginning of the encyclical, describing him as the “saint of fraternal love.” The pope said he was struck that, when St. Francis met with the Egyptian Sultan Al-Kamil in 1219, he “urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble and fraternal ‘subjection’ be shown to those who did not share his faith.” “Francis did not wage a war of words aimed at imposing doctrines; he simply spread the love of God … In this way, he became a father to all and inspired the vision of a fraternal society,” the pope wrote. Pope Francis explained that his new encyclical brought together many of his previous reflections on human fraternity and social friendship, and

18 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

also expanded on themes contained in the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” which he signed with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi in 2019. “The following pages do not claim to offer a complete teaching on fraternal love, but rather to consider its universal scope, its openness to every man and woman,” he wrote. “I offer this social encyclical as a modest contribution to continued reflection, in the hope that in the face of present-day attempts to eliminate or ignore others, we may prove capable of responding with a new vision of fraternity and social friendship that will not remain at the level of words.” The pope signed the encyclical in Assisi Oct. 3. He is thought to be the first pope to sign an encyclical outside of Rome for more than 200 years,

Special

since Pius VII issued the text Il trionfo in the Italian city of Cesena in 1814. Pope Francis noted that, while he was writing the letter, “the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly erupted, exposing our false securities.” “Aside from the different ways that various countries responded to the crisis, their inability to work together became quite evident,” he said. “For all our hyper-connectivity, we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all.” The pope divided his third encyclical, after the 2013 Lumen fidei and 2015 Laudato si’, into eight chapters. Chapter One In the opening chapter, he laid out the challenges facing humanity amid the coronavirus crisis, which has killed more than a million people worldwide. He cited wars, the “throwaway culture”

that includes abortion and euthanasia, neglect of the elderly, discrimination against women, and slavery, among other threats. He also offered a critique of contemporary political debate, as well as online communication, which he said was often marred by “verbal violence.” “In today’s world, the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading, and the dream of working together for justice and peace seems an outdated utopia,” he wrote. “What reigns instead is a cool, comfortable and globalized indifference, born of deep disillusionment concealed behind a deceptive illusion: Thinking that we are all-powerful, while failing to realize that we are all in the same boat.” Chapter Two In the second chapter, Pope Francis reflected on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, presenting the Samaritan

who helped a traveler who had been left for dead as a model of human fraternity, in contrast to others who simply passed by. “We need to acknowledge that we are constantly tempted to ignore others, especially the weak,” he said. “Let us admit that, for all the progress we have made, we are still ‘illiterate’ when it comes to accompanying, caring for and supporting the most frail and vulnerable members of our developed societies.” He noted that devout men failed to help the traveler, saying: “Paradoxically, those who claim to be unbelievers can sometimes put God’s will into practice better than believers.” He urged readers to follow the teaching of Jesus by not setting limits on who they regard as their neighbors. He added that he sometimes wondered why “it took so long for the church unequivocally to condemn slavery and various forms of violence.” “Today, with our developed spirituality and theology, we have no excuses. Still, there are those who appear to feel encouraged or at least permitted by their faith to support varieties of narrow and violent nationalism, xenophobia and contempt, and even the mistreatment of those who are different,” he wrote. Chapter Three In chapter three, the pope stressed the importance of a fundamental attitude of love in the face of poverty and inequality. He said that “the spiritual stature of a person’s life is measured by love,” but “some believers think that it consists in the imposition of their own ideologies upon everyone else, or in a violent defense of the truth, or in impressive demonstrations of strength.” He continued: “All of us, as believers, need to recognize that love takes first place: Love must never be put at risk, and the greatest danger lies in failing to love.” The pope underlined that racism remained a threat, comparing it to a virus that “quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting.” He also said that “hidden exiles,”

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 19

Special

such as people with disabilities, should be encouraged to participate fully in society. He argued that individualism “does not make us more free, more equal, more fraternal.” What is needed, he said, is a “universal love” that promotes the dignity of every human being. This love should be applied also to migrants, the pope wrote, quoting the U.S. bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts,” which said there are fundamental rights that “precede any society because they flow from the dignity granted to each person as created by God.” Chapter Four In the fourth chapter, devoted to the theme of migration, the pope appealed to countries to “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” newcomers. He urged governments to take a series of “indispensable steps” to help refugees. These included “increasing and simplifying the granting of visas,” as well as “freedom of movement and the possibility of employment,” and “supporting the reuniting of families.” But even these steps would prove insufficient, he said, if the international community failed to develop “a form of global governance with regard to movements of migration.” Chapter Five In the fifth chapter, the pope called for states to adopt policies that promoted the common good, critiquing both an “unhealthy” populism and an excessively individualistic liberalism. He said that populism could conceal a lack of concern for the vulnerable, while liberalism could be used to serve the economic interests of the powerful. He also criticized the conviction that the market can resolve every problem, calling it the “dogma of neoliberal faith.” The pope lamented that the world had failed to seize the opportunity presented by the financial crisis of 20072008 to develop new ethical principles governing the economy. What followed instead was “greater individualism, less integration and increased freedom for the truly powerful, who always find a way to escape unscathed.” He urged reform both of the

international financial system and multilateral institutions such the United Nations, saying it was vital for countries “to establish shared goals and to ensure the worldwide observance of certain essential norms.” Setting out his proposal for renewal, Pope Francis said that leaders should focus on the long-term common good, imbuing their work with what he called “political love.” “Recognizing that all people are our brothers and sisters, and seeking forms of social friendship that include everyone, is not merely utopian,” he insisted. He also highlighted the “urgent need to combat all that threatens or violates fundamental human rights,” especially hunger and human trafficking, which he called a “source of shame for humanity.” Chapter Six In the sixth chapter, the pope encouraged people to engage in authentic dialogue, which he said was not the same as arguments on social media, which were often “parallel monologues.” He suggested that, in a pluralistic society, dialogue is the means by which society identifies those truths that must always be affirmed and respected. He quoted a line from the song “Samba da bênção,” by Brazilian artist Vinícius de Moraes: “Life, for all its confrontations, is the art of encounter.” It is also necessary to form a “covenant” between all members of society, rich and poor, which obliges everyone to give up some things for the common good. “No one can possess the whole truth or satisfy his or her every desire, since that pretension would lead to nullifying others by denying their rights,” he wrote. Above all, he said, we need to rediscover kindness. Chapter Seven In chapter seven, he discussed the conditions for peace and reconciliation, deploring the injustices of war and calling for an end to the use of the death penalty worldwide. He noted that the Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes the possibility of legitimate defense by

20 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

military force. But he said this was often interpreted too broadly, arguing that “it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a ‘just war.’” An accompanying footnote said: “St. Augustine, who forged a concept of ‘just war’ that we no longer uphold in our own day, also said that ‘it is a higher glory still to stay war itself with a word, than to slay men with the sword, and to procure or maintain peace by peace, not by war.’” The pope appealed to governments to give money allocated to weapons to “a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favor development in the most impoverished countries.” He also emphasized that the death penalty today is “inadmissible,” recalling his 2018 change to the Catechism’s teaching on the topic. Chapter Eight In the eighth and final chapter, he highlighted the role of religious communities in building a more fraternal world, by rejecting violence and engaging in dialogue, as outlined in the “Document on Human Fraternity.” In the encyclical’s conclusion, Pope Francis said that the text was inspired not only by St. Francis, but also by non-Catholics such as Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the French Catholic missionary Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who the pope is expected to canonize. Francis ended the letter with both an ecumenical prayer and a “Prayer to the Creator,” which read: “Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: Pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace.” “Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.” “May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth. May we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us, and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, and shared dreams. Amen.” BC

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December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 21 8/19/15 6:40 8/19/15 6:40 PMPM

8/19/15 6:40 PM

Heavenly Recipes

Janet Eschete

Janet makes a:

CRANBERRY MOLD Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

When one thinks of cranberry sauce and the holidays, it’s not uncommon to think of a burgundy colored blob of jell on a dish in the shape of a tin can that tastes as bad as it looks. The following recipe will change your mind about cranberry sauce forever. This month’s heavenly recipe, cranberry mold with pecans, comes from Janet Eschete, receptionist for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux at the Pastoral Center. Janet has served as receptionist for the past five years. Prior to that she worked in the Office of Finance and Accounting for 35 years. She celebrated her 40th anniversary with the diocese in March of this year. Janet, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales parish in Houma, says her cranberry mold is a popular addition to a holiday meal. “I received the recipe from a friend in the late 1970s. It has been a part of our meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas ever since. This particular recipe is easy because you can prepare it a day or two early. My family always asks for it. My father enjoyed it very much. It can also be used as a dessert. I usually prepare it for office gatherings. My coworkers enjoy it and have come to expect it during our gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas.” Janet says she enjoys the atmosphere at the Pastoral Center. “The atmosphere here is very welcoming. I have enjoyed working with many different people over the years here. You actually spend more hours per day with coworkers than you do your family. Family comes first here. I was able to tend to the needs of my young children when they were growing up and my parents as they aged.” Janet values the opportunity to attend Mass and nourish 22 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Cranberry Mold with Pecans INGREDIENTS: 1-6 oz. pkg. Jell-O (cherry, raspberry or strawberry) 1-1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup pineapple juice 1-1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup chopped pecans 1 can jelled cranberry sauce, mashed 1 packet of gelatin, unflavored

DIRECTIONS: Dissolve Jell-O and gelatin in boiling water. Add sugar and blend well, then add in mashed cranberry sauce. Add all other ingredients, mix well and pour in mold. Refrigerate until set and unmold on tray. Notes: Can be prepared a couple of days before needed. Bundt pan can also be used as a mold. Nuts can also be ground. One can of whole cranberries can be used or half of each. One half cup of sugar may be enough. Sugar free Jell-O can also be used. Do not use juice of canned pineapple.

her spiritual life at the Pastoral Center. “Through the years the opportunity to attend Mass here has helped me stay in touch with who I am with myself and God. Being a cancer survivor, I have also received support from coworkers who are also survivors. Through this support I am able to realize that God is a part of my everyday life. Through prayer and support from others, the journey of life is a much easier road. There is a great support system here. We are like family.” BC

December Daily Prayer for Priests, Deacons and Seminarians

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 December

Rev. Mitchel Semar

Rev. Antonio Maria Speedy

Rev. Carlos Talavera

Rev. James Thien Van Nguyen

Very Rev. Mark Toups

Very Rev. Mike Tran

Deacon James Lefevre

Rev. Joseph Tregre

Rev. Joe Varghese

Rev. Shenan Boquet

Rev. Thomas Bouterie

Rev. Stuart King

Rev. Joshua Rodrigue

Seminarian Stephen Castille

Rev. Domingo Cruz, retired

Rev. Wilfredo Decal, retired

Rev. Scott Dugas, retired

Msgr. Donald Ledet, retired

Deacon John Mattingly

Rev. P.J. Madden, retired

Rev. Roch Naquin, retired

Rev. Ty Nguyen, retired

Seminarian Davis Ahimbisibwe

Deacon Jeff Pitre

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Rev. Charles Perkins, retired

Rev. Amang Santiago, retired

Rev. Caesar Silva, retired

Rev. Wilmer Todd, retired

Rev. Jerry Villarrubia, retired

Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs

Daily Prayer for Clergy and Religious Lord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual renewal of bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, lay ministers and seminarians of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. We praise You for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days, renew them with the gifts of Your Spirit. You once opened the Holy Scriptures to Your disciples when You walked on this earth. Now renew Your ordained and chosen ones with the truth and power of Your Word. In Eucharist you gave Your disciples renewed life and hope. Nourish Your consecrated ones with Your own Body and Blood. Help them to imitate in their lives the death and resurrection they celebrate around Your altar. Give them enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal for the salvation of all people, courage in leadership and humility in service. Give them Your love for one another and for all their brothers and sisters in You. For You love them, Lord Jesus, and we love and pray for them in Your Holy Name, today especially for _______________________. Amen.

Sponsored by:

of the Word 506 Cardinal Drive, Thibodaux, LA • marianservantsoftheword@gmail.com

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 23

Youth

in action

Charlie Ann Fuhrer School: Central Catholic High School, Morgan City Grade: 9th Church parish: Holy Cross, Morgan City Describe your family unit: Joellen, mother; David, father Favorite Hobby: Shopping, spending time with family Favorite Movie: Fault in Our Stars Favorite T.V. Show: Once Upon a Time Favorite Genre of Music: Country

How has the meaning of Christmas changed for you through the years from a child’s view to now? How will you celebrate Christmas this year? What is the true meaning of Christmas? When I was little, Christmas was just about Jesus being born and presents being underneath the tree. As a little kid, that was most important to me. As I get older, I realize that there is so much more to Christmas than decorations. As I got older, the more the story of Christmas began to expand out for me. At this age for me, presents are not as important to me as they were growing up. Christmas did not just begin in the manger where Jesus was born, but it was the entire journey leading up to it. The Christmas story begins when the

Angel Gabriel visits Mary and proclaims to her that she will give birth to the child of God. The story of Jesus being born was not always a happy one. Mary and Joseph went through many struggles before Jesus was born. Their journey was anything but an easy one. Now, the meaning of Christmas to me isn’t about the presents, but to celebrate Jesus. Christmas should not only be celebrated on Dec. 25, but throughout the entire season leading up to the Epiphany. I enjoy the weeks leading up to Christmas and hearing

24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

the beautiful story of the journey Mary and Joseph had to go through. Every year for Christmas, my family celebrates by decorating the Christmas tree, and my favorite decoration, the Nativity. On Christmas Eve, my family celebrates by going to Mass and on Christmas Day, I celebrate with my entire family. BC

Seminarian Education Burses What is a seminarian burse/endowment fund? A seminarian burse/endowment fund is an invested sum of money where the interest is used in perpetuity to help fund the education of men to the priesthood in the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux. How does someone establish a seminarian burse/endowment fund? Very simply, a burse/endowment fund may be established and

named for anyone you choose, be it family, friend, bishop, priest, deacon, religious, etc. Who do I contact to contribute to or establish a fund? To contribute to or establish a burse/endowment fund, send funds to the Pastoral Center, Attn: Catholic Foundation, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 or contact the Catholic Foundation office at 985-850-3116 or aponson@htdiocese.org for more information.

All completed Seminarian Education Burses can be viewed online. Please visit www.htdiocese.org/vocations. October 2020 Endowment/Burse Contributions Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ............................$200.00

CFSL Seminarian Fund .....................................$6,200.00

Msgr. William Koninkx .........................................$200.00 Dean J. Chiasson Fund .........................................$250.00

Open Burses/Endowment Funds with Balance as of October 31, 2020 Donald Peltier Sr. No. 4 ..................................................$13,000.00

Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ...................................................$3,060.00

Richard Peltier No. 2 ..............................................................$300.00

Joseph Strada Memorial ................................................$12,642.63

St. Jude ....................................................................................$3,000.00

Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier .........................................$11,900.00

Diocesan Knights of Columbus No. 2 ........................$2,894.62

Claude Bergeron .....................................................................$250.00

Msgr. Raphael C. Labit No. 2 ......................................$11,680.00

Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ...................................................$2,600.00

Joseph Waitz Sr. ................................................................$11,500.00

Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ...............................................$2,000.00

Rev. Michael Finnegan ..........................................................$200.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin ...................................................$150.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals .............................................................$100.00

Claude & Lucy Mahler Family ......................................$11,400.00

Rev. John Gallen ..................................................................$1,950.00

Harvey Peltier No. 31 ......................................................$10,486.91

Rev. H.C. Paul Daigle .........................................................$1,900.00

Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis No. 2 .............................$10,000.00

Deacon Connely Duplantis .............................................$1,700.00

C. Remie Duplantis No. 2 ...............................................$10,000.00

Alfrances P. Martin .............................................................$1,650.00

Deacon Nick Messina .............................................................. $50.00

Rev. Warren Chassaniol ........................................................$100.00 Deacon Eldon Frazier .............................................................. $50.00

Marie Elise Duplantis No. 2 ..........................................$10,000.00

Judge Louis & Shirley R. Watkins ................................$1,650.00

Dean J. Chiasson Fund ......................................................$1,975.00

Maude & Edith Daspit No. 2 ........................................$10,000.00

Msgr. Francis J. Legendre No. 2 ....................................$1,645.00

Msgr. George A. Landry .................................................$10,000.00

Rev. Robert J. Sevigny .......................................................$1,600.00

Fr. Brett Lapeyrouse Fund ...............................................$3,000.00

Msgr. William Koninkx ......................................................$8,900.00

Jacob Marcello .....................................................................$1,600.00

Catholic Daughters .............................................................$7,260.00

Rev. Hubert C. Broussard .................................................$1,550.00

Rev. Victor Toth ...................................................................$7,000.00

Msgr. Emile J. Fossier ........................................................$1,545.00

Msgr. Francis Amedee ......................................................$6,850.00

Ronnie Haydel ......................................................................$1,535.00

Rev. Gerard Hayes ..............................................................$6,686.00

Dr. William Barlette Sr. ......................................................$1,525.00

Jane & John Dean Fund .................................................$15,509.20

Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ...............................$6,598.00

Deacon Robert Dusse’ ......................................................$1,450.00

Lena “Bobbie” Sere’ Fund ....................................................$550.00

Rev. Guy Zeringue ..............................................................$6,300.00

Rev. Anthony Rousso ........................................................$1,300.00

Leon ‘Ponoke’ & Marlene Champagne Fund .........$2,800.00

Rev. Peter Nies .....................................................................$6,000.00

Msgr. John L. Newfield .....................................................$1,200.00

Mr. & Mrs. Love W. Pellegrin .........................................$5,000.00

Rev. Joseph Tu Tran No. 2 ...............................................$1,094.00

Mary and Al Danos Fund ...............................................$85,535.02

Anonymous No. 2 ...............................................................$5,000.00

Msgr. John G. Keller ...........................................................$1,050.00

Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis Family No. 4 .............. $5,000.00

Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux No. 4 .............................$1,000.00

Rev. William M. Fleming ..................................................$5,000.00

Edna W. DiSalvo ..................................................................$1,000.00

Mrs. Ayres A. Champagne ...............................................$5,000.00

Bernice Harang ....................................................................$1,000.00

Rev. Kasimir Chmielewski ................................................$4,839.00

Deacon Willie Orgeron .........................................................$900.00

Joseph “Jay” Fertitta ...........................................................$4,450.00

Ruby Pierce ................................................................................$800.00

Richard Peltier Fund ........................................................$47,048.54

Rev. Henry Naquin .............................................................$4,311.00

Deacon Roland Dufrene ......................................................$750.00

Anawin Community ...........................................................$4,200.00

Juliette & Eugene Wallace ..................................................$700.00

Society of Joseph, Husband of Mary Fund ..................$100.00

Harry Booker No. 2 ............................................................$4,138.00

Deacon Edward J. Blanchard ..............................................$700.00

Msgr. James Songy ............................................................$4,075.00

Deacon Raymond LeBouef .................................................$550.00

Kelly Curole Frazier .............................................................$3,610.96

Paul & Laura Duet ..................................................................$550.00

Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande ...........................................$3,500.00

Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata .............................................$500.00

J.R. Occhipinti .......................................................................$3,400.00

Robert Walsh ............................................................................$500.00

Preston & Gladys Webre .................................................$3,400.00

Anne Veron Aguirre ...............................................................$380.00

Harry and Karen David Fund ........................................$10,043.60

Warren J. Harang Jr. No. 2 ..............................................$3,100.00

Deacon Harold Kurtz .............................................................$300.00

CFSL Seminarian Fund ............................................. $3,709.091.10

Fr. Patrick Riviere Fund ...................................................$29,171.93 Grant J. Louviere Fund ..........................................................$100.00 Harold and Gloria Callais Family Fund .....................$53,983.03 James J. Buquet Jr. Family Fund .................................$52,716.74

Mary Timothy Everett Fund ................................................$500.00 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph J. Cefalu Sr. Fund ..........................$5,000.00 Parker Conrad Fund .........................................................$15,000.00 Paul and Laura Duet Fund ..................................................$825.00 Rev. Clemens Schneider Fund .......................................$1,125.00

The Peltier Foundation Fund .......................................$62,754.27 Viola Ann Wallace Vosbein Memorial Fund ............$1,000.00 Bishop Sam Jacobs Fund ...............................................$32,508.24 Giardina Family Foundation Fund ...............................$4,293.73 Msgr. Amedee Fund .....................................................$304,908.16

TOTAL Open Burses/Endowment Funds: $4,746,094.68 December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 25

Church Life

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Wedding Anniversaries Diocese honors 145 couples

All couples married in the Catholic Church who are celebrating their 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th and beyond anniversary during 2020 were invited to one of two diocesan Liturgies of the Word sponsored by the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Office of Worship. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre presided over the liturgies where 145 couples were honored. 25th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Savior, Lockport: Dean and Trudy Foret Barrios, Ben and Jessica Perrillioux St. Pierre; Maria Immacolata, Houma: Wayne Jr. and

Sadie Autin Bonvillain; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma: Paul and Carla Domangue Domangue; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Chad and Sherry Rodrigue Rodrigue; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: Brad and Kristi Champagne Blanchard, Gavin and Gigi Wunstell LeBlanc; St. Bernadette, Houma: Mike and Margaret Gueniot Smith; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Gregory and Michelle Reed Parr; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Gerald and Donna Eaves Guillory; St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews: Shane and Lauralee Landry

26 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Adams; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Jace and Dawn Folse Allemand, Lawrence and Donna Burns Bergeron, Randy and Stacy Fangue Pate; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Jack Jr. and Ann McBroom Ledet; 40th Anniversary Jubilarians Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Felix IV and Colleen Walsh Lewis; Annunziata, Houma: Billy and Tammy Soudelier Gaston; Holy Cross, Morgan City: Paul and Melina Gros Michel; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Greg and Peggy Terrebonne; Sacred Heart,

Church Life

Cut Off: Mark John and Peggy Hebert Daigle; Sacred Heart, Montegut: William Sr. and Laurie Lirette Robichaux; Sacred Heart, Morgan City: Larry and Brenda Verdin Besse; St. Bernadette, Houma: Patrick Joseph and Ann Abbott Champagne; St. Bridget, Schriever: Charles and Anita Mire Cavalier, Steven and Hilda Blanchard Didier, Curtis and Vanessa Gagneaux Knight; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Philip and Lisa Prejeant Whitman; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Thomas and Denise Denoux Profito, Glenn and Catherine Badeaux Vice; St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews: Mark and Dorothy Alexander Montz, Errol and Cala France Price, Deacon Timothy and Donna Guidry Vedros; St. Joseph, Chauvin: Jerome and Melanie Griffin Soudelier; St. Joseph, Galliano: Jefferson and Teresa Cheramie Crosby, Kimball and Anne Eymard St. Pierre; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Vincent and Cindy Traigle Glorioso; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer: Chris and Elizabeth Cortez Cortez, Valley and Patti Martinez Martinez; St. Luke the Evangelist, Thibodaux: Edward and Bernadette Burdis Hill; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Ray and Stacy Hargis Babin, Jess and Jeanne Doussan Galjour, Michael and Sandy Foret Ordoyne; 50th Anniversary Jubilarians Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Donald and Peggy Chenier Barrilleaux, Leroy and Gayle Hebert Chenier, Gary and Lorraine Fremin Clement, Claude (C.J.) and Linda Angelloz Molaison; Holy Savior, Lockport: Errol and Laura Griffin Adams, Leonard and Sandy Bernard St. Pierre; Maria Immacolata, Houma: James and Mary Daigle Thibodaux; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Daniel and Phyllis Lafont; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma: Joseph and Barbara Dean Naquin; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: John Sr. and Mary Jane Griffith Danigole, Edward and Susan Gautreaux Wunstell; St. Bernadette, Houma: Willie Jr. and Kaye Landry Bergeron, Roy Jr. and Ceryl King Breerwood; St. Bridget, Schriever: Ferdinand and Charlene Landry Cavalier, Elvin

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

and Linda Schexnayder Hebert, John and Dorothy Himel McNamara, Phil and Jeanette Frisella Schexnayder; St. Gregory, Houma: Francis Jr. and Sandra Cradeur Boudloche; St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews: Larry and Gail Martin Lafont; St. Joseph, Galliano: Patterson Jr. and Connie Galjour Gaspard, Roland Jr. and Debra Charpentier Pitre; St. Joseph CoCathedral, Thibodaux: Courtney and Frances Cormier Blakeman, Richard and Stella Hymel Folse, Michael and Marie Molaison Ordogne; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer: Kevin and Sherry Tregre Cortez; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Malcolm and Lorna Hebert Blanchard, Jerry and Patricia Candies Daigle, Wilfred and Janice Wolf DeHart, Albert and Bobbie Uzee Dufrene, Karey and Jennifer Boudreaux Scott, Sandy and Kathleen Monier Scott; 60th Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: Shelby and Celeste Peltier Loyd; Holy Cross, Morgan City: Wayne and Diane Boudreaux Sewart; Holy Savior, Lockport: Dudley and Pearl Landry Ledet; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Lloyd and Sybil Terrebonne Ledet; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Clarence and Genevieve Dantin Artigue; Sacred Heart, Montegut: Bernard and Dorothy Bascle Dupre; St. Anthony, Bayou Black: Frederick and Doris Miller Sibille; St. Bernadette, Houma: Clyde and Mercedes Thibodeaux Bergeron; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Melvin and Linda Bourgeois Morvant,

Carroll and Barbara Zeringue; St. Gregory, Houma: Deacon Dennis and Carolyn Lapeyrouse Dupre; St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews: Norman Jr. and Carolyn LeBlanc Gaudet; St. Joseph, Galliano: Roland and Lolita Bourg Baudoin, Norby and Marlene Hebert Lasseigne; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Clyde and Nadine Lafont Pregeant; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Chacahoula: Nolan and Dottie Granier Cortez; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Roy and Deanna Foret Griffin, Nessie and Alice Tastet Plaisance; 61st Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: T.J. and Barbara Songy Nelson; St. Joseph CoCathedral, Thibodaux: Richard and Shirley Boudreaux LeBlanc; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Steve and Myrtle Naquin Bourgeois, Eldon and Mary Landry Breaux, Stanley and Merly Cunningham Foret; 62nd Anniversary Jubilarians Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Gerald and Carol Himel Collins; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Raymond and Norma Cheramie, Raleigh and Rose Duet; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Clifton and Anna Hebert Champagne, Ferrel and Geraldine Rumore Falgout, Cleveland and Joan Baudoin Foret, Leroy and Rhea Terrebonne Foret, Herbert and Ethel Hebert Guidry; 63rd Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Euland and Georgianna Martin Lapeyrouse; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay: Joseph Daniel and Nellie Gautreaux Clement; Our Lady of Prompt

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 27

Church Life

Succor, Golden Meadow: Melvin and Betty Kieff; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Carroll and Gale Sampey Foret, Clarence and Joel Gaubert Matherne, Milton and June LeCompte Robichaux; 64th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: David and Faye Hood Harrison; St. Bernadette, Houma: James and Shirley Sevin Bergeron, Allen “AJ” and June Babin Collins; St. Bridget, Schriever: Andrew and Claire Gros Babin; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Arthur and Vera Richard, Martin III and Gwen Barbier St. Romain; 65th Anniversary Jubilarians Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Carl and Barbara Dufrene; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Louis III and Shirley LeRay Adams; St. Lucy, Houma: Allen and Audrey Liner Dugas; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Warren and Joyce Babin Dufrene, Ricardo and Marion Babin Labat, Rudolph and Rose Guidry Robichaux;

66th Anniversary Jubilarians Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Darrel and Linda Malbrough; Sacred Heart, Montegut: Lionel and Theresa Hutchinson Pitre; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: John and Mary June Martin Becnel; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Eroy and Rosalie Robichaux Benoit, Virgy and Mary Bonvillain Estay, Clifford and Doris Arcement Lagarde; 67th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Donald and Patricia Grimes Kliebert, Benjamin and Gertrude Champagne Matherne; 68th Anniversary Jubilarians Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Steven and Anna Mae Charpentier; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Leonard and Alice Robichaux Borne, Larry and Daisy Pierce Galjour; 69th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Dudley and Betty Foret Adams, Harrison and

Jeanette Gervais Matherne 70th Anniversary Jubilarians Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Ellis and Iona Lefort, Jerry and Ramona Williams; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Bolton and Cerita Foret LeBlanc; 71st Anniversary Jubilarians Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose: Richard and Jenny Lee Defelice Rodrigue; St. Joseph, Galliano: Norris and Earline Sanamo Eymard; 72nd Anniversary Jubilarians St. Joseph, Galliano: James and Irma Cheramie Cheramie, Arsen and Doree Dufrene Lasseigne; 75th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Evest and Mary Crochet Voisin; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Irwin and Neva Callais; 78th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Joseph August and Erline Ledet Toups. BC

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28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

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In the Spirit of this Holy Season the Christmas Collection on December 24 and 25 supports Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Thank You and God Bless

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”

- Isaiah 9:6

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 29

Book Reviews

Reading With Raymond Raymond Saadi

Great reads for Christmas gifts Books make great Christmas gifts. Here is a selection of 10 books to choose from for that favorite person on your Christmas gift list. Cozying with a book in a quiet space is a great pastime on a cold winter day. Merry Christmas! BC

By the Editors of Sports Illustrated

By Robert Royal

By Pierre-Marie Dumont

By James Patterson

By Josh Grimm

By Julia Child

By Raymond Arroyo

By Carl Hiaasen

By James Patterson

By Rick Bragg

30 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

STAY IN TOUCH INSIDE Marriage

Bayou

Catholic

Do this in remembrance of me MARCH 2018 ~ VOL. 38 NO. 9 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

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Like and Share us... with family and friends

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December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 31

Announcement

Father Antonio Maria Speedy recognized as missionary of the year Father Antonio Maria Speedy, pastor of Holy Family Church parish in Grand Caillou, has been recognized as missionary of the year by Commissioned By Christ (CBC), who recently awarded him the 2020 Bishop Paul S. Loverde Missionary of the Year Award for Selfless Service. CBC is a Catholic lay organization based in Arlington, VA, that supports missionary ministry. The organization’s mission is to bring Catholics closer to Christ through short-term mission trips that form them through personal and communal prayer, participation in the sacraments, building community with fellow Christians, and providing an opportunity to partake in works of mercy by helping those in material and spiritual need.

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32 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Sports

Can Saints dominance continue through rest of season, through playoffs? Overtime Ed Daniels

That wake up call for the rest of the NFC came on a Monday night in Tampa. Saints 38, Bucs 3. The win, against a very good team, on the road, in the division, was perhaps the club’s best regular season win in 11 years. On Nov. 30, 2009, the Saints defeated the New England Patriots 38-17. It was the Saints 11th straight win to start the season. However, the streak was not nearly as important as who the victory came against. Then, and now, it came against Tom Brady. That night in 2009, it was obvious the Saints were good enough to win the Super Bowl.

That season, they won the first 13, and capped the year with a 31-17 win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints crushing win over the Bucs marked the first time in Brady’s career that he was swept by a division opponent. The numbers, besides the final score, told the story. The Saints had 420 total yards. The Bucs, 194. In first downs, Saints 27, Bucs 13. In third down conversions, the Saints were nine of 14, the Bucs were one of nine. In rushing yards, the Saints had 132, Tampa Bay had a total of eight. Devastating. “I don’t think our confidence is shaken, not one bit,” said Bucs head coach Bruce Arians. “We got our #$%^&* kicked pretty good.” Through the first half of the season, the Saints didn’t display dominance, but grit. Four of the club’s first five victories were by a total of 15 points. Running back Alvin Kamara was ranked as the fourth best running back in the NFL through eight games by Pro

Football Focus. But, many others, with far less notoriety, have been impressive. Running

back

Latavius

Murray

was ranked 11th at his position in effectiveness. Defensive tackle David Onyemata was also 11th. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson was ranked 24th at his position. And,

defensive

tackle

Malcom

Brown, was ranked 26th. Through eight games, wide receiver Michael Thomas has eight receptions. Last season, he grabbed an NFL record 149. Yet, the Saints are 6-2. “It was a good team win,” said Saints head coach Sean Payton. What is was, was a statement win. But, those only go so far. The Bucs had one of those. Oct. 18, Bucs 38, Packers 10. Now, it is a just a footnote. In a long NFL season. Will the Saints’ 35-point win, be a footnote, or much more? BC

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December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 33

Bishop's Message Merry Christmas

It is my hope and sincere prayer that the days leading up to Christmas Day and well into the Christmas season and the New Year will be days of joy and peace for you! These are challenging days for us all in so many ways, but we are assured of the presence of Emmanuel, God with Us, through the message and hope of Christmas, and the miracle and wonder of the Incarnation. Like the Magi and the Shepherds, let us make our way to encounter Jesus Christ and be forever changed by his love. I hope that this Christmas is a season of grace and peace for you. Be assured of my prayers for you and your family members during these holy days and always. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Feliz Navidad

¡Es mi esperanza y oración sincera que los días llevan a Navidad y también al tiempo Navideño y Nuevo Año sean días de alegría y paz para ustedes! Hay muchos días desafiantes para todos nosotros en muchas maneras, pero les aseguro de la presencia del Emanuel, el Dios con Nosotros, a través del mensaje y esperanza de Navidad, y el milagro y maravilla de la Encarnación. Como los Magos y los pastores, pongámonos en camino al encuentro de Jesucristo y por siempre transformémonos en su amor. Espero que esta Navidad sea un tiempo de gracia y paz para ustedes. Les aseguro mis oraciones por ustedes y los miembros de su familia durante estos días santos y siempre. ¡Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo!

,‘ Giang ‘ Sinh ‘ Mung Chuc

Với niềm hy vọng và cầu xin chân thành trong những ngày dẫn đến Ngày Giáng Sinh và tiến vào Mùa Giáng Sinh cùng Ngày Đầu Năm sẽ là những ngày hân hoan và bình an cho anh chị em! Những ngày đó là những ngày thử thách qua nhiều cách, nhưng hãy tin rằng sự hiện diện của Emmauel, Chúa ở cùng chúng ta, và tiếng gọi cùng hy vọng Giáng Sinh, cộng với phép lạ, thêm sự kỳ diệu Nhập Thể mang lại. Như các nhà khôn ngoan và mục đồng, chúng ta cùng hướng về gặp Chúa Giêsu và thay đổi mãi mãi trong tình yêu Ngài. Tôi mong rằng Giáng Sinh này là mùa ân sủng và bình an cho anh chị em. Hãy an tâm vì tôi luôn nhớ anh chị em và gia đình trong kinh nguyện qua những ngày thánh này. Chúc Mừng Giáng Sinh và Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!!!

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Christmas

Christmas Mass and confession times throughout the diocese Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9, 11 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6 p.m.-until; Mondays-Thursdays, 5-5:20 p.m.; Fridays, 11:35-11:55 a.m.; Saturdays, 3-3:45 p.m.; Sundays, 6:30-6:50 a.m., 8:30-8:50 a.m., 10:30-10:50 a.m., 5-5:20 p.m. St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 3, 4:30, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9, 11 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6:15-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3-3:55 p.m.; 30 minutes before each Mass – Monday to Sunday Annunziata, Houma Christmas Eve: 3, 5, 7 (Hispanic), 11 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: 30 minutes before all Masses Advent Mission: Dec. 1, 7-9 p.m., with confession Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 4-8 p.m.; Multiple opportunities for Christmas confessions. Please visit the website at www.ctr-htdiocese.org for a complete list of dates and times. Community of St. Anthony, Gheens Christmas Eve: 6 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Holy Cross, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: Dec. 24, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 2:30-3:30 p.m., 5:15-8 p.m. Advent Mission: Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m. Speaker, Father Patrick Riviere; confession will be available St. Rosalie Chapel, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Confession: Dec. 24, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Holy Family, Grand Caillou Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 5 p.m. Confession: Dec. 19, 5-7 p.m.; Dec. 23, 5-9 p.m. Holy Savior, Lockport Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3:15-3:45 p.m. Advent Mission: Dec. 8, 6 p.m. Speaker, Jennifer Ely Maria Immacolata, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 6, Midnight Christmas Day: 9:30 a.m.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 11 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; regularly scheduled times Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow Christmas Eve: 5, 7, Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes before weekday Masses and 45 minutes before weekend Masses Advent Mission: Dec. 20, 10 a.m., Speaker, Very Rev. Mike Tran, V.F. Our Lady of the Isle, Grand Isle Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: Dec. 21, 5-8 p.m.; Dec.22, 5-8 p.m.; Dec. 23, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 11 a.m. Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose Christmas Eve: 4, 6:30 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes before every Mass Advent Mission: Dec. 8-9, 6:30 p.m. Speaker, Father Duc Bui Sacred Heart, Cut Off Christmas Eve: 3, 5, 7 p.m.; Spanish Mass, 9 p.m.; Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; before daily Masses until Dec. 23 and before Saturday Masses until Dec. 19 Advent Mission: Dec. 3, 6 p.m. Speaker, Father Antonio Speedy

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Mass schedules cont.

St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6 p.m.

Sacred Heart, Montegut Christmas Eve: 4, 8 p.m. Christmas Day: 8:30 a.m. Confession: Saturdays, 3:30-4 p.m.; Sundays, 8-8:30 a.m.; anytime by appointment on Dec. 24

St. Bernadette, Houma Christmas Eve: 3 p.m. outdoors; 6 p.m. in church, Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m. Confession: Mercy Nights, Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 7-8 p.m.; “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 4-6 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Advent Mission: Dec. 3, 6:45 p.m. Speaker, Father Paul Birdsall

Sacred Heart, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 3, 4:30, 8 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; Monday-Friday, 2-2:30 p.m. St. Andrew, Amelia Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m. Confession: Tuesdays-Fridays 7:30-8 a.m.; Saturdays 3:30-3:55 p.m.; Sundays, 9:30-9:55 a.m.; anytime by appointment Advent Mission: Dec. 10, 6 p.m. Speaker, Adult Formation team St. Ann, Bourg Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 10 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m. Advent Mission: Dec. 15, 6:30-7:30 p.m., “Waiting with Mary,” Speaker, Father Cody Chatagnier

36 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

St. Bridget, Schriever Christmas Eve: 4, 6, Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m.; Advent Weekdays (Monday-Friday), 7:30-7:55 a.m., 5:30-5:55 p.m.; Saturdays, 3-3:50 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30-8:20 a.m.; 10-10:20 a.m. St. Charles Borromeo, Pointe-aux-Chenes Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m. Confession: Saturdays, 5-5:15 p.m.; Following weekday Masses and by appointment St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community Christmas Eve: 3, 5, 7 p.m. Christmas Day: 7:30, 9:30 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 4-8 p.m.

Christmas

Mass schedules cont. St. Eloi, Theriot Christmas Eve: 4:30, Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Penance Service: Dec. 23, 6:30 p.m. Confession: Saturdays, 3:30-4:15 p.m. or by appointment Advent Mission: Dec. 2, 9, 16, 6-7 p.m. Speaker, Father Rusty Bruce St. Genevieve, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 3 p.m. (in church with overflow plans), 4:30 p.m. (in church with overflow plans and livestream on social media), 6:30 p.m. (in church with overflow plans), 10 p.m. (in church and livestream on social media) Christmas Day: 8 a.m. (livestream on social media only), 9:30 a.m. (in church and livestream on social media), 4 p.m. (in church only) Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; Saturdays 3:15 p.m. onwards; Sundays 7:15 a.m. onwards; 9:45 a.m. onwards; 5:15 p.m. onwards St. Gregory, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 9 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: 30 minutes before each Mass

St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; Advent Mercy Nights with confession, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 6:30-8 p.m. St. John the Evangelist, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, after 6 p.m. Mass until 8 p.m. St. Joseph, Chauvin Christmas Eve: 4, 11 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-7:30 p.m. St. Joseph, Galliano Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. in the parish center, 6 p.m. in church Christmas Day: 7, 9 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m. St. Lawrence, Chacahoula Christmas Eve: 4:30 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9:30 a.m. Confession: 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays or by appointment

You do the living ~

We do the rest.

Assisted Living Community

1201 Cardinal Drive ~ Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 446-9050 ~ www.stjosephmanor.org

For More Information Contact: Natalie Barbera natalieb@stjosephmanor.org

Craig Hebert, PT Craig Pate, PT Lori Matherne, DPT 104 East Bayou Rd. (Hwy 308) ~ Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 446-3736) ~ www.thibodauxpt.com

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 37

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Mass schedules cont. St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. St. James Chapel, Choctaw Christmas Eve: 5:30 p.m. Christmas Day: 7:30 a.m. St. Louis, Bayou Blue Christmas Eve: 3, 5 p.m. Christmas Day: 8, 10:30 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, 6-8 p.m.; One hour before all weekend Masses Dec. 19-20; One hour before all weekday Masses, Dec. 22 and Dec. 23; Dec. 24, 10 a.m., and by appointment St. Lucy, Houma Christmas Eve: 7 p.m. Christmas Day: 8:15 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, all day St. Luke the Evangelist, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 7 p.m. Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m. Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 17, Noon-7 p.m.

St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland Christmas Eve: 3, 6, 11 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. St. Thomas Aquinas, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Thanh Gia, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 10 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: Dec. 22 & 23, Mass of Reconciliation, 6 p.m., with confession until 8 p.m. Vietnamese Community, Houma Christmas Eve: 8 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Confession: Dec. 17 & 18, 5 p.m. Mass with confession until 9 p.m. Vietnamese Community, Larose Christmas Eve: 5:30 p.m. Christmas Day: 8 a.m. Holy Hour/Mass: Dec. 15 & 16, 5 p.m. Confession: Dec. 20, after Mass until 3 p.m. Vietnamese Community, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 7 p.m. Christmas Day: 8 a.m. Confession: Dec. 18, Mass of Reconciliation, 7 p.m., with confession until 9 p.m. BC

Dr. Jason Ray and his staff welcome Dr. John Daigle Jr. and his family back to Thibodaux!

Office hours BY APPOINTMENT 698 East 1st Street • Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 446-8037 • www.thibodauxdentist.com 38 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Merry Christmas!

May the beauty of the Christmas holiday be with you throughout the New Year

BARKER HONDA

1662 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houma, LA 70360 • 985-868-4401 • www.barkerhonda.com December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 39

Christmas

Want to find a meaningful way to help a family this Christmas? Are you looking for a meaningful way to help a family this Christmas? If so, Santa’s Helpers just might be what you are looking for! The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a new type of poverty to our area, since many families who have been able to make ends meet before

have now suffered with the loss of income due to the COVID-19 closures. As one might imagine, the financial stress of just meeting rent, utilities and other normal expenses is tremendous on these families right now. Besides the financial stress these parents are facing, the children have

been through a difficult year this year as well, and are in need of feeling some sort of normalcy. Not being able to see their friends like they used to, attending virtual school, seeing masks instead of people’s faces, having to wear masks themselves, being unable to hug their teachers/priests at

Keith Kellum, M.D. Nano Zeringue, M.D. Jody Simon, M.D. Janie Tran, O.D. 446 Corporate Dr., Houma, LA 70360 | Fax: (985) 868-4190 | Email: tlevron@southerneyeinst.com 900 Canal Blvd., Suite 3, Thibodaux, LA 70301 | Fax: 985-448-1276 | Email: tlevron@southerneyeinst.com 40 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Christmas

their church, etc., has all brought on a different type of stress for our children that is affecting them in more ways than we will ever know. Their need for feeling the love of the Christmas season is stronger than ever before. For many years, families/ businesses/organizations have reached out to Catholic Charities Diocese of HoumaThibodaux to find a family in need of Christmas help. The gifts the donors have given have reached deep into the hearts and souls of the families they have assisted. After all, it is more than just a toy or a gift to a child that has been provided; it is the thoughtfulness and the love shown by the donors that has let the families know that their community really does care about the burdens they are carrying and has helped to eliminate the additional financial stress the parents were faced with. Catholic Charities has identified 215 children from 97 families who could use help this Christmas season. Please consider bringing the peace and strength of our ever loving Christ child to a family who feels tired and run down.

How to Become A Santa’s Helper: In order to become a Santa’s Helper, the family/business/organization first needs to decide how they wish to help another family in need – with toys for the children, clothes, Christmas

dinner, and/or badly needed items for the home. Secondly, they need to know if they have enough money set aside to provide these items. Lastly, the family/business/organization may call Catholic Charities in Houma

at (985) 876-0490 to place their request to be paired with a family. Jennifer Gaudet, associate director of Individual & Family Assistance, will help match the group with a family that best meets the type and size family the donor is seeking to assist. Once a family is found, Gaudet will provide the donor with the details they need to go shopping or provide them with information needed to send a check to Catholic Charities where Christmas elves will do the shopping for them. The donor can either deliver the gifts to the family themselves or remain anonymous by allowing the elves of Catholic Charities to distribute the gifts to the adopted family. In lieu of purchasing gifts, cash donations may be made to the program by sending checks to Catholic Charities Christmas Drive, 1220 Aycock St., Houma, LA 70360. Any small donations will be combined and used to assist a family (or families depending on the amount received) with gifts when a donor does not wish to adopt an entire family themselves. BC

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach. Walters & Associates A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC 985.446.1968 132 Rue Colette, Ste A Thibodaux, LA 70301 waltersplanning.com

42 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

Christmas

Symbols of Christmas Guest Columnist Father Michael Bergeron

that in order to compete with the pagan celebration, they would themselves order a festival in celebration of the birth of Christ. Although the actual season of Jesus’ birth is thought to be the spring, the date of Dec. 25 was chosen as the official birthday celebration to compete head on with the rival pagan celebration. Xmas

A lot of people are concerned about Christmas. We are barely finished with Thanksgiving and get up the next morning at 6 a.m. to start shopping. People say it is too commercial and we have taken the religious significance out of the celebration. But is that really right? Or has the religious significance always been there and we simply fail to see it. If we take a closer look at the symbols of Christmas we might be surprised to find Christ everywhere. The Date of Christmas

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The idea to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 originated in the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Christianity’s existence. On Dec. 25, the Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god. Although it was not popular, or even proper, to celebrate people’s birthdays in those times, church leaders decided

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16). People often complain that they have taken Christ out of Christmas. But we must remember where Xmas comes from. That abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ’s name, “X” in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that “X” stood for Christ’s name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook “Xmas” as a sign of disrespect. But the Christians were using it in the highest respect, even making an “X” on their graves. We should not be too worried about Xmas. Christ is still there. The Christmas Tree “Then shall all the trees of the forest exalt before the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth” (Psalm 96:12). The tradition of the Christmas tree

was brought to this country by Germanspeaking immigrants. The tree is an “evergreen” and is one of the few trees that does not die (lose its leaves) in winter. For this reason, it is a symbol of everlasting life, the precious gift from Jesus to all believers. Not long ago, our Holy Father gave instructions that a Christmas tree be displayed in St. Peter’s Square during the Holy Season celebrating the birth of Christ, who is our life. The Christmas tree tradition was brought to America by Pennsylvania Germans in the l820s. The Star

“The star which they had observed at its rising went ahead of them until it came to a standstill over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:2). One of the most popular symbols of Christmas is the star. Many people top their tree with a star or place a star that is brightly lit over their homes. It was the star which led the Magi to

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 43

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the humble crib of the new born King. The magi were the first non-Jewish people to visit Christ and they represented all people outside the nation of Israel. The star can remind us that we are invited to come to Christ and to offer our gifts and talents to him. In a sense, the Christmas Star is God’s invitation to offer ourselves to the Father of all people and nations and to adore him.

The Angel

The Gifts

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2). There were three gifts brought by the Magi to the baby Jesus. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold was the most precious of all metals which symbolized the preciousness of the child. Frankincense was a type of incense which was used by the priestly caste in the temples and symbolized the baby as the high priest of all humanity. Myrrh was a valuable and aromatic spice. It comes from a large bush with a thin bark. It appears when the bark is pierced and turns red, symbolizing the blood which will be shed when the side of Jesus is pierced. Myrrh was also used to prepare a body for burial. It was a premonition of the future of this baby in the manger. Tradition tells us that the gifts brought by the Magi were later sold to pay for Mary, Joseph and Jesus’ escape to Egypt. Tradition also tells us that the name of the three Magi were Melchoir, the old man with white hair and a white beard, Balthazar, young and fair, and Gaspar, who was black.

“The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people’” (Luke 2:9-10). An angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the good news that a savior had been born who is the Messiah and Lord. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Angels play an important role in the Christmas story and the story of our salvation. An angel appeared to Mary to tell her that she would bear a child. An angel appeared to Joseph to assure him of Mary’s faithfulness. The angels appeared to the shepherds in the field, and, finally, an angel appeared to Joseph to tell him to flee to Egypt. Angels are truly a part of the Christmas story.

Santa Claus seems to overshadow the true meaning of Christmas and there’s a sad irony in this since he is really Saint Nicholas. He was born in Turkey in the 4th century. “Nicholas” in German is “Klaus,” just as “Santa” is “Saint” in European languages. He was generous to the poor and always gave gifts secretly, we are told. The Romans held him in contempt and he was imprisoned and tortured. But when Constantine became a Christian he was released. Saint Nicholas was especially noted for his love of children and his generosity. In imitation of him, anonymous gift-giving at Christmas time began. In his life, Saint Nicholas reflected God’s gift of grace to all. Today, this beautiful tradition has been grossly commercialized. All is not lost however, if we take the time to explain the Christian origin of this great historic figure we call Santa Claus. Today’s popular image of Santa Clause as a jolly at man in a red suit comes from a poem written in 1822 by Clement C. Moore called “A Visit from St. Nick,” and later published as “The Night Before Christmas.” The Wreath

Santa Claus also known as Saint Nicholas

“In giving alms do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret” (Matthew 6:3-4).

44 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is laid up for me the crown which the Lord will award to me on that day, and not only to me but to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7). In ancient Rome and Greece, athletes and heroes were rewarded with wreaths as trophies in sports or military battle. “To the victory goes the crown” meant that the winners received a

Christmas

wreath and were paraded before the people. Christ’s victory over evil on the cross is also symbolized by a wreath.

Christmas Colors

The Candy Cane

“The shepherds said to one another: Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15). On that sacred night when Jesus was born, in a stable near the hillsides of Bethlehem, some shepherds were invited by the angel to go and see the newborn Messiah of Israel. After Mary and Joseph, they were the first people on earth to adore this infant savior. Their crooked shepherd staffs have been memorialized in the candy canes which decorate our Christmas trees and fill the stockings of children. The white represents the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus. The red represents his blood and the strips he received when he was beaten at the crucifixion. The candy is hard to represent the solid rock on which the foundation of the church is built. And if you turn it upside down, it forms a “J” to represent the name of Jesus, the savior of the world. Ornaments “I myself am the living bread which has come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he will live forever” (John 6:51). Decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments comes from an old European custom when ornaments were made from cookies and bread. These were hung on the tree in thanks for “our daily bread.” They meant a special

Christmas treat for the children, too. Through the years these edible decorations began to be made of carved wood and blown glass. The tradition of edible decorations is still carried on when we give and share special Christmas breads and foods, like fruitcake, with friends and relatives. The Apple

“Blessed is he whose hope is in the Lord his God, the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever” (Psalm 146:56). Red and green are the colors most used at Christmas time. In the tradition of the church, these colors have special meaning. Red symbolizes the blood of Christ and the martyrs who loved God and remained faithful to him. Green is the color of hope and has always been a sign of life and growth in nature. It is the evergreen color of eternal life. Love and hope are very much part of the Christmas story, for God became human to prove his deep love for us and give us hope of eternal life. Holly

“Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again. Each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). We often use apples to stuff children’s Christmas stockings and to hang on our Christmas tree as decorations. Yet few of us realize that the apple also has a Christian meaning. It stands for the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Paradise and therefore, the first sin and the sin of all humanity. Although the apple recalls this sad event, it also reminds us of the happy outcome – the good news that Christ is the new Adam who saved us from sin. The church sings: “O happy fault which merited such a redeemer!”

“They made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. Kneeling before him they mocked him, saying: Hail King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29-30). Garlands and sprigs of holly are used to adorn our homes, churches and public places. The colorful green leaves and red berries bring an air of festivity, yet they bear a deeper message

December 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 45

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than simple decoration. Long ago, the sharp thorns of the bush and the red berries reminded Christians of the suffering for which the infant Messiah was destined. They saw in the thorns the crown which would pierce his head. The berries reminded them of the blood Jesus would shed. Christmas Bells

Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They were named after America’s first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He brought the plants to America in 1828. The Mexicans in the eighteenth century thought the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. Thus the Poinsettia became associated with the Christmas season. The actual flower of the poinsettia is small and yellow. But surrounding the flower are large, bright red leaves, often mistaken for petals. The Christmas Candle

Christmas Into the world by the loving Father who, like Hallmark, only wishes to give his children the very best – his only Son. The Nativity Scene

“I come to proclaim good news to you, tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people” (Luke 2:10). School bells call children to classrooms and church bells call millions of people to worship. Bells alert people to important happenings, saying: “listen, take notice!” Bells are also a favorite symbol of Christmas. “Silver Bells,” “The Bells of St. Mary,” and the little bell on the Christmas tree in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” are all part of our Christmas tradition. The bells of Christmas have a special meaning, for they sing out: “Your Savior is at hand, your freedom from sin is here!” What a joyous message, what a beautiful sound! Poinsettias

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10).

I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness, but he shall possess the light of life” (John 8:12). Candles have long been part of the tradition of the church. At baptism the parents of the child are handed a small white candle and told: “Receive the Light of Christ, may you keep the flame of faith burning brightly in this child who is a new creation.” The candles we burn brightly at Christmas remind us of our own baptism and our own adoption as God’s children. They equally symbolize Christ who is our iight in the darkness. Our prayers symbolically rise to heaven with the smoke from the candles. The Word Christmas This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The word we hear and see often through this season is “Christmas.” But few people are aware of its origin. It is a combination of two Latin words: Christus and missus. These two words mean: “Christ is sent.” Sent where?

46 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2020

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The first nativity scene was constructed by St. Francis in the year 1223. His nativity, however, consisted of live animals, people and a real baby. However, Jesus was actually born in a cave and the manger (which was a feeding trough) was probably carved from the rock. The French pronunciation of manger means “to eat.” “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, he broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). So our faith is all around us during this season. If you feel that Christmas is too commercial, then look around you and appreciate the season. There is Christ in Christmas everywhere. Some of us simply fail to see it. Christmas can be commercial or it can be spiritual. It is what you make it! BC

May the true meaning of Christmas bring renewed hope to your heart and home at this time and all through the coming year.

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Bayou Catholic Magazine December 2020

Articles inside

Symbols of Christmas

Scripture Readings

Christmas Mass and confession times

Catholic Charities and Santa’s Helpers

Heavenly Recipes

Local priest receives missionary award

Readings Between the Lines

Comfort For My People

From the Editor