OC CATHOLIC - DECEMBER 12, 2021

DECEMBER 12, 2021

CULTIVATING GOD’S GIFTS

PAGE 10

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM

A GUIDE OF GRACIOUSNESS

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE APPARITION REACHES 490-YEAR MILESTONE. PAGE 6 DEACON MIGUAL SANTOS PRAYS AT A SHRINE TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE. LUIS CANTABRANA PUT ON HIS YEARLY OBSERVANCE FOR OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AT HIS HOME IN SANTA ANA ON DECEMBER 11, 2019.

PHOTO: BILL ALKOFER

DECEMBER 12, 2021

CONTENTS

7 8 13

LOOKING FORWARD WITH JOY

The third week of advent is an opportunity to celebrate joy.

DEACON’S GOLDEN MOMENT

Deacon Steve Greco and his wife Mary Anne celebrate 50 years of marriage.

POPE: GOD’S POWER IS REVEALED IN LOVE

During the papal visit to Athens, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the Magaron concert hall.

PLUS

Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.

ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC

The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840 Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange Executive Editor: Tracey Kincaid, tkincaid@rcbo.org Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com News Ideas: storyideas@rcbo.org Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com

ADVERTISING Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com

SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams

Art Director: Fernando M. Donado

Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein.

Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.

OCCatholic.com

OCCatholicNews

@OCCCatholicNews

GUEST COLUMN

CELEBRATING ADVENT

BY DEACON TONY MERCADO

H

APPY ADVENT! It is like saying Happy New Year because Advent is the beginning of our Liturgical calendar.

The word Advent means “arriving” or “coming” in its original Latin root. When we celebrate the Advent season, we are celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ. It seems to me that in today’s world, we want everything now. We do not want to wait for things. As soon as Halloween is over, we begin to see Thanksgiving and Christmas items being displayed. Our culture has taught us to think that we are living in the moment by not waiting for anything, but that is actually the opposite of what is true.

To truly live in the moment, we must

4

experience life at that moment. Advent helps us to do just that. Advent helps us to prepare for the arrival of Jesus, the KING of Kings. It is not about putting out all the Christmas decorations, so we can just take them down the day after Christmas...

Advent is the season for us to truly prepare ourselves, spiritually, for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How do we do that? There are many ways that we can prepare for His coming. In our home, we use an Advent wreath that consists of three purple candles and one rose colored candle. After dinner, we take turns reading sacred scripture that corresponds to that day of our Advent calendar. Then we discuss those readings. We try to clear our minds and open our hearts to accept Jesus more sincerely, just like when we

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

TONY MERCADO, FAR LEFT. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints.

We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have constructive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.

DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“ REJOICE

T

HE PROPHETIC WRITINGS we hear in today’s scriptures call us to rejoice and celebrate the goodness of God. Zephaniah, Isaiah, Saint Paul and John the Baptist in Luke’s Gospel all follow the rich tradition of the Biblical prophets, a tradition that reaches full expression in Jesus. The prophets warn that human failings have truly disastrous consequences. All are summoned to repent, and to change their lives. Today we hear the Good News that God’s gracious love exceeds and overcomes all human corruption. God has not given up on us. Indeed, God keeps pursuing us, and eagerly seeks to reconcile with us. God’s initiative to set the world aright culminates with Jesus, whose coming John the Baptist announces. John’s prophetic message summons us to join in God’s reconciling work, by living generously and justly in our daily lives. As we rejoice in God’s grace, we then extend the fruits of this grace to all.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

The wonders of modern science and technology have increased our quality of life.

- Pope Francis SAINT PROFILE

”

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE 16TH CENTURY

U

NDER THIS TITLE, OUR LADY IS the patron of Mexico, the United States and all of the Americas, as well as the protector of unborn children. In 1531, she appeared in a vision to the peasant Juan Diego, on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City, and charged him with asking the bishop to build a church on that spot. But the bishop demanded a sign, so Our Lady had Juan gather flowers in his cloak, in December, to take to the bishop. When Juan opened his cloak, the colorful image of Guadalupe was emblazoned on the cactus-cloth.

That icon is preserved in the most famous shrine in the Western Hemisphere and Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to inspire poor and oppressed people worldwide. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

NM 24:2-7, 15-17A; PS 25:4-5AB, 6, 7BC-9; MT 21:2327

ZEP 3:1-2, 9-13; PS 34:2-3, 6-7, 1719, 23; MT 21:28-32

IS 45:6B-8, 18, 21B25; PS 85:9-14; LK 7:18B-23

IS 54:1-10; PS 30:2, 4-6, 11-12A, 13B; LK 7:24-30

GN 49:2, 8-10; PS 72:1-4AB, 7-8, 17; MT 1:1-17

JER 23:5-8; PS 72:12, 12-13, 18-19; MT 1:18-25

MI 5:1-4A; PS 80:23, 15-16, 18-19; HEB 10:5-10; LK 1:39-45

D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

5

FEATURE

A GUIDE OF GRACIOUSNESS OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE APPARITION REACHES 490YEAR MILESTONE

BY BILL QUINNAN

T

HOUSANDS OF CATHOLICS throughout the Diocese were up well before sunrise this morning, celebrating Mass and enjoying mariachi music, food and fellowship in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dec. 12 marks the 490th anniversary of the Marian apparition, which changed the history of the Catholic Church in the Americas, and especially in Mexico.

According to tradition, the Blessed Mother first appeared to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on Tepeyac Hill on the outskirts of what is now Mexico City on Dec. 9, 1531. She asked Juan Diego, an indigenous convert to Christianity, to present the bishop with her request that a shrine be built in her name at the site.

The understandably skeptical bishop asked for a sign to prove the apparition, so Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac on December 12. There the Blessed Mother appeared again, instructing him to gather roses that had bloomed on the hill out of season and pinning them to the inside of his mantle, or tilma. When Juan Diego opened the tilma to present the roses to the bishop, he also revealed an image of Our Lady that had been miraculously impressed upon the inside.

Juan Diego’s tilma is preserved at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, portraying the Blessed Mother as she had appeared at Tepeyac, with native features and attire, supported by an angel and wearing a blue mantle covered in gold stars. A black

6

PARISHIONERS ATTEND THE MASS HONORING THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON DECEMBER 13, 2019. PHOTO: CHARLES BENNET

girdle about her waist indicates that she is with child.

PATRONESS OF THE DIOCESE Our Lady of Guadalupe serves not only as the patroness of the Americas but was specifically chosen as patroness of the Diocese of Orange upon its founding in 1976. Father Christopher Smith, rector and episcopal vicar at Christ Cathedral, finds the choice especially appropriate given the devotion of the Diocese’s thriving Hispanic community to Our Lady, as well as the presence of Mission San Juan Capistrano within its boundaries.

“The apparition speaks to everyone, because it reflects the dignity of all the

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

people,” said Father Smith. “It represents respecting the life of every human being.”

Christ Cathedral honors Our Lady’s patronage throughout the year with a 10-by-7-foot mosaic representing the icon made of gold and opaque glass, visible from nearly every angle inside the church.

SPEAKING TO THE SOUL

According to Armando Cervantes, Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Orange, the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe “speaks to the soul, to the family (and) to the community in powerful ways.”

“Our Lady of Guadalupe has been a

pillar of strength for a lot of people who cross the border without any family here,” he said. “Our Lady of Guadalupe might have been the only image in their pocket, or on their chest or on a keyring. That’s what kept them going – that faith, that story, that reminder that she will always be there.”

When these immigrants have children of their own, passing on the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is especially important, Cervantes noted.

“As I talk to the older generation about their children, they always say the same thing to me – ‘When I send them to school or whenever they leave the house CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

to go to college, I entrust them to Our Lady,’” he said. “Even though it might not be the same as their treacherous journey, it’s still a journey, and they want their children to also experience that.”

A FEAST DAY FOR ALL

Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe extends beyond the Hispanic community in the Diocese, Cervantes noted.

“I know parishes here in (the Diocese) that have a bilingual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration,” he said.

“It’s no longer something that the Hispanic community celebrates and everyone else just watches. It actually has become more of a communal celebration.”

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the canonization of Juan Diego, whose story Cervantes also finds universally relatable.

“Juan Diego’s canonization to me is a constant reminder … that you are part of the story, and you are called to listen to the voice of God and to live it out in the Church and in the world,” he said.

PAROCHIAL CELEBRATION

While someone suggested to Cervantes that the cathedral host a single feast day celebration for the Diocese, he believes parish celebrations are more practical and appropriate.

“There’s a beauty of a community coming together, a community who always journeys together throughout the whole year, to now come and celebrate together the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he said. “Every 12th of December, we make a big deal, from the music to the food, to the mariachi. It’s all with that underlying hope and a reminder of that beautiful story that she brings forth, a beautiful reminder of us being the children that she takes care of.” C

LOOKING FORWARD WITH JOY CELEBRATING THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT MEANS ANTICIPATION, GLADNESS

BY CATHI DOUGLAS

“We always think of Jesus when He preaches, when He heals, when He travels, walks along the street, even during the Last Supper. But we aren’t used to thinking about Jesus smiling, joyful.

Jesus was full of joy, full of joy. It is His internal joy, the interior joy that He gives to us.” – Pope Francis

O

N THE THIRD SUNDAY in advent – this year on Dec. 12 – we celebrate joy.

We light the pink or rose-colored candle in our Advent wreath and mark the second part of Advent, when our anticipation of the birth of Jesus fills our hearts with gladness. The priests wear rose-colored vestments.

“Joy is a very real and deep happiness that is rooted in faith and trust,” explains the University of San Diego’s Advent website.

“In this third week of Advent, we pause and reflect on the first half of the season, as well as look ahead to the last weeks. The joy that we have and will experience during this season magnifies as we continue to prepare for the coming of Christ, who is full of joy.”

Known as Gaudete Sunday, for the Latin word for ‘rejoice,’ the spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, “The Lord is near,” according to the Creighton University Advent website. In the last eight days

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

of Christmas, the gospels are from the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke.

“We read the stories of faithful women and men who prepared the way for our salvation,” the site says. “These stories are filled with hints of what His life will mean for us. Faith and generosity overcome impossibility. Poverty and persecution reveal glory.”

Biblical joy is different from what we commonly think of as joy. Rather than an emotion, “it is a state of being that finds its source in God,” notes Robin Basselin, English Ministry Co-Director of ReFrame Ministries in her blog at todaydevotional.com.

“The Bible is clear that joy comes from God,” Basselin writes, noting Neh. 8:9-10. “Our joy is a product of what God has done and continues to do.”

She adds, “It’s easy to be giddy and full of rejoicing when we replay the angel’s words: I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The

Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

God calls us to experience a joy that endures in our hearts and souls, past the cheerful Christmas holidays and beyond.

Mother Teresa may have described Biblical joy best: “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love.”

As we light the rose candle this week, we enter into the story of how the Christ Child’s life first began. “We move through this week feeling part of the waiting world that rejoices because our longing has prepared us to believe the reign of God is close at hand,” the Creighton University site notes.

“Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply, and say, ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior.’”

Readings for each day of the third week of Advent can be found at sandiego.edu/advent/third-week. C The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.

D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

7

FEATURE

DEACON’S GOLDEN MOMENT ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON’S STEVE GRECO AND HIS WIFE, MARY ANNE, LONGTIME CHURCH LEADERS, CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF MARRIAGE

BY GREG HARDESTY

N

EXT SATURDAY EVENING, Dec. 18, Deacon Steve Greco and his wife, Mary Anne, will enjoy the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade from one of their favorite spots: a table at the harbor-fronting Rusty Pelican restaurant.

Two of their three children will be joining them, along with two grandchildren.

The holiday viewing is a tradition, but this year it will be even sweeter: Dec. 18 marks the Grecos’ 50th wedding anniversary.

The longtime parishioners and church leaders at Irvine’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton have kept busy over the years with various faith-based activities including Deacon Steve’s weekly radio show, “Empowered by the Spirit,” on the Diocese of Orange’s Relevant Radio – AM 1000.

The secret to their successful marriage, they say, is no mystery.

“We both have worked with engaged couples,” Deacon Steve said. “One of our programs is called, ‘Marriage in the Lord.’ I always ask each couple, ‘What’s the most important thing about a successful marriage?’

“They say things like trust, communication, spending time together. Almost never do they say, ‘Putting Jesus at the center of the marriage.’”

And that’s the key, according to Steve and Mary Anne.

8

DEACON STEVE GRECO WITH HIS WIFE MARY ANNE ON VACATION IN ROME. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEACON STEVE GRECO

“It’s the glue,” Mary Anne said.

“Things don’t always go smoothly in life, but we always have God and prayer.”

Adds Steve: “Very early on, we got heavily involved with Bible studies, charismatic renewal, etc. We were prayer group leaders, too. Putting activities of the church and the Lord at the center of our marriage has helped us bond and grow together.”

MET IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Steve and Mary Anne met in the seventh grade at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Glendale, where they both grew up.

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

“I was Boys League president,” Steve recalls, “and she was Girls League president.”

They went on their first date – Disneyland – on graduation night at Glendale High School. They continued dating while Mary Anne studied social sciences at USC and he studied history and education at Loyola Marymount University.

Steve is a lifelong Catholic. Mary Anne converted to Catholicism before they married in 1971.

“To be united in your faith is incredibly important,” Steve said. “I felt very strongly that I really needed to marry someone who had a very strong faith in the Lord and who put Jesus at the center

of the marriage.”

Mary Anne added, “I thought it was very important for us to practice the same religion when we had children. To be centered on God was very important.”

Today, their children -- Laura, 47, Paul, 44 and Mark, 42 – remain active in the church.

A ‘BORN COMMUNICATOR’

Members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton since 1974, Steve, despite his heavy involvement in the church, never wanted to become a deacon until then-Pastor Father Tom Pado, now retired, asked him to consider.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

FEATURE orangediocese • follow December 3, 2021 orangediocese Don’t forget - we’re just 6 days away from The Feast of the Immaculate Conception - a Holy Day of Obligation in our Diocese!

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 8, and check out your local parish for Mass times so you can be sure to celebrate this Holy Day of Obligation.

Visit http://rcbo.org/worship/ parish-locations to find a parish near you.

DEACON STEVE AND MARY ANNE MARRIED AT 21 AND RECENTLY CELEBRATED THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE. PHOTO: PHOTO COURTESY OF DEACON STEVE GRECO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

orangediocese • follow December 3, 2021 orangediocese Today, Bishop Vann reflects on the beauty, images and hope of the Advent Season and how we are reminded to lift our souls to God every day.

Listen to the full Advent reflection through the link in our bio.

To report sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel please call: 1 (800) 364–3064 Healing and Hope After Abortion: 1 (800) 722–4356 New Hope Crisis Counseling Hot Line (24/7): 1 (714) NEW–HOPE or 1 (714) 639–4673

Ordained a deacon in 2007, Steve’s now one of Orange County’s senior deacons (there are around 120). He retired from executive management in the biopharmaceutical industry in 2016.

Deacon Steve has written seven books and has been on several overseas missions. He helped raise money to build a church in poverty plagued Tondo, in Manila, the Philippines, and his missionary work also has taken him to Indonesia and Egypt, among other countries.

“I really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in a major way working with the poor,” he said.

Steve has been active on the radio since 2015 after he founded Spirit-Filled Hearts Ministry in 2014.

Jim Governale, radio program manager for the Diocese of Orange, calls him a “born communicator.”

“I was taken initially by his almost childlike enthusiasm and zeal for evangelization. I don’t think I have ever met someone who is so ‘on fire’ for his faith,” said Governale.

MORE ADVICE

The Grecos, who have led 15 pil-

grimages together, have more advice for a long, successful marriage.

“Learning to forgive is a biggie,” Mary Anne said.

“You have to reinvent yourself, forgive one another and be there for each other through thick and thin,” Steve said.

They married young – at age 21.

“We had to grow up together,” Mary Anne said, “and even to this day, we’re still learning things about each other.

It’s always an evolution.”

They also try to be encouragers for each other.

“If one of us gets down and gets negative about ourself,” Steve said, “we say to the other person: ‘Don’t receive that on your behalf.’”

“Or,” added Mary Anne, “we’ll say, ‘Tell me three things you like about yourself.’”

The couple shared a favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

“You can try to do something,” Mary Anne explained, “but if you don’t do it right, God can turn it to work toward good. That gives us peace.” C

D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

9

DIOCESAN NEWS

CULTIVATING GOD’S GIFTS HELPING OUR YOUTH GIVE THEIR GIFTS BACK TO GOD

BY FATHER DAMIEN GIAP

O

UR GOD DOESN’T make mistakes. He makes each of us exactly the way he wants us to be.

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!

And when He creates us, He gives us our many gifts and talents that make us each uniquely who we are.

At St. John the Baptist Catholic School, we take this very seriously. It’s a top priority to help our students discover their special talents and begin to cultivate and nurture them. Identifying these unique qualities help our young people to plan for their future while they discover God’s plan for them. God has created each of us for a unique purpose and the goal of our faith journey is to discover that purpose and to fulfill it to the best of our ability.

During the week of Nov. 15, 40 of SJB’s 5th- through 8th-grade students delivered five performances of “Wicked Is As Wicked Does,” a fractured fairytale comedy-play about the good that exists in all of us. These passionate actors and actresses performed for peers, family and friends and were rewarded with smiles, laughter, cheers and applause. The experience was affirming for each of them and helped each child begin to see how their abilities guide them toward God’s future plan for their life.

Even in our performing arts program, our students are grounded in prayer so their experiences are opportunities for guidance in faith. We want our students to embrace the dreams that God has

10

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SCHOOL

placed on their hearts and to know that he will help them to achieve it if it glorifies His name. And finally, it is always easier to follow God’s plan and honor Him with our actions when we are immersed in an environment that encourag-

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

es us to walk the path He has given us.

If God has placed a desire on our children’s hearts, St. John’s wants to help each of those children to grow in their gifts and talents so they can become the image and likeness of Him that they were

destined to be. We want them to find who they truly are but, most importantly, we want them to glorify their God with everything that makes them who they are so in each of them He will be well pleased. C

DIOCESAN NEWS

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR SANTA ANA RESIDENTS

Catholic Charities of Orange County is helping the residents of Santa Ana, who may be behind with their rent due to COVID 19 circumstances, apply for rental assistance. For more information, call 714-347-9602 or email aramiro@ ccoc.org.

Requirements: n Must reside in the city of Santa Ana n Must be behind with rent n Must qualify under income bracket n Must provide all required documentation to demonstrate inability to pay for rent due to COVID-19 circumstances

SIMBANG GABI

Simbang Gabi will be celebrated at 5:30 a.m. each morning from Dec. 16-23 and at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24 at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest. Simbang Gabi is a series of Advent Novena Masses often celebrated by Filipino Catholics.

On Dec. 24 everyone is asked to bring a representation of the infant Jesus to be placed by the altar for a special blessing. A light breakfast will follow the morning Masses in the parish center and Tagalog Christmas carols will be performed during the liturgies.

CHRISTMAS LESSONS & CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

A Christmas concert will be held at Christ Cathedral, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove on Friday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature the Diocesan children’s and adult choirs, the Cathedral Schola, the Cathedral Brass Quintet and Percussion as well as English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese choirs from the Cathedral. This event is free and open to the public.

SPECIAL SERIES HOSTED

BY OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH

Enjoy a bite to eat while attending a special theology series at H.H. Cotton’s American Bar & Grill, 201 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente. The event is nine weeks long, every Wednesday at 6 p.m. from Dec. 29 through Feb. 23, and it is a “Theology on Tap” style event in three sections: (1) “Patristics in the Pub” (three speakers on the Fathers of the Church); (2) “Medievals and Mixology” (three speakers on the medieval period of the Church); and (3) “The Magisterial Vineyard” (three speakers on the modern Magisterium). $10 suggested donation.

Free childcare available at Our Lady of Fatima.

The first in this series will be held on Dec. 29: “How St. Clement of Rome Ruined My Life,” with Dr. Matthew J. Thomas, DPhil, assistant professor o f Biblical studies at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley.C

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LAKE FOREST. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

THE TOWER OF HOPE AND CHRIST CATHEDRAL AT NIGHT. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA CHURCH D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

11

GUEST COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Merchandise Fitness-Weight Loss LOSE 15-30 LBS IN 30 DAYS! I work with Clergy and Parishioners successfully! Easy & Safe. Gil Yurly 714-206-0443

The postponed

DIVINE MERCY RETREAT IS FINALLY HAPPENING!

Theme “DIVINE MERCY & THE FAMILY IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME”. Date: February 5, 2022, Saturday, 8am to 5pm.

Venue: Christ Cathedral Campus, Arboretum, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92840. Check-in: 7 am. Holy Mass: 8:30 am.

Speakers FR. ROBERT SPITZER, SJ, Ph.D.; FR. QUAN TRAN; DONNA LEE; and ANGEL & ESTRELLA MIJARES.

Contact Estrella Mijares (562) 972-5675, angelstar73@earthlink.net. Pre-registration Fee: $25.

Deadline: January 5, 2022. Check payable to Holy Name of Mary, and mail to Divine Mercy Ministry, 321 Vallejo St., La Habra, CA 90631. NO on-site registration. Brown bag lunch included but NO special diet. SEATS ARE LIMITED, REGISTER EARLY!

12

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

pray or prepare ourselves for Mass.

This is our family tradition. The beauty about being Catholic (means universal) is that we can incorporate many traditions that each of our cultures bring to celebrate the coming of Jesus. At my home parish, St Mary’s in Fullerton, we have a large population of Spanish speaking parishioners. One of the things that unites this community is celebrating Las Posadas for nine days (a Novena) in the evenings. In this custom, we remember and reenact the journey that Mary and Joseph took on their way to Bethlehem to find a place to bring Jesus into this world. We also have a large population of Filipino parishioners, and their rich culture has brought us Simbang Gabi. In this tradition, we celebrate nine pre-dawn Masses (a Novena) to prepare for the coming of Jesus. What do these and

most other Advent traditions have in common? First, they help us to prepare spiritually for the coming of Jesus. Second, they help to form stronger communities in the breaking of bread with others. In our home, we gather around the Advent wreath after dinner. People gather for Latin-American food and snacks after the reenactment of the Holy Family’s journey during the Posadas. After the Mass during Simbang Gabi, parishioners also gather for breakfast and snacks after each Mass.

Whatever the tradition is, it is very important that we take the time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. If we truly believe that He is the KING of Kings, we must be prepared. If we were to meet royalty here on earth, we would be prepared as to how we would dress, how we would speak and how we would act.

Should we not be more prepared when we plan to meet the KING of Kings? C

CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

POPE FRANCIS USES INCENSE TO VENERATE A MARIAN IMAGE AS HE CELEBRATES MASS IN THE MEGARON CONCERT HALL IN ATHENS, GREECE, DEC. 5, 2021. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

GOD’S POWER IS REVEALED IN LOVE, POPE SAYS AT MASS IN ATHENS

BY CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

ATHENS, Greece (CNS) — God the Almighty almost always chooses the least mighty people and the most desolate places to reveal the power of his love, Pope Francis said.

Celebrating Mass Dec. 5 in Athens’ Megaron concert hall, the pope touched on a theme he had explored in depth

with Catholic leaders the day before: the blessing and spiritual advantage of being a small community without power and without pretenses.

Catholics make up less than 2% of the population of Greece; more than 90% of the country’s residents belong to the Orthodox Church.

Noting how the day’s Gospel says the word of God came to John the Baptist “in the desert,” Pope Francis said, “There

is no place that God will not visit.”

“Today we rejoice to see him choose the desert, to see him reach out with love to our littleness and to refresh our arid spirits,” he said. “Dear friends, do not fear littleness, since it is not about being small and few in number, but about being open to God and to others.”

The late-afternoon Mass was the pope’s last public event in Greece. After Mass he was to host a private visit by

Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II, head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, and the next morning he was scheduled to visit a Catholic school before returning to Rome, concluding a five-day trip that began in Cyprus.

Celebrating Mass in the Greek capital after having flown to and from the outlying island of Lesbos for a meeting with migrants, Pope Francis’ homily focused CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

13

CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

both on recognizing God at work where he is least expected and on the Advent challenge of conversion.

St. Luke’s description of the call of St. John the Baptist lists the civil and religious leaders in office at the time.

“We might have expected God’s word to be spoken to one of the distinguished personages” mentioned in the reading, the pope said. “Instead, a subtle irony emerges between the lines of the Gospel: from the upper echelons of the powerful, suddenly we shift to the desert, to an unknown, solitary man.”

“God surprises us,” the pope told the 2,000 people at Mass. “His ways surprise us, for they differ from our human expectations; they do not reflect the power and grandeur that we associate with him.

Indeed, the Lord likes best what is small and lowly.”

The Gospel teaches that “being powerful, well-educated or famous is no guarantee of pleasing God, for those things could actually lead to pride and to rejecting him. Instead, we need to be interiorly poor, even as the desert is poor.”

The day’s reading also called for conversion, something that sounds difficult, he said, because too many people think of it as a rallying of personal strength in a struggle for perfection.

But the Greek word for conversion -“metanoia” -- means “’to think beyond,’ to go beyond our usual ways of thinking, beyond our habitual worldview -- all those ways of thinking that reduce everything to ourselves, to our belief in our own self-sufficiency,” he said.

“To be converted, then, means not listening to the things that stifle hope, to those who keep telling us that nothing ever changes in life,” the pope said. “It means refusing to believe that we are destined to sink into the mire of mediocrity.”

“Everything changes when we give first place to the Lord. That is what conversion is,” Pope Francis insisted. “As far as Christ is concerned, we need only open the door and let him enter in and work POPE FRANCIS CELEBRATES MASS IN THE MEGARON CONCERT HALL IN ATHENS, GREECE, DEC. 5, 2021. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE his wonders.” C

14

O C C AT H O L I C n D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey

Fr. Christopher Pham and Sister Theresa Nguyen of the Diocese of Orange, give a family visiting from Texas a tour of the Christ Cathedral campus.

—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange

Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com

D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

15