OC CATHOLIC - DECEMBER 25, 2001

DECEMBER 25, 2021

KIDS CAN TEACH US SO MUCH ABOUT GOD

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

GLAD TIDINGS TO ALL CHRISTMAS AROUND THE DIOCESE. PAGE 6

GUESTS OF CAPISTRANO LIGHTS ARE INVITED TO PLACE CANDLES BY THE LARGESCALE NATIVITY IN THE RUINS OF THE GREAT STONE CHURCH. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

DECEMBER 25, 2021

CONTENTS

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HER FAITH IS BY DESIGN

Parishioner Sequoia Sierra found her vocation in creating beautiful vestments for the church.

GOD’S UNENDING LOVE

God brings love and joy to all this Christmas season.

POPE: AT CHRISTMAS, SHARE JOY Pope Francis invokes the story of Mary and Elizabeth in finding joy during times of trouble.

PLUS

Bishop’s 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.

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@OCCCatholicNews

BISHOP’S COLUMN

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD,

BY MOST REVEREND KEVIN W. VANN, JCD, DD BISHOP OF ORANGE

I

AM HERE TO WRITE just some thoughts to you this Holy season.

I began this reflection having just finished watching “Backstage Memories of White Christmas” produced by Paramount and narrated in part by a friend of mine, Professor Emeritus Drew Casper of USC. This is one of my favorite movies, and in his commentary, Professor Casper says that the song “White Christmas” brings us back to the first Christmas times we remember, and that there is “no substitute for that!” True enough, because that song brought me back to my grandparents who every Christmas, in the midst of the snow and challenges with driving, would embrace us when my father would drive us across the snow in Springfield to

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be with my grandparents, who would usually give all of the Vann kids’ pajamas! But, in a funny secular way, certainly that song bridges eternity and brings my grandparents and I back together again.

How much more does our Faith give us this season and in the Christmas season beyond? Whether it is a carol like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” whose lyrics “The hopes and fears of all of the years are met in thee tonight” remind us that the hopes and fears of this present chaotic age, indeed meet in the birth of Christ who once again reminds us, with the Angels in St. Luke, that His birth comes to bring us life and to never forget that. The same can be said as I look at the Christmas ornament Mom and Dad bought for their first Christmas, or the red cellophane wreaths like my grandparents had, or even the

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CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

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

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FAMILY LIFE

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HRISTMAS CELEBRATES THE Incarnation, the “en-flesh-ment” of God as a human person. In Jesus, God is bodily present in the human story.

Today we honor the Holy Family, helping us to see that God is active in daily family life. God is near at hand, amidst the tensions, joys, and uncertainties of family life. As our Gospel passage describes, even with family miscommunications and with limited understanding of Jesus’ mission, the Holy Family persevered in their life together. Like many family conflicts, there was no immediate or clear resolution of the issues raised by Jesus and by Mary. God’s intentions for the family, and for Jesus, were still unfolding. They continued to stay connected with each other and with God. Within the turbulence of family life, they trusted God to actively sustain and guide them into an uncertain future. We are invited to follow their example.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

God made himself flesh and blood; he lowered himself to the point of becoming a man like us.

— Pope Francis

” ANASTASIA

SAINT PROFILE

DIED DEC. 25, 304

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N ACCORD WITH AN ANCIENT CUSTOM, this martyr is commemorated in the Catholic Church at the second Mass on Christmas Day and her name was included in the Roman Canon of the Mass in the fifth century. However, nothing is known about her history. She may have been martyred during the persecution of Diocletian at Sirmium in Pannonia, a Roman province in Central Europe where her cult originated. In a later legend, she was a Roman matron who associated with St. Chrysogonus and helped the Christian community at Aquileia. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 JN 1:1-4; PS 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; JN 20:1A, 2-8

1 JN 1:5 — 2:2; PS 124:2-5, 7B-8; MT 2:13-18

1 JN 2:3-11; PS 96:1-3, 5B-6; LK 2:22-35

1 JN 2:12-17; PS 96:7-10; LK 2:36-40

1 JN 2:18-21; PS 96:1-2, 11-13; JN 1:1-18

NM 6:22-27; PS 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; GAL 4:4-7; LK 2:16-21

IS 60:1-6; PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; EPH 3:23A, 5-6; MT 2:1-12

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FEATURE

GLAD TIDINGS TO ALL CHRISTMAS AROUND THE DIOCESE

BY STAFF

A

S WE CELEBRATE THIS most joyous Christmas season, we look within our own Diocese of Orange at the many special ways we prepare for and honor the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. With music, prayer and moments of quiet contemplation, we reflect on what this season means to us both individually and as a faith community.

In this issue, the OC Catholic highlights just a few of the many seasonal events taking place within our Diocese. C

MUSICIANS DRESSED IN DICKENS-ERA COSTUMES SERENADE GUESTS OF CAPISTRANO LIGHTS RETURNS WITH CHRISTMAS CLASSICS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

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REVEREND THANHTAI NGUYEN JOINS CAROLERS IN A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE DURING STS. SIMON & JUDE’S H.A.P.P.Y. (HAPPY ANTICIPATION PREVIEW PARTY, Y’ALL) EVENT ON SUNDAY, DEC. 12.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

TWO PARISHIONERS ATTEND CHRISTMAS LESSONS & CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON FRIDAY, DEC. 17. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.

FEATURE

CHRISTMAS LESSONS & CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT WAS HELD AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON FRIDAY, DEC. 17. THE EVENT FEATURED 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. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE SANTA GREETS A YOUNG PARISHIONER DURING STS. SIMON & JUDE PARISH’S H.A.P.P.Y. EVENT HELD ON SUNDAY, DEC. 12 IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. THE NIGHT ALSO FEATURED A TREE LIGHTING, ORNAMENT BLESSING AND FOOD COURTESY OF THE HOLY SMOKES MINISTRY. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE A CHILDREN’S CHORAL GROUP PERFORMS FOR ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISHIONERS DURING THE DANA POINT CHURCH’S NOEL CHRISTMAS CONCERT ON SATURDAY, DEC. 11. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE D E C E M B E R 2 5 , 2 0 2 1 n O C C AT H O L I C

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FEATURE

HER FAITH IS BY DESIGN O.C. PARISHIONER FINDS HER CALLING AND WEAVES SERVICE INTO HER WORK

BY KIM MOHR

S

EQUOIA SIERRA SPENT MUCH of her life in “nun mode.” The San Gabriel Valley native who moved to Orange County seven years ago, spent her youth frequenting the hospital and retreat house of the Carmelite order. She visited the sisters there on a weekly basis while growing up.

“They held me before my parents did,” Sierra said.

It’s no surprise that with an upbringing like that, Sierra would feel called to a life of service. However, it wasn’t the calling she expected. Little did she know that a skill taught to her by her mother when Sierra was just 4 or 5 years old, would blossom into her life’s work.

That skill is sewing, and it has led Sierra on a journey from Hollywood red carpets to entrepreneurship as owner and creative mastermind of The Liturgical Co., a local company that designs, creates and repairs vestments and habits, as well as other religious and liturgical items and church furnishings.

A DIFFERENT CALLING

Despite her time spent visiting the convent, when Sierra was around 18 years-old, she realized she wasn’t called to the sisterhood. Dealing with autoimmune disease wouldn’t make convent life feasible. So, she turned to her other passion – design.

After getting her education in the industry, Sierra enjoyed a successful career as a designer in television and film. She even won an award for work on an L.A. show. But she found that she didn’t care

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SEQUOIA SIERRA EMPLOYS HER SKILLS IN SEWING AND HANDMADE EMBROIDERY TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL VESTMENTS FOR THE CHURCH. PHOTO COURTESY OF SEQUOIA SIERRA

for the environment.

“I had to ask myself if morally I could do it,” she said of life in Hollywood.

Oftentimes, the answer was no, and she would find herself turning down projects. She knew it was time to step away.

“What now, Lord?” she asked. “I’ve got these skills. How am I going to use them?”

Having grown up with the Carmelites and identifying as a “lay Norbertine” affiliated with St. Michael’s Abbey in Silvera-

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do Canyon, Sierra knew a person or two involved with the church. A friend who was a sister needed a habit remade. That simple request from a friend who needed a favor was the spark.

“I don’t even remember how it took off,” she said of The Liturgical Co. “One day it didn’t exist and then it was a business. The word was out there immediately.”

Now she spends her days living a melding of her two passions she nev-

er imagined was possible – her faith expressed daily through her talent as a designer and seamstress.

“When you find that perfect balance of what you love, what the world needs and what can pay the bills, it all connects.

I’m very blessed,” she said. “God made the switch very easy for me.”

Sierra’s clients come from places as far afield as Africa and Croatia, though about half of her clients are locals. Her CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

FEATURE orangediocese • follow December 17, 2021 orangediocese As we enter the final week of Advent, Fr Daniel reflects on the importance of responding to God’s call, even if we get no recognition. We are all called to bring others to Christ, just as St. John the Baptist once did.

Full reflection through the link in our bio!

IN ADDITION TO THE LITURGICAL CO., SIERRA ALSO DESIGNS AND CREATES HANDMADE CLOTHES FOR LAY CLIENTS. PHOTO COURTESY OF SEQUOIA SIERRA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

orangediocese • follow December 16, 2021 orangediocese St. Hedwig Church in Los Alamitos is hosting their annual Christmas Dinner for Those Alone from 12 PM to 3 PM on Saturday, Dec. 25.

For more than 40 years, the annual Christmas Day dinner has been held in Quinn Hall.

Dinner reservations are available on a first-come, firstserve basis. Visit http://sainthedwigparish.org or contact the parish office at (562) 296-9000.

business has grown through word of mouth and the reputation she has built as a creator of beautiful religious pieces who understands she is more than a purveyor of textiles.

“I approach the work with a prayerful attitude,” she said. “This is a way to live out the faith in a very visual, tangible way, it’s more than a fashion item.”

Her clients feel comfortable entrusting these projects to her because they know she understands.

What further sets her apart is her commitment to quality and professionalism. Oftentimes, sisters would make their own habits and much of this work was done in-house. Sierra’s formal training allows her to provide topnotch pieces of only the highest quality.

WITH SUCCESS COMES CHALLENGES

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

But with success comes unique challenges for a Catholic business owner.

Sierra explains that industrywide, there is a shortage of seamstresses, whether it be costume designers for theater departments or business owners like herself.

“If you can sew, you’ll never starve,” she said.

It’s a particular problem for Sierra because she aims to hire Catholic seamstresses. She seeks people to work for her company who share her understanding and respect of religious life. It’s that “sense of the sacred” that she seeks in those she hires.

Sierra has had the joy of seeing friends become ordained and use her garments.

“Those have a special place in my heart,” she said.

Of all that she crafts, the vestments are of particular significance to Sierra.

“The vestment is a huge way of carrying out the liturgy, she said. “As one priest told me, for every set of vestments I make, I receive graces from every Mass they are used in.”

As her business continues to grow, Sierra - who came to O.C. to be closer to the abbey -stays true to her vision for her business.

“It all boils down to beauty,” she said.

There’s so much ugliness in our culture. I have a lot of friends who aren’t Catholic, but the beauty in these pieces touched their hearts. Beauty points people toward God.” To see more of Sierra’s work or inquire about her services, visit theliturgicalco.com. C

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DIOCESAN NEWS

KIDS CAN TEACH US SO MUCH ABOUT GOD

BY FATHER DAMIEN GIAP

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F WE’RE PAYING ATTENTION, children can teach us a lot about our faith. Frequently, we overlook the valuable lessons that they demonstrate for us about being Christlike. Our little ones live in the moment.

They are not distracted by what they will be doing tomorrow or what they may have done yesterday. Children focus on the moment that God has set before them, and they participate with all their heart. Whether they are playing, learning or praying, they are always “all in” and give everything to the moment before them. A child will follow willingly.

They trust that we will take them, safely, where they need to go. They model how we should interact with our God. And what better time to demonstrate these faith-filled traits than when they are helping us all to truly appreciate the Advent Season. On December 7 and 9, under the brisk evening sky, the children of St. John the Baptist Catholic School helped their faith community of family and friends to focus on the importance of preparing ourselves for the coming Christmas season. Little ones of all ages took to the outdoor stage and shared advent messages and Christmas cheer to an overflowing crowd of enthusiastic parents, grandparents and siblings.

The children remind us to slow down, take a deep breath and reflect on how we might commemorate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, one of the holiest times in our liturgical year. As adults, we sometimes have trouble admitting that we don’t know everything, but children love to learn new things and they tend to put their whole heart into the experience. Stepping away from what can be a frenzied time of party-going and shopping and remembering the true importance of this special season can be one of the greatest lessons that our children can

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ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM IN THEIR CHRISTMAS PAGEANT ON DEC. 7 AND 9.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

teach us.

As we celebrate this joyous season, may we liken our hearts to those of our children. May we appreciate the good that surrounds us and notice the “wows”

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in life that we all too often miss. May we remember to take joy in the simple things around us and trust that whatever God sends our way is for our own good. And may we love uncondition-

ally and not be so quick to judge as we adults so frequently do. These are all good strategies for ultimately becoming “like little children” so we might one day “enter the kingdom of heaven.” C

DIOCESAN NEWS

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

HONORING OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Ana and Bishop Kevin Vann celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, Dec. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 12. The festivities included music, Mass and a reenactment.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Diocese of Orange and her feast day is Dec. 12. The Blessed Mother is believed to have appeared to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on Tepeyac Hill on the outskirts of what is now Mexico

City in December of 1531.

ORANGE COUNTY CRIME VICTIMS MONUMENT UNVEILING IN SANTA ANA

Bishop Kevin Vann participated in the unveiling of the Orange County Crime Victims Monument in Santa Ana on Monday, Dec. 6.

According to the OC Register, the 25,000-pound monument is a large boulder with a dove and inscription honoring victims and survivors. The monument resides on Flower Street, in the courtyard set between the District Attorney and Sheriff ’s Department offices.

Referring to the victims, Bishop Vann cited St. Paul, saying, “We don’t cease praying for you.”C

BISHOP KEVIN VANN SPEAKS AT THE ORANGE COUNTY CRIME VICTIMS MONUMENT DEDICATION CEREMONY IN SANTA ANA ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021. PHOTO: MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

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CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING

BEHOLD, IT’S CHRISTMAS! I

BY CATHI DOUGLAS

T’S CHRISTMAS! But it’s not too late to reap the many meaningful and lasting blessings of Advent.

Rather than moving past the Christmas spirit, gathering up the discarded wrapping paper, and focusing on future plans for New Year’s Eve, the lessons of Advent urge us to pause; to pray, thanking God for sending his only son, and cleanse our souls to fully welcome Jesus.

If you are like me, the entire month from Thanksgiving to Christmas is jam-packed with obligations and activities. It’s a challenge to sit quietly and contemplate the Advent season, with its peaceful beauty and tender teachings.

Sometimes the season can get away from us completely. If that’s the case for you and your family, let’s pause together to recapture Advent – its spirit, lessons and deeper meaning for us as Catholics.

A fruitful Advent culminates with our entire beings experiencing the beautiful arrival of our Redeemer.

Catholic.org offers several ways to ensure that the spirit of Advent continues through Christmas and beyond.

PENANCE

Receive the sacrament of reconciliation. This is important especially for those of us who have committed grave sin, such as intentionally neglecting to participate in Sunday Mass and other holy days of obligation. In this case, we shouldn’t receive the Eucharist until we’ve first received absolution from

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PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

a priest in the sacrament of penance.

Christ Child Who Fulfills Every Hope.”

SUNDAY MASS

PONDER HOPE

If you’re not attending Mass every Sunday, begin to do so.

Vatican II stressed that at Mass, our redemption is fulfilled. The divine liturgy is a sacred event surpassing all others.

“We cannot expect to grow closer to Christ if we neglect the sacrifice of the Mass in which his body and blood, the Eucharist, is offered on the altar in expiation of sin,” according to “The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Awaiting the Arrival of the

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Read the section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the virtue of hope (CCC 1817-1821). “Pray that Christ send his Spirit more deeply into your heart to impart to you his own divine understanding and ignite a deep sense of hope within you.”

FULLNESS OF LIFE

Reflect on how the promises of Christ are promises of ultimate happiness and fullness of living. If we remain faithful to him, we’ll inherit these everlasting promises.

DETACHMENT

Think about the things of heaven and begin to develop a holy detachment from things of the world. We can

give something up as a concrete and penitential way of expressing our love for Christ over and above the fleeting things of the world.

LOVE

During Advent, we progressively light candles on our family wreath, acknowledging Jesus’s coming with reflection, prayer and hope. The circular wreath reminds us that God’s love is perpetual; each candle symbolizes one of His teachings: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. Our private vigil helps us prepare for the arrival of “The Light of the World.” 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.

BISHOP’S COLUMN

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THE DICKENS-ERA CAROLERS PERFORM AT THE CAPISTRANO LIGHTS CHRISTMAS EVENT HELD AT THE HISTORIC MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18TH, 2021.

PHOTO BY PATRICK SMITH, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

wax figurines that had once belonged to them, and which I rescued one year from my parent’s attic after they had passed away.

The Incarnation, the Birth of Christ is about eternal life and hope, and that God is not far from us; He is “Emmanuel” - God with us. I will be thinking about all of you and praying for you, your loved ones and families in these

days. Thank you for your witness, generosity and kindness in so many ways!

I pray that these last days of Advent, the Twelve Days of Christmas and the entire season with the celebration of Mass, once more teach of the “Love that came down at Christmas,” as this wonderful hymn by Pietro A. Yon, transcends the boundaries of time and eternity for us all. “O COME LET US ADORE HIM, CHRIST THE LORD.” C

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CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

AT CHRISTMAS, SHARE JOY, NOT COMPLAINTS, POPE SAYS

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the celebration of Christmas just around the corner, Christians should look for ways to share the joy of Jesus’ birth rather than draw up a laundry list of complaints, Pope Francis said.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday Angelus address Dec. 19, the pope said that the temptation to complain can “ruin so many lives, because one starts complaining and complaining, and life drains away.”

“Complaining always leads you to look for someone to blame,” he said. “If we proceed with the tired step of grumbling and talking, we will not bring God to anyone, we will only bring bitterness and dark things.”

The pope’s reflections began with the Sunday Gospel reading from St. Luke which recounted Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, even after receiving the announcement from the angel that she was to give birth to the son of God. Mary, the pope said, did “not stay at home, thinking over what has happened and considering the problems and pitfalls, which were certainly not lacking because, poor girl, she did not know what to do with this news given the culture of that age.”

Instead of thinking of herself, she “thinks about someone in need, she thinks about Elizabeth, her relative, who was of advanced years and with child, something strange and miraculous,” he said.

“She went out to help. How?” the pope asked. “By sharing her joy. Mary gives Elizabeth the joy of Jesus, the joy she carried in her heart and in her womb.”

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THE NATIVITY SCENE AND CHRISTMAS TREE ARE SEEN AS POPE FRANCIS LEADS THE ANGELUS FROM THE WINDOW OF HIS STUDIO OVERLOOKING ST. PETER’S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN DEC. 19, 2021. PHOTO: PAUL HARING / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Recalling that Mary “arose and went,” Pope Francis encouraged Christians to be guided by those two verbs during the last days of Advent.

Mary, he explained, got up and went to see her cousin despite the difficulty that her “unexpected pregnancy exposed her to,” including misunderstandings, punishment and even death.

“She did not look down at her problems, but up to God. And she did not think about whom to ask for help, but to

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whom to bring help. She always thinks about others: that is Mary, always thinking of the needs of others,” the pope said.

Christians, he added, must do the same “and look for someone to whom we can be of help,” such as the elderly, the lonely or someone in need of service. In doing so, “we help ourselves to rise up from difficulties.”

Mary’s action of going in haste to see her cousin is a reminder that Christians should not live their lives “with agitation,

in a hurried manner” but instead proceed “with a joyful step, looking ahead with confidence, without dragging our feet, as slaves to complaint,” he said.

Instead, Pope Francis said, Christians should “cultivate a healthy sense of humor,” and “the first act of charity we can do for our neighbor is to offer him or her a serene and smiling face.”

In doing so, Christians “bring them the joy of Jesus, as Mary did with Elizabeth,” the pope said. C

Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey

The Nativity Scene at St. Kilian Catholic Church in Mission Viejo.

—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange

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

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