When You Let God Guide You, You Can Get “Hooked on Giving”
A Smith Family Christmas
PROFOUND & PROVOCATIVE C ONVERSION S TORIES
PROFOUND & PROVOCATIVE
C ONVERSION S TORIES
◆ INTO THE DEEP
Abigail Favale
This book traces one woman’s spiritual odyssey from birthright evangelicalism through postmodern feminism and, ultimately, into the Roman Catholic Church. As a college student, she experienced a feminist awakening that reshaped her life and faith. A decade later, on the verge of atheism, she found herself entering the oldest male-helmed institution on the planet—the last place she expected to be.
With humor and insight, Favale describes her gradual exodus from evangelicalism and surprising swerve into Catholicism. She writes candidly about grappling with wounds from her past, Catholic sexual morality, the male priesthood, and an interfaith marriage. A thoroughly 21st century conversion and compelling account of recovering an ancient faith a er a decade of doubt.
IDP . . .Sewn Softcover, $18.95
◆ THE TWO JERUSALEMS
Matthew Wiseman
The moving story of a young man’s amazing journey to discover the roots of the Christian faith in the Ancient Near East, which led him from Protestantism through the Messianic movement and into the Catholic Church. is journey took him to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the Nożyk Synagogue in Warsaw, and the Judean Desert and into the heart of ancient Jewish tradition: the Hebrew Bible. Through it all, Wiseman’s relentless desire for truth and consistency kept him searching until he discovered the “beauty ever ancient, ever new”. His powerful story is like a course in fundamental theology, in compelling narrative form. T J P . . . Sewn Softcover, $18.95
“ ere are events in life that leave you changed forever, right down to the very roots and heart of your being, because they go ‘into the deep’. Like this book. e theology is profoundly Christ-centered, the psychology trustworthily honest, and the style winsomely alive.”
Peter Kree , Ph.D., Best-selling Author and Philosophy Professor
“A beautifully written story of conversion. In this raw and compelling narrative, Favale reminds us that, in the most mysterious of ways, God’s grace can reach all of us.”
— Carrie Gress, Author, e Anti-Mary Exposed
◆ THE GENESIS OF GENDER
Weaving personal experience with expert knowledge, Favale provides an in-depth yet accessible account of the gender paradigm: a framework for understanding reality and identity that has recently risen to prominence. She traces the genealogy of gender to its origins in feminism and postmodern thought.
GGP . . . Sewn Softfover, $18.95
“A groundbreaking book that could change the lives of traditional Jews, Messianic Jews, Protestant Christians, and wavering Catholics. Highly recommended!”Ronda Chervin, Ph.D., Philosophy Professor and Hebrew Catholic
“Wiseman’s journey is worthy of the Magi who followed the star to Bethlehem. An absorbing, challenging, and ultimately inspiring read.” —Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Author, ere and Back Again
◆ SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS
Roy Schoeman
Traces the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in God's plan for the salvation of mankind, from Abraham through the Second Coming, as revealed by the Catholic faith and by a thoughtful examination of history.
SFJP . . . Sewn Softcover, $19.95
NovemberDecember
A Smith Family Christmas: Songs—and Family Mayhem— Make the Season
Five children and a music ministry make every Christmas memorable
JULIE SMITH, WITH TIM SMITH
The Lord of Miracles
Uncover the background and traditions associated with the Peruvian painting of Christ that inspired one of the world’s largest religious processions
MAHDI ALESIAD
Starry, Starry Night
The night sky invites us to wonder, awe, and contemplation
M. SANTA, CS S R
CATHOLIC
LIGUORI
November–December Columnists
Kathleen Basi (“The Redeemer, Mary, and You”) is an award-winning author, a liturgical composer, a wife, and the mother of four children. She is a published novelist and the founder of Intentional Catholic, a ministry seeking to connect our Catholic faith to the real, practical situations of daily life.
Juliet Byington Holden (“Keep the Faith”) works with a foundation in St. Louis to connect critical resources with organizations and churches in the region, and after thirty years in the nonprofit sector, she has a deep appreciation for those who make straight the path for others.
Sarah Christmyer (“Redemptive Living”) is a Catholic author, editor, speaker, and blogger who invites people to find the Word in Scripture. Her book Becoming Women of the Word: How to Answer God’s Call with Purpose and Joy takes readers on a spiritual pilgrimage with the women of the Old Testament.
Most Reverend Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR (“Plain Talk”), is auxiliary bishop, urban vicar, and episcopal vicar for Hispanic Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Bishop Bruce was formerly the pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Patrick parishes in Baltimore.
Fr. Michael McAndrew, CSsR (“Padre Migrante”), has served for thirtyplus years in Redemptorist Hispanic ministry initiatives, youth ministry, bilingual parish missions, and farmworker ministry. He works with the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network, directed a Campesino ministry, and recently published a new book with Liguori Publications: Walk With My People: A Life in Migration Ministry (828720).
Fr. Robert Pagliari, CSsR, PhD (“Holy Homework”), has served as a Redemptorist priest for forty-plus years, dedicating his life to an array of ministries, including teaching, parish administration, preaching, and editing. Liguori Publications updated Fr. Bob’s Holy Homework (828638) in 2022, a book that was first published in 2018.
Br. Raymond Pierce, CSsR (“The Lighter Side”), is a native of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. His ministry is storytelling via email. Every week, he sends “Morning Smiles” emails of humor and personal stories to nearly 1,000 senior citizens.
Fr. Thomas M. Santa, CSsR (“A Word from the Publisher”), was named president and publisher of Liguori Publications in January 2024, his second assignment as the company’s leader. Professed as a Redemptorist in 1973, his ministries have included retreat work and writing reflections for the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter.
Adam Tran-Chung (“Social Media Perspectives”) is stepping in to write for his brother, Andrew, who is beginning his novitiate to become a professed Redemptorist. Adam is also passionate about the intersection of social media and the Church and looks forward to providing content for this column.
Aware of the invitation that comes from the Word of God, we must also provide for others in our lives.
LAWRENCE JEHLING, FROM “GIVE GENEROUSLY”
Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
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Memories: Traditional and Unexpected
Whenever I think of Christmas, my first memory is perhaps unusual. I do not think of Christmas trees or other decorations. I do not think of family gatherings. I do not think about giving or receiving presents. Instead, I can see my black boots walking on the freshly shoveled sidewalk, and I can feel the “crunch, crunch” of the hard-packed snow under my feet. I can also feel the biting briskness of the cold and hear the peculiar silence around me. I’m uncertain about the lived experience that supports this memory. I am probably walking from the family car into St. Alphonsus Church to serve midnight Mass. I am not sure. It is not clear. But the snow, the crunch, and the silence are always the same.
I have no idea why this is my first Christmas memory or why the details are so clear. I am not sure if it means anything, or if it is just a random memory that repeats itself in a cycle. Regardless, it is not my only memory of Christmas, nor is it the most important—it is just always the first memory that comes to mind.
My other Christmas memories are much more traditional. Most are pleasant, although a few have some unpleasant components, but that is human life—nothing is totally pleasant. All of life is somehow a mixture of good experiences that we enjoy, challenging experiences that help us learn, and other experiences that we would just as soon forget. Christmas memories are not exempt from this very real dynamic.
As I share these thoughts with you—our readers—I hope to help you remember something of your own Christmases and other important moments in life. Or perhaps one of our feature articles or the reflections of one of our columnists will provide that spark.
FR. THOMAS M. SANTA, CSsR
I hope to help you remember something of your own Christmases and other important moments in life.
I hope that when you read about Tim and Julie Smith’s family Christmas gatherings over the years, their Christmas memories will evoke warm memories for you. I hope that Larry Jehling, in his article about the spirit of giving, helps you focus on the many opportunities you are presented with to share with others—just because it is good to give, if for no other reason. I hope that each article, each author, helps you get in touch with something important and memorable in your life.
This issue of Liguorian is not just about memories and Christmas; it also marks the completion of my first year back at the helm at Liguori Publications. Time has moved quickly, but it has been a real pleasure. I enjoy the creativity. I enjoy the challenge of trying to discern what is important and what is both necessary and helpful in our shared journey of faith. I enjoy trying to anticipate what is to come, and I feel very blessed to have this opportunity again. I hope you see the efforts we are making and the new direction we are trying to navigate. I hope it speaks to your journey of faith and life. If we hit the mark, at least occasionally, that is probably the best we can hope for.
Looking ahead to 2025, there is more to look forward to. We plan each bi-monthly issue of Liguorian around a theme, and once we’ve determined the theme, we invite authors to contribute to the planned issue. This is much more work than just soliciting
MASOOD ASLAMI / PEXELS
and accepting submissions for consideration and publication. I hope the result meets with your approval. If you like what you are reading, please consider a subscription for yourself or someone in your family. The digital edition of the magazine is free for the asking. The print edition, perfect for the homebound or for those who prefer the traditional format, is the foundation of this ministerial effort and supports the financing of both our print and our digital versions. May the blessings of the newly born Jesus be a blessing for you and for those whom you love. May the peace and the joy of Christmas find a place in the hearts of all men and women of good faith—particularly in those places in our world that are torn apart by violence and where peace seems difficult, if not impossible, to attain. May Christmas peace make the impossible possible. A
May the blessings of the newly born Jesus be a blessing for you and for those whom you love.
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Readers’ Retorts
Send Us Your Feedback!
E-mail: Liguorianeditor@Liguori.org
Write: Liguorian Editor, PO Box 367, Barnhart, MO 63012
The opinions expressed don't necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s full address and daytime phone number. Names will be withheld from publication upon request. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity, and style.
Dear Liguorian Editor:
I am a longtime subscriber and enjoy your magazine. One of the first things I do is read the fiction story. Your last story (“God Light,” September-October 2024) was heartfelt, but in a Catholic magazine, I would expect Catholic doctrine to be maintained throughout—even in fiction stories. From Catholic Answers: “Animal and vegetable souls are dependent entirely on matter for their operation and being. They cease to exist at death.” (There’s no “doggie heaven.”)
Julie P. (via email)
Editor’s response: Perhaps we can agree with C.S. Lewis and others that heaven will include all that is wholesome and lovely and makes us happy, and therefore the essence of “doggie-ness” will be part of heaven.
Sign up for the free digital edition of Liguorian magazine! Send an email to Liguori@liguori.org.
Dear Liguorian Editor,
When I read the column by Fr. McAndrew (“Padre Migrante”), I feel uncomfortable about how we talk about immigrants. I know some of them do come into the country illegally. But Fr. McAndrew’s stories about the migrants he has met help me see them as more than “illegals.” Thank you for making me uncomfortable.
Emma M. (via email)
Today, during a time when global migration is politicized, villainized, and feared, we need to consider migration with the same eyes of faith as migrants, rediscovering the trust that our ancestors in faith possessed when migrating to a new home.
—Fr. Michael McAndrew, CSsR (“Padre Migrante”)
Dear Liguorian Editor,
Thank you for the article “The Interior Life” (September-October 2024) by Vinita Hampton Wright. I understand a little better what spiritual direction is and how it is different from counseling or confession. I didn’t know women could serve as spiritual directors. I’m glad. Sometimes it’s helpful to talk with a woman.
Pat S. (via email)
Breaking the Word Redemptorist Mass Companion 2025
An elegantly bound edition that serves as a comprehensive companion for Mass participants, enhancing their worship experience with curated prayers, hymns, and liturgical content.
Features include
• Liturgically approved daily Mass readings and psalms, ESV translation
• Additional liturgical readings for special Redemptorist feasts and celebrations
• Daily inspirational reflections on the readings of the Mass
• Brief reflection on the Saint of the Day, including Redemptorist saints and blesseds
• International days of commemoration, special events, and themes
• Daily prayers, holy rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Mass prayers, and novenas on various occasions and special days
• Redemptorist-themed devotions, including Mother of Perpetual Help Succor Novena, Prayer to Saint Gerard, and more
Details
Cover: Polyurethane with gold embellishments and tabbed zipper
Size: 5.91 x 8.27 inches
Dual-Color Interior
Page Count: 800+
Publish Date: November 2024
Product Code: 828812
Almost Christmas
Life is full of “almosts.” He almost got gold in the Olympics. She just about got an “A” on the exam. I nearly ate the whole bag of chips. He almost won the lottery. She didn’t quite get into Harvard. They almost hired him for the job. He just about hit that car. Almost, nearly, just about, not quite—they all mean the same thing, that is, to fall short of the goal, to miss the mark, or to less-than-adequately complete the task.
The gospel account of Jesus’ birth is rife with “almosts.” Mary and Joseph almost had the perfect wedding. They almost got a divorce. Joseph nearly found a place at the inn in Bethlehem. Herod just about convinced the Magi to return with news of the newborn “King of the Jews.” Mary just about gave birth outside. The shepherds were not quite sure about the angels’ joy-filled message. The Holy Family just about got a break before they fled to Egypt. Herod nearly killed the newborn Messiah. At every twist and turn in the road that leads from Bethlehem to Egypt and then to Nazareth, there is almost tragedy, failure, or loss. The circumstances around Jesus’ birth are less than ideal.
As the verses recounting the less-than-perfect Nativity of the Christ Child conclude, one might wonder, If it was so for Jesus, what about us? Is everything this side of heaven destined to fall short of perfection? To say that our world is less than perfect naturally leads to us to reflect on original sin and the undoing of humanity’s perfect union with God by Adam and Eve. We blame them for what we must endure. We are broken people in a broken world. If we look at it another way, though, doesn’t the Fall stir in us the desire to rise, to strive, to work hard, to move forward, to hope, to look for better, and to expect more? As the Fall makes us aware that we are not like God, the Incarnation illuminates a keen insight: we almost are!
Finish this sentence:
MOST REVEREND BRUCE LEWANDOWSKI, CSsR
Focus on the beauty as Christmas draws near.
It’s almost Christmas, and… I still haven’t found Mom a gift.
I’m not sure whose party I’ll attend.
I haven’t put the tree up yet. it still hasn’t snowed.
I need to get to confession. there are cookies to bake.
How easy it is to see what’s missing, what’s less than perfect, and what’s left to do—but it’s almost Christmas, and there is also so much that is awe inspiring, beautiful, and nearly perfect.
It’s almost Christmas, and… light overcomes darkness. love and grace abound. mercy is abundant. sin is overcome. death is conquered. life like Christ’s is ours!
It’s almost Christmas, and for all on earth who dare to believe that God became one of us, it’s almost Christmas…every day.A
KATARINAG / SHUTTERSTOCK
A Smith Family Christmas
Songs—and Family Mayhem—Make the Season
JULIE SMITH, WITH TIM SMITH
If this is “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the song you hear every Christmas season claims, what makes it so for you? Is it the Masses, the gatherings of friends and family, a memorable gift you gave or received, the snow or lack thereof? When you look back, was there an activity, moment, or “thing” that made your Christmas “Christmas” every year?
Perhaps your reflections on the memorable moments that shaped your celebrations of the Nativity of the Lord over the years will rekindle feelings you may have forgotten but that made your Christmases wonderful. For this Smith family, Trisha Yearwood’s recording of “The Song Remembers When” resonates with us as we reflect upon and ponder the joys and ghosts of Christmases past. For us, music has shaped our Advent and Christmas memories.
Like most people, many of our memories call to mind our immediate and extended family. I grew up in the winter wonderland of “Minnesnowda,” and Tim grew up in the land of the saguaro cactus: Arizona. We met in the music ministry at Arizona State University’s Newman Center and got married during the Christmas season of 1984. We have served as music ministers in Catholic parishes ever since. As musicians and composers who have five children, our holiday experiences were (and continue to be) a balancing act between family life and the demands of Church work during its busiest time of the year.
Our first child, Bernadette, was born in 1992, and for the next ten years, we were blessed with a son every two years. We had a “babe in swaddling clothes” (disposable diapers, actually) every year for more than a decade. Juggling diapers with decrescendos, postpartum with polyphony, and jaundice with “Joy to the World” was a lived reality for a dozen Christmases. Reflecting on that creative process, we discovered how our family experiences have influenced and inspired our compositions.
Our story of three compositions, explained through the lens of our family Christmas, shows how we managed during the seasons. For Trinitarian clarity, we very loosely framed them using St. Paul’s three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. You can find the songs on our website, timandjuliesmith.com
A few years ago, we were blessed with the opportunity to compose commissioned, liturgical Christmas theme songs for each year (A, B, and C) for our parish. We looked at each Lectionary cycle and tried to glean a lesson or teaching point from the readings. Each year brought a new and exciting chance to dive into the depth and beauty of the word of
God. For example, Advent in Cycle A focuses on the rich, well-known readings from Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:4); and “The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb” (Isaiah 11:6). In contrast, Cycle C has a different flavor, with themes of justice and humility stemming from Baruch, Zephaniah, and Micah.
Faith: “Angels
and Prophets”
“Angels and prophets among us, a voice crying out to be heard
A virgin becoming a mother, knitting her flesh to the Word….”
Sometimes, you have to see what’s not there. Every child has the potential to be an angel, bringing light and good news into the world. Every child has the potential to be the peaceful, sleeping, Baby Jesus pictured on countless Christmas
cards. However, children are not angels all the time, even if we dress them up in cute costumes! When they’re tired, hungry, or needy, they can resemble spawns of Satan. Because we are composers and parents, parishioners would ask us things like, “So, do you two just go around the house, singing to each other and your kids? I imagine every day is like a scene from a musical, breaking into song over breakfast and chores. Right?”
Well, not exactly. Our children fought over almost every Christmas tradition that exists, such as who got to light and blow out the Advent candles or who got to open their presents first. Yet, we had faith that someday they would become decent, kind adults, amidst our frustrations and our well-intentioned efforts that sometimes went the wrong way.
Despite our children not always being angelic growing up (The angel photo shown below took about twenty-five takes!), Bernadette today is the music director at a church named St. Gabriel’s, and our oldest son, Jeremiah Raphael (second from right), will welcome his own little angel, our second granddaughter, into the world this December. The next little cherub pictured is Dominic, who is the music director at ASU’s Newman Center. And the smallest angel in the photo, Ezekiel, is a leader in music ministry at a large church in Tempe, Arizona. Angels and prophets among us, indeed.
Hope: “Signs of Your Coming”
“The lion and the lamb will lie down in peace, Justice prevails, all warring will cease.
Signs of your coming, your kingdom is here.
Come, Lord, Immanuel, God with us here.”
Christmas is always a busy, crazy time for most everyone—no matter culture or creed—with children. Trying to teach our children the “true meaning of Christmas” while being music directors at a very active parish was difficult—we survived on just enough prayer and adrenaline to function. Our Nativity scene sat under our Christmas tree and included Mary, Joseph, Yoda, and Baby Jesus surrounded by shepherds, Barney, angels, T-Rex from Toy Story, some oxen and sheep, and the red Power Ranger. We pontificated to our kids, “Everybody kneels before the Baby Jesus.” Somehow, it all made sense.
In our “peaceable kingdom,” animals that would normally devour each other, instead—by God’s grace—lived in peace and harmony. All our warring factions—Road Runner versus Wile E. Coyote, Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker, big sister versus little brother—would beat their weapons into instruments that cultivated life. A learned scholar can give a deep, theological treatise on what constitutes a “sign,” but for our family, there was simplicity in this complex, multi-symbolic “crèche”—where all the toys in the toy box worshiped the miniature Baby Jesus—as the sign of God’s coming and presence. Hope springs eternal, even out of the toys in the Christmas-scene hay!
Is this the “most wonderful” or “most dysfunctional” time of the year?
Love: “Ordinary Holiness”
“Ordinary holiness in the sacred day to day,
Where we live and love and labor as we gather here to pray. Humble God of all simplicity, let every heart prepare
And heed the call to holiness and hear the call to prayer.”
Holiness, which can be defined as “love in action,” is a tricky, misunderstood word. Among the family of virtues, it’s the mysterious one. We know we’re supposed to be holy, especially on this great feast of the mystery of the Incarnation, but let’s face it: Mother Teresa is holy, the pope is holy, and the saints are holy, while we lose our patience and often live out, in our families, that revised—but true—Christmas lyric: “It’s the most dysfunctional time of the year.”
It seemed appropriate to take the concept of holiness down from its pedestal and place it in the messiness of our family’s living space. The
song “Ordinary Holiness” was born in a season of trying to reconcile this rich concept of our “universal call to holiness” described in Lumen Gentium with the reality of keeping up with diaper rash and teething toddlers. The brokenness of our world came to a head in 2001 when, within weeks of each other, we experienced the loss of Tim’s mother and the unforgettable grief of September 11—while expecting another baby on December 24 of that year. But for music directors, timing is everything. Our son Immanuel was a great blessing and reminder to us that, amidst our pain and struggle, “God is with us.”
A university professor once explained that all the original Hebrew names that end in “-el” (e.g., Israel, Ezekiel, Michael) refer to a derivative of the name of God: El-Shaddai or Elohim. “Immanu-” means more than “God is with us.” It is closer to “God pitches a tent in us.” In our home that Christmas of 2001, we needed more than a tent; we needed God’s fullblown, powerful occupation. Looking back, the “ordinary holiness”
of the Almighty’s presence carried us through, despite fear, tears, tantrums, and multiple meltdowns.
One of the greatest joys of our Christmas experience was serving/singing at the many Masses with our children. Because our children grew up in a home with a music room instead of a playroom, they had the opportunity to learn a variety of instruments. All our children sang in the youth choir and played a variety of instruments: drums, percussion, strings, or brass. They would serve by playing whatever we needed for any given holiday Mass. What a blessing and a privilege to have so many beautiful memories of sharing music with our children, our friends, and our communities during the rich seasons of Advent and Christmas.
Some of our most memorable moments are when I sang “Mary, Did You Know?” at a Christmas Mass while eight months pregnant, having Bernadette and Jeremiah play violin and string bass in a Christmas liturgical string ensemble, reenacting the story of St. Francis and the Christmas crèche with a live petting zoo, and, of course, the most humbling of all: being compared to our children. “Never go on stage after children or animals” is said for good reason.
One Advent season, after our son Ezekiel sang the psalm beautifully, the entire church erupted in applause. The following week, on the feast of Mary the Mother of God, Tim was walking into a crowded church with Ezekiel when a parishioner
asked with a big smile and great anticipation, “Is Ezekiel singing the psalm today?” Tim sheepishly replied, “No, I’ll be singing it.” With a forced smile and blatant disappointment, the parishioner said, “Oh, OK.”
Thanks, Ezekiel (and your four siblings), for teaching us many things, but especially humility. And both of us, if you please, will have a dollop of whipped cream to go with that slice of Christmas humble pie.A Tim and Julie Smith (timandjuliesmith. com) have been professional music ministers in the Phoenix area for more than thirty-five years. They have written and recorded dozens of collections of music, including liturgical music, theater music, children’s music, and bilingual music. Their songs have been published in the Spirit & Song hymnals (Oregon Catholic Press) and the Voices as One hymnals (World Library Publications). Several of their song collections are available through Resource Publications, Inc., in San Jose.
The Smith family in 2018. Left to right: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Dominic, Julie, Bernadette, Immanuel, and Tim. Photo courtesy of the Smith family.
People in Darkness
At first glance, Thanksgiving Day 2023 looked as it had each holiday season for my whole life. The long table was lined with twenty-five familiar faces. Grandma Jean’s traditional sausage stuffing took its featured place on the buffet. Grandma Evalee’s applesauce cake anchored the desserts. One sister arrived with her best-ever mashed potatoes, followed by other family members with their signature giblet gravy, cranberries, Waldorf salad, green beans, and more. A look around the room would suggest that everything was just as it had always been.
But everything was different.
My mother had passed away two months before. We sorely felt the loss of my dad two years prior, but with Mom—our family’s true north, our kindly matriarch—gone, our family dreaded the holiday season. We felt broken. How could we possibly feel thankful and light when the loss and darkness were so complete?
The holidays seem a tough time to mourn. These months of gratitude and joy that complete and then recommence our liturgical years can be so hard. Festive songs drown out tears, and bright lights and bustle don’t seem to leave much quiet space to feel and heal the hurt. Even Advent observations often focus upward and outward, on expectations and waiting, when those in pain often want to curl into a ball alone in the dark.
May I suggest, however, that these months are the perfect time to mourn? To feel deeply what hurts and to remind ourselves of the season’s core truth? We celebrate this season because people in darkness saw a great light: the birth of a child— the child—who brought hope to a world that knew great pain. That hope is still here for us today.
In every season of the year and every season of life, we can find comfort in Scripture.
Hope is no small, passive thing. Hope is all about big feelings that stare down the deaths, illnesses, estrangements, and fears that we bear. Hope pulls us through those feelings to find solutions where possible, or maybe just to find peace with things that cannot be changed. Hope reminds us that we aren’t alone in grief and sadness; others have felt just as broken and have found a way through.
Last year, after the struggle of Thanksgiving, I spoke with a friend who reminded me of the coming hope and that the Advent season was a time to prepare for its arrival. He suggested I embrace my grief with a quiet practice of reading the psalms of lament. By doing so, I could follow the pattern of these prayers that allow us to pour out our grief, ask God for help, and, ultimately, trust that help is available to us.
I’ve always loved the arc of emotion in the laments that begin so filled with sorrow and need and—hold on!—conclude with praise and peace. Throughout the four weeks of Advent, I started each day with a reading, allowing myself to feel the pain expressed in the words. And, each day, it got easier to move from tears to relief.
This year, even though I’m more peaceful about losing Mom, I’ll read my laments again. By acknowledging our pain and being open to gratitude, they make room in the dark places to be human, to cry, and then to welcome the light.
Keep the faith, friend, in this season of hope.A
The Lord of Miracles
A PERUVIAN PAINTING OF THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST THAT HAS SURVIVED MULTIPLE NATURAL DISASTERS IS AT THE HEART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST RELIGIOUS PROCESSIONS.
MAHDI ALESIAD
There is a place where the desert meets the sea: Lima, the capital of Peru. There, in October and November, the Lord of Miracles, a painting of the crucified Christ, leaves its sanctuary altar from the historic city center and makes rounds through the city, accompanied by huge crowds of the faithful, who follow the path of the Lord with deep conviction and passion. It is one of the largest religious processions in the world and a testament to the vigor and vibrancy of faith in the twenty-first century.
Left: The Lord of Miracles (El Señor de los Milagros de Nazarenas) mural in Lima Miguel Chong / Wikimedia Commons
Origin of the Painting
A slave and a young woman laid the foundations of one of the greatest Christian traditions in the world. In the seventeenth century, Lima was a newly founded city of Spaniards, African slaves, and indigenous people. In 1651, an African slave painted a mural of the crucified Christ on a mudbrick wall in a poor neighborhood that was home to the city’s oppressed and exploited. A brotherhood of slaves soon began to pray and worship around the mural.
On November 13, 1655, an earthquake rumbled beneath Lima. Buildings collapsed, and huge chunks of rock broke from the hills of a nearby island, falling into the sea. The slave quarters in the city were completely leveled except for one wall that remained standing: the wall that bore the mural of Christ. Word of the miracle spread, and the downtrodden masses of Lima began to gather around the mural of the crucified Christ, adoring it. Soon, a modest
hut was constructed to serve as a chapel. Devotees began to worship in their own unique style by bringing flowers, burning incense, lighting candles, chanting, and playing instruments.
Around the same time, a young woman named Antonia and her mother struggled to survive near the Lord of Miracles site. Antonia, a nun, dedicated herself to collecting alms to build a monastery and ultimately succeeded. She dressed uniquely in a purple tunic with a rope around her neck. When asked about her clothing, Antonia revealed that Christ had bestowed the dress on her in a vision, telling her that it was the dress in which he had walked around the world. This is why, in Peru, the Lord of Miracles image is also known as the Purple Christ.
Antonia’s piety moved many people, and her fellow nuns also began to dress in purple. Eventually, her monastery was ordered to be demolished for lack of license. However, the Spanish patron of the chapel of the Lord of Miracles offered to give Antonia and her religious sisters a new building near the chapel. The purple-clad sisters accepted, and eventually they became the principal guardians of the painting and the chapel, where they continue this ministry today.
In the purple months of
October and November, a replica of the Lord of Miracles is carried in procession throughout the streets of Lima.
The mural of Christ withstood other earthquakes and a tsunami, namely in 1687 and 1746. It continued to stand tall and immovable amidst the ruins. Eventually, people decided to harness the power of the miracle— perhaps Christ would bless the city if they carried his mural through -
JUAN JOSE NAPURI / SHUTTERSTOCK
out the neighborhoods. Thus, the procession of the Lord of Miracles was born.
I participated in this procession in 2023. As I stood in the human wave of the faithful, amidst the outstretched arms, the tearful eyes, and the lips quivering in prayer—the palpitating mass of humanity, all gravitating toward the Lord of Miracles —I thought about the slave who painted the mural and the exploited and oppressed few who first began to worship around it. I thought about Antonia, who dreamed of a life of service to her divine Beloved. I don’t know if they could have guessed what the
awe-inspiring impact of their small but faithful actions would be.
The Procession
In the purple months of October and November, a replica of the Lord of Miracles is carried in procession throughout the streets of Lima, weaving through areas poor and rich, old and new. The hymn of the procession reaches every home. The andas is the platform on which the Lord of Miracles rests as it is carried on the shoulders of thirty-two cargadores (pallbearers) around Lima. It weighs about 3,500 pounds, which
means that every man bears the equivalent of 110 pounds, roughly the burden of a cement bag. The andas is the sun in the solar system of the procession. It is adorned with great love and devotion behind closed doors by the women of the monastery founded by Antonia.
The Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles is the organization in charge of the procession. From its rank and file come the cargadores , the sahumadoras (women who perfume the air with incense), and the cantoras (women singers). Any man or woman may join the brotherhood, and any man can be a pallbearer.
Art and Beauty Art has always been bound to the experience of beauty.… Art touches the senses in order to enliven the spirit, and it does so through beauty, which reflects things that are good, just, and true. Beauty is a sign of fullness; it makes us spontaneously say of something: “How beautiful!” Beauty makes us sense that life is directed toward fullness, fulfillment. In true beauty, we begin to experience the desire for God.
—FROM POPE FRANCIS’ ADDRESS TO ARTISTS FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE VATICAN MUSEUMS’ COLLECTION OF MODERN ART, JUNE 23, 2023
The door is open to everyone, just like the embrace of Christ himself.
The andas rocks gently atop the shoulders of the cargadores as it moves forward through streets covered with flower carpets and packed with legions of the faithful, whose eyes and feet follow the path of the procession. Every time the andas is lifted back up after a short rest and change of pallbearer squad, the crowd cheers ecstatically. The sahumadoras walk backward, facing the andas , and their small plates of burning willow charcoal and myrrh infuse the air with aromatic fumes so that everything is engulfed in a smoky haze. The cantoras walk in the same manner behind their incensebearing sisters and sing hymns by heart. On the other side of the andas , a band of young people play rich instrumental music.
Around this core body of the procession are many members of the brotherhood and the Peruvian military, who blend into the passionate crowds, attempting to clear a path for the procession. From open windows, young and old hurl fistfuls of flower petals into the procession, fireworks shoot up from rooftops, and confetti cannons burst loudly. From balconies and open bars, people sing and play instruments. Permeating all of this are the whispered prayers of the faithful.
At night, people wave goodbye to the Lord of Miracles as the andas enters the sanctuary. Yet what leaves the streets stays in the hearts of the people.
Elizabeth is a sahumadora. She was nineteen years old when her mother first dressed her for the procession, and now she attends with her own daughter, who is a cantora. She says, “We always talk to him. He is present when we feed the poor every Sunday, when we take clothes to those who don’t have any, when we give medicine to the sick, and when we visit the shantytowns and shelters. He is always with us.”
In the purple months, all are one. In the procession, class and race dis -
A Sweet Tradition
Known as El Señor de los Milagros in Peru, the Lord of Miracles is at the center of festivities celebrated during the entire month of October. Besides the processions, there are several other traditions associated with this Peruvian holiday, such as eating candy!
One popular type of traditional candy, Turrón de Doña Pepa , is a special nougat candy. Its origin comes from the story of a black slave who lost mobility in her arms, was freed, and consequently traveled to Lima to see the Lord of Miracles image. After being healed, she dreamed about making candy from cornstarch and honey. Taking the sweet treat to devotees afterward, the candy became a tradition and has been popular throughout Lima ever since, especially during the celebrations of El Señor de los Milagros.
tinctions fade as all hues of people blend together. Everyone is side by side, united in a common love. They sing together, embrace strangers, and wish la paz (“peace”) to one another after the sermon. A man leads a blind person in the procession, a woman pushes a disabled devotee in a wheelchair, and others hold the hands of the elderly. Priests go into the crowds to distribute Communion and sprinkle holy water on everyone. There was a final moment in the procession I will never forget. I was standing behind a woman on the side of the street as we both looked into the advancing procession com-
prised of thousands of souls. Occasionally, she wiped her eyes. All of a sudden, a purple-clad man cut through the crowds and came toward us. He stopped in front of the woman, gave her a prayer card, and, as he did so, leaned in and said to her, “No estás sola.” You are not alone.A
Mahdi Alesiad is a writer, journalist, and humanitarian whose work has spanned several continents. In Afghanistan, he worked on various outreach projects, including building a library for children. His work has been published in LivingNow and Organic Gardener magazines, among other media.
Turron de Doña Pepa
Starry, Starry
FR. THOMAS M. SANTA, CSsR
One encounter with the stars in the night sky nudges us to enter a state of contemplative silence, to embrace the awe and wonder of the moment. A second encounter reveals not only the stars but also the multitude of galaxies and uncharted worlds, inviting an even more profound response. Each encounter, humbly received, reduces us to something more than silence. As we stand in the vastness, each encounter is somehow divine and sacred, allowing us to experience an inner quiet of certitude and conviction. Each encounter with the starry night is a teaching moment, an invitation to new perspectives about the universe and our place in it.
Any rule or theory that does not include or acknowledge the known universe as a starting point is suspect. We need only look at the night sky for confirmation of what we see: it is a witness to something greater than ourselves. The universe provides an essential lesson about who we are and what we can become. This is a truth for humans to accept without any conditions. Any claim to authenticity of experience requires an acknowledgment of what is known, and even that which is unknowable. The universe reveals to us the point of intersection and integration between the human and the divine.
It was once understandable for human beings to possess misplaced confidence about their supposed central location and essential place in the universe. The bold proclamation of the Hebrew Scriptures, anchored in their people’s experience as a nomadic and primitive culture, is a powerful statement of this belief. Indeed, other ancient peoples also harbored similar beliefs. However, believing this line of thought today would be perverse. As true as this concept may have once seemed, it is incompatible with our presentday perception and understanding.
Human beings are not the center of the universe. We are only a small part of a larger whole, and each element of that creation is essential and necessary. What we think we know is greatly lacking in comparison to what we do not know. It is humbling
to acknowledge that our current understanding of the universe and all the human knowledge we believe we possess cannot be measured or adequately contextualized. Something always suggests that there is more.
Human experience, even its full measure and girth, is inconsequential to any type of reality. At best, it is the smallest point of measurement. If it registers on any scale, our human experience is almost accidental; it is certainly incidental to the fullness of the truth.
To go beyond that which can be observed seems perilous. For a human being to demand, in vulnerability and nakedness, that the universe focus any attention on human thoughts and questions is ludicrous. Are we capable of learning that we can cry out as loud as we dare, and the universe will not necessarily respond? We can stomp our feet, raise our voices, and shake our fists at the heavens, but it often does not matter. If humanity persists in its desire for attention, using anger and righteousness in a futile attempt to be noticed, the silence of the cosmos is more deafening.
When human beings create, their creations are, at best, distractions. They do not expand the universe. Our preferred tools of creation—particularly the illusion of the well-ordered, defined, and predictable— contribute nothing to the overwhelming mystery, wonder, and awe already present. Even the most frenzied and dedicated perseverance is nothing more than the effort of removing a ladleful of water from the ocean in the false belief that the ocean might be emptied.
In a desperate response to human futility, a modern summary of belief is this statement: “I am spiritual but not religious.” In truth, this is a frantic and limp defensive posture. It denies the fundamental understanding that religious tradition champions and replaces the fullness of truth with an absence. The sacred and the holy do not need to be acknowledged to be true, just as the universe does not need to be acknowledged to exist. It is, and always will be, as it is.
Night
To perceive light instead of darkness, life instead of death, if even for a moment, is a gift. It invites a response, not a shrug of the shoulders. We cannot explain what we have encountered by embracing the nonsensical and pretend, in the embrace, that we have regained the upper hand.
The entrenched influencers, analyzers, and explainers of our present age, when confronted with the overwhelming evidence and witness of the universe, respond in fear and pretend it is power. They confuse their blindness with an eruption of emotion. To them, if something cannot be explained and does not fit into the mold, then it cannot be important or necessary. Unfortunately, this supposedly “modern” response is a weak copy of all other attempts to ignore the truth and proclaim something incomplete. The lesson that history teaches is clear. Fear is animated with energy, but not with truth.
TO PERCEIVE LIGHT INSTEAD OF DARKNESS, LIFE INSTEAD OF DEATH, IF EVEN FOR A MOMENT, IS A GIFT.
Punish him. Banish him. Silence him. Kill him. Let not the truth be spoken or revealed. Mock him. Laugh at him. Scorn him. Anything is preferable to listening to him. The truth must be obscured. The clouds and the mist must not be lifted. The smoke must not be cleared away.
And yet, be still. There remains the witness of the starry, starry night. The lessons it teaches and the invitation it offers cannot be ignored. The call to something more cannot be repealed. The fullness of revelation will not be thwarted. The truth will not be silenced. That which is ultimately experienced, incarnated in both time and place, will be recognized, celebrated, and, most of all, perceived in the fullness of wonder, awe, and mystery. If not today, then someday. It is inevitable. It cannot be stopped. It must be answered. It will be lived out, and in that experience, there will be authenticity and life. A
Fr. Thomas M. Santa, CSsR, is the president and publisher of Liguori Publications and the publisher of Liguorian magazine.
Theory of the Origin of the Universe
The big bang theory was originally conceived by a Belgian Catholic priest and physicist, Fr. Georges Lemaître (1894–1966). Fr. Lemaître had an eminent career, studying astronomy at the University of Cambridge. He completed his doctorate in 1926 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He became an expert in Einstein’s theory of relativity and even met with Einstein on several occasions.
Fr. Lemaître thought about the beginnings of the universe and, in 1931, proposed his “hypothesis of the primeval atom”—the idea that our universe expanded from a single point. This concept evolved into the big bang theory, which is now widely accepted by cosmologists. He was recognized and lauded in the international scientific community before he died.
When young Georges was still in elementary school, he found himself drawn to science but also to the priesthood. Even as a little boy, he reasoned that there were two paths to the truth, and he decided to follow both.
In an in-depth interview in the New York Times in February 1933, Fr. Lemaître talked about the apparent conflict between science and faith. Part of the problem, he said, was due to scientists themselves, calling them a “literalminded lot.” He reminds us that the Bible is not intended as science, saying that the story of Creation in Genesis “is simply trying to teach us that one day in seven should be devoted to rest, worship, and reverence—all necessary to salvation.”
Adapted from Catholic Update: “Beyond My Parish: The Universal Reach of the Catholic Church” by Richard W. Thompson (C2310A) Published by Liguori Publications.
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Not Sharing Is Caring
Smartphones. Love them or hate them, they are part of the modern world—so much so that we rarely question our habits around their use. Some of us share pictures of dinner. Others publicly blast businesses for bad customer service. We rail about less-than-stellar church experiences. Carefully crafted posts appear in our feeds, calculated by AI algorithms to make us stop, read, and share. Things that make us laugh, things that make us angry—especially things that make us angry, it seems.
In these moments, few of us call upon our God-given intellect to examine things for their integrity or in terms of the fruit they bear. Few stop to question whether we’re being manipulated by unseen forces—whether we’re being told the truth or a distortion. Few stop to examine the source material or the context. We just get triggered, and, consequently, we share.
How toxic our public discourse has become in response to these habits! The more we chase down hearts and likes and comments, the less our culture reflects Christ—which is ironic, considering how many people of faith are motivated by a desire for our nation to look more like Christ.
I think of Mary, who experienced things beyond her imagination. An angel in her bedroom. An elder cousin’s song of praise, sung in her honor. Shepherds coming to her “delivery room” with tales of a celestial chorus. Revered scholars traveling from afar to offer costly gifts to her child. Fleeing her country for safety in another, just as so many people do today. Raising a tween who not only failed to come home after church, but who didn’t appear the least bit abashed when they found him giving the what-for to the leading teachers of the faith. Watching her son teach and preach and heal his way toward an inevitable, horrific execution. Standing below the cross…and by the empty tomb.
The Redeemer, Mary, and You KATHLEEN BASI
Mary had a lot to talk about if she’d wanted to, but she didn’t. Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She pondered them. She prayed over them. Her humility consisted of knowing that these things were beyond her and living accordingly.
I can imagine Mary telling these stories with awe and without self-aggrandizement. I can’t imagine her using her experiences to show off how smart or #blessed or holy she was. She knew that however many wonders followed her, she was small, and God was all. And, more often than not, that meant keeping quiet. In these divisive, polarized times, we could all stand to take a cue from Mary. A
St. Joseph Mass League
Mary had a lot to talk about if she’d wanted to.
Give Generously
LET GOD SHOW YOU HOW TO FAITHFULLY STEWARD THE TREASURE HE HAS BLESSED YOU WITH
LAWRENCE JEHLING
When I was thirty years old, I had a lot going on. Married only a few years, with a baby on the way, I was struggling mightily to keep my new small business afloat. On more than one occasion, the business had been on the verge of bankruptcy. As has always been true, the business world is highly competitive, especially for small businesses. This was my life; it was no Shangri-la.
In the midst of all this, a close priest friend of mine told me he had been named director of a retreat center in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. This was the same retreat center I had attended during Catholic high school. Those retreats during my teen years had profoundly impacted my faith life, so, naturally, I was interested in getting involved. In response to his invitation, I became a member of the center’s board of directors. In a moment of “I’m not sure what I’m doing,” I pledged a percentage of my business’s top-line receipts to support the retreat center, regardless of whether the business was making a profit. As I look back now, that decision seems insane. However, at the time, I felt I was being told to do this.
I distinctly remember that God started to bless me almost immediately for my generosity. I could feel it. The more I gave to the center and a myriad of other causes, the more it appeared that miracles came my way.
Hooked on Giving
25:35–40, we read one of Jesus’ central teachings and his exhortation to those who wish to follow him: “‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
The Benefits of Giving
There are no guarantees that someone will develop a grateful heart and spirit, but hopefully we can reach a perspective that affirms that everything in our lives are gifts and graces from God.
Our daily lives never seem to be easy. In today’s world, many things are confusing and increasingly frustrating. Yet it goes with the territory of growing—for me, as a husband, father, and provider. However, as we age, we have the benefit of seeing things from a new perspective with a different set of eyes. There are no guarantees that someone will develop a grateful heart and spirit, but hopefully we can reach a perspective that affirms that everything in our lives are gifts and graces from God.
I had a dream that I wanted to make a lot of money and give even more away. I believe this was part of my life’s plan—to get “hooked on giving.” I now realize that it has been the cornerstone of my journey, and I am grateful that God “told” me to live my life in this way. Getting “hooked on giving” invites many different reflections, but it also introduces the age-old question: what does it mean to give? Perhaps more importantly, what does it mean to give generously?
A simple Internet search informs us that giving and generosity are referenced more than 1,200 times in the Old and New Testaments. For example, Proverbs 11:24–25 tells us, “One person is lavish yet grows still richer; another is too sparing, yet is the poorer. Whoever confers benefits will be amply enriched, and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” In Matthew
I know from my experience that all we have in this life is what God has gifted to us. It is very important for us to be responsible with these gifts, which means having a cooperative mind and a willing heart to work with God’s grace so we can best live out God’s plan for our lives. While this seems complicated, it’s quite simple. We are called to respond only to what is uniquely incumbent upon us each day. Each of us experiences his or her own reality and has his or her own set of circumstances and unique talents. Each of us has his or her wealth gifted by God.
What Is Wealth?
There are many types of wealth; for example, our intelligence, physical abilities, families, friends, and, of course, faith. However, it is our material wealth—our money—that seems to be the one type of wealth we all struggle with. Why is that? Yes, we do have to put food on the
AWARENESS OF OTHERS AND THEIR NEEDS, WHICH SOMETIMES CONFLICT WITH OUR OWN, IS WHERE IT OFTEN BECOMES CHALLENGING.
table and have a roof over our heads. At the same time, aware of the invitation that comes to us from the Word of God, we must also provide for others in our lives—those for whom we are responsible and those who need a helping hand. This awareness of others and their needs, which sometimes conflict with our own, is where it often becomes challenging.
It is extremely easy to get deeply attached to money. Money gives us some measure of independence—the more you have, the more choices you can make. Therein lies the challenge. It is true that much satisfaction— happiness, too—can be gained from earned success. It can allow our present reality to match our expectations. Earned success is hopefully success gained through a combination of our dedication and hard work in cooperation with God’s grace. However, it is important to remember that the material and financial rewards of our work must be viewed in the proper context.
Wealth of all types, especially money, is really wealth held in trust. This means that it is not our money—it is God’s money. We act as trustees and are responsible for handling that money, even though we may feel that we’ve earned it and it is “ours.” Money is not the root of all evil; the love of money is. Attachment to wealth is the true problem. Remember, when we die, our
money and everything else we owned will go to others. Therefore, we should view ourselves as users, not owners. We are simply caretakers.
Advice for Giving
With this attitude, how do we decide to whom and to what we should give? How much do we give? There are many answers to these questions. I am not an expert, but this is what I believe we are called to do:
Give. Keep giving. Continue to ask God for direction. You will know how much is enough. You will be “told.” It may be a thought, an experience, a comment from someone, or an emotion. In that instant, you will know—it’s God, and he is telling you. You will feel it in your heart and soul.
It has been forty years since the craziness of my thirties. I have spent those years sticking to my plan. I made a lot of money…and I have given away a whole lot more. I have done and supported things I never dreamed of, including taking in children orphaned in the Rwandan genocide. I have been faithful to what I was told to do. I’m retired now, and I still give. Miracles continue to happen in my life.
So, just give. Keep giving. You will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams, in this life and in the next. God bless.A
Lawrence Jehling is retired and lives in Arizona with his wife and family.
Giving to My Parish
“Giving” can take many forms. You may volunteer your time at a local community organization or donate baked goods for the school’s bake sale. You may also give financially to a variety of causes and organizations. But do you give money to your parish? Read the following excerpt from How Much Should I Give to My Parish? by Florence Wedge (804212, Liguori Publications) and consider how you can give to your parish today.
Should the Holy Spirit who came down in power at Pentecost have endowed the new Church with a cool billion? We know he did no such thing. The divine plan was for the faithful to provide the funds for the upkeep of their spiritual leaders and the new Church’s missionary outreach. The early Christians made liberal love offerings. These were allotted for the support of the clergy, for the needy and poor, for the bishop set above the Christian pastors, and for the maintenance of buildings and other material necessities for divine worship.
Paul tutored his Christian contemporaries in the blessed art of giving: “Everyone must give according to what he has inwardly decided; not sadly, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver. God can multiply his favors among you so that you may always have enough of everything and even a surplus for good works” (2 Corinthians 9:7–8). Paul wanted everybody to know that the Lord would never be surpassed in generosity: “My God in turn will supply your needs fully, in a way worthy of his magnificent riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
A Catholic Deacon’s Daughter Died by Suicide—Then He Started a Global Catholic Mental Health Ministry
As soon as police arrived at his door that terrible night in August 2016, Deacon Ed Shoener knew: the bipolar disorder that had shadowed his daughter Katie for more than a decade—and led to her suicide attempt as a high school senior—had finally claimed her.
Hours later, Shoener wrote a short but eloquent obituary, which he figured would reach mainly residents of his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. God had other ideas, he realizes now. The obit, first published in The Times-Tribune of Scranton, went viral and was picked up by, among others, The Washington Post.
Millions of people read it, and tens of thousands of people from across the world contacted Shoener. Some of them had lost loved ones to suicide. Others suffered from a mental illness or struggled to help loved ones or friends who did. Many thanked him for helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide, offering prayers for Katie, who died by suicide at age twenty-nine, and her family.
Again and again, Shoener heard from people who lamented that the Catholic Church offered little to minister to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones. And that’s when he had an epiphany that he’s now convinced came from God.
“I was shocked by the response to the obituary,” Shoener tells The Catholic Observer. “I often say I never had any visions of Mary or any sort of great mystical experience that you hear about…but I felt that the response to Katie’s obituary was God’s way of
Gary Gately is the founder and editor of The Catholic Observer, a subscription-based newsletter. Gately, a lifelong Catholic, is an award-winning journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, the National Catholic Reporter, America: The Jesuit Review, Newsweek, The Baltimore Sun, The Boston Globe, the Center for Public Integrity, CNBC.com, and United Press International. Please email news tips or suggestions to Garymichaelgately@gmail.com.
hitting me over the head with a 2-by-4 to get involved in ministering to those with mental illness.”
He quickly established a mental health ministry at his parish, the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton, then cofounded the nonprofit Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (ACMHM), of which he now serves as president. The Scranton-based organization helps parishes throughout the world establish mental health ministries. They seek to reach out to mentally ill people, to see Christ in them, to get beyond stigma and shame, and to welcome them, comfort them, and treat them as precious children of God rather than as people defined by their mental illnesses.
Already, the ACMHM, founded in 2019, now counts members in forty U.S. states and more than sixty foreign countries, including Canada, India, South Africa, and Uganda. Shoener hopes that parish
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mental health ministries become as common as youth, prayer, or grief ministries in parishes worldwide.
“I’m convinced that this is the work of the Holy Spirit because I’m not smart enough to expand a ministry across the globe,” says Shoener, age sixtynine. “I’m not that kind of strategic planner or thinker. So it’s definitely the work of the Holy Spirit.”
“She died by suicide, but she was not defined by that. She was a beautiful child made in the image and likeness of God.”
The association’s website offers a host of resources on starting the ministries, including free online courses, liturgy, webinars, and videos for clergy and laypeople, as well as links to spiritual support groups and other mental health organizations and information on mental illnesses, addiction, grief, and suicide. Shoener stresses, however, that the mental health ministries provide spiritual support, not diagnoses, though they may help people living with mental illnesses find treatment and medical services in their communities.
An American Psychiatric Association poll confirms the need to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness in faith communities. The poll found that while 60 percent of US adults say their faith or spirituality is an important factor in supporting their mental wellness, only 52 percent of those who belong to a religious community agree that their faith community “discusses mental health openly and without stigma.”
“We had no reason to think [Katie] was struggling like that.” Too often, Shoener says, those struggling with mental illnesses suffer in silence and secrecy. His daughter Katie had been among them.
Neither Shoener nor his wife, Ruth, had any idea Katie had been suffering from a mental illness until she attempted suicide by swallowing a handful of pills during her senior year in high school, when the couple was away on a trip. The call from a Scranton hospital informing Shoener of the attempt stunned him and his wife.
To read this story in its entirety, go to thecatholicobserver.substack.com. A
New Report: U.S. Religious Leaders Can Play Major Role in Healing “Toxic Polarization”
Americans feel “profoundly exhausted by polarization,” and the nation’s political divisions will likely get worse before they get better, but religious leaders can play a big role in helping the nation find common ground, according to a new report. The 140-page report, by the New York City–based nonpartisan research nonprofit More in Common, draws on responses in surveys and focus groups from more than 6,000 Americans, with a specific focus on evangelical Christians, mainstream Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Muslims. Titled “Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful,” the report says that the common misperceptions and stereotypes that flow from viewing the nation mainly through a political prism have deepened divisions.
“The biggest surprise to me was the extent to which politics corrupt the role of faith life,” More in Common executive director Jason Mangone told The Catholic Observer. He adds, “Of course, faith and politics interact in America, but looking at faith— and especially at communities of belief—through a primarily political lens turns faith into an arena that heightens polarization rather than as a potential offramp away from polarization.”
The report found that contrary to popular views that religion—especially among Catholics and evangelicals—heavily influences political preferences, most Americans turn to faith for spiritual support rather than for political expression.
On an upbeat note, the report said, “The evidence shows something different than what we might expect: more shared values, more desire to keep faith distinct from partisan politics, more longing to transcend divisions, more respect for each other, more commitment to pluralism, and more desire for guidance and help from local faith leaders and institutions in navigating this difficult time in American life.”
To read this story in its entirety, go to thecatholicobserver.substack.com. A
Scripture Scoop
“And
the Word Became Flesh”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be (John 1:1–3).
The opening words of the gospel are the same as those found in the opening of the Book of Genesis: “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1). Here, “the beginning” refers directly to an existence before the beginning of the world, that is, the eternal that existed before time, creation, and so on. John uses the term “Word” to write about the Son of God, noting that the Word of God is eternal as God is eternal. This reference to the Word is unique to John’s Gospel. It may have some philosophical foundations that influenced the author of the gospel. However, the author does not use the term “Word” in an abstract sense; rather, he refers to a person who is God. In this way, he is drawing on his Hebrew background rather than making use of a philosophical connotation of the term.
The use of the term “Word” recalls the image of Wisdom found in the Old Testament Book of Wisdom, presenting Wisdom as a person who was with God before the beginning of the world, sharing in God’s glory, and who will come to earth
to guide human beings (see Wisdom 9:9–11). Just as this Old Testament author speaks of Wisdom as a person, the author of the Gospel of John refers to the Word as a person. “The Word was with God” shows a relationship of presence between the Word and God. In the Book of Proverbs, we read that Wisdom was in the presence of God before the creation of the world (see Proverbs 8:22–30). John tells us that the Word was not only with God, but was God. Through these opening words, John tells us that the Son of God, whom he identifies as the Word, was one with God from all eternity. John reveals a unity and a distinction between the Father and the Word by stating that the Word was God and, at the same time, that the Word was “with” God. This is a theme that will be developed throughout the gospel. The theological statements of the hymn present an overture for the rest of the gospel and reveal Jesus as the Word made flesh.A
Source: Liguori Catholic Bible Study—The Gospel of John: The Word Became Flesh, by William A. Anderson, DMin, PhD, 2012 (821233, Liguori Publications).
Prepare the Way of the Lord
In 2006, as pastor of St. Anthony Parish—a predominantly Mexican American parish—in Liberal, Kansas, I gave our confirmation class some instructions as they prepared our parish float for the annual Christmas parade. I told the students that there was no place on our float for Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, or other secular symbols of Christmas. There also was no place for the likeness of the infant Jesus on our float. Why? The theme for our float was “Advent: How St. Anthony Church Prepares the Way of the Lord.”
On the front of a flatbed trailer, there was the hill of Tepeyac. On the hill, surrounded by stars, was a young woman dressed as Our Lady of Guadalupe. With her was Juan Diego. A path led to the house of the Bishop of Mexico. Students represented the Bishop and two servants. At the back of the float were two drummers. Behind the float came thirty matachines (indigenous dancers), and then Joseph and Mary, seeking lodging in Bethlehem. Next, there were forty young people with candles, singing the posada song. Advent was a special celebration for our community.
In his homily at the canonization of Saint Juan Diego, Pope John Paul II called Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego models of “perfectly inculturated evangelization.” “Inculturated evangelization” takes place in experiences rather than in a classroom. Through celebrations, such as novenas for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a serenata (song), a mañanitas Mass (sunrise service), the matachines , dramas of the Apparitions, the Mass for Guadalupe, and the food, one begins to understand what inculturated evangelization is.
Padre Migrante
FR. MIKE
M c ANDREW, CSsR
Inculturated evangelization involves the entire experience of faith and the human desire to have a relationship with the divine. In Juan Diego, faith is not realized from a catechism, a classroom, or a religious service. He is the model of one who seeks a deep sense of oneness with God. Out of his desire to learn more about the faith, Juan Diego was open to meeting God through the appearance of the Virgin.
The matachines honor the Virgin with their dance. On one occasion, a pastor called attention to the youngest of a group of dancers. He observed that when she was four or five years old, she was not in step with other dancers. Now in her third year in the group, she has mastered the steps. He said, “Soon, she will be a teacher of future matachines .” The dancing girl is a model of inculturated evangelization.
I remember a conversation with a non-Mexican who asked about the significance of the dancers for the Feast of Guadalupe. The dancers had arrows and spears as part of their dress. The American said, “This dance seems so violent with the weapons of war.” An eighteen-year-old dancer replied, “At the end of the dance, we pledge peace by putting the spears and arrows at the foot of the Virgin. We do it as Isaiah said: ‘They will change their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.’”
Throughout the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the people cry, “ Viva la Virgen!” (“Long live the Virgin!”) A few days after the feast, preparing the way of the Lord continues with a nine-day novena called Las Posadas , remembering Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. All through Advent, the Hispanic community prepares the way for the infant Son of God.A
Matachines accompany the parish float celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AUTHOR
God Is With Us
IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR GOD, START BY LOOKING WITHIN
JOSÉ ANTONIO PAGOLA
The Christmas season has been so disfigured that today it seems almost impossible to help people understand the mystery it conveys. There may be a way, but we all must find it for ourselves. It is not about understanding great theological explanations but about living a humble inward experience before God.
The great experiences of life are a gift, but, in most cases, they can be lived only by people who are ready to receive them. To experience the Son of God made man, we must prepare ourselves inwardly. In the Gospel of Matthew, 1:18–24, Matthew is saying that Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, is the only one we can truly call Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” But what does that mean? How can you know that God is with you?
Don’t be afraid to be alone. Look for a quiet, restful place. Listen to yourself. Move quietly into the most intimate part of your being. You may very well feel a sense of awe: how alone you are in life and how far you are from the people around you, even those you love. They love you deeply, but they are not a part of you.
Remain quiet. Perhaps you have a strange feeling: you live because your roots go down into an immense, unknown reality. Where does your life come from? What is there in the depth of your being? If you can withstand the silence a little longer, you will probably begin to feel a sense of fear and, at the same time, peace. You are looking at the ultimate mystery of your being. Believers call this God.
Entrust yourself to this mystery. God seems immense and far away from you. But if you open up to God, you will feel him near. God is inside you, upholding you in your fragility and giving you life. God is not like people, who love you from the outside. God is in your very being.
According to Karl Rahner, a Jesuit priest and theologian (1904–1984), this experience of the heart is the only one that can help us understand the Christian message of faith: God became man. You will never be alone. No one is alone. God is with us.
We don’t have to look very far to find God. We need only to look quietly into ourselves. We need only to dig down into our deepest questions and desires. When it comes to Christmas, you can celebrate it, enjoy it, and wish Christmas joy to others. You can share the joy with your loved ones and be more generous toward those who live in suffering and in sadness. God is with you.
This is the message of Christmas: God is very near to you, right where you are, if you will only open yourself up to God’s mystery. The inaccessible God has become man, and his mysterious presence is all around us. God can be born in each of us. A
This meditation is from The Way Opened Up By Jesus: A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew by José Antonio Pagola. First published by Convivium Press. Order from CrossroadPublishing.com
PIXABAY / PEXELS
to this mystery. God seems immense and far away from you. up to God, you will feel him near.
José Antonio Pagola wrote one of his many books, The Way Opened Up By Jesus: A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, in 2012. Born in Spain in 1937, he completed his theological studies in 1962 at the Papal Gregorian University in Rome and his studies in sacred Scripture at the Papal Biblical Institute in Rome in 1963. He also studied biblical sciences at the École Biblique in Jerusalem. Pagola is a professor at St. Sebastian Seminary and at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain. He has dedicated his life to biblical studies and Christology and has done research on the historical Jesus for decades.
Purposeful Screen Time
Imagine you’re sitting on your couch with absolutely nothing to do. Your first instinct is to grab your phone and open a social app. The first video you see is captivating because it’s a little puppy doing what puppies do: being cute. You enjoy the video so much that you go to the next one, then the next, and the next. Eventually, you look at the clock, and—lo and behold—you’ve been doing this for three hours. Where did all the time go? What did you gain from this?
It’s no secret that there is a myriad of things to see on social media—it is, after all, what connects the world. Yet, we oftentimes use it as a mere means to pass the time or as something to do when boredom comes knocking at our door. We become lost in the online world and miss the opportunity to grow in our faith. What if we could transform these moments of aimless scrolling into meaningful and enriching experiences?
I’ve seen just about everything remotely religious come across my feed, from live rosaries to a priest joking about climbing out the window because “Susan from the parish council is here to see me.” Social media has played a significant role in enhancing my faith, and we all can apply different things we see on social media to our own spiritual lives.
A few years ago, I began seeing a priest from my home archdiocese on my TikTok feed: Fr. David Michael Moses. He posted many different comedic videos about life as a parish priest and all the things such a position entails (like running away from people on the parish council!). Videos like these taught me the value of having a good sense of humor, especially as a person of faith.
If we use social media intentionally, we can find faith at our fingertips.
Another social media account I’ve encountered is that of a Benedictine priest. One of his videos shows him preparing for Mass and depicts all the various elements that go into it, such as the chalice and paten, the bread and wine, the Roman Missal, and the incense. Watching that video helped me learn more about what goes on “behind the scenes”—things I otherwise would not see as a regular congregant. There are, of course, priests like Fr. Casey Cole, OFM, who post videos about various teachings of the Church and different ways people can live out their faith. With the help of social media, I’ve truly been able to learn more about the Church and my faith, which has made me a better Catholic.
It’s easy to get carried away by the currents of boredom. But if God will stop at nothing for us, then why can’t we do the same? Make it a point to learn something new about your faith whenever you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media. If you do this, you will bring yourself closer to God.A
AMANDA CARDEN / SHUTTERSTOCK
Catholic KINDNESS
CHRISTMAS CARING
USEFUL SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU GROW AND LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH DAILY
• Donate a poinsettia to your church or buy one for a neighbor, relative, or friend.
• Bake Christmas cookies and bring them to a homebound person.
• What are you thankful for? Donate or volunteer at a food pantry or shelter this Thanksgiving.
• Does your parish need extra help during the holiday season? Volunteer your time and talents.
• Consider buying religious Christmas gifts—such as a crucifix, spiritual book, Nativity scene, or rosary—for your loved ones this year.
• Go caroling with family, friends, or your parish!
• Be intentional this Advent season and take time to reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation.
• Set up a Nativity scene in a prominent location in your home.
• Create or buy an Advent wreath for your home.
• If your parish has an angel tree, consider purchasing a few gifts for it.
• During the month of November, be intentionally grateful. Make a list of everything you are grateful for—it will be longer than you think!
• As the end of the year approaches, slow down and take time to reflect on your faith journey. In what ways did you grow this year? In what ways did you fall short of your goals? Write down your thoughts and begin to create a plan for next year.
• Decorate your home with religious Christmas items.
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Need Christmas gift ideas or simply want something for yourself this Advent and Christmas? Find what you’re looking for from Liguori Publications.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Thérèse of Lisieux (821721)
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Pope Francis (826467)
Little Lamb Finds Christmas (824890)
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Augustine (820304)
Joyful Meditations for Every Day of Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas (819407)
Visit Liguori.org or call 800-325-9521 to speak with a customer care representative.
A Thankful Lens
Irecently discovered a box of old camera equipment down in the basement. After unpacking the Canon I hadn’t used in decades, I raised it to my eye. Storage shelves came into view. Boxes, random housewares, dust, and cobwebs… not a pretty sight! But then, a twist of the lens wiped much of it away. And hidden in shadow, now clearly visible through the zoom, was a treasured vase I thought I’d lost.
What a difference a new lens makes to what we see! With the holidays approaching, I’m struck by how often the joy they promise causes less-joyful realities of life to surface. It’s easy to let family troubles, dwindling bank accounts, or medical issues blur our view of our blessings—just like dust and clutter hid that vase on my basement shelf.
In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I offer an acrostic “lens” that helps me focus and give thanks. May it help you, too, see clearly—to discover lost treasure and cultivate gratitude in your heart to God.
When circumstances blur your vision, reset your focus by recalling these things about God and give THANKS:
T—TRUTH. Our world spews disinformation and lies to the point that it’s hard to know what to believe. The future can be frightening. But, thanks be to God—his word is truth! (John 17:17). Spend some time with his word and allow it to refocus your heart. God, not the world, is in control. As the psalmist pleads, “Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior” (Psalm 25:5).
H— HONESTY. Not only is God’s word truth, he does not lie (see Numbers 23:19, Psalm 33:4). So, when he says you’re his beloved child (see 1 John 3:1), he means it. When he promises his peace (see John 14:27), he means it. When he says, “Do not fear…I will help you” (Isaiah 41:10), he means it!
SAR AH CHRISTMYER
A— ALL THE TIME God is good. God is good all the time! Even when things look dark, when beauty is covered with dust, and when circumstances keep you from seeing his hand. “All things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
N— NOTHING can separate us from God’s love (see Romans 8:39). Not sickness, not loss or pain, not even death. Whatever hardship you might pass through, God promises to be with you (see Isaiah 43:2).
K— KINDNESS marks God’s actions toward us—not because we deserve it, but because of his generous love (see Titus 3:4–5). If it’s your own failings that block your vision, remember God’s kindness to you and ask for forgiveness and grace.
S—SPEAK of God’s goodness, his truth, and his love. Whether you feel like it or not, give him thanks! Start in your heart but use words as well. Allow gratitude—and the Lord—to work peace in your heart (see Philippians 4:6–9).
I wish you a blessed Advent and a holy, joy-filled Christmas.A
Give thanks to the L ord for he is good, his mercy endures forever! (Psalm 107:1).
ANATOLIY KARLYUK / SHUTTERSTOCK
AROUND THE TABLE
Ingredients
4 eggs
Almond Crunchies
FESTIVE, NUTTY COOKIES FOR A HOLIDAY TREAT
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups spelt flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 cups almonds, chopped and toasted
Directions
➊ Beat the eggs well. Add the melted butter, dry ingredients, and almonds. The mixture should hold together but not be sticky.
➋ Roll out onto a floured surface to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut into desired shapes. Place on a baking sheet, leaving space between the cookies, as they will rise.
➌ Bake in a hot oven (400–450°F) until lightly browned.
Source: Saint Hildegard’s Kitchen: Foods of Health, Foods of Joy, © 2014 Jany FournierRosset (819513, Liguori Publications). To order, visit Liguori.org or call 800-325-9521.
NATASHA BREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK
The Leather Pouch
Aviel was an only child, twelve years old, when his father died unexpectedly. “Ima,” he asked his mother, “why did my prayers not save my Abba? What will become of us? I have no trade skills in leather crafts like my father did. I only looked after the pack animals as he fashioned their harnesses. I could sell the leather bag he made for me with a divider in the middle to keep foods fresh and separated. But after, how will we live without him?”
“Keep the satchel,” she replied confidently. “God will show us a way.”
Early the next morning, Aviel woke to the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread and savory fish. “What is this?” he asked.
“Food for the travelers,” Ima answered. “Crowds have covered the highlands to hear a Nazarene preacher. They will need nourishment, and you will take these loaves and fishes to satisfy their hunger and support our survival.”
“I’m going to sell food?” he asked in bewilderment.
“Yes, and for a wholesome profit to anyone with an appetite and coins.”
Aviel carefully separated the fish and bread in his bag, mounted their mule, and went off to the mountain, where thousands of visitors had gathered. They would surely be hungry and eager to buy his offerings. When he reached the summit of the grassy hillside, Aviel was greeted by a follower of the Teacher: “Do you have any food?”
“I have five loaves and two fish freshly made this morning…for a reasonable price.”
“We have neither silver nor gold, but the Master is never outdone in generosity,” replied the follower.
Holy Homework
FR. BOB PAGLIARI, CS S R, PhD
Aviel surrendered his satchel and watched in amazement as many loaves and fishes were retrieved from his leather bag—it was beyond the few items his mother had prepared! Afterward, everyone was full. The apostle returned Aviel’s bag, now packed with baked fish. A young girl took a handmade scarf she had woven and wrapped twelve loaves of leftover bread for Aviel to tie to his saddle.
Once home, he greeted his mother. “Look at all the fish we have now, Ima,” as he opened his bag. “There is more!” he added as he retrieved the dozen loaves of bread from the linen stole.
“I don’t understand,” his mother said in confusion. “You were supposed to sell these, not get more. We will never eat all this food before it spoils.”
“We can give it to the poor and the lepers so it will not go to waste,” Aviel suggested. His mother took a closer look at the woven scarf. “This is fine work. It should fetch a hefty sum when we take it to the market.”
“No, Ima,” Aviel interrupted. “I must return that to the girl who lent it to me.”
“What girl? What is her name?” inquired his mother.
“A beautiful and kind girl. We listened to the Rabbi together. She gave away all the linens and towels she intended to sell, except this one. I promised I would return it to her parents’ house tomorrow. Her name is Veronica.”A
Holy Homework
Give a loaf of sweet bread or a holiday scarf as a Christmas gift this year.
ANNEKA / SHUTTERSTOCK
The Gift
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT HELPS A WIDOWER REALIZE THE TRUE VALUE OF A LIFE LIVED IN KINDNESS
CHARLENE HOYT
Timothy Patrick O’Toole walked out his back door and up the familiar path through the lilac bushes he had planted so many years ago. In years past, he and Maggie had kept them trimmed, but without Maggie, he had lost the desire even to venture to the familiar spot they’d loved so much, overlooking their small farm. Although his sight wasn’t what it used to be, in his mind’s eye, he remembered.
Timothy trekked slowly along until he came to a break in the bushes. The smell of the flowers permeated the air and stopped him momentarily. He picked a few lilacs and raised them to his nose. Such a
wonderful smell, he thought, breathing in the marvelous aroma as he held the flowers lovingly.
“They still bloom, Maggie,” he said softly. Slowly, Timothy continued toward their favorite spot: an area where he had shaped two tree stumps into chairs. He eased his body onto one of the stumps and caught his breath.
Timothy was eighty-five and couldn’t help wondering what good his life had been. What had he really contributed of significance? It had been three years since Maggie died. Without Maggie, who always had a way of making Timothy feel special, he felt discouraged, wondering what real value his life had been.
He and Maggie had never been able to have children. His mind wandered back to when they had wanted to adopt a child but were refused. Timothy had no formal education, and, though he and Maggie worked hard to keep their little farm going, the agency deemed it was not a good place to send a child. The agency further justified their decision by saying the couple was too old to start raising a child; he and Maggie had been over forty when they married. After that, they had adjusted to the fact that they would be childless. Still, they were happy and remained dedicated to each other. Life was good.
As he leaned against the backrest he had carved into the tree stump, Timothy dozed. Eventually, Buddy, his faithful dog, leaned against Timothy’s knee. “I guess it’s time to go back,” he said as he stood and stretched.
Buddy kept pace with Timothy as the two walked back to their modest cottage. Once inside, Timothy gave Buddy his evening portion of dog food—and of course a little from his own plate, too. The veterinarian frowned upon it, but Timothy figured it couldn’t hurt too much. After all, Buddy was older in dog years than Timothy was in people years, so what difference did it make?
The next morning, Timothy did his morning chores as usual: feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs, milking the one cow he still kept, and turning
his faithful mare out to the field and watching her kick up her heels a bit, even though she wasn’t young anymore.
Later, he slipped off his work boots and hung his denim jacket on the coat tree he had made decades ago. Timothy made a cup of instant coffee and then headed upstairs to the bedroom he and Maggie had shared for so many years. It had been too painful to be in this room after she died, so he had begun sleeping on a small cot downstairs. Maybe, he thought, sighing, maybe it’s time I went through her clothes and things that someone else could use. After another moment, with renewed resolution, he thought, Yes. I think it’s time. Maggie would want that. I guess when it comes right down to it, it’s time I went back to our bedroom.
Timothy began to carefully fold each piece of Maggie’s clothing, put them in boxes, and label each box. When he came to Maggie’s simple but beautiful wedding dress, he breathed deeply. The local high school put on plays—maybe it would be a good addition to their costume department.
Hours later, when he had packed everything, Timothy spotted something on the shelf at the back of the closet. What is that? he wondered. He couldn’t recall having seen it before. Timothy retrieved the stepladder and climbed up so he could reach the item. It was a box covered with Christmas wrapping paper.
As he looked closer, he saw the tag. “Merry Christmas to my dear husband. With all my love, Maggie.”
Shivers swept through Timothy as he reverently picked up the box and set it on the empty desk, staring at it in disbelief. Maggie had died a week before Christmas. He smiled, remembering the year he had kept guessing what his Christmas present was until he had finally gotten it right. After that, Maggie refused to bring out his gift until Christmas Eve. A tear slid down Timothy’s cheek as he recalled their conversation on the day before she died. He had told her she was everything to him, even though he had never done much of value. He hadn’t really understood what Maggie had meant when she smiled and said, “You just wait ‘til Christmas.”
With his arthritic fingers, Timothy carefully opened the gift—the last gift he’d ever get from his wife. He unwrapped the package, exposing a large album of some kind. But they had never taken many pictures… And then Timothy opened the first page. It was a letter.
To my beloved husband, Timothy, We each contribute to this world in different ways. Some of us have more humility than others and don’t brag about the little things to folks. Over the years, though we didn’t have our own children, you’ve been good to many others. Inside these pages are simple reminders of what goes into a good and useful life. With all my love and gratitude to the best husband any woman could ever have, Maggie
One by one, Timothy opened page after page of notes that he had received over the years. Maggie had saved them all and put them in the album. He read on:
Dear Mr. O’Toole,
Thank you for making balloons at the hospital when I was sick and even showing me how to make a dog and a sword. My mom and dad bought me some balloons and a pump, and now that I’m better, sometimes I go to the hospital and make balloons too.
Your friend, Jason
Many pages mentioned the balloons he’d made for delighted children. Then came the note from a ten-year-old girl, thanking him for teaching her how to make a bow tie out of a dollar bill. She had made one for each of her aunts and uncles for Christmas. She finished the note by writing, “I’m glad I met you. You’re neat! Karen.”
And then there was a bright green divider. It said simply, “Remember all the little crosses you gave out.”
Timothy’s thoughts raced back to the first crosses he’d made so long ago. First Communion time had been coming in their small church, and there were only eight children to receive the sacrament. Maggie had suggested, “Wouldn’t it be nice to make each of them a cross?”
So Timothy had gone to his wood shop and made eight crosses with loving care. On the big day, each child received a cross, as well as a package of M&Ms and a note from Maggie. To his surprise, Timothy had
MAR1ART1 / SHUTTERSTOCK
received eight thank-you notes. He remembered how, years later, he would now and again meet some of those children, and they would tell Timothy how they still had his crosses on their walls.
Once, Timothy had fashioned a small cross to fit into the palm of the hand. During the long winter nights that year, he cut out rack after rack of them, sanding the crosses smooth and putting a light finish on them. After that, everywhere he went—to the grocery store, to church, and anywhere else he and Maggie happened to stop—Timothy would offer the little crosses to people. As time went on, he gave away thousands.
Maggie had written more:
“Do you remember when you’d get notes in the mail from people who wanted to tell you about what the crosses meant to them? In this album are many of the notes I saved for you. There’s one from a lady named Helen, who was bedridden and said she always kept it near her. When she would start feeling sorry for herself, she’d hold the cross and think of Jesus, and it was comforting to her. Remember Joe Fiddler, who used to be our neighbor? You gave him one, and he gave it to a friend in the hospital. The doctors didn’t hold out much hope for Joe’s friend, but after Joe brought him one of your crosses and put it in his hand, from that day forward, he gradually got better. Even the doctors were baffled, and they said it was a power much greater than theirs that saved him.”
Slowly, Timothy read page after page of thank-you notes—some from children, some from seniors, and every age in between. Little stories he hadn’t thought of in a long time.
Bible Quiz answers (puzzle is on page 44)
1. L (Gen 25:1)
2. M (Mt 5:5)
3. K (Acts 1:15–19)
4. Q (Mt 5:9)
5. G (Mk 1:13)
6. I
7. B (Acts 5:5, 10)
8. J (Acts 21:17–33)
9. N (Mic 6:8)
10. T (1 Sam 9:2)
11. U (Gen 46:27)
12. F (Ruth 4:17)
13. X (Ps 11:7)
14. A (1 Cor 11:23–25)
15. V (Dan 13:31–41)
16. R (Phil 2:10)
17. O (Neh 13:31)
18. P (Gen 17:24)
19. E
20. Y (Jn 4:4–7, Gen 29:10)
21. D (Jn 2:1–11)
22. S (Acts 28:16)
23. C (Lk 9:28–30, Num 26:59)
24. W (Jn 20:28)
25. H (Esth 2:7)
That night, Timothy saw his treasure book on the small desk in his room. “Oh God,” he prayed, as he knelt beside his bed, “please forgive me for my lack of gratitude. And please tell Maggie I love her gift.”
As he slid under the covers, Timothy’s mind continued to race. Because his eyes were no longer strong, he knew he shouldn’t use his power tools anymore. But was there still something valuable he could do? As Timothy drifted off to sleep, he thought of his little farm, and an idea began to form.
The next day, Timothy called the local paper and put in an ad:
“Experience a working farm. Enjoy petting a horse, a cow, a cat, and a dog. Take a scenic hike through the woods. Visiting hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. I’ll look forward to each and every visitor. No charge.”
Timothy O’Toole of the O’Toole Farm Phone: 258-832-0975
Timothy gazed out his window at the small farm he and Maggie had put their hearts into. “For whatever time is left, Maggie,” he whispered, “I’ll do the best I can.” And feeling a peace he hadn’t felt in a long time, Timothy leaned back in his old, overstuffed chair, closed his eyes, and, with his faithful dog at his feet, dozed off. a
Charlene Hoyt is a freelance writer from southeastern Wisconsin. She enjoys walks with her border collie, Bo, and visiting with her wonderful neighbors. She loves horses and football, but her greatest blessings are her faith and family.
Catholic Crossword answers (puzzle is on page 45)
FR EE PA TE NC OM O
AI LS EV AD EI RA N
SP OT TA BE RN AC LE TEPE ES ME EA ES
SN EE RE DA UR A MO RA LS VE LT E AR MS AV IO ER AS E DI ED SI NA
Bible Quiz
Rate yourself on your knowledge of Scripture. Match the first column with the second. Answers are on page 43.
1. Abraham’s second wife ______
A. 1 Corinthians
2. They will inherit the earth ______ B. Ananias
3. His death is the first recorded in Acts
C. brother of Miriam
4. They will be called children of God ______ D. Cana
5. Number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness ______ E. Daniel
6. First book of the minor prophets ______ F. David
7. His wife died shortly after he died ______ G. forty
8. City in which Paul was arrested ______ H. Hadassah
9. “Do justice…love kindness…walk humbly with your God” ______ I. Hosea
10. The most handsome man of Israel ______ J. Jerusalem
11 . Persons of the household of Jacob who came to Egypt ______ K. Judas
12 . Great-grandson of Boaz ______ L. Keturah
13 They will behold the face of the Lord ______ M. meek
14 Part of the Eucharistic Prayer is found here ______ N. Micah
15 . She was falsely accused of adultery ______ O. Nehemiah
16 . “At the name of Jesus every knee should bend” ______
P. ninety-nine
17 “Remember me, O my God, for good” ______ Q. peacemakers
18 Age at which Abraham was circumcised ______ R. Philippians
19. Ezekiel follower ______ S. Rome
20. Jesus met the Samaritan woman here ______ T. Saul
21 . Site of Jesus’ first miracle ______
U. seventy
22 City in which Acts ends ______ V. Susanna
23 . He talked with Jesus and Elijah ______ W. Thomas
24 . “My Lord and my God!” ______
25 . Mordecai’s cousin Esther ______
QUIZ RATINGS
X. the upright
Y. where Jacob met Rachel
“Catholic Crossword” and “Bible Quiz” are produced by Gabriel Publications. Liguori Publications is not responsible for its content. Please direct questions or comments to Gabriel Publications at info@wordgamesforcatholics.com.
ACROSS
1 ______ will
5 Saucer for the Eucharist
10 Catholic singer Perry ______
14 Is unwell
15 Elude
16 The Garden of Eden might have been in this modern-day state
17 Small blemish
18 Receptacle for the host
20 Conical home
22 Hook’s hand
23 1920s’ U.S. Catholic politician (initials)
24 Scoffed
27 Certain something
29 Good
31 Slender
35 “He has shown might with his ______” (Magnificat)
38 Dominic who is patron saint of choirboys
40 Take off the board
41 “He suffered, ______, and was buried”
43 Certain mount
45 “Rubaiyat” name
46 Whatsoever (2 wds.)
48 Cleans
50 “Ora nobis”
51 Inert gaseous element
53 Saint Catherine of ______
55 Sacred image
57 Marks
61 “Just ______ thought” (2 wds.)
64 High-tech item
66 Tree branch
67 The Immaculate ______
71 Roman emperor who persecuted Christians
72 Ballerina wear
73 Wear away
74 Fortune teller’s phrase (2 wds.)
75 Slovenly person
76 Dogma
77 Former JFK arrivals
1 Lenten practices
2 Age
3 Union on the run?
4 Respect
5 Abbr. for two New Testament Epistles
6 Glamorous ______ Gardner
7 Certain typewriter keys
8 Dropsy
9 Sea god
10 Agency once headed by uncle of Cardinal Dulles
and female he created them”
Air (prefix)
Second pope
“Your word is a ______ to my feet” (Ps 119:105)
The Lighter Side J
Unlicensed
My neighbor was working in his yard when a car came crashing through his hedge and ended up on his front lawn.
He rushed to help the elderly lady out of the car and sat her down. With some excitement, he said, “You appear to be quite elderly to be driving!”
“Well, yes, I am,” she replied proudly. “I’ll be ninety-seven next month, and I am old enough that I don’t even need a driver’s license anymore. The last time I went to my doctor, he examined me and asked if I had a driver’s license. I
said yes and handed it to him. He cut the license into pieces, threw them in the wastebasket, and told me, ‘You won’t need this anymore.’ So I thanked him and left!”
Night Lights
When my grandson and I entered our cabin one night, we turned the lights off to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, “It’s no use, Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights!”
If you have jokes or amusing stories you’d like to share, please email them for consideration to Liguorianeditor@Liguori.org, or mail them to Liguorian Editor, One Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057.
“Is it a good idea to let turkeys drive?”
Thanksgiving Trickery
A father in Denver called his adult daughter who lived far away. “I have some bad news for you!” he told her. “Your mother and I are planning to get a divorce!”
“What?” exclaimed the daughter. “Why would you get a divorce?”
“We are tired of looking at each other and think a divorce is the best solution,” he replied.
“But what about me and Tommy?”
“You both have good jobs and your own apartments. You’ll be fine.”
The daughter responded, “Dad, don’t do anything! I am coming to talk with you and mom. I will fly there this weekend!”
“If you really want to come, that’s OK, but save me a phone call and let Tommy know.”
The daughter agreed to call her brother and told her father to wait until everyone was together to discuss the situation.
The father agreed and hung up the phone. “Well, sweetheart, it’s all settled. The kids will be home for Thanksgiving, and the best part is, they’re paying their own way!”
Br. Raymond Pierce, CSsR, supplies the text for “The Lighter Side.”
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Gifts for the Foodie Whether
