December 2015 by St. Anthony Messenger

PRAYING LUKE’S STORIES

ST. ANTHONY DECEMBER 2015 • $3.95 • FRANCISCANMEDIA.ORG

SPECIAL REPORT

Pope Francis in America Washington, DC Challenge to a Nation New York On the World Stage Philly Strengthening Family Ties ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

My Daughter Broke Baby Jesus

Messenger

NEW W

Ave Maria Press Av

Prayer – Devotion – Spirrituality – Saintss – Relationshipss – Faith

“Ex Exceptional e and in nspiring.”

“A simple s concept written so s beautifully well.”

—Donna-Marrie Cooper O’Boyle

—Danielle Bean

EW TN host and author a of Rootteed in Love

Publisher of Catholic Digest Coauthor o of Small Stteeps for Ca atholic Moms

the e “Nobody alive teaches biblical basics as clearly and c memorably as Joh hn Bergsma.” —Mik ke Aquillina Speakerr, educato orr, and author of The h Fathers a of the Churrcch

Intimate Graces

Pray Witth Me

Breath of God

Sacred Reading

Ter eresa e To omeo and Dominick o Past a orre 160 pages, $13.95 $

Grrac a e Mazza a Urbanskki 160 pages, $14.95

Davve Pivvon onkka a, T.O.R. .R 160 pages, $14.95

Apostlesh hip of Pra ayer Douglass Leonarrd 416 pages, $15.95

My Badass Book of Saints t

The Mysttery of Sufferring

Befriendin ng Silence

ding Your o Rebuild Messsage

Maria Morreerra Johnson 160 pages, $14.95 $

Hubert van n Zeeller 128 pages, $12.95

Available w wherever books and eB Books are sold. For more in nformation, visit avem mariapress.com.

Carl a McC Colman 192 pages, $15.95

Michael Whit h e and a Tom o Cor orco orra an 224 pages, $15.95

CONTENTS

ST. ANTHONY Messenger

❘ DECEMBER 2015 ❘ VOLUME 123/NUMBER 7

ON THE COVE R

S P E C I A L R E P O R T: POPE FRANCIS IN AMERICA

During his visit, Pope Francis captured the hearts and attention of not only Catholics, but of all Americans. His joy of being among the faithful was on full display throughout the visit.

28 Washington, DC: First Stop in the United States Considering he was in our nation’s capital for only two days, Pope Francis certainly covered a lot of ground. By Ann Augherton and Christopher Gunty

CNS photo by Bob Roller

34 Up Close with the Pope in New York The Big Apple’s faithful embraced Pope Francis with joy and energy. Here’s a New Yorker’s firsthand experience. By Beth Griffin

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Dear Reader 3 From Our Readers

40 Pope Francis in Philly: Strengthening Family Ties

4 Followers of St. Francis Martha Mary Carpenter, FSCC

In families, says the pope, “love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows.” His visit to Philadelphia brought families center stage. By Peter Feuerherd

6 Reel Time Room

8 Channel Surfing

F E AT U R E S

Grandfathered

10 Church in the News

14 Praying Luke’s Stories Let this Gospel be your guide as you grow in compassion along the road of faith. By Joe McHugh

19 Year of Mercy ‘I Am Living with Saints’

20 Editorial Making Room at the Inn

22 My Daughter Broke Baby Jesus Her near disaster revealed to this mom the meaning of Christmas. By Eileen Hoenigman Meyer

26 At Home on Earth Presents or Presence?

50 Ask a Franciscan

46 Fiction: Cousin’s Keeper Rudy was king of the hill. By Barbara Tylla

What Does Being ‘Born Again’ Mean?

52 Book Corner A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War

54 A Catholic Mom Speaks There’s Always Room at Our Inn

56 Backstory

DEAR READER

ST. ANTHONY M essenger

Reflecting God’s Grace Francis was very weak and almost blind in 1225 when he composed the “Canticle of the Creatures,” an extravagant praise of God’s many blessings represented by sun, moon, stars, wind, water, fire, and earth. Francis later added more verses to foster a reconciliation between the bishop of Assisi and its mayor. When the friars sang the expanded Canticle in the presence of these two men, civil peace was restored. In the last days before he died, Francis added the final verses to welcome Sister Death “from whom no one living can escape.” Francis went on to urge people to repent of any mortal sins they had committed. Only Francis could end a praise of God with a promise to “serve him in great humility.” Francis eventually lived a very integrated life, one where God was daily becoming everything to him. In the 19th century, Francis became very popular among members of the Romantic movement in art and literature. Francis’ deep love of the created world reflected his even deeper love for the God whose own love overflowed into creation. May this Holy Year of Mercy deepen that love within us!

Click the button on the left to hear Father Pat’s further reflections on this topic.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES If you have a question, concern, or problem with your subscription, we’re here to help.

Subscription and Billing Questions?

How to Subscribe

Toll-free phone: 866-543-6870 To help us better answer your questions about subscriptions, please have your address label on hand. If you have billing questions, please have your invoice available. Mail: St. Anthony Messenger P.O. Box 189 Congers, NY 10920-0189 Internet: StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe Fax: 845-267-3478

Want to subscribe or add a gift subscription? Call 866-543-6870, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern time), or visit StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe.

Subscription Prices United States, $39 per year; Canada and other countries, $69 per year. See website for digital rates and to order bulk copies.

Mailing List Rental Moving? In order to keep your subscription current, we need four weeks to change an address. Send us your new address, new telephone number, and old mailing label.

If you prefer that your name and address not be made available to select organizations, send your current mailing label to Mail Preference Service, St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189.

Publisher/CEO Daniel Kroger, OFM Chief Operating Officer Thomas A. Shumate, CPA Editor in Chief John Feister Art Director Jeanne Kortekamp Franciscan Editor Pat McCloskey, OFM Managing Editor Susan Hines-Brigger Associate Editor Christopher Heffron Assistant Editor Daniel Imwalle Editorial Assistant Sharon Lape Advertising tammy monjaras

Printing Kingery Printing Co. Effingham, IL

ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER (ISSN #0036276X)

(U.S.P.S. PUBLICATION #007956 CANADA PUBLICATION #PM40036350) Volume 123, Number 7, is published monthly for $39.00 a year by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-6498. Phone (513) 241-5615. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional entry offices. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 109200189. CANADA RETURN ADDRESS: c/o AIM, 7289 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON, Canada L4T 1G8. To subscribe, write to the above address or call (866) 543-6870. Yearly subscription price: $39.00 in the United States; $69.00 in Canada and other countries. Single copy price: $3.95. For change of address, four weeks’ notice is necessary. See St AnthonyMessenger.org for information on your digital edition. Writer’s guidelines can be found at StAnthony Messenger.org. The publishers are not responsible for manuscripts or photos lost or damaged in transit. Names in fiction do not refer to living or dead persons. Member of the Catholic Press Association Published with ecclesiastical approval Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved.

2 ❘ De cember 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

FROM OUR READERS

Caring for Environment a ‘Moral Issue’ I’m writing regarding Kyle Kramer’s article, “Caring for Creation,” from the October issue of St. Anthony Messenger. Despite criticism from some politicians, the reason that it is appropriate for Pope Francis to call for action on climate change is because it is a moral issue. In his book, A Perfect Moral Storm: The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change, Stephen M. Gardiner writes that, although climate change is usually discussed in scientific and economic terms, “the deepest challenge is ethical.” According to Gardiner: “What matters most is what we do to protect those vulnerable to our actions and unable to hold us accountable, especially the global poor, future generations, and nonhuman nature.” When Pope Francis visited the

What’s on Your Mind? Letters that are published do not necessarily represent the views of the Franciscan friars or the editors. We do not publish slander or libel. Please include your name and postal address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Mail Letters, St. Anthony Messenger 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 Fax 513-241-0399

ICONS © ISTOCKPHOTO/ ELIELI

E-mail MagazineEditors@ FranciscanMedia.org Facebook Like us! Go to: Facebook.com/ StAnthonyMessengerMagazine Twitter Follow us! Go to: Twitter.com/StAnthonyMag

United States, he called on us to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. As Gardiner did, the pope asserted that climate change is a problem that should not be left to future generations. Yet unless we act, we are in danger of leaving them a world that we wouldn’t want to live in. Terry Hansen Oak Creek, Wisconsin

A Farmer’s Wife Weighs In After reading Kyle Kramer’s “At Home on Earth” column from the October issue, I would like to make a few comments. Kramer’s claims that farmers “use the lion’s share of the nation’s fresh water” and that “cattle are water guzzlers” are very misleading and not accurate. The farmers’ water usage is fueled by our consumption of vegetables, milk, nuts, or beef, to name just a few. For more on water usage, the Northern California Water Association website (NorcalWater.org) is a great resource. For more on cattle and water consumption, read “How Much Water to Make a Pound of Beef,” an article by Dr. Terry Simpson on the website YourDoctors Orders.com. As a farmer’s wife, I can

honestly say that farmers take seriously their stewardship of the land and animals. Mary-Lynn Ott Modesto, California

Survey Comments Alarming Daniel Imwalle’s article from the October issue, “Readers Speak Up on Catholic Families,” seems to be focused on the Catholic Church of the ’60s to present day. What happened to the Catholic Church of the past 2,000 years? In response to the first quote from a survey taker (“Education Is the Answer”), I have to say that attending both Catholic grade school and college strengthened my Catholic faith, along with a strong Catholic home atmosphere. Too much blame is put on the Church and the schools instead of materialism in the home. Another survey taker commented that some homosexual couples would make “great parents.” Why is this accepted by many Catholics simply because it is a law of the land? Because it is acceptable by many does not make it acceptable in the Church that Jesus founded. Ora Mae Brigidi Sarasota, Florida

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION St. Anthony Messenger (ISSN0036-276X), 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 is published monthly (12 issues annually) for $39.00. Frequency: Monthly. Number of issues published annually: 12. Annual Subscription Rate: $39.00. It is owned by Franciscan Media, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498. Daniel Kroger, O.F.M., Publisher; John Feister, Editor; Susan Hines-Brigger, Managing Editor; 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498. There are no other owners, bondholders or mortgagees. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months, ending September 2015. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Total Number of Copies (Net press run) Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) 1. Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions 2. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions 3. Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS® 4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®) 15dc. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 15dd. 1. Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541 15dd. 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) 15de. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)) 15df. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 15dg. Copies not Distributed 15dh. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 15di. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 15. a. 15db.

94,461

92,376

84,917 0

84,030 0

469 4,468 89,854 824 1,338 2,162 92,016 2,445 94,461 98

520 3,894 88,444 479 950 1,429 89,873 2,503 92,376 98

I certify that all information on this form is true and complete. _____________________________________________ THOMAS A. SHUMATE, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Fr ancisca n Media .org

Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

Date 9/15/15

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 3

F O L L O W E R S O F S T. F R A N C I S

Franciscan Joy in the Desert

he desert can be a dangerous and desolate place, but seven Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity are changing that. They’re bringing the love and joy of God to the Arizona desert through their work at the Gila River Indian Community at St. Peter Indian Mission School. The Franciscan friars of the Saint Barbara Province founded St. Peter’s in 1923 in Bapchule, a town about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix. Since 1935, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity (FSCC), whose motherhouse is Holy Family Convent in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, have been teaching the children at the mission. Bapchule, with a population of approximately 2,300, is located in one of the poorest areas in Arizona. Almost all of the residents are Pima Native Americans. “Service with love through the ministry of Catholic education is how we roll!” exclaims Sister Martha Mary Carpenter, who serves as a junior high teacher and the school’s principal. Teaching is always a challenge, but even more so on a reservation. “Our children come to us from about 12 villages spread throughout the reservation.

Martha Mary Carpenter, FSCC

Most villages are small—15 to 20 homes— and most of the villagers are related,” she explains. “Most of the parents of our children work, but they are still below the poverty level of income.” The school has a little over 200 students. St. Peter’s is the only Catholic school on the reservation, and, over the past 10 years, has guided over 100 children through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children program. Many of these children have been baptized, and several have made a profession of faith to the Catholic Church. Sister Martha says that “as long as we have room, we accept anyone who wants to enroll.” In addition to regular prayer and following the curriculum set by the Diocese of Phoenix, St. Peter’s acknowledges the children’s rich heritage. “We teach the children, in a formal way, their culture, traditions, songs, dances, and language,” says Sister Martha. With the high rate of diabetes among the Pima people, the school also emphasizes the importance of health and fitness. “We have added an hour to our school day so that the children can run daily and have classes on

STORIES FROM OUR READERS Learn more about St. Anthony and share your story of how he helped you at AmericanCatholic.org/ Features/Anthony.

PHOTO FROM INGIMAGE

St. Anthony Prevents a Workplace Drama

4 ❘ Dec ember 2015

My husband, Greg, is a custodian at a local Catholic grade school. Recently, the key ring with all the keys to the classrooms went missing. When the principal found out, he called Greg and the other custodian, William, into his office to see what happened. Both said they had no idea where the keys were, but Greg knew he had given his coworker the keys the day before. Still, to avoid tension with William, he told the principal that he would take responsibility for losing them. That night, I encouraged Greg to pray to St. Anthony to help find the keys and resolve this work conflict. The next day, William sheepishly admitted to Greg and the principal that he found the keys in the pocket of a pair of pants he wore earlier in the week. Thank you, St. Anthony, for helping my husband! —Name withheld

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Click here for more on the St. Peter Indian Mission School.

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

Importance of Confession When we open ourselves more widely to God’s grace, we open ourselves to living more truthfully. That requires naming God’s graces and acknowledging our sins. In Anthony’s day, some Catholics refused to confess their sins because, in fact, priests are also sinners. Anthony’s belief in the Incarnation and in the Eucharist reinforced his readiness to confess his sins in the Sacrament of Penance and receive absolution. This sacrament was part of how he prepared to celebrate the feast of Christ’s birth. –P.M.

COSIMO TURA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

culture, music, art, computer, and physical education,” she notes. The sisters are an oasis of love and joy in what can be a harsh environment. “We live simply and enjoy every minute of it. We take no salary or benefits. We rely on the love and generosity of others for the energy, support, and material goods we need to serve God’s people—just like St. Francis,” Sister Martha says. Presently, the sisters are raising funds for a new school bus. “Our oldest bus is 20 years old, and we are kind of holding it together with duct tape!” she says. They hope to obtain a bus with air-conditioning, since temperatures there can soar into the 100s. It is no wonder the community has embraced the sisters. “We are regarded as sisters of hope and prayer. People turn to us often in their struggles, in their sadness and indecision, and in their joys,” says Sister Martha. “We pray with and for them as we teach and form their children in the image of Christ. We are treated with respect and gratitude. We are not treated as ‘outsiders’ but as Sisters who belong right where we are.” —Janice Lane Palko

tal Digi as Extr

To learn more about Franciscan saints, visit SaintoftheDay.org.

S T. A N T H O N Y B R E A D

Fr ancisca n Media .org

Send all postal communication to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5

PHOTO BY FRANK JASPER, OFM

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation. The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below. Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week. To post your petition online, please visit stanthony.org, where you can also request to have a candle lit or a Mass offered; or you may make a donation to the Franciscans or sign up to receive a novena booklet.

REEL TIME

W I T H S I S T E R R O S E PA C AT T E , F S P

Room

PHOTO BY GEORGE KRAYCHYK, COURTESY OF A24

SISTER ROSE’S

Favorite Films about Children The Book Thief Central Station Children of Heaven Moonrise Kingdom Short Term 12

6 ❘

December 2015

Brie Larson is heavily favored to score an Oscar nomination for her impressive work in the family drama Room. It’s early when Jack (Jacob Tremblay) awakens his mother (Brie Larson) next to him. He and “Ma” make a cake together for his fifth birthday in what seems like a squalid flat, but turns out to be a 10-foot-square room with the bare essentials: their only links to the outside world are an aging television and a skylight. We learn that seven years earlier, a man named “Old Nick” (Sean Bridgers) kidnapped 17-year-old Ma on the way home from school when she stopped to help him with his dog. The man locks her in a shed, rapes her, and continues to do so. Two years later, she gives birth to her son, Jack, whom she loves fiercely. But now that Jack is old enough to help, Ma plans for both of them to escape. Larson, Tremblay, and Joan Allen, who portrays Nancy, Ma’s mother, play their roles exquisitely. Though this is a crime movie, it’s also about a mother’s love—and her refusal to allow the man who raped her to

be any part of her son’s life or awareness. This causes conflict as Ma’s father, played by William H. Macy, is disgusted by the innocent little boy. The ability of the filmmakers to shoot a film in such a small space and to avoid explicit depictions of wrongdoing are brilliant. Room, adapted by Emma Donoghue from her novel, goes beyond tabloid news fare by exploring how the roles of fantasy, reality, storytelling, and imagination play in surviving one of the worst things that can happen to a person. This is an inspiring and moving film. Not yet rated, R ■ Language.

Steve Jobs Although most people are familiar with Apple computers—and some aspects of the life of Steve Jobs (played by Michael Fassbender)—this film is a fast-paced and thrilling look at his life from about 1984 to 1998. The film is framed by three overSt A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Michael Fassbender leads an ensemble cast in Steve Jobs, about the iconic and often controversial cofounder of Apple.

Beasts of No Nation Agu (Abraham Attah) lives happily with his refugee family in their unnamed village in an unnamed African country, even though conflict surrounds them. The children have almost nothing, but Agu and his friends find an old TV and try to sell it as “Imagine TV” to get money for food. When someone points the remote at it, the boys drop it and act out a scene. But this is where their happy childhood—such as it is—ends. Fr anciscanMedia.org

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

hyped product launches, ending with the iMac. Steve Jobs is directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle and written by the brilliant Aaron Sorkin who, faithful to his kinetic style, almost never lets Jobs or his faithful assistant, Joanna (Kate Winslet), stand still— or stop talking. Sorkin used Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs, as well as interviews, for his source material. Jobs was not a very nice man in the years that the film covers. Audiences get a good look at his inner demons—especially how he refused to acknowledge his daughter at first or take care of her and her mother. At one point, Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen), who invented the successful Apple II and cofounded Apple with Jobs, tells him, “It’s not binary. You can be decent and gifted at the same time.” The acting in the film is top-notch. Fassbender, Winslet, Rogen, and Jeff Daniels, who plays Apple CEO John Sculley, are all very good. A-3, R ■ Language.

A militia invades, Agu’s family is taken or killed, and he is made to join a guerrilla group headed by “Commandant,” played by Idris Elba. Based on the novel by Uzodinma Iweala, the script is written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The plight of real-life child soldiers is epitomized in Agu’s character, and how physical abuse, sexual abuse, and drugs are used to get them to do horrific things that damage the souls of these children almost beyond repair. Attah’s acting is as superb as it is heartbreaking (he won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival last September). His performance engages our empathy, while his situation raises our awareness of what is happening in the world. This important film was made by Participant Media and Netflix. It received a limited theatrical and on-demand television release as well. Not yet rated ■ Intense violence, implied sexual abuse.

Ghanaian actor Abraham Attah (left) gives an award-winning performance in Beasts of No Nation, costarring Idris Elba.

Catholic Cl assifications A-1 A-2 A-3 L O

General patronage Adults and adolescents Adults Limited adult audience Morally offensive

■

The Catholic News Service Media Review Office gives these ratings. See usccb.org/movies.

■

Find reviews by Sister Rose and others at CatholicMovieReviews.org.

December 2015 ❘

CHANNEL SURFING

WITH CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

UP CLOSE

Tuesdays, 8 p.m., FOX John Stamos has fashioned a lengthy career out of inhabiting characters emotionally wedged between adolescence and adulthood. In Grandfathered, he carries on that character brand, but to mixed results. Stamos plays Jimmy, a 50-something bachelor and restaurant owner seemingly immune to moral behavior who discovers, in a hilarious instant, that he unknowingly fathered a son, Gerald (Josh Peck), 25 years earlier. But the real jolt to Jimmy’s ego is that Gerald, too, is the father to a baby girl. As a proud bachelor suddenly thrust into family life, Jimmy’s carefree days are over. Since the premise of the show centers on a vain and self-absorbed womanizer with a history of bad behavior, sensitive channel surfers might find his backstory and lifestyle choices more than a little troublesome. But the silver lining in this freshman series is the emotional evolution of its main character. Jimmy, like all of us, is a work in progress. His newfound roles as father and grandfather give direction to a morally aimless life. Moments of self-revelation and discovery are abundant. Grandfathered, which too often relies on slapstick that doesn’t work, is still a fresh and funny commentary on the importance of family. Stamos and Peck shine as a father and son trying to find common ground.

Blindspot

JOHN P. FLEENOR/FOX

Mondays, 10 p.m., NBC It’s long been a fact that complex roles for women on television have been lacking—but that tide is turning. From Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) to Taraji P. Henson (Empire) to Claire Danes (Homeland), network television and cable are recognizing women, not only for their depth and talent, but also for their marketability. Jaimie Alexander can include her name on that list. A tautly paced thriller, Blindspot centers on a mysterious woman (Alexander) who is found in Times Square naked and covered in mysterious tattoos. With no memory of who she is or why she’s plagued with this cryptic body art, “Jane Doe” is aided by a team of dedicated FBI agents, led by Kurt Weller (a stoic Sullivan Stapleton). His team, which includes the always-compelling Marianne Jean-Baptiste as his superior, soon realizes that each of Jane’s tattoos is a clue to her past and to the future of national security. The series, which is an impressive blend of writing, performance, and production, addresses themes of identity, loyalty, and the need for human connection. The cast is terrific, but Alexander is the real draw here: haunted by a past she cannot piece together, her character can shift from timid, wide-eyed victim to formidable avenger for justice—sometimes in the blink of an eye. This is one of NBC’s strongest new shows in years.

John Stamos plays a carefree bachelor whose life is turned inside out in the funny, if flawed, Grandfathered. 8 ❘

December 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO BY BARBARA NITKE/NBC

Grandfathered

A glorious portrait in porcelain

An Exclusive Signature Edition Doll

Musical pil blanket an low, d manger included!

Pillow plays “Away in a Manger”

Limited to

95 Firing Days CHOOSE LAYER AND DELETE YELLOW BOX18 inches long. Doll is approximately Doll and accessories are not toys, but ﬁne collectibles.

Exceptional craftsmanship in lifelike doll art Jesus, the Savior is Born is a moving and heartwarming vision of the newborn infant Jesus by award-winning Master Doll Artist Linda Murray. Designated a Signature Edition Doll from The Ashton-Drake Galleries, this doll is crafted to the highest artistic and quality standards known in the doll world today. It is also issued in a limited edition of just 95 ﬁring days worldwide, with each doll’s Certiﬁcate of Authenticity hand-numbered to match the number of the doll.

Handcrafted with luxurious costuming and accessories Life-sized at 18 inches long, baby Jesus is handcrafted of the ﬁnest bisque porcelain with handpainted features, and wisps of soft hair crowned with a halo. He wears a cream-colored gown lavished with golden embroidered trim and is swaddled in a red velvet blanket lined with golden fabric. For a stunning display, a wooden manger lined with hay also includes a musical pillow that softly plays “Away in a Manger.”

9200 North Maryland Ave., Niles, Illinois 60714-1397 PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY

❒YES! Please reserve my Jesus, the Savior is Born Signature Edition Doll as described in this announcement.

Name (please print clearly)

( ) Telephone

Address

Apt. No.

Strictly limited — order now! Jesus, the Savior is Born is yours for $199.99*, payable in six easy installments of $33.33—complete with manger and musical pillow. Do not miss the opportunity to bring Jesus, the Savior is Born into your home. Send no money now. Simply mail the attached coupon today!

Printed in the U.S.A.

03-02115-001-BIR

City

E-mail Address

State

Zip

03-02115-001-D63502

*Plus a total of $21.99 shipping and service charges. Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for shipment after initial payment is received. All orders are subject to acceptance.

CHURCH IN THE NEWS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Synod Addresses Wide Range of Issues

Pope Francis joins participants in prayer to mark the start of one of the sessions of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican October 23. On October 24, the final working day of the Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis was presented with a 94-page report summarizing the results of the three-week synod, reported Catholic News Service (CNS). The report was developed from small group reports, which were then given to a 10-member committee that took the reports and drafted a final text that was then voted on paragraph-by-paragraph. The final report highlighted the role of pastors in helping couples understand Church teaching, grow in faith, and take responsibility for sharing the Gospel. The report also emphasized how “pastoral accompaniment” involves discerning, on a case-by-case basis, the moral culpability of people not fully living up to the Catholic ideal. Certain parts of the report proved more contentious than others. The paragraph dealing with the reception of Communion by divorced and remarried Catholics passed with only 1 0 ❘ December 2015

one vote beyond the necessary twothirds. Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna told the news site Vatican Insider that the synod’s final report proposes that priests help divorced and remarried couples

undergoing conversion and repentance so that they recognize whether or not they are worthy to receive the Eucharist. Such an examination of conscience, he said, is required each time a Catholic prepares to approach the altar. At the beginning of the synod, Pope Francis said Church doctrine on the meaning of marriage as a lifelong bond between one man and one woman open to having children was not up for debate. The final report strongly affirmed that teaching as God’s plan for humanity, as a blessing for the Church, and a benefit to society. While insisting on God’s love for homosexual persons and the obligation to respect their dignity, the report also insisted same-sex unions could not be recognized as marriages and denounced as “totally unacceptable” governments or international organizations making recognition of “‘marriage’ between persons of the same sex.”

Vatican Debunks ‘Tumor Rumor’ An Italian newspaper’s claim that Pope Francis has a benign brain tumor is “entirely unfounded,” says Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, according to CNS. The Quotidiano Nazionale reported in its October 21 issue that an unnamed nurse at a clinic in Pisa told the paper that the pope visited the clinic several months ago and that tests revealed a “small dark spot”—”a small brain tumor.” Father Lombardi told reporters that after checking with both Pope Francis and other sources, he can say that “the pope enjoys good health” and that the unsubstantiated news report was “a serious act of irresponsibility, absolutely unjustifiable, and unspeakable.” The paper said that the specialist following the case was Dr. Takanori Fukushima, a neurosurgeon who teaches at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, and travels to clinics in Japan and Pisa. Dr. Fukushima, however, has denied the reports, saying, “I have never medically examined the pope. These stories are completely false.”

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Pope Francis’ favorability numbers saw an increase following his September visit to the United States, according to a Marist Poll survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus. According to the poll, 90 percent of practicing Catholics now say they view Pope Francis favorably, up from 83 percent in August, one month before his visit. Among all Americans, the pope’s numbers jumped from 58 percent to 74 percent.

In a commentary published in the October 9 issue of the Chicago Sun-Times, Archbishop Blase Cupich called for stricter gun control laws in Illinois. Citing recent tragedies like the October shootings at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, he called the combination of a ready supply of firearms, the glamorization of crime, “a society where life is cheap,” and untreated mental illness “a recipe for tragedy.”

The parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux were among four saints canonized by Pope Francis on October 18—World Mission Sunday. The pope said the new saints—a Spanish religious woman, an Italian priest, and the first married couple with children to be canonized together—“unfailingly served their brothers and sisters with outstanding humility and charity in imitation of the divine master.”

The Vatican opened the “Gift of Mercy,” a homeless shelter for men, this past October. The shelter, which is just a few hundred yards from St. Peter’s Square, offers 34 beds in an openfloor, partitioned dormitory. It was created by and is run with funds from the papal almoner, who has taken a variety of initiatives to assist the homeless people in the area surrounding the Vatican.

Members of a closed parish in the Archdiocese of Boston plan to continue their legal battle to have the church reopened, according to the group’s attorney. The Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini Inc. of Scituate, Massachusetts, have kept an around-the-clock vigil in the church since October 26, 2004. The parish was closed— suppressed, in canon law terms—under the archdiocese’s broad restructuring plan. Archdiocesan officials cited declining attendance, aging priests, and rising maintenance costs as reasons for closing dozens of parishes. In its October 14 ruling, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals issued its judgment agreeing with the archdiocese’s stance that parishioners are trespassing on church property.

Two of the 13 final small-group reports apologized for ways in which a lack of pastoral care may have contributed to the breakdown of marriages and also for “harsh and merciless” attitudes toward unwed mothers and their children, the divorced, and homosexuals. “We must stop continually scolding those who have failed in their first marriage without recognizing that we have some blame in that failure because we did not welcome them,” said the report of Spanish Fr ancisca n Media .org

CNS/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

CNS/BRIAN SNYDER, REUTERS

N E W S B R I E F S N AT I O N A L A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L

US President Barack Obama recently appointed Kevin Ryan, CEO and president of Covenant House International, and Stephen Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America, to his third Advisory Council on FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships. The council focuses on steps the government should take to reduce poverty and inequality and create opportunity for all, including changes in policies, programs, and practices that affect the delivery of services by faith-based and community organizations and the needs of low-income and other underserved people. For more Catholic news, visit AmericanCatholic.org.

Group A, read by Cardinal José Lacunza Maestrojuán of David, Panama. “In the same way, there must be an end to the elitist and narrow-minded attitudes many members of the Christian community have toward them.” Regarding the role of women in the Church, the final report stated that the Church should show “greater recognition of their responsibility in the Church: their participation in decision-making processes, their participation in the governance

of some institutions, and their involvement in the formation of ordained ministers. Other issues addressed during the synod and in the final report, were: the changing role of women in families, the Church and society; single people and their contributions to the family and the Church; the heroic witness of parents who love and care for children with disabilities; the family as a sanctuary protecting the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death; and the D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 1 1

particular strain on family life caused by poverty and by migration.

Planned Parenthood: No More Payments for Fetal Tissue

California Bishops Disappointed by Assisted Suicide Bill

CNS PHOTO/MIKE BLAKE, REUTERS

California’s Catholic Conference expressed disappointment following Governor Jerry Brown’s October 5 actions to legalize assisted suicide in the state, according to CNS. The pub-

Protesters carry signs outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Vista, California, August 3. Planned Parenthood has said it will no longer accept payments for fetal tissue. 1 2 ❘ Dec ember 2015

CNS/MATT MILLS MCKNIGHT, POOL VIA REUTERS

The president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced on October 13 that the organization will no longer accept reimbursement for fetal tissue procured in abortions and provided to researchers, reported CNS. Cecile Richards made the announcement in a letter to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, which is headquartered near Washington, DC. The decision, said Richards, was made “to completely debunk” a series of 11 videos released by the Center for Medical Progress showing physicians and others associated with Planned Parenthood describing the harvesting of fetal tissue and body parts during abortions at their clinics. The videos, which were filmed undercover, also showed discussions about what researchers are charged for the tissue and parts. Richards said the money her organization’s clinics have received for providing fetal tissue was “reimbursement for its reasonable expenses” related to handling the tis-

sue and that receiving such payments is “fully permitted” by law. The National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act, signed in 1993, allows for “reasonable payments associated with the transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control, or storage of human fetal tissue.” The law does not define “reasonable payments” or limit how much can be charged. Pro-life groups contend that Planned Parenthood is violating the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which makes it a federal crime to buy or sell fetal tissue, but allows companies to collect fees related to the handling and processing of the tissue. Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, called Richards’ statement “meaningless” and said it “does not settle any controversy. Nor does it answer any of the questions that the ongoing investigations into Planned Parenthood’s actions have raised.”

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a measure October 5 allowing physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients to hasten their deaths. lic policy arm of the state’s bishops said the law “stands in direct contradiction to providing compassionate, quality care for those facing a terminal illness.” The legislation requires that a patient with a terminal disease must be physically capable of taking medication that would end his or her life. It says that a patient must submit written requests for the medication, that two doctors must approve the requests, and that there must be two witnesses. Brown, a Catholic, said he gave much thought and consulted many people regarding the issue, but, “In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death. I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.” The conference noted that the bill “does nothing to validate the lives of the vulnerable,” and will “adversely affect the poor, as those with resources will always have access to palliative care.” Other states with laws permitting physician-assisted suicide are Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Vermont. A St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

commem m ora at te the po p pe’s visit with this bea eau utiful keepsak ke!

AVA AIL LA ABLE NOW W!

A per e fect gift for everyone on your Christmas list, th his gorgeous hardcover features 128 pages of full-co olor photography and thoughtful coverage of Pope Francis’s first-ever trip to the Un nited States in September 2015.

Order today! y Call 888-322 2-6657 or visit Shop.FranciscanMedia.org ISBN 978-1-63253-054-7 | $19.99

VATICAN PUBLISHING HOUSE

Praying

Luke’s Stories Let this Gospel be your guide as you grow in compassion.

BY JOE MCHUGH

ILLUSTRATION BY SUE TODD; ST. LUKE FROM THE YORCK PROJECT/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ET ME TELL YOU a story about Zacchaeus, the wealthy, heightchallenged tax collector who appears only in Luke’s Gospel. He’s the person, you’ll remember, who climbed the sycamore tree so he could see Jesus and then wound up entertaining him in his home later that day (19:1-10). Legend has it that in his later years, Zacchaeus would disappear at night, only to be found with his arms around that same sycamore tree, hugging it for what seemed like dear life. Hugging it was the way he prayed—and our way, too, I might add—by remembering how and where he first met Jesus, that intimate soul-changing event that gave depth and direction to all the other moments of his life. Taken together, they made up his personal story of salvation. He probably returned to the tree repeatedly to get his bearings when, like us, the disciple’s life turned tough or when he met unexpected detours on the road with Jesus. Hugging that tree was perhaps how he tapped into what we might call the muscle memory of grace, a practice that is part of the Christian’s life of ongoing conversion. During the upcoming liturgical year, the Church invites us to hear and pray Luke’s Gospel when we gather for Sunday worship during what’s called “ordinary time.” It also gives us a chance to remember the people and events and apparent detours that have shaped our own story of discipleship, or, as Luke Fr anciscanMedia.org

describes it, how we travel with Jesus to Jerusalem.

Introducing Luke’s Narrative In the first of Luke’s stories we hear this year (1:1-14), he tells us how he wanted to write a narrative—an orderly account—of the saving events done by Jesus that have given a plotline to the lives of faithful believers and communities since Christianity’s early days. To do this, Luke sifted through what perhaps seemed at first little more than disconnected episodes and sayings from the life of Jesus. The way he crafted his narrative reveals a clear pattern of grace and discipleship that ordered Jesus’ life and that of the community formed by his version of the gospel of Jesus. Praying Luke can help us do the same: to sift through what might at first seem little more than disconnected events and seemingly random meetings with people that, after prayer and reflection, reveal how Jesus has approached us and guided us by grace. It’s our way of hugging the trees that have saved us, and recalling our own gospel, the good news of our being made whole in the communities that bear the name of Jesus. Before taking a closer look at Luke, remember that the different Gospels show us different ways of being a disciple. Matthew, for instance, wrote for a Jewish audience, and so he cast Jesus in the role of the new Moses. His readers recognized the parallels between Moses and Jesus; Matthew’s Jesus is cast in the role of the December 2015 ❘

tal Digi s a Extr

Click here for more on the Gospel of Luke.

JOAN CHITTISTER

NEW

In Two Dogs and a Parrot, Joan Chittister offers both heartwarming stories and thought-provoking reflections about sharing life with an animal companion. The book illuminates the significance of the deep bond between humans and animals and invites us to embrace and celebrate our animal friends. 9781629190068 Cloth 192 pages $18.95

bluebridgebooks.com

16 ❘

December 2015

CNS PHOTO/NARENDRA SHRESTHA, EPA

Hugging the trees that make up our saving story not only takes us to the center of our lives, but also compels us to share that experience with others.

new lawgiver who introduced the new law in the form of beatitudes delivered in the Sermon on the Mount. If Matthew’s Jesus is a lawgiver, then Luke’s Jesus is a lawbreaker, and he is typically recognized as a prophet by those who were considered religious outsiders. It’s almost as if only strangers and outsiders could see Jesus for who he was, while the supposed insiders looked right past him. We might do well to pray Luke’s stories by remembering the decisive times in our own lives when God approached us as a stranger, as someone in disguise, who finally and perhaps even abruptly breaks into those places we’ve fearfully labeled off-limits to God. Luke’s Gospel and the second “orderly narrative” he wrote, the Acts of the Apostles, are both road stories. In the Gospel, the Spirit-filled Jesus makes a calculated decision to take the road to Jerusalem, the city considered the center of the world. In the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus, filled with the Spirit, take the road to Rome, the city thought to lie at the end of the world. What we see in Luke’s geography mirrors what takes place in our hearts. To use our earlier image, hugging the trees that make up our saving story not only takes us to the center of our lives, but also compels us to share that experience with others, especially with those who live, as Pope Francis says,

on the peripheries of our comfortable world. The grace we receive as Christians is completed only as we give it away to others freely, without agenda or condition. The stark directness of Luke’s Gospel can startle us: Jesus pulls no punches in confronting us with the cost of life in God’s reign. But Luke balances this take-no-prisoners approach with equally compelling stories of God’s overwhelming mercy and compassion. More than anywhere else, it’s especially in Luke that we meet the Jesus who prays.

Understanding Leads to Intimacy Praying Luke’s stories requires us to do more than just understand them. Understanding is important, but it’s not the same as praying. Although Zacchaeus understood that he met Jesus at the sycamore, his hugging the tree— his way of praying—was also an act of deep intimacy with the compassionate God he met in Jesus. To help you do the same, let me outline a process—the “PEER Process” —that I hope will help you deepen your experience of God’s intimate comfort and challenge as we pray Luke’s Gospel. PEER stands for Presence, Examination, Engagement, and Response. We’ll use it to pray with the selection from Luke we hear on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Presence: Begin praying by remembering you are in God’s presence in spirit and in the words of the Gospel. God is lovingly present “for me,” as St. Ignatius Loyola took pains to say, a presence that is never abstract or theoretical, judgmental or impersonal. Examination: Make sure you understand what the text says, but don’t stop there. Read it repeatedly and slowly to start getting a sense of what it might mean for you in your life right now. Read the text out loud, a practice that will slow you down and involve you more sensibly in the process of hearing God’s gracious word with the ears of the heart. Engagement: Allow God’s spirit to take you inside the Gospel text, seeing it from the inside out by finding your place of identification in it, always on the lookout for your opportunity for grace. Are there particular words, phrases, or actions that seem to draw you deeply into the story? What is it about them that captures your imagination? Are there other places in the Gospel that seem to push you away rather than draw you in? If so, what might this tell you? Does your place in the story change over time? With whom do you identify? Does this change? Who says what in the story? To whom? Which words speak to your heart, attention, and imagination for reasons you may not fully comprehend? Stay with these words and let the Holy Spirit help you see what they might mean for the way you pray and live your faith. Do the words change during the week? What do you meet in the Gospel that comforts you because of its familiarity, and what do you find in the Gospel that’s new? Think of these as your “continuities” and “discontinuities” of grace. Let other questions come to you so you step more fully into the heart of the Gospel’s saving activity, paying particular attention to the verbs in the text. The longer you pray Luke, the more you’ll find your own points of entry into the text, and your own quesFr anciscanMedia.org

tions will emerge. Be grateful for how your personal story is taken into and shaped by the great saving story of forgiving love at the heart of the Gospel. Response: This is a time for you and God to speak and listen to each other, communicating, as St. Ignatius Loyola says, “as one friend to another.” As friendships deepen, words become less important than the quality of the presence friends share together. Presence is sometimes expressed in words, sometimes only in silence. As our relationship with God deepens, wordless prayer and silent adoration are often the only ways we can pray. Write down the dialogue as it happens and try to capture the quality of the silence you experience with God. Where does it lead you? Can you express the path that might be opening for you, even if only in an image?

Divine Word

Charitable Gift Annuity Rewards you with a fixed income and supports our mission to serve the poorest of God’s people.

In the Synagogue with Jesus Let me suggest Luke 4:14-21 as an example of how to pray with the PEER Process. First, read the text out loud, slowly and prayerfully. Then get up and move to another seat in the room, imagining that, as you do, you’re taking a seat in the hot, dusty synagogue we read about in Luke. Sit there with the others who are also there to pray and remember God’s holy presence, recalling especially the saving events—people, places, seemingly random events, or even lucky breaks—that have shaped and sustained you in your journey with Jesus. Ask the Lord’s help to move back through your spiritual history in an orderly way, perhaps in five-year periods, allowing the pivotal chapter headings of your spiritual narrative to emerge from memory. Write these chapter headings down, and, in the course of the week, slowly and carefully add to these entries, recording detail and nuance to each event as your memories become clearer. Pray by remembering this several times during the week until you have a peaceful sense that God has shown you all you need to see at this time. This kind of remembering when and how God has come to meet and save

CONTACT US 1 - 800 - 461 - 3064 annuity@uscsvd.org www.annuitysvd.org Divine Word Gift Annuity (SVD Funds, Inc.) PO Box 6067 1985 Waukegan Road Techny, IL 60082-6067 December 2015 ❘

PHOTO BY VELYCHKO/INGIMAGE

Writing ourselves into and relecting upon the stories of Luke’s gospel can enhance our understanding of its message and improve our prayer lives.

POETRY

Advent May my tangled soul become as November’s maple, scarlet wrap at her feet. Lead me into winter, where You quicken the still and empty darkness with Your life.

—Joan R. Halpin

Miracle In the land of paradise forgotten where hope shined as its only light, there came a night of gentle darkness when the infant king of love was born.

—Susan L. Taylor 18 ❘

December 2015

us is a form of prayer to which we can return often, each time discovering new reasons for amazement and gratitude. It’s for this reason that we, like the people in the Nazareth synagogue, come together regularly to remember and celebrate God’s ongoing offer of life as individuals and as a holy people. The central prayer of the liturgy, the eucharistic prayer, does the same thing: it recounts God’s saving acts on our behalf. As you sit in the synagogue, listen to the words Jesus reads and allow them to find a place in your imagination. Remember that he speaks no ordinary words, but, rather, gracious words that want to take on flesh, luminous words that save and sustain. What words of comfort does Jesus speak directly into your life right now? How has God’s saving story met and mixed with your own story? If you’re looking for points to guide your prayer, take your lead from the words Jesus reads from Isaiah the prophet: good news for the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to captives. God’s words are gracious because they come with power to bring about hope in our poverty, sight for our blindness, and freedom from our captivity. Remember times when God stuck with you when all your resources ran out, when the possibility of despair loomed much too large and you had

to face the humbling truth that you couldn’t save yourself. How did God act to rescue you from despair and restore hope? It’s in these life-changing moments between frightful selfreliance and graceful trust in God that poverty and Gospel converge. If we change the metaphor, we can also imagine God’s saving presence in our lives when grace healed our blindness, when we started to see the faint outlines of the path we needed to walk. Perhaps there were times when we were held captive by fear or pride or addictions that kept us from the freedom enjoyed by those in God’s reign. Let these moments of your life story emerge from your memory, and simply pray by being thankful for how God has acted to set you free. One of the reasons Christians come together to pray as a community is to celebrate the times when the past seemed irredeemable and the present seemed lacking in possibility. We remember as a community how God is constantly coming from the future to offer us fresh, creative possibilities of being fully alive.

The Road to Jerusalem Sometimes the only way we really start to see the history of our being saved in holy hope is when we look back on our lives and wonder, “How did I ever get through that?” That’s when we find a God who has always been faithful and loving, and came to us with the gifts of creative hope. Simply remember these times in humble gratitude. Pray like this with each of the readings from Luke you hear in the liturgy this year. As you listen and pray, be prepared to be comforted and challenged, yet always strengthened by grace as we travel with Jesus to Jerusalem—the heart of Luke’s world and the symbolic heart of our world, too. A Joe McHugh is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and teacher based in the Twin Cities. He contributes regularly to St. Anthony Messenger and a variety of other publications. His book Startled by God: Wisdom from Unexpected Places is published by Franciscan Media. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

YEAR OF MERCY

❘ BY DALE GAVLAK

‘I Am Living with Saints’ The Corporal Works of Mercy ■ Feed the hungry ■ Give drink to the thirsty ■ Clothe the naked ■ Shelter the homeless ■ Visit the sick ■ Visit the imprisoned ■ Bury the dead

CNS PHOTO/FATHER KHALIL JAAR

The Spiritual Works of Mercy ■ Admonish the sinner ■ Instruct the ignorant ■ Counsel the doubtful ■ Comfort the sorrowful ■ Bear wrongs patiently ■ Forgive all injuries ■ Pray for the living and the dead Sheltering the homeless is part of Father Khalil Jaar’s everyday work. Here he visits with Iraqi Christian refugees, who fled Islamic State attacks, at his church near Amman, Jordan.

Fr ancisca n Media .org

“Pope Francis is very concerned about our situation,” the priest said. “As Christians, this is our moment to be witnesses for love, respect, and to accept each other. “It’s a privilege to assist these people,” Father Jaar continued. “We are living in a very crucial moment in history. Either you go for the good or for the bad.” A

tal Digi as t Ex r

Click here to read an expanded version of this article.

Dale Gavlak covers Jordan and other parts of the Middle East for Catholic News Service.

POPE FRANCIS ON MERCY “Before the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing death in conflict and hunger . . . on a journey of hope, the Gospel calls us to be close to the smallest and to those who have been abandoned.” —Angelus address, St. Peter’s Square, September 6, 2015

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 1 9

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

ather Khalil Jaar chuckled when he saw a child playing dress-up with his parents’ shoes. The child was among the hundreds of Iraqi and Syrian refugee families Father Jaar has served with love and practical help such as food, housing, and educational assistance in Marka, Jordan. For Father Jaar, the daily experience of his church housing Iraqi Christians who fled Islamic State attacks in August 2014 has deeply affected his own spiritual journey. “These people left everything in the world—houses, cars, factories, money—just to remain Christian. What do you call these kinds of people? Saints. “They have become my family,” said the priest who, as a child, was a Palestinian refugee. Earlier this year, Pope Francis had Father Jaar travel to Colombia, Mexico, and San Diego to share stories of the plight of Christians caught in the crosshairs of Mideast conflicts, with a call to stand beside them and provide help.

EDITORIAL

Making Room at the Inn The Holy Family was in need of mercy on Christmas Eve, as are millions today. With all the joy and celebration that accompany Christmas, it’s easy to forget that the first Christmas was a harrowing and, at times, dehumanizing experience for the Holy Family. In Luke 2:7, we find out that Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, “because there was no room for them in the inn.” Perhaps there truly wasn’t a square inch to spare at the inn, but I wonder if the Holy Family, being outsiders to Bethlehem, were rejected in part because they were strangers in an unfamiliar land. If they had been known to the innkeeper, maybe some accommodation would’ve been made. But we know that’s not how the story goes. Matthew’s Gospel describes the Holy Family’s flight from the wrath of King Herod to Egypt, where they stayed until his death. So, not only did the young family face humiliation on a personal level by the innkeeper’s rejection, they also felt a crippling pressure to escape the powers that be. From Syria to tal our own homeland, many families grapple Digi as with the same feelings of pain and anxiety Extr that Mary and Joseph felt over 2,000 years ago. Click here for more on the worldwide refugee crisis and Christmas should be celebrated with hearts full of ways to help. gladness, but our faith also encourages us to remember the plight of the Holy Family—and all those on the periphery.

Migrant Crisis When Pope Francis addressed Congress during his September visit to the United States, he touched on topics ranging from the sanctity of life to the need for political leaders to act on climate change. He also spoke about the difficult situations facing immigrants in both the United States and the world at large. “We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their sto2 0 ❘ Dec ember 2015

ries, trying to respond as best we can to their situation,” he said in his 45-minute speech. “To respond in a way which is always humane, just, and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome.” The numbers to which Pope Francis referred are indeed staggering. An estimated 11.3 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States, the majority from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Living in the shadows of our society, many undocumented immigrants work in dangerous conditions, have subpar access to health care, and struggle to find their place in the rich mosaic of the American society that surrounds them. From the international perspective, the civil war that erupted in Syria in 2011 has resulted in a mass exodus of refugees into Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, as well as parts of Europe. Like the xenophobia that undocumented immigrants face in the United States, the Syrian refugees, now numbering over 4 million, have encountered stiff resistance from the citizens of the countries in which they seek shelter. In Turkey alone, over 2 million refugees reside in camps where essential resources are only thinly provided.

Put Mercy into Action “We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us once were foreigners,” Pope Francis said in his address to Congress. With the Holy Year of Mercy just beginning now, the leader of our Church is calling us to put aside fear and inaction, and instead be actively compassionate. If the Holy Family came knocking at your door looking for shelter, but wore the face of the other—whomever it might be that you feel tempted to turn away—could you muster up the mercy to find a comfortable place for them to rest? Could you put aside whatever stigma we might have attached to them and welcome them in as gracious hosts? This is Pope Francis’ challenge for us. —D.I. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Share a wonderful way for your grandson to carry the power of God’s love forever with a stylish and sophisticated expression of faith. Introducing the “Protection and Strength for My Grandson” Sapphire Pendant—an exclusive jewelry design available only from The Bradford Exchange.

Gleaming Stainless Steel and a Genuine Black Sapphire Crafted of rugged, gleaming stainless steel as strong as your faith, the front of our shield dog tag pendant features a stylized diamond-shaped cross set with a genuine black sapphire at the center. The sides have a black finish which contributes to the contemporary design. Adding to the meaning and value, the pendant is engraved on the reverse side with the sentiment: “My Dear Grandson, May God always protect you and give you strength.” A matching 24" stainless steel chain completes the look.

Cross Set with a Genuine Black Sapphire Crafted in Gleaming, Tough Stainless Steel Finely Engraved on the Reverse Side

Exceptional Craftsmanship... A Remarkable Value A remarkable value at $79*, this dog tag pendant is payable in 4 easy installments of just $19.75, and is backed by our unconditional 120-day guarantee. It arrives in a velvet jewelry pouch and gift box along with a Certificate of Authenticity. Send no money now; just mail the Reservation Application. This limited-time offer is only available from The Bradford Exchange. Order today!

LIMITED-TIME OFFER Reservations will be accepted on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. Respond as soon as possible to reserve your pendant.

RESERVATION APPLICATION

www.bradfordexchange.com/18595

or call 1-866-768-6517

with a gift of ﬁne jewelry from The Bradford Exchange

✁

SEND NO MONEY NOW Signature

9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393

Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)

YES. Please reserve the “Protection and Strength for My

Grandson” Sapphire Pendant for me as described in this announcement, in the quantity checked below.

❑ 1 Pendant ❑ 2 Pendants ❑ 3 Pendants ❑ 4 Pendants ORDER PROMPTLY FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERY! *Plus $8.98 shipping and service. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.

Address City

State

Zip

E-Mail (Optional)

01-18595-001-E10601

My Daughter Broke Baby Jesus! Her near disaster revealed the meaning of Christmas. BY EILEEN HOENIGMAN MEYER

ILLUSTRATION BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

AST YEAR, I WAS DELIGHTED when my 7-year-old daughter, Sylvia, was selected to lead the entrance procession at the children’s Mass on Christmas Eve and place baby Jesus in the manger. She felt honored and special, and I knew she could handle the role; she is full of energy and loves center stage. Honestly, I needed the perk. It had been a hectic month work-wise, and the stress of Christmas preparations had taken a toll. I absorbed some of Sylvia’s enthusiasm and prayed for the reality of Christmas to wash over me. On Christmas Eve, we arrived early to church, which was already abuzz with activity. Sitting with my husband, Greg, and our son, Nico, I felt proud, happy, and at home. As Mass began, I watched Sylvia process in wearing her festive Christmas dress. I was struck by how stoic she seemed. Her hands cradled Jesus’ porcelain head with exaggerated care, and she moved at a pace that made her look mature and utterly devout. When Sylvia placed the babe in the manger, I heard a soft thud—muted perhaps to the rest of the congregation, but thunderous to me. She held herself together until she reached our pew. By the time she got to us, she was inconsolable. “I dropped baby Jesus . . . and his head fell off,” she managed to say between sobs. She

Fr anciscanMedia.org

tried to conceal her weeping, but her sobs came from such a deep place.

A Clean Break From what I could piece together, poor baby Jesus slipped from her hands right before the procession started. It was a clean break, but a crushing one. She figured out that if she held baby Jesus just right, it wasn’t noticeable. When she put him down, though, there was no mistaking that the little savior baby was decapitated. In Sylvia’s estimation, she had done the unpardonable. It was so hard to soothe her. I simply didn’t know what to say, and it was difficult to provide comfort in hushed voices. This was supposed to be the good part of the day. Instead, I felt unsure of how to fix any part of this. Greg, Nico, and I tried to surround her with comfort. I assured her that Jesus could take it, and would never hold it against her. Still, I couldn’t get her head off my lap. She was horrified. I realized the family sitting in front of us had kids who attended the same school as Sylvia. I didn’t know the mom well, but she quickly caught wind of the tragedy. She turned to check on Sylvia and as I whispered and gestured the relevant details, I could see her sharing our feelings of powerlessness. She was so sincere and concerned, and I appreciated her empathy. December 2015 ❘

A Welcome Distraction During the homily, Father Bob called the children to join him around the manger. Kids came in droves while mine stayed tightly tucked under my husband’s and my arms— wrapped in our dilemma. I was worried that Father Bob would notice the broken baby during the homily, and I was struggling to think of a cute line in case he referenced it. However, Click here for more on I wasn’t sure I could muster up Nativity scenes. Click the enough cuteness to get us off button below to hear an the hook. interview about an organiI was trying to exude coolzation devoted to crèches. ness for my kids, but I was nervous and uncomfortable— what if he cracks a joke that makes everyone laugh, but breaks Sylvia’s heart? I knew she was feeling unworthy, and I couldn’t see how we were going to get out of this situation with Sylvia’s confidence and our Christmas spirit intact. Scores of children clambered for a view of the manger around Father Bob. I have seen calmer mosh pits than the red-and-green mob that amassed around our impaired Christ. It became clear that Father Bob had his own chaotic situation under way. The altar was

tal Digi as Extr

decorated with small votive candles in glass holders. As the kids moved, they were accidentally kicking them down. The empathetic mom in front of us turned around each time one went down and triumphantly counted out the number—the subtext of her cheering: “See, this is no big deal. It can happen to anyone!” With each smash and tally, Sylvia perked up a bit. By the time we got to four, Sylvia’s head was off my lap and finally upright. I was so thankful for those glass-crunching children and that wonderful mother who supported us. Moms don’t often cheer when glass breaks, but that mom found a unique way to bring us comfort. I will never forget how her assurance made us feel.

In Search of Forgiveness Sylvia’s spirits were improved, but there was still work to do: she wanted to confess to the pastor. After Mass she said, “I need to tell Father Larry.” It broke my heart because she was so firm about her course of action—she needed forgiveness. I put my arm around her and, by the time we made it to our pastor, both of us were crying for different versions of the same reason.

Can we light a candle for you at the National Shrine of St. Anthony? Fr. Carl lights the candles for your intentions. Each burns for five days, a reminder of St. Anthony’s attention to your prayer. Candles dispel the darkness and offer hope. In lighting a candle, you are asking St. Anthony to intercede with the Lord for your intention. Can we light a candle for you? Visit us at www.stanthony.org. The Franciscan Friars 1615 Vine St., Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492

Visit us at www.stanthony.org 24 ❘

December 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

PHOTO © MONIKA LOZINSKA/ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

I love Father Larry because he is the most dad-like priest I know; and when he saw us, his reaction confirmed what a sight we must have been. He swept us both up at once and enveloped us in his unconditional kindness and acceptance. “What’s wrong?” he asked Sylvia. “I didn’t do a good job bringing up baby Jesus. I broke his head off. I’m so sorry,” she whimpered. “It’s his birthday tomorrow. Everyone is coming to see Jesus and he’s broken— because of me.” “It’s OK,” he softly assured her. He hugged her, let her cry, and promised that everything was OK. I was so engrossed in the exchange between Father Larry and Sylvia that I didn’t see Father Bob approach. He evidently had overheard their conversation, and added his own reassurances. “We have a whole closet full of baby Jesuses,” he chimed in. “We’ll use a different one tomorrow. This happens sometimes.” Sylvia received the forgiveness she needed, and the assurance that she hadn’t done anything wrong or bad. Immediately she turned back into a little girl on Christmas Eve—freed from her shame and sadness.

I realized this is the essence of Christmas. Maybe the way that the grown-ups in my community saw Sylvia is the way God sees us— good, lovable, and endlessly salvageable. Maybe our slippery fingers don’t make us as faulty or as unworthy as we think they do. It seems that this is why Jesus came in the first place, because we are worth saving—every single one of us. A

Author Eileen Hoenigman Meyer, seen here with her son, Nico, and daughter, Sylvia, says her daughter’s unfortunate accident ended up providing a new perspective on the Christmas season.

Eileen Hoenigman Meyer is a freelance writer from Berwyn, Illinois. She is a member of Ascension Church in Oak Park, Illinois.

SAM122015

Fr anciscanMedia.org

December 2015 ❘

AT HOME ON EARTH

❘ BY KYLE KRAMER

Presents or Presence?

the pope at a papal audience, “creation will destroy us!” If creation is this important for our religion and our physical survival, maybe there’s a way in which Christians actually should be materialist. We would just need to redefine the word to mean loving the A Down-to-Earth material: valuing and caring Holiday for the physical world and all During the season, practice its human and non human “creation gratitude.” In a creatures—as God does— journal or in your prayers, rather than outspending the take note every day of Joneses. Such care is actually several ways you are grateour highest calling as human ful for creation. beings, made in the Creator’s image. It is, writes Pope Consider giving gifts that Francis, what Jesus did: he are made of natural prod“lived in full harmony with ucts, harvested sustainably. creation.” We can only love God’s Can you find a local source world in this way, and find for some of the traditional God revealed in it, if we start foods you prepare in your to pay attention to it and see Christmas cooking? it in new ways. How? Much of modern American life is set up to help us ignore creation, which makes it easy to mistreat it. But Christmas calls us to become fully aware of our “common home”—the kind of vision our contemplative tradition calls “presence.” We could cultivate presence, to start, by getting out of our sealed-off houses, offices, and cars. The deeper meaning of Christmas may indeed get lost amid all the presents. But I think it can be found again, just maybe not in presents, but in presence. A

Kyle Kramer is the executive director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Creation is a great and precious gift. Let’s not forget that deeper meaning of Christmas. 2 6 ❘ December 2015

tal Digi as Extr

Click here for ways to honor creation this Christmas. Click the button on the right to hear an interview with Kyle. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

PHOTO © OKSIX/INGIMAGE

’ve met plenty of Christians who are about ready to give up on Christmas. “It’s all about materialism and presents,” they bitterly complain. It’s hard to argue with them when retailers use holiday cheer to pedal their wares from Halloween onward. Many of us stagger over the December 25th gift-giving finish line, exhausted and broke. Even so, I can’t let go of Christmas. Who could, really? I can’t let go because I still believe in the utterly transformative message at the heart of the holiday: in taking on flesh in the baby Jesus, God showed us that the world matters. Matter matters because the material world, in all of its beauty and suffering, is the only place where we can meet and encounter God—at least on this side of the grave. Pope Francis said as much in his new encyclical, “Laudato Si’” (“On Care for Our Common Home”): “The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” The material world also matters because we and all creatures depend on it for our very life. “If we destroy creation,” preached

Finding the Beauty of Your Second Half of Life As a woman matures spiritually, as she grows in wisdom and KROLQHVV VKH LQFUHDVLQJO\ UHÄ²HFWV D UDGLDQW LQQHU EHDXW\ WKDW WRXFKHV RWKHUV LQ FRXQWOHVV ZD\V ,I \RXÅ&#x2013;YH HYHU IHOW QHJDWLYH DERXW WKH RQVHW RI PLGGOH DJH WKLV ERRN FDQ KHOS \RX UHGHÄ±QH \RXU perception of aging. Positive, personal, and practical advice from fellow traveler Lisa Mladinich will inspire and motivate you to thrive in the second half of life. ISBN 978-1-61636-907-1 | $15.99 Order today! Call 888-322-6657 or visit Shop.FranciscanMedia.org

)DLWK Ä±OOHG ERRNV IRU UHDGHUV RI DOO DJHV IURP 6HUYDQW

3HUIHFW 6WRFNLQJ 6WXÄ³HUV for the Kids! The NEW Chime Travelers series from CatholicMom.com founder Lisa M. Hendey $W SDJHV DQG HDFK WKHVH FKDSWHU ERRNV DUH great for young readers in second to fourth grade. ISBN 978-1-61636-847-0

ISBN 978-1-61636-848-7

__________________________________________ From bestselling author Anthony DeStefano â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anthony DeStefano has written a classic story that is full RI ELEOLFDO V\PEROLVP DQG \HW FDQ EH UHDG DV D VLPSOH DQG VZHHW WDOH RI D OLWWOH GRJ WKDWÅ&#x2013;V EHHQ FDVW DVLGH DQG ZDQWV WR Ä±QG D KRPH Å&#x2DC; Å&#x;&DUGLQDO 5HQDWR 5DÄ³DHOH 0DUWLQR Children ages 3-8, $14.99

__________________________________________

ISBN 978-1-61636-928-6

Order today! Call 888-322-6657 or visit Shop.FranciscanMedia.org

SPECIAL REPORT

❘ POPE FRANCIS IN AMERICA

WA S H I NGT O N, DC

First Stop in the Considering he was in our nation’s capital for only two days, Pope Francis certainly covered a lot of ground.

P CNS PHOTOS: PAUL HARING (ADJACENT); BOB ROLELR (ABOVE)

OPE FRANCIS started his visit to the United States with two very full days in the nation’s capital, where he met with politicians, the homeless, bishops, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Along the way, he celebrated the first-ever canonization Mass on US soil.

President Barack Obama and his family greet Pope Francis at Joint Base Andrews in a rare, on-the-spot welcome for a foreign dignitary.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, as well as local bishops and other dignitaries, greeted the pope when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on September 22.

A White House Welcome The official welcoming ceremony at the White House on September 23 was a coveted ticket,

28 ❘

December 2015

with only 11,000 seats available. Local school students, scouts, and education officials counted themselves fortunate to be on the South Lawn to greet the pope. The day before Pope Francis arrived, Karen Cavanaugh, a public health specialist at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), received an e-mail from a friend at the White House with two questions: “Are you Catholic? Would you like to see Pope Francis?” “I shot back my reply—‘yes’ and ‘yes,’” she said. “I so admire Pope Francis. He reminds me of Jesus—washing people’s feet, welcoming the boy from Brazil who wandered onto the platform during a ceremony at the Vatican. He has won over the hearts of people around the world, far beyond the Catholic Church.” When Cavanaugh got to the White House at 5 a.m., she was struck by the scene—“two Missionaries of Charity in their plain, white, cotton robes, standing in the VIP line while Washingtonians in power suits joined the visitors in the general line.” Cavanaugh got a bleacher seat on the South Lawn on the beautiful early fall day without a cloud in the sky. “I could see the whole crowd—men in Sikh turbans next to US military officers in fulldress uniform, old people, and children. After the ceremonial entrance of the president and VIPs, the people in the crowd farthest back started rushing toward the back fence with St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/ JOSHUA ROBERTS

BY ANN AUGHERTON AND CHRISTOPHER GUNTY

United States

great excitement,” she says. “And the last were truly first as these people got the closest view of the pope’s arrival in his small, black Fiat. “When he emerged from the car, the crowd just roared with enthusiasm,” Cavanaugh says. “Behind me, a cluster of Central American women shouted out, ‘Te amamos, Francisco’ [‘We love you, Francis’].” Fr anciscanMedia.org

In his remarks, President Obama acknowledged the role the Catholic Church plays in strengthening America. “From my time working in impoverished neighborhoods with the Catholic Church in Chicago, to my travels as president, I’ve seen firsthand how, every single day, Catholic communities, priests, nuns, laity are feeding the hungry, healing the sick, shel-

Known for his humility, Pope Francis nonetheless receives a grand welcome by the Old Guard fife and drum corps during a ceremony at the White House.

December 2015 ❘

With his first address to the American people, the Holy Father wastes no time diving into the political fray by speaking on climate change, marriage, and immigration.

respect their deepest concerns and the right to religious liberty. “That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions. And as my brothers, the United States bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it,” the pope said.

A Personal Encounter

CNS PHOTOS: PAUL HARING (ABOVE); ALEX BRANDON, POOL (BELOW)

Thousands of enthusiastic onlookers line up to greet Pope Francis, hoping for a glimpse of the pontiff. It is a scene replayed throughout the visit.

30 ❘

December 2015

tering the homeless, educating our children, and fortifying the faith that sustains so many,” he said. The president thanked the pope for his work to bring the United States and Cuba together for a “new beginning,” and for his strong voice reminding the world of the “sacred obligation to protect our planet, God’s magnificent gift to us.” In a reference to the religious freedom of Churches and individuals, Obama said, “You remind us that people are only truly free when they can practice their faith freely. Here in the United States, we cherish religious liberty. It was the basis for so much of what brought us together.” In his remarks—delivered in English—Pope Francis also referenced religious freedom, saying, “Mr. President, together with their fellow citizens, American Catholics are committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive. . . . With countless other people of good will, they are, likewise, concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society

Most of the official papal events were ticketed or closed to the public. It wasn’t until a papal parade along Constitution Avenue was announced in late summer that local Catholics thought they might have a chance to see the pope. Thousands gathered just outside the White House grounds along Constitution Avenue for a glimpse of the pope leaving for his meeting with US bishops at St. Matthew Cathedral. Five-month-old Loukas Chavez was sleeping soundly since his 4 a.m. arrival at the security checkpoint with his mother, Iris, 25, his father, Rigoberto, 28, and his sister, Emily, 2. For the few evenings leading up to the papal visit, Iris worked on turning an apron into a tilma for Loukas to wear to see the pope. The emblazoned image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the colorful flowers she attached spoke volumes about the Hispanic family’s dedication to their faith. “We’d been praying for the pope and for the trip,” Iris said. She even told her pastor at All Saints Church in Manassas, Virginia, that she wanted to take Loukas to see the pope in the hopes that he might bless him. Gathered behind the barricades just across from the Washington Monument, Iris found mutual friends from Cursillo and her parish. Just after 11 a.m., the crowd heard the pope was approaching. Iris tried to wake Loukas, but he wouldn’t rouse until he heard the roar of the motorcade motorcycles. Iris was afraid he would start to cry, but he didn’t, and she held him up high so he could see. Rigoberto, with Emily on his shoulders, had stepped back a few yards and when he saw the popemobile stop in front of his family, he told Iris later that his heart stopped. A Vatican security guard came over and a family friend handed Loukas—tilma-clad, with pacifier in place—over. As her baby brother was on his way to the popemobile, where Pope Francis leaned over, kissed, and blessed him, Emily shouted, “Loukas! Loukas!” ”Everyone around us [was] bawling their St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

eyes out,” Iris said. For the next 40 minutes, people kept trying to hug or touch him; and many took photos of him and with him. “There were so many people there, and to see that it was your child, what a beautiful experience,” she said. “He’s got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Sometimes we think this doesn’t happen to just normal people, but it does happen. God sends his little blessings here and there, and this is one where we just happened to be at the right time. The only way we can top it is heaven.”

Midday Prayer

A Canonization First Prior to the canonization Mass for Franciscan friar Junipero Serra, the pope blessed the seminarians, novices, and others gathered in the shrine to watch the outdoor Mass via screens inside. He also stopped to pray in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

(Below left) Pope Francis greets the 300-plus bishops gathered in St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral. (Below) Crowds pray beneath a banner of St. Junipero Serra over the main entrance of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, during Serra’s canonization Mass.

CNS PHOTOS: PAUL HARING (ADJACENT); AKASH GHAI (FAR RIGHT)

The pope’s next stop was for midday prayer with the nation’s bishops at St. Matthew Cathedral. As those gathered waited inside the church, the sound of helicopters overhead punched through, heralding the approach of the motorcade. Eyes inside the church were trained on TV monitors showing the view out the front doors. A few minutes later, motorcycles roared past, followed by a batch of police SUVs, and then a few more intimidating black Secret Service SUVs. Shouts of “Papa Francisco” rang out. Then the small, black Fiat bearing the pope appeared. The congregation inside the church chuckled at the humble vehicle the pope chose, hinting that this might be a different kind of papal visit from those of his predecessors. Speaking in Italian, with simultaneous translation available, Pope Francis thanked God “for the power of the Gospel which has brought about remarkable growth of Christ’s Church in these lands and enabled its generous contribution, past and present, to American

society and to the world.” The pope acknowledged the tragedy of sexual abuse within ministry, which has been a lightning rod for criticism of the Church and has prompted changes in Church policies and training since the crisis erupted in 2002. He said he was conscious of the courage with which the bishops faced the crisis, noting that they have not been afraid “to divest whatever is unessential in order to regain the authority and trust which is demanded of ministers of Christ and rightly expected by the faithful. “I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims—in the knowledge that in healing we, too, are healed—and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated.” The bishops responded with extended applause. Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said he was affirmed by the pope, who came “to be a pastor to the bishops. . . . What I hope we will take away from this is his own spirituality and strength as a shepherd, his love and compassion.” Back in his Fiat, Pope Francis waved to the bishops gathered on the cathedral’s front steps as he headed to his afternoon stop at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in northeast Washington.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

December 2015 ❘

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Francis celebrates the Mass of canonization for Junipero Serra, the first saint to be canonized on US soil.

Outside, more than 25,000 people gathered on the shrine grounds adjacent to The Catholic University of America. In his homily, Pope Francis spoke in Spanish about Serra, the Spanish missionary who founded many of the California missions. “He was the embodiment of ‘a Church which goes forth,’” the pope said. “Mission is never the fruit of a perfectly planned program or a well-organized manual. Mission is always the fruit of a life which knows what it is to be found and healed, encountered and forgiven.” The pope warned against allowing our hearts to grow numb, and urged the faithful to “make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives.” Repeating Father Serra’s motto, he said, “Keep moving forward.” After Mass, Luis and Maria Elena Colom, of Daly City, California, noted that they and “220 brothers and sisters” from the San Francisco area had made the trek to attend the canonization. The Bay Area group arrived the

night before the Mass and walked about two hours to get to the site. Acknowledging concerns about Father Serra’s treatment of Native Americans, Luis Colom said that, despite the controversy, “the work he did with the missions brought the faith to that part of the country. He brought the fruit that we have today.”

A Historic Visit At the US Capitol on September 24, Pope Francis made the first-ever speech by a pope to a joint meeting of Congress. The pope likened the legislators’ mission to a vocation. “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. . . . Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called, and convened by those who elected you,” he said. The pope framed his words to Congress around four Americans who espoused the spirit

32 ❘

December 2015

CNS PHOTO/MATTHEW BARRICK

Flanked by political and Church leaders, (l to r) Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz; Vice President Joe Biden; Senate leaders Harry Reid (obscured) and Mitch McConnell; House leaders Kevin McCarthy, John Boehner, and Nancy Pelosi; and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Pope Francis greets people on the US Capitol lawn.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

A Shepherd amid His Sheep Pope Francis spoke to the homeless at St. Patrick in the City Parish that afternoon, likening them to St. Joseph. “I can imagine Joseph, with his wife about to have a child, with no shelter, no home, no place to stay,” he said. “The Son of God knew what it was to start life without a roof over his head. Thanks to faith, Joseph was able to press forward when everything seemed to be holding him back.” The pope encouraged those gathered to unite in prayer as brothers and sisters. “In prayer, there are no rich and poor people; there are sons and daughters, sisters and brothers.” He was scheduled to eat at the shelter with the Catholic Charities clients, but chose instead to spend that time greeting people individually. The pope made an unannounced visit to

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

that by hard work and sacrifice, we can build a better future. He spoke at length about President Abraham Lincoln; civil-rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; Servant of God Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement; and Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and contemplative mystic. “A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did; when it fosters a culture which enables people to ‘dream’ of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work; the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton,” he said.

the Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Res- Pope Francis hugs a young idence for the elderly poor, where he met with girl during his visit to 45 sisters, including 102-year-old Colombian St. Maria’s Meals, run by Sister Marie Mathilde, who spoke to the Holy Catholic Charities. The visit meant declining an Father in Spanish. Throughout his stops in Washington, the invitation to dine with pope repeatedly asked people to pray for him. politicians. Disarming to some at first, the request harkened back to the first words he uttered March 13, 2013, on the balcony at St. Peter’s just after being elected pope. Cavanaugh, the USAID employee, said, “The great thing Click here for more tal Digi as about Francis’ visit was how on Pope Francis Extr authentic it was: on his terms, in Washington, DC. in the manner of the Jewish carpenter who rode into town on a donkey.” A Ann Augherton is the managing editor of the Arlington Catholic Herald. Christopher Gunty is the CEO at Cathedral Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

During his historic address to a joint meeting of Congress, Pope Francis offers Americans Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton as inspiring examples.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

December 2015 ❘

SPECIAL REPORT

❘ POPE FRANCIS IN AMERICA

Up Close with the

Pope in New York The Big Apple’s faithful embraced Pope Francis with joy and energy. Here’s a New Yorker’s firsthand experience.

M CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

OST OF US who were fortunate to see Pope Francis during his visit to the United States in September caught only a glimpse of his white zucchetto through a forest of upstretched arms topped with cell phones. Yet, somehow, the encounter was intensely personal. As the New York correspondent for Catholic News Service, I covered the exquisite minutiae, anticipation, and speculation of the pre-visit

The pope reminds us to reach beyond the familiar, as he does with this woman who catches his attention at St. Patrick’s Cathedral September 24.

34 ❘

December 2015

preparations and then landed serendipitously inside three of the venues. It was an amazing whirlwind, enriched by the stories of individuals who invested considerable time and energy in their participation. For me, the enduring takeaway was the palpable sense of community and shared faith generated by

thousands of people coming together intentionally for the events. It was a public antidote to the increasingly quiet and sometimes invisible practice of Catholicism in these parts. And because this was New York, there was no shortage of drama, diversity, irony, and just plain head-scratching.

‘On Cloud Nine’ at St. Patrick’s Among some 2,500 worshipers, the pope’s vespers service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral included priests, religious, archdiocesan employees, and donors to the cathedral’s $140 million restoration campaign. Security was tight and the line moved smoothly across blocks closed for the event. People came in groups and greeted one another easily. At one point, I got a hint of Judgment Day, when ticket holders were directed left or right on a deserted Madison Avenue, depending on the color of their billet. One of the happiest people in the congregation was Maryknoll Sister Noel Devine. She uses a wheelchair and can't speak because she has primary lateral sclerosis, a rare disease affecting the movement of her arms, legs, and face. But her spirit and her determination are entirely unfettered. Sister Noel didn’t have a ticket for the event, but was confident she would see the pope. Her friends launched a Facebook campaign that garnered more than 100,000 “likes” and she scored tickets for herself and her Maryknoll nurse companion, Sister Bernadette Cordis Duggan. When I caught up with them, Sister Noel was positioned in a can’t-miss line of hopeful St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/RICHARD DREW, POOL

BY BETH GRIFFIN

Fr anciscanMedia.org

(Above) Flanked by secret service and against the backdrop of a sea of police sirens, Pope Francis waves to an adoring crowd on Fifth Avenue. (Left) “Joy springs from a grateful heart,” the Holy Father says during vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. That joy radiates on the faces of the pope and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. CNS PHOTO/CHAD RACHMAN, POOL

people near a main intersection in the transept. She was grinning brightly and wearing a sign around her neck inviting the pope to hug her. For good measure, she had rendered the request in both Spanish and Italian. Sister Noel used an electronic tablet to tell me she was already on “cloud nine” before vespers and was leaving it up to the Lord and the pope to determine if she would get her wish. On his first swing past Sister Noel's section, the pontiff stopped to speak to a young woman sitting near her. In his homily, Pope Francis lauded women religious, to enthusiastic applause. Then, on his way out of the cathedral, he came back to deliver the papal hug. Mission accomplished! Deacon Jerry Mathew was a happy seminarian among a sea of people mostly in dark clothing. He’s a fourth-year student at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York. He wore the bright white cassock of his SyroMalankara Catholic Exarchate and took up a position in the last pew. A classmate called

December 2015 ❘

out, “Papa! Papa!” during the processional, and, when Pope Francis turned in their direction, the white garment seemed to catch his attention. “He looked at us with that wonderful smile and we kind of melted. It’s one of those moments in your life you know you’ll remember,” Deacon Mathew said. Who knew there would be a warm-up for the main event? While the congregants waited several hours for the pope’s arrival, St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir and Orchestra performed a soaring prelude; Matt Lauer of NBC’s Today Show and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre offered lighthearted reflections; and a deacon led the recitation of the rosary as the papal motorcade came down Fifth Avenue. The extensive renovation of the cathedral did not include installing public restrooms, which probably helped account for the dearth of discarded Poland Spring bottles typically seen at screening points. Cardinal Timothy Dolan later reported taking Pope Francis to the residence behind the cathedral for a quick break after the service. Cardinal Dolan said the pope asked him, “You mean this beautiful cathedral doesn’t have a bathroom? Was it built for angels or human beings?”

21,572 Holy Steps in New York Millions of people were glued to their screens, watching the pope’s every move, but he was one of 170 world leaders expected at the United Nations for the 70th session of the General Assembly. Accordingly, the East Side of Manhattan was locked down, streets were blocked

with barricades staffed by police officers, and every black SUV in six states had been coopted to deliver high-level VIPs and their retinues from hotels and diplomatic missions. Fitness wannabes like me who wear pedometers aim for 10,000-12,000 steps a day to justify ice cream consumption. The pope’s only full day in New York was a 21,572-step day. The UN media schedule for the day listed

At the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Virgil quotation on the wall reads, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” The pope’s prayerful pause speaks to this sentiment.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

36 ❘

December 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

The pope tells members that he prays the United Nations’ service will be respectful of diversity and able to bring out the best in each individual.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

the pope’s address as a line item, without fanfare. The scrum of journalists trying to clear UN security before dawn was only nominally interested in the pontiff. Each team was hoping to get the best coverage of its countryman, which seemed to require jostling, sprinting, pleading, sweet-talking, and elbow-throwing. With persistence, smiles, and considerable intervention by the communion of saints, I

won one of a handful of seats reserved for print media in the General Assembly balcony. Of course, Pope Francis got an enthusiastic welcome. By my count, his address was interrupted by applause more than 25 times. To be sure, some of it was more polite than overwhelming, but his direct audience of delegates and world leaders was attentive, as were the swarms in the balcony. The entire assembly

CNS PHOTO/ERIC THAYER, POOL

Pope Francis arrives at Our Lady Queen of Angels School in the East Harlem neighborhood in New York. The school serves a large immigrant population.

Fr anciscanMedia.org

December 2015 ❘

gave him a sustained standing ovation when he finished. When he left the building, the cheer that rose from the esplanade and the street could be heard over the next group of speakers inside. I’m glad it really wasn’t business as usual at the United Nations!

Only in New York

CNS PHOTO/SMIKE CRUPI

It was billed as a “simple weekday Mass,” but the papal liturgy at Madison Square Garden was an epic event, from my vantage. For starters, the preparations entailed the kind of math some of us probably haven’t used since we struggled through calculus. They were overlaid with a familiar commitment to justice and fairness. And then they ran into the 21stcentury requirement to catalogue each nasal hair of every one of the more than 20,000 participants security-wanded at a single entrance to the huge arena. The feat was an act of faith from start to finish, demonstrated loudly and in whispered tones. Cardinal Dolan and the visit organizers determined the furnishings for the Mass should be simple and represent Pope Francis’ concern for people at the margins. The Don Bosco Workers Mission in Port Chester, New York, organized a small group of Hispanic day laborers to construct a simple presider’s chair in the borrowed garage of a friendly union hall. Women associated with the workers’ just-wage movement embroidered all the altar linens. At the same time, teens placed by family courts at the Catholic Charities-affiliated Lincoln Hall Boys’ Haven in Lincolndale, New York,

built the altar and ambo. The professional and volunteer carpenters at each location told me they stretched themselves to make a unique contribution to the pope’s visit. There are 2.6 million registered Catholics in the Archdiocese of New York. Obviously, people in neighboring dioceses and other parts of the state were interested in the pope’s visit, too. Madison Square Garden accommodates maybe 22,000 people. The archdiocese distributed some of the tickets through its 296 parishes, based on average Sunday Mass attendance. Parishes were free to determine how to use the tickets, which ranged from a perparish low of 10 to a high greater than 50. Some selected parish leaders and volunteers, but many used clever lotteries and raffles to be transparent and fair and offer the seats to as many parishioners as possible. Ticketholders were advised to arrive during a 90-minute afternoon window, find their seats, get a snack, go to Confession, and enjoy the pre-Mass program of entertainment and song. Instead, most waited for hours in a line that snaked around and through surrounding blocks to a single entrance. I walked almost a full mile away from the entrance to reach the end of the line, passing priests, religious, colleagues, and fellow parishioners—all at a standstill. New Yorkers are a notoriously impatient bunch, so I was impressed that the complaints I heard were more grousing than full-throated for the most part. As passers-by asked what we were waiting for—some shook their heads with certainty that we would never get to our

Renowned performers Gloria Estefan (top) and Jennifer Hudson (above) have no trouble holding people’s attention before Mass at Madison Square Garden September 25.

38 ❘

December 2015

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

(Right) “God frees us from anonymity, a life of emptiness, and brings us to the school of encounter,” the pope preaches at the Mass at Madison Square Garden.

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

destination—I felt an unaccustomed pride. It was a little like Ash Wednesday and reminded me how rare it is that we identify ourselves as Catholics in the Gotham marketplace. Millions of us share the faith, but we express it in such different ways. The differences and similarities were on display in the interminable line. Each person who sought a ticket had a specific reason or need to be with the pope. A young man behind me was getting anxious as we stood unmoving. I briefly considered taking a place farther back in the line to escape what I imagined would be hours of clenchedjaw interaction between a reluctant participant and his mother. Instead, I asked what brought him to the event. I kicked myself silently when he said applying for the tickets was his idea, and he figured his mother would like to come. Moreover, he was marking his fourth anniversary of being drug-free and looked to Pope Francis for the hope he needed to “keep on going.” Another man in line with his mother described himself with a smile as an anchor baby, whose birth enabled his parents to reenter the United States legally after they were deported in the 1970s. A mother and daughter from Manhattan celebrated the pope’s ability to promote openness, forgiveness, and joy within the Church “without changing anything major.” While people inside Madison Square Garden bought tasteful licensed merchandise and were entertained by A-list musicians, we on the street had the only-in-New York experience: • A man in a white pope costume, complete with miter, pedaled a hooded passenger cab up Eighth Avenue, waving a blessing as he passed. • Merchants sold unauthorized T-shirts and religious goods to the captive audience. At one point, a tall man whose arms were lined with rosaries saw a group of alb-toting priests being escorted to the Mass venue by a police officer. The salesman shouted over our heads to the hurrying concelebrants, “What ’hood you all from?” • A Scripture-quoting speaker with a milk crate and sandwich-board sign explained we were damning our immortal souls by queuing to see the man he described as the Antichrist. • A Conventual Franciscan stepped out of line and prayed quietly with a man who had a disability. • At a different spot, a theology pro-

fessor from a local seminary warned potential line-breakers of the consequences of their anticipated sin. Finally inside the building, at the screening area, the same woman who examined me on the way into St. Patrick’s the day before checked the same tote bag with a tired smile and a little less enthusiasm. A high school principal hearing confessions near the willcall ticket window told me the overwhelming sentiment of reconciliation seekers was that Pope Francis makes them feel that they belong and God accepts them the way they are. I got to my seat just as the opening notes of the processional swelled. Again I saw the pope in the distance, through a sea of cell phones and tablets. There was no time to ask the people around me for their stories, although I would have loved the rationale for the hot dogs, nachos, and jumbo sodas squeezed past me as the pontiff headed to the sacristy. But after kicking my shin in the line outside, I tried to cast a Francis-inspired nonjudgmental eye and focus instead on the communal, intentional, and faith-filled celebration. Click here for more on It was a joyful Mass and Pope Francis in New York. a terrific witness to the vibrancy of the faith in our multicultural metropolis. The pope was inspiring, challenging, and targeted; the liturgical furniture was just right; Catholics actually sang the hymns; and Communion was distributed with timely reverence. From where I sat, everything went smoothly. A

tal Digi as Extr

Beth Griffin, the New York correspondent for Catholic News Service (CNS), is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Rye, New York. She was among the CNS staff who contributed to Love Is Our Mission: Pope Francis in America, the official commemorative edition of the papal visit.

So that his work might continue...

Fr anciscanMedia.org

Please remember

FRANCISCAN MEDIA in your estate plans

Our legal title is: Franciscan Media LLC 28 W. Liberty Street ■ Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 For more information, call: 1-800-488-0488 December 2015 ❘

SPECIAL REPORT

❘ POPE FRANCIS IN AMERICA

Pope Francis in Philly Strengthening Family Ties In families, says the pope, “love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows.” His visit to Philadelphia brought families center stage. BY PETER FEUERHERD

40 ❘

December 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/LAURENCE KESTERSON, POOL

Of the hundreds gathered outside the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, many are pilgrims who have camped out on the sidewalk overnight.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

FTER HIS US TOUR, Pope Francis described the reaction that his visit generated in Washington as friendly, yet diplomatically formal. The reaction in New York City he described as exuberant. Philadelphia, by contrast, put everything on hold for the pope for his two-day weekend visit September 26 and 27. The pope came to Philadelphia as the culmination of the World Meeting of Families, a Vatican-sponsored event that is rotated to various world cities. Original plans for an open-air, massive public Mass, with a comeone, come-all invitation to the world, were expected to attract two million visitors. Residents were warned to take the weekend away. Philadelphia readied for an extravaganza that for its sheer weight would surely paralyze the city. Yet security concerns modified that expectation. Events became ticketed. Visitors were warned they would have to walk miles to reach destinations. Fears, however, proved to be overblown. The official count for the Sunday Mass on the city’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which stretches from City Hall two miles to the city’s art museum—made more famous by the movie Rocky—was 850,000 visitors. Still, the way people were packed in, it was hard to imagine the city could have contained much more. In fact, thousands were turned away as security checkpoints became overwhelmed. True to his humble reputation, the pontiff Fr anciscanMedia.org

ended the Mass with a simple injunction: “I ask your prayers for me, don’t forget.”

Pilgrims Come from Afar Visitors came from all over. An educator from Indiana drove 12 hours and slept under a tree to be sure to get a spot. One man from Washington state claimed to have hitchhiked across the country. A family from the pope’s native Argentina spent 20 days driving 13,000 miles to reach Philadelphia. They were rewarded with a private papal audience. The locals were also out in force. Philadelphians were anxious to meet a pope who projected a new vision, tied to the basic Gospel message. “His presence brings us closer to Jesus,” said Donna Conway of Philadelphia, describing why she showed up for the papal public events. Her friend, Carol Waskiewicz, also of Philadelphia, said Francis’ humility was a big drawing card. “There’s nothing preachy about it,” she said of the pope’s speaking style. “He doesn’t preach simply that you’ve got to go to church. He preaches the Gospel.” John McDevitt of Parlin, New Jersey, a Knights of Columbus volunteer for the papal Mass, noted, “Every word he says rings true.” He said he admired Francis’ brave efforts to converse in English, a process which markedly improved as the trip continued, but was initially a cause for anxiety among planners who wondered how the Argentinian would connect with English-speaking Americans. “What hits

(Opposite) Pope Francis offers a blessing for a young boy as his parents present the offertory gifts during Mass with representatives from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

December 2015 ❘

CNS PHOTOS/PAUL HARING

(Above) Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, a Franciscan, speaks to the crowd during the visit of Pope Francis to Independence Hall. It was he who formally invited Pope Francis to visit the United States. (Above right) Pope Francis gives his address from the same lectern used by President Abraham Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address.

Click the button above to hear an interview with author Heidi Bratton on strengthening Catholic families.

me is when he asks people to pray for him,” said McDevitt.

‘What about You?’ It wasn’t just the expressions of humility that punctuated the Philadelphia portion of this American pilgrimage. Pope Francis had some serious issues to attend to, and that he did. During a homily at Mass on Saturday morning at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, the pope praised American sisters and challenged all Catholics to follow the example of St. Katharine Drexel, the Philadelphia heiress who ministered to the poor of all races in the 19th century and into the 20th. “Every man and woman, by virtue of Baptism, has received a mission,” said Francis. The mission of St. Katharine Drexel began after she met Pope Leo XIII who asked her, during an audience in Rome, to answer the question, “What about you?” Answering that question inspired her work as a missionary in the new American nation. Speaking in Spanish, the pope continued a litany of “y tu?” (“and you?”), citing the need to challenge Catholic youth, in particular, to live the Gospel by embracing the poor and serving those on the peripheries of society, a regular theme of the pope.

Invoking America’s History Center City became a Catholic festival, complete with sales of pope dolls and other memorabilia. Traffic in the city came to a complete halt as the pope’s motorcade moved toward his first large-scale event, a speech at historic 42 ❘

December 2015

Independence Hall, the birthplace of the nation, to address the themes of religious liberty and immigration. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia set the stage for the pope, telling the 40,000 gathered that the Church is often criticized by a wide swath of the culture. When it speaks on the right to life, he said, it is “attacked for being too harsh.” When it speaks on behalf of immigrant rights, “it is attacked for being too soft.” Other speakers focused on issues associated with this pope, including a plea by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter for respect for gays, and others endorsing Francis’ views on the need to address climate change. The pope’s address emphasized the welcoming face of the Church to the wider world, mixing in bits of American heritage with his message of inclusion and the need for religious liberty. He embraced the American principle of religious freedom, citing its roots in the life of William Penn, the Quaker founder of Philadelphia. Speaking from the lectern used at Gettysburg by Abraham Lincoln, one of four American heroes the pope cited in his address to the US Congress, Francis acknowledged the labor movement, the long struggle to fight the ills of racism, and other efforts to honor the belief that all people are created equal. The pope called for a healthy pluralism that respects religious differences and encourages the voice of faith in the public square. Exercising religious freedom is not an insular activity; it should transform society, he said. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

Confronting Failures The next day, in a series of events, Francis took on another contentious issue: the sexabuse crisis in the Catholic Church, which scarred the Archdiocese of Philadelphia perhaps more than any other—it’s debatable. While in Washington, the pope had congratulated the US bishops for acting with decisiveness on the issue and implementing reforms. But the remarks created a bitter pushback among survivor groups. They said that the pope was ignoring their continued anguish, while offering encouraging words to those they say were responsible. Here in Philadelphia, in a private meeting, away from the glare of media lights, the pope met with abuse survivors, three men and two women. A public statement issued immediately after it ended left the clear impression that Francis was sending a message to bishops that the failures of the past could never be repeated and that old wrongs still needed to be addressed. “We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,” the pope said. “The sins and crimes of sexual abuse must no longer be held in secret and in shame.”

A Broad Reach In other events, the pope’s whirlwind tour included a visit to seminarians and, as part of a trio of actions symbolizing outreach to those on the peripheries in each of the cities he visFr anciscanMedia.org

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

“It is imperative that the various religions join their voices in calling for peace, tolerance, and respect for the dignity and rights of others,” he said. The Independence Hall event coupled its focus on religious freedom with a celebration of immigration, as the pope blessed the Encuentro cross, a symbol of a national assembly of Latino Catholics. Encuentro, Spanish for “encounter,” is a key theme of his papacy. Francis, the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, raised his voice and looked out from his prepared text as he told the large crowd that “everyone is called to be distinctive” and that immigrants should be encouraged to offer their gifts to the wider American culture, a concept that once was considered a given in American life, but is now developing into a contentious 2016 presidential campaign issue. “You should never be ashamed of your traditions,” he told everyone. They were words that resonated for Latino Catholics.

ited, he spoke with prisoners at Curran- The pope offers inmates at Fromhold Correctional Facility in the city. the Curran-Fromhold There he spoke from a chair that had been Correctional Facility more constructed by inmates in his honor. He also than a handshake. He found time to make an unscheduled visit to promises solidarity: “I am Saint Joseph’s University, an institution here as a pastor, but above all as a brother, to founded by his Jesuit community. Still, while the pope tackled the heavy issues, share your situation and perhaps the long-lasting memory of the to make it my own.” Philadelphia visit will be his blunt, earthy language, his humility, and unscripted moments of tenderness. The 78-year-old seemed a bit weary and walked with a limp on Saturday, which a Vatican spokesman attributed to a case of sciatica, for which he had difficulty receiving therapy during this trip. Yet Francis seemed reenergized as he attended the massive finale to the Festival of Families held on the parkway on Saturday evening. It was a both high and popular culture extravaganza, including country music, the strutting “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, the Colombian pop star Juana, and Jim Gaffigan, a Catholic comedian. The event was hosted by actor Mark Wahlberg, who readily acknowledged that his Click here for more on Pope tal Digi as résumé of movie roles and perFrancis in Philadelphia. Extr sonal issues were not the usual route for leading such an occasion. But the hit of the evening was 14-year-old Bobby Hill, a member of Keystone State Boychoir, asked to sing on-thespot with an a cappella operatic piece which stunned the crowd. Hill generated cheers everywhere he walked that weekend, becoming an instant celebrity. December 2015 ❘

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

The Philadelphia Orchestra provides backing for world-famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, as he sings “Our Father” in the presence of Pope Francis.

Embracing Families On Sunday, Francis continued his Philly tour, mixing weighty philosophical concepts and complicated themes of globalization and family life via earthy metaphors. In a talk to seminarians, he noted that “Christians are not immune to the changes of their times.” The Church’s view of family life, and that of the wider society, are not the same. Yet he cautioned against a fortress mentality

CNS PHOTO/LISA JOHNSTON

Doug Bauman awaits the arrival of Pope Francis for the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families. The father of three has come from Indianapolis with his family to join the pope in praying for all families.

44 ❘

December 2015

that argues that all change is negative and that people are not as faithful as they used to be. Taking a wide concept like economic globalization and its impact on family life, he suggested the analogy of the neighborhood store versus the large supermarket. “There is a personal bond between the shopkeeper and his customers,” even if the local store may have limited quantity and quality of goods. By contrast, in today’s globalized economy, “the world has become one of the great shopping centers. . . . Today consumerism determines what is important.” Catholicism must compete more effectively, was his point. Mixing his belief in traditional family structures with a harsh critique of capitalism, he said that contemporary society engenders a fear of commitment, a reluctance to share marriage. The pope said families are faced with “a culture that discards everything” in which the elite are content to offer crumbs from their table to the poor and those left out of the global economy. He described a “radical loneliness” among the young, who attempt to assuage their anxiety via social media. There is, he said, a widespread “loneliness with fear of commitment.” The vision of a pious, restrained family existence was not the one shared by this Latino pope, of Italian heritage. Family life can be contentious and can include the throwing of plates and arguments with in-laws, he quipped, but no one should go to sleep without healing St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o r g

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

the wounds of the family, he said. alike, bypassing bureaucracy, official and inner In his homily at the closing Mass, Pope Francis Francis repeated this theme in his Sunday circles.” Mass homily: “Holiness is always tied to little A healthy Church is not focused on struc- describes families as “the gestures,” he said, and Jesus “invites us not tures and buildings, but rather on preaching right place for faith to to hold back these little miracles.” These ges- and living the Gospel by reaching out to the become life, and life to tures are “the quiet things done by mothers poor and marginalized, the pope emphasized. become faith.” and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers, “God wants all of his children to take part and by children. They are little signs of ten- in the feast of the Gospel,” he proclaimed. derness, affection, and compassion. Like the Those who came, as they exited the Benwarm supper we look forward to at night, the jamin Franklin Parkway into the Philadelphia early lunch awaiting someone who gets up night, frequently said they were transformed. early for work.” While he asked for prayers in his difficult In the end, small gestures of kindness over- transformative work of evangelizing, Pope whelmed fears about the Philadelphia trip. Francis clearly had answered many PhiladelThere were thorny security issues as parts of phians’ prayers. A the city were transformed by airport-terminal-like security lines, leaving thousands unable Peter Feuerherd writes from Queens, New York, where he is a professor of communications and journalism at St. John’s to reach the sites after waiting in long lines. Yet those who made it—and it would be University. hard to envision the parkway being more crowded at the height of the SunSecular Institute of the Missionaries of the Kingship of day Mass—heard the gospel of inclusion that has made Francis such a Christ…living consecrated life in the Secular World! transformative figure.

Answered Prayers Speaking to the Gospel reading of the day from Mark, in which Jesus’ disciples complain about those working in Jesus’ name without formal permission, Francis said the Church should avoid the “temptation to be scandalized by the freedom of God, who sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Fr anciscanMedia.org

Franciscan Spirituality… serving God and others. Contact Us: Vocations Director, www.simkc.org December 2015 ❘

Cousin’s Keeper Rudy was king of the hill. FICTION BY BARBARA TYLLA

ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT ZAWADA

y cousin Rudy is the bravest man I know. He doesn’t look brave. He’s a skinny little guy with thinning brown hair, and he stutters when he gets excited. But within his scrawny body beats the heart of an Old Testament David. I didn’t always know this. I didn’t always appreciate him. In fact, when I was a kid, he kind of scared me. Rudy has epilepsy. His episodes are less intense now, but when he was a child they were violent and unpredictable. One minute we’d be sitting in Grandma Smiley’s kitchen talking and laughing and having a good time, and the next we’d be staring at Rudy twitching on the floor and making funny noises in his throat. We’d all take a step or two back. “Don’t be scared. It’s not catching,” my sister Libby said. “It’s a glitch in the brain. He can’t help it.” I knew that, of course, but it didn’t stop my stomach from flipping whenever Rudy came into a room. I was glad family gatherings were limited to holidays. It made contact with my cousin minimal. Then Rudy’s mama, my Aunt Maggie, died. She was diagnosed with cancer in April, and passed away in July. Her death shook the whole family because she was the youngest Smiley and certainly not expected to be the first of them to die. But even as we struggled with grief, we were all asking the same question. With Maggie gone, what would happen to her son? Rudy, it seemed, had two strikes against him. My grandma and grandpa wanted to take Rudy, but they were both in their 70s and not in the best of health. Their spirits may have

Fr ancisca n Media .org

been willing, but their bodies weren’t up to the task of caring for a child with a disability. The best place for Rudy, I thought, would be with Uncle John and Aunt Sharon. They were young and fun and had a big house, but my father said they had pretty much filled it with seven children of their own, and finances were stretched to the limit. That left us. “It makes perfect sense,” my mother said. “Libby’s going to college in the fall, so we’ll have an extra room, and until then Rudy can sleep with Simon.” Well, what could I do? I couldn’t tell them that I was afraid of a child younger and smaller than I was, so I shrugged and flashed the biggest smile I could muster. “Sure, Rudy can sleep in my room. He can have the top bunk if he wants.” And with those words, my worst nightmare came to pass. I became my cousin’s keeper.

ack in the summer of ’73, my dad was working 10 hours a day at the lumber mill, and Libby had a job at the Dairy Freeze. So, except for weekends, Rudy’s care and entertainment were left to Mama and me. It didn’t take long to learn who he preferred to be with. “Why don’t you go outside?” Mama said a week after Rudy arrived. “Rudy likes to be inside,” I said. “Well, that may be, but he shouldn’t stay indoors all of the time. Why don’t you take him to one of your baseball practices?” “The baseball season is over. We don’t practice anymore.” D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 4 7

“Well, then ride your bikes. Or go fishing. School will be starting soon and you’re wasting your summer staying inside the house.” She meant well, but she didn’t understand my problem. I didn’t want to take Rudy outside because I didn’t want to be alone with him if he had a seizure. My mother’s face said that she would tolerate no excuses, however, so I took Rudy out to the yard. We played catch, variations of hide and seek, and statues. At the end of the day I was exhausted. I’d never worked so hard at having fun.

sually I hated to see summer end, but that year I couldn’t wait for school to begin. For the first time in my life, school represented freedom. “Who’s your buddy, Simon?” Leo asked as Rudy and I climbed into the school bus. “Friend, relative, or somebody just hitching a ride?” I smiled thinly. I’d been hoping the driver wouldn’t be Leo, so Rudy and I could slip into our seats unnoticed. Most of the other drivers just ordered the kids to sit down and then put the bus into gear. But nobody got past Leo without a greeting, and he wouldn’t start the bus until the greeting was acknowledged. “This is my cousin,” I said as I gave him a push forward. “His name’s Rudy.” Leo grinned and extended his hand. “Glad to meet you, cousin Rudy,” Rudy smiled as he put his hand into Leo’s paw. “G-g-g-glad . . . ” he stammered. Then his face froze in mid-sentence. My stomach dropped. I’d been witness to that frozen look a hundred times before. It always happened a millisecond before Rudy had a seizure. My instinct was to bolt from the bus, but Leo had closed the door. All I could do was stand aside and let my cousin fall into the aisle. “What’s the matter with him?” somebody yelled. “Do something!” I tried to think what my mother had told me to do if Rudy had an attack, but my mind was blank. I felt suddenly 4 8 ❘ Dec ember 2015

cold and light-headed; there was a roaring sound in my ears, and the thought popped into my head just before I passed out: this was not a good way to start the school year. When I came to, I was lying on a cot in the nurse’s office. “How are you feeling, Simon?” she asked gently. “Leo said you took a bad tumble.” I shook my head. “What happened?” “Strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” Leo said, scratching his head. “Your cousin had a seizure and you must have had a sympathetic reaction. You caused quite a stir, but don’t feel bad. You and Rudy weren’t the only ones on the floor.” I groaned and closed my eyes. “We weren’t?” “Nope. Two other kids followed you. For a minute I thought I was back in ’Nam. With all the bodies lying there it looked like we’d passed through a war zone.” I groaned again. I wanted to go home or to die. I was sure we’d never live down that bus ride. I was wrong. Our notoriety lasted one week.

heir names were Lyle and Everett Weems, and they were twins. They were also ornery and big. They were a head taller than the other sixth-grade boys and didn’t fit into the desks, so Mrs. Lowe put them at a worktable in the back of the room, where they dozed or doodled and picked on the kids who were seated near them. They were smart enough, but they did just enough work to get by. They made it very clear from the start that they were here under protest and, until their parents found them another school, they were going to make our days as miserable as they thought theirs were. Their favorite game was blocking the boys’ bathroom. Three or four days a week, they would station themselves in front of the lavatory and demand a password for entrance. “What’s the magic word?” Lyle would ask. “Please,” of course, was useless, and

so was “Open Sesame.” In fact, I doubt if there was a word that would have been acceptable. “If you don’t know the word, kiss my foot,” Lyle would sneer and extend his foot for the kiss. Some of the more desperate boys actually did what he asked. I didn’t, not because I was brave, but because I could hold my water better than anyone else. The game was stopped when some fourth grader in Rudy’s class finally reported the Weemses to the principal. Punishment was swift, and our lives returned to normal while the twins were in detention. My friends thought everything was over. I was not so sure.

he game is called King of the Hill. Someone stands on a drift or a mound of snow and proclaims himself king, and then everyone tries to dethrone him. The player who topples the king becomes the new monarch, and the battle starts again. There are many variations of the game, and we played them all that winter. But the best game was the one we played the week the Weems boys got out of detention. Eddie Riley started it on Friday when he proclaimed himself king during afternoon recess. He didn’t last long. He was dethroned in 30 seconds when a snowball thrown by Lyle Weems hit him in the face and broke his glasses. It was a legal hit, despite the broken glasses, so we didn’t say anything when Lyle climbed on the snow mound. What we did object to was Lyle asking his brother Everett to join him. “No fair!” someone yelled. “Only one king at a time.” Lyle grinned. “New game, new rules: it’s us two against all of you.” We exchanged dubious looks. “All of us at once?” came the question. “Now that wouldn’t be fair, would it?” Lyle said. “Come on, fellas. Give us a break.” It was a game they’d played at their last school, he said, and it wasn’t much different than ours except it was played with teams, and there was a time limit involved. “You form teams; four players to a St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

team, and each team gets one minute to dethrone us.” I looked around the school yard. At the moment, almost every student in the school was outside. Granted, some of the kids wouldn’t play, but even if half of them did, that would be a formidable force to fight—even for the Weemses. There had to be a catch to put themselves at such risk. “Oh, one thing more,” Lyle added. “If we win, you give us the snitch who turned us in.” Silence fell as we exchanged uneasy looks. It was spooky how a yard full of children could suddenly be so quiet. It was then that Rudy stepped forward. His face was pale except for two spots of color on his cheekbones. “W-What happens if w-w-we w-wwin?” he stammered. The twins seemed amused by the question. “Shoot, little man,” Lyle grinned. “If you w-w-win, I guess it means w-w-we lose.”

ecess was almost over, so we decided to play on Saturday before our hockey practice. We spent the remaining time choosing teams and making snowballs. I picked Eddie Riley and Billy Tanner because they had strong throwing arms. But at the last minute, I added Rudy. I didn’t think he would be much help, but I couldn’t very well refuse him, because he wanted to play so much. Most of us can look back on our childhood fondly. Time fades our memories, however, so that sometimes even shared incidents can be recalled very differently.

he Weems twins were already on the hill when we got to school on Saturday and we saw what they were using for defense. “Water guns?” Eddie snorted. “That’s dumb. The water will freeze in the barrels. They won’t be able to shoot.” “N-n-not if it’s saltwater,” Rudy said quietly. I looked at him in surprise. For a fourth grader, he was pretty smart. As it turned out, salt wasn’t the only thing the twins had loaded into their water guns. They’d also added black Fr ancisca n Media .org

pepper to the mix. The pepper was demoralizing. It made us sneeze, it stung our eyes, and it also impaired our vision. Some of the players had goggles, which helped protect their eyes, but it didn’t stop the other problem; the problem of getting wet. The temperature was 15 degrees according to the weatherman that morning. And when the temperature is that low, and your team is wet, it doesn’t take long to get cold; and a cold army quickly loses heart. “Maybe they’ll run out of water,” Eddie said as we watched team six retreat. I shook my head and pointed to the water can sitting next to Everett. “No such luck. They’ve got refills.” The twins did a clumsy little dance of triumph on the hill. “Who’s next?” Everett yelled. “How many teams do you have left?” “M-maybe we should try an air attack,” Rudy said. “I think an air attack w-would w-work.” “Sure, Rudy,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes. “An air attack would work fine, if we had a plane.”

aybe if I’d been listening I might have guessed what my cousin was going to do. If I’d known, I might have tried to stop him. As it was, I didn’t even realize that Rudy had left the school yard until Billy Tanner poked me in the side. “Hey, your cousin wasn’t kidding about an air attack, was he?” I followed his gaze and my heart dropped. How Rudy got up in that tree I don’t know, but there he was: my shy little cousin, who stuttered when he got excited, defying gravity and common sense, sitting in a cottonwood tree 20 feet up in the air. “Should he even be up there?” Eddie asked, and I shook my head no. Rudy grinned and waved, but my body was paralyzed. I couldn’t wave back. I knew what he was going to do, and it was crazy. He was going to jump out of the tree and try to startle the Weemses. He couldn’t hope to do much more, but if they were startled enough, they might drop the water guns; and, if we could get the water

guns, we could end this stupid game. I held my breath as I watched Rudy inch his way along the branch, which extended over the hill. It happened just as he reached the end. That look came into his face—that strange, lost look that meant his brain had just had a hiccup. I didn’t wait to see the rest. I was running before his mouth went slack and he fell.

“

as it worth it?” my father asked. He was driving Rudy and me to the hospital to get X-rays. Surprisingly enough, except for a split lip, Rudy was OK. I, however, was not. In trying to catch my cousin I had managed to crack two ribs. My chest hurt like fury and I was finding it hard to breathe, but I didn’t even hesitate before I answered. I told him, yes, it was worth it. It was worth both the pain and the punishment I was going to receive, just to see that stunned look on the twins’ faces as I pushed them off the hill on my way to catch my cousin, who was falling like an angel from the sky. Was it an unorthodox victory? Perhaps. Through the years, Rudy and I have spent a lot of time talking about it. He says he doesn’t remember anything after he climbed the tree, but I tell him it doesn’t matter. I remember it all. A

Barbara Tylla is a freelance writer from Racine, Wisconsin. She has had numerous fiction pieces published in this magazine, and has also written the play A Seat by the Window.

ANSWERS TO PETE AND REPEAT 1. Sis’ hair is darker. 2. There is holly on the present. 3. Pete’s bangs are shorter. 4. It’s snowing! 5. Sis’ dress has a bow. 6. One of the presents has a gift tag. 7. There are scissors lying on the table. 8. A cross is now hanging on Pete’s chain.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 4 9

ASK A FRANCISCAN

❘ BY FATHER PAT McCLOSKEY, OFM

What Does Being ‘Born Again’ Mean? The term born again seems to be a very popular one among my Christian friends, but when I ask one of them to explain it, I do not get a very clear answer. I suspect this term can easily be misused or misinterpreted. How does the Catholic Church understand it? Also, Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born again of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:5). Does the term water refer here to the Sacrament of Baptism? Yes, Christians have understood “water” in John 3:5 to refer to the Sacrament of Baptism. The New American Bible and some other translations use the expression “born from above” instead of “born again.” Regardless of the translation,

the passage refers to a birth after someone’s physical birth. Initially misunderstanding what Jesus is saying, Nicodemus asks how a person can be physically born a second time. Jesus responds by saying that God sent his only Son “so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (3:15). Because most Christians now are baptized at birth, the expression born again often refers to a deeper acceptance of following Jesus when the person has become a teenager or young adult, or at some other age. Sometimes the person may add the phrase, “I have accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and savior.” It’s wonderful and perfectly natural that people continue to grow in their faith. A child’s faith will not serve a 30-year-old very well because faith

Why Break Off a Piece of the Host?

PHOTO BY EUGENE PLAISTED, OSC

At Mass, why does the priest break off a tiny piece of the host and drop it into the chalice right before distributing Communion? Originally this custom showed the union of that Mass with one previously celebrated by the local bishop. A small fragment (fermentum) from the bishop’s Mass was dropped into the chalice. Some readers may recall that a solemn high Mass once included a subdeacon with a humeral veil holding an empty paten during the Canon of the Mass. Now the priest says, “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” Each eucharistic prayer links that celebration to those of the entire Church.

5 0 ❘ Dec ember 2015

needs to grow as the person does. The danger in the term born again is that, by using it, the speaker may suggest that she or he no longer needs to grow in faith or as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It can give a false sense of assurance. This danger can be reinforced by the idea that accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and savior is all that matters. Does “personal” in that expression exclude certain other people? Scripture always needs to be read in context. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Was Jesus trying to head off such a misinterpretation of faith in him, a feeling that conversion can legitimately cease somewhere this side of death? We become what we choose on a regular basis. The holiest person you have ever met was holy precisely because his or her conversion was ongoing. The men and women condemned in Jesus’ parable about the sheep and the goats (Mt 25:31-46) may well have been people who stopped growing in their faith, people who had built psychological walls beyond which God’s grace was not permitted to lead them. “Who knew the hungry, the naked, etc., mattered so much to God?” they may have asked themselves. It would be a subtle, but very real, form of idolatry to suggest that one moment of conversion could, by itself, last a lifetime. Such an experience, in fact, is a genuine moment of conversion only if it is reaffirmed continuously, always strengthened by God’s generous grace. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

Praying for a ‘Happy Death’ Is it all right to ask God to give someone a happy death? Early this year, we knew that an older gentleman in a nursing home would not get any better. His daughter would bring him to Sunday services. He looked just terrible. A couple days later, we got the call that he had died. Yes, that is a perfectly legitimate prayer when death is coming slowly, but certainly. In fact, St. Joseph has been called the “patron for a happy death,” on the supposition that he died at home, surrounded by Mary and Jesus, before Jesus began his public ministry. This event is not recorded in any of the Gospels in the Bible. The Roman Missal includes a Mass “For the Grace of a Happy Death.” One prayer asks God that we “may go forth from this world in peace and trust, and by your gift be made sharers in [Christ’s] resurrection.” The prayers are in the first person plural but are appropriate for an individual.

Feast of the Precious Blood This feast was in the missal when I was in grade school but is no longer there. What happened? This feast, formerly celebrated on July 1, was introduced by Blessed Pius IX in 1849, but does not appear in the 1969 revision of the Roman Calendar, the list of feasts celebrated worldwide. Some people had said that the official title of Corpus Christi (The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) made this separate feast unnecessary. It survives in liturgical calendars for some dioceses and religious communities.

thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, and visit the imprisoned) are found in Matthew 25:31-46. The seventh one (burying the dead) is inspired by Tobit 1:16-18 and 2:3-8. The seven spiritual works of mercy (counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, forgive injuries, bear wrongs patiently, and pray for the living and the dead) do not appear as a single list but are based on separate passages. For example, “admonish the sinner” could be seen as based on Ezekiel 33:8, where God says, “If I tell the wicked man that he shall surely die, and you [Ezekiel] do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, he [the wicked man] shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.” This must be done in the spirit of Matthew 7:3, not pointing out the splinter in someone else’s eye while ignoring the beam in one’s own eye. A

Click the button above to hear Father Pat’s insights on Catholic topics.

Father Pat welcomes your questions! Send them to: Ask a Franciscan, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or Ask@FranciscanMedia.org. All questions sent by mail need to include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. This column’s answers can be searched back to April 1996 at StAnthonyMessenger.org.

How to Subscribe to

ST.ANTHONY M essenger

St. Anthony Messenger is only $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. This price includes our digital edition: StAnthonyMessenger.org/DigitalEdition __ YES! Please begin my subscription. Ship to: Name ________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________ Payment Options (Choose one) ___ Please bill me $39.00 for 12 monthly issues. ___ Enclosed is my check or money order. ___ Charge my: __ Visa __ Mastercard Card #: __________________________ Expiration Date ______ Signature __________________________________________ Phone _____________________________ ________________

Works of Mercy?

Mail to: St. Anthony Messenger, P.O. Box 189, Congers, NY 10920-0189

Where are the corporal and spiritual works of mercy found in the Bible?

For fastest service, call toll-free: 866-543-6870, M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern)

The first six corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the Fr ancisca n Media .org

To order a subscription online: StAnthonyMessenger.org/subscribe

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 1

BOOK CORNER

❘ BY CAROL ANN MORROW

A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War

What Our

READERS

Recommend Hidden Women of the Gospels Kathy Coffey Praying for Our Adult Sons and Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God John and Therese Boucher Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi Pat McCloskey, OFM The Flame of Love Elizabeth Kindelmann Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife Eben Alexander, MD

5 2 ❘ Dec ember 2015

How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 By Joseph Loconte Nelson Books 235 pages • $24.99 Hardcover/E-book Reviewed by ELIZABETH PILGRIM, a Catholic book reviewer with a longtime interest in the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The centennial of the beginning of the First World War in 2014 sparked renewed interest in its history. Authors examined the war from almost every angle—except that of faith—until Joseph Loconte took up that perspective. Loconte is an associate professor of history at the King’s College in New York City. His latest book seeks to fill that faith gap. He tells the story of the Great War’s impact on the creative outlook of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis to help historians better understand its moral and spiritual consequences for an entire generation. Loconte’s credentials are impeccable. He teaches courses on Western civilization and American foreign policy, and his commentaries on international human rights and religious freedom have appeared in some of the nation’s leading media outlets. To an undergraduate degree in journalism, he added a master’s in Christian history and theology. He serves as a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum and as an affiliated scholar at the John Jay Institute.

Loconte weaves the story of the lives of Tolkien and Lewis with the history of the war and the forces that were in play as the 19th century gave way to the 20th. Their generation saw their nation’s growth and prosperity as the progress of civilization itself. There were unprecedented scientific and technological advancements as England pioneered the Industrial Revolution, yet both authors regarded this as a threat to human society. They viewed the natural world as God’s creation and necessary for human happiness. The author examines the works of Tolkien and Lewis in terms of the cultural and spiritual crises caused by the war. Both authors served in the military and lost many of their closest friends in battle. Later, in peacetime, the two met and became friends at Oxford University, where they were both professors of English literature. Loconte offers a lively book that explores history—both broadly and from a literary perspective—as well as the lives of the two authors. One thing this history book is not is dry or dull. So although the primary audience may be historians, this book will appeal to a wide audience, such as those interested in faith, literature, or both. Loconte writes about the works of these authors as a scholar with a masterful command of the material. He presents it in an easy-to-understand fashion that is a delight to read and re-read, because there is so much information to absorb in the different strands that he weaves together. The introduction, six chapters, and conclusion each contain subsections with descriptive headings, making it easy to navigate through the book or even jump around between subsections. Many young writers of the Lost Generation lost faith in the God of the Bible, but not Tolkien and Lewis. While the war was responsible for shaping the idea that heroism was dead, their experience of the war led them to reclaim an older literary tradition praising heroism and sacrifice for a noble cause, i.e., the epic hero. In doing so, they were able to reintroduce into popular imagination a Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment. St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

BOOK BRIEFS

Just in Time for Christmas! Jesus Written by Anselm Grün Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 26 pages • $16 Hardcover

Goodness and Light Readings for Advent and Christmas By Pope Francis, Maya Angelou, Kathleen Norris, James Martin, Robert Barron, Thomas Merton, Robert Ellsberg, and others Orbis Books 269 pages • $16 Paperback Reviewed by JULIE CRAGON, author of Bless My Child (Ave Maria Press), Jesus at My Side (Our Sunday Visitor), Visiting Mary: Her U.S. Shrines and Their Graces, and Amazing Graces: The Blessings of Sacramentals (Servant). Among the many choices of Advent and Christmas meditations written to prepare us for the birth of Christ, this anthology offers more than the predictable daily Scripture verse with added commentary. Goodness and Light is a collection of stories and poems that share spiritual journeys. I find the stories to build upon one another as we work our way through this busy season toward the ultimate gift of peace and love: Jesus Christ. The themes of good news, wisdom, and waiting light our paths and lead us to hope, understanding, and joy. Whether we enjoy stories of sharing our gifts or spending time in preparation, whether we would sleep with the sheep, walk with the shepherds, or journey with kings, this small book of readings offers food to nourish us along the way. No doubt, Goodness and Light can be read as simply a gathering of stories and poems moving us toward the birth of Christ and onward to the Epiphany. But there is also the choice of journeying with these 48 writers to the depths of our own hearts and finding the goodness along the way that leads us, that lights our path during this season and throughout the year. Either choice will bring blessings of peace and joy. Fr ancisca n Media .org

Children will be drawn in to the story of Jesus of Nazareth with this offering by author Anselm Grün and illustrator Giuliano Ferri. Its warmtoned illustrations and accessible storytelling bring to life Jesus’ journey from a humble manger to his glorious resurrection.

Before I Sleep I Say Thank You Written by Carol Gordon Ekster Illustrated by Mary Rojas Pauline Books and Media 32 pages • $15.95 Hardcover The nights leading up to Christmas are such an exciting time for children—so much so that it might be hard for them to get to sleep! Before I Sleep I Say Thank You is a calming read for children at tuck-in time that also reinforces a spirit of gratitude.

Drop by Drop Written by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development; edited by Susan Blackaby; illustrated by Carrie Gowran Loyola Press 40 pages • $7.95 Paperback/Kindle Christmas is certainly a time for celebration, but it can also be a fertile time to broaden our children’s perspective of the larger world around them. Drop by Drop educates young readers on the challenges many face in accessing clean water, and plants the seed of social-justice awareness in their curious minds. —D.I. Books featured in Book Corner and Book Briefs can be ordered from

St. Mary’s Bookstore & Church Supply 1909 West End Avenue • Nashville, TN 37203 • 800-233-3604 www.stmarysbookstore.com • stmarysbookstore@gmail.com D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 3

A CATHOLIC MOM SPEAKS

❘ BY SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER

There’s Always Room at Our Inn

he other weekend I was in the kitchen making breakfast when my daughter Maddie came up the steps from the basement. After her emerged one of her friends . . . then another . . . and still another. Shortly after that, my son, Alex, emerged from his room, accompanied by his friend, who had spent the night. Since it was much earlier than I am used to seeing my two teenage children arise from their sleep, I suspected that their appearance had more to do with hunger than anything else. Before I knew it, my kitchen was overtaken by kids cooking pancakes, pouring cereal, and draining an entire gallon of orange juice. It is a scene I seem to be watching

5 4 ❘ Dec ember 2015

a lot lately. And you know what? It’s fine with me; In fact, I love it.

Not Always the Case Having a house overflowing with friends hasn’t always been the norm, though. At our old house, our kids were constantly heading off to their friends’ houses, rather than making our home their gathering place. I’m not sure why. We certainly had enough room for them. It bothered me—a lot. Some of my fondest memories of growing up are of my parents’ welcoming spirit toward everyone— friends, family, neighbors. The door was always open, and there never seemed to be a lack of food or space. Our home was the place to which everyone seemed to be drawn.

As a mom, I longed to have that type of welcoming environment that my kids and their friends would look back on with the same fondness that I do. I wanted to be the mom who kept the doors open and the snack bowls filled.

An Unexpected Change When we moved into my mom and dad’s much smaller house, I was certain that any hope we had of being the hangout place for our kids and their friends was completely lost. To our wonderful surprise, though, Mark and I started noticing more and more kids walking through our door. Our grocery bill certainly bore witness to that. The sounds of incoming text messages and calls from my kids asking, St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

A BAKING BONANZA My mom and I used to bake cookies every Christmas. In fact, we usually would bake so many that we would run out of people to share them with. Since my mom died, I have let this tradition go by the wayside because it’s just not as fun without her. This year, I’ve decided to revive the tradition with my kids and their friends. I’m pretty sure that Alex will not be interested, but I do know Maddie, Riley, and Kacey will be. I’m also hoping that we can recruit some of their friends to help us out. I’m sure Maddie’s will, because one of the things they love to do when they’re at our house is to bake. There always seem to be cupcakes or cookies in the oven—most of which never make it much past cooling—when they’re around. So I’ve asked my kids and their friends to pick out their favorite cookie recipes and get ready to bake. A house full of friends and cookies baking—what a great Christmas present that will be!

tal Digi as Extr

Click here for more on the Advent and Christmas seasons. Click the button below to listen to Susan’s “Marriage Moments.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY KURNICK MAASS

If you have a favorite cookie recipe you make for Christmas, go to our Facebook page and share it with us!

“Can my friends come over tonight, please?” have become music to my ears. Taking note of our often-full house seems especially poignant this month as we celebrate Christmas. What would have happened if the innkeepers who turned away Mary and Joseph had found just a little

more room for the expectant parents? Pope Francis often reminds us of our need to reach out to others. While I’m pretty certain he wasn’t referring to my kids and their friends, I like to think that our constant houseful of kids is a good model of that message. A

Do you have comments or suggestions for topics you’d like to see addressed in this column? Send them to me at “A Catholic Mom Speaks,” 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498, or e-mail them to CatholicMom@FranciscanMedia.org.

PETE AND REPEAT These scenes may seem alike to you, But there are changes in the two. So look and see if you can name ILLUSTRATION BY TOM GREENE

Eight ways in which they’re not the same. (Answers on page 49)

Fr ancisca n Media .org

D e c e m b e r 2 0 15 ❘ 5 5

BACKSTORY

Real Experience

onthly magazines, due to printing and mailing, work many weeks ahead. The trick is anticipating what will be timely when the magazine arrives in your mailbox.

When the pope visited, we, predictably, were out of sync. We are able

only now to publish our eyewitness accounts of the visit (see p. 28). The PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HEFFRON

good news, though, is that our on-the-spot freelance writers were able to take a longer look at things, as you’ll see in this month’s special section. Thankfully, we had our instantaneous, report-as-you-go communication, too. Susan Hines-Brigger was in Washington, DC, feeding news to the St. Anthony Messenger Facebook page (along with Twitter and all the rest). I asked her what the best moment was. She had a hard time picking one, but said that “being at the events, seeing the people’s reaction” was a high for her. She was struck by experiencing the pope’s charisma up close, and the number of young people and families with children, who were at the events. She met up with freelancer Maureen Pratt to attend the canonization of St. Junipero Serra. Daniel Imwalle was in New York City, a first for him and his wife, Belinda. He, too, was electrified being in a papal crowd. He and Belinda each got

Sean was so taken by Philadelphia’s grotto (opposite) that he used the concept in his exhibit (below) at the University of Dayton.

within a few feet of the Holy Father, by the way—not bad, for our newest editor! “It was like a block party,” he remembers. “Kids were hanging off of scaffolding.” He and Belinda found a place to stay not far from the school the pope visited, so he got a good sense of the local neighborhood. Sean Foster, from our emerging media team, walked a lot of miles in Philadelphia. Among many things, the grotto of intentions to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, caught his artist’s eye. Prayer can undo the knots in our lives. He brought the idea back for an exhibit about consumpCNS PHOTO/JOSHUA ROBERTS

tion he was creating for the University of Dayton. Visitors wrote their hopes, dreams, and

PHOTO BY JOHN FEISTER

prayers on cloth strips and hung them. Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of that great idea. That kind of firsthand experience is what makes this magazine as good as it is. We hope you are reaping the fruits of that. You can read about our photo book on the pope’s visit on p. 13. Merry Christmas!

Editor in Chief @jfeister

5 6 ❘ Dec ember 2015

St A n t h o n y M e s s e n g e r . o rg

REFLECTION

Love never fails. PHOTO BY BILL WITTMAN

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;1 Corinthians 13:8

ST. ANTHONY M 28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

essenger

CHARITY MOBILE is the only Pro-Life mobile phone company. LifeSiteNews (LifeSiteNews.com) recently featured corporate watchdog 2nd Vote (2ndVote.com) and their research of corporations that fund Planned Parenthood. The article concluded, "A total of seven corporations are ranked as being pro-life . . . 234 corporations have abortion-supporting scores..." CHARITY MOBILE is one of the seven Pro-Life corporations, and the only mobile phone company among them. For more information about our nationwide no contract 4G/LTE mobile phone service, risk-free trial, and free phone offer for new activations, call us toll-free or visit us online!

MENTION ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER!

W W W.C H A R I T Y M O B I L E .C O M

1-877-474-3662 Charity Mobile is a trade name of Cause Based Commerce, Inc. Cause Based Commerce, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to reject any particular beneficiary or charity. Visit our web site for the latest mobile phones and plans. Free mobile phone promotion applies to specific models and is available to new activations only. Services are subject to availability and require a credit check. Taxes and surcharges apply. Call to inquire about details. 2nd Vote and 2ndVote.com are trademarks of 2nd Vote. LifeSiteNews and LifeSiteNews.com are trademarks of LifeSiteNews. ÂŠ2015 Cause Based Commerce, Inc. All rights reserved.