November28, 2008 - Issue #22
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Preparing mangers and souls
During the four weeks of Advent, Catholics in Alaska and around the world will prepare both little manger cribs and their eternal souls for Christ — one straw of hay and one prayer at a time.
Advent, meaning “to come to” in Latin, is the period before Christmas in which, according to the Catholic Catechism, the faithful anticipate the commemoration of Christ’s birth and “renew their ardent desire for his second coming.”
Like St. John the Baptist, expectant Catholics cultivate the desire that “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
The Advent wreath symbolizes the season’s mix of joy and penitence. Made of evergreens bound to a circle of wire, the wreath holds four equally spaced candles, three purple and one rose-colored.
The wreath’s circular shape symbolizes eternity; the greenery represents hope. The purple candles signify penance and the rose candle, joy. Together they represent Advent’s four weeks and the four ages between the time of Adam and Eve and Christ’s birth. Traditionally, prayers are recited as the candles are progressively lit across the weeks.
Some Catholic families build a “Jesse Tree” to show how Old Testament events are a part of salvation history, which culminates in Christ’s birth. Onto the tree’s branches are incrementally placed the names of Jesus’ ancestors, in faith or family line, such as Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sarah, David, Mary and others.
Meanwhile, the popular Advent calendar — which can be purchased or made from paper or cloth — usually displays a Christmas-themed scene with 24 “windows” that open to a picture, Bible verse or piece of candy. One window is opened each day, beginning Dec. 1.
| Learn more about preparing for Christmas In early December, Brother John Mary Ignatius, of the Congregation of Saint John in Belgium, will travel to the Anchorage Archdiocese to deliver three presentations titled, “Why prepare for Christmas?” The first talk is set for Dec. 2, 7-9 p.m., in Wasilla at the Hacienda Restaurant. For more information call 754-9062. The second talk takes place in Anchorage on Dec. 3, 7 p.m., at the Snow Goose Restaurant. On Dec. 5, the final talk is set for Soldotna, 7:30 p.m., at Sal’s Restaurant on the Sterling Highway. For more information call 776-7693. All presentations are part of the Archdiocese of Anchorage’s young adult speaker series, “Theology and Brew.” The events are free and open to all ages. Minors, however, should come with guardians. |
Other Advent displays, for the home include, a small nativity scene or crèche. The crèche — first arranged by St. Francis of Assisi — is a tiny model of Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem. Models represent the Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the stable animals, the Magi, angels and shepherds.
Rosemarie Henn, long-time parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla, recalled that as children, she and her brothers and sisters would place a piece of straw inside Jesus’ empty manger crib for each secret, good deed done during the day. The goal was to build a “soft bed” for the little Jesus who arrived at Christmas.
Another popular custom, in which whole parishes often participate, involves the crèche’s Magi figurines. They start their journey to the nativity scene from some distance within the house or the church. Incrementally, they are moved toward the crèche, until they “arrive” on the eve of Epiphany, 12 days after Christ’s birth.
Despite the frenzied commercialism of Christmastime, area families seem eager to prayerfully engage Advent.
“I think it’s coming back,” said Karen Hay, manager of the Bread of Life Catholic store in Eagle River, adding that Advent wreaths, candles and calendars are selling fast this year.
“Preparing for the coming of the Christ Child can be a disorganized time,” Henn admitted, but added that, “Parents can choose to make it a time of blessing.”
Advent Resources •“The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day” •“Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas” |
“It is up to parents to use tradition and symbols to instill in their children the awesome wonder of the gift of the Incarnate Word,” she explained.
Brother John Mary Ignatius, of the Congregation Saint John in Belgium, agreed that it is work for families to develop the prayerful joy and penitence proper to the “second most incredible event in the history of humanity,” after Easter.
Brother John will be in the Anchorage Archdiocese in December, where he plans to give three public talks about how Christians can prepare for Advent.
In a phone interview with the Anchor, he said families that light a candle in front of an icon of Mary, read “one little verse” of the Bible and ask, “Jesus, Savior of the world, come into my heart” can bring peace into their homes and prepare for Christ’s coming.
Brother John also suggested that the faithful “be a beggar of the presence of Mary,” and ask her how to receive the Christ Child whom she held and clothed and fed.
Brother John suggested that the faithful model Christ who makes himself a gift at Christmas. To this end, children could make their beds everyday or take out the trash without being asked.
Of her childhood, Henn recalled, “We made an extra effort to be kind to each other and offer annoying behavior from a sibling up in place of our own transgressions,” and they made little sacrifices, “like giving a sibling an extra turn to sled down the hill, or carrying in an extra armload of wood.”
Brother John also said the faithful can “adopt” a poor family during Advent or volunteer at church or in the local soup kitchen. These gestures are important he said because “we can’t tell a Christian family from a pagan family except that we love one another.”
As a part of the “joyful penance” of Advent, Brother John also suggested a fast, for example, eating two smaller than normal meals once or twice a week. He said such a fast is designed to “purify the body in order to allow it to fly unto God.”
All of Advent’s symbols, activities, prayers and almsgiving help Catholics acknowledge and prepare their souls for a massive discovery, Brother John said.
“We have a Savior,” he reflected — one who saves mankind from “eternal death, from evil, from our own misery.”
And ultimately, “Christ is coming back in glory,” he said. “It is a joy and privilege to await him day in and day out.”
Legion of Mary aims to win Alaska for Christ
A determined army of local Catholics are quietly attempting to advance the reign of Christ in Alaska.
Armed with Miraculous Medals, rosaries and a desire to bring Christ to the world, these evangelists can be seen walking two-by-two through local neighborhoods and hospitals.
They organize like the ancient Roman army, with highly structured meetings and clear battle plans.
With more than three million members worldwide, the Legion of Mary is one of the largest and most active apostolic organizations of lay Catholics.
The first local chapter (or praesidium) in Anchorage was established 45 years ago at Holy Family Cathedral.
Other Alaska chapters operate out of Wasilla, Soldotna, Fairbanks, North Pole and Anchorage where legionaries also meet at St. Patrick Church and St. Benedict Church.
Founded in Ireland in 1921 by Frank Duff, the Legion was established as an association of Catholics who would fight against evil in the world. According to the organization’s handbook, their goal is to “advance the reign of Christ” by bringing Mary to the world as “the infallible means of winning the world to Jesus.”
Historically the group has been a diverse coalition of lay, clergy and religious members.
The Legion’s founder wrote that members were “not special souls or unusual types, but ordinary Catholics living the everyday life of the world. Its membership comprises the learned and the unlearned, laborers and leisured, the unemployed, widely differing classes, colors, races, including not a few whom the world would consider as primitive or depressed. In a word, it represents typical Catholicism.”
The Legion chapter at Holy Family Cathedral reflects this diversity. Nigerian-born Martin Haruna just recently arrived in Anchorage from Africa. Meanwhile, long-time parishioner Mary Digney has been a legionary at the downtown cathedral for 43 years.
In addition to weekly meetings, where members pray and plan new outreaches, they also perform two hours of evangelistic work each week.
“The plum job of the Legion is to bring back fallen-away or not-practicing Catholics,” said Diana Rybczynski, president of Holy Family’s chapter.
Dottie Maslyk, of the Wasilla praesidium, explained that lay Catholics increasingly hear about the need to start evangelizing. That’s just “second nature for the Legion,” she said.
Maslyk explained that legionaries are like the first disciples in that they go out two-by-two, inquire if there are any Catholics in the household, and encourage parents to have their children baptized. In the process, they often find people who have no religion at all, she said.
Shirleen Rannals, a legionary from St. Patrick Church, compared the group’s evangelistic outreach to the practice of “Mormons,” only she noted that “we started it and they copied us.”
Visiting homes is a key part of the outreach, but Rybczynski explained that it is important to return to houses to regularly encourage people to come back to church. Some people are very receptive.
“It’s well worth the effort,” she said.
By going into neighborhoods to nurture the faith, the legionaries are a “tremendous help to the parish priest,” Rannals said. She explained that “if you ever speak to a bishop or priest who’s been involved, they light up.”
The Legion also has won approval of the last six popes and the endorsement of the Second Vatican Council.
When legionaries make visits, they hand out rosaries, Catholic literature and, most famously, the Miraculous Medals.
The medals date back to 1830, when St. Catherine Laboure said she saw Mary appear in the chapel at her convent of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. St. Catherine reported that the Blessed Virgin showed her an image of a medal, which depicted herself under the title of the Immaculate Conception and asked St. Catherine to make copies of the medal and distribute them. The Virgin said that those who wore the medals would receive great graces.
Rannals said that the Legion wants to get a medal into everyone’s hands — but not for superstitious reasons.
The medals are gifts, and when legionaries present the medal to a person, they ask, “May I give you a gift?” Rannals explained.
If a person accepts the gift, they have “accepted the idea that the Blessed Mother will lead them to her Son,” she added. “It was her goal on earth and continues to be her goal in heaven.”
Legionaries offer medals to prisoners, elderly in nursing homes and the sick in hospitals. Anchorage legionaries make visits to Providence Extended Care and the Anchorage Pioneer Home. Wasilla legionaries visit the elderly at the Pioneer Home in Palmer and plan to start visits at the area’s adult day centers.
Another Legion work is sidewalk counseling, where they offer help to expectant mothers in crisis outside of abortion clinics.
An important arm of the Legion is the Junior Legion, which consists of youth similarly focused on building the Kingdom of God.
Holy Family Cathedral has about 12 members in the Junior Legion, who range from ages 6 to 18 years. Like their adult counterparts, they meet once a week, pray the rosary and read from the Legion’s spiritual readings. As for their works, the children bring holy cards, Miraculous Medals and friendship to the city’s often forgotten elderly.
On Saturday mornings, the youth also help tidy the cathedral and when tourists stop in, the children offer them Miraculous Medals.
Rannals said the youth are learning how to evangelize, a responsibility that will carry over into adulthood.
Food pantry struggles to feed Anchorage’s poor
An Anchorage woman received a rare treat as she was escorted around St. Francis House food pantry. There, in a nearly empty refrigerator, was a large roll of ground meat.
She held it close to her chest, then put it in her basket and wiped away a tear.
“I knew God was still with me,” she said as she collected her bags of rice and beans.
It was a typical afternoon at the Catholic Social Services emergency food pantry on East 20th Avenue.
Like many food pantries across the country, St. Francis House is experiencing greater demands this year — about a 20 percent increase over the same time last year. Other programs of Catholic Social Services are similarly strained.
Susan Bomalaski, executive director of Catholic Social Services, said the pantry provides emergency food for those whose income and food stamps don’t see them through the month.
“Yesterday, I helped a very pregnant mom carry her food to her car,” Bomalaski said. “She was due to deliver her third child in two days, and she said this was the first time she’d ever been forced to go to a food pantry.”
The demand on St. Francis House is not unique in the country. A new report from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that in 2007, 13 million households experienced “food insecurity,” meaning their access to adequate food was limited by a lack of money and other resources. That was 11.1 percent of all U.S. households.
In Anchorage, Bomalaski attributes growing needs to higher costs for groceries and heating fuel. She added that many clients are new Alaskans who didn’t qualify for this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend or the state energy rebate.
The city is also experiencing an influx of residents being driven out of rural villages by skyrocketing fuel costs.
Although the shelves at St. Francis House are never bare, they can be pretty lean at times. Churches from a variety of denominations around town regularly bring in food. Holy Family Cathedral is one of the most generous, with an offertory every Sunday which collects thousands of pounds of food for St. Francis House yearly.
Nevertheless, much of the food is government issue. There’s very little fresh produce and only occasionally a few gallons of fresh milk.
Beans, instant dry milk, tuna, soup and lots of day-old bakery products are staples at the pantry, which never lacks for customers.
On a recent cold afternoon they came in waves depending on the bus schedule.
Mercy Sister Jean Pyper remembers one wintry afternoon when the pantry was down to only bags of beans and rice. It fell to her to tell a waiting room full of clients.
“Almost no one left,” she said. “You know people are really hungry if they’ll wait an hour for beans and rice.”
Last year, St. Francis House fed 9,393 families by distributing more than 350,000 pounds of food. Volunteers are an important part of the pantry’s operation — 89 volunteers donated more than 3,000 hours last year.
Clients are allowed to shop only once a month. When they come in needing food, volunteers (or personal shoppers) help them select allotted items based on their family size.
Bomalaski said food donations are always welcome and can be dropped off between 8 and 4 o’clock Monday through Friday, or at your parish if there is a collection point there. Non-perishables like canned fruit, soups, tuna, chili or cereals are needed.
Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. Because St. Francis House can buy food from Food Bank of Alaska for $0.18 a pound, a financial donation goes further than buying items from the store, and helps with day to day operations.
News & Notes
Advent concert to benefit Clare House
On Dec. 5, at 7 p.m., the public is invited to “My Soul In Stillness Waits: An evening of Advent music and reflections” at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. Area music groups will perform sacred music in varied styles for the season. Cost is $7 a person or $20 for a family of three or more. Babysitting will be offered for $5 a child. Additional donations are welcome and proceeds will benefit the Clare House, a Catholic Social Services shelter for women and children in need.
Eucharist Seminar set for Dec. 5-6
St. Benedict’s Church in Anchorage is sponsoring “Life in the Eucharist Seminar” Dec. 5-6. Presented by Father William Finkel of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, the seminar aims to enable participants to live daily lives in Christ-centered consciousness. Participants are invited to view the power of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection as the point of departure for ongoing personal growth and religious development. Participants are also encouraged to enrich their experience of life through personal and communal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The seminar also encourages participants to accept, through eucharistic celebration and contemplation, the challenge of responding to moral and social inequities inherent in society. For more information, call 243-2195.
Archdiocese seeks input for upcoming conference
The Anchorage Archdiocese is soliciting discussion topics for a diocesan-wide gathering of area Catholics in September. Father James Oberle, S.S., director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization and Worship said the conference - titled “Walking in the footsteps of Jesus”- will examine topics of importance in the diocese such as liturgy, finance, administration and “proclamation of the Word.” Suggested subjects for discussion and workshops may be submitted to Father Oberle at jposs@msn.com or 297-7778.
Mariology class offered at Cathedral
Every first Saturday of the month, Dominican Father Francis Le delivers lectures on “Mariology”— the study of the Blessed Mother through the sacred Scriptures and Catholic Church dogma. The talks take place at 1:30 p.m. at Holy Family Education Center in downtown Anchorage. The next talk is Dec. 6 and the series will continue for several months. For more information, call 276-3455.
Prayer for Life event set for Dec. 8
On Dec. 8, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church — with the sponsorship of the Knights of Columbus — will participate in the 19th annual National Night of Prayer for Life, during which the faithful across the country pray for an end to abortion and in reparation for the sins committed against the Gospel of Life. After the 7 p.m. Mass, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for veneration until midnight in Our Lady of Guadalupe’s chapel. There will be a recitation of the rosary, special prayers and periods for private reflection. All are invited to come at any time during the four hours. For more information, contact John Fleming at 230-7783.
Holy Rosary Academy receives national award
For the fifth consecutive year, Anchorage’s Holy Rosary Academy has been named one of the “Top 50 Catholic High Schools in America” by the Acton Institute’s National Catholic High School Honor Roll. The award recognizes academic excellence, Catholic identity and civic education.
Holy Rosary is one of only eight schools in the United States to receive the honor every year since 2004. The Honor Roll is determined in consultation with an advisory board of Catholic scholars and college presidents.
Archbishop’s Calendar • Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m., St. Thomas More Society Mass and lunch, Chancery • Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m., Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe • Dec. 8, 8 a.m., Mass, Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament • Dec. 20, 5:30 p.m., Native Mass, St. Anthony • Dec. 21, 2 p.m., Mass and dedication of new church, St. Andrew Kim • Dec. 24, 5:30 p.m., Christmas Vigil Mass, Brother Francis Shelter • Dec. 25, 12:00 a.m., Archdiocesan Midnight Mass, St. Andrew (televised on KTUU) • Dec. 25, 12:00 p.m., Christmas Mass, Holy Family Cathedral
Community Calendar • Dec. 2, 7 p.m., Theology & Brew Advent talk by Brother John Mary Ignatius, Hacienda Restaurant, Wasilla • Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Theology & Brew Advent talk by Brother John Mary Ignatius, Snow Goose Restaurant • Dec. 5, 7 p.m., Advent concert benefiting Clare House, St. Patrick Church • Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Theology & Brew Advent talk by Brother John Mary Ignatius, Sal’s Restaurant, Soldotna • Dec. 6, 12 p.m., Dominican rite Latin Mass, Holy Family Cathedral • Dec. 6, 1:30 p.m., Mariology talk by Father Francis Le, Holy Family Education Center • Dec. 8, 7 p.m., Immaculate Conception Mass and pro-life prayer, Our Lady of Guadalupe • Dec. 14, 1:30 p.m., Holiday concerts, Anchorage Museum • Dec. 18, 5-7 p.m., Tree trimming, Brother Francis Shelter
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Talks to explore Paul of Tarsus
In January, local Catholics can delve into “The intriguing and inspiring Paul of Tarsus: A 2,000-year perspective,” when Dr. Florence Gilman, professor of Biblical Studies at the University of San Diego delivers a lecture on the great apostle. The lecture — free and open to the public — will take place in Grant Hall at Alaska Pacific University on Jan. 23 from 7:30-9 p.m., Jan. 24 from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m., and Jan. 25 from 3-4:30 p.m. The event dovetails with the Catholic Church’s worldwide celebrations of the Year of St. Paul (Jun. 28, 2008 to Jun. 29, 2009), which was designated by Pope Benedict XVI. For more information, contact Dr. Regina Boisclair at APU at 562-1266 or Father James Oberle, S.S. at the Anchorage Archdiocese at 297-7778.
International pro-life prayer service
Marking the anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion on demand, the Knights of Columbus - with the support of Alaska Right to Life and other area pro-life organizations - will host an interdenominational prayer service on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus memorial monument to the unborn at the Anchorage Cemetery (Cordova and 9th Streets). According to organizer Ann Curro, the aim of the event is “to pray for all those who have been involved in abortion, and to pray for their healing.” Representatives from the Anchorage Archdiocese, the Anchorage Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Governor’s office will be in attendance. For more information, call 349-3772.
Help needed for marriage event
Volunteers are needed to assist in “Come Share the Dream,” a world Marriage Day celebration sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter on Feb. 6 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. A special wedding Mass will be celebrated by Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz followed by dinner. A widow/widowers table will be available this year. To volunteer, contact Frank and Mary Pfiffner at 336-0234.
Pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey
The public is invited to walk “in the footsteps of St. Paul” during a two-week pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey departing May 4. According to Father James Oberle, S.S., director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization and Worship, pilgrims will “touch the roots of Catholic theology and the New Testament” by visiting the “places to which St. Paul wrote his letters,” like Corinth and Ephesus. as well as Athens, Mycenae, Patmos, Rhodes, the cities of the Apocalypse, Bursa, Nicaea and Istanbul (Constantinople). Mass will be celebrated everyday at historical sites. The trip will cost about $4,500, including airfare, land transportation, hotel accommodations and daily breakfast and dinner. The pilgrimage, which takes place in the Jubilee Year honoring the Apostle Paul, is co-sponsored by the Anchorage Archdiocese and the Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Theology at Alaska Pacific University. For more information, contact Father Oberle at 297-7778 or Dr. Regina Boisclair of APU at 562-1266.
Mercy Corps seeks volunteers
Mercy Volunteer Corps, a lay volunteer program sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy provides opportunities for men and women over the age of 21 to give a year of service to those in need. The program emphasizes service, community and prayer. Volunteer possibilities include teaching or nursing, working in homeless shelters, clinics and social service agencies in urban and rural settings throughout the United States and Guyana. Room, board, medical insurance and a small stipend are provided. For more information, visit mercyvolunteers.org or call (215) 641-5535.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
On Dec. 8, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, which honors the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother of God who, as Pope Pius IX described in 1854, was “from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is based on passages in the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of St. Luke, as well as the writings of the fathers of the early church.
Reason also supports the teaching. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “there is an incongruity in the supposition that the flesh, from which the flesh of the Son of God was to be formed, should ever have belonged to one who was the slave of that arch-enemy, whose power he came on earth to destroy.”
For their work in preparing the way for Christ, God sanctified the prophet Jeremiah and St. John the Baptist in their mothers’ wombs. For her greater role as Mother of God, Mary was privileged - from the first moment of her existence in her mother’s womb - with the greater grace of original sanctity and innocence.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, to become the mother of the Savior, Mary was “enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.”
Like all human beings, Mary needed Christ’s redemption, but the Catechism explains that she is “‘redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.’”
The feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation, so Catholics must attend Mass. In order to prepare for the feast day, some also pray a novena - a special prayer said each day for nine days leading up to the feast. Others pray the rosary seeking Mary’s intercession with her Divine Son, or they make a pilgrimage to a church named after Mary.
As the feast of the Immaculate Conception also is a reminder that life begins at conception, the faithful may take the opportunity to spiritually adopt and pray for an unborn baby in danger of abortion - and daily continue the prayer for a period of nine months. To that end, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen composed the following prayer:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby’s name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
Anchor reports
Editorial
Hopeful longing
Over the next four weeks it might be easy to ride the frenzied Christmas tide all the way to December 25th — a whole month of shopping, caroling and holiday celebrations.
If we are not watchful, we might gain a few pounds nibbling off December party platters and find ourselves worn out by last minute shopping marathons. By the time Baby Jesus is born, we may well be ready to pack up the manger scenes and ease into a new year.
As Christians, however, we are called to something sweeter than peanut brittle binges and blue-light specials.
At Advent (Nov. 30 to Dec. 24) the church invites us to recall the actual historic events that preceded Christ’s incarnation — a birth that forever united humanity to God.
In the past, there were premonitions and shadows of this union, but God had not shown his face. He remained yet hidden.
Advent serves notice that humanity longed for a savior and creation groaned for redemption.
During this season, we recall the longing of ages past and look with expectation for Christ’s final return, when he will raise the dead and unite completely with his beloved.
We’re not there yet. There are things yet to suffer and surrender as we wait.
In the wisdom of the liturgical year, the church asks us to embrace this longing.
During weekday and Sunday Masses, we will hear the great prophesies of Isaiah that foretell a savior. We will read of St. John the Baptist’s call to repent and prepare for the Messiah. We will recall the Angel Gabriel’s announcement of the coming of Jesus and Mary’s acceptance of her great mission. Lastly, we head to Bethlehem for a birth that changes the world.
As we journey, the church asks us to give up something – not a strict Lenten fast, but something small to serve as a reminder that we need a savior.
Other reminders are woven into the culture of Advent. Our tables glow with candlelight; Old Testament scenes hang from homemade Jesse Trees; ceramic Wise Men circle the house in their search of a newborn. These and other traditions can enrich our homes and inspire our imaginations.
Let us become immersed in this time of hopeful longing, so that we may recognize Christmas in all its splendor.
—— Joel Davidson, editor
Local Columns
Advent is waiting for final fulfillment
I love Advent season. I’ve loved Advent for as long as I can remember. There is something about it that attaches itself to my very being. No, it’s not that Christmas is only a few weeks away, not that.
It’s something else: It’s the switch from the green summer Sundays of Ordinary Time to the quiet, darkening violet of Advent, the singing of the O Antiphons, “Come, O Lord, do not delay.” It’s that sense of longing and waiting. That’s it, the waiting, waiting for final fulfillment, not of me, not of you but of all creation.
Advent, I want to insist, has its own meaning and identity, aside from Christmas. Advent is a waiting and preparing for eternity, the fulfillment of all things living.
But most of all, I love Advent because it forces me to wait, to set aside my impulsiveness, my drive to be on time, to get things done.
“Just shut up and wait,” I say to myself in Advent time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
The Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 |
For years, of course, I thought of Advent as waiting for the three comings of Christ: In history, in time and in time to come. All that is still true. But I am also beginning to believe that there is something more, not my waiting, nor yours, but the waiting for the fulfillment of the entire universe in its “final” state. “All creation,” Paul says, “is awaiting the fulfillment of God’s plan.
But could it be true to say, then, that all creation in its state of unfulfillment, its state of evolutionary incompleteness, is always longing for the finishing, but not yet? Does it seem as though God has not gotten around to the finishing touches? Could it be, as one scientist put it, that we are stardust, gradually and eternally congealing? What we, and all creation, will become may never be known. It’s all mystery. Could that be the reason why we constantly check our clocks?
“Is it time yet?” we say. “No, it’s not time yet.” So, we wait not for “clock-time” but for God time, God’s good time to make clear to us what’s up and what’s next.
Could that also be why astrophysicists wonder what lies out there beyond the Kuiper Belt, why scientists labor over microscopes, why poets write poems, why painters paint paintings, why philosophers philosophize, why lovers of scripture, scholars and plain folk never give up asking the God question, searching for the God in whom they already believe? Could that be why the waiting that we do while doing what we do is already enough to substantiate our reason for being here and now?
Could that be the reason why the philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein asked the question: “Why is there something and not nothing?” Could that be why the great Heraclitus of Ephesus once said: “All things are in flux, nothing stands still.”
Once again, all those questions describe what Advent is like for me. It gives me the opportunity to wonder about my state of being. All this is a great mystery, of course, but it is the wondering that is important.
Finally, from T.S. Eliot’s master drama-piece, Murder in the Cathedral: “We wait, we wait and the saints and martyrs wait for those who shall be martyrs and saints. Destiny waits in the hand of God, shaping the still unshapen.”
All that is why I shall forever love Advent: It’s the wonderment of it all.
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives and writes in Notre Dame, IN
To be a father
I just returned from an eight-day directed silent retreat. Such a privilege most people don’t have — to pull away from all the struggles, problems, daily triumphs and failures of family life just to be with God for eight days and find out what he wants to say to you.
I made the retreat in the pre-seminary in Novosibirsk where five Russian young men are taking the first steps towards priesthood. It was a silent retreat but the praying was in common.
The depth and serious mindset of the five young men was impressive. Their days are filled with studies and also working with the Sisters of Mother Teresa and with the elderly and handicapped.
I was impressed by how much of a family those five brothers were and how they care for each other. They were all very different in background but the one thing they had in common was that not one had a father at home.
Not one had a relationship with their father.
The rector of the pre-seminary happened to be my spiritual director and we talked about the young men and how hopeful it is to see such candidates for the priesthood. But mostly, he said he realized the most important thing he could do for them was just be a father so they could be sons and brothers and eventually fathers themselves in the priesthood.
I reflected on my own experience of finding my fatherhood in the priesthood and what a powerful gift it is to be a father — to have so many spiritual children that are connected deeply through a spiritual fathering bond.
It was one of the words that God spoke to me on this retreat — to be a good father. It would be a word that could and is being spoken to all men who have families and children. Be a good father — not a perfect father who doesn’t make mistakes but a good father who has faith more in God than himself and is willing to love and ask forgiveness and raise his sons and daughters.
God wants men to be fathers who are life giving and who build the esteem of their children. I know many sons and daughters who hunger for such a father. I guess it is called “the father wound” that is so prevalent in hearts of so many who never had a good father. This is said to be one of the major crises of the world today. We need good fathers that take responsibility for their family and children and see this call is from God.
Here is my prayer for all you fathers who know how difficult it is to be a good father but have the desire to live the call.
St. Paul writes “I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you, in accord with the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts and through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love may have the strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:15-19)
May God bless our fathers.
The writer is pastor of Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia. The church is a mission of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Vatican II and renewal of the Holy Mass
In our last reflection, we noted the first principle of the renewal. This was to impart vigor, to adapt, to promote unity and to strengthen the faithful.
A second principle, which guided the renewal was a desire to make a clearer connection between the liturgical celebration and the work of our redemption. In the Eucharist, the faithful can enter into the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true church. That nature is human and divine; it is visible and invisible; it is present in the world and it is our pilgrimage to the next world.
The work of our redemption is made present in the Divine Liturgy. The liturgy is the place where the ongoing drama of salvation history is revealed. We have before us both the altar of sacrifice and the table of our communion with Jesus Christ.
Traditionally Catholics have always reflected on the sacrifice of the Mass. We correctly see it as a memorial sacrifice. We carry forward the sacrifice of Calvary each time we celebrate the Mass. In the Mass, our venial sins are forgiven. This presupposes that we take the penitential rite seriously and that we are truly sorry for our sins. (Note well this does not forgive mortal sins nor does it eliminate the need for frequent celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.)
What many Catholics have not reflected on is the self-offering that needs to take place.
When the gifts are presented (the bread, wine and the collection), we should be placing our lives on the altar. We must be an active participant in the sacrifice. Just as Jesus offered himself, so we must offer ourselves. We must be willing to die to our self-will and be open to God’s will.
We do not view the sacrifice from afar; we are not spectators. We must sacrifice ourselves. That is what the church means when it calls for full participation in the Mass.
I also noted above that the concept of a table was re-introduced as a result of Vatican II. This, once again, reaches back to our ancient history and draws it forth to the present.
First, recall that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper prior to entering the Garden and the events of Good Friday. This is table fellowship between Jesus and the disciples. Jesus shares a meal with them and they receive nourishment for the journey.
Second, in the early church the liturgy was celebrated in people’s homes. It was around a table that people gathered to listen to the proclamation of the Word and to follow the instructions from Jesus — “Do this in remembrance of me.”
We gather around the table of the Lord to offer thanks. The word Eucharist is from the Greek word for thanksgiving. Thus we are thankful for all that God has done for us. God has forgiven us, called us to friendship with him and with our brothers and sisters and has nourished us with his Word and with his very Body and Blood. What attitude other than one of thanks could we possibly have?
The Vatican II document, “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” calls for full, conscious and active participation in the liturgical celebration. Sometimes I wonder if we fully appreciate what is happening in the Mass. Sometimes we are distracted and pre-occupied.
The church is challenging us to know what we are doing when we say the penitential prayer at the beginning of Mass and ask for the Lord’s mercy. When we exchange the sign of peace, is it just mechanical or are we really asking for peace, reconciliation and justice?
When we present ourselves for Holy Communion, do we recognize that it truly is the Body and Blood of Christ and that we must become what we consume. Are we ready to be another Christ? Are we really willing to do God’s will?
Throughout this reflection I have used the word “we.” The challenges are just as important for me as they are for each of you. There is a sign in many sacristies that notes: “Priest of Jesus Christ celebrate this Mass as if it were your first, your only, your last Mass.” I must be recollected and I must be fully conscious of what I am doing. I have the Body of Christ in my hands.
This is awesome work in which we are involved. We must have a sense of awe and reverence as we partake in it.
The writer is director of the Office of Evangelization and Worship and is also the associate publisher of the Catholic Anchor.
Editor’s note: Peter Schafer is a parishioner at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Watsonville, Ca. He visited the Catholic Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia in 2006. Magadan grew out of the slave labor camps of Stalin. While visiting, Schafer interviewed five gulag survivors and participated in various church activities. He has supported the Mission to Magadan for 14 years and offers the following Christmas reflection.
Above the tabernacle at the Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia, there is a nativity scene with the inscription (written in Russian) from St. John’s Gospel: “And the Word Became Flesh.”
I think of this scene often as we approach Christmas, wishing I could be there for Christmas Mass. I miss Magadan, the survivors, priests, staff, children and the Russian people.
As I reminisce, I realize that much of the world today is on a collision course with the real and full meaning of Christmas, even to the point of pretending to ignore the natural law, designed and created by God.
The Word became flesh, not on Christmas day but at the Annunciation (March 25) when the Virgin Mary said “yes” to the Angel Gabriel and Jesus was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. The presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary was demonstrated when Mary visited Elizabeth and the unborn child (St. John the Baptist) leaped in his mother’s womb when the unborn Savior sanctified him for his future mission.
Sanctification (forgiveness) is an act only God can carry out. God chose to manifest himself as God in the womb of Mary. This points to the fact that he was both fully God and fully man while still in the womb.
In college, one of my biology professors wrote a quote on the board one day, “The organism is the life cycle.”
In biology there are many extraordinary examples of organisms with amazing life cycles. A pluteus larva falls out of the water column, collapses, and out of the “rudiment” springs a small sea urchin.
A caterpillar gorges itself on plant material, forms a cocoon, and ultimately emerges as a beautiful butterfly.
The same genetic code orders and controls all stages of an organism’s life from conception to death. When we protect and nurture fertilized California condor eggs, we know that we are “saving” an endangered or valuable species. In most parts of the world, however, human embryos are not valued as much as condor eggs. And the lie, that human embryos are not life, is perpetuated.
As I contemplate the nativity scene in Magadan, I think of all the number (millions) of abortions that occur each year in the world. Russia has even more abortions than the U.S., due to many factors, including the economic difficulties there and of the many years under Communism when the value of human life was severely diminished. Frankly, I see no difference between the Russian government claiming to “own” its citizens and a person claiming to “own” their unborn child. In both examples, a human life is considered property, to be disposed of as the controlling party wishes.
In the full meaning of Christmas, every stage of Jesus’s life was redemptive — in the womb, as newborn, a 12-year-old boy teaching the scholars in the temple, a 30-year-old man leaving home and then finally at the age of 33 giving his life for us on the cross. All of these moments were components of our salvation.
Just as there is some joy in the sadness of Christ’s death because he died to save us, there is some sadness in the birth of Jesus because we know that “the Word became flesh” in order to live and die for us.
Christmas is a time of great joy, but the stems of straw and cold air that pricked the tender body of the Christ Child were already serving to give human beings a new view of suffering. Joy and suffering are redemptive and are intimately intertwined in the human life cycle. This Christmas I urge you to consider your joys and sorrows and unite them in a wonderful celebration of life — the life that Jesus gave to you as a result of his redemptive life, from his conception in the womb of Mary to his death on the cross.
What are they saying about Paul?
I like St. Paul. No New Testament author rivals his passionate convictions, intellectual rigor and loving concerns. No other New Testament author tells us about his personal likes, dislikes, complaints and consolations. Paul discloses his personality while explaining the significance of Christ. I am delighted the Holy Father dedicated this year to encourage Catholics to read and study Paul. To foster this endeavor I am writing seven columns for the Catholic Anchor. This first column summarizes what we know about Paul and his letters.
Paul was the child of Jewish parents (II Cor11:22). He was a zealous Pharisee (Phil 3:5) and in 33-34 A.D. he enthusiastically persecuted the early church in Jerusalem (Gal, 1:13-14, Phil 3:5-6, I Cor 15:9). Long after experiences of the Risen Lord had ceased (I Cor 15:8), Christ appeared to Paul near Damascus (Gal 1:13-17). After this revelation Paul devoted the rest of his life to spreading the Gospel in Damascus, Arabia, (Gal 1:17) Syria and Cilicia (Gal 1:21), Galatia (Gal 1:11), Macedonia (Phil 4:15-18), Achaia, Asia Minor (2 Cor 1:1, 1 Cor 15:32) and Rome (Acts 28:31). Paul claimed he was the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 1:5). The Church continues to honor him with this title.
Paul returned to Jerusalem twice to meet with the apostles (Gal 1:15, Gal 2:1, Rom 15:22-33). He was imprisoned in Ephesus (I Cor.15:32, II Cor 1:8). He intended to stop in Rome on his way to Spain (Rom 15:24), after bringing a collection from the churches he established in cities bordering the Aegean to the Christians in Palestine (Rom 15:25-29). While it is beyond doubt that Paul brought this collection to Jerusalem, Acts never mentions the collection at all. Scholars suspect the donation was not accepted because to do so would be to accept gentiles who did not observe Jewish practices.
Acts does report that Paul was imprisoned in Palestine (Acts 21:27-22:29) and sent to Rome (Acts 27:1) where he lived in relative freedom under house arrest (28:31) until he was executed during Nero’s persecution (64-67 A.D. ). As a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-28) Paul was exempt from crucifixion. Since it is believed that he was beheaded, statues of Paul frequently include a sword.
This biographical sketch was drawn primarily from Paul’s letters where in bits and pieces Paul scattered information about his comings and goings and other life events. I used Acts very selectively because Acts does not always agree with the information we find in Paul’s letters. Luke wants to tell a glorious story of how the message of Christ progressed from God’s city Jerusalem to Rome, the center of the Roman Imperium. In Acts Paul is a composite of traditions about Paul and other first-century missionaries who spread the gospel in the Mediterranean world. Luke knows where Paul founded churches and some circumstances of his visits that were likely remembered by these communities. Luke does not know that Paul wrote letters. In Acts Paul is not concerned with the issues that preoccupy Paul’s letters. Paul speech at the Aereopagus in Acts 17 is incompatible with what Paul says about his preaching in I Cor. 2:1-5.
Paul’s letters were the first Christian writings that came to be included in the New Testament. Thirteen identify Paul as the author. A second-century tradition claimed Paul also wrote Hebrews. The New Testament arranges Paul’s letters in the order of their length— first is the letter to the Romans that is now divided into sixteen chapters, last is the 25 verses of Paul’s letter to Philemon. Hebrews follows Philemon in the New Testament indicating that those who ordered the New Testament already questioned the tradition that Paul wrote Hebrews.
I Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, I and II Corinthians, Philemon, and Romans, are known as Paul’s “undisputed letters.” There is no doubt that these letters have the same author and speak to situations in the church before the time of Paul’s death (65-68, A.D. ). There is no consensus if the remaining “disputed letters” were written by Paul. In the first century it was not uncommon to write in the name of a deceased authority to lend weight to pseudonymous teaching addressing new circumstances. While many scholars insist that Paul wrote II Thessalonians and/or Colossians, some consider Paul the author of Ephesians, and a few maintain that Paul wrote I and II Timothy and Titus. Most are convinced that all the “disputed letters” were written after Paul’s death by authors deeply influenced by Paul who addressed concerns that emerged after Paul’s lifetime.
This does not mean that the “disputed letters” are any less sacred or revelatory. They are included in the New Testament canon as writings inspired by the Holy Spirit. This does mean that when scholars want to know about Paul and what Paul thought they give priority to the texts we are certain that Paul wrote. The disputed letters, Acts of the Apostles and the non-canonical Acts of Paul and Thecla are resources that show how Paul came to be understood and applied within the fifty years following his death.
The writer holds the Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Theology at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage.
Letters to the Editor
Dominican rite article appreciated
Thank you for publishing the excellent article on the restoration of the Dominican Rite at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage. The article was well written, objective and very inspiring.
— Steve Anisko
Pittsburgh, PA
Eucharist shouldn’t be politicized
After witnessing the attempts of some Catholics at politicizing the Eucharist during the recent election, I began to wonder if maybe Jesus’ message wasn’t: “Stop abortion at all costs; practice only natural family planning, and forever ban stem cell research” instead of “love one another.”
— Chris B. Wooley
Anchorage
Updated policy on Letters to the Editor
The Catholic Anchor welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 300 words and include the writer’s full name and city of residence. For verification purposes only, we also need contact information for each letter writer, which will not be published. Letters should not disparage the character of any individual but rather stick to the issues at hand and refer to articles, letters and opinion pieces that have been published in the Catholic Anchor. Letters may not endorse a specific political candidate or political party. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. The Anchor does not publish letters that directly challenge clear and established church teaching.