Era alrededor del mediodía. El sol se eclipsó y la oscuridad cubrió toda la tierra hasta las tres de la tarde. El velo del Templo se rasgó por el medio. Jesús, con un grito, exclamó: “Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu”. Y diciendo esto, expiró. Cuando el centurión vio lo que había pasado, alabó a Dios, exclamando: “Realmente este hombre era un justo”.
— Lucas 23:44-47
Pascua: ¡una victoria definitiva!
Muere la luz, los pájaros no regresan al nido, cae el árbol vencido por el tiempo, se deshacen las rocas, huyen los sueños, desaparecen los apellidos, se agotan las fortunas, se secan los ríos, se extingue la esperanza. ¿Y el hombre?
La muerte nos roba todo lo que hemos acumulado durante muchos años, nos arrebata la experiencia, borra el buen nombre, marchita el arte, amenaza toda alegría, separa a los hermanos, dispersa a los amigos. En cambio, nos devuelve un cadáver, un poco de huesos, un puñado de polvo, un epitafio, una leyenda borrosa, al final percibimos que somos nada ….
P. Andrés Arango es el párroco de la Parroquia San Gregorio en Phoenix.
Vivimos bajo el signo de la angustia. Porque “todavía no hemos entendido las escrituras, que Él había de resucitar de entre los muertos”. Amamos a Cristo, es verdad, pero como María Magdalena no atinamos a saber dónde le han puesto.
Sin embargo, el Señor desea encontrarse con nosotros para sanar nuestra desesperanza. A Magdalena le busca nuevamente en el sepulcro. Se le aparece en figura de jardinero. A Pedro se le presenta como el amigo de siempre, sin recordar sus negaciones. Para los viajeros de Emaús es un compañero de camino.
Todo esto sucedió aquel domingo, “el primer día de la semana”, el primer día de un mundo nuevo, de una historia renovada ¿Y nosotros?
Ilustración de foto por Mick Welsh/SOL CATÓLICO
“Vengan a ver” nos dirán los ángeles que custodian la tumba, después de que los guardas han huido. Antes estaba en el sepulcro, ahora le hallamos glorioso en los cielos y vivo en su Iglesia.
Cristo vive y nos transforma. Viaja en la historia, adherido como la luz al calor, como la velocidad al movimiento. Lo hallamos en el amanecer de este domingo, que ilumina los sepulcros de nuestros seres queridos y le da otro resplandor, otra figura, otro poder, otra proporción a nuestra propia muerte.
Algunos aún no lo hemos empezado a buscar “dónde le han puesto”. Otros ya lo encontraron. Pero todos sentimos que el universo es distinto de hoy en adelante, porque Él ha resucitado verdaderamente de entre los muertos. Pascua es vivir al estilo de Jesús, es decir, vivir para amar.
The following is reprinted with permission from Our Lady of the Valley and St. Raphael parishes, who share the same pastor, Holy Cross Father Ed Kaminski, and his beloved pup, Raphie. It was published in the March 25 bulletin to mark the beginning of Holy Week.
Practice makes perfect
Fr. Ed Kaminski and his dog, Raphie, enjoy a moment together during a Blessing of the Animals in this 2008 file photo. (Catholic Sun file photo)
Hello, church! It’s Raphie again. It has been a while since we last chatted, but with this being the beginning of Holy Week, my dad is super busy with all the neat church stuff that is about to take place this week. Being the good pastor’s pup that I am, I figured I would take a little pressure off my dad and write this week’s column.
Dad says this is a real special week, the most important week in the whole church year. I know it must be very important because dad is out almost every evening this week.
In the first part of the week he had rehearsals and practices for the three days of special services in the second half of the week. It must all be very special because otherwise my dad wouldn’t leave me home all alone for so many nights.
My dad and me, we love to spend our time together in the evenings, especially after he has been at work all day. The best part of those nights together is I get treats and tummy rubs; I love treats and tummy rubs. Even after being out late at church, I know dad will give me my treats before lights out and beddie-bye time.
I know when this special time of year is coming because the cold dark nights grow warmer and days get lighter. I also know when these days come around because daddy is tenser and more tired at the end of the day. He tells me why these days are so important every year so I understand why he has to be at church with all of you for so long. These are the days daddy says that we remember how much Jesus loves us. “He loves us this much,” my dad says, as he stretches his arms wide like Jesus did on the cross, “even to the point of death, death on the cross.” Wow, I think in my little puppy head, that is a whole lot of love.
I know there are a lot of rituals and practices to these days; it is not like taking walks or getting treats, because dad makes sure I get walks and treats every day.
Holy Thursday
On Holy Thursday dad says we remember the Last Supper when Jesus said he would be with us through the bread and wine that is our Holy Communion. It scared me at first when daddy said it was the last supper, because I like supper a lot and can’t imagine there being no more suppers. But dad calmed my fears when he told me that Jesus’ last supper on earth becomes the unending supper we recall every time the Mass is celebrated. That means we will never be hungry again! Neath, huh?
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted washes the feet of parishioners during Holy Thursday Mass in this 2017 file photo. (Catholic Sun file photo)
My dad told me that on Holy Thursday we remember the example Jesus gave us of how to serve when he washed the feet of his disciples. Just like Jesus, he washes the feet of people form both of our parishes. I know that is very important to him because he practices on me every day. Each morning, rain or whine, when we return from our walk daddy gets down on his knees, grabs a towel hanging on a hook nearby and carefully wipes my four feet. Often the grass in the park is wet from early morning dew or from the sprinklers. Sometimes, being the furry little creature that I am, dad says I pick up debris form the park like lint is attracted to Velcro.
I love our little morning ritual, especially as dad puts his forehead on the top of my head as he wipes first my front paws and then the back. When he gets to my back paws, I nestle real close to him. I think daddy likes it when I cuddle close to him because after he wipes my feet, he gently uses the towel to give me tummy rubs. I like tummy rubs almost as much as I like treats! I know when our little ritual is over because daddy always kisses me on the top of the head before I scamper away.
Of course, I don’t go too far because when my dad gets back up, it is time for my first treat of the day and breakfast. It sure takes a lot longer than it used to for dad to get up off the floor and back upon his feet, but he says it is good practice for Holy Thursday, and practice makes perfect. I wonder how that works at church when he has to get up and down to wash a whole lot more feet.
Daddy also tells me about the foot washing when we watch TV in the evening. Sometimes when he is sitting on the sofa I will come up and lick his bare feet; I think daddy really likes that. I must do a good job because when I finish dad says, “Raphie, I should take you to church with me on Holy Thursday; you can wash and I’ll dry.” It would be so neat to help dad at church; I wonder if this will be the year.
Raphie, Fr. Ed Kaminski’s dog, can’t help but wonder if she’ll get to see inside church this Holy Week like the dogs during this Oct. 1, 2017 at St. Pierre D’Arene Church in Nice, France did. The animals and their owners celebrated the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. (CNS photo/Eric Gaillard, Reuters)
Final thoughts
Dad tells me about a lot of other neat things we only do during these special days. I know my dad would want me to encourage all of you to come to church for these special days of prayer that leads all the way up to the best day of the year, Easter Sunday!
It had been great talking with all you church people again, but this ole pup feels a nap coming on I am sending you all a lot of puppy prayers for a wonderful Holy Week and a beautiful Easter.
French police officers and investigators are seen March 23 at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes. Pope Francis joined leaders praising a French police officer who "gave his life out of a desire to protect people" during a terrorist attack.(CNS photo/Regis Duvignau, Reuters) See POPE-FRANCE-HERO March 26, 2018.
French police officers and investigators are seen March 23 at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes. Pope Francis joined leaders praising a French police officer who “gave his life out of a desire to protect people” during a terrorist attack.(Regis Duvignau/CNS via Reuters)
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis joined leaders praising a French police officer who “gave his life out of a desire to protect people” during a terrorist attack.
Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, 44, had convinced the gunman, identified as Redouane Lakdim, to allow him to take the place of a woman Lakdim was holding hostage March 23 in a grocery store in Trebes, a small town in southern France.
Lakdim had already killed the passenger in a car he had hijacked in the nearby town of Carcassonne and had shot at a group of police who were jogging near their barracks, injuring one of the officers. He then drove to the grocery store and reportedly entered shouting that he was part of the Islamic State group. Lakdim killed the store’s butcher and a shopper.
Although police managed to get Lakdim to let other shoppers leave, he kept one woman with him as a human shield. Beltrame offered to take her place and, media reported, he left his mobile phone on a table with an open line so that police outside could hear what was happening. When they heard more gunshots, the police stormed the supermarket and killed Lakdim. Beltrame was seriously wounded and died later in a local hospital.
Bishop Alain Planet of Carcassonne and Narbonne celebrated a memorial Mass for the police officer March 25 in Trebes. According to the BBC, the bishop compared Beltrame to St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died at the Nazi’s Auschwitz death camp in Poland after volunteering to take the place of another prisoner.
Pope Francis sent a message of condolence to Bishop Planet, expressing his sadness over what occurred, entrusting the victims to God’s mercy and praying for the families of the victims.
“I particularly recognize the generous and heroic act of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame who gave his life out of a desire to protect people,” the pope told the bishop.
“I condemn again such acts of indiscriminate violence which cause so much suffering,” the pope said, and pray to God for the gift of peace.
Cande de Leon is the executive director of the Office of Mission Advancement.
Without a doubt the Holy Spirit is bringing communities together through an encounter with God’s love via the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign. Many of us involved in the campaign have witnessed the Spirit moving in the hearts of parishioners, calling them to give generously and, in the process, uniting families and parishes in a deeper way.
This generosity has expanded outside the boundaries of these parishes, into an increased sense of our larger Catholic family in our Diocese. So often we get caught up in focusing only on our own needs or the needs of our parish communities, that we forget about the many people in our greater community who are also in need.
Nothing illustrated this to me more clearly than a young girl at a parish which recently participated in the campaign. She was so moved by her pastor’s invitation to participate that she committed to give a portion of her allowance to the campaign. It amazes me to see parishes and families, like this girl, eager to help those in need, even their brothers and sisters in Christ whom they may never have meet.
God is blessing the work of the campaign and the sacrifices of those who support it. Please join me in praying for every person in the diocese — our brothers and sisters in Christ — that this campaign can be a means to proclaiming the Gospel to those who have not yet heard it and bringing Christians to a deeper relationship with God.
Holy Spirit Newman Center chaplain Fr. Joseph Francis LePage, FHS, distributes ashes to Grand Canyon University students during the center's noon Ash Wednesday service in the 45-person chapel Feb. 14. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
El P. José Francisco distribuye cenizas a estudiantes en la capilla del Centre Newman para la Universidad Grand Canyon que solo se sienta a 45 personas. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
Holy Spirit Newman Center chaplain Fr. Joseph Francis LePage, FHS, distributes ashes to Grand Canyon University students during the center’s noon Ash Wednesday service in the 45-person chapel Feb. 14. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)MORE INFORMATION
With the Holy Spirit guiding them, Fr. Joseph Francis LePage, FHS, and his brother Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit are building and breathing life into the newly established Holy Spirit Newman Center at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
By the Numbers
20%
Of the more than 11,000 students at GCU are Catholic
25%
Annual rate at which the Newman Center community is growing
4-7
Years that Catholic population is expected to double
45
The number of people that can fit into the Newman Center chapel
12
Students participating in a spring break mission trip to the Philippines
6
People enrolled in the Newman Center RCIA program
According to a 2011 Pew Research study, the majority of people who leave their faith do so before the age of 23. Yet more than 100 students attend the GCU Newman Center Masses throughout the semester, 22 attend daily Mass and a consistent group also attend a communal Rosary, Bible studies and praise and worship events.
“It is our desire to help young people encounter Christ through His Church,” Fr. Joseph Francis said. “We believe that it is not simply a matter of devotion, but includes a personal relationship with God.”
The GCU Holy Spirit Newman Center has quickly grown from its beginnings in 2015. Their newly dedicated chapel, converted from a 2,500 square-foot home across from the university, holds only 45 students and is bursting at the seams. The recent Ash Wednesday service drew about 75 people, with students spilling into the kitchen and administrative office’s halls, Fr. Joseph Francis said.
“The Newman Center has been an amazing blessing to the Catholic community at GCU,” senior Benjamin Byrom said. “I remember just a few years ago we carpooled to Mass, and now we’re grateful to have access to the sacraments right across the street.”
The fruit of the Holy Spirit Newman Center doesn’t stop at Mass. There are six students now attending RCIA, there are three women exploring religious life and a student who was recently accepted as a seminarian for the diocese, a dedicated group of students involved in music ministry and an 18-person (including 12 students) spring break mission trip to the Philippines.
“The Newman Center has been the foundation in which I have been able to build a strong, personal relationship with the Holy Spirit,” said senior Marian Escio. “It has given me a community to fall back on, an opportunity to develop my spiritual gifts and a place to be free in my Catholic faith.”
With a rapidly expanding attendance and an upcoming growth expected for Grand Canyon University, the Newman Center hopes to use a nearby two-acre parcel of land and a $1.5 million endowment from the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign to build a larger chapel and student center to accommodate the growth.
“The Holy Spirit Newman Center encouraged me to form a personal relationship with every person of the Trinity, especially the Holy Spirit,” said sophomore Beatrice Berthiaume. “It has provided me with a Catholic community that I can call home while furthering my education at Grand Canyon University.”
According to Candelario de Leon, executive director of the Office of Mission Advancement, the work of the Holy Spirit Newman Center ministering to young adults matches well with the mission of discipleship and evangelization through the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign.
De Leon called the relationship between the Newman Center and Grand Canyon University, an interdenominational, Christian-run university, a “partnership in producing Christian, ethical, educated young adults to be leaders in society.”
“… We both share the same hope — to bring people to a personal relationship with Jesus and to share their gifts to the world,” de Leon said. “We stand shoulder to shoulder and respond to the needs of the young adults. It is an exciting thing.”
Fr. Joseph Francis said that the $1.5 million from the campaign will “give us a new home.”
“Starting from nothing, we are seeking to build a culture of praise to God,” Fr. Joseph Francis said, “one centered on Christ in the Eucharist and lived out through the sacraments. They are the breath of life for our youth who are so struggling with their faith lives.”
“The Newman Center is a place of spiritual comfort, where I can go whenever I need to recover from the stress of college life,” said freshman Thomas James. “Knowing that the community there is going to always be there for me has really strengthened my faith.”
Fr. Joseph Francis preaches to the assembly of students during the Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday service. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
El Padre José Francisco LePage, FHS, capellán del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo para la Universidad Grand Canyon, predica a la asamblea de estudiantes universitarios durante la Misa de Miércoles de Ceniza el 14 de febrero. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
El Padre José Francisco LePage, FHS, capellán del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo para la Universidad Grand Canyon, predica a la asamblea de estudiantes universitarios durante la Misa de Miércoles de Ceniza el 14 de febrero. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)MÁS INFORMACIÓN
Con el Espíritu Santo guiándoles, el Padre José Francisco LePage, FHS y sus Frailes Franciscanos del Espíritu Santo están construyendo y dando vida al recién creado Centro Newman Espíritu Santo en la Universidad Grand Canyon (conocido como GCU en inglés) en Phoenix.
Por los Números
20%
De los más de 11,000 estudiantes de CGU son católicos
4-7
Años se espera que doble la población católica
45
El número de personas que caben en la capilla del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo a GCU
25%
Tasa anual de crecimiento la comunidad Centro Newman Espíritu Santo
12
Estudiantes que están participando en un viaje misional a las Filipinas durante las vacaciones de primavera
6
Personas inscritas en el programa RICA del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo a GCU
Según un estudio de investigación del Centro de Investigaciones Pew en 2011, la mayoría de personas que abandonan su fe lo hacen antes de la edad de 23 años. Sin embargo, más de 100 estudiantes asisten a las Misas en el CGU Centro Newman durante el semestre, 22 asisten a Misa diaria y un grupo consistente también asiste a la recitación del Rosario, estudios bíblicos y eventos de alabanza y adoración.
“Es nuestro deseo ayudar a los jóvenes a encontrar a Cristo a través de su Iglesia”, dijo el P. José Francisco. “Creemos que no es simplemente una cuestión de dedicación, pero incluye una relación personal con Dios”.
El Centro Newman Espíritu Santo en GCU ha crecido rápidamente desde sus inicios en el año 2015. La capilla recién dedicada, en una casa convertida de 2,500 pies cuadrados frente a la universidad, tiene capacidad para solamente 45 estudiantes y está abarrotada. El reciente servicio de Miércoles de Ceniza atrajo a cerca de 75 personas, y varios estudiantes tuvieron que quedarse en la cocina y los pasillos de la oficina administrativa, dijo el P. José Francisco.
“El Centro Newman ha sido una bendición maravillosa a la comunidad católica a GCU”, dijo el estudiante Benjamin Byrom. “Recuerdo hace unos pocos años nos trasladábamos en auto a la Misa, y ya estamos agradecido para tener acceso a los sacramentos al otro lado de la calle”.
El fruto del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo no termina con la Misa. Hay seis estudiantes ahora asistiendo a clases de RICA, tres mujeres explorando la vida religiosa y un estudiante que recientemente fue aceptado como seminarista de la diócesis; hay un grupo de estudiantes involucrados en el ministerio de música y 18 personas (incluyendo 12 estudiantes) que están en un viaje misional en las Filipinas durante las vacaciones de primavera.
“El Centro Newman ha sido la fundación en la que he podido construir un relación fuerte y personal con el Espíritu Santo”, dijo la estudiante Marian Escio. “Me ha dado una comunidad para recurrir, una oportunidad para desarrollar mis regalos espirituales y un lugar para hacer libre en mi fe católica”.
Con una asistencia creciente y un esperado crecimiento de la Universidad Grand Canyon, el Centro Newman espera utilizar una parcela de tierra de dos hectáreas cerca y una donación de $1.5 millones de la campaña “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” para construir una capilla más grande y un centro de estudiantes para acomodar el crecimiento.
El P. José Francisco distribuye cenizas a estudiantes en la capilla del Centre Newman para la Universidad Grand Canyon que solo se sienta a 45 personas. (Billy Hardiman/CATHOLIC SUN)
“El Centro Newman Espíritu Santo me dio valor a formar una relación personal con cada persona de la Trinidad, especialmente el Espíritu Santo”, dijo estudiante Beatrice Berthiaume. “Me ha próvido con una comunidad católica que puedo llamar como un hogar mientras avanzar mi educación en la Universidad Grand Canyon”.
Según Candelario de León, director ejecutivo de la Oficina de Avance de la Misión, la obra del Centro Newman Espíritu Santo sirviendo a los jóvenes adultos coincide bien con la misión de discipulado y evangelización a través de la campaña “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante”.
De Leon describió la relación entre el Centro Newman y la Universidad Grand Canyon — una universidad interdenominacional dirigida por cristianos — una “asociación en la producción de jóvenes cristianos, éticos, educados para ser líderes en la sociedad”.
“… Ambos compartimos la misma esperanza — para traer la gente a una relación personal con Jesús y a compartir sus dones con el mundo,” dijo de Leon. “Estamos unidos hombro a hombro y respondemos a las necesidades de los adultos jóvenes. Es algo emocionante”.
El P. José Francisco dijo que los $1.5 millones de la campaña “nos dará un nuevo hogar”.
“A partir de nada, estamos tratando de construir una cultura de alabanza a Dios”, dijo el P. José Francisco. “Una centrada en Cristo en la Eucaristía y vivida a través de los sacramentos. Son el aliento de vida para nuestra juventud que están luchando con sus vidas de fe”.
“El Centro Newman es un lugar de comodidad espiritual, donde puedo ir cuando necesito recuperarse del estrés de la vida colegia”, dijo estudiante Thomas James. “Sabiendo que la comunidad siempre estará ahí para mí se ha fortalecido mi fe”.
What does this campaign mean to the Newman Center?
Fifty years ago, visionary people who valued college students got together and built the Newman Center. The opportunity before us is to show college students that they are important and [we will] provide for their spiritual needs for the next 50 years and beyond.
How did you get involved?
As the chaplain for the Newman Center, I see firsthand how important and effective outreach to our sons and daughters on the college campus is. These pivotal years set the trajectory for a life of faith, including the discernment of a marriage or religious vocation.
How does the campaign speak to evangelization and discipleship?
Recently, I was with 70 college students who see themselves as missionaries to their peers and beyond at 6:30 in the morning praying a Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Newman Centers invite young people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, and provide them the tools that lead to a lifetime of discipleship and evangelization.
Staff and volunteers of the André House community pray the 13th Station of the Cross in downtown Phoenix on Good Friday 2017. (courtesy photo)
Rosary for Life @11 a.m. in Glendale
The annual Rosary will be held outside of the Glendale Planned Parenthood facility, which will be among nearly 100 locations where some form of prayer is taking place as part of the Pro-Life Action League’s Way of the Cross for Victims of Abortion. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will lead the Glendale prayer.
“Good Friday marks the bleak day that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross as an innocent victim,” remarked Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League and national coordinator of the event. “Two thousand years later, innocent unborn children made in His image are suffering and dying every day through abortion. Through our Way of the Cross prayer vigil, we forge a spiritual link between Jesus on the Cross and the unborn victims of abortion.”
Scheidler observed, “We hear cries for social justice all around us—and we should heed them all. Christ identified Himself with the prisoner, the homeless, the immigrant. But He also identified Himself with the unborn when he became incarnate as an unborn child. No matter how many poor and downtrodden people we help, this will never be a truly just and compassionate society until every unborn child is welcomed into the human family.”
Stations of the Cross uplifting the homeless community @5:30 p.m. in Phoenix
André House invites the faithful to join staff and volunteers for its Holy Week “Stations of the Cross” pilgrimage through the downtown homeless community. Look for the cross, symbolic of Christ’s lasts days and journey to crucifixion, outside of the Arizona State Capital on Good Friday to begin the journey.
Stations of the Cross begin at 5:30 p.m. in the main 17th Avenue parking lot and continues at poignant stations nearby including “The Zone,” a present day Calvary for many. The walk is not a dry history but a living witness to the ways in which Christ continues to be condemned and crucified in His people, an André House press release said. Staff invites the community to reflect upon where else Christ is crucified today.
Other stops or “stations” along the way include the Human Services Campus that houses CASS (county shelter), Lodestar Day Resource Center and St. Vincent de Paul. There is also a stop at André House. All are locations that provide services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Included are stops at locations that house systems known to put up barriers to those who want to escape poverty and homelessness. The walk will loop back around to the State Capital.
There will also be Holy Thursday “Washing of the Feet” at André House Hospitality Center, 213 S. 11th Ave. These washings are intimate moments where there is a unique opportunity to serve Andre House guests by taking care of and washing their feet before they enter for dinner. Shifts are 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 29 and a handful of slots might still be available.
Joe Zevuloni weeps Feb. 16 in front of a cross placed in a park to commemorate the victims of the shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. At least 17 people were killed in the Feb. 14 shooting. The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody. (CNS photo/Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters)
Flowers and candles, including one with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, adorn a cross in a Parkland, Fla., park Feb. 16. The display was put up to commemorate the victims of the Feb. 14 shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left at least 17 people dead. The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody. (CNS photo/Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters)
“I’m not going to lie to you,” the nurse said. “This won’t be easy. But we do this all day, every day. You’re in good hands. And we’re going to be right there with you.”
Those were the words spoken to me last month, just minutes before they wheeled me into the operating room for a procedure to repair a longstanding problem with my heart.
I was awake for the first hour as the doctor inserted a tube into a large vein in my leg and threaded it through to the trouble spot — some bad circuitry that was causing increasingly severe episodes of arrhythmia. “This is the hard part,” the nurse said. “Just call my name if the pain is too much.”
Joyce Coronel is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun and author of “Cry of Ninevah.” Opinions expressed are the writers’ and not necessarily the views of The Catholic Sun or the Diocese of Phoenix.
That’s when I felt the prayers of family and friends buoy me. I was making my way through the Rosary when suddenly I sensed Our Lord Jesus standing right beside me. His was the name I called on, His the sure and steady hand that calmed me.
And that’s how my Lent began this year. It had me pondering the words of Ezekiel 16:9: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
God’s people had turned to idolatry. They had desecrated His name and turned from serving Him. But God’s mercy was greater than their sin. He loved them and promised to renew them and restore them.
I was home recovering on Ash Wednesday when a gunman walked into a high school in Parkland, Florida, and murdered 17 students and staff. On a day when we’re called to turn from sin and rededicate ourselves to following Christ, our nation was once again mourning the loss of life, once again roiled in debate over gun control, mental health and the dissolution of the family and communities. I don’t pretend to understand all the complexities of the crisis or how we can solve it. But I do know one thing: America has changed and it’s not for the best.
Nearly one in four Americans belong to a growing segment Pew Research labels “nones,” those who proclaim no allegiance to any church. Membership in service organizations is down and only one in four Americans actively volunteers in the community. The average American, according to a 2016 report by Nielsen, spends 4.5 hours a day watching television.
Let the politicians argue and wring their hands. The truth is we’re facing a heart problem. Our heart is not beating in sync with God’s heart. A vocal minority has intimidated many Christians into silence.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th century French statesman, famously observed: “Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. … America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
It’s time for America to receive a new heart from the Divine Physician. Idolatry has turned our hearts to stone, has blinded us to the suffering of others and our need to repent. We’ve become addicted to our devices and spend more time looking at them than into the eyes of our families, neighbors and co-workers (of course, they are mostly staring at their devices, too).
Joe Zevuloni weeps Feb. 16 in front of a cross placed in a park to commemorate the victims of the shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. At least 17 people were killed in the Feb. 14 shooting. The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody. (CNS photo/Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters)
The debate over these horrific shootings will continue. There isn’t an easy fix. But I propose a revolution of sorts to chip away at the root cause: a hardening of hearts, a turning away from God and the crumbling of families and communities. Let us rededicate ourselves to love and serving others, to being good neighbors and parishioners, involved in our communities, seeking out the lost. Let’s put away the phones and devices and turn off the television for at least one hour a day so we can share a meal together. Let’s reconnect. We weren’t made to be loners, zombies staring at screens. We were made for love.
I’m not going to lie to you. This won’t be easy. But we’re in good hands and Our Lord Jesus will be with us every step of the way. His is the name we need to call on, His the steady hand that will calm us. His mercy is greater than our sins and He will restore us.
Pope Francis carries palm fronds in procession as he celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 25.(Paul Haring/CNS) See POPE-PALM-SUNDAY March 25, 2018.
Pope Francis carries palm fronds in procession as he celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 25. (Paul Haring/CNS)
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass with thousands of young people, Pope Francis urged them to continue singing and shouting “hosanna” in the world, proclaiming the lordship of Jesus and following His example of outreach to the poor and suffering.
The crowd that shouted “hosanna” as Jesus entered Jerusalem included all those for whom Jesus was a source of joy, those He healed and forgave, and those He welcomed after they had been excluded from society, the pope said in his homily March 25.
But others were irritated by Jesus and tried to silence His followers, the pope said. In the same way, people today will try to silence young people who continue to follow Jesus, because “a joyful young person is hard to manipulate.”
“There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible,” the pope said. There are “many ways to anesthetize them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive.”
Pope Francis asked the young people “not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”
Gabriella Zuniga, 16, and her sister Valentina Zuniga, 15, were among the thousands in St. Peter’s Square. The sisters, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, had participated March 24 in the local Rome “March for Our Lives,” calling for gun control.
The Palm Sunday Mass marked the local celebration of World Youth Day and included the more than 300 young adults who, at the Vatican’s invitation, had spent a week discussing the hopes, desires and challenges facing the world’s young people and ways the Catholic Church should respond.
At the end of the Mass, they formally presented their final document to the pope; it will be used, along with input from the world’s bishops’ conferences, in drafting the working document for the Synod of Bishops in October, which will focus on young people, faith and vocational discernment.
Holding five-foot tall palm branches, the young adults led the procession to the obelisk in the center of St. Peter’s Square. They were joined by others carrying olive branches and by bishops and cardinals holding “palmurelli,” which are intricately woven palm fronds.
In his homily, Pope Francis said that the Palm Sunday Mass, which begins with the singing of “hosanna” and then moves to the reading of Jesus’ passion, combines “stories of joy and suffering, mistakes and successes, which are part of our daily lives as disciples. “
Youths carry palm fronds in procession at the start of Palm Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 25. (Paul Haring/CNS)
The acclamation of the crowd praising Jesus as He enters Jerusalem gives way to the shouts of “crucify Him” as Jesus’ suffering and death draw near, the pope noted. “It somehow expresses the contradictory feelings that we too, the men and women of today, experience: the capacity for great love, but also for great hatred; the capacity for courageous self-sacrifice, but also the ability to ‘wash our hands.’”
The Gospel also demonstrates how the joy Jesus awakened in some is “a source of anger and irritation for others,” Pope Francis said, and the same is true today.
Joy is seen in all those “who had followed Jesus because they felt his compassion for their pain and misery,” the pope said. “How could they not praise the One who had restored their dignity and hope? Theirs is the joy of so many forgiven sinners who are able to trust and hope once again.”
But others in Jerusalem, “those who consider themselves righteous and ‘faithful’ to the law and its ritual precepts” and “those who have forgotten the many chances they themselves had been given” find such joy intolerable, the pope said.
“How hard it is for the comfortable and the self-righteous to understand the joy and the celebration of God’s mercy,” he said. “How hard it is for those who trust only in themselves, and look down on others, to share in this joy.”
Nick Lopez, a youth delegate from the United States participating in the Vatican’s pre-synod meeting, walks in procession at the start of Palm Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 25. (Paul Haring/CNS)
The shouts of “crucify Him” did not begin spontaneously, the pope said, but were incited by those who slandered and gave false witness against Jesus, “‘spinning’ facts and painting them such that they disfigure the face of Jesus and turn Him into a ‘criminal.’”
Theirs, he said, was “the voice of those who twist reality and invent stories for their own benefit, without concern for the good name of others” and “the cry of those who have no problem in seeking ways to gain power and to silence dissonant voices.”
Pope Francis told the young people gathered in the square that in the face of such attempts to demolish hope, kill dreams and suppress joy, Christians must look to Christ’s cross and “let ourselves be challenged by His final cry. He died crying out His love for each of us: young and old, saints and sinners, the people of His times and of our own.”
“We have been saved by His cross, and no one can repress the joy of the Gospel,” he said. “No one, in any situation whatsoever, is far from the Father’s merciful gaze.”
