December 2024 - The Coming of Christ

A P U B LI CAT I ON OF T H E D I O C E S E O F SH R E V E P O R T

CATHOLIC CONNECTION VOL. 34 NO. 5 | DECEMBER 2024

The Coming of Christ DECEMBER 2024 1

CATHOLIC CONNECTION PUBLISHER

Bishop Francis I. Malone

EDITOR

Kirsten Shrewsberry

DECEMBER 2024 Volume 34, Number 5 THE COMING OF CHRIST

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention For The Month Of December FOR PILGRIMS OF HOPE

EDITORIAL BOARD

We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthen our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope.

Cover photo is an original painting by St. Joseph Catholic School student, Justin Copeland, 8th Grade.

SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADDRESS CHANGES Blanca Vice bvice@dioshpt.org 318-868-4441

Very Rev. Msgr. Matthew T. Long

SUBMISSIONS

Kirsten Shrewsberry doseditor@dioshpt.org Rev. Kevin Mues

The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Media Association.

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’ Protecting God’s Children program (www.virtus.org). Online sessions are available. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call your local law enforcement agency and Mary Arcement Alexander, Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 318-588-2120. Thank you for helping to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.

Dcn. Charles Thomas, OFS

Rosalba Quiroz

The Catholic Connection is funded in part by a grant from Catholic Home Missions and donations to the Catholic Service Appeal.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Catholic Service Appeal, mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport. Our mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ’s teachings and our Church’s mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and faith community.

Karla Alvarez

CONTRIBUTORS Cheryl White, Ph.D. Rev. Joe Martina Lucy Medvec Jack Latta Karen Dill Tristan Frisk Dcn. Matthew Glover Very Rev. Peter B. Mangum

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Julia Pettiette Doolin, Ph.D. Mike Van Vranken Delia Barr Mike Cooper Cassandra Key Addison Hollis Diane Libro S. Germain Cassiere

DECEMBER SECOND COLLECTIONS December 7/8 – Retirement Fund for Religious This fund distributes financial assistance to religious institutes based on a formula and criteria approved by the conferences of major superiors and bishops. Our diocese receives a significant grant from this national collection.

December 24/25 – Diocesan Mission Infirm Priests' Fund Funds from this Collection provide care for our retired and infirm priests, who deserve our support and compassion as they seek a life after service to God’s people. 100% of this Collection remains in our diocese.

DECEMBER SUNDAY 1

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Bishop Francis I. Malone

Fr. Kevin Mues

MONDAY 2

Msgr. Matthew T. Long

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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fr. Duane Trombetta

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

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Saint Francis Xavier, Priest Msgr. Rothell Price

Our Lady of Loreto Fr. Calistus Barasa Makokha

Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church Fr. Gabriel Cisneros Campos

Saint Damasus I, Pope Fr. Fidel Mondragón

Fr. Kelby Tingle

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fr. Jerry Daigle

Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting; New Orleans, 2:00 PM

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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Saint Nicholas, Bishop Fr. Nicholas Duncan

Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Fr. John Paul Crispin

Episcopal Support Pause Gathering; Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center, New Orleans

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Fr. Do Minh Vu

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Fr. James McLelland, Fr. Karl Daigle

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The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Fr. Adrian Fischer, Fr. Patrick Madden Mass in Celebration of Opening the Holy Door for the Jubilee Year; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 5:30 PM Feasts & Solemnities Priest(s) in the Diocese of Shreveport to pray for daily

Bishop Malone's Calendar Special Events in the Diocese of Shreveport

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Fr. Tobias Omondi Obado

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Saint John of Kanty, Priest Fr. Mark Watson, Fr. Charles Glorioso

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Fr. Philip Michiels, Msgr. Earl Provenza

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Fr. Michael Thang’wa

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Fr. Peter Romanus Mallya

Mass of Thanksgiving honoring Seminarian Burse Program Donors; St. Vincent’s Chapel, Catholic Center, Shreveport; 5:30 PM

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Fr. Timothy Hurd, Fr. Peter Mangum

Christmas Eve Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, 4:00 PM

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Fr. Joseph Martina, Fr. James Moran

Fr. Jean Bosco Uwamungu

Saint Stephen, The First Martyr Fr. James Dominic Thekkemury, Fr. LaVerne “Pike” Thomas

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Fr. Charles Ssennyondo

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Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist Fr. Richard Norsworthy, Fr. Rigoberto Betancurt Cortés

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Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Fr. Raney Johnson

Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church Fr. Keith Garvin Seminarian All Star Game; Loyola College Prep Gymnasium; 10:00 AM Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 4:00 PM

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Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church Fr. Mark Franklin, Fr. Joseph Maddala

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The Holy Innocents, Martyrs Fr. Joseph Ampatt

FOR MORE EVENTS CHECK OUT THE AROUND THE DIOCESE SECTION ON PAGE 30

All deceased priests of the Diocese of Shreveport

SUGGESTED PRAYER FOR OUR PRIESTS:

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.

Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.

Especially ___________________________________ (insert name(s) here) Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.

DECEMBER 2024 3

DECEMBER

CONTENTS

From the Bishop

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Pilgrims of Hope! Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year to be 09 held at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, By Cheryl White, Ph.D.

Preparing for Christ By Rev. Joe Martina

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Gifts of Faith Preapre the Way By Lucy Medvec

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Fall Quarter Updates from FOCUS Ministry

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Waiting for Amazement By Karen Dill

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Lead Us to Wonder By Tristan Frisk

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The Grinch, Christ, and Christmas

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By Jack Latta

By Dcn. Matthew Glover

The Shreveport Martyrs By Very Rev. Peter B. Mangum 18 Christmas Lullaby By Julia Pettiette Doolin, Ph.D.

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Preparing for the Surprise! By Mike Van Vranken

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I'm Not Rushing, Are You? By Delia Barr

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Seminarian Burses

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School News

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The Watchmen By S. Germain Cassiere

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Welcoming Jesus with Service By Diane Libro

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Around the Diocese

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Bishop Malone and Justin Copeland

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Of more than two dozen entries, St. Joseph Catholic School eighth grade student, Justin Copeland, was selected as the winner of the student art contest for Bishop Malone's annual Christmas Card and the December Catholic Connection cover art! Thank you to all students who submitted art.

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FOCUSing on Campus Ministry at Louisiana Tech University

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The Grinch, Christ, and Christmas

Guest writer, Deacon Matt Glover shares insight from his experience with becoming a father.

FROM THE EDITOR “BUT MARY TREASURED ALL THESE WORDS AND PONDERED THEM IN HER HEART.” -LUKE 2:19 I’m very good at trusting God’s will until I have to trust Him beyond my plans. It’s easy to say, “Jesus, I trust you” when your life is going how you intended it to; it’s much harder when things aren’t as you expected.

Next month, my family and I will move out of state for my husband’s work. We’ve been blessed to have such a wonderful home, parish, and group of friends here in Shreveport that the move is bittersweet.

When we found out we were moving, my bible study group was studying Mary’s life. During the study, we kept coming back to how, when confronted with news or something she didn’t understand, she “pondered them in her heart.” I thought this was so profound. As we read those words repeatedly, I sat with the news I was unsettled by, and here our Heavenly Mother was showing me how to respond. God did not forsake Mary when He asked her to be the mother to Jesus, nor did He leave her when she traveled to Bethlehem and gave birth to the Christ child in the manger. God is always with us, asking us to trust in His plan, regardless of what we planned or expected.

Can I make a small request? Please pray for my family as we make this transition. Pray for our diocese as we all prepare for the coming of Christ. I look forward with joy to this Christmas season, and I hope you know I am praying for you all.

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Christmas Lullaby

DECEMBER 2024 5

FROM THE BISHOP Those who live in my Shreveport neighborhood will certainly know who I am referring to below, but I have no idea of their names. In short, one family decorates their home for the more festive occasions we celebrate each year, particularly Halloween and Christmas. They really go “over the top” with their decorations, with every branch of every tree full of lights and signs of the season. The first time I noticed their yard, I was drawn – not just to their yard, but to their neighbor’s yard as well. The difference between them was like night to day: it had no decorations, just a simple large placard with an arrow pointing to the decorated yard and the word “DITTO.” It would seem that simple sign accomplishes the same purpose as the ornate one, except that people point to the fully decorated yard rather than the one with no decorations. I guess it saves the second neighbor a lot of time, while also adding to the festivity of their homes.

As children growing up, our Christmas decorations were put up only a short time before the actual day. Our preChristmas days were busy with cleaning the house and getting it ready for the actual day. I remember clearly that nothing of the holiday was put up until a day or two beforehand – we did not get to enjoy decorations until that morning. My parents waited until we went to bed on Christmas Eve before transforming the house into holiday cheer. The preparation and morning decorations are special memories for my family, and they still delight us as we recall what Christmas was like for us as children.

Also vivid in my memory are the religious decorations: the creche, the stable with the straw, and the animals that feel just perfect for Christmas morning, with reverent music playing in the background. It seemed strange that so many neighbors decorated their homes with holly and 6

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lights long before December 25. Having to wait until that morning to enjoy the fullness of Christmas made the day all the more special and festive for our family.

The Nativity scene was central in all the decorations, perfectly positioned on our mantel, and the scent of pine lent the perfect atmosphere. My parents made it clear to us that waiting until the last moment to enjoy this holy day was the perfect way to focus on the birth of Christ and His coming among us – and it was the only way for us to truly celebrate this holiest of times in our home.

Of course, many years have passed since those early memories, but to this very day, my siblings have kept the tradition of Christmas’ sights and sounds so that its true meaning is always put in perfect focus for us as we celebrate it. Christmas after Christmas, we were reminded that these days were always about Christ, and it was always about what His coming into our world is supposed to mean for us. We did not celebrate the day until it came, and nothing of the day made its appearance until that morning, which gives me the annual opportunity, by written word and holy day sermon, to remind others: “It’s always about Jesus, it’s always about the Christ,” and everything else pales by comparison. I guess that is why Christmas stands out among all the other festive times of the year. Might I suggest that as it approaches, some days faster than others, the true meaning of what the tree, the lights, the creche, and all that Christmas are about are centered on the powerful title given to the Lord when this holy holiday comes our way: “Emmanuel… God with us!”

por el obispo

LOS QUE VIVEN EN MI VECINDARIO DE SHREVEPORT SABRÁN SIN DUDA A QUIÉN ME REFIERO A CONTINUACIÓN, PERO NO TENGO NI IDEA DE SUS NOMBRES. En resumen, una familia decora

su casa para las ocasiones más festivas que celebramos cada año, sobre todo Halloween y Navidad. Realmente se pasan con sus decoraciones, con cada rama de cada árbol llena de luces y signos de la temporada. La primera vez que me fijé en su jardín, me sentí atraído, no sólo por el suyo, sino también por el de su vecino. La diferencia entre ellos era como de la noche al día: no tenía adornos, sólo un simple cartel grande con una flecha que apuntaba al patio decorado y la palabra «DITTO». Parece que ese sencillo cartel cumple el mismo propósito que el adornado, salvo que la gente señala el patio totalmente decorado en lugar del que no tiene adornos. Supongo que ahorra mucho tiempo al segundo vecino, al tiempo que contribuye a la festividad de sus hogares.

Cuando éramos niños, los adornos navideños se colocaban poco antes del día de Navidad. Los días prenavideños los dedicábamos a limpiar la casa y prepararla para el día de Navidad. Recuerdo claramente que no se ponía nada de la fiesta hasta uno o dos días antes: no disfrutábamos de los adornos hasta esa mañana. Mis padres esperaban hasta que nos íbamos a la cama en la víspera de Navidad antes de transformar la casa en alegría navideña. Los preparativos y la decoración de la mañana son recuerdos especiales para mi familia, y aún nos deleitan cuando recordamos cómo era la Navidad para nosotros cuando éramos niños.

También están vivos en mi memoria los adornos religiosos: el pesebre, el establo con la paja y los animales que parecen perfectos para la mañana de Navidad, con música reverente sonando de fondo. Me parecía extraño que tantos vecinos decoraran sus casas con acebo y luces mucho antes del 25 de diciembre. Tener que esperar hasta esa mañana para disfrutar plenamente de la Navidad hizo que el día fuera aún más especial y festivo para nuestra familia.

El Nacimiento ocupaba un lugar central en toda la decoración, perfectamente colocado en nuestra repisa de la chimenea, y el aroma a pino aportaba el ambiente perfecto. Mis padres nos dejaron claro que esperar hasta el último momento para disfrutar de este día sagrado era la manera perfecta de centrarnos en el nacimiento de Cristo y su venida entre nosotros, y era la única forma de celebrar de verdad este momento tan sagrado en nuestro hogar.

Por supuesto, han pasado muchos años desde aquellos primeros recuerdos, pero hasta el día de hoy, mis hermanos han mantenido la tradición de las imágenes y sonidos de la Navidad para que su verdadero significado esté siempre perfectamente enfocado para nosotros cuando la celebramos. Navidad tras Navidad, se nos recordaba que estos días siempre tenían que ver con Cristo, y siempre se trataba de lo que su venida a nuestro mundo debía significar para nosotros. No celebramos el día hasta que llegó, y nada del día hizo su aparición hasta esa mañana, lo que me da la oportunidad anual, por palabra escrita y sermón de día santo, de recordar a los demás: «Siempre se trata de Jesús, siempre se trata de Cristo» y todo lo demás palidece en comparación. Supongo que por eso la Navidad destaca entre todas las demás épocas festivas del año. Me permito sugerir que a medida que se acerca, algunos días más rápido que otros, el verdadero significado de lo que el árbol, las luces, el creche, y todo lo que la Navidad se centran en el poderoso título dado al Señor cuando esta santa fiesta viene a nuestro camino: «Emmanuel... ¡Dios con nosotros!».

Para obtener más información sobre las oportunidades del Ministerio Multicultural en la Diócesis de Shreveport y para encontrar nuestros horarios y lugares de misa en español, por favor escanee el código aquí.

DECEMBER 2024 7

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PILGRIMS OF HOPE! Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year to be Held at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans summarizing the Jubilee’s theme and its imagery as a ship with an anchor, attended by pilgrims: “The image of the anchor is eloquent; it helps us to recognize the stability and security that is ours amid the troubled waters of this life, provided we entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus. The storms that buffet us will never prevail, for we are firmly anchored in the hope born of grace, which enables us to live in Christ and to overcome sin, fear and death. This hope, which transcends life’s fleeting pleasures and the achievement of our immediate goals, makes us rise above our trials and difficulties, and inspires us to keep pressing forward, never losing sight of the grandeur of the heavenly goal to which we have been called.

POPE FRANCIS DECLARED A JUBILEE YEAR FOR THE CHURCH FROM DECEMBER 24, 2024 TO DECEMBER 28, 2025! Earlier this year, the Holy Father

presided over the public delivery and reading of Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint, Romans 5:5), the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year, and he exhorted the world to contemplate its theme: Pilgrims of Hope.

For the Jubilee Year, all four major basilicas of Rome will have Holy Doors, encouraging pilgrimages to the Apostolic See. Pope Francis also decreed that all cathedrals around the world celebrate a special opening Mass for the Jubilee on Sunday, December 29, 2024. Bishop Francis Malone will preside at the 5:30 p.m. Mass on that date for the Diocese of Shreveport, and the entire diocese is invited and encourage to attend.

The Church has celebrated a Jubilee Year every 25 years since 1470, when Pope Paul II reduced it from every 50 years. Pope Boniface VIII initiated the first Holy Year in 1300. Sometimes, the Church called for extraordinary celebrations, such as in 2016 when Pope Francis called for the “Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.”

In the Bull of Indiction, Pope Francis calls the faithful to several aspects of the theme: hope as both a sign of God’s grace and a journey of the soul. He specifically cites the unique occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and, a central milestone in the Church’s life, the drafting of the Nicene Creed. He concludes by

"The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth (cf. 2 Pet 3:13), where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfilment of the Lord’s promises.

"Let us even now be drawn to this hope! Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: 'Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!' (Ps 27:14). May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory, now and forever.”

You can read the entire “Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025” titled “Spes Non Confundit” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”) at bit.ly/JubileeYear2025.

Let us venture into this new Jubilee, confident in God’s love for us, petitioning with expectant hope for His intervention in our lives and our faithful response, and striving to respond so that others also turn the focus of their life’s journey from the trials of this world to reaching the port of heaven.

Cheryl White, Ph.D. is a professor of history at Louisiana State University, Shreveport.

DECEMBER 2024 9

Preparing for Christ ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS ARE MANY PEOPLE’S FAVORITE SEASONS, OFTEN SUMMARIZED FOR US AS “THE COMING OF CHRIST.” Advent is the season

when we are to prepare for Christ’s coming, reminded by the powerful figure of the expectant Blessed Virgin Mary that we are to anticipate His arrival. Christmas is the season when we are to welcome Christ into our hearts, lives and world.

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We celebrate these two seasons in various ways. Culturally, we decorate our homes, play festive music, gather with friends and family, share meals, and exchange gifts. As a Church family, we gather for Advent and Christmas liturgies Nativity plays, and other types of fellowship.

All those celebrations are beautiful and meaningful. They enhance and enrich our lives and strengthen our relationships with those we love.

However, there is an additional, more essential, way to celebrate these seasons: spiritually, growing closer to the Lord. To become more faithful Catholics, disciples, we need to make our spiritual growth a priority in these two seasons.the Lord through Advent and Christmas and become a more faithful Catholic, a more faithful disciple, we need to make our spiritual growth a priority in these two seasons.

December is among the year’s most hectic months, but there remain ways to take a few minutes to ask the Lord for help in growing spiritually.

We can: • Attend daily Mass more frequently • Go to Confession more regularly • Read about Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke’s gospels (chapters 1 and 2 in each) • Pray the rosary more regularly, focusing particularly on the mysteries of Advent and Christmas which are contained in the Joyful Mysteries.

In these and other ways, we ask Christ to come more fully into our hearts and lives during these sacred seasons.

Remember this about the Coming of the Lord: Our Catholic understanding of the Lord’s presence in the world differs from our Protestant brothers and sisters. Like us, they understand that Jesus is with us spiritually, but we Catholics see one step further.

We recognize that Jesus is also with

us physically in the Holy Eucharist, residing in our tabernacles around the world.

As Catholics, we do not need to wait for Christmas to celebrate the Coming of Christ — at every Mass, we celebrate the Lord’s coming when the Holy Spirit transforms bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood. At every consecration, the Lord in His Real Presence comes into our world; and by receiving Holy Communion, we welcome the Lord into our hearts and lives.

Therefore, we Catholics are not waiting for Christ the Lord to return as though He is not physically with us. He is ALREADY with us in the Eucharist and in our tabernacles.

We celebrate the coming of the Lord at every Mass, as He comes to us and gives Himself to us under the form of Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharist.

Our prayer for Advent and Christmas and ANY day of the year can be, “Lord, please come MORE FULLY into our hearts and into our lives.”

THAT is the Coming of the Lord that we can celebrate year-round.

Rev. Joe Martina is the pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Monroe.

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Gifts of Faith Prepare the Way

"FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, AND THIS IS NOT FROM YOU; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD" -EPHESIANS 2:8.

When I think of the Advent and Christmas seasons, I think of all the ways that faith is present. I think of the young Virgin Mary putting her faith – and all of her trust – in the Lord and the plan He had for her. There is the faith of Joseph that guides him to take Mary as his wife even when she is carrying a child. The shepherds showed faith in following the star to the manger in Bethlehem, and in turn, the three wise men traveled many miles to pay homage to the new king – still a young child.

Faith isn’t just present during the holidays; it is with us all the time. Faith guides us, it strengthens us, and it comforts us. When we have faith, we feel safe.

Each year, the Diocese of Shreveport takes a leap of faith and asks you to support our ministries through the Catholic Service Appeal. Without your support, the ministries that build our faith are unable to grow and thrive. Your gift of any amount touches the lives of thousands of Catholics across North Louisiana.

Think of our six seminarians – our future priests – who need your support and prayers in order to serve out their

Scan here to make your year-end donation to the Catholic Service Appeal!

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vocation. Each of these young men have put their faith in the people of this diocese to support their education and formation through a donation to the Catholic Service Appeal. They cannot do it on their own.

What about our retired priests who also receive support from the Catholic Service Appeal? These faithful men have given their lives to God and in service to us, and it is through your donations that they can live their life peacefully in retirement.

Thousands of children attend our Catholic schools. Funds from the Catholic Service Appeal provide scholarships for families in need, necessary resources, and training for teachers.

Donations to the Catholic Service Appeal fund many other ministries across our diocese, including multicultural ministry, diocesan youth activities, college campus ministry, this and every issue of the Catholic Connection magazine, pro-life programs, and St. Vincent de Paul — so many worthy causes that benefit from gifts of faith.

If you made a donation to the 2024 Catholic Service Appeal, thank you! If you have not yet made a gift, it is not too late. We are deep into the “season of giving,” and you can make a difference when you share your gifts from God. Please include the Catholic Service Appeal when you make your end-of-year donations. Share your gift of faith.

Lucy Medvec is the Director of Development and Stewardship for the Diocese of Shreveport.

FOCUSing on Campus Ministry at Louisiana Tech FALL QUARTER AT LOUISIANA TECH IS FINISHING UP, AND WITH FOCUS HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A YEAR HERE, THE OUTREACH TO STUDENTS ACROSS CAMPUS TOOK OFF VERY QUICKLY! During Welcome

Week in September, the Association of Catholic Tech Students (ACTS) hosted events every night to bring new people in, and trivia night (two nights before classes) had a turnout of 120 people – over double what was expected. Consistently, the turnout at events was up from years past, including Wednesday night student Daily Mass!

Throughout the quarter, ACTS and FOCUS hosted events like tailgates, service projects, movie nights, and meals. Bible studies also took off as some student leaders began reaching out to their peers across campus that the missionaries alone could not reach.

As the quarter winds down, many student leaders are inviting their friends in Bible study to make Jesus Christ the center of their lives and beginning to lead them in discipleship! It has already been a very blessed and fruitful year, and this is just the first of three quarters.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 17 students led Bible studies in

the fall quarter.

• 26 total Bible studies groups were formed including ones lead by FOCUS missionaries.

• 6 new student-led Bible studies will begin in the winter quarter.

• 180+ students have attended a Bible study.

• 63 LA Tech students signed up to attend SEEK25 (4x as many as attended SEEK24) • 11 students attended the Father’s House Retreat in Abbeville.

Jack Latta is the team director for Louisiana Tech University FOCUS Ministry.

DECEMBER 2024 13

Waiting for Amazement THIS SEASON OF ADVENT THAT WE’RE ENTERING IS EXHAUSTING IN TODAY’S FRENZIED CULTURE.

Traffic gets noisier, commercials and ads bombard us, calendars fill up with celebratory events. Days fly by as we hurriedly prepare for the holidays ahead. Or maybe not. For many, this is a season of painful memories as we mourn the passing of loved ones while bravely trying to keep up the pace. Whether our lives become frantic or filled with grief, our spirituality can become a matter of checking off another duty on a long list of tasks.

When I find myself caught up in the hustle, I intentionally carve out quiet time to spend in Ignatian meditation. I open the Bible to the infancy narratives in Matthew or Luke, beg God for the grace of peace and intimacy, then read the age-old story of Jesus’ birth, using my five senses to place myself somewhere in those scenes.

Maybe I’m Elizabeth, experiencing the joy mixed with confusion at the idea of an unexpected blessing when I had given up hope. What have I given up hope about in these past few months? Or I place myself in Mary’s shoes, surprised by the announcement of an angel and pondering what this all means. Am I willing to follow her example and “let it be done to me” even if I can’t begin to understand what He’s asking of me? Then there’s Joseph, a faithful man whose plans were interrupted in a puzzling way, am I willing to trust the Lord even in moments of upheaval and uncertainty?

Sometimes, I stop for an imagined conversation with these saints. How did it feel to have God intervene in your lives in such surprising ways? All three of them had to wait to see what God had in store for them. Waiting never comes easy to me. I’m always tempted to make things happen according to my own timeline. What am I waiting for during this Advent? Do I have the faith to accept whatever is heading my way?

Other people enter the picture, such as the innkeeper at Bethlehem. How did he feel about turning away a man 14

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whose wife was in labor? Have I ever turned Jesus away when He appears in the form of other people whose purpose or dignity I overlook? Consider the shepherds on the outskirts of town. What was it like to see the night sky filled with God’s glory and to hear the angel announcing good news which will bring great joy to all – the birth of their Savior, the One they had heard about in synagogues since they were youngsters? Would I be willing to spread this good news immediately to anyone I encountered?

Luke 2:19 "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." Light a candle, turn on quiet music, like the first movements in Handel’s “Messiah” or Gregorian chants, take deep breaths, and think deeply about any of the beautiful passages in the Nativity story. Then be still, and wait to hear from God. I promise that your stess levels will go down as your heart fills up with this wonderful message of His promised redemption.

Isaiah 9:2 announces: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Try to name the recent darkness you have been walking in. Then trust in the promise that Jesus makes in John 8:12, "“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 5: 14-15: You are the light of the world. … Let your light shine in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Let this quiet time of immersion in the Christmas story fill your soul with peace and joy and amazement at the wonderful idea of God becoming incarnate in the person of Jesus.

Karen Dill is a spiritual director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Lead Us To Wonder “…THE WORD OF GOD WAS MADE MAN, AND HE WHO WAS THE SON OF GOD BECAME THE SON OF MAN, THAT MAN, HAVING BEEN TAKEN INTO THE WORD, AND RECEIVING THE ADOPTION, MIGHT BECOME THE SON OF GOD. FOR BY NO OTHER MEANS COULD WE HAVE ATTAINED TO INCORRUPTIBILITY AND IMMORTALITY, UNLESS WE HAD BEEN UNITED TO INCORRUPTIBILITY AND IMMORTALITY” (IRENAEUS, AGAINST HERESIES, BOOK III, 19, 1).

This quote by St. Irenaeus of Lyons describes the gift of the Incarnate Word, the gift of the Son of God becoming like us in all things but sin. Pope Francis named St. Irenaeus of Lyons a Doctor of the Church on January 21, 2022. A saint becomes a Doctor of the Church not because of any medical technique or skill in the healing profession but because they taught the Church as a whole something new in their writings. Around 180 AD, when St. Irenaeus was serving as the bishop of Lyons, he was compelled by his apostolic ministry to address the heresy of Gnosticism that had begun to trouble the early Church.

Gnostics believed that everything material was detrimental to the spiritual life. Because of this, the idea that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity might become man was a scandal to them. Their disbelief in the goodness of the Incarnation came from their failure to understand that the human person is a union of body and soul. Gnostics believed that the goal of human life is to be free from the body. The hope of Christians that Irenaeus of Lyons wanted to make clear was that he became like us so that we could be like him.

1 John 3:3 states, “We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” In this understanding, I propose that we not be scandalized as the Gnostics were, but I hope we do something similar. We should be just as shocked as the Gnostics were, but NOT to lead us to scandal, but to lead us to wonder! The Gnostics thought: “How in the world could God take on our flesh?”

“Why would God become like us?” or “That would make no sense for God to become incarnate.”

We should wonder at the immense and marvelous Love of God, which has been given to us in the birth of the Word Incarnate. God himself is with us. God, in all his power, took on everything it means to be human except sin. We should be in total awe and wonder at the humility of a God who loved us enough to be like us.

Yes, it is an ultimate act of humility, that’s why on December 25, during the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, the Church asks us to kneel at the words, “was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” What a gift, what a grace, and what a shock to a world that was yearning for salvation. God is with us, God is like us, and He is calling us to be like Him.

Llévanos a la maravilla

“'USTEDES SERÁN DIOSES, SERÁN TODOS HIJOS DEL ALTÍSIMO. SIN EMBARGO, AHORA COMO HOMBRES MORIRÁN’ (SAL 82, 6-7). SIN DUDA, SE DIRIGE A AQUELLOS QUE NO QUIEREN ACEPTAR LA ADOPCIÓN, SINO QUE DESPRECIAN EL NACIMIENTO PERFECTO QUE ES LA ENCARNACIÓN DEL VERBO” (SAN IRINEO, CONTRA LAS HEREJÍAS, III 19, 1). Esta es una cita de San Ireneo de Lyon, ahora

Doctor de la Iglesia, del libro Escándalo de la Encarnación del Padre Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Al principio del cristianismo, existían personas, que hoy en día se llaman Agnósticos, un grupo que creía en una agnosia secreta o “el conocimiento” acerca de la salvación de los cristianos por Cristo.

Según San Ireneo, una de sus ideas o principios fundamentales era que el cuerpo humano y el mundo material, eran inferiores y malos, y que sólo el mundo espiritual era superior y bueno. No creían que Jesucristo, la Segunda Persona de la Trinidad, había realmente nacido hombre. O sea, que Él no había sido encarnado verdaderamente. Los agnósticos consideraban un escándalo decir que Jesucristo o más bien Dios se había encarnado, como lo creían otros cristianos. Para ellos Dios nunca podría haberse encarnado. Para ellos nunca habría nacido “inferior” y tomado nuestra carne humana mugrosa y débil. Pero Él lo hizo.

Jesucristo, el Señor, al igual que nosotros nació de carne como nosotros en su “nacimiento completo”. ¿Entonces cómo debemos comprender el “nacimiento completo”?

Propongo no escandalizarse como los agnósticos, pero sí hacer algo parecido. Sugiero que nos sorprendamos como lo hicieron los agnósticos, pero NO para escandalizarnos, sino para que nos maravillemos. Los agnósticos pensaban: “¿Cómo podría Dios tomar nuestra carne?”, “¿Por qué Dios se volvería como nosotros?”, o pensaban, “No tiene sentido que Dios se encarne”. Igualmente nosotros, debemos asombrarnos, pero en lugar de escandalizarnos, debemos maravillarnos ante el inmenso y extraordinario Amor de Dios que se nos ha dado con el nacimiento en la “Encarnación del Verbo”. Asá que dejemos que el escándalo nos lleve a la admiración, para que nunca seamos ingratos, sino siempre agradecidos por el más grande Don de Dios: Él mismo. Porque si no estamos sorprendidos y preguntándonos que significa todo esto, debemos empezar a hacerlo, ¡y para aquellos que están sorprendidos y maravillados por esto, no se olviden de asombrarse y maravillarse también!

Tristan Frisk is a seminarian for the Diocese of Shreveport.

DECEMBER 2024 15

The Grinch, Christ, and Christmas 16

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

MY FIRST CHILD, A BOY, WAS BORN ABOUT NINE MONTHS AFTER MY FATHER PASSED AWAY. He never got to meet his first grandchild – never knew he was a granddad.

After that first child comes along, it’s like a new part of your heart opens. You’re scared about new things you didn’t know existed. But you also love in a way you never before thought possible.

My son’s birth opened an entirely new world of hopes and fears, of dreams and nightmares, of opportunities and responsibilities. I wouldn’t say I was a Grinch before having kids but, if Dr. Seuss were analyzing me, he’d probably say my too-small heart grew three sizes that day.

God the Father already loves us infinitely. While it’s not likely this Father’s heart expanded three sizes after sending His Son, that doesn’t mean the Christ child’s coming didn’t expand hearts.

In the Old Testament, we had a series of chances to expand our hearts but we kept breaking God’s covenants over and over and over again. And so, the Father sent His Child that we might become like children of the Father.

Yes, in Christ we’ve been redeemed and saved. But we’ve also been adopted. The Father made us His children, grafted us onto His own family tree. And when He did, He made it possible for our hearts to grow in ways they couldn’t have before.

In Christmas, we don’t just celebrate Christ’s life. We also celebrate the new life that Christ gifts to us: the gifts of hope, of freedom, of eternal salvation – and the gift of new hearts, of hearts that can expand beyond our own human limitations.

As the Lord prophesied through Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez. 36:26). It’s through the Christ child that this prophecy is fulfilled. We can’t grow the size of our hearts. No matter how many good works we do or how much effort we make or how hard we try – we are simply incapable of expanding them.

But God can. And God did, when He sent His only-begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him might not perish, but have eternal life.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” Ezekiel 36:26 This Christmas, let’s not become so distracted by the presents, the parties, and the pageantry that we forget to stand in silence, in awe, and in wonder before the God who became flesh… in a small little child… in an everyday small town…. in the midst of everyday normal people like you and me.

So, this Christmas, though it sounds strange to say: Be like the Grinch. Let your heart grow three sizes that day. Let the Father replace your stony heart with a new heart. And let the miracle of the Christ child help you to love in ways you never thought possible before.

Dcn. Matthew A. Glover, JD, JCL is the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs for the Diocese of Little Rock DECEMBER 2024 17

The Shreveport Martyrs The following is part two of a summary from Very Reverend Peter B. Mangum’s keynote remarks during the 30th Annual Red Mass Society Banquet held May 2, 2024, that honored the Five Servants of God, the Shreveport Martyrs of 1873.

In attendance was His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, with The Most Reverend Francis I. Malone, Fr. Duane Trombetta, priests from the Diocese of Shreveport, several Louisiana Supreme Court Justices, members of the bench and bar and many who work in the legal realm.

Father Mangum serves as the Episcopal Delegate for their Cause of Beatification and Canonization. The complete talk can be found at:

Seventy years after the 1873 Yellow Fever, with the memory of those five priests still alive in the minds and hearts of Holy Trinity parishioners and the city’s citizens, Bishop Daniel Desmond made “his last episcopal visit to Shreveport” in March of 1942, just months after the U.S. entered World War II. He said: Valorous deeds of war deserve our acclaim. Heroics based on the love of God and the love of souls should likewise touch the hearts of all... that these men died in line of a holy duty makes their love and immolation no less beautiful because they did not bear a weapon of destruction. We are on hallowed ground today, for we stand over the graves of heroes.

[I pray] One day Holy Mother Church may find a place for them in her calendar of Saints.

In July of 2017, Pope Francis issued the “Maiorem Hac Dilectionem” (“Greater love than this has no one”) document, defining a new path (cause) for canonization: Worthy of special consideration and honor are those Christians who,

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following more than closely the footsteps and teachings of the Lord Jesus, have voluntarily and freely offered their life for others.

This we began the process to have the five priests added to the Church’s calendar of saints, as Bishop Desmond prayed for eighty years earlier. The new cause, called oblatio vitae, means “the offer of life,” and requires the offer to “respond to the following criteria: a) a free and voluntary offer of life and heroic acceptance propter caritatem [“motivated by charity”] of a certain and untimely death; b) a nexus between the offer of life and premature death; c) the exercise, at least as ordinarily possible, of Christian virtues before the offer of life and, then, unto death; d) the existence of a reputation of holiness and of signs, at least after death;” There are four phases to the meticulous process of canonization:

Diocesan Roman Beatification Canonization

The Dicastery of the Causes of Saints issued a 14,000-word Instruction (document), with the pope’s approval, “For Conducting Diocesan or Eparchial Inquiries in the Causes of Saints,” which addresses the path to canonization. It outlines each step toward canonization and identifies the officials involved and the work of the Historical Commission.

We find our Five Priests’ cause at the Diocesan phase’s Gathering of Proofs from Witnesses stage. Eyewitnesses are obviously not available, but they can be anyone who can speak of their “fama sanctitatis” (“fame of sanctity”) and cult, the people’s devotion to them.

We anticipate a final 5000-page document. Three copies of the final documents are to be handdelivered and sealed with ribbons, wax, and seals. Once received and in the presence of the Postulator and Dicastery officials, the ribbons are cut, concluding the Diocesan phase and beginning the Roman phase.

That happy day will hopefully take place amid the Jubilee Year 2025.

Jubilee

OF

YOUTH

Embark on a Pilgrimage to Italy with the Department of Multicultural Ministries!

The Diocese of Shreveport invites you to celebrate the Jubilee Year of 2025 with an unforgettable pilgrimage to Italy alongside thousands of young adults to rediscover the beauty of our Catholic faith!

In the meantime: Pray… Pray through the intercession of our Servants of God! Pray that if it be God's will, He will glorify our beloved Servants of God and have them included in the calendar of saints. May all know of their heroic virtue and holiness and imitate their love for You and Your Church. Amen Learn more about their lives and heroic virtue at:

ROME & ASSISI

ShreveportMartyrs.org

JULY 26 - AUGUST 5TH, 2025 20 YRS AND OLDER

Very Rev. Peter B. Mangum is pastor at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish and Espiscopal Delegate for the Shreveport Martyrs' cause.

$4475 PER

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DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 318-219-7257 DECEMBER 2024 19

Christmas Lullaby “GOD’S TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT.” We hear this

saying quite frequently. We repeat it to ourselves when we are, perhaps, waiting for an answer to a prayer. Or we think of these words when we look back on a sequence of events, and we realize we could never have planned things better than the way things unfolded. I believe God’s perfect timing is masterfully illustrated in the story I am about to tell you…The story of a song called Christmas Lullaby.

Many (many) years ago, when I was in the third grade at Belcher Elementary School, our music teacher announced a Christmas songwriting contest. Each student was asked to write a song, and the class would vote for the song(s) to be performed at the Christmas concert. I found this to be an exciting challenge, and I could not wait to get home from school and get started on the project.

That afternoon, I paced back and forth across our front yard and wrote a song in less than an hour. The lyrics and the melody came to me with no effort. We are a very musical family, but I can assure you that I have never had such an experience when a song literally seemed to pour into my awareness. I was feeling pretty good about how things were going. But there was one small problem with my Christmas composition - I was stumped on the last line.

Realizing that I needed some assistance to finish out the 20 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

project, I ran inside the house and found my mom in the kitchen. Mom listened as I explained my last-line dilemma.

She asked me to sing the song for her. I sang up until the point where my mind had run out of words. Immediately, Mom responded with the following: “And God’s true and only Son.” I hope you'll agree that it was the perfect closing for Christmas Lullaby when you view the lyrics at the end of this article. The song was one of two chosen to be performed at the school Christmas concert. What a wonderful Christmas memory to have from my childhood!

But this all took place over fifty years ago, and I have only thought about the song every now and then.

Fast forward to the present day. My mom, Marilyn Pettiette, passed away on January 24, 2024, at the age of ninety-two.

Mom was an incredible musician and vocalist. In fact, she was so talented that I founded a YouTube channel called Three Generations Singing to showcase her skills. If any of you knew my mom during her lifetime, you are aware that she was a persistent (some would say feisty) individual who spoke her mind and believed in getting things done.

I am convinced she is encouraging me to bring this song out of the past and to introduce Christmas Lullaby to all of you.

To achieve this goal, I copyrighted the song and listed my mom as co-lyricist. During the month of December, I will place a video recording of the song on our YouTube channel. To assist me in this project, I enlisted the help of Mrs. Tookie Barr, the music teacher at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Catholic School, and invited the thirdgrade class of the Cathedral School to perform the musical selection for the video. In other words, third graders will once again be singing this song all these many years later.

This sweet little song has come full circle and is no longer simply a forgotten Christmas memory. But it took God’s perfect timing and my mom’s heavenly nudge for these events to unfold in this way.

In closing, I hope you enjoy reading the lyrics so earnestly written by a child many years ago. And, when you can view the video, perhaps you will listen to the melody and sing along. No doubt, my mom will be joining in as well.

Julia Pettiette Doolin, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish where she is active in the music ministry..

Christmas Lullaby

By Julia Pettiette Doolin With co-lyricist Marilyn Prozinski Pettiette

Verse 1 The stars are looking down on him He is the newborn King.

He is the lovely baby there.

So let us rejoice and sing.

Chorus His name is Baby Jesus He is that little child He looks so very sweet there And His smile is so mild.

Verse 2 Lambs and mules and people, too.

Came to see the child so new.

For He is the King of everyone.

And God’s true and only son. ©Julia Pettiette Doolin 2024

DECEMBER 2024 21

Preparing for the Surprise!

AS CHILDREN, WE QUICKLY LEARN THAT THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS IS TO PREPARE FOR THE SURPRISE. We dream about Santa's

magical appearance, the unique gift we’ve anticipated for months, and the sumptuous treats we’ll enjoy for the entire season. We desire, and even expect, to be startled by the unexpected, yet anticipated, moments that catch us off-guard.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Consequently, we plan and arrange the event to bring surprise and wonder into it. We prepare each year for the coming of Christmas in so many ways, but what about the coming of Jesus? How do we prepare for the surprise of His arrival?

Scripture scholars help us study the Bible through the minute detail of every verse and chapter, but while staying in touch with the entire story’s context. I see the value of tools like "Bible in a Year Podcast" in enabling us to see the story of God’s relation with creation from beginning to end; and this reveals precisely how we might prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Over a few thousand years, God sees his peoples’ suffering and plight.

Sometimes, they are on their best behavior and other times, not so much. Through it all, God continues to promise that someone will come 22

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

and mightily make things right – someone who will reward those who do good and punish those who oppress and misbehave. Because our human imagination envisions great fighters and warriors, God allows us to mentally create a savior coming as a great warrior king – a king who brings justice through extreme punishment of the “wicked.” The story seems to grow exponentially throughout the Old Testament until it crescendos in the people’s extreme suffering under foreign oppression during the time of Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate. They rule with vengeance, cruelty, and punishment, including agonizing deaths. The people of God desperately ask how long they must wait for the warrior to come and wipe away these wicked tyrants.

When their expectation reached a fever pitch in the story, when the righteous all expected that all wrongs were about to be punished, God surprised all creation by sending a poor baby in a manger who will grow up to extend grace and mercy to everyone. Talk about a surprise! In the baby Jesus, God completely shattered the image of a warrior–savior king, instead sending us a sweet, innocent, vulnerable, and poor baby who would show us the way out of oppression and suffering and give us the blueprint of love and joy.

How, then, do we prepare for the coming of Jesus?

• Become vulnerable and attach ourselves to His love and mercy (Lk. 18:18-23).

• Be merciful (Lk. 6:36).

• Stop judging (Lk. 6:37).

• Forgive everyone (Lk. 23:34).

• Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick, welcome the immigrants and refugees, and visit the imprisoned (Mt. 25:35-40).

• Hear the outcast and vulnerable (Mt. 8:2-4), and wash feet (Jn. 13:217).

• Love one another (Jn. 13:34-35).

This year, as you prepare for Jesus’ coming, do what God did and answer the call to replace suffering and hatred with vulnerability and love. Yes, it will surprise all your family and friends and all those you encounter. But the real Christmas surprise will be on you. You will find that the greatest gift of all for you is to be like Jesus. When we love, forgive, and show mercy like Jesus, we actually encounter His very presence. This surprise is the paradox of our entire relationship with God. We find Christmas' love, joy, and peace by giving it away, just like Jesus did. Do you long for the child-like surprise of Christmas?

Live like the vulnerable, poor infant that we cherish and celebrate. The surprise of His love will change you forever.

Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a teacher of new spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

I'm Not Rushing, Are You? LAST ADVENT, I WROTE OF MY STRUGGLE WITH WAITING…. I am a little impatient, and Advent is all about

waiting. This year, I am going to dig a little deeper and work through my impatience to truly have a blessed Advent season. … are you with me?

First things first, I need to retrieve my Advent Wreath – it all begins with the round evergreen wreath that symbolizes God’s infinite LOVE for us. I’m going to linger for a moment with that image: Infinite Love. God loves me to infinity and beyond! Me! I’m going to sit with the Lord and just be grateful for His continued love for this flawed person (me) that He finds so wonderful. I am a Beloved Daughter of God, and I live with a family of other beloved daughters and sons. I am grateful for His love for me and the community of believers He puts on my path daily.

Second, I need the Advent wreath candles (new ones) so I can experience how each burns down at a different rate as it measures my patient witness of this Advent Season. Three purple and one rose candles, all with special meanings and prayers that will keep me on this slow journey. (I’m not rushing, are you?)

The First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 1 , my husband, Tom, and I will begin with the blessing of the Advent Wreath from the USCCB, or I’ll use the Hallow app. This will begin my new journey this year, where I am not rushing, not being impatient – I’m enjoying the season.

“Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ: He is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples, He is the wisdom that teaches and guides us, He is the Savior of every nation.

Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath.

May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.

May He come quickly and not delay.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.”

We will light the first purple candle that symbolizes Hope and is sometimes referred to as the “Prophecy Candle,” which reminds us of the scripture from Isaiah foretelling

Christ’s birth. We connect by His birth the prophets from the Old Testament to the fulfillment we experience in the New Testament.

I’m going to pray with hope and anticipation of the Christ child’s coming, this year, patiently. It’s going to be easier because I know the “rest of the story,” and I’m going to smile in anticipation of the coming glory!

We will light the second purple candle on Sunday, Dec. 8, to symbolize Peace. Often referred to as the “Bethlehem Candle,” it reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

I’m going to pray during this week about the journey. How am I doing on my journey to Bethlehem? Have I been able to slow down, and have I patiently and prayerfully walked toward the Birth of Christ?

We will light the third and rose candle on Sunday, Dec. 15, symbolizing Joy on this “Gaudete Sunday.” Referred to as the “Shepherd’s Candle,” it recalls the shepherd’s joyful anticipation as they journey to see Jesus in Bethlehem. This week will be the greatest challenge for me… There’s a reason the color is different this week! There is only one week left – we are getting so close! We are filled with Joy! We will light the fourth candle (purple) on Sunday, Dec. 22, to represent Love, reminding us that God sent His only Son for our salvation. Also referred to as the “Angel Candle,” it symbolizes Peace, for the choir of Angels sang out, “Peace on Earth, Good will toward Men.” God fulfilled the Angel Gabriel’s message, “Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Prayerfully, on Sunday, December 22, I will patiently wait with my husband and two sons for the glorious day: Dec. 25, celebrating the Birth of Christ! I pray you and your family enjoy and linger with the promise of God’s never-ending love for you, and that your family experiences Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in this Christmas Season!

Delia Barr is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Shreveport.

DECEMBER 2024 23

Annual Blue Mass Celebration

Mike Cooper, a parishioner at Sacred Heart - Rayville

On October 16th, the annual Blue Mass was held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rayville, bringing together the local community to honor and pray for those who serve in law enforcement, fire services, and emergency medical response.

The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Peter Mallya, with Fr. Tobias and Fr. Adrian concelebrating.

FEBRUARY 8, 10 AM - 7 PM

CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN BERCHMANS, SHREVEPORT

FEBRUARY 22, 9 AM - 7 PM JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH, MONROE

Open to all young men currently enrolled in high school in the Diocese of Shreveport.

For more information please contact Vocations Director,

Reverend Raney C. Johnson rjohnson@sjbcathedral.org or vocationsoffice@dioshpt.org

To register please scan the QR Code here:

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CATHOLIC CONNECTION

SEMINARIAN BURSES THANKS TO OUR RECENT DONORS: (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse

The Congregation of St. John Berchmans Roman Catholic Church

(005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse

The Congregation of St. Johns Roman Catholic Church Mr. and Mrs. Tobias Switzer

(008)

St. Jude Parish Burse

Charles & Beverly Bennett

(023)

Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse

Mr. & Mrs. James E. McKeithen Patricia L. McGraw

(035)3 Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #3

Mrs. Rosemary C. Ward

NEW (053)

Leo N. Plette Memorial Burse

Mrs. Pauline S. Plette

Help us complete these burses!

Your donation of any amount can help us reach $10,000 to complete the burse.

Thank you to all who support us on our journey through seminary. Excitement and joy fill my heart as I begin my journey at St. Meinrad. I am proud to be in a diocese that can provide much financial backing to its seminarians.

Thank you also for your prayers during this time. I strongly felt the Lord calling me to step forward in faith by leaving my career in San Antonio at age 32 to join the seminary. Your prayers helped me to answer the Lord’s call to further discern my role in serving the people of north Louisiana. May God bless each one of you! I will keep you in my prayers!

-Brett Reggio, Diocesan Seminarian

Burse #8: St. Jude Parish (current balance $8200)

Burse #23: Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse (current balance $9550)

Burse #30: Ottis and Anne Krupa Littlejohn Memorial Burse (current balance $7666.67)

Burse #34: Joseph B. and Lucille Provenza

Cordaro Burse (current balance $7650)

To see an up-to-date list of incomplete and complete burses, please scan here

The Diocese of Shreveport’s Seminarian Burse Program provides financial support for our seminarians' livelihood and education until they become ordained as priests, a path that can take up to eight years to complete. It currently costs an average of $50,000 per year to educate and support one seminarian.

Donations can be made to any existing incomplete burse at any time. (A burse is “completed” once it reaches $10,000.) A new seminary burse can be opened with a donation of $250 or more and can be established with any amount of money in honor or memory of a loved one, in the name of especially well-loved priests or organizations.

To donate to an established seminarian burse, please scan here

All donations to the Seminary Burse Program remain untouched principal. Only interest and dividends from the endowed fund are used to pay for the annual cost of seminarian formation. For more information on how to establish or contribute to a burse, please contact the Development Office at (318) 219-7260.

DECEMBER 2024 25

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Catholic School

THE USCCB WEBSITE TELLS US TO CONSIDER THE ADVENT SEASON AS A TIME TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS FOR CHRIST’S SECOND COMING AT THE END OF TIME AND FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH ON CHRISTMAS.

This is also a wonderful time to reflect on the future and to look back over the past year, pondering on God’s entry into the world and into our lives. Here at St. John Berchmans Catholic School, as at any school, December is a busy time filled with Christmas parties, special events, and lots of cheer and good times. It is also when we enter into a period of anticipation and silence. We lean into those quiet moments during Mass, as the bells ring and Jesus becomes fully present with us. Even the readings during Advent call us to prepare, to be alert, and to not be burdened by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36).

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CATHOLIC CONNECTION

The month of December is marked by the secular preparations for Christmas of buying gifts, decorating homes and Christmas trees, holiday parties, etc. While those preparations are good fun, we know that true joy is found in Christ. Special Advent devotions, like the Advent wreath, remind us of the true meaning of the season and help prepare us spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ. At SJB we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus through the blessing of and prayer around our school Advent wreath. Students are chosen to light the candle on the Advent wreath during the school Mass, on Wednesdays at 8:15 am. All are welcome to join us for our weekly Mass and to enter into this season of anticipation, preparation, and joy! St. John Berchmans, pray for us!

Cassandra Key is the Director of Communications and Development for the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Parish and School.

St. Joseph Catholic School

my school for many years to come. Sometimes, being at school isn't very fun, and it's hard and stressful.

But beyond that, I knew St. Joseph would always be a place I could rely on.

Being a part of St. Joseph has given me one of the best educations I could ask for and introduced me to my Catholic faith when I was five years old. I remember walking into the church for the first time and saying, "Wow," then I remember my teacher telling me to be quiet. Seeing my classmates receive Communion made me want to be able to receive Communion as well. So I told my mom I wanted to be baptized, and in 4th grade, I was baptized and confirmed through OCIA. Then, in 5th grade, I became an altar server to be involved in the church.

The mission of every Catholic school is to lead students, faculty, and staff to salvation through Jesus Christ. It is a true blessing to hear from one of our students that she found her faith as a student at St. Joseph Catholic School.

As part of our parish's 75th anniversary this year, the students in grades 5th-8th were asked to write an essay about what makes SJS special or unique, and this is what 8th-grade student Addison Hollis wrote about her time at SJS. St. Joseph Catholic School has been around for 75 years, and I have been a part of it for nine. I came here in K5, and it has been my school ever since. Even when I was just a little kid in K5, I could tell that St. Joseph would be

St. Joseph has been a part of my life for many years and always will be. Even though I am graduating 8th grade this year, I still plan on coming to all the events and activities. I will miss St. Joseph dearly, but I will always remember the amazing memories and people that are here. St. Joseph has opened up my faith in ways I could never have thought of, and I couldn't have imagined myself anywhere else.

Addison Hollis is an eighth grade student at St. Joseph Catholic School.

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THE WATCHMEN: Our Call to Vigilance and Faithfullness Thoughts from the Pew by S. Germain Cassiere, a parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL, CHAPTER 33, THE “WATCHMAN” THEME EMBODIES PROFOUND RESPONSIBILITIES: VIGILANTLY WATCHING OVER THE CITY, WARNING OF IMPENDING DANGER, AND CALLING THE PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE. We should ponder God’s warning to the watchman about failing to fulfill these responsibilities, for this ancient biblical role resonates in the context of Catholics learning and living their faith today. Just as the watchman stood as a sentinel over the city gates, all Catholics are called to a sentinel’s vigilance over our understanding, practicing, and transmitting of the faith.

In ancient times, the watchman’s primary duty was to warn city inhabitants of approaching threats. The dangers could arise from both outside enemies and inhabitants “doing evil in the sight of the Lord.” Thus, calling people to repentance and renewal is part of the watchmen’s difficult job, especially when it comes to warning others as to their own sinfulness.

Similarly, clergy, parents, and catechists in the Catholic Church are to be spiritual watchmen, entrusted with the tasks of teaching and safeguarding the Catholic faith’s truths. We must ensure that believers are not misled by false teachings or secular ideologies; instead, guiding them toward practicing our Catholic faith, which leads to holiness.

This requires a dynamic process of learning and living the faith, including having as a basis of the faith the foundational catechism from the Council of Trent, “The Roman Catechism.” Written for pastors to teach their congregations, it outlines Catholicism’s beliefs and practices, offering a comprehensive guide for both clergy and laity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and Second Vatican Council documents also provide fundamental teachings, including the latter’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, and the 28 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, which emphasize the role of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in every Catholic’s life.

Additionally, St. Pope John Paul II’s 1993 Papal Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, “The Splendor of Truth,” addresses the Church’s fundamental moral teachings, emphasizing the objective nature of moral norms and the importance of moral absolutes in guiding human behavior. It defends the existence of universal truths and rejects moral relativism, asserting that certain actions are inherently right or wrong regardless of cultural or situational context. St. Pope John Paul II argues for the importance of moral law as a reflection of God’s wisdom, love, and order.

We can also grow our knowledge of the Catholic faith through daily spiritual reading, such as writings of the Doctors of the Church, which could encompass a lifetime of reading – they were made Doctors for a reason! Or, we can explore classics by non-Doctors of the Church too, such as “Imitation of Christ,” “The Sinner’s Guide,” “Lives of the Saints,” “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma,” “The Spiritual Life,” and many others.

Just as watchmen stood vigilant over the city gates, Catholics are called to be vigilant over their faith – and to warn others of their own sinfulness and of impending enemies, from without and within. The range of our responsibility can vary with our state in life, but the consequences of failing at these duties are eternal.

In conclusion, the watchman metaphor expressed in Ezekiel 33 is a compelling analogy for today’s Catholics. It challenges us to embrace our roles as spiritual watchmen: to guard the truths of our faith, call others to repentance and renewal, and actively participate in the Church’s mission. By living out this calling with vigilance and authenticity, we Catholics fulfill our mission as watchmen of the faith.

Welcoming Jesus with Service drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

(Matt 25:35-36) As we prepare to commemorate the birth of Christ, it is easy to think Jesus always reflects the peace and joy that we see in our nativity sets.

But think for a minute about the reality of a baby surrounded by animals lying in a manger. It was messy.

The stories of the people we serve are similar. Our hearts break for those who ask for help, but the process of helping people move forward is difficult.

The laborer is frustrated and angry. The mom is so overwhelmed she has a hard time doing the things asked of her to make progress. The immigrant has months of waiting ahead and grows impatient.

JESUS COMES TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES EVERY DAY. Sometimes, he looks like a man who spent his life doing manual labor and needs financial help in between jobs.

Other times, he is a single mom looking for advice on cooking healthy meals for her toddler.

Or he might be an immigrant, full of hope at the idea of building a life in the United States.

Each of them is the face of Christ: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me

Many of you have already done that. Several churches have already committed to collecting items for our Gabriel’s Closet, and we are truly grateful.

Catholic Charities is also in the middle of our annual giving campaign. By the end of the fiscal year in June, we must raise $400,000 to close the gap between what we expect to receive in grants and what it costs to operate our programs.

With your help, Catholic Charities can provide the safety net for ALL of those in need of assistance. We can pay for an electric bill or a car seat.

We can provide credit counseling to help a family get ahead. We can guide an immigrant to becoming a citizen.

We don’t always ask how they found their way to us or what they believe.

All we need to know is Jesus loves them too.

Want to donate directly to Catholic Charities of North Louisiana? Scan the QR Code below to donate today:

In the height of their emotions, they take out their disappointment and frustration on staff. And we become like the righteous in the parable saying, “Lord, when did we see you?”

Jesus is right there all the time – in the hard stuff.

When we serve, we grow closer to Jesus. He tells us, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) Advent is the perfect time to grow in charity. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.”

Diane Libro is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana.

DECEMBER 2024 29

Around the diocese...

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A MASS IN CELEBRATION OF

Bishop Francis I. Malone’s

Fifth Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination and Installation as Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport

JANUARY 25, 2025, 10 AM Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport

Reception to follow in the school multi-room, all are welcome

The Blessing of the Pets event at St. Francis Medical Center, which has become a cherished tradition in the community, welcomed pets of all shapes and sizes. Father James Dominic, the officiating priest, delivered heartwarming blessings, invoking the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, to protect and guide these loyal companions.

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Thank you to all students in the Diocese of Shreveport who submitted art for the Bishop's Christmas Card!

Bishop Malone and his team were impressed by the creativity and skill of the students. Although only one winner could be selected, a heartfelt congratulations is offered to all the artists who submitted:

Justin Copeland Sally Delhoste Liam Duncan Lucas Kevin Haynie Addison Hollis Anna Kate Jackson Max Krefft Maggie Lee Cora Leighton Ella Cate Murrell Valeria Padilla Emery Ring Cole Rivers Reid Rumbaugh Maura Saye Ceci Sermons Victoria Stapleton Parker Stevens Palmer Stevens Parker Suckle

Mary Queen of Peace hosted their annual carnival on Oct 27th.

Parishioners enjoyed food, face painting by the youth group, and CeCe the clown made fun and elaborate balloon creations!

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT | 3500 Fairfield Avenue | Shreveport, LA 71104 | 318.868.4441

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For assistance or other inquiries, contact us at (318) 868-4441 x263 or bvice@dioshpt.org

DECEMBER 2024 31

CATHOLIC CONNECTION DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

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Catholic Connection USPS 024-824 is published monthly except for July by the Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport, LA 71104. Periodicals Postage PAID at Shreveport, LA 71102. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Connection, 3500 Fairfield Ave, Shreveport, LA 71104.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH: St. Joseph Catholic School celebrated Mass for All Saints Day with their annual kindergarten parade of saints.

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