Bayou Catholic Magazine Advent 2023

“If you have ankle pain like I did, don’t delay in getting treated.

Ankle replacement by Dr. McKenna changed my life.”

- Merlin LeBoeuf

Excruciating pain made it nearly impossible for Merlin LeBoeuf to walk more than several feet at a time. He decided to see Dr. Bryon McKenna at Thibodaux Regional Foot & Ankle Center for treatment. Merlin needed to

Watch Merlin’s story here:

have both ankles replaced. He expected a lot of pain and a slow recovery after the left ankle replacement, but he says that was not the case, so he had his right one replaced a year later. Now Merlin is back to doing what he loves, golfing with his grandson.

To Schedule an Appointment:

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CONTENTS: ADVENT 2023 VOLUME 45 NO. 1

BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX

Most Reverend Mario E. Dorsonviille DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Maegan Martin DESIGNERS

Connor Mabile Alaina Maiorana

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AN ADVENT RELECTION WITH MOST REVEREND MARIO E. DORSONVILLE

PRAYER 8

PRACTICAL PRAYER The Examen

10 SAINT STORIES St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

FEATURES: ADVENT 32 Q+A How are you preparing for Christ’s coming this Advent?

35 WORTH FIGHTING FOR An Advent Reflection 38 GLIMPSES OF ETERNITY A Reflection on Advent and our Longings

BUSINESS MANAGER

Bill Barbera

12 HEART OF THE CHURCH Homily from Saint Pope John Paul II

ACCOUNTION SPECIALIST

14 PRAYER AND SCRIPTURE CALENDARS

CULTURE

FAITH FORMATION

44 MORE THAN ENTERTAINED The Endurance of a Christmas Carol

Rebecca Thibodaux

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Father Brice Higginbotham Bailey Domangue Lee and Andree Cortez Father Matthew Prosperie Brayden Dantin Elaine Beyer Joe Klapatch Annie Breerwood Nick Smith Michelle Leblanc PHOTOGRAPHER

Maegan Martin

EMAIL US:

communications@htdiocese.org

16 LIVING LITURGICALLY Celebrating Advent at Home

40 AWAITING THE COMING OF JESUS An Advent Reflection

20 POPE AT ANGELUS Let us Learn From God’s Love For Us

47 HEAVENLY RECIPES Meme’s Breakfast Cake Chiles en Nogada Shirley’s Pineapple Delight Cake

22 EVERYDAY HOLINESS Keeping Christ in the Center

50 OUR HISTORY St. Luke the Evangelist

26 GROWING IN VIRTUE The Virtue of Charity

54 LOCAL ART Lily Luke

29 LIFE WITH CHRIST Mission, Marriage, Motherhood

HOUMA-THIBODAUX

VISIT US ONLINE

bayoucatholic.org

56 PHOTO ESSAY Bishop Around the Diocese 62 AROUND THE DIOCESE Upcoming Events and Updates 64 STEWARDSHIP The Gift of Giving

The weeks of Advent that lead up to Christmas are perhaps the biggest time when people start to intentionally think about others in a particular way. We think about our friends and family members and others whom we love, and we consider what they might want as a gift for Christmas. It brings joy to give someone a good and thoughtful gift and to see the smile and the gratitude on their face when they receive it.

While it is certainly a good desire that leads us to want to give gifts to others, an unintended, but common side effect of this is the pressure and need to get everything accomplished in time.

When this time of year rolls around, everyone inevitably gets so busy getting ready for parties and gatherings, making sure all the gifts are bought and wrapped. We can blink and easily miss the whole season, and the deeper meaning it is intended to convey to us.

I’d like to offer three points of reflection for this season of Advent to help each of us focus in our own prayer about what this season can offer. Perhaps we can consider one point a week to go deeper with the Lord on each of these themes.

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A GIFT FOR GOD: Let’s consider who we can offer gifts to this Advent. We focus so much on the human side of gift-giving, that the thought of what gift we can offer to God can take a back seat. Yet perhaps more than anybody, the Lord is eagerly waiting to receive whatever we have to offer to Him. Maybe we can believe the lie that we are not good enough to give Him anything, or that God doesn’t really care what I give anyway. But like a mother or father eagerly receives a handmade gift from their son or daughter, God eagerly receives anything that we give to Him with great joy, no matter how small or insignificant we might think it is. Returning to the sacraments and to Mass more fully, making an intentional effort to forgive someone in our lives who we know we need to, taking up new acts of service to help those in need, attending a parish talk or Theology on Tap gathering for young adults – all of these simple things can prove to be transformative in our lives. Mother Teresa of Calcutta famously encourages all of us to do “small things with great love.” We can each do something to offer to our Lord – what small thing can you do this Advent?

THE PERFECT GIFT AN ADVENT REFLECTION WITH MOST REVEREND MARIO E. DORSONVILLE

THE PEACE + SILENCE OF THE NATIVITY: I think about the Holy Family. They become a clear example and witness to us of love and what love looks like. Seeing how Joseph loved Mary, how Mary loved Joseph, and how both of them loved the little newborn Jesus – it fills my heart with joy and peace. The beauty of the nativity scenes is that they are always an example of joy and peace. No one is rushing, no one is moving around, and everyone (even the animals!) is looking in one direction – at Jesus. In the midst of the chaos of the season, every Nativity scene reminds us of the peace and the silence of looking at the newborn child who came to save us all. How can we put ourselves in that scene and experience that silence? It is so important to take a break from the noise and distractions to silently contemplate our Lord – whether in the Eucharist in adoration, in the beauty of nature, or wherever we might find a few moments to rest with Him.

THE TRUST + SACRIFICE OF THE HOLY FAMILY: I think again of the Holy Family, but in a different light.

They also show us that real love can often involve trust and sacrifice. There are many times when they did not see a clear way forward but had to trust that God would take care of them. Neither Mary nor Joseph thought their life would look like it did, or that their first child would be born in the way that He was. They had to let go of their expectations, offering them to God as a type of sacrifice, and trust that He would provide something better – which He did. When God asks us to sacrifice, and when He asks us to trust in Him, it is never easy. But the Holy Family can be friends to us as we walk the same path that they did. As you stay close to them, you may find some companionship on that journey of trusting sacrifice.

May the Lord bless each of you as we walk together this Advent season.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 5

Thông điệp Mùa Vọng của Giám Mục

Các tuần lễ Mùa Vọng dẫn đến Giáng sinh có lẽ là thời gian cao điểm nhất khi mọi người bắt đầu ý thức về người khác một cách đặc biệt. Chúng ta quan tâm về bạn bè, thành viên trong gia đình và những người khác mà chúng ta yêu thương, và chúng ta suy nghĩ họ có thể thích món quà gì cho Giáng sinh.

Nó mang lại cho ta niềm vui khi mình tặng cho ai đó một món quà đẹp và đầy ý nghĩa và nhìn thấy nụ cười và lòng biết ơn trên khuôn mặt khi họ nhận được món quà nó.

Mặc dù một điều chắc chắn với ý niệm tốt khiến chúng ta muốn tặng quà cho người khác, nhưng trong đó có một tác dụng phụ ngoài ý muốn là áp lực và cần phải hoàn thành mọi thứ cho kịp thời. Trong khi thời gian này trong năm vẫn trôi, mọi người chắc chắn sẽ rất bận rộn để sẵn sàng cho các bữa tiệc và các cuộc tụ họp, đảm bảo tất cả các món quà được mua và gói. Chúng ta có thể chớp mắt và dễ dàng bỏ lỡ cơ hội chính của nó, và ý nghĩa sâu sắc hơn mà nó muốn truyền đạt cho chúng ta.

Tôi muốn đưa ra ba điểm suy gẫm cho Mùa Vọng này để giúp mỗi người trong chúng ta nhắm chính xác tới trọng tâm vào lời cầu nguyện mà những gì mùa này có thể mang lại. Chúng ta nên cân nhắc một điểm mỗi tuần để đào sâu hơn với Chúa về mỗi chủ đề.

Trước tiên, chúng ta hãy xem xét xem ai sẽ là người mà chúng ta có thể tặng quà trong Mùa Vọng này. Chúng ta tập trung quá nhiều vào khía cạnh con người của việc tặng quà, đến nỗi ý nghĩa về món quà nào mà chúng ta có thể dâng lên Chúa có thể bị bỏ lỡ. Có thể hơn ai hết, Chúa đang háo hức chờ đợi để nhận được bất cứ điều gì chúng ta phải dâng lên Ngài. Có lẽ chúng ta có thể tự lừa dối rằng chúng ta không đủ tốt để dâng cho Ngài cái gì đó, hoặc Chúa không thực sự quan tâm đến những gì tôi dâng. Nhưng giống như một người mẹ hoặc người cha háo hức nhận được một món quà thủ công từ con trai hay con gái của họ, vì vậy Thiên Chúa háo hức nhận bất cứ điều gì chúng ta dâng lên Ngài với niềm vui lớn lao, bất kể chúng ta nghĩ nó nhỏ bé hay tầm thường như thế nào. Tham dự lại các bí tích và Thánh lễ đầy đủ hơn, thực hiện mọi nỗ lực với quyết tâm tha thứ cho ai đó trong cuộc sống mà chúng ta biết cần phải thứ tha, thực thi các việc bác ái để giúp đỡ những người thiếu thốn, tham dự một buổi tĩnh tâm của giáo xứ hoặc Thần học thực tế dành cho giới trẻ - tất cả những điều đơn

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giản này có thể chứng minh sự biến đổi trong cuộc sống Kytô.

Mẹ Teresa Calcutta nổi tiếng khuyến khích tất cả chúng ta làm “những điều nhỏ bé với tình yêu lớn lao”. Mỗi người chúng ta có thể làm một điều gì đó để dâng lên Chúa của chúng ta – anh chị em có thể làm điều gì đó nhỏ bé trong Mùa Vọng này?

Thứ hai, tôi nghĩ về gia đình Thánh Gia. Họ trở thành một tấm gương rõ ràng và làm chứng cho chúng ta về tình yêu và tình yêu trông như thế nào. Nhìn thấy Thánh Giuse yêu Mẹ Maria như thế nào, Mẹ Maria yêu Thánh Giuse như thế nào, và cả hai đều yêu mến Hài Nhi Giêsu như thế nào – điều đó làm cho trái tim tôi tràn đầy niềm vui và bình an. Vẻ đẹp hang đá Giáng sinh luôn là một ví dụ về niềm vui và hòa bình. Không ai vội vã, không ai di chuyển xung quanh, và mọi người (ngay cả động vật!) đang nhìn về một hướng - vào Chúa Giêsu. Giữa sự lỉnh kỉnh của Mùa Vọng, mỗi hang đá Giáng sinh gợi cho chúng ta về sự bình an và trong sự yên lặng ngắm nhìn Hài Nhi được sinh ra để cứu rỗi mọi người. Làm thế nào chúng ta có thể đặt mình vào cảnh đó và trải nghiệm sự yên lặng ấy? Điều rất quan trọng là phải tránh tiếng ồn ào và những nhiễu nhung để thanh thản chiêm ngưỡng Chúa - như tham dự chầu Thánh Thể, hiện diện giữa vẻ đẹp của thiên nhiên, hoặc bất cứ nơi nào chúng ta có thể tìm thấy một vài khoảnh khắc để nghỉ ngơi bên Ngài.

Thứ ba, tôi lại nghĩ đến gia đình Thánh Gia, nhưng với một ánh sáng khác. Họ cũng cho chúng ta thấy rằng tình yêu đích thực có thể liên quan đến, thường là sự tin tưởng và hy sinh.

Có nhiều lần họ không nhìn thấy một con đường rõ ràng phía trước nhưng đặt niềm tin vào Chúa và sự quan phòng của Ngài.

Cả Mary và Joseph đều không nghĩ rằng cuộc sống của họ sẽ giống như vậy, hoặc đứa con đầu lòng của họ sẽ được sinh ra theo cách mà Ngài đã sinh ra. Họ phải phó dâng những kỳ vọng của họ, dâng chúng cho Chúa như sự hy sinh, và tin tưởng rằng Ngài sẽ cung cấp một cái gì đó tốt hơn - điều đó Ngài đã làm.

Nếu Thiên Chúa mời gọi chúng ta hy sinh, và mời gọi chúng ta tin cậy nơi Ngài, thật không dễ tí nào. Nhưng gia đình Thánh Gia có thể cùng đồng hành với chúng ta khi chúng ta bước đi trên con đường mà họ đã đi. Khi ở gần họ, anh chị em có thể tìm thấy một số người bạn đồng hành trên cuộc hành trình hy sinh tin cậy đó.

Xin Chúa chúc lành cho anh chị em trong lúc chúng ta cùng nhau bước đi trong Mùa Vọng này.

Mensaje del Obispo edición de Adviento Las semanas del Adviento que preceden a la Navidad son quizá el tiempo más importante cuando la gente empieza a pensar intencionalmente en los otros de una manera particular.

Pensamos en nuestros amigos, miembros de la familia y otros a quienes amamos, y consideramos en lo que podrían querer como regalo para la Navidad. Trae alegría el dar a alguien un buen y significativo regalo y ver la sonrisa y la gratitud en su rostro cuando lo reciben.

Aunque ciertamente un buen deseo nos lleva a dar regalos a los otros, un inintencionado pero común efecto secundario de este es la presión y necesidad de conseguir todo a tiempo.

Cuando se acerca esta época del año, todos inevitablemente se encuentran tan ocupados buscando estar listos para las fiestas y reuniones, asegurándose de que todos los regalos hayan sido comprados y envueltos. Podemos parpadear y fácilmente perdernos de este tiempo completamente y el significado profundo que pretende transmitirnos.

Me gustaría ofrecer tres puntos de reflexión para esta temporada de Adviento para ayudarnos a cada uno de nosotros a enfocarnos en nuestra propia oración acerca de lo que este tiempo puede ofrecer. Quizá podemos considerar un punto cada semana con el Señor en cada uno de estos temas.

En primer lugar, consideremos a quien podemos ofrecerle regalos en este Adviento. Nos enfocamos mucho en el lado humano de dar regalos, que el pensar en el regalo que podemos ofrecer a Dios puede pasar a un segundo plano.

Sin embargo, mas que nadie, el Señor esta ansiosamente esperando recibir cualquier cosa que tengamos que ofrecerle.

Quizá podemos creer la mentira de que no somos lo suficiente buenos para darle a Él algo, o que a Dios no le importa realmente lo que le doy de todos modos. Pero como una madre o padre ansiosamente recibe un regalo hecho a mano de su hijo o hija, así también Dios ansiosamente recibe cualquier cosa que nosotros le demos con gran alegría, no importa cuán pequeño o insignificante pensemos que es. Retornando a los sacramentos y a la misa más plenamente, haciendo un esfuerzo intencional de perdonar a alguien en nuestras vidas con quien sabemos que necesitamos hacerlo, asumiendo actos de servicio hacia aquellos que están en necesidad, atendiendo a una charla parroquial o a lecturas teológicas para jóvenes adultos – todas estas cosas tan sencillas pueden resultar transformadoras para nuestras vidas. La Madre Teresa de

Calcuta nos anima a todos a hacer “cosas pequeñas con gran amor.” Podemos cada uno de nosotros hacer algo para ofrecer a nuestro Señor – ¿Qué cosas pequeñas puede usted hacer en este Adviento?

En segundo lugar, pienso en la Sagrada Familia. Ellos se convierten para nosotros en un claro ejemplo y testimonio de amor y de cómo es el amor. Viendo como José amaba a María y como María amaba a José, y como ambos amaron al pequeño y recién nacido Jesús – Esto llena mi corazón de alegría y paz. La belleza de las escenas de la Navidad radica en que son siempre un ejemplo de gozo y paz. Nadie esta apresurado, nadie se está moviendo alrededor, y todos, (¡aun los animales!) están mirando hacia una dirección – a Jesús. En medio del caos de la temporada, cada escena de la Navidad nos recuerda la paz y el silencio al mirar al recién nacido quien vino a salvarnos a todos. ¿Cómo podemos ponernos nosotros mismos en esa escena y experimentar ese silencio? Es tan importante tomar un descanso del ruido y distracciones para contemplar a nuestro Señor silenciosamente - ya sea en la Eucaristía, en la adoración, en la belleza de la naturaleza, o en cualquier lugar donde podamos encontrar breves momentos para descansar con Él.

En tercer lugar, pienso nuevamente en la Sagrada Familia, pero con diferente perspectiva. Ellos también nos muestran que el amor real puede frecuentemente envolver confianza y sacrifico. Muchas veces no vieron un camino claro a seguir, pero tuvieron que confiar en que Dios cuidaría de ellos. Ni María ni José pensaron que su vida sería como fue, o que su primer hijo nacería de la manera en que Él lo hizo. Ellos tuvieron que dejar ir sus expectativas, ofreciendo a Dios como un tipo de sacrificio y confiar que el proveería algo mejor – lo cual Él hizo. Cuando Dios nos pide sacrificar, y cuando Él nos pide confiar en Él, nunca es fácil. Pero la Sagrada Familia puede ser nuestra amiga mientras recorremos el mismo camino que ellos. Si se mantiene cerca de ellos, puede ser que encuentre compañía en este camino de sacrificio confiado.

Que el Señor los bendiga a cada uno de ustedes mientras caminamos juntos en este tiempo de Adviento.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 7

PRAYER

PRACTICAL PRAYER

THE EXAMEN: AN INVITATION TO LIFE IN ABUNDANCE FR. BRICE HIGGINBOTHAM

is a priest for the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux. He is currently studying for his License in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

THE “WHAT” AND THE “WHY” In John 10:10b, Jesus tells us why He came: “I have come that they might have life, and have it in abundance.” By suffering, dying, and rising from the dead, He has overcome the power of the Devil, who “comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy” (John 10:10a). His ascension into Heaven gives us confidence that we who have received the Sacrament of Baptism might follow Him into eternal glory (Roman Missal, Preface I of the Ascension of the Lord, §50). But we, in our weakness, sometimes miss the glimmers of life, light, and love that our Father pours out upon us each day. We sometimes, in our weakness, even cooperate with the works of the world, the flesh, and the Devil which lead to death and destruction. In other words, we sin.

What if we could be a bit more conscious of these glimmers of grace that God pours out upon us? What if we could see a bit more clearly not only our sins, but even what took us down the path of sin in the first place? Perhaps we would sin less. Perhaps we would experience a bit more the abundant life that Jesus offers to us. Thanks be to God, Church tradition has given us a great tool to help us live life more abundantly: St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Daily Examen.

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THE “HOW” The Examen is meant to be prayed once per day; it usually takes 5–10 minutes. Most people do so in the evening, but some pray it in the morning and others at lunchtime. For myself, I pray my Examen as I shut down after the day’s work.

The exact time isn’t important; what is essential is a consistent time in which Jesus and I together look back over the past 24 hours. As we do, we’re looking for two things: (1) glimmers of grace—places where God was showing His love to us in a particular way—and (2) deceptions of the Devil (or the world or the flesh)—places where we were led away from God. We thank God for the graces (where we received His love), repent of our sins (where we rejected His love), and learn from both experiences. This is the heart of the Examen: gratitude (which allows us to receive God’s graces more deeply), repentance (where we receive His mercy), and learning (such that tomorrow we can more effectively avoid sin and live more consistently aware of God’s presence with us).

Now maybe you’re thinking: “That sounds good Father, but how do I get there? How do I find the glimmers of grace and the deceptions of the Devil as I review my day?” For this, St. Ignatius comes to our aid with five steps for praying our Daily Examen.

STEP 1: GRATITUDE We think through the past 24 hours, and simply thank God for each blessing we have received. No blessing is too small for a thank you. Often as we go about our days, we don’t even notice the small ways in which our Father smiles upon us. The Examen is an opportunity to slow down, recognize these many moments of grace, and acknowledge the Person who gave them to us. Sometimes too, the quiet of the Examen will stir up more profound gratitude and deeper joy for blessings that we did recognize throughout the day and for which we did thank the Lord. The Examen is not a backup plan or merely a chance to catch whatever we missed; it’s an opportunity to encounter our loving God.

STEP 5: RESOLUTION How is God inviting me to live differently?

Ask Him. This is a relationship between persons, not an exercise in self-perfection.

But don’t just ask Him; also use your own mind—a gift from God—to think through the issue. Being honest with myself, what needs to change? Then, what’s the first step to changing it? I conclude with an Our Father, remembering that this whole journey is made together with my Father who loves me.

Our Lord has invited us into the fullness of life, yet we resist by sinning. In the Examen, we have an effective tool to receive God’s grace more fully, battle sin more effectively, and grow in freedom as sons and daughters of God. Aided by the daily Examen, may we live in the freedom for which Christ has set us free.

(Galatians 5:1)

STEP 2: PETITION The Examen isn’t about what we do; it’s about what God has done today and what God is doing as we pray the Examen. As the Lord says in John 15:5c, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” So, as children who know our weakness, we ask the Holy Spirit, “Show me, Lord, what you want me to see in my day.”

STEP 3: REVIEW Remembering the abiding love that God has for me, I confront my sins. When, where, and how have I chosen the deceits of the Devil (along with the world and the flesh) over the past 24 hours? If there is a sin that arises often in my Examen or if I have committed a mortal sin, it is helpful to ask the Lord and myself: What thoughts preceded the sin? Are there places, situations, or relationships that I need to avoid because they are a near occasion of sin for me? (If one of the sins you have committed is a mortal sin, then avail yourself of Sacramental Confession without delay.)

STEP 4: REPENTANCE I tell God I’m sorry. It’s as simple as that.

For myself, I usually get on my knees and pray the Act of Contrition.

LOOKING FOR MORE? If you want some very practical help in experimenting with the best way for you to pray the Examen, pick up Father Mark Thibodeaux’s Reimagining the Ignatian Examen.

If you want a more profound, intellectual dive into the Examen, pick up Father Timothy Gallagher’s The Examen Prayer.

PRAYER

SAINT STORIES: SAINT STORIES

ST. JUAN DIEGO AND OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

In December of 1531, a seemingly insignificant indigenous man became the messenger for one of the most impactful Marian apparitions of all time. St. Juan Diego, a native of what is now Mexico City, was traveling on Tepeyac Hill when he saw a woman glowing with the rays of the sun behind her and clothed in a mantle of stars. The Blessed Mother appeared to him a number of times and asked that he go to the bishop and request that a shrine be built where she had appeared, that many may come to worship her Son. Juan Diego was obedient, but when he told the bishop of the woman’s request, the bishop asked for proof of the vision. Juan Diego returned to the Blessed Mother, telling her of his failed attempt to convince the bishop. Juan Diego knew that he was a simple man and asked the Blessed Mother if there might be someone more suitable than himself to deliver such a message. When he said this, Our Lady comforted him saying, “Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow of protection?”

It was almost winter, but the Blessed Mother instructed him to pick roses that were growing on the hill, even though they were not in season, place them in his tilma and return to the bishop. She told him, that once he was in front of the bishop, he was to let down his tilma and the bishop would have his sign.

Juan Diego did as he was instructed, and as he let down his tilma the roses fell and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe instantly appeared on the fibers as if it had always been there. The bishop and those in the room were moved by the image and granted the request of Juan Diego. A chapel was built on Tepeyac Hill and the tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was displayed there for all to see. Juan Diego spent the rest of his life as caretaker for the chapel.

In the nine years following the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, nine million indigenous people were baptized and converted to the Christian faith at the chapel on Tepeyac Hill. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been marveled at by scientists and is associated with many miracles.

The image depicts the Blessed Mother with features and dress familiar to the native people of Mexico City at that time. She is standing in front of the sun and on top of the moon, symbolizing that she is Queen of Heaven and Earth and reigns above the pagan gods that were often worshiped by the native people. She is clothed in a mantle of stars that mirror the constellations in the night sky when she appeared. On her gown is a floral design and on her stomach the flower present is a symbol that suggests she is with child, signified as well by the black belt on her waist.

Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to be one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world and countless conversions and miracles are fruits of her intercession. All of this because St. Juan Diego said yes to the mission entrusted to him by Our Lady. The Church celebrates the feast of St. Juan Diego each year on December 9th, the date of the first apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th, the final day of her apparition.

May we ask St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray for us that we might grow in holiness, constantly turning back to the Lord, and that when we are called to action we might be courageous.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 11

PRAYER

HEART OF THE CHURCH HOMILY FROM SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II: NOVEMBER 29, 1998

In Advent we await an event which occurs in history and at the same time transcends it. As it does every year, this event will take place on the night of the Lord’s Birth. The shepherds will hasten to the stable in Bethlehem; later the Magi will arrive from the East. Both the one and the other in a certain sense symbolize the entire human family.

The exhortation that rings out in today’s liturgy: “Let us go joyfully to meet the Lord” spreads to all countries, to all continents, among every people and nation. The voice of the liturgy — that is, the voice of the Church — resounds everywhere and invites everyone to the Great Jubilee.

In today’s Gospel we heard the Lord’s invitation to be watchful: “Watch, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming”. And then immediately: “Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt 24:42, 44). The exhortation to be watchful resounds many times in the liturgy, especially in Advent, a season of preparation not only for Christmas, but also for Christ’s definitive and glorious coming at the end of time. It therefore has a distinctly eschatological meaning and invites the believer to spend every day and every moment in the presence of the One “who is and who was and who is come” (Rv 1:4), to whom the future of the world and of man belongs. This is Christian hope! Without this prospect, our existence would be reduced to living for death.

Christ is our Redeemer: Redemptor mundi et Redemptor hominis, Redeemer of the world and of man. He came among us to help us cross the threshold that leads to the door of life, the “holy door” which is he himself.

May this consoling truth always be clearly present before our eyes, as we advance on our pilgrimage towards the Great Jubilee. It is the ultimate reason for the joy which today’s liturgy urges us to have: “Let us go joyfully to meet the Lord”. By believing in the crucified and risen Christ, we also believe in the resurrection of the flesh and in eternal life.

-an exercpt from Saint Pope John Paul II’s Homily for the Ball of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000

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“ LET US GO joyfully

JOYFULLY TO MEET THE LORD

”

PRAYER

DECEMBER

DAILY PRAYER

FOR PRIESTS, DEACONS, RELIGIOUS, AND SEMINARIANS SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY 1

SATURDAY 2

Bishop Mario E. Rev. Alex Dorsonville Lazarra

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Rev. Peter Tai Le

Rev. Glenn LeCompte

Very Rev. Eric Leyble, JCL

Deacon Gary Lapeyrouse

Rev. Joey Lirette

Very Rev. P.J. Madden

Rev. Clyde Mahler

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Rev. Fernando Anaya Maida

Rev. John David Matherne

Seminarian Scott Beslin

Rev. Andre Melancon, VF

Very Rev. Jean- Rev. Joseph Marie Nsambu Than van Liem, CRM

17

18

19

20

Rev. Thankachan (John) Nambusseril, VF 21

22

23

Rev. Sabino (Benie) Rebosura

Deacon James Very Rev. Lefevre Joshua Rodrigue

Rev. Ronilo (Roni) Villamor

Rev. Joseph Pilola

Rev. Matthew Prosperie

Rev. Michael Bergeron, retired

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Msgr. Frederic Brunet, retired

Bishop Emeritus Sam Jacob

Sister Catherine Siracusa, OSB

Rev. Domingo Cruz, retired

Rev. Wilfredo Decal, retired

Rev. Scott Dugas, retired

Rev. Roch Naquin, retired

31 Rev. Ty Nguyen, retired

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DECEMBERREADINGS SCRIPTURE

SUNDAY

3

1st Sunday of Advent

MONDAY

4

Is 63:16b-17, 19b; Is 2:1-5 Mt 8:5-11 64:2-7 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mk 13:33-37

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY 1

2

Dn 7:2-14 Lk 21:29-33

Dn 7:15-27 Lk 21:34-36

9

5

6

7

8

Is 11:1-10 Lk 10:21-24

Is 25:6-10a Mt 15:29-37

Is 26:1-6 Mt 7:21, 24-27

Gn 3:9-15, 20 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Lk 1:26-38

Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Mt 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6-8 Memorial of

15

16

Memorial of St. Nicholas

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Memorial of St. Ambrose

12

Is 40:1-5, 9-11/2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 (5)

Is 35:1-10 Lk 5:17-26

17

18

Is 40:25-31 Is 41:13-20 Is 48:17-19 Zec 2:14-17 or Mt 11:28-30 Mt 11:11-15 Mt 11:16-19 Rv 11:19a; 12:16a, 10ab Lk 1:26-38 or Lk Memorial of St. John Memorial of St. Lucy of the Cross 1:39-47 19 20 21 22

2nd Sunday of Advent

3rd Sunday of Advent

13 Feast of Our Lady

14

Holy Day of Obligation

11

10

SATURDAY

of Guadaloupe

St. Juan Diego

Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 Mt 17:9a, 10-13

23

Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

Jer 23:5-8 Mt 1:18-25

Jgs 13:2-7, 2425a Lk 1:5-25

Is 7:10-14 Lk 1:26-38

Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a Lk 1:39-45

1 Sm 1:24-28 Lk 1:46-56

Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 Lk 1:57-66

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Mt 10:17-22

1 Jn 1:1-4 Jn 20:1a, 2-8

1 Jn 1:5—2:2 Mt 2:13-18

1 Jn 2:3-11 Lk 2:22-35

1 Jn 2:12-17 Lk 2:36-40

4th Sunday of Advent

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b12, 14a, 16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 31

Holy Day of Obligation

Is 52:7-10 Heb 1:1-6 Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

Feast of St. Stephen

Feast of St. John, Apostle

Feast of The Holy Innocents

Feast of the Holy Family

Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3 Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19 Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 15

FAITH FORMATION

LIVING LITU BAILEY DOMANGUE

is a Catholic wife, mother, and business owner in Houma, LA. She, her husband, and two little girls love spending time together as a family doing all sorts of outdoor activities. You can find more from Bailey on her Instagram (@baileydomangue) where she encourages others and shares how she lives a life of faith, wellness, and abundance!

PHOTO BY TASHA CREEL

URGICALLY As I entered into a more full, mature relationship with Jesus and the Church during my college years, the wisdom and richness of the seasonality of our faith was one that easily resonated. It was something familiar to be grasped while living a life devoted to sports and training. Seeing that it not only provided a landscape to walk through the life of Christ in the Church calendar, but a lens in which we can come to more fully understand the devoted Christian life and the world around us as a whole.

The seasons give us specific times to celebrate, to fast, to grow, to be penitent, and to be attuned to certain aspects of our faith. Advent is a season to prepare, to anticipate, and of expectant joy! So Happy New Year! Catholic, New Year, that is. Advent starts off our liturgical year and by simply acknowledging this in our family life via a special dessert, toast, or meaningful activity, it keeps us integrated to the concept of liturgical living as it was designed. Something incredibly special in our family is that my husband and I were married on the vigil of the feast of Christ the King, which is always the weekend before Advent begins. Just like the new calendar year brings people to take inventory of their lives, invites positive change, and new goals, each year on our anniversary we get to take a step back and reflect on Christ being the Lord of our life, marriage, and family. It’s a beautiful way to enter into our new liturgical year and one that deserves to be celebrated!

Since that beautiful day in November of 2018 we have been blessed with two beautiful little girls to raise and a special saint in heaven. Making our Catholic faith alive for them is something that is incredibly important as two cradle Catholics ourselves. Celebrations can range from family to family and even if that has not been a custom in your home in the past, there’s no better time than now to begin and I invite you to ponder ways in which living out the season can look in your family this year!

My hopes for this Advent season are to foster a home life that is peaceful, much less hurried than the holiday season that often takes over this time of year, and one that builds on the longing and expectation of the joy coming. To prepare ourselves for the journey to Christmas and to feel the refinement of a season of waiting. I see so many parallels in the family life to Advent, ones that when entered into fully will dispose us to the fullness that the season is intended to bring! Here are a few ways that the spirit of Advent can come alive in your home. *While what I share may involve children, some of the deepest and most refining seasons of life during Advent may not involve children. So if you are single, engaged, newly married, pregnant, empty nesters or in waiting of expectant joy, I just want to affirm that Advent traditions are for you. That the universal (Catholic) church is just that, universal. That whatever season of life you are in there is a spirit of Advent and the joyful hope and meaning in the preparation for what is to come.

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CATHOLIC NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Since we enter into a new liturgical year in Advent, an easy way to illustrate this is by celebrating! As a family, a fizzy toast on the evening of the vigil or after Sunday Mass would be appropriate to ring in the new year. Baking a favorite dish or hosting friends and family over would be a fun way to gather and incorporate the celebration with others. Party horns are always an easy way to get children into the spirit! Just as we do with our anniversary the weekend before, taking an inventory of where you are spiritually and assessing how you would like to walk into this next liturgical year is something I urge couples to do together and then with your children as a whole family.

Striving together is what the domestic church is made for. This is a beautiful way to have age appropriate conversations with your children about growing in the faith together!

ADVENT WREATH Perhaps one of the most well known Advent traditions is the Advent wreath. An Advent wreath displays four candles, three purple and one pink. Each symbolizes hope, peace, joy, and love with the first, second, and fourth being purple and the third always being pink. The pink candle is lit in the third week of Advent and represents joy as we are almost to the anticipated season of Christmas. Putting together a wreath with children is a meaningful way to let them participate in the season’s celebration.

Wreaths and candles can be purchased or if you’re feeling adventurous the greenery making up the wreath can be foraged and put together for a homemade look.

Displaying your wreath in a prominent place in the house such as a dining table helps to remind you frequently at home about the journey of the season we are in. Ours goes on our dining table and although our oldest is only three, each week we will be talking simply about the associated theme for the week and taking turns lighting each candle on Sundays after Mass.

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ST. NICHOLAS Celebrating the feast of St. Nicholas will be a new tradition in our household this year! His feast day lands on December 6th and doubles as a way to accurately keep the Santa Claus figure alive in your home with the real-life Catholic saint and bishop. However your family chooses to represent Santa is up to you, but incorporating this third century saint into our Advent celebrations and conversations around Santa is the path we have chosen! He came into fortune after losing his parents and while living simply, he used his wealth secretly by distributing it to the poor and needy. So legends have it that late at night he tossed bags of gold into a window or down the chimney and in a particular story those coins landed in stockings that were drying by the fire or their shoes sitting by the door. While there are many stories and legends about St. Nicholas, I’d encourage you to read up on, traditionally on the eve of his feast day you are to leave shoes near the front door or fireplace. The next morning they are to be filled “by St. Nicholas” with a few small treats, generally involving a gold coin of sorts. In our own explanations through the season, as far as Christmas morning, it makes sense that in charity he would return and gift the children of the world presents on Jesus’ own birthday to celebrate! Santa and St. Nicholas are the same guy, just with a few language changes and adaptations, bringing to life the real presence of saints in the world and in our heavenly family and holding true the mystery that is so deeply embedded in our faith.

OTHER WAYS TO BRING THE ADVENT SEASON TO LIFE: • The use of a Jesse Tree or Advent calendar • Making your Elf on the Shelf do acts of service instead of mischief or by starting with an alternative like Mary on the Mantle or Shepard on the Search • Preparing your heart by frequent confession and time spent in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament • Following an advent study like the ones for the whole family from Blessed is She • Read a chapter of Luke’s Gospel each day in December, which will lead you to the Christmas story by Christmas Eve • Sending out Christmas cards with a religious tone, prayer, or imagery • “Preparing the manger” for baby Jesus by placing straw in a manger for good deeds Liturgical living can be as simple and integrated as your morning routine. Choosing in each season that the fruits of our faith are to be normal and necessary starts with one step. I hope and pray that your Advent season is fruitful, peaceful, and truly makes way for the coming of our Savior. That on Christmas day you feel your soul to be a soft and humble landing place for Christ Jesus.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 19

POPE AT ANGELUS:

FAITH FORMATION

LET US LEARN

FROM GOD’S LOVE FOR US

BY JOSEPH TULLOCH

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SPEAKING BEFORE HIS WEEKLY RECITATION OF THE ANGELUS PRAYER, POPE FRANCIS REFLECTS ON JESUS’ GREAT COMMANDMENT, SUGGESTING THAT “WE BECOME TRULY CAPABLE OF LOVING ONLY

BY ENCOUNTERING GOD, SURRENDERING TO HIS LOVE.”

[Vatican News] In his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis reflected on the “great commandment”, which forms the centrepiece of the day’s Gospel reading (Mt 22:34-40).

Asked which of the commandments is the greatest, Jesus responds: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (…) and (…) your neighbour as yourself”.

In his address, Pope Francis focused on two elements from this passage: firstly, the fact that love for God is mentioned first, and, secondly, the implied connection between love for God and love for neighbour.

LEARNING TO LOVE

“The fact that love for the Lord comes first”, Pope Francis stressed, “reminds us that God always precedes us, he anticipates us with his infinite tenderness.”

Thus, he said, just as children learn to love through the love that their parents have for them, so we too can learn to love through God’s love for us.

This, the Pope said, is what Saint Paul means when he writes that “the charity of Christ possesses a power that propels toward loving.”

“We become truly capable of loving,” Pope Francis suggested, “only by encountering him, surrendering to his love. So, let us not resist: let us open our hearts to the Lord each day.”

REFLECTING GOD’S LOVE

The second aspect of the commandment Pope Francis reflected on was the connection between love for God and love for neighbour.

“By loving our brothers and sisters,” he said, “we reflect the Father’s love like mirrors. To reflect God’s love, this is the point – to love Him whom we do not see through the brother/sisters whom we do see.”

How can we love like this? By, the Pope suggested, “taking the first step”, as God does with us. “Sometimes,”, he said, “it is not easy to take the first step, to forget things, but let us do it.”

CONCLUSION

Drawing his address to a close, Pope Francis left his listeners with a few questions for personal meditiation.

“Let us ask ourselves”, he said, “am I grateful to the Lord for loving me first? Do I feel God’s love, am I grateful to him? Do I try to reflect His love? Do I strive to love my brothers and sisters?”

“May the Virgin Mary,” the Pope concluded, “help us live the great commandment of love in our daily life: to love, and to let ourselves be loved by God.” PHOTO BY ASHWIN VASWANI

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 21

FAITH FORMATION

EVERYDAY HOLINESS

KEEPING CHRIST IN THE CENTER

HOW DO YOU PURSUE HOLINESS IN YOUR LEE AND ANDREE CORTEZ WERE BOTH BORN AND RAISED IN THE DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX AND GRADUATED TOGETHER FROM E.D. WHITE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN 1995. THEY WERE MARRIED IN 2001 AND HAVE THREE CHILDREN, EMILY (16) AND TWINS MATTHEW AND LUKE (15) WHO ALSO ATTEND E.D. WHITE. LEE IS THE THERAPY DIRECTOR OF

EVERYDAY LIFE? ANDREE: Daily prayer has been a part of my life ever since I was a little girl, and my parents would say prayers with me before bed. As an adult, daily prayer remains important, as well as praying the rosary regularly and setting aside quiet time to listen to God. After seeing Lee attend daily Mass for Lent, I quickly decided to join him. We have been doing this together for some time now – it’s like a date every day! Daily Mass provides me with a much needed break in the middle of a usually hectic day to hear God’s Word and reflect on becoming holier.

We also try to pursue holiness by our actions, especially with our children. We think it is important to be an example of how Christ would act and treat others. Together we try to hold each other accountable, to be that example, as it is easy to stray off the path of righteousness.

LEE: A few years ago during Lent, I started attending daily Mass; hearing the Word of God and receiving the Eucharist daily was very uplifting, so I have since continued attending.

I’ve done the Exodus 90 spiritual exercise and have continued some of those practices as well, such as reading daily scripture reflections and some of the asceticisms. I am also very active in our local men’s ACTS group.

ORTHOLA IN THIBODAUX AND ANDREE IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF T. BAKER SMITH, A LOCAL ENGINEERING FIRM. LEE, ANDREE, AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE PARISHIONERS OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS IN THIBODAUX.

WHAT DOES EVANGELIZATION LOOK LIKE IN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIVES? ANDREE: First is being that example for our children in our daily actions. We say grace before meals, remind them to say their prayers before bed, and constantly ask if their actions towards others are “Christ-like.” In addition, I strive every day to connect my work as a professional with my work as a child of God, bringing myself and others one step closer to heaven.

LEE: Outside of our home, I am a leader of our local men’s ACTS group. I also volunteer my time at E.D. White and Nicholls State, when asked, to share my faith journey with their students. As I have become more comfortable with my faith, I also share it with my co-workers and the numerous patients I treat on a daily basis.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 23

WHAT PRACTICES OR HABITS HAVE YOU INCORPORATED INTO YOUR MARRIAGE THAT HAS MADE IT STRONGER? We decided early in our marriage that we would stand united in all decisions regarding family, friends, work, and social pressures. We learned valuable lessons from our parents and grandparents; they gave us a good foundation of Catholic values. We knew that including God in our marriage was the foundation for a strong marriage and family. We have always attended Sunday Mass together. In long car rides or on walks around the neighborhood we say the rosary together.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR MARRIAGE? ANDREE: Trust in God – he always has a plan, even though you may not see it at the time.

LEE: Stand united; be friends with your spouse and keep God at the center of everything you do.

WHAT HAS HELPED YOU STAY MARRIED

THE PATH TO HOLINESS IS FILLED

AND HAPPY AFTER 22 YEARS?

WITH MANY OBSTACLES, HOW HAS

Daily talks, weekly conversations, monthly dates, and quarterly weekend getaways.

YOUR FAMILY PERSEVERED THROUGH

We were taught this at a Christian marriage seminar we attended months after having our first child. We learned that it was okay and necessary to leave our kids for some time to work on and celebrate our marriage. Being united and cohesive as husband and wife is the foundation of the family. Ironically, the kids needed a break from us as well and enjoyed when we left them with babysitters or at their grandparents’ house.

DIFFICULTIES AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHERS EXPERIENCING STRUGGLE? ANDREE: Trust in God; everything happens for a reason and good will come in the end.

In times of struggle, find peace in prayer, saying the rosary and reading scripture. Find a scripture that resonates with you. Fr. Brice Higginbotham once recommended a book God, I Have Issues; it has scripture and reflections

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for the different feelings and emotions that you may be experiencing.

LEE: Graces come out of suffering. Don’t let your faith waiver through trying times. In times of struggle, reach out to a priest or someone you trust. Fr. Mitch Semar has guided me through several difficult times. Also, consider attending a retreat. My attendance at an ACTS retreat several years ago has impacted my life greatly and provided the support I needed during a difficult time. That retreat was the spark that ignited my spiritual journey. Retreats can offer valuable tools needed for the many spiritual battles we encounter in our lives.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FAMILIES ABOUT PASSING ON THEIR FAITH TO THEIR CHILDREN? ANDREE: Be examples of Christ and encourage them to act and react as Christ would. Say grace as a family and pray at night. Remind them in times of struggle, to turn to God, say prayers, and read scripture.

LEE: Everything Andree said and standing firm and holding to your values when faced with pressures from society, hold true to your Catholic faith. As fathers, we are called to be the spiritual leader of the family; be bold in your faith, not passive.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 25

FAITH FORMATION

GROWING virtue IN VIRTUE 26 | BAYOU CATHOLIC

CHARITY Charity: we all strive for it. But how do we live it? What even is it? Put simply, charity is “making a gift of ourselves,” or “willing the good of another person.” But charity is misunderstood a great deal, and in the name of love, people do all kinds of things that are actually damaging. So then, how can we tell the counterfeit apart from authentic charity? And what are some ways we can truly be charitable?

First, some might have trouble imagining a “counterfeit love,” so let’s take an example. Imagine a teenage boy who excels at singing in musicals in high school. It is what he is most proud of and works hard at. One day, it comes to the attention of his father that the son has been taking drugs to calm his nerves before the performances. The father is concerned, but remembers how he himself used to feel when giving speeches in front of people, so he sympathizes with his son. He also notes that the drugs seem to be producing good effects; the performances are good. So, the father decides not to say anything about it.

While the father took the first step of empathy, he didn’t take the next step of guiding his son. For instance, what about the growth that the son was skipping out on by actually not facing his fear, but rather numbing it? Helping one’s child to recognize personal challenges as opportunities for growth is one of the greatest gifts a loving parent can give. Without wise guidance, the path of least resistance will nearly always be taken. So it was the case for this young man in our example; instead of seeing the performances as an opportunity to acknowledge, name, and thus gain power over a particular fear he had, the son turned to easy drugs for the confidence he didn’t know how to cultivate. True, he always performed well; but on the inside, there was a stage of maturity he wasn’t helped to walk through. Sadly, this example is one that many find familiar - in one way or another.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 27

“TRUE

LOVE HELPS OTHERS TO GROW; FAKE LOVE STUNTS IT.

”

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A counterfeit love, like the one we saw in our example, chooses current comfort at the expense of future strength; it fails to see that true love is what provides the necessary context in which one can safely go through a difficult trial. Supported in that way, the sting of fear is taken out, and new paths are opened up because of the confidence which comes from learning how to grow. So that’s the difference between true love and counterfeit love; true love helps others to grow; fake love stunts it.

Now, of course, the circumstances of the example above could be modified to apply to just about anything: a sports team, grades, friendships and relationships, etc.. Another example could also be given between peers, such as spouses, or friends. In short, it could be applied to any situation when an objectively more important thing is sacrificed to something less important, even if this is done with good intentions.

So, then, what’s the bottom line? Charity, unlike its counterfeit, isn’t merely a feeling of empathy or acceptance. It doesn’t abandon our loved ones to the path of least resistance. Rather, it makes a gift of our thoughtful presence to give our loved one some space, and maybe some accountability, to think about a better way, and for them to know we’ll stand by them as they face what no one can face on their own: fear. Love, after all, casts out all fear, and this is what God did for us - not excusing us of the law, but helping us to fulfill it by standing by us, walking before us, showing us the way, through death to new life. If we ask how to truly be charitable, there is no better example than Jesus, who laid down his life for us, his friends, and showed us that that is the path to true life.

So, now that we have spoken a little about charity, what are some ways we can practice it? Of course, we should ask God to inspire us, because we can only love like God loves with His help, but perhaps one way to practice this virtue is by fostering intentional conversations. Time is the most precious gift we have, and an open ear, coupled perhaps with an insightful observation about the person (such as a trait that we admire or appreciate), can be very encouraging. If the person has been down lately, perhaps mentioning this and asking if there is something on his/her mind could be helpful. When given the time, difficult conversations can be had, and those we love will be able to heal and grow. May the Lord lead us in truly loving those in our lives this week.

FR. MATTHEW PROSPERIE

is a newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. He is currently serving as parochial vicar at St. Hilary Poitiers in Mathews.

FAITH FORMATION

ANNIE BREERWOOD

is a wife, a mother, and an active parishioner of St. Bridget in Schriever.

She serves as a mentor for Confirmation candidates and has recently become the Writer and Content Developer for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Communications Department.

LIFE WITH CHRIST

Growing up in Schriever, I had the privilege of a Catholic upbringing that seamlessly intertwined faith and culture.

For 27 years, I could have easily let Catholicism be just a routine; but thanks to community, sacramental life, and the lives of the saints, I have a relationship with Jesus that transcends mere ritual.

My journey to a deeper faith began when my parish youth minister invited me to a small diocesan retreat, where I had my first encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. This experience profoundly changed me, inspiring me to take ownership of my faith and draw closer to Jesus. I am grateful to my parents for making parish life at St. Bridget a priority. They instilled in me a sense of spiritual community which opened doors for experiences and formation that enriched my faith.

During my time in college with Colonel Catholics, my community grew. I made friends who were not only like-minded in belief, but willing to challenge me daily to become more and more convicted of the Truth. One significant test of faith occurred when a reporter showed up at St. Thomas Aquinas Student Center inquiring about Catholic reactions to recent church scandals. He asked, “What keeps a young person like you devoted to a faith filled with sinners in positions of authority like the priesthood?” Five years of having met Jesus in the Mass and adoration ensured I had a clear response: “As long as Jesus remains in the Eucharist, I will continue to love and learn from Him. The Church’s sins do not diminish the Body of Christ.”

One of the true challenges of my faith journey has been reconciling with loved ones who do not know or accept Christ. A considerably small number of years on this faith journey have taught me that conversion and salvation are messy and non-linear, but the victory is worth patience.

In times of struggle I look to St. Monica’s intercession, carrying the cross of longing for their conversion, resisting the urge for a tidy, quick solution.

I maintain hope that my loved ones will one day experience Christ’s unconditional love. I pray for them and express my love— always leaving the door open for dialogue, understanding and, when the time is right, challenge. My focus remains on cultivating my own faith and character, with the hope of becoming a guiding light if and when they choose to embrace Him in their lives.

Becoming a mother this year has pushed me to rethink my strategy for holiness. While once I dreamed of evangelizing strangers in far off places, my current plan draws from St. Therese’s Little Way. I focus on approaching my job, my house work, my errands, my family, my coworkers and friends, with the love God has shown me.

It can be tempting to think more about the world’s problems than about how I can be the solution. Imagine the world as a ball of silver and each of our lives a small polishingcloth. If each of us spent time “polishing” or tending to the people and needs in our lives, how shiny and beautiful the world would be.

We must each be willing to work diligently to bring Jesus to others.

Matthew 9:37 reminds us, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” Come with me into the fields!

This advent let us cling to the sacraments, embolden our community, and call on the intercession of the saints and we will be prepared to welcome the Christ-child on Christmas Day and the Last Day!

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“

A CONSIDERABLY SMALL NUMBER OF YEARS ON THIS FAITH JOURNEY HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT CONVERSION AND SALVATION ARE MESSY AND NONLINEAR, BUT THE VICTORY IS WORTH PATIENCE.

”

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ADVENT

This year, to prepare for Advent, I want to get to know Jesus in a deeper way. After hearing a Sunday Gospel reading from Matthew 22:1-14, I realized that if the Lord called me to the Wedding Feast today, I might not be ready to answer. I might not even recognize His voice. So this Advent, in order to come to know His voice, I am reading the Cantata of Love, a reflection on the Song of Songs. This book of the Bible has always been special to me and stood out as the perfect example of how Jesus loves me. There are also several Gospel passages that have always struck me as Jesus’ way of speaking directly to me. The Woman at the Well and Luke 7:3650 show Jesus offering compassion and mercy to a sinful woman.

I hope to get to know Jesus better through these passages.

To prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas, I also want to be sure that I am ready when the Lord calls me. I don’t want to be “without a Wedding Garment,” like in the passage from Matthew.

So in this time of preparation for Jesus’ birth, I will spend time praying about my personal obstacles that would keep me from being ready to enter the Wedding Feast when the time comes.

-SHELBY ELLIS, ST. GENEVIEVE (THIBODAUX)

Q+A:

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR

Christ comes to us in many ways. Jesus is present to me and his Church: in his word, in his Church’s prayers, “where two or three are gathered in my name,” through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in all aspects of life, in the poor, in the sick, and in the imprisoned, in the sacraments, in the sacrifice of the Mass, in his sacred word, and in the person of his ministers. Jesus is especially present in the Eucharistic species of bread and wine. He is also present in history (the incarnation), in the mysteries of life, and in his final coming.

Jesus told us the kingdom of God is here. It’s right here in our midst, among us, within us, and in all the ways I mentioned above. The problem is that we do not see God’s hand in the many ways the Almighty comes to us because we are too busy and we miss our loving God’s presence in our lives. Advent is a time of preparation and of opening ourselves and of becoming aware of the presence of God in all of life. I want to slow down and prepare my heart for the many ways God comes to me in everyday life and through the church. I want to become more aware of God’s presence in all aspects of life, sacred and secular.

-FATHER WILLY TODD, RETIRED PRIEST

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First thing that comes to mind is “clean the house.” However, we all know that there is so much more to prepare for someone to arrive at our home.

I want to prepare for Jesus to stay so we can be together forever. What does he like? What does he dislike? What are our differences? How can I be more like him? What do I need to get rid of that are in the closets or attics hidden from my visitors that he will have access when he dwells with me permanently? Will I do what he wants me to do when he wants me to do it because I want him to know I love him? Will I correct my family, friends, and acquaintances if they make jokes at his expense?

I plan on getting to know him. I will talk and listen to him daily (pray). I will seek advice from those that have known and trusted him much longer than myself (seek advice from my spiritual advisor). I will read other stories from people on what he has done and how he has reacted in different circumstances (read and study the Gospels). I will visit him at home or in the public square (Adoration and Corporal Works of Mercy).

I will still clean house. However, I will invite him to design the remodel.

-MIKE MAIOCCHI, ST. BERNADETTE (HOUMA)

advent CHRIST’S COMING THIS ADVENT? It was a family tradition that when we would put up our nativity scenes during Advent, we would intentionally hide Baby Jesus away in a cabinet, only for my brother and I to discover that He would mysteriously appear in the manger on Christmas morning!

Wouldn’t it be exciting to wake up and find Baby Jesus in your living room every morning? Now, as a religious, that’s essentially what happens – but better! The same Baby we eagerly awaited to appear in the humble manger on Christmas morning deigns to humble Himself every day in the form of bread and wine. In my religious community, we like to reflect upon how the manger was a feeding trough for animals, reminding us that Christ desires us to feed upon Him in the Eucharist. However, through the Sacrament of Confession, we must first clean out the stable of our soul, getting rid of the filth of sin, and making our hearts and souls a suitable dwelling for the Infant King.

So, how am I preparing for Christ’s coming this Advent? Daily Mass and frequent, regular Confession not only prepares me for the upcoming feast on December 25th, but also and especially prepares me for His Final Coming in glory and the opportunity for eternal union with Him! -SISTER CATERINA, HOLY FAMILY (DULAC)

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As Advent approaches, I’ve realized that now is the time to grow in my faith and my personal relationship in Christ. For many years, I almost completely disregarded the Advent season, as I was excited for it to end and for Christmas to arrive. I worried far too much about getting the best gifts for my loved ones and setting up the perfect Christmas tree; by doing this, however, I failed to realize the importance of preparing my heart and soul for the coming of Christ. Thankfully, I’ve finally realized my mistakes and decided to make a change this Advent season.

One of the changes I’ve decided to make is spening more time in silence and prayer. Rather than spending my free time scrolling on social media or watching TV, I plan to take time to sit in nature and reflect while listening for God’s voice. Instead of only praying at night before bed, I’ll make it a priority to talk to God throughout the day, even if it’s just for a minute. In addition to this, I plan to start journaling and contemplating the Word of God before I go to sleep at night; I think that reading the words of Jesus is one of the best ways to open my heart to him.

Finally, I intend to go to Confession sometime during the Advent season and free my heart and soul from sin to make more space for Jesus. By doing all of these things, I hope to be prepared for the coming of Jesus this Christmas Season. I yearn for the coming of Christ and pray that my heart will be ready for him to dwell in it.

-BRANDON CORDERO, CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

I plan on preparing for Christ’s coming this Advent by first sitting in silence. It is important to sit in silence with the Lord during this season to feel his presence. To help with this, I like to offer up silent drives to the store, school, or work to help clear my mind and help me recognize the Lord’s presence in my life. Also, offering up time to spend in the chapel throughout the week to sit in the Lord’s presence for an hour hidden from all distractions always brings great peace of mind. Along with offering up silence, it is also just as important to prepare for Christ’s coming by examining your conscience. I love finding different examinations online and reflecting on the Lord. Asking questions and truly sitting with Him in His home makes all the difference in how we receive Him. In the past, I had done an Advent devotional called Momento Mori which means, “Remember Your Death.” In the devotional, it gives you daily reflections and pieces of scripture that are informative but helpful in reflecting on how our Lord saves us. As Catholics, we meditate on our death in light of Christ. Jesus was brought into this world to encounter us and died for all of humanity. I plan to reflect with my Momento Mori devotional again this Advent to better prepare my heart for Christ’s coming! Giving the Lord my time helps me receive him with a whole heart and peace of mind.

How will you sacrifice your time to our Lord?

-SOPHIA LISTON, ST. THOMAS (THIBODAUX)

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ADVENT

“EACH YEAR THE ADVENT SEASON SLIPS THROUGH MY FINGERS AS I FIND MYSELF SCATTERED INSTEAD OF SERENE, PANICKED INSTEAD OF PEACEFUL, FRANTIC INSTEAD OF FOCUSED.”

WORTH FIGHTING FOR ELAINE BEYER

teaches religion at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma. She and her family are parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral.

I always have the best intentions. “This Advent,” I declare each year, “will be different. This Advent I will not get sucked into the busyness and stress of the school and holiday schedule.” And each year the Advent season slips through my fingers as I find myself scattered instead of serene, panicked instead of peaceful, frantic instead of focused. Maybe, though, my problem isn’t time management. Maybe my problem is that I have lost sight of what I am actually preparing for.

The decorations and music that surround us during Advent draw our minds and hearts back to that mind-blowing moment when the One who breathed life into us all drew His first breath as a newborn baby. The wonder and mystery of that moment are certainly enough to fill our hearts and our Advent prayer time. But Advent is not merely about what happened in a stable 2,000 years ago.

The Church has always taught that “by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming” (CCC 524). When we reflect on the Incarnation through this lens, a new perspective begins to emerge.

What was really happening on that Christmas night while Bethlehem slept? To understand this, we have to go all the way back to the beginning.

In Genesis, we read about how our first parents turned their backs on the love that God offered them and pledged their allegiance to His enemy.

Since that moment, we have lived in a world at war. The Incarnation was a dramatic rescue operation undertaken to save us all from the prince of this world who holds us in chains. God came disguised as a helpless baby to infiltrate this “enemy-occupied territory” and set us free one by one (CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, 2.2). And it’s

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“A WAKE-UP

CALL TO A WORLD THAT HAS FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLEFIELD

”

not over yet. This war will continue until that final moment when Christ steps back onto our war-torn world and “triumphs over the revolt of evil” (CCC 677).

That means that at this moment - right now - we are at war. That might sound like a depressing Advent reflection but I’m afraid that if we miss this fact, we will misunderstand most of what is happening to us and around us. We are at war. We have an enemy who wants to keep us scattered and distracted because we have a job to do and he wants to stop us from doing it. “The renewal of the world is irrevocably under way” (CCC 670). We are surrounded by prisoners who don’t even recognize their own chains. And as each of us are set free from the shackles of sin and death, we are commanded to help our fellow prisoners of war break free as well.

Our rescue work will be opposed. It will take all of our courage and strength and it will require us to stay connected with the “supply lines” of grace that we receive through Scripture and the Sacraments.

We don’t know how much longer this war will last.

What we do know is that we cannot waste the time we’ve been given. Revelations 12:12 tells us that our enemy has come down “in great fury, because he knows he has but a short time.” This shouldn’t alarm us, though, because we already know the ending of this story. And if we could whisper to the hero still bloody in the battle, to the frightened one lost in the storm, to the exhausted one who feels that they cannot go on, we would say “Don’t give in!

For we have seen the ending and it is glorious. Hold on to hope! We promise that this is an ending worth waiting for.”

Maybe that’s what Advent was always meant to be: a wake-up call to a world that has fallen asleep in the middle of the battlefield - and a beacon of hope for war-weary soldiers. The King is coming.

Prepare your hearts.

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GLIMPSES OF ETERNITY BRAYDEN DANTIN

is a student at Nicholls State University pursuing a degree in business. He attends St. Thomas Aquinas in Thibodaux and is originally from Houma.

A REFLECTION ON ADVENT AND OUR LONGINGS

All of us have longings. They are a part of our shared human experience and are the reasons we get up in the morning.

If we have nothing in which we place our hope, or nothing for which we long, then existence becomes just time merely passing by. Life loses its vibrance and collapses into a tiresome and uneventful monotony. From longing for basic necessities like food and shelter, to desiring the highest Good - God, longings are intrinsic to our human nature and reveal to us who we are and give us a glimpse of the heights to which we are called.

During the season of Advent, the Church invites us to meditate on our longings, especially on our ultimate longing; the longing for the Infinite God in whom we live, move, and have our being. If we don’t recognize this end, this final and primary hope, then all secondary hopes become meaningless.

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In our own day and age, it can be difficult to remember this.

There exist so many distractions with which we can easily occupy ourselves, that it can be hard to keep the main thing the main thing. During this season, it is vital to slow down and reflect upon our inmost longing, and upon the object that will satisfy it - the God who is the inexhaustible wellspring of delight from which we are invited to drink and in Whose nature we are invited to participate. (cf. 2 Peter 1:4) This longing for Christ should be our orientation at all times, especially during Advent. Since the Incarnation has already happened in time, it can be difficult for us to have the same longing for Christ that Israel had. What they waited for in hopeful anticipation, we experience. It is helpful, however, to try and have the same disposition of the heart that they had.

Their longing for Christ should be a model for us in our own

desire for Him. Their hope for Emmanuel should be mirrored in us. Their ancient cry for a savior to set them free from sin and death should be our own.

It is important to note that Advent isn’t solely about the first coming of Christ, but also of His coming at the end of time, where He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away. Christ will come again to give each their due, and will restore all things in Himself. This is not something to be feared, but something to be longed for.

That time when Christ will free the whole of creation from its slavery to corruption and raise it to its intended glory.

The second coming may not occur in our lifetime, but like creation, we should long for our freedom from the decay of the fallen world. Our gaze should always be fixed on Christ

and we should always be a people of hope. Our hope is not unfounded, but has a firm and unshakable foundation. The Eschaton - the final consummation of all things in, through, and by Christ—is that hope. It is the final end for which creation is groaning and for which we should ardently long.

Let us long for Christ in the way that God’s chosen people in the Old Testament longed for Him. Let us await His coming at Christmas with the joyful anticipation of open hearts. Let us look forward to the day when we need no longer pray thy kingdom come; for on that day the Kingdom will be fully present and God will be all in all. Let us long for Christ, for He alone is enough and He alone can satisfy the longings of the human heart. “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” -Saint Augustine DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 39

ADVENT

The Church tells us there are two characteristics to the season of Advent. The first is a preparation for Christmas, when Christ’s first coming to us is remembered. The second is a little less clear. She teaches us that Advent is a time to direct our minds and hearts to await Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time.

The former, the preparation for the Christmas holiday, is easy to envision, and therefore much easier to know how to prepare for. Every year we decorate our homes, we attend our parish’s Advent mission, we schedule visits with loved ones and we make cookies we loved when we were younger. Preparing for the Christmas holiday, the remembrance of Jesus’ birth, is easy to imagine because we do it every year. Furthermore, it is easy to imagine because, on Christmas Day, God was born to a woman named Mary, in a town known as Bethlehem. The preparation for the Christmas holiday is easy.

But the latter, the directing of our mind and heart to await Christ’s Second Coming, is something that is harder to wrap our heads around. First of all, none of us have encountered either the end of time or the Second Coming of Jesus so how could any of us imagine it? Second and more importantly, it

is something that is often challenging for us to come to terms with. Every Sunday at mass we say that Jesus, “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” It is that judgment piece that is hard for most of us. Because when we think about judgment, we think about Sin. And when we think about Sin, we think of the breaking of rules. And when we think about the breaking of rules we think of punishment. And none of us like to think about punishment. We often equate Christ’s Second coming with punishment.

But that is exactly what Satan wants you to think of, he wants you to think of judgment, he wants you to think of Sin as the breaking of rules. He doesn’t want us to understand the real nature of Sin. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul, when speaking of Sin says, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Rm 7:15). How many times in your life have you experienced this?

How often have you done something you knew you should avoid yet you did it anyway and then regretted it immediately after doing it? That my brothers and sisters is the power of Sin. Satan doesn’t want you to know that because he knows when you begin to realize that he has lost the battle for your soul.

AWAITING THE COMING OF JESUS JOE KLAPATCH

is a member of the Office of Parish Support for the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux. He and his wife are parishioners of Maria Immacolata in Houma.

“SHINE

FORTH. ROUSE YOUR POWER, AND COME TO SAVE US!

”

But the power Sin has over us is why Jesus came. He came to give us the power to overcome Sin in our lives. That is why Jesus was born to a woman, that is why Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, and that is why God became man.

When we direct our minds and our hearts to Christ’s Second Coming, we begin the process of allowing him to enter into our lives. When we allow him in, we allow his grace and divine Spirit to enter into our humanity and we begin to overcome the power Sin lauds over us. It is then that our priorities begin to change, it is then that the things that overwhelm us in our lives begin to be put into their rightful place, it is then that the shame and voices of “I’m not good enough” or “I have to do this thing well to be loved” are silenced. with the call of Jesus, “Be watchful! Be alert!” (Mk 13: 33). We often read this and think, “Be good, because Jesus is coming to judge you and you don’t know when he will arrive.” There is some truth to that, but it is far from the whole truth. To understand the whole truth look to the Psalm of that same Sunday, when the Psalmist says, “O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power, and come to save us!”

My brothers and sisters, this Advent, take this time to “be watchful, to be alert.” Look for his presence in your life and in your heart. And when you see him, when you feel his presence, let him rouse his power and shine forth in your life to defeat the power Sin has over you.

May you experience his power this Advent in the months to come.

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CULTURE

MORE THAN ENTERTAINED THE ENDURANCE OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL

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NICK SMITH

is a seminarian for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. He currently studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

IF ONLY I HAD LOVED YOU EARLIER, O GOD!

One of the local theaters in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, performs A Christmas Carol every year during the Advent season.

I finally went to the show a couple of years ago. I knew one of the actresses in the play, and she seemed slightly disgusted when I told her I’d never read the book by Charles Dickens. That was the motivation I needed to read it. Surprise, surprise - it’s a classic.

You likely know the story. Dickens brings us into a small town on Christmas Eve, where we meet Ebenezer Scrooge. Dickens puts it best: “Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”

Obsessed with money and isolated from any loved ones, Scrooge grumbles home on Christmas Eve. But as he heads to bed, the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, appears to him.

Marley comes with a warning: Scrooge must change his ways or face a horrible fate after death. He’s arranged for Scrooge to be visited by three ghosts: The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

Scrooge entertains each of them in the night, and they show him scenes from his past, present, and future, respectively.

Each of these ghosts present lessons worth meditating upon, but the ghost I found the most - well, haunting - was the first of them. As Scrooge and the ghost navigate through his past, we see Scrooge’s agony as he witnesses himself make regretful decisions. There’s a particularly painful scene when he ultimately chooses the allure of riches over his potential bride. Upon seeing the scene unravel, a remorseful Scrooge exclaims to the ghost, “Show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?”

Prior to this scene, Marley’s ghost says something horrifying that I think captures the reason for Scrooge’s torture: “No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”

The gist: no amount of regret will change our decisions. We simply can’t go back and fix what came before. In past poor decisions, we had our chance, but that chance is gone now. There’s simply no going back. “What if I had gone after the girl? What if I had said what needed to be said? What if I had done the right thing?”

None of those questions matter. Those moments are what they are. And as the ghost says to Scrooge, “That they are what they are, do not blame me!”

I can feel Scrooge’s pain in my own story. I’ll be the first one to say that I’ve made many choices in my life to not do what was right.

In my quest to be a disciple of Jesus, I have so many moments of regret. There’s no fixing those moments. They are what they are.

At the story’s conclusion, though, Scrooge learns his lessons and decides to change his ways for the better. Dickens describes the transformation: “[Scrooge] became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.”

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It’s a happy ending for Scrooge, but let’s not forget that he’s an old man at this point. He’s wasted most of life living in sin and isolation.

If only he had changed earlier in life! As the great St. Augustine famously lamented after encountering the Lord at the age of 33, “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!”

I’m only 30, and still that prayer resonates. It’s a prayer that Scrooge must surely have prayed after his conversion.

And yet, despite the agony of a long and unchangeable past, Scrooge moves forward.

Venerable Bruno Lanteri, a priest from the Catholic tradition, popularized the Latin phrase, “Nunc Coepi.” It simply means, “Now I Begin.” It means that no matter how many times we sin, no matter how many times we fail, no matter how long we wait to step onto the right path, there is always the opportunity to begin. It’s true - we can’t go back. But as long as we live, or until the Son of Man returns, we have the opportunity to begin here and now.

YES, SCROOGE IS OLD. BUT HE DOES ALL HE CAN DO, AND THAT’S TO BEGIN. NUNC COEPI. THAT’S ALL YOU AND I CAN DO IT AS WELL. WHETHER YOU’RE 5, 105, OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, JUST BEGIN. Blessed Advent to you and your families!

CULTURE

HEAVENLY RECIPES Advent is the time of year when we begin to prepare space in our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but it is also a time when we prepare our homes to host family and friends. As we begin our preparations together, we’ve rounded up a few recipes that would be perfect for this season of hosting and entertaining!

MEME’S BREAKFAST CAKE

INGREDIENTS •2 cans of jumbo butter biscuits (not flaky) •1lb of Jimmy dean breakfast sausage •1 package of Velveeta cheese •12 eggs •Bundt pan

avoid the cake becoming too “bready”.

Don’t worry if there are a few holes in the dough. They will fill in when the biscuits bake.

5. Add a small layer of sausage, then eggs, then cheese to the biscuit covered pan.

DIRECTIONS 1. Cook your sausage + scramble your eggs.

6. Put a layer of flattened biscuits on top of the layers and repeat step 5.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 or whatever the biscuits call for.

7. Too it off with the remaining biscuits to form what will be a sturdy bottom of the cake.

3. Lightly spray Bundt pan with oil or use a nonstick pan.

4. Line the pan (even the center) with biscuits. Flatten them out and spread them as thin as you can in order to

8. Bake the cake for about 20-30min or until the top is browned.

9. After allowed to cool, flip the cake out onto a plate and serve in slices.

“Every year for the Martin family Christmas, I would wake up to the sounds and smells of my family in the kitchen. There are so many dishes that hold a special place in my heart, but none as much as Meme’s Breakfast Cake. When the grandkids were little, she’d make it at home and bring it up the hill to my parent’s house. But when I got old enough, she taught me how to make it. Now that she’s no longer with us, I hold on tight to the memories made with her in that kitchen. And now each Christmas, I get to be a part of keeping the tradition alive.

This recipe is incredibly simple, a little time consuming, and feeds many people. But if you’ve got little hands to help you, the time it takes seems to go by a lot quicker. I hope this recipe means as much to you as it does to me.”

MAEGAN MARTIN

is the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

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CHILES EN NOGADA “Chiles en Nogada is a recipe originally from Puebla, Mexico.

According to tradition the recipe was created in a convent by the Augustinian Mothers in the 19th century. This dish is prepared with native ingredients and those brought by the conquest. The recipe includes roasted and peeled poblano peppers that are stuffed with a unique “picadillo” made from fruit and ground meat, and then covered in a walnut-cream sauce known as “nogada” and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

This dish is considered an important part of Mexican gastronomy.

Because it is a very labor-intensive dish, it is often prepared by many hands for family gatherings or with friends. For the Latino community, sharing food is essential. We never miss an opportunity to get together and bring traditional dishes from our countries. My mother taught me to prepare chiles en nogada and now I often bring it to share with my community that I serve.”

INGREDIENTS: 8 poblano peppers Filling: •2 tablespoon olive oil •1 onion, chopped •3 cloves garlic finely chopped •1 ¾ pounds ground beef or pork •2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes •1 plantain, chopped •1 apple, chopped •1 fresh peach, chopped •1 pear chopped •2 tablespoons pine nuts •2 tablespoons raisins •2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped (Nogada) Sauce: •2 ½ cups chopped walnuts.

•1 ¾ cups milk •¾ cup fresh cheese •1 tablespoon white sugar •1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick Garnish: •1 ½ cups pomegranate seeds •½ cup chopped fresh parsley

SR. ARACELY LOBATON

works in the Office of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

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DIRECTIONS 1. Roast poblano chiles over an open flame on a gas stove or grill until the skin is black and charred on all sides, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the charred chiles in a plastic bag or in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then open and peel off the skin.

Cut a slit in each chile lengthwise and remove the seeds.

3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ground beef or pork and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon while cooking, about 7 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, plantain, apple, peach, pear, pine nuts, raisins, almonds, salt, and pepper. Simmer until filling is cooked through and flavors are well combined, about 20 minutes.

4. Combine walnuts, milk, fresh cheese, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a blender; blend until walnut sauce is smooth and creamy.

5. Fill each poblano chile with the pork filling and place on a plate. Spoon walnut sauce over chile and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Enjoy!

SHIRLEY’S PINEAPPLE DELIGHT CAKE “This cake is very special to our family because it’s made with my mom’s pineapple filling that she made when she would bake our birthday cakes. She would always split every layer in half, pipe buttercream icing along the edges of an almond flavored cake and then fill it with this delightful pineapple filling. Each bite now brings back all of the wonderful memories of growing up in a large family with a mom that put her heart into everything she did. I’ve made this cake several times for special events and sometimes just for the students to enjoy.”

INGREDIENTS: •1 can of crushed pineapple with juice •Equal amount of sugar as pineapple (Just fill the can with sugar and level off) •Juice of ½ lemon •¼ cup of cornstarch •1 tbsp of butter DIRECTIONS: 1. Cook in the microwave and stir every 2 minutes until thick.

Double or triple the recipe depending on the amount that is needed.

CISSY ATZENHOFFER

is the Director of Campus Ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas in Thibodaux, home of the Colonel Catholics.

Our History CULTURE

ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST

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MICHELLE LEBLANC

is the Archivist of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Archives turned 40 on November 11, 2023.

The Archives and Records Center contains the diocese’s historical records and maintains school and church records for the diocese. For questions or further research, please email archives@htdiocese.org

St. Luke the Evangelist located in Thibodaux, Louisiana originally began as a mission parish of St. Benedict the Moor in Bertrandville, Louisiana. Both St. Benedict and St. Luke were begun by the Josephite Missionaries and were served by Father van Baast and then Father Stephen A. Boysko.

The Josephites or the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart were formed to provide a supply of American priests to minister to African Americans in the United States. The Josephites served the Black Catholic populations through the three local churches: St. Luke the Evangelist, St. Lucy, and Holy Eucharist in Morgan City.

In 1911, Archbishop Blenk responded to an appeal from African American Catholics in Bertrandville asking for a priest saying, “give us a priest and we will build a church.” Blenk then invited the Josephite Fathers into Lafourche Parish to take over the African American Catholic missions.

Mother Katharine Drexel, who became a saint, visited the Bayou Lafourche missions in May of 1923 and came to Thibodaux at the invitation of Father A. M. Barbier.

Drexel offered to donate $4,000 to St. Luke to build a church and school for the African Americans in the city of Thibodaux and to get graduates from Xavier University to staff the school.

The parish was blessed and dedicated on January 27, 1924, by Archbishop Shaw and Father van Baast S.S.J., who held a two-week mission after the dedication ceremony to celebrate the church’s opening.

According to St. Luke’s baptismal registry, the first baptism at St. Luke’s itself was done on January 12, 1924.

The first wedding recorded in St. Luke’s register (and at St. Luke itself) was done on January 16, 1924, with the first funeral at St. Luke done the day before on January 15, 1924. St. Luke’s ended 1924 with 30 baptisms

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A Josephite parish like St. Luke often featured a school; St. Luke’s Elementary School opened onsite on January 1, 1924, with two Xavier graduates as teachers. In 1926, the Holy Ghost Sisters arrived in Thibodaux and took over St. Luke’s teaching duties. The parish and school were served by the Josephites providing a pastor for the parish while the school was staffed by the Holy Ghost sisters who taught kindergarten through eighth grade. Often the Josephites’ school was the only education that African American children were given before the local public schools accepted African American children.

The parish was closed in 1967 due to integration, with St. Luke being reopened by Bishop Boudreaux on September 15, 1986, after a survey was conducted by the Josephites and African American Catholics in the area. Bishop Boudreaux issued a decree on September 3, 1986, declaring that St. Luke was again entrusted to the Josephite Fathers and is to be considered a personal parish for black Catholics living within Lafourche and Jefferson parishes of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Eucharist Parish in Morgan City which opened in 1938 and remained a mission chapel until 1944 when it became its own parish. Holy Eucharist did not reopen like St. Lucy and St. Luke in 1986. St. Luke’s last mission chapel was St. Lucy’s in Houma whose first Mass was offered on July 1, 1945.

After the re-opening, St. Luke and St. Lucy shared a priest named Rev. Joseph Conway Rodney, S.S.J. but remained separate entities with their own parish and finance councils. The Josephites continue to serve at St. Luke until 1997 when Father John Tyne S.S.J. left St. Luke due to a priest shortage. St. Luke and St. Lucy currently share Msgr. Cletus Egbi who has served since January 1, 2018.

St. Luke the Evangelist is celebrating their 100-year anniversary in January of 2024.

Research materials for this article were provided by the Josephites, pastoral letters to and from St. Luke parish, previous Bayou Catholic articles, and parishioners of St. Luke.

St. Luke’s had three mission parishes with St. Benedict the Moor of Bertrandville becoming St. Luke’s mission chapel in 1927. The second mission chapel was Holy

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 53

CULTURE This portrait of the blessed mother called “Our Lady of Guadalupe” was painted to raise money for Missionaries of the Poor in Kingston, Jamaica.

LILY LUKE

Lily Luke is a young self-taught artist from Houma, Louisiana. She started her business at 17 years old while being a full-time student at Vandebilt Catholic High School. She specializes in religious art, watercolor family portraits, and watercolor individual portraits. With every religious print sold, 20% is donated to the Missionaries of the Poor in Jamaica to help take care of the sick and homeless residents there. Lily’s art brings a modern interpretation on images and religious figures we hold close to our hearts.

To order a print, request a commission, or for any other inquiries please reach out to Lily via:

INSTAGRAM @LILY.LUKE.ART

EMAIL LILLIANLUKE03@GMAIL.COM DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 55

HOUMA-THIBODAUX

PHOTO ESSAY:

BISHOP AROUND THE DIOCESE BISHOP DORSONVILLE HAS BEEN BUSY VISITING OUR PARISHES, SCHOOLS, AND MINISTRIES ACROSS OUR DIOCESE. HE ENJOYS MEETING THE PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE AND LOVES SPENDING TIME WITH THE STUDENTS IN OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, HE HAS EMBRACED THE CAJUN CULTURE AND TRULY BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR DIOCESAN FAMILY. 56 | BAYOU CATHOLIC

Bishop Dorsonville celebrated the annual Blue Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in honor of the first responders in our diocese. We are incredibly grateful for the sacrifices made by those who serve our communities every day.

The Hispanic Ministry team hosted Fiesta Hispaña to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in September.

Bishop Dorsonville encouraged those in attendance to continue “growing in their relationship with Christ” and “celebrating where we come from.”

Bishop Dorsonville celebrated the annual Red Mass for legal professionals at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma.

We give thanks for those who uphold the virtue of justice in our community.

DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX | 57

Bishop Dorsonville was greeted with singing and birthday cards when he arrived at St. Gregory Elementary in Houma. The students lined the halls to welcome bishop to their school

Bishop Dorsonville was honored to bless the new Rotary Centennial Plaza in downtown Houma. This new addition to the community will serve as a beautiful gathering place for generations to come.

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Bishop Dorsonville celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales for Respect Life Sunday to kick of Respect Life Month in October.

Bishop Dorsonville celebrated Mass for the annual Filipino Fiesta at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Houma. The Mass celebrated Filipino Saints, San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod.

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November is Black Catholic History Month. Bishop Dorsonville visited St. Lucy in Houma to celebrate Mass in honor of this celebration and our black Catholic brothers and sisters on the path to sainthood.

Bishop Dorsonville visited classrooms at Holy Rosary Elementary in Larose where he got to join in on the fun alongside the students. He spoke to them about the importance of vocation and listening for the Lord’s call.

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HOUMA-THIBODAUX

AROUND THE DIOCESE SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Friday, December 8th | Holy Day of Obligation *see church parish for times

DIOCESAN LEADERSHIP AWARDS MASS Sunday, December 10th @ 2:30pm | Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE Tuesday, December 12th @ 7pm | Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales

THE LIGHT IS ON Wednesday, December 20th @ 6pm (diocesan wide confession) *see local church parish for more details

ANNUAL HEALING MASS Thursday, December 21st @ 7pm | St. Andrew, Amelia

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD Monday, December 25th | Holy Day of Obligation *see local church parish for more details

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CHRISTMAS MASS OBLIGATION EXPLAINED This year, the Solemnity of the Nativity of The Lord (Christmas) falls on a Monday. Which means there are two days of obligation back to back for the faithful to attend Mass. First, in Sunday, Decmeber 24th for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and on Monday, December 25th for Christmas.

The first obligation (Fourth Sunday of Advent) is fulfilled by going to any Mass from 4pm on December 23rd to 11:59pm on December 24th. The second obligation (Christmas) is fulfilled by going to any Mass from 4pm on December 24th to 11:59pm on December 25th.

Both obligations may not be fulfilled by going to a single Mass, but must be fulfilled by going to two separate Masses. Please visit your local church parish bulletin or website for more details about Christmas Mass times.

FR. RUSTY BRUCE

Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL THRIFT STORE CELEBRATED 60TH ANNIVERSARY On Wednesday, September 27th, the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Houma celebrated its 60th Anniversary. Through the untiring efforts of all Vincentians for 60 years, the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store has continued to thrive and help people in need. Thank you to all those who have made this ministry possible over the years.

UPDATE ON THE SYNOD This past October, the first part of the “universal phase” of the Synod of Bishops took place. This comes after the unprecedented process of consultation through the diocesan, national, and continental phases that Pope Francis inaugurated for this Synod. Over 400 participants took part in the month-long session in Rome, discussing a variety of topics and concerns that were brought up through the process of listening sessions across the world. While a synthesis text was released, a final document will not be published until the second session takes place in October 2024. While the synthesis document touches on a wide variety of topics, in his concluding homily, Pope Francis summarized the session beautifully: “In this ‘conversation of the Spirit,’ we have experienced the loving presence of the Lord and discovered the beauty of fraternity. We have listened to one another and above all, in the rich variety of our backgrounds and concerns, we have listened to the Holy Spirit.”

HAVE ANY FEEDBACK FOR THE BAYOU CATHOLIC? We would love to hear from you! As we continue to improve this publication, we hope that you will help us along the way with constructive feedback. You can contact our team with feedback or suggestions at communications@htdiocese.org.

INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR THE BAYOU CATHOLIC? We are currently building our community of freelance writers. Reach out to our team at communications@htdiocese.org for consideration.

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE OR MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS THROUGH THE PUBLICATION OR ONLINE AT BAYOUCATHOLIC.ORG? Please contact our team at communications@htdiocese.org to place an ad in the upcoming issues of the Bayou Catholic. To submit an announcement or news article, please reach out to us via email with copy and photos to support your article.

Our team in the Communications Office for the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux is proud to produce this publication and we are grateful for your continued support.

Maegan Martin

Director of Communications Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

HOUMA-THIBODAUX

THE GIFT OF GIVING: SHARING THE BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR TO TRANSFORM LIVES AMY PONSON

is the Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana. She is a wife, mother, and philanthropist.

THE END OF THE YEAR IS A SEASON OF REFLECTION, GRATITUDE, AND GIVING WITHIN OUR FAMILIES, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY AND WITHIN OUR OWN CHURCH. AS WE ENTER THE SEASON OF ADVENT AND APPROACH THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ARE CALLED TO CONSIDER OUR OWN PROFOUND IMPACT AND REMIND OURSELVES OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE GIFTS THE LORD HAS GRANTED US TO MAKE A TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT. WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND A HAND OF HOPE AND LOVE TO THOSE IN NEED, TO SUPPORT THE CAUSES THAT WE CARE ABOUT SO DEEPLY AND EXPERIENCE THE GIFT OF GIVING EMBODYING THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.

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GRATITUDE: THE FOUNDATION OF GIVING

I am often reminded of the common phrase, “God is never outdone in generosity.” The Lord’s generosity is abundant, and it never ceases to amaze me how the more we give, the more we receive in our hearts and throughout life because simply put, ‘God is never outdone in generosity.’

This generosity calls us to have a grateful heart and reflect on all of the blessings God has bestowed upon us this year. Whether that is in the form of good health, loving relationships, a stable home or a secure job the Lord continues to be abundant in his love for us. In acknowledging these blessings, we find the inspiration to give back and support the causes that we care about – seminarian education, care of the hungry, education or your local church.

A TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT

End-of-year giving is more than just a seasonal tradition; it’s an opportunity to make a true transformative impact. When we share our blessings with those causes in need, we offer a glimmer of hope, a chance for a better future, and a reminder that we are one Catholic community making a difference. Our acts of generosity can ripple through our local community, inspiring others to join in the movement as Catholics.

As the year comes to an end, we ask that you take time in your prayer life to reflect on the gifts the Lord has granted us. Let us commit to sharing those gifts to truly make a difference. Our giving, whether big or small, can bring joy, hope, and relief to those who need it most.

Find a cause that speaks to your heart, pray for their success and support their mission.

Outreach Line In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is offering an Outreach Line (formerly known as the Child Protection Contact Line). The Outreach Line is an effort to continue the diocesan commitment to support healing for people who have been hurt or sexually abused recently or in the past by clergy, religious or other employees of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A trained mental health professional responds to the line. Individuals are offered additional assistance if requested.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line Telephone number is (985) 873-0026 or (985) 850-3172

Línea de Comunicación Diocesana

Con el fin de cumplir con las Políticas de Protección de Niños y Jóvenes de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Los Estados Unidos, la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux ofrece una Línea de Comunicación (antes Línea de Contacto para la Protección de los Niños). La Línea de Comunicación es parte del esfuerzo diocesano de comprometerse con el mejoramiento de aquéllos que han sido lastimados o abusados sexualmente recientemente o en el pasado por miembros del clero, religiosos u otros empleados de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux.

El horario de la Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux es de 8:30 a.m. a 4:30 p.m., de lunes a viernes. El encargado de esta línea es un profesional capacitado en salud mental. Se ofrece asistencia adicional al ser solicitada.

Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux Número de teléfono (985) 873-0026 o (985) 850-3172

Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Ñeå höôûng öùng Hieán chöông Baûo veä Treû em vaø Giôùi treû töø Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc Hoa kyø, Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux ñang chuaån bò ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp (luùc tröôùc laø ñöôøng daây lieân laïc baûo veä treû em). Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp laø moät söï coá gaéng cuûa giaùo phaän nhaèm cam keát haøn gaén naâng ñôõ nhöõng ai ñaõ bò toån thöông hoaëc bò laïm duïng tính duïc hoaëc gaàn ñaây hoaëc trong quaù khöù bôûi giaùo só, tu só hoaëc caùc coâng nhaân vieân cuûa Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux. Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän hoaït ñoäng töø 8:30 saùng ñeán 4:30 chieàu, thöù hai ñeán thöù saùu. Moät nhaân vieân chuyeân nghieäp veà söùc khoûe taâm thaàn traû lôøi treân ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi. Nhöõng caù nhaân seõ ñöôïc trôï giuùp naâng ñôõ theâm neáu caàn.

Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Soá ñieän thoaïi: (985) 873-0026; (985) 850-3172

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CHECK OUT THE MANY WAYS YOU CAN IMPACT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TODAY: #iGiveCatholic on November 28th – pick your favorite ministry within the diocese and give directly to them.

Bishop’s Appeal – dedicate your gift to our seminarians, retired priests, Catholic Education of Faith formation ministries within the diocese.

Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana– create an endowment for perpetual support for any nonprofit or cause you care about or even start a Donor Advised Fund to create an easy centralized and efficient fund to manage all of your charitable giving.

Your local church parish – make a gift of love at the end of the year to support your parish directly.

Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle – join the movement of Catholic women in our diocese to make an impact on women, children, and families right here at home.

In the words of Mother Teresa, “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” This holiday season, let us put love into our giving, for it is love that truly transforms the lives of others.

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“

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, LET US PUT LOVE INTO OUR GIVING, FOR IT IS LOVE THAT TRULY TRANSFORMS THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

”

TM

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