Nov 2013 bc issue christmas traditions

Bayou

Catholic

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Bayou Christmas raditions LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Christmas Traditions

210 208

214

Peace

Generosity

Jesus

Can only come from love

Adopt a Family for Christmas

The simple, unnoticed signs

206

216 Will to keep Christmas

Chef John Folse

Recipes

218

224 Shopping Finding Christ in the season of shopping

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Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

Keeping Christ in Christmas 207

Visit the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux at Southland Mall this November and December.

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We are located next to Vision Plaza at the main entrance of the mall.

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Christmas Traditions

By MARCELLINO D’AMBROSIO Catholic News Service

In the days of Caesar Augustus, an era of peace was established in the Mediterranean world after centuries of strife. But this peace was forged by the proud ambition of emperors and the edge of their armies’ swords.

Upon this stage appears a baby acclaimed as king by eastern dignitaries. Neither Caesar nor Herod will brook any rivals. Brutal hordes are sent to slay him at birth, though he comes without armies.

The thugs are thwarted, but only for a season. The royal child is laid in a manger, and the wood of that manger foreshadows the wood of the cross.

Caesar and Herod were bound to misunderstand him. They climbed their way to the top, stepping on all who stood in their way. He emptied himself and plunged to the bottom, from the glory of heaven to the squalor of a stable.

Pharaohs and Caesars strained toward immortality. Yet he who was immortal by nature embraced mortality. The great ones of the 208 world took every opportunity to exalt themselves. In the very act of being born, he humbled himself.

You would think that he would have chosen Rome or Athens as the place of his appearance. But he selects an obscure desert town in a dusty provincial outpost. Even in this humble spot, not even a seedy inn would make room for him.

So they had recourse to a cave, welcomed only by the animals.

Isaiah said it well: “An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master’s manger; but Israel does not know, my people has not understood.”

Everything was in fulfillment of Scripture. He was born in Bethlehem, a town whose name means “house of bread.” His crib was a manger, a feeding trough.

But they did not understand that he was the bread of life. He was wrapped, like Solomon, in swaddling clothes, but they did not recognize him as the new king and embodiment of divine wisdom.

The only people who recognize him are shepherds, the humblest in society, and Magi, the wisest.

But most Israelites, like us, were neither humble nor wise, so they missed it. They especially missed Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

True peace can only come from love this: that one of the birthday gifts was incense, used in the worship of gods. He was not only king, wise man, messiah and savior. He was God incarnate.

How could Jews have believed this? God is infinite, invulnerable and omnipotent. What is more vulnerable, fragile and helpless than an infant? Can the Eternal be born in time? Can the Divine Word be a child at the breast, incapable of speech? Can a mere teenage girl be the mother of God? It was just as hard for the pagans to believe it. Their philosophers had taught that God is spirit and the body is a prison. Salvation means liberation from the confines of the physical body. The idea that a divine savior would embrace human flesh did not compute.

Love sometimes does strange things. It takes great risks and goes to extreme lengths that many would call foolish. On that first Christmas day, God’s foolishness was wiser than men, and his

weakness was stronger than men.

It took them all by surprise.

But this, of course, was part of God’s strategy. The element of surprise is critical in warfare. And Christmas was an act of warfare.

It was the day of deliverance.

The preparation had taken centuries, but now it was time for the conqueror to land on enemyoccupied territory.

He came in humility and would finish the conquest 30 years later by the greatest act of humility the world has ever seen.

“Peace on earth, good will toward men.” True peace can never be forged by steel, but only by love. It is the humble babe in the manger, not Caesar in his chariot, who is the real prince of peace.

D’Ambrosio writes from Texas. He is co-founder of Crossroads Productions --www. crossroadsinitiative.com -an apostolate of Catholic renewal and evangelization.

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Christmas Traditions

Adopt a Family for Christmas Doing without the things that most of us take for granted is a way of life for some families in our community.

Jennifer Gaudet, associate director of Individual and Family Assistance for Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, says that some children cannot go to social events, cannot expect certain toys for Christmas or their birthday, or even have a Christmas tree because their families cannot afford these things.

At Christmastime, there are organizations such as Catholic Charities Adopt-a-Family Program that strive to help these children make their dreams come true.

“It hurts when underprivileged children can’t do what they feel everyone else is doing. They feel as if they are always left out of all the fun,” Gaudet explains. “With the generous support of Catholic parishioners and area businesses last year who adopted whole 210 families, 259 underprivileged children in Terrebonne Parish received much of what they asked for: Rollerblades, Barbie dolls, fishing equipment, CD players, art supplies and more.”

“Since I have an understanding of what it feels like to live in poverty conditions, I am extremely grateful to the efforts of our community to assist these young children. I am not sure if our parishioners fully understand the depths of which their gifts reach into the human soul. After all, it is more than just a pair of Rollerblades that is being given,” says Gaudet.

Gaudet sees these children receive some things that go beyond the joy of receiving a toy. n Self-esteem – children now discover that they can join their friends in fun activities like skating on the sidewalks. n Lessened stress levels – Parents see what has been given to them and no longer have to worry about how they will provide gifts for their children or go into uncontrollable debt as a result of Christmas pressure. n Renewed sense of wonder and excitement – The depression Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

of poverty is temporarily lifted and a fresh sense of what the future might hold in store for them becomes alive. n Courage – The strength to try harder to better their conditions is renewed as the care and warmth of the community enters into their hearts.

“This program is more than just giving and receiving. It is mainly about sharing one’s love and strength with someone else who feels tired and run down.

By participating in this type of program, the strength of our ever loving Christ child becomes present to both parties and joy fills the air,” Gaudet says.

How to Adopt a Family for Christmas There are several options for those who would like to participate: n Businesses and families who wish to interact directly with a family in need may participate in the Adopt-a-Family Program. Once a group knows how much money they have available to assist a family, they need to decide how they wish to help – with food, badly needed items for the home, clothes for the family or toys for the children.

Once this decision is made, the group may call Catholic Charities in Houma at (985)876-0490.

Gaudet will help match the group with a needy family.

Once a decision is made, the group will deliver the gifts to the family or if they prefer to remain anonymous, they can have Catholic Charities’ staff distribute the gifts to the adopted family. n Parishioners may anonymously participate in the program by taking an ornament off of a tree found in their parish church and buy a gift for the child they selected. Each ornament has the first name of the child printed on it, along with the age, gender and gift suggestion. Gifts purchased for the child are placed at the altar during the following weekend Mass so that they may be blessed.

Gaudet thanks all parishes who participated in the program last year and lists those who are participating this Christmas season – Annunziata, Houma; Holy Rosary, Houma; Maria Immacolata, Houma; and St. Bernadette, Houma. Some church parishes organize their own toy drives.

However, they work in cooperation with Catholic Charities to ensure that names of the needy are not duplicated, according to Gaudet.

Other parishes hold gift drives for the elderly in nursing homes or for local military personnel. They may also support holiday charity drives for organizations that help the needy such as St. Vincent de Paul Tri-Parish Pharmacy. n In lieu of purchasing gifts, cash donations may be made to the program by sending checks to Catholic Charities Christmas Drive, 1220 Aycock St., Houma, LA 70360. These donations are used to help supplement gifts for older children and any families that may have lost all of their belongings due to a fire after the Catholic Charities toys have been distributed.

Gaudet says that Catholic Charities cooperates with the Salvation Army and other organized toy drives to make sure there is no duplication.

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Christmas Traditions

Reaping relationship rewards at Christmas

By DAVID GIBSON

Catholic News Service

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Our grandson, Joseph, hoped to find a hockey helmet from us under the Christmas tree last year -- not just any helmet, but a goalie’s helmet.

He found it, but getting it there proved stressful.

After driving long distances from one sports store to the next, I learned goalie helmets for 6-yearolds were not sold in our area. So I passed my task off to our daughter, Joseph’s mother, who located the correct helmet in her city.

Was Joseph happy Christmas morning? He was ecstatic, jumping and shouting all around.

Does that mean getting the perfect gift for him was worth the effort?

Well, it means that with three children and seven grandchildren, my wife and I are fully aware of the effort, fatigue and sometimes great joy represented by Christmas gifts.

It is one thing, however, to share happiness with a child on Christmas and quite another to do that for an adult.

Adults will travel far to be in the “right place” on Christmas. But are they hoping to receive a perfect, wrapped gift? I suspect most travel for other reasons that have much to Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

do with relationships.

At Christmas, renewing the riches of key life relationships is what matters.

But according to TV situation comedies I viewed this Thanksgiving, misery often prevails at holiday gatherings with loved ones.

Are failed holiday celebrations the new norm? Probably not, but stress can assess its toll, particularly at Christmas.

No wonder ACCORD, the Irish Catholic bishops’ marriage care service, had cautionary words in 2009 for spouses overwhelmed by holiday chaos.

During stressful times, ACCORD warned, it sometimes is tempting “to take out your frustration verbally” on those “closest to you,” like your spouse. That could mean taking things out on your greatest source of support.

For people hoping to reap the riches of rewarding relationships, it seems vital that the “rules” of good relationships remain in place, despite the confusions of Christmas.

One rule is to be a good listener, actually hearing what others say.

Another rule: Treat each other with respect.

For St. Paul, relationship rules are about love. He described love as patient, kind and neither jealous nor pompous. He wrote in Corinthians: “[Love] is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.”

Christmas companionships could draw support from smiles, humor and kindness. Jesus drew upon such qualities in making himself truly and compassionately present to others, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica noted recently.

Father Rosica is founding CEO of Canada’s Salt and Light Catholic Television network.

In December 2011 remarks for a Christmas tree lighting in Gubbio, Italy, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted kindness. “Every small act of kindness is like a light of this great tree,” he commented.

He exhorted listeners: “May each of us be a light for those nearby; may we step out of the selfishness that often ... makes us think only of ourselves; may we give a little attention and love to others.”

Gibson served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.

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Christmas Traditions

The simple and unnoticed signs of Jesus in our midst 214

By Mary Jo Pedersen Catholic News Service

As I think back on Christmases past, I remember the bitter cold December 1974. I was eight months pregnant and holding.

Like most moms, Christmas meant work: shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating.

In addition, I was carrying around 40 extra pounds, mothering a toddler and nursing a bad back.

I had done some early shopping, but all the other preparations lay before me like a steep mountain.

Even after deciding to skip sending Christmas cards and homemade cookies, I was still overwhelmed and underprepared for Christmas.

Although I fretted about the many preparations, I enjoyed the idea of being pregnant at Christmastime.

I thought expecting a baby would help our family appreciate the gracious love of a God who was willing to enter the world as a helpless babe.

If I could love this unseen child this much, how much more must God have loved us to send his own son to live with us? Surely a new baby at Christmas was a special Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

gift from God, even if a major inconvenience.

I was moving slowly but surely through my to-do list just in case the baby came early. But on Dec. 12, the slow crawl to Christmas came to a halt. The baby decided to come early and by Caesarean section. I was in the hospital for five days with surgical complications and returned home Christmas week with our new son, exhausted and bedridden.

That was when Christmas changed forever. All the trappings of the season seemed insignificant.

Paper and matching bows, napkin rings with Santa faces, angel hair around the Nativity set -- none of it mattered. What mattered to us was the miracle of a new life.

We were filled with hope for the future: Christmas joy wrapped in a tiny blanket. We rejoiced at baby Stephen’s presence as an experience of God in our midst.

The scriptural promise of joy, hope and new life was ours. Every breath of our baby was testimony to God’s closeness to us. I never really understood the Incarnation until then. Our baby’s soft skin

against mine was a reminder of how intimately God resides in and with us.

As I nursed this little one, Isaiah’s lovely psalm about God’s love was revealed in all its truth: “You shall nurse, carried in her arms, cradled upon her knees; As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.”

Christmas is part of the divine plan to convince us of the nearness of God and of his unconditional love for us. I knew that delivering Christmas gifts to poor families and singing carols was all about this extravagant love affair God had initiated, but experiencing that love in my body gave me a new appreciation for the way God entered our human family in Jesus.

Like the holy Scriptures, our family stories are filled with God’s manifesting himself in simple and often unnoticed ways. When we remember and name these sacred times and pass them on to others, we strengthen our faith and theirs in the gift of Jesus among us.

Pedersen, a veteran coordinator of marriage and family spirituality programs, lives in Omaha, Neb.

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Christmas Traditions

The will to keep Christmas

By DANIEL S. MULHALL Catholic News Service

Every year Christmas decorations and gift displays seem to arrive earlier in shop windows and TV screens.

Where Thanksgiving once marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, today it is not unusual to see Christmas displays appear when the Halloween leftovers are taken down.

Every year the questions are asked: “Has Christmas become too commercial?” or “Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas?”

While stores and other businesses have certainly become more aggressive in trying to get consumers to buy more, buy earlier and buy more often, the commercialization of Christmas is not new. In some ways it is nearly as ancient as the Christmas celebration.

Gift giving has always been a significant part of the Christmas festivities based on the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh given to the Christ child by 216 the Magi in the Nativity narrative in the Gospel of Matthew.

While we can suppose that most early gifts would have been handmade by the giver, surely some gifts were purchased. Remember that when St. Francis of Assisi began the wonderful tradition of setting up the Nativity scene in the 13th century with the baby Jesus in a stable with Mary and Joseph and angels and shepherds -- the Christmas creche -- he did so to try and bring people’s focus to the “true meaning of Christmas,” and not the version of the feast then celebrated.

Christmas wasn’t always so commercialized in the United States. In fact, the early Puritan settlers didn’t celebrate the feast at all. By the 1800s, however, the celebration of Christmas had become the custom -- think of the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also known as “The Night Before Christmas”),

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written by Clement Moore in the 1820s. By the early 1900s, the Christmas season had become quite commercialized.

The issue today, it seems, is not the overcommercialization of the feast but whether we have the will, the determination, to keep it a sacred occasion. The influence of the secular culture is enormous, especially with the unceasing barrage of advertising targeted far too often at children.

Parents know all too well how their children are being seduced by advertisements. But it isn’t just the children who are being affected.

Gradually, the intentions of the parents themselves are worn down by the nonstop message that things can fulfill us, heal us and make us happy.

To persevere against this message, we must make a conscious decision to keep the Christmas message alive.

In her blog, School of Disciples, Elaine Menardi asks, “In a world where you can have anything you want, what do you need? How much is enough? So if I can truly have anything I want, why don’t

I work harder to get it?” Here are some things that she thinks would be worth working harder to acquire: love, patience, peace, time for family and friends, and a closer relationship with God and with the church.

Menardi’s insight is helpful. She points out that it isn’t enough for us to want more love or patience or friends or faith in God. Nothing comes from wanting. If something is important to us, we will put out whatever effort it takes to acquire the object of our desires.

If we think that Christmas has become too commercialized and want to recapture the true meaning of the Christmas season, then we have to be willing to do the work that’s needed to bring that true meaning to life.

There are a few simple ways to do that: Carefully read the Nativity stories as told in Matthew and Luke. Note that these are two different stories, not different parts of the same story. Read a section at a time with family and friends and discuss what they mean. What messages were the evangelists

trying to convey? Why are the stories so different?

Focus on developing a generous spirit. Enjoy sharing what you have with others. Give what you want to give because you want to give, and not because you are expected to give or because someone wants a gift. Give gifts that will make a difference in people’s lives. Let the act of giving change you.

Develop a Christmas custom to share with your family and friends.

You might read the Nativity story aloud before opening gifts, or make placing the Christ child in the manger a special occasion.

Eight hundred years ago, St. Francis tried to shape people’s vision of Christmas by bringing the Nativity story to life.

Does the creche still have the power to change the way that people think and act, or has it become a mindless tradition that evokes only sentimental memories, much like the favorite ornament on the Christmas tree? What efforts are you willing to make to keep Christmas this year?

Mulhall is a lifelong catechist. He lives and works in Laurel, Md.

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Christmas Traditions

Mirliton & Shrimp Casserole Prep Time: 1 Hour Serves: 6

Chef John Folse

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Ingredients: 4 medium mirlitons 2 tbsps crab boil (liquid) 4 tbsps margarine 1 cup green onions, chopped 1 large onion, chopped finely 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined Garlic salt to taste Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Recipes

Method: Boil mirlitons until tender in salty water to which 2 tbsps of crab boil were added. Peel and cube the pulp. Sauté green onions, onions and parsley in margarine. Add shrimp and cook 10 minutes. Add mirliton, garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Pour into 9x13-inch casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

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Corn Maque Choux Prep Time: 1 Hour Serves: 8 Comment: Although Maque Choux is normally thought of as a corn soup, the River Road Cajuns cooked a similar vegetable flavored with the freshwater shrimp of the Mississippi River. Here is their version of that dish.

Ingredients: 8 ears fresh corn 2 cups (150-200 count) shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1/4 cup andouille, finely diced 1/2 cup bacon drippings 1 cup onion, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1/4 cup garlic, diced 2 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 tbsps tomato sauce 1 cup green onions, sliced Salt and black pepper to taste Method: Select tender, well-developed ears of corn and remove shucks and silk. Using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise through the kernels to remove them from the cob.

Scrape each cob using the blade of the knife to remove all milk and additional pulp from the corn. This is important because the richness of the dish will depend on how much milk and pulp can be scraped from the cobs. In a 3-quart cast iron Dutch oven, melt bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Sauté corn, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic and andouille approximately 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are wilted and corn begins to tenderize. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and shrimp. Continue cooking until juice from the tomatoes and shrimp are rendered into the dish, approximately 15-20 minutes. Add green onions and season to taste using salt and pepper. Continue to cook an additional 15 minutes or until full flavor of corn and shrimp is developed into the dish. Serve as a vegetable or add stock to create soup.

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Christmas Traditions

Angel Robertson’s Homemade Eggnog Pancakes Prep Time: 30 Minutes Yields: 4-6 Servings Comment: The holiday richness of eggnog makes these pancakes the perfect Christmas breakfast treat. Top them with whipped butter, cinnamon and nutmeg sugar or your favorite syrup. Or add red and green doughnut sprinkles for extra fun!

Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups eggnog 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsps sugar 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 3 tbsps butter, melted 3 tbsps vanilla Butter or vegetable spray for skillet

Method: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.

Pour eggnog into a separate medium mixing bowl.

Whisk egg, melted butter and vanilla into eggnog until combined. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients.

Pour milk mixture into well and whisk very gently until just combined. Do not over mix. Heat a pancake griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Coat cooking surface with vegetable spray or 1 tablespoon butter. Use pastry brush to even oil.

Pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet and sprinkle 1 tbsp blueberries over each pancake. Cook pancakes 1 1/2-2 minutes or until large bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook 1-1 1/2 minutes longer or until golden brown on second side. If pancake appears to be too dark when flipped, reduce heat slightly. Serve immediately, and repeat with remaining batter, using more vegetable oil or spray only if necessary.

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Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Gumbo Prep Time: 1 1/2 Hours Serves: 12 Comment: Everyone has turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving.

Why not make a warm, soothing gumbo instead of the traditional sandwich? After a long day of afterThanksgiving sale shopping, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a steaming bowl of turkey gumbo?

Ingredients: 4 cups cooked turkey, cubed 1 pound Jacob’s andouille, sliced* 1 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups flour 2 cups onions, diced 2 cups celery, diced 1 cup bell pepper, diced 1/4 cup garlic, minced 3 quarts chicken or turkey stock 2 cups green onions, sliced 1 cup parsley, chopped Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method: In a 2-gallon stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add flour and using a wire whisk, stir constantly until roux is golden brown. Do not scorch.

Should black specks appear, discard and begin again. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook approximately 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add andouille, blend into vegetable mixture and sauté 15 minutes. Add chicken or turkey stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately one hour. Add turkey, green onions and parsley and cook an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste using salt and pepper and serve over cooked rice.

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Christmas Traditions

Choosing to follow the Christ in a diverse society 222

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By FATHER DALE LAUNDERVILLE, OSB Catholic News Service

In the Northern Hemisphere the hours of daylight reverse their course a few days before Christmas and begin to increase.

This victory of light over darkness was marked in the pagan society of ancient Rome by the celebration of the festival of Sol Invictus, “the Unconquered Sun.” In the fourth century, the church designated Dec. 25 as the point in the liturgical year for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and so supplanted the meaning that pagan Roman society had given to this date.

In American society where respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all citizens is promoted, Christians are asked to be more sensitive in the holiday season to those who do not share our belief in Jesus Christ. This awareness of diversity of beliefs can help us Christians realize that even though most of us were baptized as infants and raised in Christian families, we

are each called to make a decision whether or not to follow Christ.

To be a Christian is no longer simply the thing to do to be part of a community in the United States.

While some feel a sense of loss in a national atmosphere that seems more secularized, this atmosphere does allow Christmas to be an opportunity for Christians to be more intentional about welcoming Jesus Christ into our lives.

To decorate our houses with special lights in this dark time of the annual cycle can lift our spirits by their beauty and illumination.

But if these lights symbolize stars that were seen by the shepherds in Bethlehem or the Magi in the east, then they invite us to remember the Christmas story.

In this remembering, we find ourselves moving closer to the crib in Bethlehem that was in place over 2,000 years ago.

As we draw closer to the crib, we realize that we are there with our parents, grandparents and ancestors reaching all the way back

to the time of Christ. This gathering of relatives at the crib shows us that our family celebrations have a depth that goes far beyond what we are able to articulate.

The love that is expressed, the tensions and disappointments that are navigated are realities that reach beyond the confines of the here and now.

These relations with loved ones have a sacramental character that connects us in the here and now with the long line of loved ones who have gone before us and now live within the communion of saints as members of Christ’s body.

Jesus became human in order that we might become divine. Jesus took on human flesh in order that we might become children of God. As we gather to celebrate Christ’s birth, we are invited into a mystery whose wonders give us joy and confidence.

(Benedictine Father Launderville is a Scripture scholar at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn.)

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(985) 449-0618 Thibodaux

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Christmas Traditions

Finding Christ in the season of shopping

By RHINA GUIDOS

Catholic News Service

It’s been years since someone read it to me but it’s a Christmas poem I’ve never forgotten. The repeating line in the poem speaks of

a

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“cellophane paper,” what it contains inside and its waste. It was written

by Franciscan Father Bitoriano Gandiaga, a Basque poet.

Father Gandiaga, who died in 2001, lived in the Sanctuary of Arantzazu in a mountainous part of the Basque Country, Spain, close to his hometown of Guernica, a town famously bombed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Perhaps because of a life that seemed so removed from the outside world, the past repression of the Basques and the violent assault on his hometown, his take on experiences expressed in his poetry had undoubtedly profound tones.

The poem, written in Euskara, or Basque, was his reaction to the consumerism of Christmas. I tried but couldn’t master the Basque language, yet the rhythms and message of the poem still ring in my head each time I feel the onslaught of Christmas music, decorations and “must have” items that seem to arrive earlier and earlier in the United States.

Pope Benedict XVI last year

expressed this sentiment as he urged others to “see through the superficial glitter of this season.”

What do we find behind the glitter? Sometimes it’s a present the person doesn’t want or a trip back to the crowds in the store to return it. Gandiaga not only talked about the glitter or the paper but also of the waste it produced after people were done with it.

It brings up several questions: How does this glitter, this cellophane paper, bring us closer to God and what does it say about us?

Is it bad to give presents to those we love?

Giving presents isn’t necessarily bad, especially when it comes out of generosity and love. The Magi, after all, came bearing gifts for the Messiah. What rattles those who care for our souls is when we put worldly things at the center of this special feast instead of focusing on the one who brought us to that feast.

“Discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light,” the pope said.

I remember that as a child growing up in El Salvador, we never received presents during Christmas, only during Epiphany.

Christmas was a feast focused on the midnight Mass, family and anticipating the arrival of the baby Jesus, which you kissed, if you were lucky.

It was a pristine image I kept in my head for many years until I visited my native country around Christmas a few years back and started seeing “must have” items on store shelves.

The image became further eroded recently while reading a newspaper online. I saw that even in places of few resources, like El Salvador, they, too, held a “Black Friday,” even as the country struggles to secure food, health care and education for the country’s poorest.

It’s reason to worry, and I wonder, How do we imitate “the Lord’s humility and poverty, his benevolence and love for all humanity” in this season, as Pope Benedict urged?

Guidos is an editor at Catholic News Service.

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Index to Advertisers

226

Acme Mausoleum, LLC ....................................................................... 91 Advanced Eye Institute....................................................................... 134 Anawim Community .......................................................................... 127 Annunziata Church ............................................................................. 88 Archdiocese of Louisville .................................................................. 101 Archdiocese of Mobile ........................................................................ 27 Archdiocese of New Orleans ................................................................ 6 Awe ` Sha ............................................................................................ 184 B & J Martin, Inc. ................................................................................. 52 Barker Honda .................................................................................... 225 Bayou Catholic .................................................................................. 174 Bella Cosa Fine Gifts ......................................................................... 218 Bueche’s Jewelry .............................................................................. 219 Cajun Home Improvements .............................................................. 157 Cannata’s ............................................................................................ 16 Cannata’s .......................................................................................... 209 Capital One Bank .............................................................................. 149 Castagnos Goodwin Utley Engineers, L.L.C. ................................... 119 Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales ......................................................... 2 Catholic Charities-Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux .............................. 45 Catholic Daughters of the Americas ................................................... 24 Catholic Foundation .......................................................................... 228 Catholic Mutual Group ........................................................................ 42 Catholic Schools Office ...................................................................... 47 Cenac Marine Services, LLC ............................................................ 120 Central Catholic High School ............................................................. 55 Channel 10 .......................................................................................... 65 Chauvin Funeral/Twin City Funeral Home .......................................... 79 Christ the Redeemer Church .............................................................. 63 Classic Business Products ............................................................... 195 Coastal Commerce Bank .................................................................... 67 Come, Lord Jesus! ............................................................................. 57 Community Bank ................................................................................ 38 Conrad Shipyard ................................................................................. 56 Cross Catholic Outreach .................................................................... 26 Daigle Himel Daigle .......................................................................... 219 Daigle Himel Daigle ............................................................................ 47 Data Management Services .............................................................. 105 David Waitz Engineering ..................................................................... 66 Diocesan Outreach Line ................................................................... 177 Diocesan Priests Retirement Collection ........................................... 197 Diocesan Website ............................................................................... 39 Diocese of Alexandria ......................................................................... 51 Diocese of Biloxi ................................................................................. 61 Diocese of Birmingham ...................................................................... 71 Diocese of Jackson ............................................................................. 45 Diocese of Lafayette ........................................................................... 19 Diocese of Lake Charles ..................................................................... 29 Diocese of Shreveport ........................................................................ 83 Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands ....................................... 49 Diocese of Youngstown ..................................................................... 103 Dr. Neil Maki Orthopaedics ............................................................... 217 E.D. White Catholic High School ...................................................... 111 Emile’s Furniture & Appliances ......................................................... 224 Fabregas Music ................................................................................ 215 Falgout Funeral Homes, LLC ............................................................ 141 Family Ministries and Conference Office .......................................... 107 Family Vision Clinic ........................................................................... 201 Felger’s Footwear ............................................................................. 216 Gloria Callais and the Callais Family .................................................. 58 God’s Promises Books & Gifts ......................................................... 189 God’s Promises Books & Gifts ........................................................... 21 God’s Promises Books & Gifts ......................................................... 223 Guidance In Giving, Inc. ..................................................................... 87 Hagen Beyer ..................................................................................... 123 Haydel Family Practice ..................................................................... 165 Haydel Memorial Hospice ................................................................ 131 Haydel Spine & Pain Specialty Care Center .................................... 119 Headache & Pain Center .................................................................... 35 Hispanic Ministry ............................................................................... 143 Holy Cross Church ............................................................................ 148 Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • November 2013

Holy Cross Elementary School ......................................................... 132 Holy Rosary Catholic School ............................................................ 125 Holy Savior Church and Cemetery ................................................... 115 Jones Insurance ................................................................................ 113 Journey Hospice ............................................................................... 137 Keeping Christ in Christmas-Mall Ministry ........................................ 207 KEM Supply House, Inc. ..................................................................... 91 KEM Supply House, Inc. ................................................................... 224 Knights of Columbus .......................................................................... 23 Lanaux & Felger ................................................................................ 101 Landmark Home Furnishings/Sleep Shoppe ................................... 222 Landry’s/Thibodaux/Samart Funeral Homes ................................... 162 LeBlanc & Associates, Inc. ............................................................... 201 Letter Concepts ................................................................................. 111 Lumen Christi Retreat Center ............................................................. 33 M & L Industries, LLC ........................................................................ 107 Maria Immacolata Church .................................................................. 70 Mary Bird Perkins at TGMC .............................................................. 183 Michael and Giezel Stewart ................................................................ 78 MPress .............................................................................................. 203 MPress ................................................................................................ 99 Norris & Boudreaux General Contractors .......................................... 90 Office of Building and Construction ................................................. 129 Office of Religious Education ........................................................... 105 Office of Vocations ............................................................................ 172 Office of Youth Ministry ..................................................................... 103 Offices of Pastoral Services and Child and Youth Protection ............ 67 Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church-Chackbay ................................. 84 Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church-Houma ........................... 82 Our Lady of the Rosary Church-Larose ............................................ 139 Re-Bath ............................................................................................. 193 Rod’s Superstore .............................................................................. 199 Sacred Heart Church-Cut Off ........................................................... 140 Sacred Heart Church-Morgan City ..................................................... 34 SEECA ............................................................................................... 173 Seminarian Education Burses .......................................................... 179 Southern E.N.T. Associates, Inc. ........................................................ 78 Southland Mall .................................................................................. 204 Spotlight ............................................................................................ 184 St. Andrew Church-Amelia ................................................................ 140 St. Ann Church .................................................................................. 115 St. Anthony of Padua Church ............................................................. 37 St. Bernadette Church and School ..................................................... 89 St. Bridget Church .............................................................................. 28 St. Charles the Roch Kateri Circle ...................................................... 82 St. Genevieve Church and School ..................................................... 85 St. John the Evangelist Church ........................................................ 131 St. Joseph Co-Cathedral .................................................................. 227 St. Joseph Hospice ........................................................................... 145 St. Joseph Manor/Cardinal Place ..................................................... 185 St. Joseph Manor/Cardinal Place ..................................................... 152 St. Joseph Church-Galliano ................................................................ 62 St. Lawrence the Martyr and St. James Chapel ............................... 136 St. Louis Church ............................................................................... 133 St. Vincent de Paul TriParish Community Pharmacy .......................... 25 Sterling Wellness Solutions ................................................................ 75 Steubenville on the Bayou ................................................................ 185 Sunshine Equipment Co., Inc. .......................................................... 213 Synergy Bank .................................................................................... 221 Terminix ............................................................................................... 75 Terrebonne General Medical Center ................................................. 187 The Pontifical Mission Societies ......................................................... 94 The Wishing Well, Inc. ...................................................................... 220 Thibodaux Physical Therapy .............................................................. 41 Thomassie Construction ................................................................... 129 U-Drop Packing & Shipping .............................................................. 206 Vandebilt Catholic High School ........................................................ 113 Waitz & Downer Attorneys at Law ....................................................... 96 Watkins Walker & Eroche ................................................................... 59 Wesley J. Landeche Furniture and Appliances ................................ 211

St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School

and

St. Joseph Co-Cathedral Parish

“Welcome Home, Bishop Fabre!”

…will Support Local Parish Needs

…will create An Endowment Fund for Seminarian Support

…will create An Endowment Fund for Catholic Charities

www.catholicfoundationsl.org (985) 850-3116