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‘Fully alive’ NCYC youth challenged to celebrate mysteries of faith, science and self

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:35:18 GMT

(OSV News) — Grace Stecker of the Diocese of Helena, Mont., pulled out her cell phone and called her dad, right in the middle of a talk during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).

In fact, teens all around her were talking on their phones, even as the speaker stood on the stage.

But they had his permission.

“I want you right now, in one minute, to just make a call to somebody in your life whom you love, who’s pretty special, whom you appreciate,” Scripture scholar and astrophysicist Father John Kartje asked of the more than 12,000 NCYC participants.

The request came as part of his talk on the oneness of God and the universe — faith and science — that served as the topic of the opening session of NCYC in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Nov. 16.

He began the talk echoing words spoken by Archbishop Charles C. Thompson just moments before.

“The line that really struck me amongst everything he said is this,” Father Kartje noted: “You’re not a problem to be solved, but you are a mystery to be encountered.”

‘What it means to be fully alive’

Archbishop Thompson spoke to the teens about this year’s NCYC theme “Fully Alive” in a prayer service at the beginning of the opening session — after the teens had settled down from a rousing concert by Christian rock band for KING + COUNTRY.

He quoted his “favorite line” from Pope Francis’ encyclical, “ Laudato Si ‘ “: “Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.”

“We heard that beautiful reading about creation from the Book of Genesis,” Archbishop Thompson said of the beginning of the prayer service. “But the ultimate part of that creation is when God created humanity, when God created us. We are part of that creation that’s been given life by the Spirit breathing into us, by the Word taking root in us, claiming us as his own.

“And so no one here is a problem to be solved, but is to be contemplated as a joyful mystery with gladness and praise.

“Whatever pains in our lives, whatever is going on, whatever hurts, whatever guilt, whatever fears, whatever anxieties, whatever it is — that does not define us.”

Identity in Christ, in the Eucharist

Rather, he said, we are defined by our identity in Christ, whose body, blood, soul and divinity is present in the Eucharist.

“The Eucharist has been given to us through the passion, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ so that we have life, that we have what is necessary to be witnesses to the good news, what it means to be fully alive,” Archbishop Thompson said.

“We are most fully alive when we live our lives not with ourselves at the center, but keeping Christ at the center. We are fully alive when we live for the glory of God and in service to others.

“We gather tonight remembering that we belong to something greater than ourselves as children of God, created in the image of God. We have a dignity, a dignity no power on earth can take away.

“That’s why we can claim to be fully alive.”

‘The one through whom astronomy is possible’

Father Kartje picked up where Archbishop Thompson left off — speaking about the NCYC theme.

“If you talk about being fully alive, I can’t think of a better way to get at what that actually looks like in our world today than to look at this interaction between faith and science,” he said. With doctorates in Scripture and astrophysics, the current rector and president of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Ill., is an expert on both topics.

He quoted John 1:3: “All things came into being through him. Without him, not one thing came to being.”

“A hundred billion galaxies exist,” Father Kartje said. “That very same God of creation is the God alive in our own bodies. The very same God that gives you the galaxies … gives us the very life in our hearts.”

Science and faith are both a way of looking at the world, he explained — one through the lens of a telescope, the other through the glass of a monstrance.

“The Eucharist you see through the glass of the monstrance gives us the ability to see the body and the blood of Christ in a way that doesn’t look like the body and blood of Christ,” Father Kartje said.

Gaze at the universe, gaze at Christ

Meanwhile, through the new Webb Telescope “you can see the world that goes all the way back to Genesis,” he said. “It’s the world that goes back to the life that is in us. That is a monstrance all its own, these beautiful images from the Webb Telescope, to look at them for who Jesus is precisely because he is the one through whom all of that glorious astronomy is possible.”

To gaze upon the universe or to gaze upon Christ in the Eucharist, said Father Kartje, “is literally to let yourself be gazed upon by the one who delights in your very existence.”

As for his request for the more than 12,000 youths to call someone they love, Father Kartje explained the connection to faith and science.

“The person you called is probably feeling loved right now,” he said. “The reason something special happened at that connection is because of what you see in the monstrance. That’s why Christ came into the world–the one who does all of this is love.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

New book explores how Our Lady of Guadalupe sparked millions of conversions

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:29:42 GMT

by Katie Yoder

Joseph Julián and Monique González still remember the moment they decided to write a book shedding new light on Our Lady of Guadalupe: May 10, 2016, the month of Mary and the date of Mexico’s Mother’s Day.

“After years of initial research, we were sitting in a coffee shop and looked at each other and made a formal commitment to see the book’s writing through to the end, no matter what that meant,” the husband-and-wife team told Our Sunday Visitor.

Today, that book presents a new interpretation of Our Lady of Guadalupe by delving into the past ahead of her feast day on Dec. 12. “ Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion Before the Lady Appeared ,” published on Nov. 21, explores how Our Lady’s encounters with Juan Diego at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico in 1531 marked the culmination of thousands of years of evangelical preparation of the people of Mesoamerica.

The authors make the case that ancient belief systems and traditions, in a sense, anticipated and foretold Our Lady’s coming while preparing the Americas for the Gospel message through her.

“We make the case that certain concepts and ideas were ‘implanted’ by God and eventually found their fulfillment in the Guadalupe story, and this could account for the millions of indigenous conversions,” the Gonzálezes said, referring to the estimated 10 million conversions following Our Lady’s appearance in what is considered the largest Christian conversion event in history.

Juan Diego himself makes a connection with ancient tradition right before meeting Our Lady , they reveal in their book.

“Juan Diego uses the Náhuatl [original native language] phrase in the Guadalupe story, in xochitlalpan in tonacatlalpan, to refer to the Flower World Paradise,” they explained. “This phrase had been previously philosophized for centuries as the place of ultimate beauty, truth, and the source of all creativity, the ultimate place we all long to go to when we die.”

Suddenly surrounded by sweet music and beauty, the saint asks, “Where am I?” and wonders if he is in the place his ancient ancestors spoke of, the Flower World Paradise.

“The flower, xochitl, especially the four-petaled flower, makes a transcendental connection from earthly beauty to heavenly and ultimate beauty found in the Flower World Paradise,” they explained. “As a baptized Christian, Juan Diego, in the story, finds the ultimate flower of Truth — Jesus Christ — and, thus, finds the ‘way’ to live in paradise with his creator for eternity.”

Our Lady also makes a connection with her image, left miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma , or cloak, after he gathered flowers in it at her direction nearly 500 years ago.

“This is further exemplified by the four-petalled flower found over the womb of Guadalupe on the tilma symbolizing Jesus as the Flower of Truth,” the Gonzálezes added. “All beauty, all goodness, and all truth finds its source in him, and the four-petaled flower embodies the fullness of this reality.”

Important native history

A new interpretation

Joseph, an accomplished composer, and Monique, an established singer with experience in music production, revealed that their book began because of music.

While writing a musical composition by setting Aztec song-poems to music, Joseph discovered a prominent ancient Mesoamerican song-poem that shockingly resembled the encounter between Our Lady and Juan Diego. Then, years later, Monique made the same discovery.

“We had an ongoing conversation surrounding the influence it might have had on the story of Guadalupe itself and the millions of indigenous conversions that followed,” they said, which sparked their research.

“Over time, we realized that sitting on the research didn’t make sense,” they added. “And so, the book was born.”

“Much like the ancient Hebrews were prepared for Christ’s coming through prophecies and signs signaling his identity, the peoples of the Americas were given a similar preparation in terms and concepts most important and familiar to them.”

The Gonzálezes detailed how their book offers a new interpretation of Our Lady’s encounter.

“Much like the ancient Hebrews were prepared for Christ’s coming through prophecies and signs signaling his identity, the peoples of the Americas were given a similar preparation in terms and concepts most important and familiar to them,” they said. “Instead of focusing on the tilma, we concentrate on the narrative of the Guadalupe encounter in its original native language, Náhuatl.”

Among other findings, the pair reveal the similarities between two texts: The ancient song-poem “Cuicapeuhcayotl” (“Origin of the Songs”) as remembered by indigenous elders in the mid-16th century, and an account of the Guadalupe encounter, “Nican Mopohua” (“Here It Is Told”) by Luis Lasso de la Véga, a diocesan priest and vicar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, published in 1649.

Both stories tell of someone searching for flowers, being shown that the flowers are in or on a mountain, and gathering (or seemingly gathering) the flowers in their tilmas to show leaders. But where the singer in the song-poem fails, Juan Diego succeeds.

“We show how specific concepts and ideas in the story relate to those found in flower song-poems and the indigenous philosophy born from them,” they said of the Guadalupe encounter. “Furthermore, we describe those concepts found in an interdisciplinary field of study called ‘Flower World,’ which connects these ideas to the very beginning of American civilization.”

The making of heroes

Their book, the couple shared, highlights Juan Diego “as an archetypal ‘hero’ fulfilling the ancient quest for the flower of Truth” in a story that remains relevant today.

“This ‘hero’s journey’ is a personal narrative, aiming to inspire each of us to become heroes in our own lives,” they described.

Our Lady of Guadalupe transformed an ancient story, they said.

“When the Nahua [indigenous people] converted to Christianity, they effectively changed the way they perceived themselves,” they said. “Rather than viewing themselves as a failed hero incapable of gaining paradise after dying, Juan Diego’s ability to enter into Flower World changed the way they viewed themselves.”

“In the same way, the hero’s journey plays a crucial role in the Christian drama, prompting us to reflect on the type of hero we can become,” they said. “Christianity empowers us to reject the attitudes and actions of the failed hero and propels us toward victory in every facet of our lives.”

A book ‘for all of us’

The Gonzálezes shared what they want people to know most about Our Lady of Guadalupe after writing this book.

“We want readers to know how God went through so much trouble and put so much effort into reaching out to the hearts and minds of the people of Mesoamerica to draw themselves to himself,” they said.

If readers remember one thing after finishing the book, the authors hope it is the message that “God is in control of history.”

The entire Guadalupean narrative, they said, serves as a reminder for those seeking hope in today’s turbulent times.

“We want readers to know how God went through so much trouble and put so much effort into reaching out to the hearts and minds of the people of Mesoamerica to draw themselves to himself.”

“When Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared amid the protestant revolt, millions left the Catholic Church, and Christian nations chose sides, sparking conflict and altering borders,” they pointed to the past. “In the Americas, the Mexican Empire’s widespread human sacrifice mirrored a chaotic era.”

“While facing unique challenges, God foresaw everything and is ready to help all those who trust in him,” they urged. “This book is for all of us.”

A personal connection

The Gonzálezes, located in California, shared what Our Lady of Guadalupe means to them personally.

“For me, she is my mother,” Monique, a Catholic convert, said. “God told me, ‘ Behold thy mother .’ And I trust him.”

“Whatever that means, whatever I continue to learn till the end of my days, she truly is the genesis of why I am alive,” she stressed. “She gave me the reason (Jesus Christ) why I believe, hope, laugh and love.”

As a Mexican-American, Joseph said that Our Lady was always a large part of his life. But Our Lady and his Catholic faith did not mean much to him, he said, until he experienced a “reconversion” in 2008. Shortly after that, he met Monique and their Guadalupe research began.

“My faith has deepened due to the research because we discovered how God works in history — how he used so many resources to draw the Mesoamerican people back to himself,” he concluded. “And if he did it for them so many centuries and millennia ago, he probably is still doing something similar for us today.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Advent trust

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:17:06 GMT

“Trusting in God’s Grace” by Cathy Donovan in Family Faith on the Go

The hardest prayer I have ever uttered was, “God, you know best; your will be done.” I immediately felt a sense of fear at having given over my control of the situation and asking God to take over. And then I felt a sense of acceptance knowing that God’s response would be better than anything I could manage.

We have been surrounded with challenges lately: a tough economy, natural disasters of biblical proportions, political unrest and violence in many countries. Watching the news can be downright depressing! Maybe you feel a bit like Job right now, facing personal life challenges that rattle your soul and shake your faith.

During Advent we are in the a liturgical season of hope. It is hope in our God, who loves us so much he sent his Son to join us in our humanity, in our challenges and triumphs, in our joys and in our sorrow. This is the season of “Emmanuel” — God with us. God does not promise to fish us out of our struggles. Rather, God promises to be with us in them. God stands ready, with arms open wide, to embrace us when we need it most. We need only trust and fall into God’s embrace.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Intertwined priorities

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:15:35 GMT

Faith Focus for the Week

What are my priorities? Do they reflect Jesus’ intertwined commandments of loving God and loving neighbor as self?

What would our lives look like if we really took to heart the two intertwined commandments that Jesus succinctly places before us, to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves? (See Matthew 22:34-40) Would we reorder our time so that Sunday Mass, daily prayer and regular participation in the Sacrament of Penance are always on our calendar? Would we carve out time for serving others? Might we recognize our talents as gifts from God and discern the ways we might give the gifts back, with increase, at home, in our parish, in the workplace and in the world? Would we consider that the ways we spend time, money and attention are signs of our priorities?

It is likely that most of us considering the list above would say “yes” to each question. As we hear and reflect on the Gospels, let us take Jesus’ challenge to heart and act accordingly: love God, love neighbor.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

November 29, 2023

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:14:15 GMT

Lk 21:12-19

All creation gives glory to God. The psalm supports Jesus’ discourse. No matter what they face, personal loss, persecution, suffering, disciples are to see this as the opportunity to bear witness to God just as Jesus did. Like Daniel, in the first reading they will speak with divine wisdom.

You offer us so many opportunities to witness to others about you. We pray for the courage and wisdom to do so.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

A spiritual work of mercy

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:12:48 GMT

“Prayer, then, is not a nice practice for finding a little peace of heart, nor is it a means of devotion for obtaining useful things from God. Were it so, then it would be an act of subtle selfishness: I pray in order to be well, just as if taking an aspirin. But this is just making a deal. No, it’s not like this. Prayer is something else, it is something else. Prayer is instead a spiritual work of mercy, which means bringing everything to the heart of God. ‘You take it, you who are Father.’” — Pope Francis

Reflection: What motivates your prayer most often? How has mercy been part of your prayer? What can you bring to the heart of God right now as a spiritual work of mercy on behalf of someone besides yourself?

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.