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In praise of the light

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Melvin Arrington

REFLECTIONS ON LIFE
By Melvin Arrington

Utter darkness! The total, absolute void of space! When my wife and I toured a cave many years ago, that’s what we sensed when the tour guide led our little group into a well-lit cavern and then flipped the switch. It instantly became infinitely darker than the dim, shadowy murkiness created by any late evening power outage. This was unmitigated blackness. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face; I couldn’t see anything at all! The guide was only trying to demonstrate what the complete absence of light was like but in so doing he was, in effect, re-creating the conditions of the primordial nothingness immediately prior to the moment of Creation. When he turned the switch back on, the cavern instantly became bright and luminous again. It was like coming back to life from the dead.

The stark contrast between light and darkness in the cave also suggests some other opposing pairs: good and evil; warmth and cold; intelligence and ignorance; wisdom and folly; the conscious and the unconscious; spirit and matter; positives and negatives. Also, life vs. death; that’s the one that should really grab our attention. Jesus, the Light of the World, calls us and draws us to Himself and to eternal life. We are free to accept or reject Him. Those who choose the latter option evidently prefer to be as far from the source of illumination as possible, so they will get their wish and find themselves in outer darkness. The following words spoken by Jesus underscore one of the saddest realities in Scripture: “the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

During the last few weeks we have experienced encroaching darkness as the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, draws near. On that darkest of days, it will appear that the shadowy forces have won. But something marvelous happens around the time we celebrate the birth of Christ. By Christmas day luminosity begins to come back into the world. The days become longer and the night recedes. The old saying “it’s always darkest before the dawn” turns out to be true.

So, how do we respond to the advent of the new light? By putting up bright, shiny Christmas decorations, of course. Actually, many begin the Christmas season several weeks early. Some of those dazzling outdoor displays pop up the day after Thanksgiving. Perhaps our love for lights and our efforts to illuminate the night sky represent a deep-seated desire to drive away the darkness and negativity that pervade so many aspects of everyday life.

Children and adults alike have a special fascination with the brightness and radiance that characterize Christmas. We love the vivid colors of ornaments and trimmings, the glittery tinsel, and the sparkling bulbs along the winding cord. And let’s not forget the shining fixture atop the tree, reminding us of the wondrous star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem and the stable where the Christ Child was born.

Forty days after the Nativity, Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus in the Temple, where Simeon recognized Him as the long-awaited Savior, the One who would offer the light of salvation to the whole world. Taking the baby in his arms, Simeon spoke the words of the Nunc Dimittis, the canticle recited as part of the Night Prayer of the Church: “Now, Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). On Feb. 2 the church commemorates this event with the feast of Candlemas.

Candles have important functions in the church. Some have a prominent place on the altar while others, votive candles, can be found off to the side. There is also the large Paschal candle that glows with the new fire of Easter, and the one in the Sanctuary Lamp, signifying the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle. Each of them in some way points to a link between life and light.

The secularists/materialists like to compare human life to a lighted candle. In their view, when the flame goes out, life ends and there’s nothing more. But Venerable Fulton J. Sheen says they forgot to tell us that “even when the candle has burned out, the light continues to emit itself at the rate of 186,000 miles a second, beyond the moon and stars, beyond the Pleiades, the nebulas of Andromeda, and continues to do so as long as the universe endures.” As St. Francis of Assisi reminds us, “all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” The secularist/materialist viewpoint is in error; the soul of a person of faith, just like that candle light, lives on after death and returns to its Source.

As Christians we should be beacons of hope, pointing the way to everlasting truth, goodness, and beauty: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Also, we are supposed to “live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:8-9). It also produces beauty, as in these words from the popular Advent hymn, “O Come Divine Messiah”: “Dear Savior, haste!/Come, come to earth./Dispel the night and show your face,/and bid us hail the dawn of grace.”

Every time we feed the hungry, visit the sick, welcome the stranger, or contribute to worthy causes, we are doing our part to dispel the darkness. In this great time of celebration let us carry the light with us wherever we go and try to bring some sunshine into the lives of all we meet, especially those who struggle during the holidays.

May the Light of the World fill you with joy, love, hope, and peace during this Christmas season and all throughout the coming year!

(Melvin Arrington is a Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages for the University of Mississippi and a member of St. John Oxford.)

Born in hardship, sung in hope: the quiet, powerful origins of ‘Silent Night’

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By Katarzyna Szalajko
OBERNDORF, Austria (OSV News) – As Christmas nears and “Silent Night” echoes through churches worldwide, its origins point to hardship rather than holiday calm.

The world’s most famous Christmas carol – “Stille Nacht” in German – was not born in a peaceful, picture-book setting. There was no postcard village, no soft snowfall, no glowing atmosphere.

The beloved carol was first sung on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria – a town battered by war, famine and political upheaval after the Napoleonic Wars and a global climate crisis triggered by a volcanic eruption.

Silent Night Chapel, where the famed “Stille Nacht” Christmas carol was born is seen on an 2024 photograph in Oberndorf, Austria. The beloved carol was first sung there on Christmas Eve 1818. Oberndorf was not a fairy-tale place back then – it was battered by war, famine and political upheaval after the Napoleonic Wars and a global climate crisis triggered by a volcanic eruption. (OSV News photo/courtesy Stille Nacht Museum)

Museum officials say the song emerged from poverty and uncertainty. Its creators, Father Joseph Mohr and schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber, both rose from humble beginnings thanks to mentors who recognized their musical gifts.

Mohr’s lyrics speak of God entering a troubled world in quiet humility, while Gruber’s simple melody conveys warmth and hope. “The melody is simple but creates a feeling of warmth and safety,” Martina Knall, a representative of the Stille-Nacht-Museum, said.

“The text speaks of rescue from distress, hope and love – themes that speak to everyone.”

For Father Thomas Kunnappallil, pastor of Oberndorf’s parish since September, said that for him as a priest, “Silent Night” is more than a Christmas song, leading back “to the deep mystery that God does not appear in the splendor and noise of this world, but in the silence of a child who gives peace and hope.”

Briefs

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The Nativity scene is unveiled and the Christmas tree is lighted in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Dec. 15, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

NATION
BURLINGTON, Wash. (OSV News) – Several parishes and schools across Western Washington have shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state. Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Dec. 12 that President Donald Trump signed the state’s request for an emergency declaration, permitting federal funds to be used as aid in 16 counties and several Tribal Nations affected by the floods. The Laudato Si’ Movement-Washington State Chapter released a statement Dec. 11, saying, “We are working together with Archdiocese of Seattle, Catholic Community Services, and additional collaborative agencies to prepare for and provide emergency assistance, as needed.” St. Charles Parish in Burlington, St. Catherine Mission in Concrete, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Snoqualmie, St. Joseph School in Issaquah and Immaculate Conception School in Mount Vernon are among the closures. The Tri-Parish Food Bank at St. Charles has also been shut down. In its statement, the Laudato Si’ Movement-Washington State Chapter said it “holds all those affected in prayer” and called the devastation “heartbreaking.” Early on Dec. 15, the National Weather Service said that “a period of very active weather will dominate the week ahead as a series of strong frontal systems produce cascading impacts across Western Washington.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Washington-based Black and Indian Mission Office is getting a boost from two new half-hour documentaries, “Trailblazers of Faith: The Legacy of African American Catholics” and “Walking the Sacred Path: The Story of the Black and Indian Mission Office.” Father Maurice Henry Sands, a Detroit archdiocesan priest that heads the office, hopes they’ll be an aid with fundraising. Trailers of the films can be viewed on the mission office’s website, https://blackandindianmission.org/films. “Trailblazers of Faith” tells the story of how African Americans have been able to embrace the Catholic faith without abandoning their own culture. A particular focus is on the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first Catholic order in the U.S. for Black women, as well as Venerable Mother Henriette Delille of New Orleans, Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman. They are among seven Black Catholics with active sainthood causes – dubbed the “Saintly Seven.” The Black and Indian Missions Office originated in 1874 as the Bureau of Catholic Missions, with wider goals added in subsequent years. The office is in a brick row house that once belonged to St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), the Philadelphia heiress who devoted her life and her wealth to ministering to Native Americans and African Americans.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope, Pope Leo XIV said. “As we contemplate them in our homes, parishes and town squares, let us ask the Lord to renew in us the gift of peace and fraternity,” he said, calling for prayers for all those who suffer because of war and violence. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.” The pope was speaking Dec. 15 during a meeting with the government representatives, artisans and donors responsible for providing the Christmas decorations in the Paul VI Audience Hall and in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Leo thanked the Costa Rican artist who created the Nativity scene for the audience hall, titled “Nacimiento Gaudium.” Created by Paula Sáenz Soto, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary and 28,000 colored ribbons, each representing a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayers and support provided to many mothers in difficulty by Catholic organizations, according to a press release by the Vatican City State’s governing office. “I thank the Costa Rican artist who, together with the message of peace at Christmas, also wanted to launch an appeal for the protection of life from the moment of conception,” Pope Leo said. “The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope,” he said to all those present. “Let the tenderness of the child Jesus illuminate our lives. Let God’s love, like the branches of an evergreen tree, remain fervent in us.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York and named Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor. The Vatican announced the decision Dec. 18. Cardinal Dolan, who turned 75 in February, submitted his resignation as required by canon law. Appointed archbishop of New York in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, he was made a cardinal three years later. Cardinal Dolan previously served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and held several national leadership roles, including chair of pro-life and religious liberty committees. Archbishop Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet since 2020. Born in Chicago and longtime priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he has served as vicar general, auxiliary bishop, seminary formator, and regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Central America. He currently serves on several USCCB committees and Catholic boards.

WORLD
PARIS (OSV News) – Fifty French Catholics killed under Nazism were beatified Dec. 13, 2025, during a Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, recognizing their witness of faith during World War II. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg presided at the liturgy, as they were declared blessed, with their liturgical memorial on May 5. The martyrs – priests, seminarians and laymen – died in Germany between 1944 and 1945 while serving fellow French workers deported under Nazi forced labor policies. Many belonged to the Young Christian Workers movement, with several also active as Catholic scouts. They volunteered to accompany workers sent to German factories, offering pastoral care through a clandestine mission known as the St. Paul Mission. For French Father Bernard Ardura, former president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, and postulator of their causes in Rome since 2018, these men are “martyrs of the apostolate.” “They went to Germany voluntarily, as Christians, and it was as Christians that they were arrested and died,” he told OSV News. They died in concentration camps, death marches or executions, refusing to abandon their faith. In his homily, Cardinal Hollerich praised their courage, calling the witness given by their lives and deaths a faithful following of Christ to the very end.

SYDNEY (OSV News) – After two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Pope Leo XIV highlighted God’s closeness to humanity and called for prayers for those who suffer on account of war and violence, especially the victims from the Jewish community in Australia. “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” Pope Leo said Dec. 15, speaking with the groups that donated this year’s Vatican Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he highlighted. In a Dec. 15 statement, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney called for an end to an “atmosphere of antisemitism” in Australia. He also shared that he personally has Jewish heritage from his great-grandmother, and that as Christians “an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us.” Just hours after the shooting and an initial report of 12 dead, the death toll rose to 15. The Guardian reported a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and two Holocaust survivors were among victims. The second gunman, police confirmed, was in custody and in critical condition. According to authorities, over 40 people were wounded and taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital. The attack occurred in the early evening as hundreds were gathered at Archer Park, a grassy area in Bondi Beach.

2025 spans life spectrum, from abortion and family programs to immigration and death penalty

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A woman holds up a pro-life sign ahead of the 52nd annual March for Life rally in Washington Jan. 24, 2025. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

By Kimberley Heatherington
(OSV News) – Life issues are perennially critical to the robust public witness of the Catholic Church, but 2025 nonetheless proved a particularly eventful year across a wide spectrum of related concerns.

The year opened with the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life, where worshippers praised and thanked God “for the gift of human life in all its forms and at every stage” and ended with a new coalition of more than 50 organizations pledging to end the death penalty in the United States once and for all.

Remarks by Pope Leo XIV in an impromptu Sept. 30 Castel Gandolfo press scrum demonstrated the expanse – and continuity – of the life issues of concern to the church.

The pope, who shortly after being elected the successor to Pope Francis reaffirmed the church’s teaching against abortion, responded to a media question concerning the Chicago Archdiocese’s plans to give an immigration advocacy award to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a Catholic who supports keeping abortion legal, over the objections of pro-lifers.

“Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion but says I’m in favor of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life,” the pontiff remarked. “So someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life. … Church teaching on each one of those issues is very clear.”

On the same day as the pope’s remarks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of a new generic form of mifepristone – a pill commonly used for early abortion – marking the second time a Trump administration has permitted a generic form of the drug.

On Dec. 9, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called for FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to be fired, arguing that he has “slow-walked a promised safety study of women’s real-world experiences taking abortion drugs.” The White House rejected that claim and the call for his firing.

Pro-life groups characterized the move as an abandonment of pro-life principles, concerns that were reinforced on Oct. 16 when President Trump announced a proposal to increase access to in vitro fertilization.

Trump made campaign trail promises to expand IVF, an action the Catholic Church and other experts warn will fuel large-scale destruction of embryonic human life while doing little to increase the nation’s overall birth rate. The U.S bishops expressed concern on Oct. 17, saying that while reproductive technologies such as IVF can be “well intended,” they nonetheless “strongly reject” efforts to promote IVF.
Other family life matters – such as health insurance, cash support for parents and food assistance benefits, also known as SNAP – also grabbed headlines in 2025.

Affordable Care Act subsidies – which would cost an estimated $350 billion over the next decade, if extended – cover some 22 million Americans. Set to expire Dec. 31, their absence will result in estimated average health insurance premium increases of 26%, with a congressionally approved extension far from certain.

As a result, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted 4.2 million more Americans will go without coverage, while critics point to enrollment fraud and the benefit to insurance companies instead of patients.

The complications of substituting direct subsidies for ACA exchange assistance are a point for current debate, but the U.S. Catholic bishops addressed the need for health care reform as early as 1993 in “A Framework for Comprehensive Health Reform,” insisting “every person has a right to adequate health care.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act – signed into law July 4 – is expected to challenge family finances in several ways. Estimated to cut $930 billion from Medicaid and $285 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, it also increases the national debt on paper by $3.4 trillion.

After the bill’s passage, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services – then president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – issued a statement citing what he described as “unconscionable cuts to health care and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation.”

Twenty U.S. Catholic bishops signed onto an interfaith effort opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would enact key provisions of President Trump’s legislative agenda on taxes and immigration, calling it a “moral failure.”

Families coast-to-coast are also being impacted by amplified immigration enforcement policies, including raids, arrests and deportations in multiple cities.

As OSV News reported in July, three Florida immigration detention sites were accused of denying timely medical care (potentially resulting in deaths), having freezing and overcrowded cells with no bedding or hygiene access, and of carrying out degrading treatment – including beatings, shackling and isolation, with detainees being forced to eat with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

“If the administration succeeds in deporting the numbers of people it says it wants to deport, it will not only change the church in America. It will change America,” Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami told OSV News on Nov. 4.

On July 20, Archbishop Wenski and some 25 Knights of Columbus rode their motorcycles to pray a rosary at the entrance of Alligator Alcatraz, the controversial migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades.
On Nov. 12, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly to issue a rare group statement voicing “our concern here for immigrants” at their annual fall plenary assembly.

A day later, on the feast of the patron saint of immigrants St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – and a day after the U.S. bishops issued a special pastoral message on immigration – a coalition of Catholic organizations held a wave of prayer vigils across the country Nov. 13 for what organizers called “a national day of public witness for our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

Assisted suicide and the death penalty also continued to make their mark in 2025, with both the New York Assembly and Senate passing the Medical Aid in Dying Act, a controversial bill now awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul ‘s signature.

On Dec. 12, Illinois became the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize assisted suicide, amid outcry among the state’s Catholic bishops and other pro-life and disability advocates. Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 1950 into law, allowing terminally ill adults who are Illinois residents to end their lives through self-administered lethal drugs prescribed by a physician.

As of Dec. 15, 46 prisoners have been executed in 11 U.S. states, a sharp increase over 25 executions in 2024. According to The Death Penalty Information Center, there are two more executions scheduled for 2025. The center notes, “For every 8.2 people executed in the United States in the modern era of the death penalty, one person on death row has been exonerated.”

On Dec. 3, a new coalition of more than 50 organizations launched the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty. Laura Porter, the campaign’s director, said the coalition comes at “a critical juncture in our country’s history with the death penalty, with executions on the rise and new experimental execution methods being promoted in a handful of states despite growing opposition to the death penalty.”

“It is more important than ever,” said Porter in a statement, “that we shine a light on capital punishment’s failures, and come together to show growing bipartisan support for ending executions.”

(Kimberley Heatherington is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Virginia.)

Calendar of Events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Fatima Five First Saturdays Devotion, Jan. 3, Feb. 7, March 7, April 4 and May 2. Church opens at 8 a.m.; Mass at 9 a.m.; followed by Rosary. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

DIOCESE – Engaged Encounter 2026 dates, Feb. 27-March 1; April 24-26; Aug. 28-30; Oct. 2 -4. Details: couples may register at https://jacksondiocese.flocknote.com/signup/230073 or email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Saturday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson. Theme is “Beholding the Dream” with speaker Dr. William Jemison.

World Marriage Day 2026, Join us Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson at 1 p.m. or Saturday, Feb. 14 at St. James Tupelo at 1 p.m. for this celebration of marriage across the diocese. If you are celebrating your 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th+ in 2026 this celebration is for you! Please register to join us by visiting jacksondiocese.org/family-ministry. Details: email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Ladies Retreat, Feb. 6-8, 2026 at Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center in Osyka. Open to women age 21+. Cost: $300/person, includes accommodations and all meals. Deadline to register is Jan. 16. Details: email claudiaaddison@mac.com.

OXFORD – Diocesan Campus Ministry Winter Retreat “Radical Grace: Living the Gospel Upside Down,” Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church. Cost: $20 – Registration deadine is Jan. 23. Come and be renewed! Details: amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.

PILGRIMAGE – Travel to Italy with Father Jose de Jesus Sanchez of St. Joseph Greenville, Feb. 16-25, 2026. See the Vatican, Assisi and more. Details: visit catholicjourneys.com/tour/shrines-of-italy-pilgrimage.

PARISH & YOUTH EVENTS
GREENWOOD – St. Francis, Mardi Gras Ball, Saturday, Feb. 14 from 7-11 p.m. at the Andrew McQueen Civic Center. Cost: $45/person. Details: (662) 453-0623.

JACKSON – Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary Court #199, Annual Mardi Gras Ball, Feb. 7 at Fondren Hall from 7-11 p.m. Cost: $40/person. Attire: “after five.” Details: Christ the King church office (601) 948-8867.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Krewe de Cardinal Mardi Gras Ball, Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Westin Jackson. Details: visit https://bit.ly/4pGfEAc for more info.

MADISON – St. Joseph School, Annual Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Reunion Country Club. Details: school office (601) 898-4800.

MERIDIAN – Knights of Columbus Mash Bash Blood Drive, Tuesday, Dec. 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the K of C Hall. Details: schedule through vitalant.org.

PARISHES OF NORTHWEST MS – World Youth Day in South Korea, Aug. 3-7, 2027. Join the Priests of the Sacred Heart on an unforgettable pilgrimage that includes Mass with Pope Leo and more. For ages 16-23. Cost: $1,333 plus fundraising. Application packets available in the parish office. Details: Contact Vickie at (662) 895-5007.

San Francisco de Asís New Albany celebra a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

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NEW ALBANY – Marta Miranda canta en el coro durante la celebración de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís en New Albany el 12 de diciembre. (Fotos por Galen Holley)

By Galen Holley
NEW ALBANY – Luis, de siete años, tenía el aspecto perfecto, con su bigote dibujado y su tilma holgada, y al verlo junto a sus padres, uno podía imaginar a Juan Diego devorando una galleta antes de la misa, tal como lo hacía Luis. La gloria y la pompa de la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe resplandecían en una fría noche en New Albany.

“Sentimos que nuestros corazones arden de gratitud hacia Nuestra Señora”, dijo Alma Solís, quien, el 12 de diciembre, se afanaba en el santuario organizando la celebración. Solís, una voluntaria incansable, dirigía a los monaguillos, daba indicaciones a los bailarines y traducía sobre la marcha del inglés al español.

“La celebración es importante para los católicos y especialmente para los mexicanos”, dijo Solís, cuyo suegro, Pablo García, a pesar de la barrera del idioma, se está formando para convertirse en diácono.

Los padres de la comunidad hispana habían vestido a sus hijos pequeños como el santo campesino Juan Diego, el sencillo indígena a quien, en 1531, se le apareció María, la Madre de Dios. Nuestra Señora visitó a Juan Diego en el cerro del Tepeyac, en lo que hoy es la Ciudad de México. Amonestó al pueblo para que abandonara las prácticas paganas y ofreció señales milagrosas como prueba del amor de Jesús. María, por el poder de Dios, hizo florecer rosas en invierno en el cerro del Tepeyac, y desde entonces el catolicismo floreció en América Latina.

Los católicos construyeron una iglesia en el lugar de la aparición en el siglo XVI, y hoy en día es uno de los destinos más visitados de todo el mundo cristiano. Sin embargo, como dijo el párroco de San Francisco, el padre Xavier Jesuraj, en su homilía del 12 de diciembre, la basílica representa algo más profundo.

El padre Xavier Jesuraj eleva la Eucaristía mientras un monaguillo asiste durante la Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el 12 de diciembre en la parroquia San Francisco de Asís. (Foto por Alma Solis)

“La construcción de la iglesia no era lo más importante para la Santísima Madre”, dijo el padre Raj.

“La Virgen estaba presente no solo como un signo externo, sino como una promesa de que ella está con nosotros en nuestras alegrías y tristezas, en todos los momentos y aspectos de nuestras vidas. Ella nos anima a ofrecer nuestras vidas cotidianas como una devoción y una continuación de la celebración en la que participamos esta noche”.

La imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe se ha convertido en el símbolo de fe más popular entre los católicos mexicanos. La aparición inculturada de María, con piel morena y cabello oscuro, contrasta fuertemente con las imágenes europeas de la Santísima Madre y sugiere su carácter universal como Madre de la Iglesia. Como dijo el padre Raj: “Ella vino como una señal no solo para América Latina, sino también para Europa y todo el mundo, proclamando el amor de su hijo, Jesús”.

Los bigotes dibujados en los labios de los bebés en San Francisco eran una adorable señal de lo mucho que significa la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe para los católicos hispanos. La visión de los beatificados liliputienses tambaleándose en el santuario, vestidos con sus trajes campesinos y con sombreros de paja en la mano, era suficiente para inspirar deleite religioso.

Ulysses Sánchez, de un año de edad, vestido como San Juan Diego, toma una siesta antes de la celebración de la Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís en New Albany, el 12 de diciembre.

La parroquia de San Francisco celebró recientemente su septuagésimo quinto aniversario y, como cada 12 de diciembre, la iglesia estaba abarrotada. La pequeña Kaitlyn Melany colocó con cariño, aunque tímidamente, un ramo de flores ante la estatua de Nuestra Señora. Ulysses Sánchez, de un año, dormía angelicalmente en brazos de su madre, vestido con su traje de Juan Diego, de color rojo y verde. Katherine y su hermana pequeña, Melanie, iban vestidas como Nuestra Señora y parecían disfrutar del espectáculo y la energía de la congregación.

Afuera, los miembros del grupo de baile de la iglesia católica St. Matthew en Ripley, entre ellos Emily Juárez, Sandy Ruiz Martinze y Giovanni Martínez, se movían al ritmo de los golpes del tambor. Los fieles cantaban himnos a Nuestra Señora, dando gracias por su intercesión y sus oraciones, y luego disfrutaban de una suntuosa comida mientras los niños correteaban con sonrisas y gritos de alegría.

(Galen Holley es miembro de la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís en New Albany. Puedes contactarlo en galenholley@gmail.com y ver su “Podcast de San Miguel” en YouTube).

Llamada al Carmelo: la hermana Maryann Koine hace sus votos solemnes

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Por Joanna Puddister King and Tereza Ma
JACKSON – La comunidad carmelita de la Diócesis de Jackson celebró la profesión solemne de los votos religiosos de la hermana Maryann Wambui Koine de Jesús Crucificado, OCD, durante una misa celebrada el sábado 6 de diciembre en la capilla del monasterio carmelita.

El obispo Joseph R. Kopacz ofició como celebrante principal mientras la hermana Maryann pronunciaba sus votos solemnes de pobreza, castidad y obediencia ante las monjas carmelitas descalzas, los miembros de los Carmelitas Seglares y amigos de la comunidad de Jackson y alrededores.

En su homilía, el obispo Kopacz reflexionó sobre el Monte Carmelo y la tradición carmelita, haciendo hincapié en que la profesión religiosa no solo apunta a una vocación particular, sino al llamado bautismal compartido por todos los cristianos. Arraigada en el misterio de la Cruz, dijo, la vida religiosa da testimonio de la esperanza de la vida eterna y llama a la Iglesia a una fidelidad más profunda a Cristo.

Religious life, the bishop noted, “points toward heaven,” reminding the faithful that following Christ requires daily self-gift and transformation of heart and mind – a call lived uniquely through the vows of religious life and universally through baptism.

La hermana Maryann, originaria de Kenia, ingresó por primera vez en el Carmelo de Savannah, Georgia, en 2015. Hizo sus primeros votos en 2018 y se trasladó al monasterio carmelita de Jackson en 2024, tras el cierre de la comunidad de Savannah. Su profesión solemne marca un compromiso de por vida con el estilo carmelita de oración contemplativa y sencillez.

Tras la misa, la hermana Maryann expresó su gratitud a quienes la habían apoyado en su vocación, dando las gracias a los sacerdotes, hermanas y miembros de la comunidad que la habían acompañado a lo largo de su camino. “Esta comunidad ha sido mi segunda familia”, afirmó. “Estoy agradecida por formar parte de ella”.

También agradeció la presencia de su madre, que viajó desde Kenia para asistir a la profesión y pasó varias semanas visitando a su hija en el monasterio. Aunque las barreras lingüísticas limitaron la comunicación durante la liturgia, la hermana Maryann dijo que la alegría compartida en la ocasión trascendió las palabras.

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JACKSON – Hermanas Carmelitas reciben la Sagrada Comunión del diácono Will Foggo durante la Misa en el monasterio carmelita, donde la hermana Maryann Wambui Koine profesó recientemente sus votos solemnes. (Foto por Tereza Ma)

El mismo Cristo, a través de los siglos

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
“Todos los confines de la tierra verán la salvación de nuestro Dios.” (Isaías 52:10)

Durante casi dos mil años, la Buena Nueva del nacimiento, vida, muerte y resurrección de nuestro señor Jesucristo ha sido proclamada a todas las naciones. Ahora más que nunca, a través de los canales modernos de comunicación, el mensaje llega hasta los confines del mundo para que la gente escuche esta Buena Nueva y vea a la iglesia en su entorno sirviendo a su Señor de múltiples maneras.

Los siguientes tres extractos han sido seleccionados de diferentes épocas de la historia de la iglesia para afirmar que, aunque el mundo se encuentre en constante cambio, Jesucristo es el mismo ayer, hoy y mañana.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Lo siguiente se extrae de las profundas obras de aquel que fue considerado “boca de oro” por su brillante predicación:

“Que la naturaleza invisible y eterna no ha despreciado por nosotros tomar para sí las debilidades de nuestra carne. El Hijo de Dios, que es el Dios de todas las cosas, nace hombre en cuerpo. Se permite ser colocado en una cuna, que sostiene el cielo en sus manos. Está confinado en un pesebre que el mundo no puede contener; se le oye en la voz de un bebé llorando, ante cuya voz en la hora de su pasión tembló toda la tierra.” – San Juan Crisóstomo, Homilía de la Epifanía

Este santo del siglo IV fue exiliado tres veces y sufrió enormemente en manos de los herejes arrianos de su época. No solo perseveró; prosperó como testigo viviente del poder de la Palabra hecha carne.

En el siglo V, el papa León el Grande, que resistió a Atila el Huno en las puertas de Roma, convenciéndole de no saquear la ciudad, fue uno de los padres más elocuentes de la iglesia primitiva. Lo siguiente proviene de una homilía navideña suya y adorna la oración navideña contemporánea de la Iglesia Católica en la Liturgia de las Horas:

“Hoy nace nuestro Salvador; Regocijémonos. La tristeza no tiene lugar en el cumpleaños de la vida. El miedo a la muerte se abrasa; La vida nos trae alegría con la promesa de la eternidad. Nadie se queda excluido de esta alegría. Que los justos se regocijen, porque su recompensa está cerca. Que los pecadores se alegren, porque se les ofrece misericordia. Que los paganos tomen valor, porque son llamados a la vida. … En este misterio del Verbo hecho carne, se otorga una nueva dignidad a la naturaleza humana. Oh cristiano, reconoce tu dignidad. Haz un compañero en la naturaleza divina. No vuelvas por pecado a tu antigua maldad. Recuerda quién es tu cabeza y de quién eres miembro, y por cuya sangre fue comprada tu libertad.” – Papa San León Magno

En nuestro tiempo, luchamos por permitir que la luz eterna del Verbo hecho carne brille en la oscuridad y las sombras de nuestro mundo caído. Lo siguiente está extraído de la serie “Palabra de Vida” de los Focolares de diciembre de 2025, cuya misión es la unidad y cuyo camino es el amor:

“A un mundo como el nuestro, donde prevalece la ley del más fuerte, del más inteligente, de lo más inescrupuloso, y donde a veces todo parece paralizado por el materialismo y el egoísmo, recibimos la inocencia desarmada del Niño Jesús, y reconocemos una vez más la presencia paciente y misericordiosa de Dios en la historia humana.”

Al celebrar la culminación del Año Jubilar de la Esperanza esta Navidad en la Epifanía, proclamamos que el amor de Dios ha sido derramado en nuestros corazones por medio del Espíritu Santo que nos ha sido dado, porque el amor de Dios fue derramado por primera vez en nuestro mundo en aquella primera noche de Navidad, hace casi 2,000 años.

Que los Sabios de nuestro tiempo sigan buscando aquel que es el camino, la verdad y la vida, que revela que el sacrificio y amo por todos es el único camino para cumplir nuestros sueños.

El papa asiste al concierto navideño de una escuela y agradece a los niños por compartir su amor

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CASTEL GANDOLFO (CNS) – Al final de su único día libre a la semana, el papa León XIV acudió a la escuela local de Castel Gandolfo y se unió a cientos de padres emocionados para ver el concierto de Navidad de los niños.

Tras 45 minutos de canciones en italiano, latín, inglés y español, el papa León agradeció a los niños y a sus maestros “la invitación que llegó misteriosamente a mi casa, pero quizá aún más misteriosa fue la respuesta cuando se enteraron de que había decidido venir”.

Poco después de que el papa llegara el 16 de diciembre y el personal de la escuela convenciera a los padres para que se sentaran, más de 200 alumnos, desde los mayores hasta los más pequeños, subieron al escenario del gimnasio vestidos con sudaderas blancas y pantalones oscuros.

Todos los niños comienzan a estudiar inglés en la escuela primaria, y la primera pieza que cantaron en inglés fue un emocionante “Joy to the World”. También cantaron “The Little Drummer Boy” acompañándose con movimientos de manos a modo de tambores.

El papa León XIV saluda a los alumnos de la Escuela Pontificia Pablo VI en Castel Gandolfo, Italia, tras asistir a su concierto de Navidad en el gimnasio de la escuela el 16 de diciembre de 2025. (Foto CNS/Vatican Media)

Al final del concierto, antes de guiar a los niños en el Padrenuestro – que una clase también recitó en lengua de señas italiana –, el papa Leo habló sobre la primera canción, un villancico italiano moderno que narraba cómo los ángeles cantaban la noticia del nacimiento de Jesús.

“Las palabras más bonitas eran sobre los “ángeles que traen amor”, y vosotros sois los que nos habéis traído amor a todos esta noche”, dijo el papa a los niños.

San Agustín dijo una vez: “El que ama, canta”, les dijo.

“Esto es la Navidad: Dios que quiso acercarse a nosotros, especialmente a los más pequeños”, dijo el Papa, expresando su esperanza de que “podamos sentir y vivir este amor” durante todo el año.

El papa León también agradeció a los niños por cantar en varios idiomas, demostrando que la Navidad llena de alegría y paz los corazones de los creyentes de todo el mundo.

También citó una conocida canción italiana que dice: “En Navidad se puede hacer más”.

“Es una invitación para todos nosotros”, dijo el papa. “Hagamos más para proclamar la paz, el amor y la unidad en el mundo”.