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View - Catholic Diocese of Brownsville
Volume 5, Issue 8 Serving More Than A Million Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville JOURNEY The Religious to be honored at Mass The Valley Catholic SAN JUAN — Bishop Daniel E. Flores will celebrate a Mass in honor of World Day for Consecrated Life at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. All religious priests, sisters and brothers are invited to attend. The Mass is open to the public so that the faithful may recognize and pray for the religious serving in the diocese. Sister Marcella Ewers of the Daughters of Charity said she looks forward to the diocesan celebration for Consecrated Life every year. “I am always amazed at the large number of religious communities, both men and women, who have chosen to serve in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Sister Ewers, who serves as president of Juan Diego Academy, a Catholic regional high school in Mission. “I am grateful to Bishop Flores for providing this opportunity for all of us to gather in solidarity with one another to celebrate our choice of living a consecrated life and to give witness to our vocation of service in the Church.” The religious priests, brothers and sisters serving in our diocese are engaged in parish ministry, education, health care, social work, missionary outreach programs, community development and much more. “It is a great event because it is a day, a moment where all the consecrated men and women are recognized for what they do in their vocation,” said Brother Moises A. Lopez of the Missionary Servants of the Cross, who serves as director of religious education at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Mercedes. “I always look forward to gathering with other religious, talking to them and exchanging ideas, but also to pray for one another. “It is like a family reunion. » Please see Consecrated p.4 begins Photos by Cesar Riojas Jr./ The Valley Catholic Lent is the 40 day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday Catholics are also encouraged to make going to confession a significant part of their spiritual lives during Lent. Lenten message from Pope Francis The Vatican As Lent draws near, I would like to offer some helpful thoughts on our path of conversion as individuals and as a community. These insights are inspired by the words of Saint Paul: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). The Apostle was writing to the Christians of Corinth to encourage them to be generous in GOLDEN JUBILEE helping the faithful in Jerusalem who were in need. What do these words of Saint Paul mean for us Christians today? What does this invitation to poverty, a life of evangelical poverty, mean for us today? 1. Christ’s grace First of all, it shows us how God works. He does not reveal himself cloaked in worldly power and wealth but rather in weakness and poverty: “though He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor …”. Christ, the eternal Son of God, one with the Father in power and SERENATAS glory, chose to be poor; he came amongst us and drew near to each of us; he set aside his glory and emptied himself so that he could be like us in all things (cf. Phil 2:7; Heb 4:15). God’s becoming man is a great mystery! But the reason for all this is his love, a love which is grace, generosity, a desire to draw near, a love which does not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the beloved. Charity, love, is sharing with the one we love in all things. Love makes us similar, it creates equal» Please see Lent p.15 THOSE WHO SERVE February 2015 Pope plans canonization for Blessed Junipero Serra in Washington By FRANCIS X. ROCCA Catholic News Service ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis said his September trip to the U.S. will take him to Philadelphia, New York and Washington — where he intends to canonize Blessed Junipero Serra — but probably no other stops. Pope Francis made his remarks Jan. 19, in an hourlong news conference with reporters accompanying him back to Rome from a weeklong trip to Asia. Four days after announcing he would canonize Blessed Junipero in the U.S. in September, the pope said he wished he could do so in California, the 18th-century Franciscan’s mission field, but would not have time to travel there. The pope said he planned instead to perform the canonization ceremony at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, saying Washington would be a fitting location because a statue of Blessed Junipero stands in the U.S. Capitol. The pope also confirmed he would visit the United Nations in New York. He had already announced his participation in the late-September World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Asked about widespread speculation that he would visit the U.S.-Mexico border on the same trip, Pope Francis said “entering the United States by crossing the border from Mexico would be a beautiful thing, as a sign of brotherhood and of help to the immigrants.” But he said making such a visit would raise expectations that he would visit Mexico’s shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and he joked that “war could break out” if he failed to do so. “There will be time to go to Mexico later on,” he said. Pope Francis said he hoped to visit three Latin American countries in 2015 — Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay. He said he planned to visit two African countries — the Central African Republic and Uganda — in late 2015. EN EN ESPAÑOL ESPAÑOL Artículos sobre el viaje del Santo Padre a Sri Lanka y Filipinas, recursos para Cuaresma, y el Día Mundial del Matrimonio “VERBUM MITTITUR SPIRANS AMOREM” (“The WORD is sent breathing love.”) A look at the second Bishop of Brownsville Page 3 The Basilica to host two mariachi concerts Page 7 Deacon David Espinoza Page 9 Páginas 11-13 2 DIOCESE The Valley Catholic - February 2015 Oraciones para una nueva luz de justicia y paz “ Oren por la paz de Jerusalén” como dice el Salmista. Cuando leemos éstas palabras pensamos en la Tierra Santa, en el Medio Oriente. Pero también pensamos en tantas ciudades y pueblos alrededor del mundo destrozados por la lucha y la violencia. Pensamos en el Padre Gregorio López Gorostieta, un sacerdote que fue asesinado en Altamirano, en el estado mexicano de Guerrero, encontrado muerto el día de Navidad. También recordamos a incontables hombres, mujeres y niños que han perdido sus vidas debido a la violencia en muchas partes de América Latina. También pensamos en la violencia en los Estados Unidos, en grandes y pequeñas ciudades, detalladas diariamente en los noticieros, a menudo para personas que ya no son sensibles al sinsentido de todo esto. Es una batalla para ganar la paz, pero no una que peleamos con armas convencionales; más bien, es una batalla ligada primordialmente con la oración, empezando a partir de Dios la conversión de los corazones endurecidos por objetivos egoístas, y establecidos con medios violentos. No nos engañemos, el mal se deleita en la desesperanza y la muerte. Debemos de estar armados con esperanza y amor por la vida. Esto es lo que anima nuestra oración. La oración, a su vez, fortifica nuestra esperanza y amor, ya que estos dos son dones indispensables enraizados en el Dios que da vida y no olvida la súplica del pobre. Debemos enseñar paz a nuestros niños, al mostrarles lo que significa el actuar justamente y con compasión hacia otros. También debemos de armar a nuestros niños con amor a la vida y el don de la esperanza. En breve, los debemos de enseñar a rezar. Debemos de pedir a nuestros gobiernos que busquen justicia, especialmente para las inocentes victimas de violencia. Un espíritu de desconsideración por la vida humana busca propagar su Pray for Peace, Justice “ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” as the Psalmist says. When we read these words we think of the Holy Land, and the Middle East. But we think also of so many cities and towns around the world torn by strife and violence. We think of Father Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta, a priest who was killed in the city of Altamirano, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, and found dead on Christmas Day. We recall also countless other men, women and children who have lost their lives due to violence in many parts of Latin America. We think also of violence in the United States, in big cities and small, daily detailed in the news, often to a people no longer sensitive to the senselessness of it all. It is a battle to win peace, but not one fought with conventional weapons; rather, it is a battle engaged first of all by prayer, begging from God the conversion of hearts hardened by selfish aims, and set on violent means. Make no mistake, the evil one delights in despair and in death. We must be armed with hope, and with a love for life. This is what animates our prayer. Prayer, in turn, fortifies our hope and love, for these two indispensable graces are rooted in the God who gives life and forgets not the cry of the poor. We must teach peace to our children, by showing them what it means to act justly and with compassion towards others. We must also arm our children with a love for life and malvada influencia en cada nuevo hueco de la cultura. La sociedad civil existe para frenar este avance. Agustín hablo de dos ciudades, misteriosamente entrelazadas en este mundo: La Ciudad de Dios en la que el amor de Dios domina a la criatura humana, “usque ad contemptum sui”, y la ciudad del hombre, en la que el amor al ego domina “usque ad contemptum Dei”. Pero, todos los mejores poderes de la ciudad humana son insuficientes para crear paz si el llamado a convertirse a la Ciudad de Dios no es escuchado y, por gracia de Dios, de alguna manera atendido por todos nosotros que vivimos dentro de la ciudad del hombre. Ya que en el fin de las cosas, la ciudad del hombre debe de transformarse en la ciudad de Dios. Esto significa que los corazones deben alzarse hacia el celestial Jerusalén, respondiendo al llamado de la trompeta del redentor de nuestra naturaleza, el Crucificado y resurrecto Cristo, quien nos muestra como hombre cómo conocer la paz en Dios y entre nosotros. Debemos escucharlo, y verlo nuevamente, ya que la alternativa a la vida con Dios, al final, no es vida en absoluto. No porque Dios MOST REVEREND DANIEL E. FLORES BISHOP OF BROWNSVILLE the grace of hope. In short, we must teach them to pray. We must ask our governments to seek justice also, especially for innocent victims of violence. A spirit of disrespect for human life aggresively seeks to spread its malevolent influence into ever new recesses of culture. A civil society exists to stem this advance. Augustine spoke of two cities, mysteriously intermingled in this world: The City of God wherein the love of God dominates the human creature, “usque ad contemptum sui”, and the city of man, wherein the love of self dominates “usque ad contemptum Dei”. But, all the better powers of the human city are insufficient to create peace if the call to become the City of God is not heard and, by God’s grace, in some way heeded by all of us who dwell within the city of man. For at the end of all things, the city of man must be transformed into the City of God. This means nos quitase la vida, pero porque los corazones humanos se hundirían en esa última etapa en lugar de preferir no tenerla, buscando, en cambio, conformarse con una vida de sombra que venera los antirelicarios hechos por ellos mismos: cavidades vacías y frías donde los corazones de carne hechos con clemencia una vez habitaron. Mientras continuamos este Nuevo Año, renovamos nuestra fe en la misericordia del Redentor nacido por nosotros. La Ciudad de Dios empieza en Belén. Su luz sobrepasa la oscuridad. Invito a todos los fieles a ofrecer oraciones especiales pidiendo por la paz y la justicia en nuestras comunidades fronterizas y por el fin de la violencia alrededor del mundo, y por la conversión de los corazones anclados en la violencia. Sería lo más apropiado ofrecer estas oraciones ante el Santísimo Sacramento, o rezar el Santo Rosario por esta intención. El Señor nos escucha, y su Santa Madre reza por nosotros. Que una nueva luz de justicia y paz entre en los corazones humanos con el comienzo del nuevo año. Señor Jesucristo, Príncipe de la Paz, Arquitecto y Edificador de la Ciudad de Dios, ten misericordia de nosotros y en todo el mundo. that hearts must rise toward the heavenly Jerusalem, responding to the clarion call of our nature’s Redeemer, the Crucified and Risen Christ, who shows us as man how to know peace in God, and with one another. We must hear Him, and see Him anew, for the alternative to life in God is, in the end, no life at all. Not because God would take life from us, but because human hearts would seem at that late stage rather to prefer not to have it, seeking instead to settle for a shadowlife that venerates self-made anti-reliquaries: empty, cold cavities where fleshy hearts made for mercy had once dwelt. As we continue in this New Year, we renew our faith in the mercy of the Redeemer born for us. The City of God begins in Bethlehem. Its light overcomes the darkness. I invite all the faithful to offer special prayers asking for peace and justice in our border communities and for an end to violence around the world, and for the conversion of hearts set on violence. It would be most appropriate to offer these prayers before the Blessed Sacrament, or to say the Holy Rosary for this intention. The Lord hears us, and his blessed Mother prays for us. May a new light of justice and peace enter human hearts with the beginning of a new year. Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Architect and Builder of the City of God, Have Mercy on us and on the whole world. Happy Anniversary, Bishop Flores! May God continue to bless you as you shepherd the faithful of the diocese. To read the Bishop’s blog, En Pocas Palabras, visit 700 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan, TX 78589-3042 Telephone: 956/781-5323 • Fax: 956/784-5082 Bishop Daniel E. Flores Publisher Catholic Diocese of Brownsville www.cdob.org Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor Subscription rate $15 per year • $17 outside of Texas $25 out of U.S. Rose Ybarra Assistant Editor The Valley Catholic, a publication of the Diocese of Brownsville, is published monthly Terry De Leon & South Texas Circulation Circulation The Valley Catholic email: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook Evana A. Zamora (956) 784-5038 Member of the Catholic Press Assocition Advertising Gustavo Morales (956) 266-1527 Gilbert Saenz (956) 451-5416 http://bishopflores. blogspot.com The cover of the special welcome edition of The Valley Catholic from 2010. Bishop Daniel E. Flores celebrates his fifth anniversary as bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville on Feb. 2. Bishop Flores’ Schedule - February Feb. 1 3 p.m. San Juan Mass for World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 2 Noon Brownsville Mass at Cathedral Feb. 2 5:30 p.m. San Juan Mass at Basilica for Feast of Our Lady of San Juan Feb. 5 10 a.m. San Juan Talk for 3rd Annual Diocesan Stewardship Conference Feb. 7 10 a.m. San Juan Talk at Lay Ministry Mid-Year Gathering Feb. 7 11:30 a.m. San Juan Mass for 3rd Annual Diocesan Stewardship Conference Feb. 7 3 p.m. Brownsville Mass-Mary, Mother of the Church for Conferencia Carismática Feb. 15 3 p.m. McAllen Mass-Holy Spirit Church for Catholic Scouting Ceremony Feb. 18 Noon Brownsville Ash Wednesday Mass at University of Texas at Brownsville Feb. 18 7 p.m. Brownsville Ash Wednesday Mass Feb. 21 7 p.m. San Juan Rite of Election (Upper Valley) Basilica Feb. 22 2 p.m. Harlingen Rite of Election (Lower Valley) St. Anthony Church DIOCESE February 2015- The Valley Catholic Editor’s note: Join us each month as we take a glimpse back in time and review the history of the Diocese of Brownsville. »Second Bishop of Brownsville Bishop Humberto Sousa Medeiros His motto: Adveniat regnum tuum (thy Kingdom come) He was installed as Archbishop of Boston, elevated to cardinal in 1973 The Valley Catholic Rev. Humberto S. Medeiros of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass. was appointed the second bishop of Brownsville on April 14, 1966. He was installed at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville on June 29, 1966 and served until the autumn of 1970. He was installed as the Archbishop of Boston on Oct. 7, 1970 and elevated to cardinal on March 5, 1973. He died on Sept. 17, 1983 of coronary arrest at the age of 67, a day after undergoing emergency heart surgery, according to his obituary by the Associated Press. As Bishop of Brownsville, he added 18 new parishes and approved the construction of La Merced Homes in Mercedes and El Rosario Homes in Mission — two scattered-site housing projects sponsored by the Diocese of Brownsville. Residents began moving into the three-and-four bedroom brick homes in May 1969. When he arrived in the Rio Grande Valley, farm workers were threatening a strike and the new bishop quickly supported the demands of Mexican-American migrant workers, according to the Associated Press. At times, he would travel with the migrant workers because, ‘’I want to be with the people who need me,” and for the four years he was head of the Diocese of Brownsville, he spent Christmas and Easter in jails visiting with prisoners and eating prison food. The second Bishop of Brownsville was described by the Associated Press as, “a stern administrator,” but “comfortable with the people of his diocese. As the Valley was recovering from Hurricane Beulah in 1967, he opened his home to 11 families and also took in many dogs that were lost and abandoned in the storm. The Valley Catholic Above: Bishop Humberto Sousa Medeiros is shown with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in this 1969 photo. The photo was originally published in the Valley Catholic Witness, which was the diocesan newspaper at the time. Left: Bishop Medeiros was installed as the Archbishop of Boston on Oct. 7, 1970 and elevated to cardinal on March 5, 1973. A native of the Azores, an island chain off the coast of Portugal, Cardinal Medeiros was born Oct. 6, 1915, in the village of Arrifes on St. Michael Island. Unable to speak English, he came to the United States when he was 16. He took a job sweeping floors in a textile plant in Fall River, Mass. for 62 cents a day. After graduating from high school, he studied for the priesthood at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and was ordained a priest for service in the Diocese of Fall River on June 15, 1946. New sanctuary for San Cristobal & Companions Parish The Valley Catholic MISSION — Bishop Daniel E. Flores blessed and dedicated the first of several buildings planned for San Cristobal Magallanes & Companions Parish in Mission on Dec. 20, 2014. The 12,210-square-foot building, which is planned as the parish hall, will serve as a sanctuary until a church building is constructed. It seats 600 and is located at 4501 Santa Engracia Rd. The parish was established by Bishop Raymundo J. Peña in 2004 to serve the faithful of the burgeoning South Mission area. San Cristobal Magallanes & Companions Parish is under the pastoral care of Father Ignacio Tapia, pastor, and Deacon Nicolas Trujillo. Four Masses are celebrated in the new sanctuary on Sundays – a bilingual Mass at 10:30 a.m. and Spanish Masses at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The parish also includes two mission churches, Our Lady of Fatima Church in Granjeno and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Madero. The parish is named for San Cristobal Magallanes and his 24 companions who were martyred between 1915 and 1937, by shooting or hanging, throughout eight Mexican states, for their involvement in the Cristero movement. San Cristobal erected a seminary in Totatiche in the Mexican state of Jalisco and he and his companions secretly preached and ministered to the faithful. San Cristobal Magallanes and his companions were canonized by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000. The Valley Catholic The new sanctuary at San Cristobal Magallanes & Companions Parish was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Daniel E. Flores on Dec. 20, 2014. The cost of construction was $1.66 million. Four Masses are celebrated in the new sanctuary every Sunday. 3 DIOCESE 4 The Valley Catholic - February »Women speak for themselves en la Frontera So many choices: Will “50 Shades” be one of them? W hen my daughter was 15 years old, I had to explain to her why I didn’t think the movie “Sex in the City” was appropriate for her to watch. Now that she is a young adult and making her own choices, another movie coming out on Valentine’s Day prompted a conversation about our media selections. It made me think about how careful we are concerning what our children watch, but are we mindful as adults of our own media consumption habits? How blessed we are that God loved us into being and gives us free will to make our own choices, to shape our own lives. Our journey is paved with choices. “God willed that man should be ‘left in the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.” CC 1730 To make good choices, we have to exercise prudence. According to St. Augustine, “prudence is love making a right distinction between what helps it towards God and what might hinder it.” We are confronted in making good choices when it comes to the books we read, the music we listen to and the movies and television programs we watch. I confess I have not been as discerning and selective as I should have been at times. After all it was entertainment I reasoned, a brief detachment from reality. When we draw from a relativism play book based on a catechesis of a secular culture it’s easy to justify our choices. However, as the rational beings that God created us, we Brenda Nettles Riojas Editor of The Valley Catholic have a responsibility to pay attention to what we feed ourselves, via our reading and viewing selections. Much has been written about how messages in the media can influence the public and the choices we make. Consider the millions spent by advertisers on commercials. The flood of messages streaming from the airwaves, newsstands and online sites have distorted how a large segment of the population view relationships between men and women and what constitutes a loving union. On Valentine’s Day, two movies open in theaters — “Old Fashioned” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” is based on a book by the same name and is the first in a trilogy by E.L James. The book, aimed at female readers, has sold 100 million copies. It includes “explicit scenes and heavy doses of bondage, dominance and sadism.” One only has to review the countless reviews to gleam the storyline and content of the book and now movie that have led some to refer to it as “Mommy Porn.” Not only have reviewers critiqued the quality of the writing, some have raised concerns about the distorted portrayal of relationships. Nathan Nazario, producer of “Old Fashioned,” said “It surprises me, honestly — in a cul- ture claiming to advance female independence and equality — that so few powerful voices raise questions about ‘Fifty Shades’”. “Behind the rating euphemism ‘unusual’ lies a crippling cultural fear or unwillingness to say any act is potentially harmful.” The producers of “Old Fashioned” are promoting it as an alternative to “Fifty Shades” and playing up the differences between the two movies in one of the trailers – exploitation vs. innocence; “Unusual behavior” vs. thoughtful behavior. The Motion Picture Association of America rated “Fifty Shades” R for “strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language.” According to a USA Today article (Jan. 9) The “unusual behavior” term, which has not be used before in rating explanations is likely due to the film’s sexual theme of “dominance and submission.” Rik Swartzwelder, “Old Fashioned” writer, director, and lead actor, questions “Fifty Shades” long-term effects. “What happens when ‘harmless fantasy’ plays out in the real world — in young lives unsure of what lasting love looks like, much less how to get it?” he asks. “Unquestionably, the stories our culture lifts up influence young audiences.” Swartzwelder’s script sprang from conversations with fellow singles, he says, struggling to pursue “God-honoring” and long-term love in a world fixed on short-term pleasure. St. John Paul II addresses the themes of marriage, family, sexuality and love as a gift of self in “Man and Woman He created them, a Theology of the Body” (TOB).There is much to unpack in this series of 129 talks he gave during his Wednesday audiences from 1979 to 1984. Michael Waldstein in his introduction on TOB, notes, “The sexual revolution does not sufficiently appreciate the value and beauty of sex. It deprives sex of its depth by detaching it from the spousal meaning of the body. It favors the sexual lie, in which the language of radical gift is overlaid by the contrary language of individual autonomy and the use of persons for pleasure.” Genevieve Kineke, in her book “The Authentic Catholic Woman,” writes, “Among all of the challenges of our fallen world, in this generation the misunderstanding about the God-given gift of human sexuality are paramount, and correcting them is the preeminent battle of our day.” We have a say in the battle. We can help correct the misunderstanding by arming ourselves with information and by being prudent about our choices. I remember as a child and well into my teens, my father was always cautious about what we saw on television. Even shows he deemed “appropriate” he felt the need to constantly remind us that what we were watching was fiction. “You know that’s make believe,” he’d say. So why worry about the media we choose, especially those categorized as fiction? The “Family Guide for Using Media” from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Communication, notes, “The media are so much part of us that to recognize their » Please see Many choices p.14 »Family Life T “The Mission of Love”: World Meeting of Families he Preparatory Catechesis for the World Meeting of Families which will take place in Philadelphia Sept. 22-25, 2015 contains 10 themes. Last month I addressed the first theme: “Created for Joy” and this article covers the second theme: “The Mission of Love.” Peter J. Colosi, PhD, in his supplementary documents for the Preparatory Catechism states that in the Bible, God’s love is depicted in the images of father, Shepard, teacher, friend, gardener, king and healer. Pope Benedict XVI speaks of marriage as an essential image for God’s love and states that the Bible is “above all the expression of a love story.” Genesis 1:27 states “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” In his encyclical “God is love” (par 2) Pope Benedict expressed the love between man and woman by saying: “Let us first of all bring to mind the vast semantic range of the word “love”: we speak of love of country, love of one’s profession, love between parents and children, love between family members, love of neighbor and love of God. Amid this multiplicity of meanings, however, one in particular stands out: love between man and woman, Lydia Pesina Director, Family Life Office where body and soul are inseparably joined and human beings glimpse an apparently irresistible promise of happiness. This would seem to be the very epitome of love; all other kinds of love immediately seem to fade in comparison.” I believe that conjugal love contains four very important elements: (1) promise/commitment (2) covenant (3) sacrifice (4) selfemptying love. (1) When a man and a woman marry, they make a vow, a promise, a commitment to love, honor and protect one another in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth until through death they do part. In 1999, my husband Mauri had a heart attack and since he had just switched jobs, had no insurance and no sick leave. I was very cognizant of our marriage vows as we experienced loss of health and finances all at the same time. Love is more about commitment than it is about feelings. World Wide Marriage Encounter has taught our Church since the 1970’s that love is a decision, a choice. In good times and in bad, we choose to do the loving thing whether or not we feel like it. (2) Love in marriage is covenantal, not contractual. A contract (like a contract made for someone to paint our home) can be broken, but a covenant can never be broken. It is analogous to the covenant that God made to his people, Israel when he told them “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” He did not place a stipulation that said that if they were unfaithful to him or if they made false idols as they did with the golden calf, he would no longer be their God. Likewise, as spouses, we are called to be faithful to our spouse in good times and in bad. (3) Sacrifice: a beautiful and often misunderstood word. The dictionary states that “sacrifice” is the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone. When a man and a woman marry, it is no longer about “What is best for me” but “What is best for the two of us” who are now one. Marriage and sacrifice are analogous. In marriage, as is also true in parenthood, we “sacrifice” one’s time, comfort, or money in order to help the one we love. When you prepare coffee for your spouse even when you are tired and don’t feel like it, it is a small but loving sacrifice. (4) Self-emptying love. Jesus teaches us self-emptying love through the suffering, death, and resurrection of the paschal mystery. In his book “Happy Together: The Catholic Blueprint to a Loving Marriage”, John Bosio delineates six key attitudes and behaviors that husbands and wives learn from Christ which form the blueprint for a happy marriage. (1) Welcome your spouse as Christ welcomes the Church. (2) Remain present and attentive to your spouse as Christ is to the church. (3) Sacrifice yourself for your spouse as Christ sacrifices himself for the church. (4) Forgive your spouse as Christ forgives the church. (5) Comfort and help your spouse heal as Christ comforts and heals the church. (6) Serve your spouse as Christ serves the Church. If you are married, consider writing on an index card five specific things you do regularly to demonstrate to your spouse that you love them and on the back side of the card, five things that you notice your spouse does regularly to show you that they love you. A small reminder for us of our Mission of Love. 2015 »News Briefs International violinist to perform in concert Feb. 27 St. Anthony Parish in Harlingen invites the community to “A Classical Concert” on Friday, Feb. 27 at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium located at 1204 Fair Park Blvd at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased through the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium office. General Admission: $35 to $250. Ticket proceeds from the concert will go to St. Anthony Catholic School and the Church Community Center. The concert will feature internationally known Susana Ogata, on violin, joining forces with Ian Watson, Fortepiano performing “Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin” by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Ogata and Watson have performed in the United States and Europe, but never before in Texas. Benedictine Sisters host Open House Pope Francis has spotlighted consecrated life from Nov. 30, 2014 to Feb. 2, 2016. The Benedictine Sisters of the Good Shepherd are inviting you to their Open House on Feb. 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. The Open House will include tours of the monastery, Fountain of Life Adoration Chapel and retreat facilities. The Monastery of the Good Shepherd is located in Starr County. For more information, please call (956) 486-2680. All are welcome. Stewardship Conference Feb. 5-7 The Third Annual Diocesan Stewardship Conference, hosted by the Diocese of Brownsville, will convene on Thursday, Feb. 5 through Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Bishop Marx Conference Center of the San Juan Pastoral Center. Bishop Daniel E. Flores will deliver the keynote address. Sessions in English & Spanish will cover diverse topics related to stewardship. For additional information call the Stewardship and Development Office at (956) 784-5092. Consecrated, continued from pg. 1 When we gather together, it is like you get to see your relatives that you have not seen in a long time. We are just one big happy family, walking alongside Christ.” In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for those in religious life — those serving in Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2. This feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in religious life are called to reflect light of Jesus Christ to all peoples. Pope Francis also instituted a Year of Consecrated Life, which focuses on sharing the experiences of prayer, service and community life of religious priests, brothers and sisters. The Year of Consecrated Life began on Nov. 29, 2014 and ends on Feb. 2, 2016. FAITH February 2015 - The Valley Catholic »Sunday Readings The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church FEBRUARY 1 (Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time) Reading 1 DT 18:15-20 Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 Reading 2 1 COR 7:32-35 Alleluia MT 4:16 Gospel MK 1:21-28 FEBRUARY 8 (Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time) Reading 1 JB 7:1-4, 6-7 Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Reading 2 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23 Alleluia MT 8:17 Gospel MK 1:29-39 FEBRUARY 15 (Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time) Reading 1 LV 13:1-2, 44-46 Responsorial Psalm PS 32:1-2, 5, 11 Reading 2 1 COR 10:31—11:1 Alleluia LK 7:16 Gospel MK 1:40-45 FEBRUARY 22 (First Sunday of Lent) Reading 1 GN 9:8-15 Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2 1 PT 3:18-22 Verse Before The Gospel MT 4:4B Gospel MK 1:12-15 The word of the Lord abides for ever. This word is the Gospel which was preached to you” (1 Pet 1:25; cf. Is 40:8). With this assertion from the First Letter of Saint Peter, which takes up the words of the Prophet Isaiah, we find ourselves before the mystery of God, who has made himself known through the gift of his word. This word, which abides for ever, entered into time. God spoke his eternal Word humanly; his Word “became flesh” (Jn 1:14). This is the good news. This is the proclamation which has come down the centuries to us today. Disciples in Mission: Six Weeks with the Bible 5 »Making Sense of Bioethics Esteeming our elders, fostering solidarity across generations O ccasionally we hear disturbing stories in the media about young people who perpetrate abuse against the elderly. In a widely reported 2009 story, for example, caretakers at the Quadrangle Assisted Living facility outside Philadelphia were charged in connection with the abuse of an elderly patient named Lois McCallister. Three employees, aged 19, 21 and 22 were caught on a surveillance camera as they taunted, mocked and assaulted the partially naked 78 year old woman. She had begun complaining to visiting family members several months prior that someone was hurting her and hitting her. There were also initial signs of bruising on her hand and wrist. After bringing the bruises to the attention of the nursing home’s administrators, the family was informed that the allegations were unfounded, and were told the accusations were simply the result of the patient’s advancing dementia. Family members suspected there was more to it, and clandestinely installed the video camera, hidden in a clock in the victim’s room. After capturing the assailants on tape, they concluded that the abuse suffered by their mother had been ongoing for some time. One of the young women charged in the case told investigators she was working on another floor the night the clock/camera captured the scene in the elderly woman’s room. A family member later told news reporters, “They called the third girl down from another floor and said, ‘Come down, we’re going to start.” As a consequence of the abuse, the Department of Public Welfare eventually revoked the license for the facility, and the family filed a civil lawsuit against the parent company. Tadeusz Pacholczyk Priest of the Diocese of Fall River A tragic event like this leads to intense questioning about how these young people, charged with the special care of the older generation, could end up becoming so callous, inhuman, and brutal. What can be done to prevent this kind of “inter-generational disconnect” from occurring in the future? And what can be done to build up unity and respect between generations? A nearly universal point of reference over the years, and a counsel of incalculable worth, has been the injunction enshrined in the Decalogue: Honor your father and mother. A decision to abide by this commandment invariably serves to strengthen the concern of children for their parents and elders, and helps forge a bond between the generations. The Book of Sirach offers similarly sage advice: “My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins…” In a sense, it is precisely the weakness and vulnerability of the elderly that beckons us to manifest a greater respect towards them, and never to mistreat them in the strength of youth. As Pope John Paul II beautifully summed it up in his 1999 Letter to the Elderly: “… the signs of human frailty which are clearly connected with advanced age become a summons to the mutual dependence and indispensable solidarity which link the different generations…” Compassionately attending to the needs of the elderly draws the generations together and builds solidarity. When the unique gifts of the elderly are invested and shared with the younger generation, this, too, builds up solidarity. Elderly people help us see human affairs with a sense of perspective tempered by experience, reflection and wisdom. Whenever grandparents contribute to the raising and formation of the grandchildren, even by doing something as simple as teaching them how to pray and think about God, they strengthen inter-generational ties, and build family unity. We can foster intergenerational care and support within our families and communities in other simple ways as well, for example, through conscientious parenting, including small but important steps such as insisting on meal time together as a family (which builds up mutual respect and concern for others in the family); teaching compassion by visiting sick or elderly neighbors together; teaching children to welcome all human life, even when weak or handicapped; praying together as a family; decreasing media time and guarding against violent computer/video games, pornography and other practices that dehumanize people and make them seem like objects to be manipulated. As we seek to build relational bridges across generations, and work to construct a society that esteems its elders, we simultaneously build up homes and communities that are liberated of the threat of abuse or neglect — places of safety, mutual support and love, even as the hairs on our head turn gray and our strength wanes. Repent and believe in the gospel O n Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18) we are marked with ashes on our foreheads and we hear the powerful words: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel” from the Gospel of Mark 1:15. It is a message that calls the faithful to repentance and conversion; and are also words that give us hope to believe in the Lord Jesus the Christ the only one that can save us from our sins. The evangelist John reminds us that when John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). During the season of Lent (which consists of 40 days), holy mother Church invites us to the desert, to go on retreat if you will and examine our lives. The Church calls us to conversion, a call to change one’s life and to repentance. The Greek word for “repentance” is “metanoia”, which means, at its root, to “change one’s mind”, taking on an entirely new way of thinking and being. For the Christian it is living in intimacy with a God who loves us and forgives us and welcomes us back home like the prodigal son or daughter always waiting for us. In the gospels we read that after Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan and anointed by the Spirit Deacon Luis Zuniga Director, Office for Pastoral Planning & San Juan Diego Ministry Institute. he begins his ministry of preaching the gospel – the good news that the kingdom of God was now at hand for all who were ready to receive it. The word “gospel” literally means “good news”. God sent us his Son Jesus not to establish an earthly kingdom but to bring us into his heavenly kingdom, one ruled by truth, justice, peace, and holiness. The call of every baptized is to live a life of holiness, this is why we imitate the saints in our daily living. The kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus’ mission. It’s the core of his gospel message, Jesus calls everyone he meets to conversion and repentance and the Church on earth continues with the same mission entrusted to the apostles, we call these efforts Evangelization. Have you ever noticed every time we begin Holy Mass, the presider invites us to pause and reflect on our own lives? “As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ’s love, let us acknowledge our fail- ures and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.” We call to mind our sins (again a call to conversion and repentance) in order to ask God for his love, and for his forgiveness. For in the end we all stand before God as beggars in need of his mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us that: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart)”. (CCC #1431). Lent is a good time to reflect and to seek reconciliation with God and with neighbor. The whole purpose of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the forgiveness of serious sin. Venial sin which is less serious is forgiven in a variety of ways such as Holy Mass, other acts of charity, generosity to the poor, » Please see Believe p.7 Paul Haring/Catholic News Service A woman receives a blessing during the annual blessing of throats in honor of St. Blaise at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. »Feast Day Feb.3 Spotlight on St. Blaise Catholic News Agency/EWTN Many Catholics might remember St. Blaise’s feast day, Feb. 3, because of the Blessing of the Throats that takes place on this day. Two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the blessing is said. Very few facts are known about St. Blaise. According to legend, a mother came to him with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Bishop Blaise’s command, the child coughed up the bone. Blaise was a hard-working bishop dedicated to encouraging the spiritual and physical health of his people in Sebastea, Armenia. Although the Edict of Toleration which granted freedom of worship in the Roman Empire had been signed five years prior, religious persecution still raged in the country. Blaise was forced to flee to the countryside. The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth century tell us that he was born in to a rich and noble family who raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began. He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally, Blaise was beheaded for not sacrificing to the pagan gods by the governor. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual St. Blaise blessing for their throats. Blaise is the patron saint of wild animals because of his care for them and of those with throat maladies. 6 DIOCESE The Valley Catholic - February Speakers for women’s conference confirmed The Valley Catholic Women are invited to share their talents and join the planning team for the Catholic Women’s Conference, “Living the Joy of the Gospel & Celebrating the Feminine Genius,” scheduled during the Month of Mary on Saturday, May 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is being organized by different ministries of the Diocese of Brownsville, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and other women’s groups. Approximately 500 women are expected to attend the event. Keynote speakers include the Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, and Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, Bishop Flores president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. The conference will also include up to 20 breakout sessions in English and Spanish. Sessions will reflect the theme: “Living the Joy of the Gospel & Celebrating the Feminine Genius.” The first part of the theme is inspired by Pope Francis’ What the Church says about ... Catholic News Agency Q: Do Catholics worship saints? A: No. Adoration is the worship and homage that is due to God alone. The Saints are human like you and I. They are not divine. Adoration of the saints has never been nor will ever be part of Catholic teaching or prayer. We venerate the saints. Veneration is the honor due to the excellence or achievement of a created person. The Olympics give us an example of veneration. An Olympic gold medal for excellence in athletics is a form of veneration. Honor given for the achievement of an athlete takes nothing away from the glory of God. We pay many honors to Olympic Champions; like putting their picture on a box of Wheaties and giving them many apparel endorsements. We are not scandalized by this because no one thinks we worship them as a god. We venerate the Saints in heaven because of the excellence they attained in living a life in imitation of Christ. The Saints are like God’s champion athletes. It is pleasing to God and gives Him glory when we honor those who excelled in love for Him. It is necessary to remember that the love and honor a person gives to God’s Saints does not end with the Saints themselves but rather it reaches ultimately to God through the Saints. In honoring a beautiful work of art we are truly honoring the Special to the Valley Catholic An image of St. Paul, who wrote some of the most beautiful and important passages of the Bible. artist. It is only by God’s grace that the Saints reached the heights of holiness. In a very real sense they are His works of art. Therefore, nothing is taken away from the glory and honor of God through veneration of the Saints, in fact we truly honor God when we venerate those who excelled in love for Him. first Apostolic Exhortation, “Evengelii Gaudium.” The second comes from St. John Paul II’s writWoo ings on women, including his apostolic letter “Mulieris Dignitatem: On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.” For additional information call (956) 536-4866 or to register to be an exhibitor or vendor at the conference, contact Maria Luisa Guerra at (956) 648-0233. 2015 To reserve a space on one of the pilgrimage tours call (956) 784-5012 or email: lpesina@ cdob.org or msantos@ cdob.org. DIOCESE February 2015 - The Valley Catholic A feast for a fast 7 Youth JAM Catholic Relief Services offers Lent resources By ANNA HUTH Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl provides a feast of resources for the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Catholics in the Diocese of Brownsville and throughout the U.S. live a vibrant Lent experience through CRS Rice Bowl. The cardboard box is familiar and the Lenten calendar tucked inside is the primary resource for families and individuals. Its weekly family stories and recipes help stretch awareness of others and there are daily suggestions that help turn that growing awareness into response. Parishes have additional resources in English and Spanish for helping the whole community celebrate Lent richly. There are prayer services, intentions for Prayers of the Faithful, bulletin notices, a letter to families, weekly 10-minute enrichment resources for religious education, and activities. Catholic schools have weekly lesson plans, prayer services and activities for various age groups. For both parishes and schools, there are prayer services for the beginning and end of Lent that integrate CRS Rice Bowl into the community’s Lenten life. And this year, for the first time, CRS is making available a video series on Lenten practices; this is Courtesy photo Forty years ago, Catholics in the United States wanted to respond to famine in Africa. Could we feed the hungry through Lenten prayers, fasting and almsgiving? The answer was yes—and it came in the form of a small cardboard box. Forty years later, CRS Rice Bowl is one way to help our brothers and sisters in need each Lent. a formational series that does not focus on CRS Rice Bowl itself. For teens, special resources for prayer, learning, and action are provided for both parish and school settings. Young adult groups and universities have community reflection resources designed for them. CRS Rice Bowl has a phone app to supply daily reflections and to provide access to Rice Bowl information. Facebook and Twitter pages (@CRSRiceBowl and #4Lent4Life) connect Catholics with one another as they use Rice Bowl throughout Lent. At www.crsricebowl.org everyone can access prayer services and reflections to help live Lent more profoundly with both traditional and new resources: Stations of the Cross, Our Lady of Sorrows and a “Saint of the Week”. There are videos and photo caches on four of the countries featured in Lent 2015, videos featuring the recipes for simple meals presented in this year’s materials, and “how to” videos to help use of Rice Bowl go smoothly in a parish or school setting. For people in ministry, webinars provide information and best practices from around the U.S. So this Lent Catholics can feast on resources for fasting, praying, almsgiving, and learning for a full Lent and an Easter of hope. For more information or for CRS Rice Bowl resources, please see www.crsricebowl.org or contact Miguel Santos at msantos@ cdob.org or (956) 784-5093. Courtesy photo The Office of Youth Ministry is hosting the annual Youth JAM retreat on Saturday, April 18. All middle school youth are invited to a day to celebrate the Catholic faith. This event will be at B. Garza Middle School, 1111 W. Sugar Cane Dr. in Weslaco. The cost for this event is $20 and scholarships are available. For more information, visit www.cdobym.org Sesquicentennial Courtesy photo In 2015, St. Joseph Academy will celebrate 150 years of Catholic educational services to the youth of South Texas. “The brave spirit of these early Catholic founders challenges us to continue the tradition of service to God and making Jesus known and loved through our students and community,” said Lori Trott, principal of St. Joseph Academy. “We take up the proud mantle of the enduring and endearing spirit of SJA over the past 150 years and carry it into the future to ensure the stability of our school and the important role it has and will play in the lives of the children in our community.” Founded in 1865 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. Joseph Academy opened and closed several times in its earliest years. In 1906, Marist Brothers from Mexico arrived and reopened the school that has remained open continuously since. It initially operated as an elementary school for boys. Photos by Eric Sánchez/The Valley Catholic All the groups gathered on stage for the grand finale at a mariachi concert in 2014 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del ValleNational Shrine. This year’s concerts are scheduled for Feb. 13 and Feb. 20. Basilica to host mariachi concerts Fourth annual event to highlight traditional art form The Valley Catholic SAN JUAN — The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine is hosting its fourth annual Mariachi Concerts, featuring their professional house mariachi, mariachi bands from local middle school and high schools along with local professional groups. The first concert is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 and will include performances from Ma- riachi Juvenil de America from Rio Grande City Veterans Middle School, Mariachi Cascabel from Rio Grande City High School and Los Coyotes de La Joya. The second concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 and will feature Mariachi Nuevas Raíces of Hidalgo High School, Mariachi Siete Leguas, Escandón de Santander Mariachi from Roma Middle School, Roma High School Nuevo Santander and professional mariachi Rey Azteca from Pharr. Tickets for each concert are available at a cost of $7. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Basilica at (956) 787-0033 or visit their website www.olsjbasilica.com. Today, St. Joseph Academy’s enrollment is 620 and serves young men and women in grades 7-12.The school has achieved a 100 percent college acceptance rate. For more information, call (956) 542-3581. Believe, continued from pg. 5 and by prayer, fasting and acts of contrition. This is the reason for the three traditional (elements) pillars of Lenten observance: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The three practices help us to become stronger in our faith as we get ready to renounce sin and renew our own baptismal promises at Easter. “The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1434). The first reading for Ash Wednesday from the Prophet Joel reminds us that: “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments” (Joel 2:12). This is precisely what Lent is about, to return to the Lord with all our heart. Even if our hearts are broken only the Lord can make us whole again. 8 DIOCESE The Valley Catholic - February Humanitarian Outreach Responding to the call Why do you volunteer at the immigrant respite center? “When you see them as people and not just numbers in a news story, it makes all the difference in the world,” Martinez said. “It is great to interact with the families and help them and love them. “It’s heartbreaking to hear about the atrocities some of them have gone through in just traveling here and it’s even harder to hear that what they have experienced is worth it in order to escape where they are coming from. It’s hard for me to imagine something being that bad daily that they are willing to risk their lives to get here.” - Andrea Martinez, 31, recently moved to Houston from Minnesota and decided to come down to McAllen to volunteer for a few days. “Immigration is the essential American story,” he said. “The story of the Mayflower … that was underclass people taking an incredibly deadly journey across the Atlantic Ocean to come here for a better life. Year of Consecrated Life Religious communities serving in our diocese Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Founded by: In 1897 in Mulagumoodu, India. Mother Marie Louise was a Belgian Canoness of St. Augustine who went to India to help a Carmelite priest run an orphanage. How long has your community served our diocese? Since 1985. Charism: Following Jesus, our preferential option is for the poor. We are ready to go to peoples of other nationalities, races, cultures, religions, and ideologies to be witnesses to the unity to which humankind is called in Jesus Christ and so to participate in the local Church’s mission. Apostolate: We are an international missionary congregation with members from many countries and ministering in many countries. We engage in education, social work, medical work, pastoral work, and many varied apostolates according to needs. We are currently ministering at Proyecto Desarrollo Humano in Penitas. Contact information: ICM Missionary Sisters; [email protected], 956-5855488; 580-9726; website: ICM_Missionaries.org Courtesy photo The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary serving in Peñitas, from left, Sister Emily Jocson, Sister Fatima Santiago and Sister Carolyn Kosub. Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri “This is the same story. It’s not an easy trip. It’s a dangerous trip. You’re risking your life. You’re not doing that on a whim, you’re not doing that for any petty reason, you’re doing that for the essential survival of your family. Only the strongest people are willing to take on that risk. These are not weak people. These are incredibly strong people to take on this dangerous journey and that’s what makes this country what it is.” - Andrew Kennedy, 51, Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston made his second trip to McAllen to volunteer at the center in January. Meet some of the volunteers who help refugees from Central America at the respite center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen. The center opened June 10 and hundreds of volunteers have served more than 10,000 people. To volunteer call (956) 292-5852. 2015 Courtesy photo From left, Father Juan Ortiz, Father Leo Francis Daniels, Father Mario Avilés and Father José Encarnación Losoya. Founded by: St. Philip Neri, (1515-1595), Rome, Italy 1575 How long has your community served our diocese? Since 1967 Charism(s): Lay oratory, education, parish work Apostolate(s): Education: Oratory Academy PK-8, established 1983; Oratory Athenaeum, grades 9-12, established 1998. Newman Institute, PK-6, Reynosa, Mexico. Parish work: St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, Pharr and Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Hidalgo. Other: Father Mario Avilés is the procurator general of the worldwide Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri Contact information: [email protected] Phone (956) 843-8217, oratoryschools.org We will feature religious communities serving in our diocese every month throughout the Year of Consecrated Life. DIOCESE February 2015 - The Valley Catholic Those Who Serve: 9 Deacon David Espinoza ‘God gives us miracles once in a while’ Deacon celebrates recovery from lifethreatening illness By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic McALLEN — “God hears our prayers,” said Deacon David Espinoza of Holy Spirit Church in McAllen. “He gives us miracles once in a while just to remind us that he listens to us, that he does hear our prayers.” Deacon Espinoza, 60, believes that he received a miracle healing from God in 2004. “In the Spring of 2004, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure,” he said. “I was told my heart was only functioning at 10 percent capacity and the prognosis was that I was terminal.” Doctors at the DeBakey Heart Institute in Houston told him his only hope for survival was a heart transplant, but that the wait list was very long. “They said I might not make it to the top of the list in time,” Deacon Espinoza said. For nine months, Deacon Espinoza and his wife of 40 years, Toni, who works as the office manager at Holy Spirit Church, rode a roller coaster of hope. “We struggled with the ups and downs,” he said. “I went through a little bit of a depression.” The Valley Catholic Above: A screen shot of Toni and Deacon David Espinoza from the Today show. The couple was featured on the Dec. 23, 2014 program. Right: Bishop Daniel E. Flores ordains Deacon Espinoza to the permanent diaconate on Dec. 18, 2010 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. Toni Espinoza prayed fervently and enlisted her friends and family to join her. Along the way, however, Toni Espinoza was conflicted. “It didn’t seem right for her to pray for someone to die so I could live,” Deacon Espinoza said. “So she started praying for my healing.” She also asked God for a sign that her prayer was going to be answered: snow on Christmas in McAllen. It snowed on Christmas for the first time in more than 100 years. Three weeks later, Deacon Espinoza returned to Houston for a check-up. “The doctor looked at my chart and his eyes just bugged out and his jaw dropped,” Deacon Espinoza said. “He said, ‘you’re not sick anymore. You’re going to be around for a long, long time.’” Today, his heart functions at 70 percent capacity, which is in the normal range. Deacon Espinoza’s story was featured on the national Today show in December in the monthly “Godwink” segment. Author SQuire Rushnell, a former television executive, featured Deacon Espinoza in his book series which tell the stories of regular people who were touched by divine intervention. The books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. The part of Deacon Espinoza’s story that hasn’t been told is that he had just undergone a religious conversion when he was struck by this medical crisis. After a lifetime of being what he describes as a “Christer” — one who only attends Mass on Christmas and Easter — he finally had a personal relationship with Jesus. “God had a time and place for everything,” he said. “I totally fell in love with Jesus, but it didn’t happen until I was 48.” After his conversion, Deacon Espinoza read Catholic books and attended every Mass and church service he could. He was motivated to serve God and his Church and to learn more about his faith, but didn’t know what to do. He finally sat down with Father Eduardo Ortega, who currently serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Mercedes, and asked for advice. “He asked if I had ever thought about the diaconate,” Deacon Espinoza recalled. “I was like, ‘no,’ and he said, ‘pray about it.’ I mentioned it to my wife and she also suggested we put it before prayer.” In the midst of his spiritual awakening, he received the news about his heart. “I got sick at a point when I was searching for direction,” Deacon Espinoza said. “I wanted to serve our Lord better. I began questioning God. ‘How can I just have fallen in love with you – and I know there is more for me – but now I’m dying?’” After he was healed, Deacon Espinoza was more determined than ever to serve the Lord. “He gave me this miracle and the call (to service) was even stronger,” he said. “My wife and I had a conversation about it and after some tears, we determined that God was calling me to be a deacon, but we didn’t have a formation program in the Valley at that time.” Not knowing where to go, Deacon Espinoza showed up at a parish in Laredo and inquired about the » Please see Deacon Espinoza, p.14 10 IN THE NEWS The Valley Catholic - February 2015 Pope draws record-breaking crowd Bringing hope to Iraq 6 to 7 million people attended Mass in the Philippines Paul Harring/Catholic News Service Pope Francis comforts Glyzelle Palomar, 12, after the former street child spoke during a meeting with young people at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, Jan. 18. Also pictured is Jun Chura, 14, who also spoke. By FRANCIS X. ROCCA Catholic News Service MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis told a crowd of an estimated 6 million gathered in a Manila park to protect the family “against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture.” The pope’s homily at the Jan. 18 Mass also reprised several other themes he had sounded during the four-day visit, including environmental problems, poverty and corruption. Despite continuous rain, the congregation in Rizal Park began to assemble the night before the afternoon celebration. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila canceled other Masses throughout the archdiocese to enhance turnout. The crowd was so dense in spots that people passed hosts to fellow worshippers unable to reach priests distributing Communion. The government estimated total crowd size at 6 million-7 million people. According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, that would be the largest number of people ever to gather to see a pope. A Mass with St. John Paul II in the same place 20 years earlier is believed to have drawn 4 million-5 million people, often described as the largest live crowd in history. The Mass was celebrated on Santo Niño Day, or the feast of the I Holy Child Jesus, one of the most popular feast days in the Philippines. Many of those who walked great distances down closed roads to get to Rizal Park held statues of Santo Nino. For his final scheduled public talk in the country, Pope Francis stuck to his prepared English text and did not improvise in Spanish, as he had done at several emotional points during the visit. Yet his voice rose with emphasis during the passage about protecting the family. Those words echoed his warning, during a Jan. 16 meeting with Filipino families, against “ideological colonization that tries to destroy the family” through such practices as same-sex marriage and contraception. In his homily, Pope Francis said Christians “need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected. And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and condemned to life on the streets.” The pope praised the Philippines, whose population is more than 80 percent Catholic, as the “foremost Catholic country in Asia,” and said its people, millions of whom work abroad, are “called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia.” Yet he warned the developing nation, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, against temptations of materialism, saying the devil “hides his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being modern, like everyone else. “He distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink.” Pope Francis, who had urged a group of young people earlier in the day to address the challenge of climate change through dedication to the environment, told Mass-goers human sinfulness had “disfigured (the) natural beauty” of creation. Other consequences of sin, the pope said, were “social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruptiom,” problems he had emphasized in his Jan. 16 speech at Manila’s presidential palace. Cursillo or ACTS? just finished reading most of Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. I am looking out the window admiring the slopes at Casa San Jose Retreat Center in Valle de Bravo, in the state of Mexico. I am here with a brother priest and a group of our parishioners attending a weeklong course on Evangelization. As many of us have come to admire the Holy Father’s stance on the Church we ponder on his words as we read, “When the Church does not go out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential, she grows ill (like the stooped woman in the Gospel). The evils which appear throughout history in Church institutions are rooted in this self-referentiality—a kind of theological narcissism.” Hence, Evangelization has always looked at movements and sodalities in the Church to carry this ardent task of bringing us closer to our faith which ought to be rooted in the Resurrected Christ. I write this article as many individuals who hunger for a deep relationship with God approach me and ask me: Father Carlos should I attend a Cursillo or an ACTS retreat? I tell them that they’re both good movements that should be explored. The question prompted me to delve into the need to look at the importance of apostolic movements. I am reminded what theologians have opined about lay ecclesial movements in the Church. We note that whenever there is a decadence of faith we Father Carlos Zuniga Pastor of St. Pius X Church in Weslaco, founder of 956 Cattholic Ministry have witnessed the surge of movements such as Cursillos de Cristiandad (1940s) and the ACTS movement that started in San Antonio. I am reminded of what Pope Benedict noted about Christianity. He reminded us that Catholic Christianity is not a mere set of ethical norms, or memorization of doctrines but a relationship and an encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ. We all want a deeper relationship with the Lord and hence, apostolic movements often lead us to this encounter. Pope Francis and some cardinals have urged us to re-think the way we live our faith and thus the axiom, “the age of casual Catholicism is over and the age of heroic Catholicism has begun” has become contagious. Lay ecclesial (meaning “relating to the church”) movements received notable support from Saint John Paul II who saw them as part of the “new evangelization” in the second millennium. Such movements date back to the founding of the Church and were promoted by the Second Vatican Council’s “Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity” that gave clear support for laypeople to organize around different charisms (gifts from the Holy Spirit) and take a more direct role in manifesting the kingdom of God on earth. In simple terms, lay movements bring together Catholics of various walks of life who feel called to a certain type of ministry or spirituality. The Cursillo movement is an instrument of renewal by which Christianity can permeate, live and grow in today’s world. It proposes no new type of spirituality but a method through which one’s spirituality can be strengthened, lived and shared in all areas of one’s environment. The teachings of Christ are presented in an atmosphere of warmth, joy and fellowship. A Cursillo is made only once in a lifetime, therefore it is not considered a substitute for a retreat. What is unique of about Cursillos is the sense of follow-up and formation. There are weekly Ultreyas (reunion of group) and a school of leadership that meets weekly before an individual gives a talk at a retreat. The ACTS movement came to birth from the Cursillo Movement through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. ACTS retreats have been offered in our diocese for more than 15 years. ACTS is an acronym for Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service. It is these four themes that are the focus of activities for the three-day weekend lay retreats, patterned after the descrip» Please see Cursillo/ACTS? p.15 Ordinations a symbol of ‘renewed life’ for troubled region By DALE GAVLAK Catholic News Service AINKAWA, Iraq — Despite the pain of recent loss of family and ancestral homes at the hands of Islamist extremists, Iraqi Catholics welcomed four seminarians — three as deacons, one as a subdeacon — in a ceremony meant to encourage renewed hope for the future. “Of course, we are so pleased for the ordination of these young men who will be priests. It’s a symbol of renewed life for us and the church. Jesus Christ is present among us,” said Sister Marcelle Senat, who was forced to escape Mosul last June when Islamic State militants overran the seat of the Christians’ historic heartland in Iraq. “This ordination is wonderful. It’s a true sign to the world of the perseverance of our faith in Jesus Christ,” said Sister Marcelle, a member of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who now works with displaced Iraqi children. About 1,500 Catholic clergy, religious and laity packed St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Cathedral Jan. 16 at the ordination service led by Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil; Baghdad Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni, president of Caritas Iraq; and Duhok Bishop Rabban Al-Qas. Several times, the congregation was encouraged to look to the future and follow Jesus in the midst of violence and destruction. Those in attendance also were urged to celebrate the young men for their dedication to the Lord. Several women broke out in a wavering, high-pitched ululation, normally used at weddings in the Arab world; on this day, they celebrated the future priests. “Jesus Christ gives us the power to overcome,” Archbishop Warda told those assembled. “He helps those in need, those fleeing violence and turmoil, and gives us a future.” “Jesus is close to the poor and those poor in spirit,” he said. “It’s important to understand this in the trials we face.” A delegation of U.S. Catholics — led by Bishop Oscar Cantu, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services — attended the ceremony. Caritas and CRS have been active in provided badly needed assistance to Iraq’s internally displaced Christians and other religious minorities. “Today is a great event for the people of Iraq, especially those Christians who have suffered displacement from their homes and their cultural roots, Georgina Betnam, a teacher and writer originally from Mosul, told Catholic News Service. “This is our hope: to have such people and priests living and serving here in the Middle East, where Christianity and our heritage have their foundation,” Betnam said. The United Nations estimates more than 2 million people are displaced within Iraq. Most are Christians and other religious minorities, such as the Yezidis, forced to escape the onslaught of Islamic State fighters who demanded they leave, convert to Islam, pay a protection tax, or face death. »Birthday & Anniversary Wishes The list of birthdays and ordination anniversaries is provided so that parishioners may remember the priests, deacons and religious in their prayers and send them a note or a card. February » Birthdays 2 Rev. Mishael Koday 2 Rev. Roche Thiruchiluvai, SS.CC 3 Rev. Thomas Pincelli 3 Rev. Alejandro Fajardo, SS.CC 11 Rev. Gustavo Obando 11 Msgr. Robert Davola 19 Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Pena 26 Rev. Juan Victor Heredia 26 Rev. Thomas G. Kulleck 2 Sister Mary N. Vincelli, CSJ 2 Sister Esther Rodriguez, O.P. 3 Sister Anita Jennissen, OSF 14 Brother David Concannon, CFC 20 Sister Rosalia Fink, OSB 20 Sister Frances Salinas, OSB 20 Sister Denise Sausville, RSM 8 Deacon Amando Peña Jr. 11 Deacon Gilberto Perez 13 Deacon Hugo De la Cruz 15 Deacon Jose R. Castro 15 Deacon George M. Terrazas 17 Deacon Hector Perez 18 Deacon Pedro Sanchez 22 Deacon Alvino Olvera » Anniversaries 2 Rev. Juan Victor Heredia 8 Rev. Gnanaraj Michael 11 Msgr. Robert Davola 15 Rev. Patrick Seitz 25 Rev. Marco Antonio Reynoso March » Birthdays 2 Rev. Eduardo Ortega 6 Rev. Timothy Paulsen, OMI 7 Rev. Salvador Ramirez 9 Rev. Manuel Alfredo Razo 10 Rev. Rodolfo Franco 11 Rev. Jose Garza 24 Rev. Vicente Azcoiti 25 Rev. Msgr. Patrick Doherty 29 Rev. Gerald Frank 2 Deacon Gerardo J. Rosa 9 Deacon Jose G. Garza 9 Deacon Manuel Sanchez 16 Deacon Salvador Rojas 17 Deacon Martin Jaques 21 Deacon Daniel Zamora 27 Deacon Hector Garcia 6 17 21 23 30 Sister Dorothy Carey, SHSp Sister Patricia DeBlieck, CSJ Sister Mary Sardinha, SSD Sister Zita Telkamp, CDP Sister Therese Corkery, PBVM » Anniversaries 5 Rev. Francisco Castillo 14 Rev. Simon Brzozowski, MSF 19 Rev. Jose E. Losoya, CO NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 11 Febrero 2015 - The Valley Catholic Papa Francisco se despide de Filipinas Entre 6 y 7 millones de personas se reunieron para la misa ACI Prensa ACI Prensa MANILA — Portando su habitual maletín negro y acompañado del Arzobispo de Manila, Cardenal Luis Antonio Tagle, el Papa Francisco se despidió hoy de las autoridades y del pueblo de Filipinas. Ahora se encuentra en el vuelo de regreso a Roma adonde llegará a las 5:40 p.m. (hora local) del lunes 19 de enero. De manera similar a la ceremonia de bienvenida, miles de niños y jóvenes lo despidieron en medio de un ambiente de alegría en el aeropuerto internacional de Manila adonde llegó luego de recorrer las calles de la ciudad bendiciendo a los fieles que salieron masivamente para verlo. “¡Viva el Santo Papa!” y “Pope Francis, we love you (Papa Francisco te amamos)” eran las frases que se escucharon durante la despedida en el aeropuerto. Los obispos de Filipinas, como en la bienvenida, también estuvieron presentes para acompañar al Pontífice. “Yo le quiero agradecer señor presidente, la cálida acogida” de los filipinos y por el esfuerzo de la organización para esta visita para la que “usted tuvo que trabajar horas extras (...) Muchas gracias”, dijo Francisco al mandatario filipino que caminó con el Santo Padre hasta la escalinata del avión. Detalles del posible itinerario del Papa en EEUU Alan holdren/ ACI Presnsa El Papa Francisco ya está de regreso a Roma. Aquí se le ve en el emocionante encuentro con los jóvenes de Filipinas. Los presentes en el aeropuerto despidieron al Santo Padre con una oración a la Virgen María por su buen retorno. Así, el Santo Padre concluye su segundo viaje a Asia –el primero fue a Corea del Sur, entre el 14 y 18 de agosto de 2013–. En este viaje visitó Sri Lanka y Filipinas entre el 12 y el 19 de enero. En la primera etapa de su viaje, en Sri Lanka, Francisco canonizó al P. José Vaz, el primer santo de Sri Lanka, ante alrededor de 600 mil fieles congregados en el Galle Face Green de Colombo. El Papa también visitó el Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Rosa- rio en Madhu, donde permanece la imagen de la Virgen María desde hace cinco siglos, sobreviviente a la intensa persecución contra católicos que vivió el país. En Filipinas, el Santo Padre se encontró con las familias, y las advirtió contra “la nueva colonización ideológica” que las amenaza. “La familia se ve también amenazada por el creciente intento, por parte de algunos, de redefinir la institución misma del matrimonio, guiados por el relativismo, la cultura de lo efímero, la falta de apertura a la vida”, denunció. Más adelante, en la multitudinaria Misa con los sobrevivientes del tifón Yolanda en Tacloban, el Papa Francisco, en un discurso improvisado en español, en el que recordó que “tantos de ustedes han perdido todo. Yo no sé qué decirles, Él sí sabe qué decirles. Tantos de ustedes han perdido parte de la familia. Solamente guardo silencio y los acompaño con mi corazón en silencio”. En su última Misa en Filipinas, el Papa Francisco superó el record de asistentes a un evento presidido alguna vez por un Pontífice. En esta ocasión, se reunieron entre 6 y 7 millones de personas. MANILA — El Arzobispo filipino Bernardito Auza, Observador Permanente de la Santa Sede en las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York, dio a conocer algunos de los detalles de lo que sería el programa de la visita del Papa Francisco a Estados Unidos en septiembre, que incluye tres ciudades. En declaraciones a ACI Prensa este 18 de enero en la ciudad de Manila (Filipinas) adonde llegó para participar de la histórica visita del Santo Padre a esta nación asiática, el Arzobispo dijo que el Papa “llegaría (a Estados Unidos) el día 22 y volvería en la noche del 27. Serían 6 días y si le sumamos un día más de viaje entonces tenemos que es una semana”. Mons. Auza explicó así los detalles conversados en una reunión el lunes pasado del comité organizador de la visita del Pontífice a Estados Unidos. Luego de su llegada a Washington D.C. en la noche del 22 de septiembre, la idea es que el Santo Padre visite la Casa Blanca la mañana siguiente, en donde se realizaría la ceremonia oficial de bienvenida. Luego iría a celebrar Misa en la Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción. A esta Misa asistirían obispos, religiosos, seminaristas y representantes de las organizaciones de caridad católicas. En sus declaraciones finales a ACI Prensa, el Prelado filipino dijo que “ese es más o menos el plan. Ahora veremos cómo se ejecuta”. 12 NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL The Valley Catholic - Febrero 2015 »Mujeres en la frontera Tantas opciones: ¿“50 Sombras” será una de ellas? C uando mi hija tenía 15 años, le tuve que explicar por qué pensaba que la película “Sex in the City” no era apropiada para ella. Ahora, ella es una adulta joven y hace sus propias decisiones, otra película que se estrena el día de San Valentín incitó una conversación sobre nuestra selección de medios. Me hizo pensar sobre qué tan cuidadosos somos con lo que ven nuestros hijos, pero ¿nosotros como adultos somos conscientes de nuestros propios hábitos de consumo mediático? Qué tan bendecidos somos de que Dios nos ama como somos y nos da el libre albedrío para hacer nuestras decisiones, moldear nuestras vidas. Nuestro viaje está repleto de decisiones. “Dios quiso que los hombres fueran ‘dejados en manos de su propio consejo’ para que por sus propios medios busquen a su Creador y libremente obtengan su entera y bendita perfección al escindirse a Él.” CC 1730 Para hacer buenas decisiones, debemos de tener prudencia. De acuerdo con San Agustín, “la prudencia es el amor haciendo una distinción adecuada entre lo que ayuda hacia Dios y lo que puede impedirlo.” Nos confronta el hacer buenas decisiones cuando se trata de los libros que leemos, la música que escuchamos y las películas y televisión que vemos. Confieso que no he sido muy perspicaz y selectiva como debería algunas veces. Después de todo razonaba que era sólo entretenimiento, una corta separación de la realidad. Es fácil justificar nuestras elecciones cuando sacamos las reglas de un juego relativo, basadas en la catequesis de una cultura secular. Sin embargo, como los seres racionales que Dios creó, tenemos la responsabilidad de poner atención a lo que ingerimos, vía lo que leemos y nuestra selección visual. Mucho ha sido escrito sobre cómo los mensajes en los medios pueden influenciar al público en las elecciones que hacemos. Consideren los millones invertidos en anuncios y comerciales. La marejada de mensajes transmitidos por ondas, quioscos y sitios en línea que han distorsionado la manera en la que una gran porción de la población ve las relaciones entre hombre y mujer y lo que significa una unión amorosa. El día de San Valentín se estrenan dos películas – “Old Fashion” y “50 sombras de Gris”. La película, “50 Sombras de Gris,” se basa en el libro del mismo nombre y es la primera en la trilogía de E.L. James. El libro, dirigido a lectoras, ha vendido 100 millones de copias. Incluye, “escenas explicitas y fuertes dosis de bondage, dominación y sadismo.” Uno sólo necesita revisar las incontables reseñas para echar un vistazo al contenido del libro y ahora a la película que ha guiado a algunos a llamarla “Porno para Mamás.” No solamente los Brenda Nettles Riojas Editora, The Valley Catholic críticos han tachado la calidad de la escritura, algunos se han preocupado por la representación distorsionada de las relaciones. Nathan Nazario, productor de “Old Fashioned,” dijo “Me sorprende, honestamente – en una cultura que alega independencia y equidad femenina – que pocas voces poderosas cuestionen “50 Sombras.” “Detrás del eufemismo valorativo “inusual” se encuentra un miedo cultural o un falta de voluntad para decir que un acto es potencialmente peligroso.” Los productores de “Old Fashioned” están promoviéndola como alternativa a “50 Sombras” y muestran las diferencias entre las dos películas en uno de los cortos – explotación vs inocencia; “comportamiento inusual” vs. comportamiento considerado. La Asociación Cinematográfica de USA clasificó R a “50 Sombras” por “alto contenido sexual incluyendo dialogo, comportamiento inusual y desnudo gráfico, y por lenguaje.” De acuerdo con un artículo en USA Today (9 enero) el término “comportamiento inusual” el cual no ha sido usado antes en ninguna explicación de clasificación, se debe probablemente al tema de “dominación y sumisión”. Rik Swartzwelder, escritor, director y actor principal de “Old Fashioned”, cuestiona los efectos a largo plazo de “50 sombras”. “¿Qué pasa cuando una “fantasía inofensiva” se muestra en el mundo real – en vidas jóvenes e inseguras de cómo se ve el amor duradero, mucho menos cómo obtenerlo?” él pregunta. “Incuestionablemente las historias de nuestra cultura dejan una huella en la audiencia joven.” El guion de Swartzwelder surgió de conversaciones con compañeros solteros, dijo él, batallando para encontrar amor que “Honre a Dios” y sea duradero en un mundo estancado en placer de corto plazo. San Juan Pablo II aborda los temas del matrimonio, familia, sexualidad y amor como un regalo en sí en “Hombre y Mujer Él los creo, una Teología del Cuerpo” (TOB). Hay mucho que obtener de ésta serie de 129 pláticas que él dio durante sus audiencias los miércoles de 1979 a 1984. Michael Waldstein en su introducción en TOB, anota, “La revolución sexual no aprecia suficientemente el valor y la belleza del sexo. Priva al sexo de su profundidad al desprenderlo del significado conyugal con el cuerpo. Favorece una mentira sexual, en la cual el radical regalo del lenguaje es sobrepuesto por el lenguaje contrario de la au- tonomía individual y el uso de las personas para el placer.” Genevieve Kineke, en su libro “La Mujer Católica Auténtica,” escribe, “Entre todos los retos de nuestro desquebrajado mundo, en ésta generación la malinterpretación del regalo de Dios de la sexualidad humana sobresalen, y el corregirlo es una batalla eminente en nuestro día.” Tenemos algo que decir en la batalla. Podemos ayudar a corregir el malentendido al armarnos con información y al ser prudentes con nuestras elecciones. Recuerdo que de niña y ya en mi adolescencia, mi padre siempre fue cuidadoso sobre lo que veíamos en la televisión. Incluso con programas que consideraba “apropiados” él sentía la necesidad de recordarnos constantemente que lo que estábamos viento era ficción. “Sabes que es de mentiras,” decía. Así que, ¿por qué preocuparnos sobre los medios que escogemos, especialmente aquellos categorizados como ficción? La “Guía Familiar para el Uso de Medios” de la Conferencia del Comité para la Comunicación de Obispos Católicos en Estados Unidos, señala, “Los medios son tan parte de nosotros que para reconocer su impacto, debemos dar un paso atrás y pensar conscientemente sobre cómo moldean nuestras vidas y lo que están diciendo. Un uso inteligente de los medios puede prevenir ser dominados por ellos y en su lugar, nos permite medirlos con nuestras normas.” “De este modo, incluso muchos mensajes con los cuales no concordamos, viniendo a nosotros desde una constelación diversa de medios, no nos harán daño. Éstos incluso serán volteados a nuestro beneficio al despertar nuestro entendimiento y articulación de lo que nosotros creemos.” Así como importa lo que comemos, así debemos de elegir lo que leemos y vemos. El Obispo Daniel E. Flores ha dicho en varias ocasiones, “Tu eres lo que piensas. Quieres poner cosas buenas en tu mente… Eso influye cómo vemos nuestras prioridades.” Estos días, mientras nadamos contra la corriente de la cultura popular y mientras mi hija hace sus propias decisiones, rezo para que cada uno de nosotros pueda discernir cuidadosamente lo que seleccionamos y pensar críticamente sobre los mensajes que se aparecen en el contenido. Debemos también ser conscientes que hablamos con nuestras decisiones y cómo gastamos nuestro dinero. Nuestras decisiones envían un mensaje sobre lo que valoramos. — “No os amoldéis a las normas del mundo presente, sino procurad trasformaros por la renovación de la mente, a fin de que logréis discernir cual es la voluntad de Dios: lo que es bueno, lo agradable, lo perfecto.” (Romanos 12:2) Día Mundial del Matrimonio The Valley Catholic El Día Mundial del Matrimonio está programado para el sábado 7 de febrero a las 2 p.m. en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle- Santuario Nacional. El Obispo Daniel E. Flores celebrará Misa y reconocerá a las parejas, quienes celebran 25, 30, 40, 50 y más de 60 años de matrimonio en el 2015. El matrimonio más largo que participe será reconocido y recibirá una bendición especial del obispo El Día Mundial del Matrimonio se celebra alrededor del mundo en febrero cada año, homenajeando y afirmando la vocación de las parejas casadas y realzando el impacto que un matrimonio fuerte tiene en la sociedad. Para registrarse para la celebración del Día Mundial del Matrimonio en la Diócesis de Brownsville, favor de llamar al (956) 784-5012. Catholic Relief Services El plato de arroz de CRS. Recursos para Cuaresma Por ANNA HUTH Catholic Relief Services Aquí en la Diócesis de Brownsville y en todas partes de los Estados Unidos, Católicos, sus familias y sus parroquias participan en CRS Plato de Arroz para darle vida a su experiencia Cuaresmal. Enfocado en las tradiciones del Evangelio de rezar, ayunar y donar, los recursos de Plato de Arroz guían y cumplen las prácticas en el hogar y la iglesia. Todos los recursos son gratis. El recurso más familiar puede ser el cartón “plato de arroz”, pero el recurso más básico es el calendario de papel entre el cartón. En ese calendario tiene oraciones de Cuaresma, cada semana tiene la historia de una familia de otro país y una receta de ese país, y cada día tiene una sugerencia de solidaridad con nuestros hermanos y hermanas con necesidades — aquí y a través del mundo. En www.crsplatodearroz.org, hay videos de países, fotos, un “app” de teléfono, un santo o una santa de la semana, y servicios de oración como el Vía Crucis y Los siete dolores de María. También hay disponible un video para comprender más profundamente el significado de la Cuaresma y sus tradiciones. En familia, hay actividades para niños y adolecentes. Para jóvenes, el “app” es un recurso favorito. Allí hay reflexiones y sugerencias de acciones de caridad en inglés y en español. Para la parroquia hay muchos recursos: una guía para coordinadores y videos sobre la implementación en la parroquia, una carta a las familias, afiches, anuncios para boletines, oraciones de intercesión, servicios de oración para comenzar la jornada cuaresmal y para colectar donativos al final de la Cuaresma, además de servicios de oración tradicionales. Se puede buscar todos estos recursos a www. crsplatodearroz.org, usando el título “Parroquias” arriba de la página. Para clases de educación religiosa, hay mini-lecciones de 10 minutos y recursos de actividades que se puede incluir in sus clases durante la Cuaresma. Se puede encontrar todo en www.crsplatodearroz.org, usando el título “Escuelas” arriba de la página. Para más información, favor de ver www.crsplatodearroz.org o contactar a Miguel Santos, [email protected] o (956) 784-5093. NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL 13 Febrero 2015 - The Valley Catholic »La Alegría de Vivir D Empecemos de cero ejar de fumar, no volver a fallar en el voto de fidelidad, llevarse mejor con el conyugue o con la familia política, tomar menos cerveza o licor, hacer más ejercicio y por supuesto perder peso, son los propósitos que aparecen en casi todas las listas de propósitos, y el hecho de que sean los mismos que no hemos acatado año tras año, no importa, si están en la lista significa que trataremos de cumplirlos, esta vez sí. Yo les invito a que en lugar de volver a hacer una lista de propósitos, simplemente cambiemos nuestra forma de pensar, ahora que empieza el año dejemos atrás el pasado, como algo muerto, que ya no sirve. Olvidemos de todos los fracasos que tuvimos y empecemos de cero, con una actitud de victoria, de triunfo. No importa lo que haya pasado, ni cuantas veces se ha intentado ser mejor, este es un nuevo año, y comenzaremos por creer en cosas positivas. Hay que convertirnos en personas positivas y para esto hay que empezar por saber callar cuando no tengamos nada bueno que decir de alguno de nuestros semejantes, pues uno de los grandes males del mundo es el daño que podemos hacer los humanos a través de las palabras mal intencionadas. Debemos proponernos el Msgr. Juan Nicolau Sacerdote jubilado de la Diócesis de Brownsville controlar nuestra lengua y saber cuándo ponerle “candado” para que guarde silencio y no caiga en el juego del chismorreo, la crítica, el murmurar o despellejar al vecino. En este año nuevo fíjate en todo lo que piensas, pues tus pensamientos se convierten en palabras, y las palabras se convierten en acciones. Mira bien tus acciones por que tus acciones se pueden convertir en hábitos. Observa cuidadosamente tus hábitos, porque tus hábitos se pueden convertir en tu carácter, y tu carácter puede convertirse en tu destino. Les propongo que este año no hagan una lista de metas inalcanzables, sino que se concentren en un solo y sencillo propósito: procurar a toda costa el vivir pacíficamente, que haya más armonía en nuestras familias, que vivamos en paz con nuestros vecinos, con todos nuestros semejantes y aunque cada día parece más difícil encontrar soluciones pacificas a los conflictos del mundo, no debemos perder la esperanza de lograr vivir paz, de alcanzar la paz que desea Jesús para nosotros. Entendamos que la paz no es algo que salgamos a buscar hasta encontrarla, la paz se genera dentro de nosotros, hagamos conciencia de nuestros pensamientos, cuando encontremos que algún pensamiento nos genera tristeza, rencor, odio, envidia, coraje, etc., desechémoslo en el “basurero” de pensamientos tóxicos, que se quede ahí sin que nos contamine nuestro actuar. Desarrollemos pensamientos positivos, entrena tu mente para relajarse y crear imágenes positivas que te inspiren a ser mejor, toma tiempo y un poco de esfuerzo al principio, pero pronto veras como la oración y meditación ayudan a mantenerte en calma en medio de un mundo de caos, con lo cual puedes ser un agente pacificador que pueda solucionar conflictos. Si todos nos esforzamos podríamos vivir en una sociedad pacifica, y aun cuando solo seas tú el que se esfuerce en hacerlo, si buscas estar en paz podrás apreciar lo positivo que tiene tu vida y lo mucho que puedes aportar a los demás. No importa como haya sido tu comportamiento el año pasado, hoy tienes la oportunidad de comenzar de cero y ser una mejor persona este 2015 que recién empieza. »Vida Familiar Protect: L Your car. Your house. Your bank account. Save an average of $825* Protect yourself with America’s #1 car and home insurance company.** Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY. ® Daniel Reza, Agent 1221 S 77 Sunshine Strip Harlingen, TX 78550 Bus: 956-425-3276 [email protected] *Average annual per household savings based on a national 2012 survey of new policyholders who reported savings by switching to State Farm. **Based on A.M. Best written premium. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL, State Farm Florida Insurance Company, Winter Haven, FL, State Farm Lloyds, Dallas, TX 1005002.1 La misión del amor a Catequesis preparatoria para la Reunión Mundial de Familias, la cual se llevará a cabo en Philadelphia del 22-25 de septiembre, 2015 contiene 10 temas. El mes pasado abordé el primer tema: “Creado para la Dicha” y este artículo cubre el segundo tema: “La Misión del Amor”. Peter J. Colosi, PhD, en sus documentos suplementarios para la catequesis preparatoria indica que en la Biblia, el amor de Dios es representado en las imágenes del padre, pastor, maestro, amigo, jardinero, rey y sanador. El Papa Emérito Benedicto XVI habla del matrimonio como una imagen esencial para el amor de Dios y señala que la Biblia es “por sobre todo la expresión de una historia de amor.” Génesis 1:27 señala “Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen. A imagen de Dios lo creó. Varón y mujer los creó.” en su encíclica “Dios es amor” (parte 2). El Papa Emérito Benedicto XVI se expresó sobre el amor entre un hombre y una mujer diciendo: “Permitámonos primeramente traer a conciencia el amplio alcance semántico de la palabra “amor”: hablamos de amor a un país, amor a nuestra profesión, amor entre padres e hijos, amor entre los miembros de la familia, amor al vecino, amor a Dios. Entre la multiplicidad de significados, sin embargo, sobresale uno en particular: el amor entre un hombre y una mujer, donde cuerpo y alma estan inseparablemente unidos y los seres humanos vislumbran una aparentemente irresistible promesa de felicidad. Esto parecería ser el preciso epitoma del amor; todo otro tipo de amor parece desvanecer inmediatamente en Lydia Pesina Directora, Oficina de Vida Familiar comparación.” Yo creo que el amor conyugal contiene cuatro elementos importantes: 1) promesa/compromiso 2) convenio 3) sacrificio 4) amor desarraigado. 1) Cuando un hombre y una mujer se casan, hacen un juramento, una promesa, un compromiso de amar, honrar y protegerse mutuamente en buenos y malos tiempos, en la enfermedad y en la salud, en la pobreza y en la riqueza hasta que la muerte los separe. En 1999, mi esposo Mauri tuvo un ataque cardiaco y como acababa de cambiar de trabajo, no tenía ni seguro ni vacaciones de ausencia por enfermedad. Estuve muy consciente de nuestros votos matrimoniales mientras vivía la pérdida de salud y medios financieros a la misma vez. El amor es más sobre el compromiso que sobre los sentimientos. El Encuentro Mundial del Matrimonio ha enseñado a nuestra Iglesia desde 1970 que el amor es una decisión, una elección. En buenos y en malos tiempos, escogemos hacer la acción amorosa ya sea que lo sintamos o no. 2) El amor en el matrimonio es un pacto, no un contrato. Un contrato (como un contrato hecho para que alguien pinte nuestra casa) puede romperse, pero un pacto jamás puede romperse. Es igual que el pacto que Dios hizo con su gente, Israel, cuando les dijo “Yo seré su Dios, y ustedes serán mi gente.” Él no puso una estipulación que dijera que si ellos eran infieles a Él o si hacían falsos ídolos, como lo hicieron con el becerro de oro, ya no sería su Dios. De ese modo, como esposos, somos llamados a ser fieles a nuestro conyugue en buenos y malos tiempos. 3) Sacrificio: una palabra hermosa pero a menudo malentendida. El diccionario indica que “sacrificio” es el acto de renunciar a algo que quieres mantener especialmente para poder obtener o hacer algo más o para ayudar a alguien. Cuando un hombre y una mujer se casan, ya no se trata de “Lo que es mejor para mi” sino “Qué es lo mejor para los dos” quienes ahora son uno. Matrimonio y sacrificio son análogos. En el matrimonio, así como en la paternidad, “sacrificamos” nuestro tiempo, conforte, dinero, para poder ayudar a quien amamos. Cuando preparas café para tu conyugue a pesar de estar cansado y no querer hacerlo, es un sacrificio pequeño pero amoroso. 4) Amor desarraigado. Jesús nos enseña el amor desarraigado a través del sufrimiento, muerte y resurrección del misterio pascual. En su libro “Felices juntos: El modelo Católico para un matrimonio amoroso”, John Bosio delinea las seis actitudes y comportamientos claves que los esposos y las esposas deben de aprender de Cristo lo cual forma el modelo para un matrimonio feliz. “Recibe a tu conyugue como Cristo recibe a la Iglesia. 2) Mantente presente y atento a tu conyugue así como Cristo está con la Iglesia. 3) Sacrifí» Please see La Misión p.15 14 DIOCESE Rite of Election Hundreds preparing to join the Church at Easter Vigil Many choices, continued from pg. 4 impact, we must step back and consciously think about how they shape our lives and what they are saying. An intelligent use of media can prevent our being dominated by them and enable us instead to measure them by our standards.” “In this way, even many messages with which we cannot agree, inevitably coming to us from a diverse constellation of media, will not hurt us. They can even be turned to our benefit by whetting our understanding and articulation of what we believe.” Just as what we eat matters, so does what we choose to read and watch. Bishop Daniel E. Flores on several occasions has said, “You Deacon Espinoza, continued from pg. 9 diaconate formation program. “We were prepared at that point for me to quit my job, sell everything we had and move to a diocese where I could get the formation,” he said. There was no need for a move. After a 16-year absence, a diaconate formation program was started in the Diocese of Brownsville. “I filled out the application, but I didn’t feel worthy due to my lack of formal education with respect to the Church,” said Deacon Espinoza, who also serves as a facilitator for the San Juan Diego Lay Ministry Institute. “My wife said, ‘have faith, if it’s meant to be, the doors will open.’ I just kept walking through the doors until we Sister Norma Pimentel receives “Keep the Dream Alive” Award The Valley Catholic Bishop Daniel E. Flores signs the Book of the Elect at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del ValleNational Shrine in this archive photo. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Each year on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil, hundreds of men and women throughout the Diocese of Brownsville are received into the Catholic Church. Parishes welcome these new members through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and at a liturgy bringing men and women into full communion with the Catholic Church. Before the Easter Vigil, when a catechumen and the priest and the parish team working with him or her believes the person is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the next step is the request for baptism and the celebration of the Rite of Election. Even before the catechumens are baptized, they have a special relationship to the Church. The Rite of Election includes the enrollment of names of all those seeking baptism at the coming Easter Vigil. Accompanied by their sponsors and families, the catechumens publicly express their desire for baptism to the bishop at this special gathering, which typically occurs on The Valley Catholic - February 2015 or around the first Sunday of Lent. At the Rite of Election, the names of the catechumens are recorded in a book and they are called “the elect.” The Rite of Election for the Upper Valley is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine. For the Lower Valley, the Rite of Election is on Sunday, Feb. 22 at St. Anthony Church in Harlingen. The days of Lent are the fi- are what you think about. You want to put the good things in your mind. ...It influences how we look at our priorities.” These days as we swim against the current of popular culture and as my daughter makes her own decisions, I pray that each of us will discern carefully what we select and think critically about the messages that come across in the content. We must also be cognizant that we speak with our choices and how we spend our money. Our choices send a message as to what we value. — “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) were ordained in 2010.” Deacon Espinoza said many men share a similar story of experiencing a religious conversion as an adult. His story, he says, is relatable to so many men. “Before my conversion, I stayed home while my wife took care of the spiritual responsibilities,” he said. “While she and our two daughters were at Mass, I would get up and mow the lawn, wash the car, put on the barbecue grill, wait for the Cowboys to lose on TV – that was my Sundays. “When I talk to other men, I can give them hope,” he added. “A lot of them are living the life that I lived and they think they are OK by providing for their family, coming home every night and not having any vices. Not everybody grew up in the faith. The reality is more men are like me – maybe a little messed up in their faith.” nal period of purification and enlightenment leading up to the Easter Vigil. Lent is a period of preparation marked by prayer, study, and spiritual direction for the elect, and prayers for them by the parish communities. The Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation takes place during the Easter Vigil Liturgy on Holy Saturday when the catechumen receives the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. Now the person is fully initiated into the Catholic Church. Photos by Cesar Riojas Jr./The Valley Catholic Sister Norma Pimentel of the Missionaries of Jesus, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, received the national “Keep the Dream Alive” Award from Catholic Charities USA on Jan. 9 in Washington D.C. The award is named for civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and is conferred upon those “who are creating a society in which every individual is not ‘judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’” Sister Pimentel, a longtime social justice advocate in the Diocese of Brownsville, has led community efforts to respond to the needs of Central American families seeking refuge in the United States. DIOCESE 15 February 2015 - The Valley Catholic »Media Resource Center World Marriage Day Couples who are celebrating a wedding anniversary of 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 and more years in 2015 will be honored during a Mass for World Marriage Day, sponsored by the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Brownsville. Recommended by SISTER MAUREEN CROSBY, SSD Coordinator of the Media Resource Center - Diocese of Brownsville Bishop Daniel E. Flores will celebrate the Mass at 2 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine in recognition of the couples and the positive example of their witness to the Sacrament of Marriage. Couples celebrating milestone anniversaries can register to be a part of the celebration by calling the Family Life Office at (956) 784-5012. »From the Bookshelf Angels for Kids Format: Paperback Length: 74 pgs Audience: Children, ages 5-10 Author: Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle Publication:Paraclete Press 2013 Children should know just how much they are cared for. Angels are real. We just can’t see them. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t all around us. Melanie and the Story of Our Lady of La Salette Format: Paperback Length: 129 pgs Audience: Teens/Adults Author: Mary Alice Dennis Publication:TAN Books and Publishers This book tells the remarkable story of the Apparition and its message, but it addresses the whole subject of La Salette from the viewpoint of the life of Melanie Calvat, the young girl seer, showing her to have been extraordinarily graced all her life and most likely a Saint. Melanie was an unloved and abused child who early on took refuge in conversation with her “Little Brother”- who was actually Jesus appearing to her as a little boy. »Worth Watching BAKHITA: La Santa de Africa Format: DVD Length: 200 mins Audience: Adults Director: Giacomo Campiotti Hermosa pelicula que nos relata con detenimiento la heroic vida de esta santa sudaneza quien fuera cononizada el ano 2000 por el Papa Juan Pablo II. Bakhita conocio a Jesucristo quien se revelara como su Senor y libertador, no solo de lavida de esclavitud sino como quien da un Nuevo snetido al vivir de cualquier persona. The First Valentine In the photo, Bishop Flores congratulates Clemente and Josefina Cuellar of Edinburg, who have been married for 75 years. Mr. and Mrs. Cuellar have been the longestmarried couple at the event for the last five years. Lent, continued from pg. 1 ity, it breaks down walls and eliminates distances. God did this with us. Indeed, Jesus “worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, he truly became one of us, like us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes , 22). 2. Our witness We might think that this “way” of poverty was Jesus’ way, whereas we who come after him can save the world with the right kind of human resources. This is not the case. In every time and place God continues to save mankind and the world through the poverty of Cursillo/ACTS?, continued from pg. 10 tion of the early church in Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47. Retreat participants are encouraged to get involved in an ACTS retreat by serving on team and bring others to their own experience of Christ in their lives. We can see that both Cursillo and ACTS are good movements in our Catholic tradition. I argue that on-going formation is important and needed for retreatents who have lived a Cursillo and ACTS. I also argue that we all should be cautious not to exclude others who have not experienced any of these retreats. Some individuals who have lived La Misión, continua de la pág. 13 cate por tu conyugue como Cristo se sacrificó por la Iglesia. 4) Perdona a tu conyugue como Cristo Christ, who makes himself poor in the sacraments, in his word and in his Church, which is a people of the poor. God’s wealth passes not through our wealth, but invariably and exclusively through our personal and communal poverty, enlivened by the Spirit of Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, may this Lenten season find the whole Church ready to bear witness to all those who live in material, moral and spiritual destitution the Gospel message of the merciful love of God our Father, who is ready to embrace everyone in Christ. We can do this to the extent that we imitate Christ who became poor and enriched us by his poverty. Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt. May the Holy Spirit, through whom we are “as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10), sustain us in our resolutions and increase our concern and responsibility for human destitution, so that we can become merciful and act with mercy. In expressing this hope, I likewise pray that each individual member of the faithful and every Church community will undertake a fruitful Lenten journey. I ask all of you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you safe. a Cursillo or an ACTS retreat make a mistake by portraying what happens at the retreat as a secret. I ponder and argue that there is nothing secret about what happens at these retreats for nothing is secret about the gospel imperative- mainly to invite other to know the Lord. We should encourage all to live out a retreat experience. We should also avoid any reference to calling each other “brother or sister in ACTS or Cursillo.” This creates a sense that those who have experienced a retreat belong to a sect or a click. I adamantly argue that: Is it not true that we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ because of our baptism? Didn’t St. Paul remind us when he wrote to... that we all belong to Christ. That is why the bishop’s initiative (a re-thinking on the ecclesiology of the ACTS retreats) is addressing ACTS leaders to avoid using “ministry and community” when referring to ACTS for we all belong to the community of the baptized, which is the Catholic Church that Christ founded. Consequently, a new sense of ecclesiology is needed in these two movements. Movements and groups should help us live better our baptism and enter into a deeper encounter with the Lord. I urge all who feel the need to grow in their faith to inquire at their parish about the Cursillo or ACTS retreats and come to a closer relationship with Christ. Let us pray that we may make the world more Christian and more Catholic and live our faith heroically. perdona a la Iglesia. 5) Consuela y ayuda a tu conyugue a sanar así como Cristo consuela y sana a la Iglesia. 6) Sirve a tu conyugue así como Cristo sirve a la Iglesia. Si está casado/a, considere escribir en una tarjeta cinco cosas específicas que haga regularmente para demostrar a su conyugue que lo/a ama y en la parte posterior, cinco cosas que usted note que su conyugue hace regularmente para mostrarle que lo/a ama. Un pequeño recordatorio de nuestra Misión de amor. Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña’s Calendar Format: VHS Length: 25 minutes Audience: Children 6-12 Actors: Jonathan Farwell, Kaleena Kiff Production: 1988 Envoy Productions A modern teenage meets a legendary saint…and learns a lesson in love. In this adventure of imagination, young Tess, a shy girl of 13, discovers a new meaning for love on Valentine’s Day. Through a very special book, she meets the third century martyr Valentine and his Christian friends. They show her what it means to love others as Jesus loves us, and to receive that love in return. February 2-4 February 7 February 11 February 25 All Day 11 a.m. 7 p.m. 6:30 p.m. National Catholic Bioethics Conference La Posada Providencia Hands & Hearts Brunch Serra Club Vocation Awareness Night at Sacred Heart Evins Ministry On going: 8 a.m. Mass Monday - Saturday at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo 3 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, 727 Bowie St., Alamo 7 p.m. Holy Hour Weekly every Thursday at 727 Bowie St., Alamo 1st: Intention to the Consecrated Life (active and contemplative) and for the Sisters and Brothers in our diocese and the success of their mission Dallas Harlingen McAllen Edinburg 2nd: Intention to the Permanent Diaconate the deacons (permanent and transitional) of the diocese and their families 3rd : Intention to Married Life: for the welfare and sanctification of all the families in the diocese and for building up the Kingdom in our domestic churches 4th: Intention to the priesthood and the priests of the diocese for the success of their ministry 5th: Intention to Vocations » Calendar of Events February 1 Mass for children with special needs and their families (Holy Family, Brownville) 7 World Marriage Day (Family Life Office) 12 Professional Day (Office of Catechesis) 14 Valentine’s Day 14-15 ReMarriage Retreat (Family Life Office) 12 CCOS Dinner (Youth Ministry) 16 Presidents’ Day 18 Ash Wednesday 21-22 Retiro PreMatrimonial (Family Life Office) 21 Rite of Election (Office of Catechesis) 22 Rite of Election (Office of Catechesis) 23 Theology Class (Office of Catechesis) 24 Clase de Teologia (Office of Catechesis) March 1 Mass for children with special needs and their families (Holy Family, Brownville) 6 Lenten Retreat (Office of Catechesis) 6-8 Catholic Engaged Encounter (FLO) 7 Convalidation Conference (Family Life Office) 12 Advisory Team (Office of Catechesis) 19 Feast of St. Joseph 29 Palm Sunday 31 Chrism Mass Please submit your schedule to be published in The Valley Catholic by the first Friday of each month by email at [email protected] or fax: (956) 784-5082. Hands & Hearts Fundraiser The Valley Catholic HARLINGEN— La Posada Providencia will host its annual Hands & Hearts brunch and auction event at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Cultural Arts Center of Texas State Technical College, 1902 North Loop 499, in Harlingen. In addition to brunch, the event features an auction, door prizes, live entertainment, speeches and other popular gala activities. Advance tickets are $35 per person and may be purchased by contacting La Posada Providencia at (956)399-3826, or agonzalez@ lppshelter.org, or in person by visiting the shelter, 30094 Marydale Road in San Benito. Tickets at the door are $40. Since 1989, the emergency shelter has assisted more than 8,000 people from more than 70 different countries who have suffered displacement from their native lands due to war, famine, natural disaster, poverty or oppressive governments. 16 DIOCESE Filipino community gathers for Feast of Santo Niño Our Catholic Family The Valley Catholic - February 2015 Pit Senyor! Far left (top): A Sinulog/Dinagyang/ Ati-atihan procession kicked off the festivities at a Santo Niño celebration on Jan. 18 at St. Anne Parish in Peñitas. Far left (bottom): An image of the Santo Niño was displayed by the altar. Left: The youth recreate the moment when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan offered the gift of the a statue of the Child Jesus to Lady Humamay, marking the arrival of the Christian faith to the Philippines in 1521. By ROSE YBARRA The Valley Catholic PEÑITAS — Hundreds of voices chanted, “Pit Senyor!” to the rhythm of drums on the Feast of Santo Niño on Jan. 18 at St. Anne Parish in Peñitas. “Pit Senyor!” is a phrase that means, “for you, Lord,” or to call, ask and plead to our Heavenly Father. “It’s beyond translation,” said Bishop Daniel E. Flores, who celebrated Mass for the Filipino community of the Diocese of Brownsville on this significant feast day. “It is such a beautiful plea. ‘Lord, we give it to you, our prayers, our hopes, our joys, our singing, our laughter, our music ... .” The feast of Santo Niño marks the arrival of the Christian faith into the Philippines in 1521, when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan offered the gift of a statue of the Child Jesus to Lady Humamay after her conversion to the Christian faith. Lady Humamay was the principal wife of Rajah Humabon, the chieftain of Cebu, Philippines. The celebration at St. Anne Parish began with a Sinulog/Dinagyang/Ati-atihan procession of the Amber Donaldson/Mobile Journalist for The Valley Catholic image of Santo Niño around the outside perimeter of the church featuring lively music, dancing and drum beats. The festivities were led by Father Michael Montoya of the Missionaries of Jesus, pastor of St. Anne Parish and its missions Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sullivan City, St. Michael the Archangel Church in Los Ebanos and San Juan Diego Church in Citrus City. “For us Filipinos in a foreign land, this celebration brings us closer not only to our historical and cultural roots but more importantly to a promise of a faithful God with us,” said Father Montoya, who concelebrated the Mass with the bish- op. “This celebration does not only gather us as a people, but also sends us forth with the joy of our faith.” A large choir of adults and children sang songs and some parts of the Mass in Tagalog, the predominant language spoken in the Philippines, rehearsing for weeks in advance of the celebration. The Mass readings and the General Intercessions were also read in Tagalog with an English translation provided. In his homily, Bishop Flores reminded the faithful of the importance of passing down their history and traditions through the generations. “What I ask of the Filipino community — and I say this all over the diocese — is to teach your children what you have received,” he said. “Let them know what it means, because as the years go by in this culture, and every immigrant culture has learned it, people tend to forget the deeper things that hold them together. But you can change that, it doesn’t have to be that way. Teach them, be the example. You can encourage and pass on the faith and as you do that in this beautiful expression as a gift to the Church and in the name of the Church, I thank you for that. “I ask God to continue to bless your presence in this diocese, something that is a great blessing … that your children may always be a sign of hope, even as they take into their heart the mystery of the Santo Niño, so God bless you. Thank you for this honor and this privilege to celebrate this Mass with you. Pit Senyor!” Many in attendance carried images of the Santo Niño, which Bishop Flores blessed at the end of the Mass. A barrio celebration with traditional Filipino food and music was held after the Mass. The image of Santo Niño is usually portrayed with the child Jesus holding a golden sphere (to symbolize the world) in his left hand and his right hand is raised in benediction.