CommentatorT H E C A T H O L I C

January 1, 2021 Vol. 58, No. 24 2 0 2 0 L P A N E W S P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R thecatholiccommentator.org

GLIMMER OF HOPE

Lucas Noel receives first Communion from Father Paul Gros, parochial vicar of St. George Church in Baton Rouge, during weekday Mass, June 4. Photo by Bonny Van | The Catholic Commentator

By Richard MeekThe Catholic Commentator

Excitement, tempered by a pinch of uncertainty and a splash of concern, briefly overwhelmed Sophia Solomon.

For the past 10 months Solomon, Senior Director of Nursing at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Center in Baton Rouge, has witnessed firsthand COVID-19’s carnage. She has watched patients suffer, and even die, alone, minus the comfort of family and friends.

She has helped console and counsel her nursing staff, who have endured professional challenges they could have never imagined.

Finally, the moment she had so eagerly anticipated but was not sure would ever come, had arrived. Only minutes away from receiving the CO-

VID-19 vaccine, Solomon’s emotions began to surge, perhaps a summation of what has been such a tumultuous year.

“I was excited; I felt emotional, al-most to the point where I can’t believe this is really here,” she said. “I felt like I

wanted to cry a little bit but I wanted to hold it together.

PAGE 3Spiritual New Year’s

resolutions

SEE VACCINE PAGE 16

SEE 2020 PAGE 8

2020: A year of challenges

Virus vaccinedistributedat OLOL

Sophia Solomon, Senior Nursing Director at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, was the third person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot on Dec. 16. “I felt blessed to be a part of it,” she said. Photo provided by Grace Weber | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

By Debbie ShelleyThe Catholic Commentator

Even though the sickly pall of COVID-19 and social un-rest threatened to seal many dreams in a coffin in 2020, stories of courage, inspiration, celebrations, dialogue, ordi-nations and forward-looking changes give glimpses of new dreams and hope for the future.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge found itself grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, which spread like a spider web across the globe, causing death and isolation, crippling economies and making “mask up,” “keep

social distance” and “wash your hands” a mantra from health of-ficials and other leaders. As Loui-siana became a hotspot for CO-VID-19, and state mandates were issued, the diocese adjusted by making liturgical changes. As Loui-siana shut down for several weeks, in-person Mass celebrations were cancelled. The impact was keenly felt by many parishioners when they could not gather to celebrate Holy Week and Easter.

Holy water and baptismal fonts were emptied and remain dry. Non-profit organizations, such as Society of St. Vincent de Paul, also struggled to find ways to protect employees and volunteers as they

continued their mission to serve the needy and vulnerable of society.

But Catholics showed resil-ience in the midst of the pandemic. Churches responded with mask-making ministries, reaching out to their at-risk population and serving meals to healthcare workers.

Neighborhood “drive-by” Sta-tions of the Cross also provided an alternative for celebrating Good Friday. Parishes celebrated live-streamed Masses so people could, and continue to do so, “attend Mass from home” and receive spiritual Communion. Parishes and schools also hosted virtual events and fun-draisers.

2 The Catholic Commentator January 1, 2021

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| DID YOU KNOW JMJ: Jesus, Mary & Joseph

FA I HLife-Giving

SEE GOSPEL PAGE 11

The Christmas glow By Dina DowWelcome to 2021! Looking back on 2020, one may want

to simply forget and move on. Yet, as faith-ful people we know that God is with us, ev-er-present in the darkest nights and brightest days. God never abandons his flock. Prayerful-ly, recall 2020 and meditate on these phrases, “Looking back, 2020 was … (complete the thought).” and “I have learned this past year to … (complete the thought).” Follow this up with, “I am most grateful for … (complete the thought).” How has faith enlightened my experience?

January seems to be the month of renew-al, invoking promises we make for a “better way of living” that at times may wane as the year progresses. A substantial way to begin the new year is to ask God, our heavenly fa-ther who knows us better than we know our-selves, “What are you calling me to renew this year?” Spiritual resolutions are powerful commitments for life, here present and life eternal. In making spiritual resolutions we are truly striving for holiness. If this is the case, then it is most helpful for one to have guidance, spiritual guidance as a source of faith, hope and love.

Keeping the path of holiness in the fore-front of our minds for 2021, I offer these sim-ple initials: JMJ, to become the center of dai-ly living. The monogram, comprised of the first letters of names of the Holy Family, was primary script noted at the top of worksheets, tests, essays and prayers during my Catholic school days. Our teachers in all classes made it a point for students to begin each lesson with JMJ (Jesus, Mary and Joseph). How can the Holy Family be for us a source of daily hope in this new year? The upcoming Sunday readings for the celebrations of the Epipha-ny of the Lord and Baptism of the Lord offer insight into their life and for our walk in ho-liness.

J: Jesus as The Source of LightThe prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the ex-

iled nation, “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you” (60:1-6). God’s promise of restoration, to bring the Jews home, away from the darkness and into the light of the

splendor of God’s love and mercy, is real. Con-sequently, since God’s light shines upon them they become radiant in the light of God and, thus, are beacons of light for others to follow, resulting in the fruitful witness of unity and adoration. Jesus is the light. He is the source

of our light as we profess in the Nicene Creed, “I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ …

God from God, light from light, true God from true God …”

As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to be radiant in his light, draw-ing others nearer to Jesus by the rays of his splendor streaming forth from our life by our confident witness of faith, prayer, actions, words, decisions; all of which in some way or another impact the community in which we live, beginning in our homes. When oth-ers see us, do they see our source, the light of Christ?

M: Mary as Revealer of TruthIn his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul

reminds us of the stewardship of grace. By grace the mystery of Jesus Christ was re-vealed to him for the benefit of generations to come. Grace is a “participation in the life of God and introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life.” God does not force us to act upon grace, rather we are given freedom (free will) to respond “and along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the communion of love” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 1997, 2002).

Mary, full of grace, reveals to us the truth of Jesus Christ. As we grow in knowledge of Jesus, we come to know Mary. As we come to know Mary we grow in wisdom and love of Jesus. She is always pointing us to her son. St. John Paul II writes of Mary in the encycli-cal “Mother of the Redeemer,” “(Mary) is the model of faith, hope and charity. Among all believers she is like a ‘mirror’ in which are re-flected in the most profound and ‘clear’ way ‘the mighty works of God’ (Para. 2); she was the first to believe … she summons the faith-ful to her son and his sacrifice, and to love for the father. For this reason, Mary’s faith, according to the church’s apostolic witness, the faith of individuals and communities, of places and gatherings, and of the various

If you’re not ready to take the Christmas decorations down, leave them up!

Move those Wise Men closer to the manger scene so they can get an up-close look at the Christ Child and deliver their gifts. Put a log in the fireplace and let the glow from the fire and Christmas lights be part of the heavenly glow that comes from the Epiphany, which highlights the divine and majestic nature of Christ.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word “epiphania,” or “m a n i fe s t at ion.” The feast of Epiph-any, also known as “three kings day,” is traditionally cele-brated the 12th day after Christmas, Jan. 6. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8. This year’s solemnity will be cele-brated Jan. 3.

As early as the third century, the Eastern Church, celebrated the birth of the redeemer, primarily as the manifestation of God to man. The name Epiphany was given to the feast. Toward the end of the fourth century, as the feast gradually came to be known and celebrated in the West, the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi or Wise Men was stressed.

The Catholic meaning of the gifts the Wise Men bring to the Christ Child is of symbolic importance: the gold represents kingly power, incense the great high priest and myrrh the burial of the Lord.

In the early church, Christians, particularly those in the East, com-memorated the Epiphany as the Magi’s visitation of Christ at the manger, his baptism in the Jordan River and his miracle at the wed-ding feast at Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany. By the fourth century, both Christmas and Epiphany had been set as separate feasts in some dioceses.

At the Council of Tours in 567, the church set both Christmas Day and Epiphany as feast days on Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, respectively, and named the 12 days between the feasts as the Christmas season.

Over time, the Western Church separated the remaining feasts into their own celebrations, leaving the celebration of the Epiphany to com-

memorate primarily the visitation of the Magi to see the newborn Christ. The Eastern Churches’ celebration of Theophany celebrates Christ’s baptism and is one of the holiest feast days of the liturgical calendar.

One traditional way to celebrate Epiphany involves using blessed chalk (by a priest) to mark the door-ways of homes with the current year

and the initials of the traditional names of the Three Wise Men: Caspar (C), Melchior (M) and Balthasar (B). The practice invokes a blessing on those who live in the house and – in remembrance of the Magi – all visitors to the home.

Another Italian tradition is of the

“Befana.” In many parts of Italy and other countries gift-giving takes place on Epiphany. In Italy it typi-cally includes the figure if an elderly lady named Befana.

According to legend, the Magi, on their way to find the Christ Child, stayed one night at the home of a hard-working elderly woman, Befa-na. She took wonderful care of the travelers. They told her they were on their way to find the divine child and invited Befana to accompany them. But she was carrying out the chores and explained she had too many other things to do.

After the Wise Men left, Befana regretted her decision. She gathered many gifts and left her house with her broom in hand. She spent her life searching for this special child. On Epiphany, Befana gave gifts to chil-dren, hoping that one of the children to whom she gave a gift was Christ.

So learn a lesson from Befana, don’t let the glow of Christmas fade too soon, follow that Christmas Star and watch the beginning of many unfolding “epiphanies” of Christ throughout the year:

“After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated them-selves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and of-fered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mt. 2: 9-11).

January 1, 2021 The Catholic Commentator 3

By Richard MeekThe Catholic Commentator

Christmas is over, the eggnog is in short supply and so naturally thoughts turn to the new year and those time-hon-ored albeit unrealistic resolutions, such as running a marathon by next weekend or losing 20 pounds before Epiphany.

Inevitably, those resolutions quickly lose steam and fade into the boot hill of previous failed resolutions.

But what about spiritual resolutions for the new year, where one is focused on the soul rather than the body?

“Spiritual resolutions are very prac-tical and very healthy,” said Father Mat-thew Graham, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. “Hopefully your spiritual life impacts your physical life and attitude and di-rection where you are always orientated.

If you are always just orientated toward worldly things, then that neglects the to-tality of who we are.

“We have to address body and soul as Christians.”

Dina Dow, director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said there are several occasions during the year when attention is drawn to the interior life. She said that is often seen during Lent but also when the new year comes around and the opportunity presents itself for self-as-sessment of the previous year.

“The Lord is expecting us to grow in holiness through our lives of virtue,” Dow said.

Father Graham said it is important to establish smart goals, with smart mean-ing specific, measurable, attainable, rele-vant and timely.

He uses the acronym ATRIP in his own

CNA – Catholics are not morally obliged to take the coronavirus vaccine and should appeal to the Holy Spirit for wisdom, Archbishop Joseph F. Nau-mann of Kansas City in Kansas has said.

Speaking on EWTN’S Pro-Life Week-ly with host Catherine Hadro, Archbish-op Naumann, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-life Committee, said that while all three of the available vaccines have ties to a cell line derived from an abortion, it would not be illicit for a Catholic to receive them.

“We need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and to make the right choice, the moral choice for us,” Arch-bishop Naumann said. “And we have to weigh these goods: the good of protect-ing our health, the health of our loved ones, the health of the community.

“And also at the same time, stand strongly to protect innocent human life and to bring an end to the culture of death and to abortion.”

A person who receives the vaccine, said Archbishop Naumann, must be motivated in part by a desire to protect the common good.

Archbishop Naumann said there was a “moral justification” to receiving the vaccine, but that “not everyone has to make that decision.”

Those who do receive the vaccine, however, “are even more obligated” to urge pharmaceutical companies and the government to strive to produce ethical vaccines.

“With the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine, there were no aborted fetal cell lines used in the production or the

development. However, they did use aborted fetal cell lines in the testing to see if they were effective,” the archbish-op explained. “The AstraZeneca one, on the other hand, does use these aborted fetal cell lines that go back to 1960 when the abortions actually occurred.”

Archbishop Naumann said it was “important” to note that “these are very old cell lines,” and that “it’s not like new abortions are happening because of these vaccines.”

Despite the abortion connection, Archbishop Naumann, echoing a recent decree from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, stated the vac-cinations are “licit and permissible,” though not obligatory for our people,’” said Archbishop Naumann.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith stated Dec. 21 that it is “mor-ally acceptable” to receive COVID-19 vaccines produced using cell lines from aborted fetuses when no alternative is available.

This does not in any way imply a le-gitimation of the grave evil of the prac-tice of abortion or that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines pro-ceeding from aborted fetuses, the Vati-can congregation said.

The CDF noted that there had been “diverse and sometimes conflicting” messages made in the media by bishops and Catholic organizations.

The CDF’s statement, approved by Pope Francis on Dec. 17, went on to say that the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 poses a grave danger and therefore the moral duty to avoid the remote passive material coopera-tion is not obligatory.

SEE RESOLUTIONS PAGE 16

Beginning the new year with spiritual resolutions

Father Matthew Graham, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs, recommended setting aside a place in one’s home to keep focused on prayer or having a cor-ner of a room with a crucifix or the image of a saint. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator

• Lists Spanish and signed Masses for Hearing Impaired Masses.

• The most current schedules for the churches in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

CatholiC SChoolS Week

COMMENTATORT H E C A T H O L I C

Of special interest to parents, The Catholic Schools Week section will feature information about the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, current registration for the next school year, distinguished graduates and more.

Deadline for this section is Jan. 15Call Wanda Koch at 225-387-0983

or email wkoch@diobr.org.

Coming in the Jan. 29 issue

Vaccine not a moral obligation

spiritual life, taught to him by his spiritual adviser in the semi-nary.

He said A stands for adoration, remind-ing one of being in the presence of God; T is for asking oneself what to be thankful for; R, perhaps the most diffi-cult, is regrets, looking at ways one might have failed God during the day; I represents in-tercession; and P is the plan from that point.

“It causes us to re-flect, to have a conver-sation with God and then causes us to ask, ‘How do I make my spiritual life more con-crete?’ ” he said.

An effective start-ing point is praying a decade of the rosary a day, while focusing on the mysteries, Father Graham said. He said by praying one decade a day, in a month a person will have prayed all four mysteries of the rosary.

He also recommended reading the dai-ly Gospel readings. Or simply picking up a

Bible and start reading the Gospels.Father Graham suggested starting not

with a holy hour but with a manageable holy five minutes.

“Set the phone (for the time), put it

4 The Catholic Commentator NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL January 1, 2021

Pope stresses unity, solidarity in messageCNA – Pope Francis appealed for a

“culture of care” in his message for the 2021 World Day of Peace released Dec. 17.

“The culture of care … calls for a com-mon, supportive and inclusive commit-ment to protecting and promoting the dignity and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to work for reconciliation and healing, and to ad-vance mutual respect and acceptance. As such, it represents a privileged path to peace,” Pope Francis wrote in the peace message.

“May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need and to look the other way; instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, to form a communi-ty composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.”

Pope Francis wrote that he envi-sioned this culture of care as a way to combat the “culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in our time.”

He pointed to the spiritual and cor-poral works of mercy and charity prac-ticed by the early church as an example.

“The first generation of Christians shared what they had, so that no one among them would be in need. They

strove to make their community a wel-coming home, concerned for every hu-man need and ready to care for those most in need. It became customary to make voluntary offerings in order to feed the poor, bury the dead and care for orphans, the elderly and victims of disasters like shipwrecks,” he said.

The pope also said the principles of the church’s social doctrine served as the basis for a culture of care. He en-couraged world leaders to use these principles as a “compass” to lead the way to “a more humane future in the process of globalization.”

He highlighted the principles of care for the dignity and rights of each per-son, care for the common good, care through solidarity and care and protec-tion of creation.

“This will enable us to esteem the value and dignity of every person, to act together in solidarity for the com-mon good and to bring relief to those suffering from poverty, disease, slavery, armed conflicts and discrimination. I ask everyone to take this compass in hand and to become a prophetic witness of the culture of care, working to over-come the many existing social inequali-ties,” he said.

The World Day of Peace – instituted by St. Paul VI in 1968 – is celebrated each year on Jan. 1. The pope provides a message for the occasion, which is sent to foreign ministers around the world.

The pope’s message for the 2021 World Day of Peace is entitled, “A Cul-ture of Care as a Path to Peace.” The pope published the message on his 84th birthday.

At a press conference presenting the

peace message, Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, under-lined that Pope Francis decided to focus on a “culture of care” in this year’s peace message because of the coronavirus pandemic, which aggravated deeply in-terrelated crises involving food, climate, the economy and migration.

Pope Francis began his message for the World Day of Peace by saying that he had been thinking especially for all those who lost family members or loved ones, and all who lost their jobs in 2020.

He also paid tribute to all the physi-cians, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, volunteers, chaplains and hospital per-sonnel who “have made and are con-tinuing to make, great sacrifices to be present to the sick, to alleviate their suf-ferings and to save their lives.”

“Indeed, many of them have died in the process. In paying tribute to them, I renew my appeal to political leaders and the private sector to spare no effort to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines and to the essential technologies needed to care for the sick, the poor and those who are most vulnerable,” he said.

Pope Francis also expressed disap-pointment that “alongside all these tes-timonies of love and solidarity, we have also seen a surge in various forms of na-tionalism, racism and xenophobia, and wars and conflicts that bring only death and destruction in their wake.”

The 2021 World Day of Peace mes-sage included multiple quotations from his newest encyclical, “Fratelli tutti.”

The pope stressed the need for rela-tionships between nations to be inspired by fraternity, mutual respect, solidarity and the observance of international law. He also urged that humanitarian law be respected.

“Tragically, many regions and com-munities can no longer remember a time when they dwelt in security and peace. Numerous cities have become epicen-ters of insecurity: citizens struggle to maintain their normal routine in the face of indiscriminate attacks by explo-sives, artillery and small arms. Children are unable to study,” he said.

“Men and women cannot work to sup-port their families. Famine is spreading in places where it was previously un-known. People are being forced to take flight, leaving behind not only their homes but also their family history and their cultural roots.”

“While such conflicts have many causes, the result is always the same: destruction and humanitarian crises. We need to stop and ask ourselves what has led our world to see conflict as some-thing normal, and how our hearts can be converted and our ways of thinking changed, in order to work for true peace in solidarity and fraternity,” he said.

In his message for the 2021 World Youth Day, Pope Francis appealed for a “culture of care,” envisioning that as a way to combat the “culture of indifference, waste and con-frontation.” CNA photo

January 1, 2021 The Catholic Commentator 5

FranU, LCTCS agreement beneficial for both systemsSpecial to

The Catholic Commentator

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University and Louisiana Community and Technical College System signed a Transfer Articulation Agreement on Dec. 15 at LCTCS.

The partnership with FranU further expands the reach of LCTCS opportu-nities, allowing students to earn certif-icates, associate degrees and bachelors and beyond in the various healthcare pathways, LCTCS president Monty Sulli-van said. He said those educational path-ways along with continuing education opportunities provide access to students statewide to the healthcare programs of-fered at FranU through to the doctoral level.

For example, FranU’s registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a “state partner where they challenge LCTCS registered nurse grad-uates to expand their role as professional nurses and prepares registered nurses for graduate education.”

“We are excited to announce this transfer agreement,” Sullivan said. “Through this partnership, FranU is

identifying itself as a continuing educa-tion destination for two-year college stu-dents from across Louisiana.

“It is important for our students to know they are valued and welcomed at universities such as FranU. In particular, this seamless transfer agreement will bolster bachelorette nursing graduates and other much needed healthcare pro-fessionals in the Capital City Region, but also statewide.”

“We are grateful to FranU for recog-nizing both the academic and technical capabilities and of our students,” he add-ed.

“FranU is a private university that serves the public good, and this transfer agreement with our LCTCS partners is a perfect example of how we contribute to the needs of Louisiana’s citizens and the organizations that hire them,” FranU President Dr. Tina Holland said. “It is critically important that we collaborate, not just as higher education, but that we work closely with employers as well. To-gether we can establish what I envision to be a system of well-defined on-ramps and off-ramps for folks to enter and exit subsequent levels of education in prepa-ration for the next work experience.”

Holland said colleges and universi-ties, and the businesses that hire FranU graduates need to work together, not just by taking and filling orders for certain kinds of human capital, but to “invest in

the people who make this state work, to see to it that Louisianans fulfill their God given potential, such that when you grow your people, you also grow your organi-zation and Louisiana.”

Dr. Tina Holland, left, president of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, and Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, greet each other after announcing a Transfer Articulation Agreement  with the two schools. Photo by Kaye Self | FranU

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6 The Catholic Commentator January 1, 2021

Children and divorce/Emotional GodQ If two people have children while they are married, and then they civilly divorce and obtain an annulment, what is the status of the children from that marriage?

A If the couple was free to marry in the first place, any children born are legitimate regardless of the fact that they later obtain a divorce and an annulment.

Canon 1137 of The Code of Canon Law states that “The children conceived or born of a valid or putative marriage are legitimate.” Canon 1061 of the Code defines putative: “An invalid marriage is called putative if at least one party celebrated it in good faith, until both parties become certain of its nulli-ty.” In other words, at least one of the parties considered the marriage to be valid and there was no reason to think otherwise.

The fact that a condition was later established to render the union an-nulled does not change the fact that the couple was thought to be married. The Catholic Church, therefore, considers their children to be legitimate, and to my knowledge, they are also considered legitimate for civil purposes.

However, if a marriage is known to be invalid due to a known impediment or lack of canonical form, children born during that marriage are illegitimate.

These children will become legitimate when the marriage becomes valid in the eyes of the church.

Q One of the na-tional program hosts on Cath-olic Community Radio stated that God has no emotions because God is the same today, tomorrow, always. We can understand that on one hand, but on the other hand we are confused and a little dismayed. We read about God being moved or angered or pleased in many places in the Old Testament. We also read about Jesus expressing what we consider emotions in the New Tes-tament: His sadness about the death of Lazarus, his emotions during the agony in the garden, etc. So, how can some-one say “God has no emotions?”

A This is a “deep” question, so I went to one of my research sources, Catholic Answers. Everything below is quoted from an article by Trent Horn, but there is much more. You can Google: Catholic An-

swers “Does God Have Emotions” by Trent Horn to get the full article.

“Some people may say biblical de-scriptions of God’s emotions are noth-ing to be ashamed of because they make God more relatable to us. But although God did experience human emotions through the human na-ture he assumed through his In-carnation as Jesus Christ, God does not experience emotions as part of his divine nature. The Incarnation makes God more relatable precisely

because, as the The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: ‘God transcends all creatures. We must therefore con-tinually purify our language of every-thing in it that is limited, image-bound or imperfect, if we are not to confuse our image of God … with our human representations. Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God (42).’

If this is hard to grasp, remember

what God said about himself through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. 55:8–9).

“Emotions usually comprise our responses to unexpected or uncontrol-lable events. But nothing can surprise or overwhelm that which is ‘the infinite act of being,’ so that means God lacks emotions. This doesn’t mean, howev-er, that God is an impersonal force of nature. It just means that although God has qualities we see in persons, God himself is not a person, in the same way humans are persons.

“When the Bible describes God as having emotions such as anger, regret or pleasure, we understand that these are metaphors that describe how hu-man beings relate to God, not how God relates to us. Saying God is angry at our sin or pleased with our obedience doesn’t mean God is reacting to some-thing we did. It means we did some-thing to alienate ourselves from God or to draw us closer to him.”

DEACON HOOPER is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at ghooper@diobr.org.

Stump the Deacon Deacon George Hooper

Peace on EarthBlessings from The Catholic Commentator staff,

Richard, Debbie, Wanda, Lisa and Nicole

January 1, 2021 FAITH JOURNEY The Catholic Commentator 7

Pediatrician plays many roles in treating childrenBy Debbie Shelley

The Catholic Commentator

Pediatrician Dr. George J. Schwart-zenburg teams up with families in their common goal of keeping children healthy and happy.

Schwartzenburg, a Lake Charles na-tive, had several family members who were medical professionals, which drew him toward being a doctor.

“I had older broth-ers I looked up to for their example,” said Schwartzenburg, one of 10 siblings.

Clifford, Ellis and Edward Schwartz-enburg, all OB/GYN doctors, practiced to-gether.

A graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles, Schwartzenburg received his Bachelor of Science degree at McNeese State University in Lake Charles. When he entered LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, where he received his medi-cal degree, he thought he would become an OB/GYN physician like his brothers.

He noted, however, that “medical school is where you find out what your specialty is.”

In working with the children and fam-ilies while pursuing his degree, Schwart-

zenburg discovered pediatrics was his calling. He completed his internship and residency training in pediatrics at Tulane University in New Orleans.

After his brothers moved to Baton Rouge, Schwartzenburg, his wife, Deb-orah, and their growing family followed suit and moved to the area in 1999 when Schwartzenburg joined The Pediatric Clinic, which merged with The Baton

Rouge Clinic in 2017. They are active mem-bers of St. Thomas More Church in Ba-ton Rouge.

Schwartzenburg is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a Fellow of the Ameri-can Academy of Pedi-atrics. During his ca-reer, he has served as

vice-president and president of the East Baton Rouge Parish Pediatric Society, as chief of pediatrics at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge and is a current member of the Woman’s Hospital Foundation.

While “physician” is Schwartzenburg’s official occupation, he assumes multiple roles in his daily interactions with chil-dren and families.

One role is teacher.“I’m teaching (adults) everyday new

things that are going on,” said Schwartz-enburg.

Another role is being a detective.“When (patients) are young they can’t

tell you what’s wrong. They can’t speak to you like an adult, so you try to figure things out,” said Schwartzenburg.

He noted working with children re-quires patience, working with them on their terms and helping them through their fears.

A third role for Schwartzenburg, who is active in the Baton Rouge community through his involve-ment with several STM ministries, clubs and sporting events, is healer.

“I always treat (my patients) the same way I would treat my own child,” said S c h w a r t z e n b u r g , whose patients often call him “Dr. George.”

During difficult times, especially when a child is se-riously ill, Schwartzenburg said he has learned that “you ultimately have to rely on faith in every situation.”

“Without faith to lean on it would be so very difficult,” said Schwartzenburg.

But the challenges are eclipsed by the joys of Schwartzenburg’s profession. Ev-ery day he sees the innocence and hones-

ty of the children, as written about in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit at work.

“I laugh at some of the things they tell me … I’ll walk into the room and they’ll scream, ‘I don’t want a shot!’ They’ll say, ‘Your hair looks funny’ or ‘you have a big nose,’ ” mused Schwartzenburg.

Seeing God at work is the reward of Schwartzenburg’s profession.

Just as he sees the beauty of a beach or beautiful sunrise, Schwart-zenburg sees that same beauty “in a newborn baby and all the patients I see, just as in nature.”

As a father of four, Schwartzen-burg, who enjoys backyard grilling with family and friends, traveling and conquering “DYI” projects, con-nects with the jour-

neys many of his patient’s families are go-ing through. And he approaches the care of his patients not only with his pediatrics experience, but as a father as well.

“Getting a smile out of my patients, even when they don’t feel well, is a wel-come and fulfilling challenge,” said Schwartzenburg.

Dr. George J. Schwartzenburg

PRECIOUS GIFTS – Seminarians in the Diocese of Baton Rouge recently gathered for a holy hour with Bishop Michael G. Duca. Residents of Metanoia Manor, which is a safe haven for human trafficking victims, painted the Three Wise Men pictures to give to the seminarians. The girls literally spent hours working on these priceless pieces. The seminarians were overwhelmed by these masterpieces and said they would treasure them forever and will be praying for all the girls. Bishop Duca, left, is pic-tured with Albert Blount and Ian Waller. Photo provided by Suzanne Payne | Office of Vocations

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8 The Catholic Commentator | January 1, 2021 January 1, 2021 | The Catholic Commentator 9

2020 From page 1

Couples married in scaled down ceremonies. Catholic insti-tutions such as Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Univer-sity in Baton Rouge graduated nurses on a “fast track” so they could relieve frazzled medical workers.

In Catholic schools, teachers held drive-by parades to say goodbye to their students, who left the classrooms for virtual lessons after the pandemic took hold. Graduates received their diplomas, albeit in much smaller ceremonies, to accommodate social distancing and safety standards, and showed creativity and spirit in doing so. Among those schools was Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School, which held its inaugural graduation.

Once school was back in session for the fall, many students came forward with smiles under their masks and were excited to see their peers after a long absence from the classroom and adapted to new safety protocols.

Even as the nation was in dire need of a COVID-19 vaccine it was further distressed over the outbreaks of violent protests in reaction to several killings of Blacks by white police. The Diocese of Baton Rouge was a beacon of light as it confronted racial prejudice by issuing statements condemning racial big-otry, hosting workshops and days of reflections and highlight-ing African Americans on the pathway to sainthood to pro-mote racial harmony.

When Formosa Plastics proposed to build a chemical site in St. James Civil Parish at a gravesite for slaves, Bishop Mi-chael G. Duca celebrated an All Saints Day prayer service at the site. The event was attended by several clergy members from across the diocese and lay faithful.

The diocese also stood by its neighbors through an outpour-ing of generosity when Hurricane Laura struck the Gulf Coast and southwest Louisiana, and particularly, the Lake Charles

area. The diocese, along with several church parishes and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, coordinated their relief efforts.

Adding some sparkle in the darkness in 2020 were anniversary and benchmark achievement celebrations.

In January, St. Francis Xavier School and Church in Baton Rouge marked its centennial celebration, showing how a community can come together in the midst of adversity.

Father Joshua Johnson, pastor of Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, was interna-tionally recognized as one of 12 people in the world to restore people’s faith. As he was honored, Holy Rosary received recog-nition for its outreach to the poor and mar-ginalized through its Full of Grace Café, a vision of Father Johnson’s that became a reality through the collaborative efforts and talents of parishioners.

In February, St. Gabriel Church in St. Gabriel celebrated living “his-story” for 250 years along the banks of the Missis-sippi River.

Cupid also demonstrated he can “hit the mark” as couples celebrating their 25th, 50th, 65th & over anniversaries gathered at St. Thomas More Church in Baton Rouge for a Wedding Mass celebration and recep-tion. Among those were Lloyd and Audrey Schroeder, who celebrated eight decades of love and their 75th wedding anniversary.

It was “cordon blue” time for St. Jude

School and Catholic High School, both in Baton Rouge, as they were recognized as national Blue Ribbon Schools of Excel-lence.

In October Catholic High School cel-ebrated with a double orange and blue ribbon cutting ceremony for achieving a national record-setting sixth blue rib-bon and marking the official opening of its stunning Brother Donnan Berry SC Student Center.

St. Gerard School in Baton Rouge cel-ebrated its 75th anniversary. Attendees reminisced over Mardi Gras celebrations, scoring with “deadly jumpers” in basket-ball games and meeting that “special some-one” resulting in a marriage that spanned several decades in the place that they call “home.”

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospi-tal in Baton Rouge celebrated the first an-niversary. In March the hospital dedicated a newly opened chapel featuring rainbow-color stained glass windows that serve as God’s presence to families with children facing medical crisis.

In conjunction with its first anniversary, the hospital also opened its newest addi-tion to pediatric service offerings – a Level III Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

While the coronavirus postponed, it did not stop the vocational call for men who were ordained to the priesthood, transi-tional diaconate and permanent diaconate

in ceremonies that were “scaled down” in number of attendees but not in reverence and anointing of the Holy Spirit. On Aug. 1 Bishop Duca ordained Father Mathew Dunn as priest and Deacon Taylor Sanford as transitional deacon at St. Joseph Cathe-dral in Baton Rouge.

One week later Bishop Duca ordained six new permanent deacons, also at the cathe-dral. Making history as the first graduat-ing class since the Diocese of Baton Rouge and FranU collaborated together to offer a new diaconate formation program were Deacons Ehren Oschwald, Alec Campbell, William Messenger, Gabriel Rico, Chris Landry and Mark Reynaud.

And in envisioning the future, the dio-cese made history by appointing Ann Bol-tin as archivist, the first lay person to serve as chancellor in its 59-year history. Her ap-pointment was among significant structur-al changes, including the re-establishment of the Bishop’s Cabinet to serve as an advi-sory council to Bishop Duca in administra-tive matters at the Catholic Life Center.

As the new liturgical year dawned, the diocese launched a new redesigned web-site that is not only an invitation to evan-gelization but also an information outlet for all diocesan news. The website, which was launched on the First Sunday of Ad-vent, provides information and resources to Catholic Life Center to employees as well as the entirety of the faithful of the diocese.

[E] Bishop Michael G. Duca ordained Deacon Taylor Sanford, left, as transi-tional deacon and Father Mathew Dunn, right, to the priesthood during ordination ceremonies Aug. 1 at St. Jo-seph Cathedral in Baton Rouge.

[F] Bishop Michael G. Duca annoints the hands of Deacon Mark Reynaud when he ordained him to the perma-nent diaconate. Reymaud was part of the first class to graduate from the dia-conate formation program since it was revamped by the Diocese of Baton Rouge and Fransican Missionaries of Our Lady University.

[A] Praying Act of Spiritual Communion unites Catholics with Christ in ab-sence of Eucharist. Provided by Dina Dow

[B] Kyla Beard gives out pastries to people in need visiting the food pantry at the St. Alphonsus Church in Greenwell Springs.

[C] Several clergy members from the Diocese of Baton Rouge attended a prayer service led by Bishop Michael G. Duca, far right, at a proposed For-mosa Chemical plant in St. James. Attending, from left, were Father Mat-thew McCaughey, Deacon Alfred Adams, Father Vincent Dufresne, Father Tom Clark, Father Johnson and Deacon Chris Kellerman, who is scheduled to be ordained a Society of Jesus priest in 2021.

[D] On April 29, St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Church in Albany partnered with the SteaKhouse in Hammond to provide 100 meatloaf lunches to the workers.

[A] [B]

[D]

[C]

[E]

[F]

Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School celebrated its inaugural graduating class with an outdoor ceremony.

Smiles were evident as the graduates walked from

the football field where a class photo was taken to the area where the cars were parked and family

members awaiting. Photos by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator

10 The Catholic Commentator January 1, 2021

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ADVENT ANGELS – Holy Ghost School in Hammond held its annual Advent Angel Project.  Adopting local children for Christmas, students donated bikes, toys and clothes to help those in need. Pic-tured, from left, are Adelyn Stevens, Carter Colona, Presley Wootan and Clark Bonfiglio. Photo provided by Cindy Wagner | Holy Ghost School

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – Holy Ghost School in Hammond re-cently held their play “The First Christmas.” Brayleigh Bagot, upper left, portrays a glorious angel. Wiseman Trip Lynch, upper right, prepares to take his gift to baby Jesus. Jace Bar-ney, left, plays his drums as a drummer boy. Kylee Ridgel, below, portrays Mary as she sings “Breath of Heaven.” Photos provided by Cindy Wagner | Holy Ghost School

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January 1, 2021 The Catholic Commentator 11

Solution on page 14

ACROSS1 “Your word is a ___ for my feet” (Ps

119:105)5 Monastic press?10 Leaf of a book14 Notion15 Contract16 Land measure17 Lubricates18 Narrowest part of the torso19 Something we all look for20 Fascist leader?21 Desert food22 They are just what the doctor

ordered23 The Lord’s Day25 “For my ___ is easy, and my burden

is light.” (Mt 11:30)27 Catholic international aid org.28 KFC add-on29 TV station32 “Have ___ on us”35 Employs36 Smelter input37 Sch. of higher learning38 Communion wafers40 Foretell41 Religious instruction, formerly

(abbr.)42 Conclusion43 Clerical color44 Half a laugh45 “Let’s go”46 Gaslight, for one47 Per ___48 Priest and missionary to the Far East52 Veranda55 Joseph was sold into slavery here58 High-tech hosp. test59 East of Eden son60 Kitchen top61 French protest cry62 Part of Cassius’ look, in Julius Caesar63 Rock the Church is built on 64 Think65 Wan66 Winter Jack 67 Prom attendee

DOWN1 “So the king ordered Daniel to be

brought and cast into the ___ den.” (Dan 6:17)

2 Farewell, from Jacques3 Watery fruit4 A step in ballet5 “Behold, I am with you ___…” (Mt

28:20)6 Type of bag7 Parisian bath8 Writer9 Nevertheless10 Juan’s clergyman11 Suffix (zool.)12 Between white and black13 Long fish21 “O ___! We crown thee with blos-

soms today”22 Classic Jags24 705, to Cato26 Lyric poems28 Catholic Academy Award-winning

actress Hayward29 NYC nightclub30 Bric-a-___31 Search32 Great in quantity33 Differ ending34 Astronaut Sally38 Tarsus, to Paul39 Distance measuring instrument40 Belgrade resident42 202, in ancient Rome43 Spoiled child46 Practiced47 Catholic comedian DeVito49 Inspire profoundly50 Take off the board51 He is ___!52 Refrain syllables53 Mars, to the Greeks54 Genesis skipper56 Reliable kind of guy57 Dominican theologian Congar60 Burn-prevention rating, briefly61 Total (abbr.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 01 11 21 31

41 51 61

71 81 91

02 12 22

32 42 52 62

72 82 92 03 13

23 33 43 53 63

73 83 93 04

14 24 34

44 54 64

74 84 94 05 15

25 35 45 55 65 75 85

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moc.scilohtacrofsemagdrow.www

GOSPEL From page 2

groups existing in the church, is passed on simul-taneously through both the mind and the heart continually through prayer. Mary is constantly present on this journey of faith of the people of God towards the light as she exclaims, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior’ ” (Para. 42). Are we, like Mary, reveal-ing the truth in Jesus Christ by our hope, prayer, sacrifices and trust?

J: Joseph as Protector of the ChosenThe Gospel reading account of the visit of the

Magi manifests the halting amount of trust need-ed for the path of holiness. The Magi, as you may recall, are inspired to follow the star which leads them ultimately to the source of light, the Mes-siah, an infant who entered the world in a family. Their encounter with Christ was abundant in joy, adoration and reverence, giving earthly gifts for the divine king. To protect the little one from the envy of King Herod, they, as directed by a divine warning in a dream, took another path home.

Witnessing this profound encounter was Jo-seph, foster father of the Christ Child. In his life-time, Joseph also experienced divine interven-tion in dreams, each time building upon existing virtues of faith, hope and love with strength, re-assurance, trust and confidence, as he protected Jesus and Mary. Joseph is the protector of the chosen one. Titles which describe this incredible man are “worker, husband, foster father, most pure, most obedient, mirror of patience, as well as patron of the dying, of the universal church, of fathers, travelers, immigrants, protector of the virgin, zealous defender of Christ and my per-sonal favorite, terror of demons. How fitting it is for Pope Francis to call the faithful people into a Year of St. Joseph, through the encyclical “Pa-tris Corde” (translated “With a Father’s Heart”) on the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church, that began Dec. 8. Are we, like St. Joseph, striving to protect the call to faith, hope and love by foster-ing others on their pilgrim journey? Are we ador-ing God in our life? Are we, in modeling St. Jo-seph, listening and responding to God’s call with open minds and hearts?

The chosen: Baptized in ChristWe read in the catechism, “Jesus begins his

public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan River. After his

resurrection Christ gives this mission to his apostles: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Para. 1223).

From his first public appearance on earth to his last, Jesus bookends his mission with the com-mand of baptism. What does this tell us? Review the passage, “On coming up out of the water he (John the Baptist) saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him (Jesus). And a voice came from the heav-ens, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased” (Mk 1: 10-11).

The fullness of the Trinity was revealed, called a Theophany, as the voice of the father reveals the son, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus. He is the chosen one.

We are made for life in the Trinity. Unlike Je-sus, our redeemer, we need baptism for the grace to overcome death to sin and welcome new life as new creatures in the mystical body of Christ. Bap-tism is necessary for our salvation. Jesus shows us and is the way, the truth and the life. We are invited to new life through the saving waters of baptism where grace empowers virtues of faith to believe, hope to look forward and love to live in the fullness of life in Christ for today and for eter-nity, as Isaiah proclaims, “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. (Is 12:3).”

A simple way to begin 2021 is by a spiritual re-newal in our baptismal promises: Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty prom-ises? Do you renounce sin, so as to live in the freedom of the children of God? Do you believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the fa-ther? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

May we, in this New Year, joyfully respond to our baptismal promises and strive for holiness as we embrace the Holy Family to become our source of light, truth and protection. JMJ.

Dow is the director of the Office of Evangeli-zation and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

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12 The Catholic Commentator VIEWPOINT January 1, 2021

Wandering Catholic

Richard Meek

SEE MEEK PAGE 13

New Year’s resolutions in a time of pandemic

An odd year

Another Perspective

Father John Carville

Our publishing date for this issue of The Catholic Commentator is New Year’s Day. Tradition-ally we are supposed to greet the day prepared with resolutions to make the coming year better than the last. If resolutions were wishes, resolution number one for nearly everyone would probably be, “May I never see another year like 2020.” However, the coronavirus pan-demic will last in our na-tion well into 2021 until somewhere between 70% and 90% of our population is vaccinated. And then, what will we do? What will the recov-ery look like? What will it become in our medical community, our busi-ness community, our work force community, our church community and our core community, the family?

I have no crystal ball, and I am neither politi-cian nor economist. Heck, I don’t even have a wife, children and grandchil-dren, but as a priest I am as curious as anyone about what this experience of a pandemic will mean for our future, especially for our church community for which I have some responsibility. And that means that hopes and wishes must become resolutions that lead to some kind of action. I have read as much as I could about the pandemic and our faith life together and have been impressed by two experts whose direction I found helpful.

The first is Walter Brueggemann, one of the great Biblical scholars writ-ing today. He is not afraid to ask the question, “What is God calling us to do in times of great catastrophes like this pandemic? Brueggemann’s response is found in a new book, “Virus as a Sum-mons to Faith: Biblical Reflections in a Time of Pandemic.”

Brueggemann uses the example of King David in the Old Testament Book of Samuel to explain how the ancient Jews thought of catastrophe and their relationship to God. Put simply, they understood that when they were faith-ful to God, they ate well, were safe in their cities and countryside and also safe from plague. When they were un-faithful, they usually faced three evils or curses which were always possible given their geographic locale and the time in which they lived. These were famine, attack by their pagan neigh-

bors and plague. In this particular story King David

has been blessed after years of war and hardship by hard won peace and pros-perity. But King David does not trust that God will continue to bless him. He would rather be completely domi-nant over his neighboring kingdoms.

So he calls for a census so that he may be able to conscript more soldiers and raise more taxes to pay them.

God is not pleased. He wants King David and his people to trust God to keep his prom-ises. So, through his prophet, Gad, God tells King David that he will suffer but he may pick his poison. It can be famine, war or plague. King David surprisingly chooses plague. Famine could happen naturally in Palestine where there was a lot of arid land subject to long draught

and hungry locusts. His people could suffer for a long time, especially the poor in the countryside.

King David was the greatest general of his day. He knew the kind of war that would be waged, sparing neither women nor children. Also, what crops there were would be confiscated for the enemy soldiers. People of his day often connected disease with a direct act of God. They knew nothing about viruses. So King David bet on God’s mercy and forgiveness. God would not let his people suffer overlong. King David wrote “... your kindness O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands” (Ps 138:8). King David trusted that he would find mercy in God, not in human hands. And he knew that he must ask for it in prayer.

Lesson number one: Catastrophes will happen. They are built into nature or often brought about by human evil. God will help us, but he wants us to pray, to ask, to work with him using the skills we have learned through sci-ence and experience.

There are other times when God did not wait for the Jews to sin before allowing evil to befall them. He cre-ated violence to save them. This is the great lesson of the book of Exodus. God works through Moses and Aaron to obtain freedom from slavery for his people. Pharaoh doesn’t com-ply. So God sends plaques of frogs and locusts, causes the death of the

Egyptian first-born and finally drowns Pharaoh’s army. Certainly the author of Exodus, which is a divinely inspired book, is not saying that any of this hap-pened naturally. But the end of all this violence leaves the Jews in the desert of Arabia preparing to receive the Holy Land as God’s gift and become a nation. From there will come the Mes-siah, God’s true son, and his disciples who will spread his church throughout the world.

Lesson two: God works to bring good out of evil, even out of human-ity’s history of violence. I can’t help thinking of our modern example of World War II where God seems to have used Walter Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, Gen-eral Dwight Eisenhower and General Douglas McArthur and their fighting men and women to end the horror of Nazism and Japanese militarism. God then saved not only the Jews but much of humanity itself.

Finally, there are some catastrophes that are beyond our understanding but not our faith. Accidents, storms, fires, earthquakes, cancer and other diseases like COVID-19 cut short lives that had so much promise and were so dear to us. We are left asking why, and we know there is no answer short of reunion in heaven.

God, however, let his own son suffer such a death and then raised him to show us that death is not the end of us. He also inspired an unknown author in the Old Testament to describe the faith of Job.

Job would not reject God despite his great losses. Instead he proclaimed: “I know that my Redeemer lives ... And from my flesh I shall see God; my in-most being is consumed with longing” (Jb: 19:25-27).

Lesson three: When catastrophe strikes and we are overcome with no answer to our why, look at a crucifix. One day in heaven, God will answer our longing.

Bruggemann’s insights into Scrip-ture strengthen our faith for the new year in the midst of the pandemic. The second author I have read during this time is Pope Francis. He has published a little book entitled “Life after the Pandemic.” His resolutions are more concrete. I will talk about them in my next column.

FATHER CARVILLE is a retired priest in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and writes on current topics for The Catholic Com-mentator. He can be reached at johnny carville@gmail.com.

And so it ends.A year that brought unprecedented death, despair and destruction finally gasped its last breath only (depending on when you read-ing this) hours ago.

It was a year in which terms such as pandem-ic, quarantine, vaccine, PPE, n95, asymptom-atic and contact tracing infiltrated our vernacular; a year in which masks were not only mandatory but actually became fashion accessories, with many carefully selecting the mask du jour to match the outfit; a year in which we agonizingly watched our loved ones die alone, surrounded not by family but by machines humming the tune of death; a year in which a deadly disease was politicized and actually became a flash point in a presidential election; a year in which our cities burned, as racial unrest bubbled over into the streets; a year in which the names George Floyd and Breonna Taylor will forever be etched in our memory and a permanent stain on the American conscious; a year in which Louisiana was the gateway for six hur-ricane/tropical storms slamming into its fragile coast; a year in which hurricane season itself set unprecedented records; a year in which colleges and professional teams risked the lives of so many by fool-ishly attempting to stage football seasons; a year in which we went into the holiday season not even sure who was going to be our next president.

This past year, and let’s just call it that and never allow the number of the actual year to cross our lips ever again, was one in which, at some point, we were all forced to look into the mirror, to take stock or even reevaluate our lives, to learn to live with less, to redefine what was important. We all had our personal struggles, whether they were mental, per-haps the most common, physical or even financial to overcome.

Personally, for me it was two potential-ly life threatening health issues. On two occasions, when the tunnel of darkness was so overwhelming I believed there was no light on the other side, I turned to the one person whom I love with all my heart and simply said, “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

With her help, and because God obvi-ously has other plans for this cantanker-ous old reporter, I survived.

January 1, 2021 VIEWPOINT The Catholic Commentator 13

Please pray for the priests, deacons and religious women and men in the Baton Rouge Diocese.

Jan. 7 Rev. Michael French SJ Dcn. Jeff R. Easley Br. Harold Harris SCJan. 8 Rev. Michael A. Galea Dcn. Natale (Nat) J. Garofalo Sr. Mary Lucille Stelly SSFJan. 9 Rev. Henry W. Gautreau Jr. Dcn. Edward J. Gauthreaux Br. Ray Hebert SCJan. 10 Rev. Matthew J. Graham Dcn. Steven C. Gonzales Sr. Patricia Sullivan CSJJan. 11 Rev. Timothy Grimes Dcn. Richard H. Grant

Br. Dwight Kenney SCJan. 12 Rev. Paul A. Gros Dcn. Ronald J. Hebert Sr. Vandana Thomas CMCJan. 13 Rev. Eric V. Gyan Dcn. Clayton A. Hollier Br. Clifford KingJan. 14 Rev. Ryan Hallford Dcn. George Hooper Sr. Tam Thanh Tran ICMJan. 15 Rev. Patrick Healy SSJ Dcn. Micheal J. (Shelley) Joseph Br. Noel Lemmon SCJan. 16 Rev. Ray Hebert SC

Dcn. John A. Jung Jr. Sr. Margarida Maria Vasques FMOLJan. 17 Rev. J. Clifton Hill CSsp Dcn. Robert J. Kusch Br. Roger LeMoyne SCJan. 18 Rev. Tat-Thang Hoang CSsR Dcn. Chris Landry Sr. Adelaide Williamson CSJJan. 19 Rev. Elisesus Ibeh MSP Dcn. Albert Levy III Br. Malcolm Melcher SCJan. 20 Rev. Joshua D. Johnson Dcn. James A. Little Sr. Martha Ann Abshire FMOL

| PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PRAY FOR US

MEEK From page 12Our evolution in admiration and imitation

In ExileFather Ron Rolheiser

When I was a young boy grow-ing up in a Catholic com-munity, the catechesis of the time tried to inspire the hearts of the young with stories of martyrs, saints and other people who lived out high ideals in terms of virtue and faith. I remember one story in particular that caught my imagination and inspired me, the story of a third-century Chris-tian martyr, St. Tarcisius.

As legend (or truth) has it, St. Tarcisius was a 12-year-old acolyte during the time of the early Christian per-secutions. At that time, Christians in Rome were celebrating the Eucharist in secret in the catacombs. After those secret Masses someone, a deacon or an acolyte, would carry the eucharistic species, the Blessed Sacrament, to the sick and to prisoners. One day, after one of those secret Masses, young St. Tarcisius was carrying the Blessed Sacrament on route to a prison when he was ac-costed by a mob. He refused to hand over the Blessed Sacrament, protected it with his own body, and was beaten to death as a result.

As a 12-year-old boy that story enflamed my romantic imagination. I wanted to have that kind of high ideal in my life. In my young imagination, St. Tarcisius was the ultimate hero whom I wanted to be like.

We’ve come a long way from there, both in our culture and in our churches. We’re no longer moved romantically much by either the saints of old or the saints of today. Yes, we still make an official place for them in our churches and in our highest ideals, but now we’re moved romantically much more by the lives of the rich, the famous, the beautiful, the pop stars, the profes-sional athletes, the physically gifted and the intellectually gifted. It’s they who

now enflame our imaginations, draw our admiration and who we most like to imitate.

In the early 19th century, Alban But-ler, an English convert, collected stories of the lives of the saints and eventually set them together in 12-volume set, famously know as “Butler’s Lives of the Saints.” For nearly 200 years, these books inspired Christians, young and old. No longer. Today, “Butler’s Lives of the Saints” has effectively been replaced

by People maga-zine, Sports Illus-trated, Rolling Stone, Time and the multiple of other magazines which chronicle the lives of the rich and famous and stare out at us from every news-stand and grocery-store check-out line.

In effect, we have moved: from St. Tarcisius to Justin Bieber; from St. Therese of Lisieux to Taylor Swift; from St. Thomas Aquinas to Tom Brady; from St.

Monica to Meryl Streep; from St. Au-gustine to Mark Zuckerberg; from St. Julian of Norwich to Marianne Wil-liamson; and from the first African American saint, St. Martin de Porres, to LeBron James. It’s these people who are now enflaming our romantic imagination and inviting our imita-tion.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that these people are bad or there’s anything wrong with admiring them. Indeed, we owe them some admiration because all beauty and talent take their origin in God, who is the author of all good things. From a saint’s virtue, to a movie star’s physical beauty, to an athlete’s grace, there’s only one author at the origin of all that grace, God. St. Thomas Aquinas once rightly pointed out that to withhold a compliment from some-

one who deserves it is a sin because we are withholding food from someone who needs it to live on. Beauty, talent and grace need to be recognized and acknowledged. Admiration is not the issue. The issue rather is that while we need to admire and acknowledge the gifts of the talented and the beautiful, these are not always the lives we should be imitating, unless they also radiate virtue and saintliness. We shouldn’t too easily identify human grace with moral virtue. But that’s a problem.

As well, one of the weaknesses in our churches today is that while we have vastly upgraded and refined our intellectual imagination and now have better and healthier theological and biblical studies, we struggle to touch hearts. We struggle to get people to fall in love with their faith and espe-cially with their church. We struggle to enflame their romantic imagination as we once did by invoking the lives of the saints.

Where might we go with all of this? Can we find again saints to enflame our ideals? Can the fine work done today by Robert Ellsberg on hagiog-raphy (on the lives of the saints and other moral giants who have passed before us) become the new “Butler’s Lives of the Saints?” Can secular bi-ographies of some moral giants in our own age draw our imitation? Is there a St. Tarcisius out there who can inspire the young?

Today, more than ever, we need inspiring stories about women and men, young and old, who have lived out heroic virtue. Without such ideals to emulate, we too quickly identify moral virtue with human grace and deprive ourselves of higher spiritual ideals.

OBLATE FATHER RON ROLHEISER, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted through his website ronrolheiser.com and facebook.com/ronrolheiser.

But for all of us deeply ingrained in that darkness of this past year, even when the clouds were at their angriest, when the modern day biblical plague called coronavirus threatened an entire society, when the illumination of city lights was outshined by the flames of burning buildings, there shone a glimmer of hope.

As the new year dawns, as it takes its first breath, as the events of the past year await to be interpreted by history, hope is indeed abundant. One only needs to look in the right places.

We find hope in every syringe of the coronavirus vaccine, with a justified optimism that by the summer, life will begin returning to normal. Perhaps armed with that reality, we will never be so grateful to welcome our annual pilgrimage of heat and humidity, for this year, rather than quarantining in our own homes, we can actually be outside, with a far different perspective of the steamy days and humid nights that were taken from us a year ago.

There is also hope for healing among the races and encouraging signs that racial equality is finally on a genuine path to reality. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and chairman of the US-CCB’s Ad Hoc Committee on Racism, offered as much when he recently told The Catholic Commentator that he finds hope in the fact that people are now talking about race and looking at race from a different perspective.

Bishop Fabre, a New Roads na-tive and favorite son of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said he also sees hope because he truly believes in the power of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit coming to our assistance.

We all emerged from this year as changed individuals, and in that change we can find hope. Perhaps it’s giving our loved ones that extra hug, fully realizing the immediacy of how life can change; perhaps we can spend more time with family and friends and spend less time at the office, under-standing that work will always be there but family and friends will not be; perhaps it’s finally taking that special trip that has been planned for so long or addressing items on our bucket list.

Or change might simply mean tak-ing a walk in the park, appreciating nature, hearing God’s voice reaching out to us through the sounds of his blessed creatures.

As Bishop Fabre put it so elo-quently, it is the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit that will bring a return to normalcy, put that song back in our hearts.

It was Jesus who lifted us up to carry us over the abyss of the past year, and it is through him where we find hope in the new year.

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VACCINE From page 1

“As soon as I got the injec-tion, I had a sense of relief. I felt blessed to be a part of it.”

Solomon was the third per-son at OLOL to receive the vaccine on Dec. 16, and similar to so many others, including members of her own nursing staff and even some, she had her own reservations.

Nationally, some questions have arisen about the vaccine’s effectiveness and potential side effects, creating hesitancy and even doubt for some about receiving the injection.

Solomon said her concerns were allayed after speaking with Dr. Katie O’Neal, an in-fectious disease specialist on staff at OLOL and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Diseases at LSU’s School of Medicine.

O’Neal explained to OLOL’s medical leaders that the pro-cess of developing the vaccine was not done in haste, as some have indicated, but in fact had been ongoing for about 15 years.

O’Neal said the vaccine is a two-step process, with the first injection being the body receiving the shot but likely not reacting. However, any reaction would be immediate, within the first 15 to 30 min-utes, so OLOL physicians were on site to address those reac-tions.

The second injection is the body actually making antibod-ies to fight off the virus, and Solomon learned some people might briefly experience a low-grade temperature or flu like symptoms. She said O’Neal recommended staff members have the opportunity to take off the day after receiving the injection as a precaution.

“It really helped me to make the decision for myself, and yes, I felt comfortable,” said Solomon, who had no side effects other than a bit of sore-ness from the vaccine.

Despite the assurances, not all medical professionals at OLOL have elected to receive the vaccine. Dr. Richard Vath, chief executive officer for the Franciscan Health System, re-spects those decisions but be-lieves that over time, as more people receive the vaccine and suffer no side effects, people will become less fearful.

He said people are falling into what he describes as three groups. The first group is med-ical professionals who might be a bit skeptical because the vaccine is something they are not used to; the second group is mostly compromised of younger individuals who be-lieve they are not at risk and don’t believe they can get any serious complications or dis-ease and are not sure if they want to even receive the shot.

“There is a third group, and this is where I fall. We’ve never seen anything this effective in the history of vaccines,” Vath said. “Because of the side ef-fects being so minimal, it was an easy decision for me.”

Thanks to someone who was scheduled not showing up to receive the vaccine, Vath, who is in one of the high risk categories, was able to receive the shot, on Dec. 16. He said the soreness he experienced was less than when he gets the flu vaccine.

“Some people will still be fearful of it,” he said, but add-ed he and staff members are exploring ways to assure in-dividuals who might feel less comfortable as to the safety of the vaccine.

Solomon, who manages several hundred nurses, nurs-ing assistants and clerical per-sonnel, was adamant about setting an example to her em-ployees about not being afraid. After receiving the injection, she said several team mem-bers told her “we trust you and we trust you that you will tell us is if you don’t feel well.”

“I told them is it is truly a personal decision, something you have to determine what is best for you,” Solomon said. “I am an African American female. I have a lot of minor-ity employees. COVID has not done well in our community well.”

She has explained nurses face risks daily but the vac-cine can reduce the chance of severe illness and even death.

“I let them know I am not pressuring them but I do en-courage them to get the vac-cine not only for yourself but for your family members,” she said. “I can tell (that comment) has touched some people. I think just by example, (by receiving the injection) has helped my team members.”

Solomon said the vaccine has offered hope that fam-ily gatherings and other such events may soon be on the horizon. She added the caveat that before a gathering of any type, including family events, the new norm, once the vac-cine is widely available to the general public, might be to ask those invited, “Did you get the vaccine?”

Vath said he is hoping the vaccine will become widely available perhaps as early as late March and believes by the summer “we will begin to see more returning of normality and maybe in the fall before it is large scale.�