Denver Catholic

2 I CATHOLIC LIFE SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN Theology on Tap goes back to basics Pra MOST REV. BY DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER SAMUEL J. AQUILA Mary's beauty and goodness lead us to the Truth "I greatly desire that a church be built in my honor, in which I will show my love, compassion and protection. I am your mother, full of mercy and love for you and all those who love me, trust in me, and have recourse to me," Our Lady of Guadalupe told St. Juan Diego when she first appeared to him. The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe visiting Juan Diego is not just that she left an image on his cloak, known as a tilma, which has yet to show signs of decay; it is also that she claimed him and all people as her children. "Juanito, my son, where are you going?" Mary said to Juan Diego the very first time he met her. Mary, drawn by her motherly love for a humble Aztec farmer and all people, reached out to him to change the history of Mexico and to bring millions to her son. Our Lady of Guadalupe calls each of our names today, seeking to lead us to Jesus because she is our mother. This past week I had the privilege of leading 160 people on the archdiocese's Year of Faith pilgrimage to the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego in 1531. The trip was a grace-filled experience. One particular insight that I want to share with you is that when God put the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Juan Diego's tilma, he left us a sign of both his and Mary's ongoing, present love for us. The miracle continues to occur today, because 482 years after Mary's image first appeared as Juan Diego unfurled his cloak to show Bishop Zumárraga the Castilian roses from the Virgin, the image has not decayed with time. This demonstrates Mary's ongoing love for us, and since this could not take place without the consent of the Holy Trinity, it also shows God's love for us. The moment when I first stood in front of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1996 is an encounter I will never forget. As I stood there and gazed at the image, I was struck with awe and wonder at the realization of Mary's real presence in both my life, and in the life of the Church. I experienced her love for me in a personal and tender way. The pilgrimage to Mexico was our archdiocesan pilgrimage for the Year of Faith, and there is a profound connection between Our Lady and faith. Without her faith in God and her "yes" to being the mother of Jesus, our salvation would not have been possible. When Benedict XVI launched the Year of Faith in October 2012, he described it as "a moment of grace" and a time to commit to "a more complete conversion to God, to strengthen our faith in him and proclaim him with joy to the people of our time." The Year of Faith will soon be over, and that presents all of us with a challenge: to not let this year end without having grown deeper in your faith, and then, with renewed faith to evangelize as Christ commanded us, especially in the public square. The pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was an occasion for deeper growth in faith, an experience of Mary's maternal care for us all, and a reminder of the powerful story of her intervention in history that led to the conversion of 9 million Aztecs in nine years. But even if you were not able to make the pilgrimage, you can still look to Our Lady of Guadalupe as a model for sharing your faith with joy and confidence in God. The way that Our Lady of Guadalupe introduced herself to Juan Diego and the miraculous image she left for the world shows us how she brought Jesus to the violent society of the Aztecs: first with beauty, then with goodness, and finally with the truth. When she first appeared to Juan Diego, some accounts say that he heard exquisite music that drew him to the hill where See Aquila, Page 12 The fall line-up for the archdiocese's popular Theology on Tap program is taking its cues from Pope Francis. "This is the Church's task, it is every Christian's task: to serve men and women and look for them even in the nooks of society and the most hidden spiritual corners," Pope Francis wrote last month in a letter to the 800,000 participants of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples in Rimini, Italy. "The Church, in an ever more globalized and virtual world and an increasingly secularized society devoid of permanent reference points, is called to rediscover her mission, focusing on the essential and seeking new ways for evangelization." While Denver's Theology on Tap is far more humble in its scale, it starts from a similar missionary impulse. "The point of having this event each month is to propose the central questions of life," said David Hazen, associate director of communications and new media for the Archdiocese of Denver. "It's to help each other—Catholic, non-Catholic, what-have-you—to discover the ways in which Christ responds to the fundamental PHOTO COURTESY TOPLINE MAGAZINE (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) THEOLOGY ON TAP All lectures are free and start at 7 p.m. at Katie Mullen's Irish Pub, 1550 Court Place, Denver. Sept. 16: Scott Powell Oct. 21: Father John Nepil and Deacon Nathan Goebel Nov. 18: Father Jim Crisman hunger of the human heart." The fall series begins Sept. 16 and will feature Scott Powell, director of scriptural theology at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center in Boulder. On Oct. 21, Father John Nepil, parochial vicar at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora and Deacon Nathan Goebel of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fort Collins, will share the podium and record a live episode of their podcast "Catholic Stuff You Should Know." Father Jim Crisman, director of priestly vocations for the Archdiocese of Denver, will address the topic of prayer on Nov. 18. Each event takes place on the third Monday of the month and starts at 7 p.m. at Katie Mullen's Irish Restaurant and Pub, located at 1550 Court Place on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. Attendance is free and open to the public. Attend Mass with archbishop on 9/11 BY JULIE FILBY In solidarity with faith communities all over the country, on Sept. 11, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people. "September 11 is a time to remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks 12 years ago," Archbishop Aquila told the Denver Catholic Register, "a time to pray for their souls, for their relatives and their healing, for those injured who survived the attack, and for the conversion of all who are given over to hatred of their fellow man." The series of attacks occurred Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, when four hijacked airplanes were crashed: two into the towers of 9/11 MASS When: 12:10 p.m., Sept. 11 Where: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 1530 Logan St., Denver Questions: Call 303-831-7010 the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and one targeted for Washington, D.C., crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa., after passengers attempted to overcome the hijackers. The Mass will provide an opportunity to focus on the spiritual aspects of the anniversary and unite the faithful of the Denver Archdiocese in prayer, according to the archbishop. "I invite all of the faithful to attend the Mass," he said. Jenny Kraska, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Church in Colorado, told the Register that Sept. 11, 2001, will always be a defining moment in the nation's history. "We remember the brave sacrifice of so many who gave their lives in the service of others," she said. "We also remember those whose lives were cut short in such a senseless act of violence and the loved ones who mourn their loss." The 9/11 Mass offered by Archbishop Aquila will provide a way for "all of us to take time out of our day and prayerfully remember all of the lives that were lost," Kraska said, "and to be grateful for the freedoms that we are still able to enjoy because so many have sacrificed so much." The Cathedral Basilica is located at 1530 Logan St. in downtown Denver. For more information, call 303-831-7010. DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 General Manager Karna Swanson Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the first week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by The Denver Post LLC in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. Editor Roxanne King Subscriptions: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or e-mail circulation@archden.org. Advertising Sales Manager Michael O'Neill Editorial: 303-715-3215 or editor@archden.org Advertising: 303-715-3253 or dcrads@archden.org Circulation: 303-715-3211 or circulation@archden.org Online: www.DenverCatholicRegister.org

• Cover