Denver Catholic

2 I CATHOLIC LIFE ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA Charity means meeting the needy "Father, it's Andrea. There's no more time. Noemi is dying," he said in the early morning phone call to the pope's almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the man who brings the Holy Father's charity to the needy. Later that morning 1-year-old Noemi traveled with her father and mother—Andrea and Tahereh Sciarretta—to Vatican City from her hometown in the province of Chieti, a little over two hours away by car. Archbishop Krajewski had told them, "Come, come now. … The pope will certainly receive you." By 9 a.m., Pope Francis was holding little Noemi, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disease that causes a loss of specialized nerve cells in the spinal cord and brainstem. The loss of the nerve cells results in weakness and atrophy of the muscles used for crawling, walking, sitting up and controlling head movement. Pope Francis was deeply moved by little Noemi. He caressed her, kissed her and blessed her, as she looked back at him with joy in her bright eyes. The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano explained that in early October Andrea Sciarretta wrote to Pope Francis to tell him about his daughter. On Oct. 14, the Holy Father responded by asking Archbishop Krajewski to keep in close touch with them, which he did, including a trip to see them on All Saints' Day, to pray with them. We are just over two weeks away from Advent, which starts on Dec. 1 this year. During Advent we anticipate the birth of Jesus, the time when God performed the ultimate act of charity and became a man like us. Advent is a time in which we should expand our hearts through acts of charity, in imitation of God's gift of Jesus to us. And we should allow Jesus' incarnation to be a model for how we carry out those acts of charity. God, in his infinite power could have saved us from afar, but he did not. He chose to be with us, to walk the earth, to touch the eyes of the blind, the feet of the lame, the sores of lepers, and the sin-wounded hearts of all humanity. Pope Francis put it well when he spoke to his fellow Argentineans in an Aug. 7 video message for the feast of St. Gaetano. Speaking about giving to the poor, he said: "But the important thing is not looking at them from afar, or helping from afar. No, no! It is going to encounter them. This is the Christian! This is what Jesus taught: to go meet the most needy." Many of us saw this type of encounter with Blessed Mother Teresa and the sick and dying on the streets of Calcutta. Her sisters continue that encounter throughout the world and we are blessed to have them in Denver. We will encounter Jesus, grow in holiness and have a joyful experience of Christmas if we are able to encounter those in need this Advent. A little more than an hour after visiting with Noemi and her parents, the Holy Father held his weekly Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square. He began it by telling the crowd about his meeting with Noemi. "Her father and mother are praying, and asking the Lord to heal this beautiful little girl. … The poor little dear was smiling!" he said. Then he called on the throng in St. Peter's Square to perform an act of love. "We do not know her, but she is a baptized child, she is one of us, she is a Christian. Let us perform an act of love for her and in silence ask the Lord for his help in this moment and that he give her health. In silence one moment, and then we will pray the 'Hail Mary.'" I pray that everyone in the archdiocese will begin to prepare now for an Advent filled with the type of genuine charity that does not hesitate to look in the eyes of the needy, to touch their hand, to listen attentively and in doing so meet Jesus. Then you will be able to see him and welcome him all the more joyfully at Christmas. NOVEMBER 13, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Massive biblical artifacts display offers a good look at the 'Good Book' BY COLORADO CATHOLIC HERALD "Passages" is an extensive and impressive display of a wide variety of biblical artifacts—part of a massive private collection of the Steve Green family, owners of the Hobby Lobby chain. The traveling exhibit is currently located at the former Hobby Lobby store on 3974 Palmer Park Boulevard in Colorado Springs. For the sheer magnitude of documents, "Passages" is well worth a visit. This fascinating display chronicles the history of the Bible from its earliest recorded history until today. The Green family began collecting artifacts in 2009 and since then has acquired more than 40,000 artifacts relating to the Bible and its transmission through time. The exhibit is comprised of 450 items and takes two to three hours to walk through, but that really isn't enough time if you want to take it all in. For an additional cost, you can rent audio tour guides containing more than eight hours of additional information. You might want to consider purchasing a multi-day pass that allows unlimited visits—you can even upgrade your one-day pass on your way out. This traveling exhibit has only been to three other U.S. cities so far—debuting in 2011 in Oklahoma City then moving to Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. Colorado Springs has been its host since May. In February 2014, the exhibit will be packed up and move to its next location. Finally, in 2017, the exhibit will move to Washington, D.C., as a national Bible museum. In addition to the U.S. tour, portions of the Green Collection have gone international, beginning in March 2012 with a Lenten and Easter exhibit next door to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. That exhibit was called "Verbum Domini," named after Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 apostolic exhortation; it will return to the Vatican in 2014. Another similar exhibit is currently in Jerusalem, and yet another will be on display in Havana, Cuba, in early 2014. Jon Peterson, Community Relations Specialist for Passages, said the Colorado Springs exhibit has drawn people from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma as well as Colorado. He said they've PHOTO COURTESY "PASSAGES" EXHIBIT THE "PASSAGES" biblical artifacts exhibit includes this John of Crete Gospels manuscript in which each Gospel opens with a folio written with gold-over-magenta. received requests for setting up "Passages" displays in Denver "PASSAGES" and other nearby locations. "(However,) it's not something What: Interactive biblical artiwe can just set up overnight," facts display Peterson said, noting it takes Where: 3974 Palmer Park Bou40 semi-trailers and about one levard, Colorado Springs month's time to pack up and When: now to February 2014 move to each new location. The exhibit is an interfaith Information: call the box office and an interactive experience, at 888-297-8011 or visit www. containing the "second-largest explorepassages.com private collection of Dead Sea Scrolls," parts of a bombed-out debate between Erasmus, Marsynagogue from World War II, a tin Luther and Johann Eck about facsimile of St. Jerome's cave and Luther's 95 Theses. Others assoa working replica of the Guten- ciated with the translation of the berg press. Hundreds of docu- Bible into the vernacular, such as ments, manuscripts, papyri, and John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, even cuneiform (wedge-shaped) Anne Boleyn and John Knox, are tablets are included, some dat- highlighted. A presentation of a ing back to the time of Abraham. hypothetical conversation beBibles of multiple sizes, languag- tween biblical scholars working es, and denominations are also on the first King James edition of included. The collection is truly the Bible, in the Jerusalem Room of Westminster Abbey, focuses breathtaking. "Passages" also contains a va- on the difficulties of translations riety of hands-on and multime- when several different interpredia activities, such as holograms tations are possible for the same of Julia Ward Howe and Abra- word (for example, the Greek ham Lincoln conversing about word "ekklesia"). Although the exhibit is nonthe importance of the Bible in the world and its importance to sectarian, portions strongly lean Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Re- toward Protestantism. Another aspect of Passages is public." An animated "Louie the Lion," the legendary lion that the Speaker Series, which brings guarded St. Jerome's cave, reap- in leading biblical and archeopears at different places within logical scholars from around the the exhibit as part of a scavenger world to talk about their area of hunt to interest children. A Kid's expertise. These free lectures are Interactive Room includes many set 7 p.m. Nov. 19, Dec. 10, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14. Reservations are more hands-on activities. The interactive/multimedia required. For more information, pieces are not just for kids. The call 888-297-8011 or visit www. Reformation Theatre features a explorepassages.com. 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. Business 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

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