Denver Catholic

2 I EASTER APRIL 23, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA Alleluia! Christ is Risen! With these words we celebrate the res- urrection of Jesus from the dead and his victory over our sins. We also affirm that Jesus' death and resurrection are firmly rooted in actual historical events that continue to change history today. Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian who published an ac- count of Jesus in his work "Jewish Antiquities" in 93 A.D., offers non-Christian proof of the historic events that gave birth to our faith. He writes: "About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the gentiles." The ancient historian also recalls the death and resurrection of Jesus. "And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared" ("Jewish Antiquities," 18.3.3 §63). Although some might like to convince us otherwise, Jesus re- ally did die, truly rose from the dead and ascended to the Father. And the tribe of Christians—the Church—is still here today. In John's Gospel we hear about how Jesus came and stood among the disciples in a locked room and said to them, "Peace be with you." Then, "he showed them his hands and his side" (John 20:20). The beautiful truth about our faith is that it has not become dormant or disappeared with the passage of time. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit remain active in the world through the Church, in the sacraments and through moments of grace given to those near or far from God. The power of the resurrection is realized every time for- giveness occurs in sacramental confession and every time we are transformed by receiving Jesus' body and blood in the Eucharist. Indeed, Jesus sent the Apostles into the world by breathing on them and saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). In a few short days, Pope Francis will canonize his predeces- sors John XXIII and John Paul II in Rome. These two successors of St. Peter are excellent examples of the living, ongoing nature of Jesus' victory over sin and death. They are two men who were born in obscure places, whose lives were changed forever by meeting and falling in love with Jesus and his Church, where they grew in faith, hope and charity. Through these two great and holy men, God changed the course of history and brought many people into the Church. Through these two popes, God led his Church through stormy times and blessed her abundantly. I encourage all of you to spend this Easter season developing a deeper awareness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit's daily acts of love for you. Pray for a more receptive heart to receive the love of the Trinity and to live in that love. Think about those sins that God's grace has enabled you to overcome. Recall those difficult moments that he has sent someone to you to support you and walk with you through pain and difficulty. Remember those moments when your heart was filled with hope and joy and dwell there in gratitude with the Holy Trinity. Remember, as the psalmist says, the things the Lord has done. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a present reality, and by living with an awareness of his love for us we will be able to respond to his call to "go forth." Every authentic disciple of Jesus must give witness to him in their life, with their families, friends, co-workers, and in the public square. My prayer for you this Easter season is that you become more deeply immersed in God's ongoing work of resurrection and that you allow him to change your life, and in doing so, change history. May the Risen Christ bless you abundantly! Jesus' resurrection is still happening BY JULIE FILBY Kelly's Conversion, Part 3: This is the final story in a se- ries that followed catechumen Kelly Seeman as she journeyed through Lent and Holy Week before entering the Church at Easter Vigil. When Kelly Seeman, 33, was baptized and confirmed Satur- day night, it was as if she finally found what she'd been looking for. It was the fulfillment of a long journey where every foot- step, every detour, every ob- stacle played a part in bringing her to her ultimate destination: the Catholic Church. "There were so many years I didn't even know if God exist- ed," she said wiping her eyes, overcome with emotion. "And now I realize he was there all along." On April 19 at the Easter Vig- il at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Kelly received the sacraments of baptism and confirma- tion from Archbishop Samuel Aquila—along with 21 oth- er catechumens and candi- dates—as well as received first Communion. "(Initially) my soul was bare," she said, relaying how she felt immediately after bap- tism. "When the chrism oil was put on my forehead (in confir- mation); that was when I really felt complete peace." Kelly's spiritual path to that peace began in the mountain town of Coal Creek Canyon, where she was raised with a "new age spiritualism." Curi- ous about religion and want- ing to know more about God, she tried non-denomination- al, Protestant and Born-again Christian groups. "I was genuinely interested in God," she said. "But it was never a right fit." Kelly became familiar with the Catholic Church through her husband of five years, Ryan, who grew up attending Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada. When going to Mass with Ryan and his family she felt "at home." Last September, once the tim- ing was right, she began the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at the Cathedral Basilica where she has attended twice weekly classes for the last nine months, learning the faith, preparing for the sacraments, and building community with fellow catechumens and can- didates. One step of the RCIA process that was particularly meaningful to her was choosing a patron saint for confirmation. "I thought long and hard about it," she said, studying sev- eral saints, considering soon- to-be-canonized John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila—and in the end selecting the one she felt most closely related to her own spirituality: St. John of the Cross. St. John of the Cross, a Span- ish priest, 16th-century mystic, and major figure in the Counter Reformation, was kidnapped and beaten by members of his own order because of his work with St. Teresa of Avila to reform the Carmelite order. St. John was locked in a 6-by-10-foot cell with just one tiny window, and though in the darkness and suf- fering, he found happiness and beauty in God. "God brought John his joys in that tiny cell," Kelly said, then she shared two of his quotes that really "spoke to her." "Who has ever seen peo- ple persuaded to love God by harshness?" and "Where there is no love, put love—and you will find love." "His teachings are really in- sightful," she said, and remind her that even in the darkest mo- ments of life, she will find God. She believes St. John's teach - ings will serve as a sort of road- map as she continues her faith journey. The saint, also a doc- tor of the Church, wrote many books of practical advice for spiritual growth and prayer. Kelly received "The Ascent of Mount Carmel," by Marc Foley, O.C.D., from her RCIA spon- sor, Betty Dee. The book takes reflections from St. John of the Cross and puts them in more modern language, making them easier to understand. When considering how to best describe how she felt after Easter Vigil, she borrowed the words of her new patron, quot- ing Father Foley's book. "In the passive night of the spirit, the inflow of God inten- sifies; the guiding light of con- templation becomes a searing ray that 'assails' the soul. The soul stands utterly exposed and is overwhelmed by what it sees. Stripped of all its ratio- nalizations and defenses." While it's different for every- one, she said, that conveyed how she felt when Archbishop Aquila instructed the catechu- mens to "walk always as chil- dren of the light." As she considers what comes next, she feels confident St. John of the Cross will help guide her. "I want to be a good Catholic and apply all I've learned over the last few months. I'm really excited ... I've been working to- wards it a long time." she said. "Tonight was something spe- cial, something sacred. "It's just about searching for something for so long," she continued. "Then when you find it, and learn how to have a dialogue with it, you see a dif- ferent path." Julie Filby: 303-715-3123; julie. filby@archden.org; www.twitter. com/DCRegisterJulie Convert's search for God reveals he was there all along PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP Samuel Aquila welcomes Kelly Seeman to the Church during Easter Vigil April 19 at the Cathe- dral Basilica, as her spon- sor, Betty Dee, looks on. For more on Kelly's con- version, visit www.Denver Catholic Register.org.

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