Denver Catholic

2 I ADVENT DECEMBER 10, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA The Church has just celebrated the Solemnity of the Im- maculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day is on Dec. 12, and we are quickly approaching Christmas. The liturgical year is fi lled with celebrations, but do we really understand how Catholic feasts are more than religious parties? It is easy to treat Christmas or other liturgical feasts as only a celebration of Mass, food, family and gifts, so this week I am going to discuss the Catholic understanding of celebrating feast days. I hope that all who read this column will become more engaged in Advent and usher in Christ- mas with a deeper joy. The word "holiday" comes from the Old English expres- sion halig doeg, which means "holy day." But over the years it has come to mean anything from taking a vacation to having a day off work. The Christian and Jewish understanding of holiday has a deeper meaning and history. It comes from the very fi rst one, which God established when he rested on the seventh day of creation and "hallowed" it, meaning, he set it aside for spiritual purposes. Following God the Father's example, this is what we do when we celebrate the feast days of saints and events in the life of Christ. In the life of the Church, there are three important dimensions to our celebrations that I want to share with you to deepen your joy and your experience, especially at Christmas and Easter. The fi rst aspect has to do with the message of a feast. You might think of feasts as events that punctuate the calendar year and are fi lled with food and friends, but faith sees them differently. Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote about this in his book, "Seeking the Face of God." Feasts, he said, are an "expression of God's inexhaustible love, of which we are made aware by an act of memory." In other words, when we celebrate a feast, we recall the event that tells us of God's love and immerse our- selves in it as a community or family. We remember God's miraculous work, connect ourselves to it, and experience the effects of that grace together. A second quality of feasts is that they recalibrate our per- ception of what matters by drawing us out of our everyday existence. When we celebrate holy days, we recall the past events, words and miracles of God, but we also turn our hearts and minds to our future. Doing this reminds us that God loves us, and points us to our ultimate goal in life—liv- ing in intimate communion with him forever in heaven. In his book "Dogma and Preaching," Cardinal Ratzinger expressed this dimension of feasts beautifully. He wrote, "It means that for the moment he is freed from the stern logic of the struggle for existence and looks beyond his own nar- row world to the totality of things. It means that he allows himself to be comforted, allows his conscience to be moved by the love he fi nds in the God who has become a child, and that in doing so he becomes freer, richer, purer. If we were to try celebrating in this fashion, would not a sigh of relief pass across the world?" Finally, feast days should be moments of genuine joy. When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the birth of Jesus, Christ's death and Resurrection or the life of a saint, we are fi lled with joy because we know through faith that we have been freed from sin and death. All of these moments that we observe throughout the year point to the same fundamental truth: God has freed us from sin and death through his son, Jesus. He has liberated St. Jo- seph, Mary, St. Francis, St. Frances Cabrini, St. John Paul II, countless unnamed saints, and you and me! As you prepare for Christmas this Advent, keep in mind the three dimensions of feasts. They are an experience of God's unfailing love for us, a moment of reorientation to what matters in life, and a time of profound joy. How Catholic feasts are different 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 Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the fi rst week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by Signature Offset in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. 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. 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 General Manager Karna Swanson Interim Editor Julie Filby Business Manager Michael O'Neill See Aquila, Page 10 BY DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER As Catholics across northern Colorado register for the fi rst ever TeleForum with Archbish- op Samuel J. Aquila of Denver, many have sent in questions wondering what to expect from the live, interactive phone call. To answer these questions, the Denver Catholic Register spoke with Karna Swanson, executive director of communications for the Archdiocese of Denver. Read below for answers on why the archdiocese is launching the TeleForum, and why it is a per- fect way for families to prepare for Christmas. Q: What is a TeleForum? A: Think of a town hall, but in- stead of having to get into your car and drive across town, you can participate wherever you happen to be on Sunday (Dec. 21) at 7 p.m. All you need to do is answer your phone, and you and your family will be participating in the event in real-time with the archbishop and thousands of other Catholics around northern Colorado. During the TeleForum each participant will have the oppor- tunity to ask a question, just as you would in a town hall meet- ing. In the TeleForum, howev- er, everyone will also be able to leave a recorded message that will be transcribed and sent to the archbishop. There will also be opportunities to participate in short polls and surveys. Q: Why is the archdiocese launching the TeleForum? A: The archbishop is launch- ing the TeleForum because he wants to hear directly from the Catholics of northern Colorado! This, and future phone events, will open up a new line of com- munication between the arch- bishop and parishioners that will enable both to ask and answer questions about the Church. The TeleForum is used extensively by politicians to keeps constitu- ents informed and engaged; the archbishop wants to reach out to Catholics in the same way. Q: Who should participate, and what kind of questions can I ask? A: Any Catholic that wants an opportunity to talk directly with the archbishop, ask questions about the Church, and wants to ensure that his or her voice is heard should participate. With regard to the questions, we would like everyone to feel free to ask anything that is on your mind and heart. But in particular, it would be amazing to receive honest and open questions about key obstacles one encounters in living a Christian life, for example: Is confession hard for you? Why? What can we do to help? Another fantastic element of the TeleForum is the ability to take part in short polls and sur- veys during the event. This is a way to give instant feedback on how the event is going, on which topics are most interesting and what themes should be consid- ered for a future event. Q: Will there be a format for the event? How long will it last? A: The event should last be- tween 45 minutes and an hour. It will begin with an introduction by the moderator, who will ex- plain the event and how to ask a question. The archbishop will then share a short Christmas message, and then he will take questions from the audience. Throughout the event, the moderator will take short polls and surveys. Once the event ends, partic- ipants can stay on the line to leave a voicemail, which can be questions that weren't answered, requests for more information or comments on the event. Also, the entire event will be posted online. Q: Why at Christmas? Aren't we busy enough? A: It's true, we are all very busy this time of year, which is exact- ly why the archbishop chose the Sunday before Christmas to launch the TeleForum. There are so many distractions pulling for our attention as we draw closer to the celebration of Christ's birth, and it's right at that moment that we all need a gentle reminder about what exactly we are go- ing to celebrate a few days later. That's also why we titled the event "Enter the Mystery." This will be an opportunity for all of us to get on the phone together with our archbishop, take a break from the hectic pace of the holiday season, and remember that Christmas is about celebrating the most un- fathomable of mysteries. Q: How do I participate? A: To participate in the TeleFo- rum, all you need to do is register your phone number for free at www.archden.org. Be ready a few minutes before 7 p.m. on Dec. 21, and the archbishop will give you a call. Put the phone on speaker, and participate as a family! Registrations under way for fi rst TeleForum with archbishop PHOTO BY JASON TAYLOR/ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER ALL CATHOLICS are invit- ed to participate in a live interactive phone call with Archbishop Samuel Aquila 7 p.m. Dec. 21. During the call, Archbishop Aquila will deliver a Christmas message, and each participant will have the opportunity to ask a question and leave a recorded mes- sage that will be transcribed and sent to the archbishop. TELEFORUM WITH ARCHBISHOP AQUILA The TeleForum titled "Enter the Mystery" will take place 7 p.m. Dec. 21. Register for free at www.archden.org to be called by the archbishop and have the chance to have your questions answered live.

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