Denver Catholic

DC_September 09, 2017

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2 SEPTEMBER 9-22, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK @ArchbishopDen Aug. 26 Mass today with #CUMed students! Blessings on them as they begin a new year! #CMA #ArchDen +sja Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $50 a year in Colorado; $57 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $57 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $63 air; Canada, $70 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. CIRCULATION & CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or info@archden.org. General Manager KARNA SWANSON Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila poses with medical students at University of Colorado Hospital – Anschutz Campus after celebrating a special Mass for them Aug. 26 as they began a new year of classes. PHOTO PROVIDED Hearts ready to respond D uring the entire liturgical year, there are only two saints whose birth the Church celebrates: John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why these two saints and not others? It is because God gave them the mission of announcing and bringing Jesus to the world. Today, every believer is tasked with preparing for this same mission. Birthday celebrations are a rec- ognition of the fact that the world is changed by every birth; a completely unique person is added to the ranks of the living. But when we celebrate Mary's birth on Sept. 8th, we are rec- ognizing that the world was changed in an even more profound way and eternal way. In her, we witness the fulfi llment of God's promise in Gen- esis 3:15 that the Devil would be crushed by the oŠ spring of a woman. This woman is Mary, the New Eve, whose role St. Irenaeus of Lyon beautifully described in the second century. "Just as the former — that is, Eve — was seduced by the words of an angel so that she turned away from God by disobeying his word, so the latter — Mary — received the good news from an angel's announcement in such a way as to give birth to God by obeying his word; and as the former was seduced so that she disobeyed God, the latter let herself be convinced to obey God, and so the Virgin Mary became the advocate of the virgin Eve" (Against Heresies, V, 19, 1). The birth of Mary was a turning point in salvation history. It was the moment at which the new Eve was born and because of her "yes" to being the mother of the new Adam, God became a man. God also calls each of us to bring about the kingdom of God today in a way that is uniquely tailored to the gifts the Father has given us. We all have a part to play in the salvation of the world, and this coming Oct. 13th could serve as a moment of grace in your journey to your true home in heaven. The signifi cance of Oct. 13th is that it is the 100th anniversary of Mary's appearances at Fatima. The central message of Fatima, which remains relevant today, is this: That Mary wishes to assist us, through her Immaculate Heart, in bringing the world back to God. Mary's deepest desire is that the world come to know the mercy and love of her Son. That every human being may encounter him and put their faith in him. Given the ever-present need for our hearts to be formed by Jesus, Bishop Rodriguez and I are inviting everyone to consecrate themselves and the whole archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in a ceremony at the Cathedral Basilica on Oct. 13th. Every parish is being invited to participate in this conse- cration, either with their own simul- taneous ceremony, or by following the cathedral liturgy via livestream. The archdiocese is also making preparatory materials available at archden.org/heartofmary. Visit the site, and look at ways you can person- ally prepare for this consecration and participate in it more fully. As we celebrate the birth of Mary, I pray that each one of you will open your hearts to hear the words, "Behold your mother," that Jesus spoke from the Cross. Open your hearts to receive Mary as your mother and to grow in intimacy with her, for she will always lead you to her Son. Pray for a deeper faith and to have the faith of Mary, who was blessed for her confi dence in God's promises to her (Lk. 1: 45). Pray, too, for the conversion of the world, and that every human being may open their hearts to encounter Jesus and come to know his eternal love for them! May Mary place her mantle of love and protection over you! SEPT. 9: Mass for Installation of Pastor, St. Augustine Parish, Brighton (5 p.m.) SEPT. 14: Mass with seminarians and faculty, Redemptoris Mater Seminary chapel, St. John Paul II Center (5:30 p.m.) ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE Mary wishes to assist us, through her Immaculate Heart, in bringing the world back to God. " Prayer vigil at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in preparation for the 100th anni- versary of the Fatima apparitions on May 12, 2017. PHOTO BY DANIEL IBANEZ | CNA

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