Denver Catholic

2 DECEMBER 23, 2017-JANUARY 26, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK 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: denvercatholic.org/circulation General Manager KARNA LOZOYA Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Parishioners of the Parish-Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe lead a procession through the neighborhood surrounding the church on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. PHOTO BY JANETH CHAVEZ | DENVER CATHOLIC God's gift of peace in uncertainty W e are shortly approaching two events that this year stand in contrast to one another — the birth of Jesus at Christ- mas and the end of 2017. Christmas brings with it the peace and good news of our Savior's birth, while a review of this past year reveals a time of uncer- tainty and cultural disarray. This same reality was present when Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago. Most scholars believe that Jesus was born roughly around the year 4 B.C., which was a particularly turbulent time in the Holy Land. The ruthless King Herod the Great, who died soon after Jesus was born, contributed signifi cantly to this upheaval. The historian Philip Jenkins described Herod as having "a long career that was bloody and paranoid even by the standards of Hellenistic monarchies. He ruled through tactics of mass terror and widespread sur- veillance that sometimes sound like a foretaste of the Stalin years." In the aftermath of his death, the his- torian Josephus recounts how various Jewish activists rallied in the streets of Jerusalem and the surrounding parts of Judea. This movement included three separate men being proclaimed kings in di‹ erent cities by popular approval. One of these upstart kings was Judas, the son of Hezekiah, who took over the town of Sepphoris, which was located a mere four miles from Nazareth. The Roman governor of nearby Syria was alerted and he arrived with two legions, which burned Sepphoris to the ground and enslaved its inhabitants. As Jenkins points out, "Some four miles away, there would have been living at this time a young couple named Joseph and Mary, who must have heard of these developments with terror. Just possibly, they had a new- born. Did those invading troops plun- der Nazareth?" We don't know if the Holy Family experienced this violent suppression, but we do know that the Prince of Peace was born into a time of upheaval and political tension. This fact is worth refl ecting on as we celebrate Christmas and bring 2017 to a close. This year has been one of political uncertainty, not only in the U.S. but around the world. We have also endured tragedies like the mass shoot- ing in Las Vegas, the war in Syria and the resulting displacement of millions of people, a violent rise in racial ten- sions, the devastation caused by Hur- ricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the implementation of assisted suicide in Colorado, just to name some of the major events. In the humble settings of a stable in Bethlehem, the Son of God brought hope, fi rst to the lowly and then to kings. We live in a time of great spir- itual poverty, despite our material wealth, and we need the lasting peace that Jesus brings to the lowly. The peace he o‹ ers is the restoration of our relationship with God the Father, the gift of a new identity as his adopted sons and daughters, and the healing of our entire person. This takes place through personally encountering God in the sacraments, in reading his Word, in silent prayer and in others. No matter what your circumstances are, God the Father longs to bring you, your family and the world back into right relationship with him. And at Christmas he shows us that he always chooses to reach out to us in a humble and hidden way, calling us to himself when we are weak. Mary and Joseph are perfect exam- ples of God's way of saving us. He chose an unknown but holy virgin in the small, insignifi cant town of Nazareth to bring his son into the world. St. Joseph, a carpenter, was also humble. In his book, Theotokos: Pre- paring for Christmas with the Mother of God, Father Mark Toups proposes that St. Joseph might have resolved to quietly divorce Mary precisely because he realized she was carrying the Son of God in her womb and he felt unworthy. But God "knew exactly how Joseph felt and said, 'Do not be afraid,'" Father Toups adds. This same message is one that he speaks to us now at Christmas and at any moment we are willing to listen. It is worth repeating: Do not be afraid, God is with us. As we prepare for 2018, I encourage you to open your hearts to receive the peace and healing of Jesus as the fi rm foundation for your plans. Approach Jesus in prayer and ask him what he is inviting you to do in the coming year to bring his light into our confused and chaotic times. May God bless each one of you in the coming year and give you his peace! @ArchbishopDen Dec. 12 "Listen & understand, my humblest son. There is nothing to frighten & distress you. Do not let your heart be troubled, & let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection?" Mary to Juan Diego & all humanity! May we receive her love! +sja DEC. 24/25: Midnight Mass, Ca- thedral Basilica of the Immacu- late Conception (12 a.m.) DEC. 25: Mass at Federal Cor- rectional Institute, Littleton (12 p.m.) DEC. 29: Mass for Little Sisters of the Poor 100th Anniversary, Cathedral Basilica of the Immac- ulate Conception (12 p.m.) JAN. 1: Mass, Dedication of the new church, Guardian Angels, Mead, CO (11 a.m.) JAN. 7: Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10:30 a.m.) JAN. 13: Mass & Denver March for Life, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (11:30 a.m.) ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE

• Cover