Denver Catholic

4 I OPINION AUGUST 28, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER B. They responded in obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and through prayer came to know of the Son C. They were among the first that the Holy Spirit, through Mary, brought into communion with Jesus. GEORGE WEIGEL Living inside the Bible KRACOW, Poland—The village of Pasierbiec is in the south of Poland, about 30 miles from the old royal capital of Kracow. Its church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, is full of votum gifts testifying to favors received through the intercession of the basilica's namesake. (The church itself reminds me of a comment Pope John Paul II's secretary, now-Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, once made when we were looking at a photo album of new churches in Nowa Huta, the mill-town built by Polish communists outside Cracow: "Troppo [Too much] Corbusier...") Outside the church, the priests and people of Pasierbiec have done something quite remarkable, however: they've recently constructed a stunning, contemporary Via Crucis, in which figures from modern Polish Catholic history are "inserted" into the traditional Stations of the Cross. The bronzes themselves are well-done, but what is particularly striking about the Pasierbiec Via Crucis is the idea that animates these sculptures—the idea that we can, and should, imagine ourselves living inside the biblical story. Or, if you prefer, the Pasierbiec Via Crucis is a powerful invitation to look at the world around us, including recent history, through lenses ground by biblical faith. Some examples of this optic at work at Pasierbiec: In the depiction of the fifth station, it is Blessed John Paul II, not Simon of Cyrene, who helps Jesus carry the cross. At the sixth station, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, the martyr-priest of Solidarity, relieves Jesus of some of the weight of the Cross while Veronica wipes the Holy Face; the message Father Jerzy preached during martial law in Poland—"Overcome evil with good"—is inscribed on the Cross. At the seventh station, the second fall, the Lord is supported by Father Franciszek Blachnicki, founder of the Oasis youth movement in which tens of thousands of young Poles were catechized during holiday camping trips. At the eighth station, where Jesus traditionally meets the women of Jerusalem, he now meets Stanislawa Leszczynska and Stefania Lacka, prisoners who rescued children born in the Auschwitz concentration camp. At the ninth station, the third fall, the priest comforting the Lord is Blessed Roman Sitka, rector of the local seminary in Tarnow and a concentration camp prisoner (like several thousand Polish priests). At the 10th station, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, primate of Poland during the first 33 years of communist rule, holds the clothes being stripped from Jesus—an image that evokes memories of the cardinal being stripped of his freedom and his dignity during three years of house arrest. Viewed close-up, the soldiers nailing Jesus to the Cross are obviously Roman; from a distance, their helmets are eerily reminiscent of the familiar SS helmets of World War II. And at the 14th station, two contemporary Polish martyrs witness the entombment of the Crucified One: Father Jan Czuba, martyred in the Congo, and Father Zbigniew Strzalkowski, martyred in Peru. The dedication of this shrine, which reflects a thoroughly contemporary biblical faith, was led by the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who once told me that German martyrs, not German theologians, would be the foundation on which Christianity in 21st-century Germany would be rebuilt after the horrors of the 20th century. Meisner's presence at the dedication was a powerful sign of the German-Polish reconciliation sought by Wyszynski and Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, at the end of the Second Vatican Council; it also bore embodied the German prelate's conviction that Tertullian's second-century insight remains true, 18 centuries later: sanguis martyrum semen christianorum [the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church]. The post-modern world is a wilderness of mirrors in which nothing is stable: even maleness and femaleness, two "givens" throughout recorded human history, are now regarded as "cultural constructs" to be altered at will. Reason alone seems unable to offer a powerful antidote to a post-mod culture of unreality. To see the world around us from "inside" the biblical story of the human condition can be a reality-check. It's one our culture and society badly need these days. BY PETER WESTHOFF The Holy Spirit: communion, mission and love A quiz on Catholic things under the patronage of the "Doctor of Prayer," St. Teresa of Avila. For each question there is one right answer, but the answer for one question is "None of the Above." The following quiz covers Catechism of the Catholic Church Nos. 721-747. 1. Shepherds, Magi, Simeon and Anna, the bride and groom at Cana, the first disciples: What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say of this list of persons? A. They were each in communion with another or others and were inspired by the Holy Spirit to know the wisdom of God. 2. In Luke 11:13, Our Lord refers to the Holy Spirit when teaching the apostles about prayer. Before this verse, Jesus 6. By the power of speaks of gifts that YEAR the Holy Spirit we a father might give OF FAITH can bear much to his son. What fruit. St. Paul in SCRIPTURE were these gifts? Galatians 5:22A. a fish and an Consider it all joy, my broth23 lists nine of egg ers, when you encounter the 12 fruits of B. courage and various trials, for you know the Holy Spirit. honesty that the testing of your Which three does C. a spear and a faith produces perhe not include? shield severance.—Jas A. chastity, modesty, 1:2-3 3. After Christ is long suffering raised from the dead and B. peace, patience, joy breathes the Holy Spirit on the C. goodness, mildness, apostles, the catechism states, faithfulness "From this hour onward the mis7. The catechism concludes sion of Christ and of the Spirit this section on the Holy Spirit becomes…. with these words, "She is the A. united in the glory of the sacrament of the Holy Trinity's heavenly Father communion with men." What B. the mission of the Church does the feminine pronoun that C. a radical, transforming power begins the quote have as its 4. "Exalted at the right hand of antecedent? God, he received the promise of A. Mary, the Mother of God the Holy Spirit from the Father B. Sanctifying Grace and poured it forth as you see C. the Wisdom of God and hear." By whom and when were these words found in Acts spoken? A. Paul in the synagogue in Iconium LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thanks for the truth on HHS mandate The Aug. 14 article on the Obama administration's Health and Human Services mandate ("HHS mandate an insult to religious freedom, intolerant of Catholics") is, in one short piece, the finest explanation that this "mandate" is all-out war against Catholics. In old naval terms, it is "the shot across the bow" of a ship and indicates a battle or war. Make no mistake: the severe penalties imposed with this mandate forces compliance or the fiscal ruin of those who don't comply. These bullies know that money talks. Why are Anabaptists, Amish 5. Romans 5:5: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." What is the first effect of this gift of love? A. enlightenment of the intellect B. forgiveness of sin C. detachment from the world 1. C, 2. A, 3. B, 4. C, 5. B, 6. A, 7. None of the Above - the Church THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE B. Luke after the shipwreck near Malta C. Peter on Pentecost and Mennonites exempt but not Catholics, even though we, too, think that contraception and abortion are immoral? Little is written in the secular press or heard in the secular media regarding the progress of these lawsuits. I hope our wonderful Denver Catholic Register keeps us apprised of their status. Returning, again, to naval history, I hope that we too can say, as John Paul Jones did when the battle looked grim for his ship, "We have just begun to fight." Life is worth it. Again I thank the Register for shedding great light on the truth and what is so important. Frank Galmish Denver LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should be no more than 250 words and should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We rely on our readers to recognize that the opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Archdiocese of Denver. Letters containing plainly misstated facts, misinformation or libelous statements will not be printed. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Letters may be edited. Send letters to: Editor, Denver Catholic Register, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or fax to 303-715-2045. E-mail us at: editor@archden.org. ARCHBISHOP AQUILA'S SCHEDULE Aug. 29-Sept. 3: Archdiocese of Denver Year of Faith Pilgrimage, Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Mexico City OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS The following assignment by Very Rev. Harry A. Grile, C.Ss.R., provincial superior, the Redemptorists Denver Province, Denver, Colo., is confirmed by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L. Rev. Kingsley Onyeghala Onyekuru, C.Ss.R., granted presbyteral faculties of the Archdiocese of Denver, effective Aug. 15, 2013, until his ministry in the archdiocese is completed. He will be in residence at the provincial residence of the Redemptorist's Denver Province. The following assignment by Rev. Douglas W. Marcouiller, S.J., provincial, Jesuits of the Missouri Province, St. Louis, Mo., is confirmed by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L. Rev. John Folzenlogen, S.J., granted presbyteral faculties of the Archdiocese of Denver, effective immediately, until his ministry in the archdiocese is completed. He will be a member of the Xavier Jesuit Community.

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