Walking in His shoes

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Elena Colas

Every year, my family and I go on our traditional trip to Jerusalem, to celebrate Passover. The year I turned 12, I had an experience there that I'll never forget.

We went up to the city, just as always, but when the feast was over and people started leaving, I was separated from the crowd and stuck in Jerusalem! I turned around for one second and my parents were gone, nobody I knew in sight.

Feast of the Holy Family (Dec. 28, 2003) 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28 or Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10 or Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24 or Col 3:12-21 Lk 2:41-52

The streets were packed with people, dust, and animals. I felt kind of small, and being only 12, a little afraid, too.

Questions rushed into my head. How had we gotten separated? I was holding my mother's hand one minute, and it seemed the very next she was gone.

Were they searching for me? Did they even notice I was gone?

I began to pray."Father," I said, "please tell me where to go. A little guidance would be nice right now. This is a big city and I don't know my way here."

After a couple of hours of wandering around, I thought, I've been to this city every year for 12 years, why does it seem so much bigger now? I guess it probably seemed smaller because I wasn't so alone.

Well, there is one place I know how to get to, the temple! I'll go to the temple and wait for my parents. I'm sure they will let me stay for a few days if I need to.

I couldn't find anyone in front of the temple, so I went inside and walked around a little. From a doorway, I saw a group of teachers debating something. I figured it was religion, so I listened.

One of the teachers saw me and asked if I wanted to visit with them. I joined in the debate, and soon they were asking me questions. The answers I gave amazed me. Profound things came out of my mouth, things I never thought I knew. The teachers were amazed, and we talked for the whole day-long.

	Reflection questions • Has God ever led you to an unexpected place? What happened? • Have you ever read a Gospel account and then put yourself in Jesus' shoes? What must it have been like for Jesus to be fully human and fully Divine?

The next morning, my parents came to the temple and were shocked that I was hanging around with these wise, older people. They were upset, and I can understand that.

What I can't explain is how right it felt to be in the temple, with those teachers on that day. It felt like God had led me there, held me back for a reason.

I wasn't mad at my parents any more, and I felt a little bad that I made them worry so much. My mom and dad were glad to have me back, and we'll never forget those few days apart.

Elena Colas, a member of St. Paul University Catholic Center, is a freshman at James Madison Memorial High School.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Different responses to being troubled

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Fr. Randy J. Timmerman

The scriptures of the Christmas Season offer us two different approaches to news that troubles us. Let us look at the reaction of Herod in today's Gospel, then let us recall Mary's response to being troubled.

"When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."

Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 4, 2004) Is 60:1-6 Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 Mt 2:1-12

Herod, threatened by the news of a newborn king, explodes into murderous action, attempting to secure his own position, his own power. His need to be in control is so great that he is even willing to destroy innocents.

His desperation is immediate and acute as he gathers the chief priests and others to secure his own kingdom. Herod is troubled. He reacts. Soon all of Jerusalem is troubled.

Then there is Mary. The angel greets her, "Hail favored one! The Lord is with you." But Mary was, Scripture tells us, greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary for you have found favor with God."

When Mary is greatly troubled she ponders. She goes within herself to find a place of trust in God. It is then, when she is greatly troubled and contemplative, that she can hear the voice of the angel "do not be afraid."

For Mary, trouble provides an opportunity to reflect, to connect with the Spirit within her, to find solace and peace. She can accept trouble with both serenity and trust.

She doesn't try to take control; she doesn't fight for power. She leaves it in God's hands. Then she feels God's love and it brings her solace and strength.

This interior relationship gives Mary the ability to find God in all things, to remain calm when her world is turned inside out. Her troubles do not become worries or sorrows for others, because her faith is unwavering.

Even such contemporary musicians as John Lennon and Paul McCartney show their awareness of the depth of Mary's understanding:

"When I find myself in times of trouble

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be. Let it be.

Let it be. Let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be."

	Reflection questions • What is most troubling to you this Christmas season? • Rather than trying to control your troubles, can you place them in God's hands?

When we are greatly troubled, we can choose to reflect, to go within ourselves to that interior sanctuary, the place of resting in God. We can choose to "let it be." Then we are able to hear that we have found favor with him.

Fr. Randy J. Timmerman is pastor of St. Paul University Catholic Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. You are invited to visit St. Paul's Web site at: www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive for Dec. 28

In a Nutshell The saints' single-minded pursuit of holiness fascinates and attracts us. But saints find God by dealing with the same distractions, temptations and conflicts we all do. Saints are characterized by a remarkable attentiveness to God and God's will. Holy people are docile to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit blows where he wills, and they follow without hesitation. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   Modern society urgently needs people who practice mercy, Pope John Paul II said when he canonized a layman named Pedro de San Jose Betancur in the summer of 2002 in Guatemala -- a man often called the "St. Francis of the Americas." And when this pope beatified Mother Teresa of Calcutta in October 2003, he said her greatness "lies in her ability to give without counting the cost." Her life is "a testimony to the dignity and the privilege of humble service," he said. St. Betancur, who joined the Franciscans' third order as a layman, became Central America's first canonized saint. Before his death in 1667, he established a hospital, schools and shelters for impoverished people, working especially among the sick, the imprisoned and slaves. The pope said that St. Betancur "was truly a brother to all who lived in misfortune." full story   A Saint in the Age of Television By Marcellino D'Ambrosio Catholic News Service A congenial old man, Angelo Roncalli, was elected to the chair of Peter in 1958. He was to be a caretaker pope, someone to keep the ship steady while the cardinals identified a more long-term leader. That smiling man soon stunned the world by calling the first ecumenical council in nearly 100 years. That was not exactly what those who elected him had in mind. But they had chosen a profoundly holy man for the job, someone who would be declared "blessed" just a few decades later. full story  Priest-Martyr of Dachau By Stanley J. Konieczny Catholic News Service If you looked beyond the clutter of my desk, you might glimpse a portrait of a young priest taped to my computer monitor. He could well be a contemporary, were it not for that "badge of honor" on his clerical suit. Above his heart, he wears a triangle and a prisoner identification number. This is Blessed Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, a diocesan priest martyred at the Nazis' Dachau concentration camp outside Munich, Germany, and declared blessed June 7, 1999, by Pope John Paul II. full story  What Is It That We Like About Saints? By Sheila Garcia Catholic News Service Saints fascinate us. When I was 9 I read a biography of St. Therese, the "Little Flower," who entered a cloistered Carmelite convent when she was just several years older than I was. Despite the hardships of convent life, which ended with an agonizing death from tuberculosis, Therese never lost her desire to give herself completely to God. Her story moved me, and her name became my confirmation name. full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: Tell of a saint who is a model for you and why this is so.     Selected Response From Readers:
Copyright © 2003 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Faith Alive for Jan. 4

In a Nutshell An accelerated pace of change is now a fact of life. The impact of change in so many areas of life challenges Christians to clarify priorities, evaluating new or proposed changes in light of those priorities. Catholic tradition provides values by which to live attentively, intelligently, reasonably and responsibly in this fast-paced, changing world. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   It isn't news to report that change is a constant of our world. What may be news is just how rapidly this world now is changing. It can leave people spinning! This fast-changing world makes demands on us, asks questions of us. Sometimes they're exciting questions, other times they're unsettling. But we also can address the world. We can praise its welcome developments and question others. We can make ourselves known. The bishop of Limerick, Ireland, recently said something interesting about our place in this fast-changing new world of globalization, interreligious contact (and conflict), information technology and "incredibly destructive weapons." Bishop Donal Murray noted how each "period in history brings new situations and challenges" not yet "touched by the Gospel." He said that because of its "pace of change," culture now "presents many areas" that never previously have "been lived in or reflected on by Christians and which are, therefore, not yet evangelized." full story   Our World's Accelerated Pace of Change By Father Robert L. Kinast Catholic News Service When I bought my computer four years ago, it was the latest model with the market's fastest processor. Today it is virtually obsolete in terms of speed, downloading capabilities and the storing of graphics. During that same time period, cell phones appeared everywhere. Now when I'm in an airport or other public place, I have a hard time finding a pay phone to make a call. full story  Wired, and Accessible By Phone and E-Mail Only! By Christopher Carstens, Ph.D. Catholic News Service I read recently that a very popular option on luxury vacation cruises is the short-term rental of a satellite phone. Equipped with one of these, one need never be out of contact with the people back at the office. Phone, e-mail, Internet: It's all right there with you as you steam past the Bahamas. "When a customer needs support, they need it right away," one upbeat satellite user said. "I can send an e-mail from anywhere, and they have no way of knowing I'm not in the office." full story  Four Steps Toward Situating Ourselves in This New World By Father Kenneth R. Himes, OFM Catholic News Service A friend told me what she wished for more than anything else was to find a "still point" in her life. She is not alone in her desire. The pace of our lives is so rapid. Sometimes, the hour hand on the clock seems like the second hand. How to keep up with time? How stay on top of things? The daily news comes from all sorts of unfamiliar locales, and many issues pass us by before we can grasp what's going on: stem-cell research, hedge funds, identify fraud, religious terrorism. It can be overwhelming! full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: What gives you hope for our so rapidly changing world?     Selected Response From Readers:
Copyright © 2003 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops