In the piercing cold

Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary

Hope is only truly hope when the situation is hope-less, and the situation must have appeared hopeless to Joseph and Mary at times. We romanticize Christmas Eve in our beautiful nativity scenes, but Jesus was born amidst feces and fleas in the piercing cold. The manger had no warmth or security. Herod wanted them dead, and the Holy Family fled as homeless refugees to Egypt to escape the Massacre of the Innocents. For those families who watched their children murdered, the situation must have been hopeless indeed.  
​
The Diocesan Advent mission was thus aptly titled Renewed in Hope because we need courageous hope, not toxic positivity.

​The mission began with Brett Powell encouraging attendees to confront the brutal facts facing the Catholic Church in a post-Christian era. The harsh reality is this: despite wonderful programs and a golden era of freely available, high-quality Catholic content, Mass participation continues to decline. Even though we have well-run, publicly funded Catholic schools, nearly 80% of Catholic children leave the church by age 23. Only 1% of teens raised by lukewarm Catholics are highly religious in their mid-to-late 20s. Perhaps most shocking, Powell highlighted that only 30% of practicing Catholics in the United States believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist (see Turnley, 2024). All these statistics suggest that a lot of sincere work in evangelization and catechesis is not effectively passing along the torch of faith.   

Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary

Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary

Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary

Powell asked the Diocese to consider making a radical shift from self-preservation because (in the West at least), there is less and less to preserve. Instead, we must let the Holy Spirit lead a new Pentecost. This is easier said than done because we stubbornly believe that we are both smart enough and good enough to know what needs doing. The Church may not be able to save all its buildings, but that is not the mission; cooperating with God to bring souls to Christ is. And so Powell advocated for a seeking Church, one that prophetically listens and goes out to find the lost sheep (who are close by). 
​
We must go. You and I. The scandal of particularity is that the Incarnation occurred in a specific time and location to real people. God needed Mary to say, “Let it be done to me according to your will.” God needed Joseph to heed the angel’s message to protect Jesus from a hostile world. (The word "need" is tricky here because God needs nothing, and this is precisely why it is scandalous). Mary and Joseph could have said no. Bishop McCaig pointed out that God invites a free response, and that our “Yes” gives God permission to act in our lives. Our cooperation also enables us to bring Jesus to other people so that He can work powerfully in their lives.

St. Martha's & All Saints, Lethbridge

St. Martha's & All Saints, Lethbridge

St. Martha's & All Saints, Lethbridge

Bishop McCaig stressed we cannot skip prayer, which is where real people in real moments have encounters with a living God. Are we ready for encounter? Because when we invite the Holy Spirit, He will likely disrupt our plans. Are we equipped? No, and we never will be. But are we willing to trust that God will equip us? Are we really willing? Because if we are, our prayer will lead to service and self-sacrifice. Some will serve as wordless witnesses, and others will answer the irresistible questions that arise in the hearts of those who see people living radiant Christian lives. All of us are being called to proclaim our personal experience of God and provide our testimony. Sadly, testimony is a word that makes some Catholics uncomfortable.  

St. Albert the Great, Calgary

St. Albert the Great, Calgary

St. Albert the Great, Calgary

Institutionally and individually, we are in a storm, and Mary Rose Bacani Valenti meditated on the storm of sin and suffering in which we find ourselves. When I was a child, I was scared of being buried alive. As an adult, I am far more terrified of pancreatic cancer, MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, addiction, and watching my friends and family members die slow painful deaths echoing the crucifixion. Add to this sea of suffering a blizzard of technological distraction, and it becomes easy to lose our nerve and take our eyes off Christ. Prayer is not efficient, Valenti said, but it is the only effective means for building the disciplined self-control and joy that Maximilian Kolbe demonstrated in Auschwitz. He shone the divine light in the hopelessness of a concentration camp by walking the talk: “Without sacrifice, there is no love.” 
​
Hope is only really hope when the situation is hopeless, but it is never truly hopeless because God is with us. In Advent especially, we must slow down to “live life at the pace of the soul,” as Powell put it. St. Ambrose counseled the same: “If faith and hope are to bear fruit, patience is necessary.” Hurry to bring Him gifts, but don’t panic. He is coming, just as He promised. 

St. Joseph's, Calgary

St. Joseph's, Calgary

St. Joseph's, Calgary

---

Written by Jason Openo for Faithfully. ​Written by Jason Openo for Faithfully. Jason is a permanent diaconate candidate who attends St. Patrick's Parish with his family in Medicine Hat. ​