ISSN: 0029-7739 $ 1.00 per copy THE BSERVER OOfficial Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford Volume 81 | No. 4 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2015 Have a Blessed Christmas And the Word became fl esh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 (CNS/Bridgeman Art Library) Quick News Holy Doors Open For Year of Mercy in DAC to Mark Holidays Two Holy Days of Rockford Diocese The Diocesan Administration Obligation on Calendar Bishop David Malloy prays Center will be closed Dec. 24, Christmas Day, the feast of the Christmas Eve; Dec. 25, Christ- Nativity of Christ, on Dec. 25 before opening the holy mas Day; Dec. 31, New Year’s and the feast of the Blessed doors at the Cathedral of St. Eve; and Jan. 1, the feast of the Virgin Mary Mother of God on Peter in Rockford Dec. 13. Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jan. 1, are holy days of obliga- It is one of eight churches God. tion. Check your parish bulletin on the diocesan holy year for Mass times. pilgrimage route. Next Observer in 2016 ABOUT THE COVER: Mary pgs. 4-5 There will be no issues of The and the child Jesus are depicted Observer Dec. 25 or Jan. 1. The (above) in a 17th-century This Issue index on pg. 3 next issue will be Jan. 8. painting by Il Sassoferrato. (Observer photo by Amanda Hudson) 2 FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2015 | The Observer Let Us Encounter Mercy and Grace The Observer (ISSN 0029- This Christmas and in the New Year 7739), is published weekly, except fi ve times a year by the Diocese of Rockford, BY BISHOP DAVID J. MALLOY 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. ast week, as he opened the the friendship offered by God. purity of heart and told them of the birth. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 Holy Door at St. Peter’s One of the failures of our modern world They urged the shepherds to go and adore Phone: 815/399-4300; Fax Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis is to lack any consciousness or intuition the child in the manger. 815/399-6225. spoke about the Jubilee Year of the consequences of sin. Before Jesus In that baby, through faith, we Periodical postage paid at Lof Mercy that we are observing. came, sin ruled. Our hearts and minds recognize precisely the grace that Pope Rockford, Ill., and additional He said, “This will be a year in which were weakened and darkened. We could Francis reminds us of. It is the grace that mail offi ces. we grow ever more convinced of God’s not pass the doors of heaven. overcomes sin and gives us the offer of POSTMASTER: send address mercy. … Let us set aside all fear and The lyrics of a famous Christmas carol forgiveness and life eternal. changes to The Observer, 555 dread, for these do not befi t men and Of course Christmas reminds us there is Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box sum up that reality when we sing, “Long 7044, Rockford, IL 61125 women who are loved. Instead, let us lay the world in sin and error pining, ’til work yet to be done. The baby Jesus must experience the joy of encountering that He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” grow up, teach us, die for us and then rise. For ADVERTISING information: grace which transforms all things.” Contact The Observer at the This basic element of the Christmas We too have work to do. God’s Mercy address above or call 815/399- Growing convinced of God’s mercy and message is at the heart of Pope Francis. is not acquired at no cost or effort on our 4300; fax 815/399-6225, encountering the grace that transforms all The coming of Jesus, that birth that we part. Like the shepherds, we must go to Email: kmccarthy@ things is a wonderful summation of our celebrate was not a given. God could have Christ. rockforddiocese.org. Christmas celebration as well. simply accepted, once and for all, the Our Catholic faith is not, as some would Send NEWS information to The Think of how often, at this time of year, sinful decision of the human race. have it, a set of rules. Rather, it is the Observer at the address or fax we pass by the nativity scene in front But His love and mercy for us moved road map of friendship. It is the way to number above; send email to yards and churches. We see the movies Him to reach out to us again. And how experience the joy of God’s grace. That is Observer@rockforddiocese. and reread the Gospels about Jesus’ birth. personally He reached out. He sent not a a lifetime task for all of us. org; or fi ll out a form at We go to Mass on Christmas Eve and http://observer.rockforddiocese. messenger or an angel. Instead, He sent Of course in this Year of Mercy we not org/contact-us. Christmas Day. His own Son. only seek God’s forgiveness. It is also our Still, the temptation for us is just to go Pope Francis said, “let us experience task to forgive others. Only by seeking Subscription rate $28.00 per year (48 issues); Canadian through the motions and not to refl ect the joy of encountering that grace which mercy and being willing to give it do we and Pan American $29; other suffi ciently on the depth and full meaning transforms all things.” The night of Jesus’ truly imitate that child whose birth we foreign: surface mail $37, air of the Son of God coming among us. Yet birth experienced exactly that joy. celebrate. mail $97; single copies $1. that is really what Pope Francis is asking. Angels who had remained faithful to In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, may all of The Observer Online digital Before Jesus came to be born of Mary in God’s love, witnessing this explosion us be truly blessed with God’s grace and subscriptions are also available. Bethlehem, the world was alienated from of God’s love are said to have rejoiced forgiveness. Publisher: God by the sin of Adam and Eve. God themselves before this mystery. They A blessed Christmas and New Year to Most Reverend David J. Malloy loved us. But the human race had broken came to the poor and the lowly who had a all! Editor: Penny Wiegert News Editor: Amanda Hudson The Let God’s Grace Lead Us to Rejoice Features and Multimedia Pope Editor: Sharon Boehlefeld on ... From the homily, Saint Peter’s Square, Dec. 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Circulation/Proofreading: Susan Sabrowski, Keith BY POPE FRANCIS Ludolph (CNS photo/Claudio Peri, pool via Reuters) Accounting: Jill Bonk In a few moments I will have human heart and enable it to sin can only be understood How much wrong we do to Advertising and Marketing: the joy of opening the Holy do something so great as to in the light of God’s love and God and his grace when we Kevin McCarthy Door of Mercy. We carry out change the course of human forgiveness. ... Were sin the speak of sins being punished this act ... so simple yet so history. only thing that mattered, we by His judgment before we Production and Web Administrator: Gary Haughton highly symbolic, in the light The feast of the Immaculate would be the most desperate speak of their being forgiven of the word of God which we Conception expresses the of creatures. by His mercy! (see St. Au- Contributing Writers: Bishop have just heard. That word Emeritus Thomas G. Doran, grandeur of God’s love. But the promised triumph of gustine, De Praedestinatione highlights the primacy of Msgr. Eric Barr, Father John Christ’s love enfolds every- Sanctorum, 12, 24) But that is grace. Again and again these Not only does he forgive sin, Slampak, Father Kenneth thing in the Father’s mercy. the truth. readings make us think of the but in Mary he even averts the Wasilewski, Keith Ludolph, The word of God which we words by which the angel Ga- original sin present in every We have to put mercy before Lynne Conner, George Weigel, briel told an astonished young man and woman who comes have just heard leaves no judgment, and in any event Father Ronald Rolheiser, girl of the mystery which was into this world. This is the love doubt about this. The Immacu- God’s judgment will always be Tony Carton, Pat Szpekowski, about to enfold her: “Hail, full of God which precedes, antici- late Virgin stands before us in the light of His mercy. Margarita Mendoza pates and saves. as a privileged witness of this of grace” (Lk 1:28). In passing through the Holy Publication Dates: Weekly promise and its fulfi lment. The Virgin Mary was called to The beginning of the history Door, then, may we feel that except that in 2015 there will be rejoice above all because of of sin in the Garden of Eden This extraordinary year is we ourselves are part of this no issues on Jan. 2, May 29, what the Lord accomplished yields to a plan of saving love. itself a gift of grace. To pass mystery of love, of tender- July 31, Oct. 30 and Dec. 25. in her. God’s grace enfolded The words of Genesis refl ect through the Holy Door means ness.