The Southwest Kansas Register December 23, 2012 Page 9

As the school year was progressing, a teacher was distressed that more

and more of her students were beginning to tease and make fun of one another. She decided to do something about it. When they returned to the classroom after Spring Break, they saw a mirror on the wall with a sign next to it. When one of the students came to her crying about the names she had been called at recess, she sent the girl to the mirror with these directions: Read that sign quietly to yourself. Repeat it over and over, gradually running the sounds together. Each time, look at yourself in the mirror. Soon you will be smiling. Sure enough, when the student followed these directions, she came away smiling.Each time a student would come to the teacher feeling low, she would give them the same directions. Sometimes they would have difficulty, so she would go over to read the sign with them. Eventu-ally, each one would come away smiling.This is what the sign said: I.Y.Q.Y.Q.R.

Why did this little exercise help her stu-dents feel better about themselves?

By Father richard rice, SJCatholic News Service

Four hundred Jesuits gathered in an auditorium at Creighton University

in Omaha, Neb. It was a gathering of our whole province, and we were listening for the first time in our history to a panel of four people, none a Jesuit; but all of whom were associated with us in minis-try. Among the first three speakers were an administrator, a university professor and a high school teacher. Now it was Linda’s turn, and she wasted no time deftly put-ting a rapier into our collective rib cage. “You might have considered asking one of the native people on the Pine Ridge Reservation to speak with you. After all, you have been among them for over 100 years,” she said. “But since you didn’t, and since you invited me, I asked the group of Lakota women with whom I pray what they might say to you Jesuits. In true native fashion, they spoke some words, and then the eldest smiled and summarized, ‘Tell the Jesuits to get back to the people.’” Even as she uttered those words, she realized they were perhaps too bald, too direct for the Jesuits. Her smile deepened as she paused and finally she continued: “’Linda, tell those Jesuits, tell them this: The softer their chairs, the harder it is to get out of them.’” Linda paused again, then sat back with the rest of the panel. I am not sure if it was a minute or an hour before we Jesuits began to applaud her words, rising to thank her and her native sisters for their painful truth. Obviously, I never forgot those words, never again sat comfortably in a soft chair! Linda’s utterance often comes to mind at Christmas and even more at Epiphany

when we hear the remarkable contrast in the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12) between Herod and the Magi. Herod, Matthew writes, “was greatly troubled” at the word of the newborn king; yet he never got off his couch to investigate. Instead, he was content to send the Magi, with the request that they send word back about what they discover. How different the world might be if Herod had joined the Magi in the short trip to Bethlehem! What exactly differentiated Herod in his virtual sloth and the Magi in their dili-gent pursuit? Probably the same thing that distinguishes the slothful and the diligent today. Often it is a combination of pain and attraction that gets us moving. We stay in our ruts either because we do not yet hurt badly enough to step out of them

or because we are not looking up for the presence of our guiding star. The Magi were looking for “the newborn king of the Jews,” someone who embodied wisdom. They knew they lacked wisdom, so they sought the one who might embody it. Today’s world is very different from that of the Magi. But pain, along with a hunger for truth and meaning, continue to send the wise in search of Christ. Fortunately, the child continues to be born and to reveal himself to those willing to listen to their emptiness and desolation, located just below the surface of all their stuff. Maybe, just maybe, our heads will turn upward, we’ll get out of our soft chairs and see the star beckoning us on to discover the Child who proves to be “wonderful, ... the mighty God, ... the Prince of Peace.”

(Jesuit Father Rice is director of spiritual development at The Retreat, Wayzata, Minn. E-mail him at drice@theretreat.org.)

I.Y.Q.Y.Q.R.

What if Herod had joined the Magi on their journey?

We stay in our ruts either because we do not yet hurt badly enough to step out of them or because we are not looking up for the presence of our guiding star.

Page 10 December 23, 2012 The Southwest Kansas Register

The next issue of the Southwest Kansas Register will kick off 12 months of

celebration in honor of what Pope Benedict XVI has deemed the “Year of Faith.” The Register would like to invite local Catholics to write in with their stories of how their faith has shaped their lives. It could be a specific event that occurred, an individual

who enhanced your faith life, or simply a commentary on what your faith means to you. Articles should be no more than 400 words. Email to skregister@dcdiocese.org. Be sure and include name and phone number for verification. Or mail to SKR, 910 Central, P.O. Box 137, Dodge City, KS 67801.

A Year of Faith invitation

By Margo Macarthur Catholic News Service

The Christmas customs that unify Christians world-wide center around Nativity scenes, Christmas trees,

carols, gift-giving and Christmas dinner. In fact, reli-gious celebrations and secular pageantry have merged to produce a season of good cheer for all. Christmas in England, for instance, gave the English-speaking world the Christ-mas tree. During the reign of Queen Victoria, trees were first brought indoors and decorated with apples to satisfy Prince Albert’s longing for a custom from his German childhood. On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, visitors to English homes are given tiny wrapped boxes contain-ing sweets or gold coins. It seems that Father Christmas (a tall, red-robed version of Santa Claus) accidentally dropped some coins down the chimney when delivering gifts centuries ago, and the English have included gold coins among their gifts ever since. In Africa, where Catholicism is on the rise, Christmas customs are spirited and prolonged. In Ghana, for example, Christmas and the weeks lead-ing up to it are celebrated publicly and joyously with shouts of “Afishapa!” (“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”) Since Ghanaians have moved to the cities in droves in recent years, at Christmastime most try to return to the villages or towns where they grew up. They share a Christmas Eve meal of soup or stew. Then they go to church, inviting all relatives, friends and even strangers

along the way to join them. On Christmas Day, a larger feast which includes rice, chicken or goat and many native fruits and nuts is served in houses decorated with brightly painted paper orna-ments. Mango, guava and cashew trees in the middle of a courtyard are also deco-rated, and the bright decorations extend to

schools and churches. New clothes and new shoes or books and jour-nals are also popular gifts on Christmas Day, after which Ghanaians go to church, and processions and revelry extend into the evening and through many nights ahead. For Italians, the Christ-mas season begins with the Novena, the eight days before Christmas during which necessary prepara-

tions are made and Christmas itself. Presepios, life-size Nativity scenes, which St. Francis of Assisi first commissioned to dramatize Jesus’ humble birth, are the center of activity outside most Italian homes. Some include beautifully carved figures. An “urn of fate” in which gifts are placed resides beside the presepio. On Christmas Eve, Italians fast. At evening, canons are fired. Christmas Day is acknowledged with a feast after which gifts are selected from the urn. As twilight falls, families gather again by the presepio to light candles, sing songs and recite poetry. But the main exchange of gifts does not take place until Epiphany on January 6. The night before, Italian children hang up their stock-

ings, hoping that the good witch Befana, who has been looking for the Christ Child for centuries, will leave gifts at every house in case Jesus is there. In Mexico, Christmas, or Navidad, is celebrated for nine days. Neighbors dressed as Mary and Joseph go door to door, asking if they may stay the night. Each night, they are turned away; then the door is reopened for a party, and children are given pinata full of candy. Finally, on the ninth night, Mary and Joseph are let in. Family and guests dine together, and then go to church to celebrate Christ’s birth. Recognizable in these varied traditions is the same gladness in celebrating the birth of Jesus within the family and beyond, and the same goals of choosing and giving gifts.

Christmas traditions around the world

In Africa, where Catholicism is on the rise, Christmas customs are spirited and prolonged. In Ghana, for example, Christmas and the weeks lead-ing up to it are celebrated pub-licly and joyously with shouts of “Afishapa!” (“Merry Christ-mas and Happy New Year!”)

individuals take part in a christmas gift appeal for children with cancer in ghana. in ghana, christmas and the weeks leading up to it are celebrated publicly and joyously with shouts of “Afishapa!” (“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”)

The Southwest Kansas Register December 23, 2012 Page 11

By Joe BolligThe Leaven

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s something special when people put you in the same company

with the late Cardinal John O’Connor and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Both the late cardinal and the beatified Sister are among only nine people who have received the Gaudium et Spes Award from the Knights of Columbus. “Gaudium et Spes” is Latin for “joy and hope,” and are the opening words of the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. On Nov. 16, one more name was added to the worthies on that list: Virgil Dechant, who served as Supreme Knight from 1977 to 2000. Dechant received the honor on Nov. 16 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann gave the invocation. This is the highest award given by the fraternal organization. As part of the honor, he received a gold medal and an honorarium of $100,000. “I feel totally inadequate,” said Dechant, who with his wife Ann is a member of the Church of the Nativity in Leawood. “I’m kind of humbled by it,” he continued. “You never feel you merit [such an honor]. I surely feel I don’t when I look at the illustrious recipients before me. I don’t come up to that standard.” Others feel that he is more than deserving of such an honor. “The Gaudium et Spes Award,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, “is a fitting tribute to past Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant’s tireless spiritual and humanitarian work.”

Superb honor for a Supreme Knight “The joy and hope reflected in this award’s title,” he continued, “reflect very well the attitude with which Virgil approaches his work for the church, the Knights of Columbus, and those most in need in communities around the world.” Dechant has been a Knight of Colum-bus for 63 years. When he joined the St.

Augustine Council No. 2340 in his native Liebenthal, he was only 18 years old. He quickly rose through the organization and held several leadership positions un-til he became Supreme Knight in 1977. During his tenure, Dechant led many major initiatives, including the restora-tion of the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, the creation of the Vicarius Christi Fund

for the Holy Father’s personal charities, and a collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Although he is retired, Dechant con-tinues to serve on the Knights’ board of directors, is chairman of the ceremonials committee, and serves as a consultor to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

Past Surpreme Knight Virgil dechant, at rear, joins the ranks of the late cardinal John o’connor, left, and Blessed Mother teresa of calcutta. Both the late cardinal and the beati-fied Sister are among only nine people who have received the gaudium et Spes award from the Knights of columbus. on Nov. 16, dechant’s name was added to that list. he and his wife, ann, are members of the church of the Nativity in leawood.

Page 12 December 23, 2012 The Southwest Kansas Register

Viva Guadalupe!En la Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guada-

lupe en Dodge City, una multitud de fieles entraron al salón social el 11 de diciembre, anticipando el día de su fiesta, para honrar a la patrona de la catedral.

La celebración empezó temprano en la tarde y se extendió hasta la noche. Además de los grupos grandes de danzantes y parejas también había clases de karate y cantantes, todos expo-niendo sus talentos como una manera de honrar a Dios y a Su Santa Madre. La celebración continúo el día siguiente, el día de la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

Con una imagen de Nuestra Señora puesta en un lado del salón grande, los grupos danzaron, cantaron, o exhibieron su atletismo.

Más tarde, el potente sonido de los tambo-res anunciaron la llegada de uno de los varios grupos de danzantes, tropas grandes de niños y niñas, hombres y mujeres, con coloridos ves-tidos aztecas, con cuentas de bambú colgando, con grandes tocados que desafiaban las leyes de gravedad.

Las danzas no eran para entretener — aunque sí lo hicieron — sino que eran una oración de acción de gracias, esperanza y comunidad.

David Myers/SKR Photos