Gifts 2024/2025: Reflecting in the Spirit of the Magi

The Christmas Season is a wonderful time to celebrate the great gift of God's Son for the salvation of the world.

Exchanging gifts is a meaningful way to remember and symbolize that gift, as did the Magi when they visited Christ as a child.

As is my custom, inspired by Father Larry McNally, former pastor of Ascension Parish, I reflect on gifts I gave and received with the Magi's gift as a guide.

Gifts I Gave

Gold:

I stopped at Alpine Subs in Elmwood Park for lunch, and I saw some apricot-raspberry cookies for sale.  I thought the package would make a great gift for my Abuela.

Frankincense:

My Mom enjoys the movie Chariots of Fire, and I knew that would be a fitting gift for her, especially in light of 2024 as the 100th anniversary of when Eric Liddell participated in teh 1924 Paris SUmmer Olympics, which is the focus of the movie.

Myrrh:

While shopping at Harris Teeter, I found a package of snack mixes in small packages and I offered those as a gift to Dad.

Gifts I Received

Gold:

It was a true treat that my brother gave my parents and me complimentary tickets to A Candlelight Chorus concert hosted by The Washington Chorus.

Frankincense:

One of my students gave me a treat package that included a mug, hot chocolate, and other sweet treats

Myrrh:

My parents gave me a collection of kitchen items and utensils that I knew would be useful, including spoon rests.

Glory to God for His great gift in sending us the Son, Jesus Christ, Who brings us light, life, and joy.

20 + C + M + B + 25

The Creed: 20 Years Ago

At every Sunday Mass, we recite the Nicene Creed.  As part of preparing to complete my initiation into the Catholic Church, it was only fitting that I would spend time studying this statement of faith.

It was the subject of the monthly COnfirmation meeting 20 years ago this evening.

There was great value in studying these words we recite as a community at Mass.  The history of it offers so much context.

Many questions arose in the early Church about Who Christ is.  The Council at Nicaea in 325 helped answer those questions definitively.  We realize that God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is the Son Who made God known to us through His actions on Earth, especially the Paschal Mystery.  The Holy Spirit continues to sustain that work in us, bringing us alive as the Church.

Grapes of Anticipation 2025

Happy New Year 2025!

With another blank slate before us, my thoughts turn to what I anticipate for this brand-new year.

In accordance with the Spanish custom of 12 grapes at the changing of the year, I look ahead:

1. The Jubilee Year has already formally started.  Since I wasn't fully aware of what was happening back in the Jubilee of 2000, I'm eager to open myself to what this Jubilee will offer spiritually.

2. During this Jubilee Year is scheduled the canonization of Carlo Acutis.  His life resonates with me, with his devotion to the Eucharist and sharing it with others.  He was also born a few weeks after I was.

3. As a follow-up to the National Eucharist Congress, a Eucharistic pilgrimage is scheduled to travel from Indianapolis to Los Angeles, and I'm eager to follow it.

4. With the wonderful start, I look forward to what is to come during Holy Name Cathedral's 175th anniversary year.

5. This month will launch new terms of office for federal officials, and since there's more for us to do as citizens than voting in elections, I look toward how I can continue to participate as a citizen in the process of the government.

6. On the heels of the presidential election, there are local elections on April 1, and I look forward to participating.

7. I have some travel plans in mind for this year, including Washington, D.C., as has become a typical annual custom.  I hope to even visit California as it marks its 175th anniversary of statehood this year.

8. I heard that my cousin Samarra in Mexico is getting married in April, and I look forward to celebrating in my own way.

9. There are several family milestone birthdays this year, and I'm delighted to celebrate them.

10. Relevant Radio marks its 25th Anniversary this year.  I'm eager to celebrate and to continue listening to the great content on air.

11. Aware of how much of an impact my years at Julian Middle School had on me, I'm excited to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of my Julian 8th grade Graduation.  It is truly a God-incidence that this special milestone anniversary is on Pentecost Sunday 2025.  It speaks to how the Holy Spirit was doing a great work in me throughout middle school to shape my faith and make me the person I am today.

12. On a similar note, I'm also excited to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of my Confirmation this year.  Besides my own personally-oriented celebrations, I look forward to the ways my Confirmation will continue to be a living experience as I share it with others, particularly my RE students and those in my Confirmation mentor group as I accompany them to their own Confirmation in the springtime.  Ascension's Confirmation Masses are scheduled on my birthday weekend.  

I hope these two important anniversaries of my Julian graduation and my Confirmation will renew me in what they mean to me and continue to impact me for fulfilling my purpose in life.

As I head into 2025, I say, "Come, Holy Spirit, Come!" Veni Creator Spiritus!

Grapes of Reflection 2024

Given how often I reflect on my blog about what's happening in my life, I feel like I'm in my element now that it's New Year's Eve and the time has once again arrived to conclude one calendar year and enter a new year.

Many, including news outlets, are reflecting on the year that is ending.

In accordance with a Spanish custom, I reflect on 2024 in the spirit of the 12 grapes consumed at the changing of the year, in the style of something that in past years, my Grandma led my family in doing.

I delight in reflecting on 2024 as I recall many travel opportunities, times when I connected with family and friends, times when I connected with significant moments in my personal past, beholding the wonders of the heavens and the earth, seeing the sights of the USA (like on Labor Day weekend), and beholding God's manifestations in His Church.  It all happened in a year with an extra day to behold God's wonders.

Throughout the year, I was touched by moments that truly lifted my spirits.  One was when I discovered Emma Kok's performance of "Dancing on the Stars".  Despite having a rare stomach condition that makes her unable to eat and relying on tubes for her nourishment, she sings so wonderfully, especially this song.  There's great power in how she sings, "It's good to be alive."  (I highly recommend spending 8 minutes watching the video that I've linked when you have a chance.)

Indeed, this year has provided many reasons why it's good to be alive.

1. I reconnected with my mission/service trip St. Augustine Mission when I traveled again to Winnebago. I was there for the Feast of St. Mother Katharine Drexel on March 3, and Nebraska's birthday on March 1. I also went to Omaha to connect with Cardinal Cupich's past and Father Dave.

2. For the first time in my life, I went on a mini-vacation for my birthday, doing it California-style as I celebrated Pat Nixon's birthday on the same day at the Nixon Presidential Museum.  I also had a great time with my college friends Tyler and Roy.

3. My wait to fulfill my eager desire to experience the totality of a Solar Eclipse finally was fulfilled on April 8 when I stood in the shadow cast by the moon in Greenup, IL, on what was quite an exciting day for people all over North America.

4. I had the wonderful opportunity to return to middle school when I was a presenter at Career Day at Julian Middle School.

5. Once again, I experienced so much great sightseeing and family time on our annual Washington, D.C., area trip in June.

6. I had so many ways to be present with family, like visiting with my parents in Tennnessee, seeing my Grandpa Martin's hometown of Ottumwa, celebrating the sacraments for my uncle's sponsee, celebrating my cousin Cindy Marie's 25-year birthday, and returning to Washington, D.C., in December to see A Candlelight Christmas, the annual December concert of The Washington Chorus.  (Please keep tuned to my blog in the coming weeks when I write a post about that trip.)

7. I made a significant advance in my participation in Knights of Columbus when I obtained my 4th Degree at an exemplification ceremony in June, right after my return from Washington, D.C., and right before our Independence Day holiday.

8. I had a fantastic time of sightseeing during Open House Chicago 2024 weekend and appreciating what's in Chicago.

9. At some point in the first part of 2024, I realized St. Teresa's in Valparaiso would mark its 50th anniversary this year.  And with great joy, I was back in Valparaiso to attend its 50th Anniversary Mass in August under a tent celebrated by Bishop McClory with a picnic lunch afterwards.

10. It was so special to celebrate Holy Name Cathedral's 175th Anniversary at a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Cupich on Christ the King Sunday, November 24. This anniversary was also in close proximity to his 10th Anniversary of installation as Archbishop of Chicago. Earlier in the year, he turned 75.

11.  It was an extraordinary blessing to participate in the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in mid-July. Those days were filled with so many graces, as we were together as Church encountering our God. Before the Congress, four pilgrimage routes crossed the country, and I attended two different Masses held along the Marian route.  And we were sent forth on mission, which gave me inspiration to speak about my experience at a Village Board meeting just days later.

12. While I was at the NEC, I thought of so much I could share about the experience, especially once September came and I started another year of Religious Education, in the spirit of living out my mission.  There have been so many other great Kairos moments in connecting with my students and leading them to encounters with God.  Some highlights included Confirmation Mass with Cardinal Cupich, showing the documentary God is Alive, packing meals at Feed My Starving Children at a table with all current Julian students, teaching about Theology of the Body, and sharing videos to illustrate the power of the Eucharist.

As I take stock of this whole year, I return to the National Eucharistic Congress, when we had adoration each day.  Adoration often ends with a song that seems so appropriate as we conclude a year of chronos time and marvel the Kairos moments in which God has made Himself known: "Holy God, we praise Thy Name..."

Farewell 2024! Blessed be God!

Above and below, I'm at the Basilica of the Naitonal Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in photos taken by fellow visitors.  Below, I'm standing next to a mural in the Chapel for La Señora de Guadalupe.  We are processing from one year to another with the opportunity to encounter God.

2024 News and Events in Review

As I start reflecting on what happened in 2024, I recall a photo my brother shared from a trip he and his wife took to Europe in the summer.  In Belgium, there was a large sign that thanked people for voting.  My brother remarked that more people voted in elections during 2024 than in any previous year.

Notably, on June 2, Mexico elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who was inaugurated on October 1.

While the USA was celebrating the national Declaration of Independence Holiday, Britain held elections that prompted a shift in power to a new political party.

The US elections had many twists and turns.  Donald Trump handily, well, trumped several Republican primary candidates to be the nominee, after not having participated in any of the debates.  Nikki Haley hung on for weeks after most of the other Republican candidates suspended their campaigns.  By the time of the primary in Illinois, there really wasn't much for me to choose on my ballot.

Joe Biden gave his State of the Union Speech on March 7 with a fiery tone after he secured the Democratic nomination. In an unusual move, a debate was held between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in late June. President Biden didn't make a great showing, and despite vocal support for his continued candidacy, the process was already underway to end his campaign and replace him.  In mid-July, Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, right before the RNC in Milwaukee.  (After a Congressional hearing, the director of the Secret Service resigned.)  Mr. Trump picked J.D. Vance, the US Senator for Ohio, as his running mate.  Right after the RNC, Joe Biden announced he was suspending his campaign.  He was quickly replaced as the Democratic presidential nominee by Vice President Kamala Harris, who picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate right before the DNC in mid-August in Chicago.

Remarks by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden about Donald Trump led to Mr. Trump's appearance as a worker at a Pennsylvania McDonald's restaurant and then he showed up at a campaign rally in a garbage truck.  Those remarks may have been signs of a shift that voters weren't buying the Democratic campaign rhetoric, and Donald Trump clinched a significant electoral victory in November.

Among the Supreme Court cases this year was a case in March regarding the abortion pill.  Later in the year, the court heard arguments regarding a Tennessee law on transgender care.

Another once-every-four-year event was the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.  The opening ceremony was set along the Seine River and stirred enormous controversy when the Last Supper was mocked by a drag queen display.

Among those who departed from us this year were two notable people in the community of Oak Park: Harriette Gillem Robinet, a scientist and children's author, and Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins.  Close to the end of this year was the passing of President Jimmy Carter, who became the first former US president to reach the age of 100, which was back on October 1.

Two other presidential-related milestones were 100 years since the birth of George H.W. Bush and 150 years since the birth of Herbert Hoover.

It was also the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and fittingly, in close proximity was the 20th anniversary of the opening of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Among the big name retirements this year were ABC 7 Chicago traffic reporter Roz Varon, Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, and WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling.

A big cold blast hit much of the USA in January.  Major trpical storms included Francine and Helene that brought enormous flooding.  

Higher up above the earth's surface, millions marveled at a total solar eclipse when the moon cast a shadow over North America from Mexico's Pacific Coast to the Canadian maritime provinces.

One of the biggest events of the year was the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis from July 17-21.  It marked the resumption of the congress events that hadn't been held on a national scale in the USA in nearly 80 years.  Four pilgrimage routes traveled through different parts of the country, starting on Pentecost Sunday, and converged on Indianapolis in mid-July.  Tens of thousands of people participated in prayer and presentations by the biggest Catholic speakers including Father Mike Schmitz, Chris Stefanick, and Bishop Barron, both in the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.  The concluding Mass was held in Lucas Oil Stadium celebrated by Cardinal Tagle.  In the immediate wake, commentators remarked at the scale of the event and marveled at the possibilities of its impact to come.

Dear 1036: Evergreen Memories

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

We always had a special decorative piece displayed on our front door.

During Advent time leading to the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord on Christmas Day, we had an evergreen wreath, as is quite typical at this time of year.  It complimented the evergreen garland on the stairs.

The wreath evokes the evergreen trees:  While other trees drop their leaves by the arrival of winter, the evergreen trees remain green, symbolizing eternal life.

Just like the wreath, I continue to circle back to those wonderful blessed memories I have of you, which shall never fade into the background, but ever remain deep in my heart.

We are indeed ever connected in a way that transcends time, for what I experienced in you is in the fibers of my being, and has brought me alive as the person God has made me to be, that I may, in this life, attain the Abundant Life that leads to Heaven.

All my relations.

I'm not just lucky to have been with you for so many years, I am truly blessed.

With much love, joy, and gladness,

God's blessings,

Paul

21 for Illinois at 206: County Seats

Happy Birthday Illinois!

It's time to party like it's 1818 all over again.

There's much to celebrate about Illinois.  I thought about this back in April when I traveled to the southeast part of Illinois to watch the total solar eclipse in Greenup.  On my way there, I briefly stopped in Toledo, the seat of Cumberland County.

It got me thinking about the county seats of Illinois's 102 counties.

To celebrate today, here's a snapshot of what's in county seats in Illinois for another 21 for Illinois list for the 21st state.

1. Cheney Mansion in Jerseyville was once a stagecoach stop called the Little Red House.

2. The Golconda Marina offers access at a scenic spot along the Ohio River.

3. In Princeton is the Lovejoy Homestead, where abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy once lived.

4. In Clinton, the C.H. Moore Homestead was once the home of a leading Clinton citizen and now a museum and site of the Apple 'n Pork Festival.

5. The Bellefontaine House in Waterloo was the second American settlement in the Old Northwest Territory and the first in Illinois.

6. Marshall was near the eastern end of Illinois's portion of the Historic National Road and was named for US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.

7. Taylorville has the Christian County Historicla Society, with a collection of buildings on its campus including a courthouse where Abraham Lincoln participated in cases and a Bee Castle.

8. The Shastid House in Pittsfield was built by John Greene Shastid after he relocated from New Salem, where he was Abraham Lincoln's neighbor.  Whenever Mr. Lincoln would visit Pittsfield, he would stay at the Shastid House.

9. Mount Vernon has teh Jefferson County Historical Village, a collection of pioneer log cabins and other structures.

10. The Kibbe Museum in Carthage has impressive collections of historical artifacts.

11. Belvidere's Summerfield Farm and Zoo has a collection of exotic animals.

12. Sycamore is the location of the Blue Moon Bikes Vintage Stingray Museum.

13. Oregon, IL, has a Paddle Wheel Riverboat that docks along the Rock River.

14. Monmouth's Stoneware Museum has a large collection of pottery.

15. Macomb has the Living Lincoln Topiary Monument, a mixed media piece of art with stone, steel, and the beard formed by flowers and greenery.

16. The Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello offers the opportunity for excursion rides on vintage passenger trains.

17. The Illinois Riverdock Restaurant in Hardin has great views of the Illinois River.

18. Paxton has a Carnegie Library building.

19. Shelbyville has Lake Shelbyville.

20. The James Millikin Homestead in Decatur was built in 1876, the year of the USA's centennial.

21. The Putnam County Courthouse in Hennepin is the oldest courthouse in Illinois still serving its original purpose.