2010s in Review

Last month, an e-mail I received mentioned the last city of the decade for the online WxChallenge competition I participate in.

That e-mail gave me pause as I realized we were headed toward the conclusion of the 2010s and into the 2020s.

This realization leads me to reflect beyond 2019 as a year, part of my annual custom on this blog, to pondering the whole decade of the 2010s.

Granted, there's so much I could say about the entire decade, and as tends to happen, I could publish this post, and then think of 10 more things to include.  But I hope to cover much ground even setting a limit on writing this blog post.

One of the first things that comes to mind is the socio-political situation, particularly in the United States.

There was a lot of shifting around on the socio-political spectrum.  2010 began with President Obama a year into his presidential administration.

Later that year, the midterm election results gave the Republicans control of the US House, after a shift to Democratic control that began in 2006.  President Obama was reelected in 2012.  Republicans made steady gains, especially in 2014, which included capturing several state governorships, including Illinois.  Pat Quinn had taken office after the removal of Rod Blagojevich as governor.  Mr. Blagojevich went to prison in 2012 after being convicted in a second mistrial.  Pat Quinn won election in his own right with a close margin of victory.  But then, in 2015, Republican Bruce Rauner was inaugurated Governor of Illinois.  He sought to "Shake up Springfield," and "Bring Back Illinois", but then got mired in a budget impasse that was broken after only two years.  That may have certainly been a significant contributing factor to JB Pritzker's victory in the 2018 election.  He made many significant moves to the sociopolitical left during his first year in office.  Right before his inauguration in January 2019, Illinois marked its Bicentennial as a state, one of multiple state centennials and bicentennials that occurred throughout this decade.

There was controversy throughout the decade over healthcare.  President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010.  But the controversy continued because of opposition to how the ACA put so much government control on healthcare, and didn't spread the benefits evenly to all people.  Republicans in Congress continued efforts to undo the legislation, starting when they took control of a majority of seats in the US House in the 2010 midterm elections, which in some ways reflected a significant shift two years after President Obama's election.

The socio-political discourse continued to decline throughout the decade as divisions in the United States intensified over many issues.  The swift movement toward legalization of homosexual marriage accelerated as more states passed laws, including Illinois in 2013, which was also the year that the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in the case US vs. Windsor.

Then, in 2015, the Supreme Court handed down the Obergefell vs. Hodges decision, which struck down all state bans on homosexual marriage throughout the United States.  Yet there were people who still held out, like Kim Davis, a county official in Kentucky, who refused to offer marriage licenses to homosexual couples, and went to jail for a short time.

But after that decision, visibility began to increase for transgender individuals, and controversy erupted over access to washrooms and other similar facilities so that people could use what corresponds with the gender with which they identify, rather than the gender of their birth.

Many of these issues took on a different scope when President Trump started his presidency, which was a reflection of the fickle nature of politics in the country, especially considering his unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton in the electoral college vote, and not the popular vote.

He started shifting things toward the sociopolitical right, particularly with his Supreme Court appointees.  The battle was particularly fierce for Brett Kavanaugh.  Much of the problem was related to the debate on abortion, with concerns he could help the court overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision.  That led to some states passing laws to provide protection for abortion in the event Roe vs. Wade would be overturned, and then some states passed laws to restrict abortion.

Gun control constantly came to people's attention because of a string of several mass shootings.  One of the first in the decade happened in Tucson, AZ, at a Congress on Your Corner Event with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  That incident troubled me in a deep way because I value the opportunity to have face time with government officials, as did those who came out for that event and became part of that tragedy.

A little more than a year later, I read Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, the memoir that Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords wrote about their lives and the shooting.  Throughout this decade, I enjoyed reading many memoirs, gaining insights into the lives of people who make news headlines, but getting it straight from them, rather than the lens of the media.

One of the first memoirs I read during this decade was Highest Duty, by Chesley Sullenberger, the USAirways pilot who landed a plane in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.  That was part of my summer reading after my first year of college.

Among other prominent people who made news headlines in the 2010s was Pope Francis.  He came to office after Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope in nearly 600 years to abdicate, which was quite a shocker for me to read when I opened my e-mail inbox on the morning of Monday, February 11, and saw multiple messages about it right before starting a class during my final semester of college.

It worked out that I was on Spring Break the day Pope Francis was elected.  I spent 2 hours in front of the TV watching his introduction.  Pope Francis really shook things up by taking the church in a different direction, bringing attention to the plight of the needy.  Some criticized him for not doing enough to uphold sound doctrine and speak against abortion, although the media seemed to really obsess over certain aspects of Pope Francis that really colored their coverage of him.

I thought about that in September 2014, when Pope Francis named Blase Cupich as Cardinal George's successor as Archbishop of Chicago.  Cardinal George's cancer was growing steadily worse, and he requested the Vatican expedite the process of securing his successor.  At the press conference, many reporters asked Blase Cupich what kind of message Pope Francis was sending with his appointment.  Bishop Cupich replied that the Pope sent a pastor, not a message.

Pope Francis published several important documents on evangelism, youth, and care for creation.  In September 2015, he visited Cuba and the United States.  It was so meaningful for me to follow the coverage of his US visit, especially for when he became the first Pope to address a joint session of Congress.  I also followed his visit to Mexico a few months later in February 2016.  And then I got up close to him in January 2019 when I joined the masses gathered in Panama City for World Youth Day.

Despite all the division in society, it was amazing to see how people came together as one when the solar eclipse happened on August 21, 2017.  There's no doubt that the hype over the event was intense, but for good reason, because those who witnessed the eclipse saw something pretty amazing.  Even though I was not in the path of its totality, it was still pretty cool to see the moon take out a chunk of the sun, and to see people thronging out in the streets of downtown Chicago.

Social media certainly had a role in giving hype to this event, just as it has for other events.  So many social media outlets have arise in the past decade and have become ingrained into our way of life.  And so has technology, particularly the smartphone.

When I started college, smartphones were around, but I didn't see them become widespread until the end of my time in college.  Even so, when I collaborated with my parents to get a new cell phone during break in December 2012, I got a flip phone, which I continued to use even as smartphones really took off and became commonplace in society.

I was somewhat hesitant to get a smartphone, because of concerns that it would be hard to maintain discipline with not overusing it because of its functions, so I continued holding off, and staying with my old school technology.  But things started shifting.  I feel it began when my carrier Virgin Mobile offered me a new plan with unlimited minutes and 500 incoming and outgoing text messages for one monthly fee.  I actually sent my first text message ever on October 30, 2017, while awaiting the start of a panel discussion for the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's 95 Theses.

And then there was my trip to World Youth Day in Panama in 2019.  The leader of our pilgrimage group set up a group chat with Whatsapp so we could communicate with each other, using a platform that was easy to use with Wifi.  Mom gave me her old phone so I could join the group chat, and my trip to World Youth Day was a great opportunity for me to use a smartphone for more useful purposes, and not just get hung up in the elaborate gadgets of it.

Then my Dad got a smartphone since he needed to replace his flip phone, and he got a good deal.  When my parents offered to get me a new phone as a gift, I finally decided to make the switch, on June 19, 2019, toward the of the decade in which smartphones became a commonly-used tool.  Despite comments people made when I told them about my new smartphone, like, "The end is near", I've managed to stay rather disciplined, and make the right use of the phone as a handy tool.

Over the course of this decade, I think about the new additions in my family.  My cousin Greg and his wife Melissa welcomed three children into their lives, Ava, Emma, and Micah.

My brother got married and now he and his wife have a dog, Weasley, the closest I've come to having a nephew.

In my own life, I think about how I've grown.  I pursued studies for my undergraduate degree in the early part of the decade, studied for my graduate degree in the middle of the decade, and then got settled into full-time work in the latter part of the decade, with a variety of jobs in the middle part of the decade.

While studying meteorology, I became more in tune with significant weather events like October 2010 bomb storm, which caused a tornado near Valparaiso.  A few months later was the major 2011 Chicagoland snowstorm.  There were major tornadic events in 2011, with a widespread outbreak in the Southeast US in late April 2011.  Notably, I was doing a group project in which we examined severe weather conditions for the Southeast US, and that outbreak happened the day before our presentation in class.  A month later, while out on a storm chasing trip, Joplin was devastated by a violent tornado.  The summer of 2012 brought an intense heat wave, with triple digit heat in the first few days of July.  In October 2012, the tropical system Sandy struck the East Coast, and then turned into a major midlatitude system that was so large, we experienced strong winds in the Great Lakes region.  I actually went with a group from ValpU up to Lake Michigan to feel the powerful force of the winds.

My time at ValpU helped me embrace a deeper understanding of vocation and calling in my life, which has come to influence the way I live life.  It was certainly at work in the process of when I decided to attend graduate school.

Those years at ValpU helped attune me to that reflective, introspective part of me, which has helped me embrace what has made me who I am, and what has made me to be who I am, with this blog being a channel for many of my reflections.  The recent celebration of the Bicentennial of Illinois helped solidify in me a sense of this place I call home, especially as I traveled about Illinois.

Travels are always life-changing in some way, and the 2010s gave me numerous opportunities to take in what other places beyond home have to offer.  One trip that stands out is going to Philadelphia to see where the United States started in those pivotal days of 1776.  It had been a dream of mine since middle school to visit Independence Hall, and it was an exhilarating moment when I finally set foot inside that storied building at approximately 6 PM on June 11, 2016.

My trip to World Youth Day is also an experience that stands out, because it was unlike anything I had ever done before in my life.  In fact, when it came time to head to O'Hare Airport for that trip, I requested Dad to drive by Julian Middle School on his way to taking me there, so that I could be in touch with that experience that spurred me on in faith as I embarked on a faith-filled experienced.  As I passed by, I could see the Percy Julian mural, to which I contributed financially, on the outside of the building, with words from a poem, reading, "Take Heart. Go Farther."  Those words embody how I have gone farther and enhanced who I am by going new places to gain new perspectives, whether physically, or going new places in a less tangible way as I probe deeply through reflection so that I gain deeper understanding.

It's in that spirit of reflection in a spiritual sense that I've come to see my life's work as part of the bigger picture of God's plan for this world, and it's something I truly marvel at when I stop to ponder the amazing opportunity I have to be a good influence in the world as I fulfill God's specific purpose for my life that fits in just right with His overarching plan for this world.

That's a large part of why I got so involved in various ministries at my home parish after graduating from college.  Teaching Religious Education (RE) has been particularly special for me, because it brings together the most significant aspects of my life.  Through my students, I reconnect with my middle school years, when I first came to embrace faith with passion.  And I hand on the faith to my students, inspired by the zeal for faith I attained during my time at ValpU.  This work as a catechist aligns very well with what I do as a librarian, helping people attain information they need and use it meaningfully for their lives.

So as the past circumstances of my life come together with the present work I do in teaching RE, I also marvel at how the future is already taking shape as the students in my charge embrace an understanding of faith for themselves.  As a catechist, it's exciting for me to see their potential, and see how it manifests itself, just as Pope Francis said in his homily at the 2019 World Youth Day Closing Mass, that the youth of the church "are not the future of God, but the now of God".

Indeed, teaching RE gives me a joyful sense of hope about the new things God is doing even now, and how He has a way of topping each amazing experience with something even better, which I can certainly see in those mountaintop experiences I've had throughout this decade, particularly pertaining to my faith.

I stand at the beginning of a new decade, and while I can make guesses about what's to come, there's much I can't yet solidly anticipate about what will happen over the course of the next 10 years, much as I couldn't have fully anticipated all that happened in the 2010s when I started that decade.

Yet as my experience has shown me, there's a progression that's constantly happening, as old things pass and new things arise.  One song I've come to really embrace is "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King.  It's a majestic song that speaks of the progression of life.  And it's an example of how as a catechist, I see religion and faith everywhere:  The progression of life moves us along, "through despair and hope, through faith and love".  Faith helps us grow in relationship with God, Who we can count on in all times, because He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He always abides with us, and abiding in Him, we find purpose in all times and seasons through a constant encounter with His presence.

On the last day of 2019, I went to the Newberry Library to view an exhibit with artifacts speaking to the question of what the Midwest is.  Mom and I went together and she got this photo of me posing next to a map of the Illinois Central Railroad network.  I couldn't help but notice paths shown on the map for routes to Panama.

On Epiphany Sunday, January 5, 2020, following Mass at Ascension Parish, I went to view a display of Nativity Scenes from different countries.  Celine Woznica got this photo of me, posing by a Nativity Scene from Mexico, made from corn husks, which reminds me of my family's Navideño tamale tradition.

The Fourth Day for One Decade

For a variety of reasons, my time at Valparaiso University was an extraordinary experience. Many of those reasons were apparent within the first few months, during which I saw many good choices bear great fruit.

One of the best choices I made was to be part of the St. Teresa's community, whose members really reached out and showed me God's love.  It was in that spirit that one day in November, Kathy Jackson, formerly on staff at St. Teresa's, invited me to participate in the Kairos Retreat.

I looked over the form she gave me, and it gave a rather vague description about a retreat with presentations by college students.  I was open to going on a retreat, so I signed up.  When I brought back the completed form and my payment to Kathy, she got super excited.

After classes on Friday, January 15, 2010, I packed up and headed over to St. Teresa's.  Community members volunteered to drive retreatants from Valparaiso to the Lindenwood Retreat Center in Donaldson, IN, where we would spend the weekend.

Upon arrival, Father Kevin, then the pastor at St. Teresa's, was there to greet us, which included tossing a couple of snowballs in our direction.  In the past, he had come for part of the Kairos Retreat weekend, especially for celebrating sacraments, but this time, he would spend the whole weekend with us.  I recall some remark he made about how spending the whole weekend on the Kairos Retreat was like a "birthday gift" to himself, as he had turned 50 just days before.  It meant a lot to have him care about us so much that he would be there the entire time.  (Later on in the weekend, someone read a letter from Dale Melczek, then Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, who affirmed us for participating in the retreat.)

I chatted with fellow retreatants and the student leaders as we got settled that Friday evening.  I sensed something amazing was going to happen. 

As we started, we were instructed to hand over all time pieces and mobile devices, which were to be stored in plastic bags.  The idea of Kairos is that we're on God's time, opening ourselves up to His presence, and so we, as retreatants, weren't to be keeping track of time.  I was a bit uncomfortable handing over my watch, which has great sentimental value, but I was able to speak about its meaning later on, which assuaged my concerns.

The first presentation was a good opportunity to reflect on why we came on this retreat, which we discussed in our small groups afterwards.  My group came up with the name "Tree of Life".

The second presenter shared very openly about some more serious matters in his life as part of the topic "Know Thyself", and that really set the tone for the weekend, about being open and vulnerable as we probed deep within ourselves to know ourselves and better examine our relationship with God.

This sentiment was especially true during the third talk, "Life Map", which focused on sharing the highs and lows of our life experiences.  And this continued through all the other talks given throughout the weekend.

In addition to the presentations and our small group discussions, we also had times of meditative prayer.  We attended Daily Mass on Saturday morning.  And we opened ourselves up to God's healing power during a time of reconciliation on Saturday evening.  When we returned to our group's room after reconciliation, Nathan, one of the adult leaders, bid us good night, remarking how it had been "an emotional day".  Hearing him say that struck me as how the efforts of the retreat leaders really bore fruit in making for such an intense experience.

Indeed, the Kairos Retreat was an intense experience like I had never had before.  It's part of my personality to reflect about myself, and that's what this weekend was all about, as I probed very deeply like never before.

The next day, Sunday, January 17, we had the opportunity to meet with our groups one final time to offer affirmations of one another based on the experience we shared during the weekend.  Before dismissing us to meet with our groups, Nathan said we could take a tissue box if needed.

We definitely had great bonding experiences, not just within our groups, but also with all the others present on the retreat.  Besides the times of serious reflection, we also had fun together, putting on skits, and playing games, like when Father Kevin led us in his extreme version of "Simon Says".

At the end of the weekend, we were each given a small wooden cross.  It was presented to us with the words, "Christ counts on you", and we were to respond, "And I on Him."  I was in such an intense state of mind that I actually knelt down when presented with my cross, and then I stood up and shook the hand of the person who presented my cross, who I believe was Tony, one of my small group leaders.

We also departed with other gifts, like a CD with all the songs chosen by each speaker before and after her/his presentation, and we all left with notes that we wrote to each other throughout the weekend.

It's common for people to leave a retreat feeling a spiritual "high", which may settle down after a few days.  But given the intense nature of this retreat, I left in an intensified spiritual "high" that I physically felt within me, and it lasted for days.  I remember after I returned to campus, I checked my e-mail for the first time since before leaving for the retreat, and I was reminded of all the things that were going to happen in the coming week.  Under normal circumstances, I might have felt overwhelmed, but given the intense power that was burning within me, I just couldn't bring myself to worry about it like I would usually.  Indeed, I had a powerful encounter with God on the retreat that would have a major impact.  I still felt it about a month later when I joined a reunion of our Kairos group at a celebration of Daily Mass, the day after Ash Wednesday.  DUring the homily, Father Kevin invited us to form a circle, and he opened up the floor for us to reflect on the experience, and I shared about what I had felt in those initial days afterwards and further on in the month.

Toward the end of the retreat, we were told that we had spent three days on this Kairos Retreat, and all the time of our life afterwards was the "Fourth Day".

As of today, I've spent a full decade in the "Fourth Day".  In that decade, I've come to appreciate even more what Kairos time is all about.  We sometimes refer to time in terms of the Greek word "chronos", which is a specific time of day, a certain period of time, or measurements of time like hours, days, months, and years.  The term "Kairos" refers to a sense of time in which we have critical moments, and in the sense of faith, those moments are about encounters with God.

There's no doubt that the Kairos Retreat was a weekend in which I had many Kairos moments in encountering God by more deeply pondering who I am and my relationship with Him.  And as I look back, I think that's the value I can continue to find living in this "Fourth Day", as I open myself up in chronos time to Kairos time, in having those profound encounters with God's presence, which are all around me.

Here is a "selfie" of sorts I photographed showing the Cross I received 10 years ago along with the Kairos t-shirt.

Gifts 2019: Reflecting in the Spirit of the Magi

Epiphany Sunday reminds me of Father Larry McNally, former pastor of Ascension Parish.  He would use his homily on this feast to reflect on his recent Christmas gifts.

I have much to reflect on with my Christmas gifts, especially in how my celebration of the Lord's Nativity played out for this Christmas Season extending from 2019 into 2020 for the Epiphany.

My parents decided to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and dog in Miami for the holiday, while I remained in Chicagoland.  As a sort of gift to them, I took them to Midway Airport on December 19, and saw them off for a special time of being with them for their first Nativity Day celebration since the three of them moved there.

In the days afterwards leading up to December 25, I had plenty going on that poised me to be ready for the great feast.  Advent was a great time for me to become more aware of what's around me, especially as that awareness helps me prepare my heart to welcome in God's presence.

On the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, as I like to periodically do, I attended Mass at Holy Family Parish, the home parish of my Uncle Bernie, my Confirmation sponsor.  Before he began offering the Eucharistic prayer, Father Terry pointed out something about the prayer, and in the spirit of being aware, he told us to pay attention--I think it may have had something to do with the uses of words like "we" and "us".  That really helped reinforce the sense of using Advent as an opportunity to become aware.

On December 22, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, my Abuela Velia and I gathered to make tamales, a long-standing family tradition.  In the week that followed, I gave tamales as gifts to family and the Dames, the neighbors across the alley.

Here are the trays of tamales following the cooking.

(Please note, all photos in this post are mine unless otherwise specified.)

In an effort to simplify my gift shopping, I decided to do most of it at Trader Joe's.  They have a great selection of products I find suitable as gifts, particularly their biscotti.  I made sure to tell that to the people who handled my transactions when I checked out.

I was at Church on two different days getting the decorations in place for the Christmas Season.

I got this close-up photo of a candle in the wreath hanging above the pews at Ascension Parish, after I helped decorate the wreath and light the candles.

On Nativity Eve, my Abuela and I went to Mass at St. Cornelius, which is always special for me because that is where I was baptized.

Abuela got this photo of me posing by the outdoor Nativity scene at St. Cornelius.  Behind the wooden shelter are the windows right by the baptistry inside, where I was baptized.

The children present were invited to place small candle lights around the Nativity scene.  And the musicians went through a good round-up of Christmas carols.  One of them simultaneously played the organ with one hand and a trumpet with the other hand.  Back at my Abuela's place, as she got dinner ready, we videocalled with the family gathered in Miami.

A few hours later, I walked out in a temperate night to Ascension Parish to attend Night Mass for the first time ever.  It was something I was interested in doing at least once at some point in my life, and I felt this was the right time.  The choir led us in such great music, which included the half-hour before Mass started at 11 PM.  In the dark of the night, Mass was a wonderful opportunity to behold the Light of the World.

Night Mass at Ascension

While serving as Eucharistic minister, I was stationed by the Nativity scene, which is in the photo directly above.  As I handed the Body of Christ to each person, I connected the Body of Christ in the host with the Body of Christ in the baby in the manger.

In the morning, I was back at Ascension for 11 AM Mass.  I could tell how wonderfully mild it was set to be that day as I walked out of the house to Church--only 20 degrees cooler than Miami as I pointed out to my family there.  And there was so much sunshine.  The combination of the mild temperatures and the sunshine really elevated my mood to the great level of joy that befits this Holy Day.  I sat in the north transept of the Church, opposite the stained glass window with the Nativity scene.  At that hour of morning, the immense sunshine flooded the window with light, and it was a glorious sight to behold.  And then there was the mystical effect added with the incense creating a cloud that looked and smelled so divine.

While this photo above can't fully do it justice, it does capture the flood of sunshine pouring through the Nativity scene in this stained glass window.  The photo below certainly shows light filling the interior of Ascension Parish.

I heard Father Hurlbert's Nativity Day homily twice.  One major idea he presented was how objects can connect with us other people or things, just as Christ came to Earth to be God in the Flesh, making visible the invisible reality of God.  I see connections in objects to so many things in my life, and so his homily got me thinking about those connections I make.  I wear a bolo tie that I bought at the 2018 Winnebago Powwow, during my first visit back to St. Augustine Mission since my 2013 trip there.  I also use a bag from Nayarit, which was a gift brought to me by my relatives who live there when they came for a visit to Chicago.  I often get asked about the bolo tie and that bag, and those questions give me the opportunity to share those connections.

As I continued pondering this idea from his homily, I thought about a collection of chess pieces I took from my Great Aunt June's house after her passing as mementos to remember her, which are in the photo below.  Those were among many items she collected in her many travels, especially numerous trips to Europe.  I noticed those chess pieces in her living room, and they stood out because they looked identical to images of chess pieces I saw in my social studies textbook during 6th grade.  Those images were likely in a chapter about medieval history.  That topic of study came in a year when we studied ancient civilizations, which included the three major religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which led into the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance and Reformation, then to a field trip to Medieval Times.  Those topics of study were part of why my middle school years were so significant, as I came to understand more about others, and also myself.  I took one of those chess pieces to show Father Hurlbert a week later as I expressed how that major idea in his homily resonated with me.

Back to December 25, shortly after I returned home from 11 AM Mass for the Nativity of the Lord, my Uncle Brian arrived, and the two of us went to my Grandma Dottie's residence in Lombard.  It was such a delightfully mild day.

We had a fine meal in the dining room.  We then went to her apartment and had videocalls with those family members in Miami and those in Tucson.  Then we played a card game called Golf.  By the time 18 rounds were over, the sun had set, and then I took Uncle Brian back to his place.  We stopped for a few minutes to see the lights display at Lilacia Park. 

Uncle Briain got this photo of my enjoying the night of Nativity Day in Lilacia Park, mild enough to go without a jacket.

And I then we took a fine drive into Chicago.  Even though there wasn't much to see of Lake Michigan while driving on Lake Shore Drive, the Lake had its own beauty in the dark of night.

After dropping Uncle Brian off, I drove back to Oak Park.  I rolled down the windows and soaked in the temperate conditions.  As I drove along, something stirred in my soul.  I thought about something else Father Hurlbert mentioned in his homily.  There's something really special about this time of year, which society at large deems Christmas cheer.  As people of faith, we call it Christmas grace.  Driving home that Nativity Day night, I came to understand what that grace is all about:  I realized that God is the source of all goodness, and there was so much goodness I got to experience over the past 24 hours or so.  I got to be with my grandmas and my uncles in Chicagoland, which is what I was really looking forward to as December 25 drew near.  I got to experience wonderful weather, and could go outside without a jacket.  And I could also delight in the celebration my parents were having in Miami.

As great as Nativity Day is, the mystery of the Incarnation gives us a lot to unpack, and so I'm glad there's a Christmas Season that extends the celebration out several days.

It also gave a fitting chance to exchange gifts with my parents after they returned, which we did on December 29, the Feast of the Holy Family.  I gave my parents biscotti.  Dad had also gone shopping at Trader Joe's, and he gave me a Snowman treat that I could put in heated milk to turn it into hot chocolate, which is in the photo below.

I had it a couple days later on New Year's Eve as my parents and I played a train game.

My parents also gave me a pillow.  I look forward to using it on my next overnight train trip.

A couple weeks before this exchange of gifts, I got a handful of gifts from my RE students.  One student gave me a photo greeting card her family had made to distribute.  As I looked at the photo of the whole family, I paused to take stock of the reality that I have been the teacher of all three children in the family.  Looking at that family photo was a great chance for me to acknowledge the impact I've had by teaching for so long, extending on through whole families, by going from older siblings to younger siblings.

Another student gave me a wonderful handwritten note, thanking me for the effort I put into teaching class, and how much she gets out of class, and her Nativity Day and New Year's wishes.  It was so heartfelt and written truly as an expression of herself.  I was so touched this student took the time to express her gratitude by writing this note.  These gifts, along with the others I received from students and their families, gave me much reason to marvel in the opportunity to embrace the calling to participate in the work of handing on the faith to the youths in my charge.

Indeed, I had experienced so much grace during these joyful days surrounding Nativity Day.  I think there's a lot to be said for gifts that keep on giving, that extend their impact, and that help us connect with God.  While He's so mysterious and beyond us, He loved us so much that He came to be with us in a tangible way, as the Word Made Flesh, born of Mary.  And we have so much reason to celebrate because He continues to be with us, manifesting His glory, which now abides even within us.

The Nativity scene at Ascension

Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, peace, good will toward men.

Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

20 + C + M + B + 20

The above is an inscription used for the house blessing on the Feast of the Epiphany.  The year 2020 flanks both sides.  C, M, B represent the traditional names for the Magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.  The four crosses represent the four seasons.

Grapes of Anticipation 2020

It's time for New Year's Day and the fresh feel it brings with a strong sense of anticipation for the year that is starting to unfold.

To reflect on what I'm anticipating, I shall follow the model I used to reflect on 2019, and share 12 grapes for 2020.

Grape #1, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics: I am eager to follow the coverage of the athletes and see what kind of show Tokyo puts on as the Olympics continue at yet another Asian city.

Grape #2, reading plans: I'm always eager to keep reading.  Included on my list is Nikki Haley's newest book With All Due Respect.

Grape #3, exploring more of Illinois: All the traveling and exploring I did for Illinois's Bicentennial has piqued my interest to continue sightseeing in Illinois.  I look forward to doing a short road trip somewhere in Illinois this year.

Grape #4, the 2020 presidential election: While election campaign seasons have gotten more fickle in recent years, I still appreciate that we have a process in the United States for electing officials, and I look forward to seeing the American governmental process play out in 2020.

Grape #5, milestones in the family: I think about milestones ahead this year for members of my family, particularly my parents.

Grape #6, 2020 Census: I look forward to hearing about the results of the census.

Grape #7, trips: I already have been making plans for a trip to the Southwest USA.  I'm also hoping to visit my friends in Madison, WI, and take a trip to Columbus, OH.  There's even a possibility for another trip to Philadelphia.

Grape #8, leadership transitions: I look forward to following the changes in leadership that are on the horizon.  I'm looking forward to hearing about Robert McClory's work once he is formally ordained and installed as the next Bishop of the Diocese of Gary.  I'm interested in learning who will become the next President of Valparaiso University, and the next pastor of Ascension Parish.

Grape #9, Leap Day: It's kind of interesting to have an extra day in the calendar every year, and I anticipate what I can do and what will happen in this year's Leap Day.

Grape #10, being in the audience of great content: Since I enjoyed some great presentations in 2019, I hope to be in the audience of more great speakers, whether in person, or on the radio, with Relevant Radio programming, and the Roys Report, too, along with more great podcasts.

Grape #11, commemorative anniversaries:  There are some anniversaries coming up that have meaning for me personally.  Maine celebrates its Bicentennial as a State on March 15, which reminds me of the summer vacation my family had there back in 2000.  The Bicentennial of Florence Nightingale's birth is on May 12, which makes me think of nursing, a profession with which I've had close contact in my life.  And just days after that is the Centennial of the birth of Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope St. John Paul II.  His biographical story has inspired me since elementary school.  I feel this occasion is suitable time to delve into his biography Witness to Hope, much as attending World  Youth Day 2019 and the 40th Anniversary of his October 1979 United States trip got me pondering his life more and more.

Grape #12, personal anniversaries: I will mark 15 years since my 8th grade graduation and my Confirmation.  I look forward to be renewed in what those experiences mean for me through my celebration of them.  I have felt the impact of those two significant days in the way I live my life fully, especially in putting faith into action, as I do so significantly in Religious Education.  I'm eager for new opportunities to offer the gift of what those occasions brought me as I continue teaching RE.

Indeed, God has granted us the gift of another year, this 2020.  I pray we embrace the opportunities to offer it back to Him as the blank slate starts filling.