REFLECTION

ADVENT: FOR WHAT ARE WE PREPARING?
Javier Guativa

We all know that the season of Advent, which means “coming,” tells us of the Incarnation, the worldly beginning of Jesus. But, often less recognized, is another meaning of Advent, which is the telling of the “coming” of the end, the “second coming” of the Lord, which will complete the history of salvation and be the beginning of the eternal season, beyond our measure of time, in which God will be all in all.  The Lord has come and will come. So, to cultivate vigilance and to embrace these occasions of encounter with Jesus, the Church has developed this rich liturgical season.

Although the liturgical texts of Advent express the season with a unified presentation, especially through the daily readings of the prophet Isaiah, Advent can be divided into two parts, each with a particular importance.

COMMUNITY OF SAINT PAUL’S PRESENCE IN ETHIOPIA IN THE MILWAUKEE CATHOLIC HERALD

The Community of St. Paul is generally well-known within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the pastoral activities of the Community’s nine priests that who have been ordained here.  Seven of these men serve currently within the archdiocese and its mission parish in the Dominican Republic (La Sagrada Familia), while the other two work full time for the CSP outside the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The Community includes not only priests but also committed laity, both men and women. The following article, which appeared recently in the Catholic Herald (the weekly archdiocesan paper) reports on the missionary activities of two women members of the Community, María José Morales and Gemma Regales, and their new apostolate in Meki, Ethiopia. The publication of this article is an excellent opportunity to reflect gratefully on the apostolic work performed by all of these lay women missionaries and to pray for an increase in Community vocations for lay women.

WALKING FOR EDUCATION, IN MILWAUKEE AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

On Saturday, October 25, the second Annual Walk for Catholic Education took place in Milwaukee. While enjoying a beautiful autumn day and a festive setting, more than 9,000 people walked two miles in support for the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Those who participated were also supporting the education programs that the Archdiocese’s sister parish, La Sagrada Familia, promotes in the Dominican Republic.

While the walk was taking place in Milwaukee, a group of Dominican students in Sabana Yegua walked in solidarity for the same cause, also supporting quality education for all.  We could say that the walk started in the North… and continued in the South!

MICROLOANS IN SABANA YEGUA

Florinda Ramírez has a very small shop. Even though it’s not yet her dream business, she is getting income to help her big family. She sells the basic food for the typical daily meal in her small community: salt, rice, spices, tomato sauce...plus some chicken on a good day. She also sells a few convenience items, such as candy and bagged snacks, that are special treats to enjoy from time to time.

Florinda is part of a group of 25 women who are receiving microloans of around 250 USD, which are expected to be paid back in less than a year. They all have small businesses like beauty shops and shops selling food and clothing. Importantly, through these small loans, these enterprising women have entered into the credit system with the bank, the beginning of an important business relationship. The women operate collaboratively within a support group of five per village community. They have been able to acquire more products to expand and improve their businesses and are making their payments in a punctual manner. Additionally the 25 women have participated in a course about starting small businesses, facilitated by INFOTEP (a Government organization), whereby they have deepened their knowledge necessary to manage a small business. For example, all of these microloans were initiated by the preparation of modest business plans.

REFLECTION 

YEAST IN THE DOUGH: BEYOND ELITISM AND UNCRITICAL ASSIMILATION

Every Christian community, and indeed the Church as a whole, is always at risk of falling into what we could call “spiritual elitism”: the belief that since we are trying to follow the Gospel we are better than others. Naturally, it would be an unfortunate contradiction to think that we are superior to anyone by virtue of a message that invites us to be servants of all and to discover God’s presence in every person.  But in the attempt to move away from elitism we could fall into the opposite extreme: as we strive to become involved in (and in no way “above”) the reality around us, we dissolve ourselves in it. This happens when in the necessary process of “embracing the world,” so characteristic of the spirit fostered by Vatican II, we lose the originality that comes from the Gospel. Then we lose the ability to contribute constructively to the criticism that so many aspects of our societies actually need. By believing that in order to avoid elitism we must uncritically assimilate all the cultural, ideological, political and social categories of everyone around us (including injustice, racism, lack of care for the poor… just to name a few), we lose the Gospel itself.

The fact is that as followers of Jesus we do have a peculiar way of being in the world. And yes, it is legitimate to contribute to the development of society with our Christian perspective. How to do this without falling into elitism?