Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the eldest of nine children, suffered greatly from extreme poverty and ill health. As a child, she contracted cholera and suffered from severe asthma her entire life. At the age of 14, on Feb. 11, 1858, while collecting kindling, she had the first of 18 visions of “a lady, wearing a white veil, a blue girdle, and with a yellow rose on each foot.” Eventually, the Lady identified herself: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” While many of us know the details of the story, I am always intrigued by one of St. Bernadette’s quotes: “Let us meet at the foot of the Cross, where we will find strength and courage.”

 

That quote comes to mind as I recently finished reading the document for the Jubilee Year of Hope, Spes Non Confundit, “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” Pope Francis writes “Hope is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the Cross” (3). I think the poverty and ill-health that St. Bernadette experienced in her life would confirm that statement. Hope comes from the Cross! How can that be? The Holy Father goes on to explain that when we are at the foot of the Cross, when we suffer from illness or persecution, at the foot of the Cross we may look “beyond the darkness, we glimpse a light … sustained by the power flowing from Christ’s Cross and resurrection. No suffering is in vain. Whatever leads us to the Cross also leads us to the resurrection. In other words, “Let us meet at the foot of the Cross, where we will find strength and courage.”

 

In his letter of last year on the Sacred Heart, Dilexit Nos, “He Loved Us,” Pope Francis, notes, “The pierced side of Jesus is the source of the love that God has shown for his people in countless ways” (99). From the pierced side of Jesus, flows all the spiritual treasures of the Church, so as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, our Holy Father has granted all members of the Church the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence, flowing from the pierced sign of Jesus. This requires a pilgrimage to Rome to visit the major basilicas, or the Holy Land, or in our diocese: visiting one of our two cathedrals in Springfield or Cape Girardeau. During those visits, the pilgrim offers the Creed, the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father along with the Prayer before a Crucifix. Within 20 days of the pilgrimage, you are expected to go to confession and receive Holy Communion, all in the state of grace.

PENITENTIAL PRACTICES
But now the question arises, “What about those who are confined to their homes?” How are they able to receive a plenary indulgence? Again, given that the spiritual treasures of the Church, flowing from the pierced side of Jesus are without limit, if those unable to travel recite the prayers, “in their homes or wherever they are confined and offer up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives,” they are able to receive the indulgence. In addition, for those unable to travel, “The indulgences are also linked to the works of mercy and penance … the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty … as well as the “the spiritual works of mercy.” Those who enter into penitential practices, especially on Friday through abstaining, or in the spirit of penance abstain at least for one day of the week from the use of the media and or social networks, or donating to the poor, support pro-life activities, or volunteer if possible to service organizations, even if one simply makes a visit to the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, disabled people, “in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them,” and the person offers up the required prayers, those can receive the plenary indulgence. In all these ways, “Let us meet at the foot of the Cross, where we will find strength and courage.”

 

The Jubilee Year of Hope is expected to draw 30 to 35 million visitors to Rome. I will not be one of them. But I will still be able to get the indulgence by visiting one of our cathedrals. And how beautiful that even those confined to their homes can receive the indulgence by participating in the various works outlined in this article.

 

This Jubilee Year of Hope is a spiritual opportunity to live out the spirit of St. Bernadette, “Let us meet at the foot of the Cross, where we will find strength and courage.”

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”

Published in the February 28, 2025 issue of The Mirror.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

 

 

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These words, familiar to many of us, are part of a poem written by Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus,” composed to raise money for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The poem can now be found inside the Statue of Liberty on a bronze plaque for all to see. 

The words of the poem refer to the vast number of immigrants who came to the United States through Ellis Island in the late 1800s and the high ideals that make our country so attractive to others. The United States has always been the place where hard work and the desire to succeed often allows immigrants greater opportunities than their own country of origin. All parents want security and peace for their children and when their country of origin cannot provide such things, they migrate elsewhere with the hope of a better life. Those who come to our country desire the freedom, peace, and security we Americans enjoy as citizens.

SHARED HUMANITY
Our government is responsible for the safety and well-being of its citizens. We have a right and should expect our country to secure its borders, protect our communities, and maintain social order. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2241) adds an additional responsibility: “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent that they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.” Of course, this is from a faith perspective that not everyone shares. What everyone does share, however, is our shared humanity. We are all part of the human family and therefore we have dignity and rights regardless of our country of origin. 

While the quote from the catechism and the words on the Statue of Liberty are quite noble and lofty, the reality today is something different. Not long ago I was told by a staff member of a Missouri senate office, “Bishop Rice, the immigration system is broken.” Now, if the immigration system is broken, it is ever more crucial presently to acknowledge the dignity and rights we each have as members of the human family, regardless of our country of origin. All the more should we now advocate for the humane treatment of families and seek out solutions rooted in compassion. You don’t have to be a believer to take on this vision.

SAFETY & SUPPORT, NOT FEAR
Our schools and our churches should be places of safety and support, not fear. We are called to uphold everyone’s dignity, especially the most vulnerable among us. When people walk into our churches and our schools, they should be walking into a loving, safe community and I pray to God that our government would never violate our sacred spaces, our sanctuaries. 

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” As members of the human family, it is crucial at this moment in our country that we rise to the challenge and be proud of how we treat the poor, the immigrant, and the marginalized. Their human dignity is not dependent on citizenship or immigration status. I assume that those who may be reading this article are Catholic and know we have guiding principles to help us in responding to social issues such as immigration. Having just come off the Christmas Season, we’re mindful of the Holy Family who migrated to Egypt for their safety. We also hear our Lord himself in Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.” 

A disciple of Jesus cannot dismiss these words. People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control immigration. A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy. These three principles guide the Catholic Church in responding to the current crisis of immigration. All the more we must pray for the gift of wisdom for our elected officials, that they may be instruments of justice and mercy. Years from now, when we look at this moment of our American history, let us be proud of how we treated the vulnerable among us.

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”

Published in the February 14, 2025 issue of The Mirror.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

 

 

Lunar New Year 2025 is the Year of the Snake. You can read more about our recent celebration on Sun., Jan. 26, at St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield, on page 6.

As I’m sure you know, on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened a special door at St. Peter’s Basilica to launch the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. A Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church is held every 25 years and is rooted in the Jewish tradition where every 50 years, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, wrongs were made right, and any lands misappropriated were returned. This Jubilee Year 2025 has been set apart by the Holy Father for special prayer, pilgrimage, and graces.
Over time, the Jubilee Year tradition died out until 1300 AD when, Pope Boniface VIII, in the midst of a year of great suffering marked by wars and illness hoped that in declaring a Jubilee Year, people would return to a more holy way of life and turn back to God. Many Christians began to travel to Rome, visiting the tombs of the saints and seeking the blessing of the Pope. In response, the Pope offered “indulgences,” from the word “favor” or “release,” originally the release of a slave or prisoner. In a spiritual sense, an indulgence is a “release” from the temporal punishment due to sins. When I confess my sins, I am forgiven but I am still responsible for the consequences of my sins. Through a spiritual favor or “indulgence,” flowing from the spiritual treasures of the Church, i.e., flowing from the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, the Holy Father offers a partial or plenary (complete) indulgence.
A Jubilee Year traditionally involves some type of a pilgrimage to a sacred place or shrine; crossing a threshold and entering through a doorway to symbolize a renewed relationship with God. In Rome there is a door “Holy Door” at each of the major basilicas. And in our diocese, our two cathedrals become the Holy Doors by which one crosses the threshold and enters into the cathedral. The journey to the cathedral becomes a time of conversion, reconciliation. By entering through the doors of the either St. Agnes Cathedral, in Springfield, or St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, in Cape Girardeau, we spiritually open up the doors of hope. To gain a plenary indulgence requires a visit to the cathedral, prayers for the Holy Father, and the reception of Reconciliation and Holy Communion within a 20-day period.

RESTORING A CLIMATE OF HOPE
When Pope Francis announced the 2025 Jubilee Year, he stated, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart, and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire.”
There seems to be a lack of hope in our world today, and without hope we lose a sense of purpose and meaning to life. There seems to be an existential despair that says we’re doomed. The Christian, on the other hand, is always marked by hope, called to be “pilgrims of hope.” The Good News of the Gospel has something to say to our world today. The joy of the Gospel and our encounter with Christ allows us to look beyond any particular difficulties we may be facing at the moment and believe that life can be better. A Christian proclaims that life is better with Christ. Christ gives meaning to every little act of kindness done in His name and to every work of mercy. While some may despair of so many poor in our world, the Christian is privileged to see Christ disguised in the poor and sees an opportunity to better love and better serve. Jesus gives a greater motivation to every act of kindness or forgiveness. With hope, we have confidence that things can be better.
As part of the Jubilee Year for our diocese, Springfield’s St. Agnes Cathedral has a special crucifix displayed while our Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation, in Cape Girardeau has a True Relic of the Cross in a reliquary. I invite everyone to visit one of our cathedrals for Mass, partaking in the Eucharist, pray the Creed, pray the “Prayer before a Crucifix,” along with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father. Then, within a 20-day span, to celebrate Reconciliation.
Lunar New Year 2025 is the Year of the Snake. For Catholics, it is also the Jubilee Year of Hope. Our Holy Father reminds us that hope flows from the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross. Those born in the Year of the Snake are known to be intelligent, charming, and have a need for solitude. May these special attributes help all of us to come closer to Jesus on the Cross, the source of our hope.

OUR DIOCESAN PRESS
Speaking of evangelization and encounter: On Feb. 8-9, we celebrate the annual collection for The Mirror. This is my principle means of contact with the people of the diocese and I hope it is a source of community and connection in our far-flung One Church, East to West. A subscription to The Mirror, which remains at a mere $14 a year, also helps us be present on diocesan social media—which I hope you follow us on Facebook and Instagram!—and all the resources present on the Website. Please support my evangelization efforts via print and digital by subscribing to The Mirror. As delayed USPS delivery continues across the country, please consider also getting the paper digitally or solely as a digital subscription. If you want to sign up to receive the paper before you get it in the mail, or instead of the USPS delivery, please Email Debbie Thompson at [email protected] or drop me a note. Thank you for supporting our diocesan publication and outreach!

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”

Published in the January 31, 2025 issue of The Mirror.
Photo Credit:  Nina H Nguyen, Cộng Đoan CG Springfield (Đức Mẹ lên Trời)