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A new Vatican-commissioned sculpture by Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz titled “Be Welcoming” was installed in St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday in the hopes of inspiring people to open their hearts to the poor.

Schmalz’s bronze statue — located near the Showers for the Poor and the Mother of Mercy Clinic in the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square — depicts a man seated on a bench “who appears to be a homeless person” carrying only two possessions: a full backpack on his shoulder and a stick in one hand.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Service of Charity said on Tuesday: “This stranger turns into an angel when you look at the other side of the sculpture: the roughness of his clothes becomes smooth, the bag he carries turns into wings and the hood turns into hair.”

Known for creating artworks that interact with its viewers, Schmalz’s Be Welcoming statue “invites you to sit next to him,” to contemplate the word of God and inspire people to carry out works of charity. 

Be Welcoming — the Canadian sculptor’s latest installation in St. Peter’s Square — is another “visual interpretation of a verse from the Letter to the Hebrews: ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have unknowingly entertained angels’ (Heb 13:2),” the Vatican statement said.

The same Scripture verse also inspired Schmalz’s Angels Unawares sculpture — also located within St. Peter’s Square — which depicts 140 migrants of different ethnicities and nationalities standing on a boat. 

On Sept. 29, 2019, Pope Francis blessed that statue on the occasion of the Church’s 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

“We are all invited to open our hearts because only then will we have the opportunity to see others as they really are, people with their humanity,” the Vatican statement read. “Touching a poor person, assisting a poor person, is a sacrament in the Church.”

“We give ‘a concrete face to the Gospel of love,’” the statement continued, quoting Pope Francis. “‘By offering them shelter, a meal, a smile, holding out our hands without fear of dirtying them’ we restore ‘dignity,’ and this touches ‘the heart of our often indifferent world.’”

Be Welcoming is the third Schmalz installation located in the vicinity of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Canadian artist’s “Homeless Jesus” statue, inaugurated in March 2016 during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, is located in the square in front of the Vatican’s apostolic charity offices.

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This Easter Vigil, the Catholic Church in England is expecting a decade-high surge of new entrants to the faith. There is anecdotal evidence of a particular increase in young men, who say their interest was sparked initially by Catholic apologists on social media and also by the traditional heritage of Catholicism.

Almost all English dioceses contacted by CNA reported a significant increase in both catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election at the start of Lent compared with last year. Many had not seen comparable numbers for a decade.

The Diocese of Westminster, which includes much of the capital city London, said this year it has 252 catechumens and over 250 candidates, making a total of over 500 to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter — the most seen since 2018.

The adjacent Archdiocese of Southwark, which has a significant evangelization program, saw over 450 adults complete the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) this year, more than the year before. Such levels have not been seen since Pope Benedict XVI allowed groups of Anglican communities to enter into communion in 2011 through the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.

“I don’t think it can just be put down to COVID recovery; there seems to be something fresh afoot,” said Mark Nash, Southwark’s director of the Agency for Evangelization and Catechesis. “The Holy Spirit is moving in a very particular way.” 

Although the candidates have a broad variety of backgrounds, some trends he has noticed include young men initially inspired by online U.S.-based evangelists and apologists such as Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire; Father Mike Schmitz, a popular speaker, podcaster, and campus minister; Edward Sri, a theologian, author, and speaker; and Trent Horn, a Catholic apologist and podcaster.

Nash has also noticed more from atheistic countries.

“As part of my work, anecdotally, going to a number of parishes, groups I’ve been in, there has been a large number of younger people — particularly men,” he said. “Increasing numbers of Chinese… in Southwark we are blessed with a panoply of ethnicities. It is really is the Church universal; it is massively edifying.”

The diocese published a video of interviews of four candidates who expressed a variety of reasons and motivations for becoming Catholic, including the witness of the early Church fathers, the experience at a Catholic school, and the powerful faith of a young child. 

A musician living a “rock-and-roll life” spoke of feeling drawn to Mary. “I knew that it was something real and strong and pure,” Vedina-Rose said in the video. “Mary gives me so much comfort and love and understanding, and whenever there have been moments where I felt doubt or I felt lonely or I felt rejected all I have to do is call on Mary and I just feel this comfort… I just love Jesus.”

Theophany: God wants to reveal Himself to each one of us. But our constant addiction to the pleasure chemicals of dopamine and serotonin can be a barrier to this intimacy.

Today Fr. Mark-Mary challenges us to consider fasting from a near continuous stream of pleasure in order to hear and experience new intimacy with God. Why not consider driving without music, fasting from snacking throughout the day, or giving up social media this Lenten season?

When I read the Gospels filled with stories of Jesus, it can feel at times like I’m reading a superhero comic complete with superhuman feats and perfectly scripted comebacks for every occasion. There are even super villains. But unlike superheroes, Jesus is without flaws. He is perfect. He is God! So, as a Catholic who has suffered from depression and anxiety, at times, I have struggled to feel like Jesus, savior of the world who can raise the dead, can understand what it’s like to be the imperfect human that is me.

We are told Jesus was both fully divine and fully human. It’s one of those Catholic mysteries we love to recite but is hard to actually wrap our minds around. If Jesus was fully human, in theory, he should understand our full spectrum of emotions and needs. We are told he wept and felt disappointment. He looked forward to things and loved. He felt tempted, exasperated, and angry. He even felt hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Listing these, it seems he was able to check off all the human emotions on his “human experiences bucket list.” Though, while we can agree he felt these emotions, it’s hard not to resentfully question whether he was ever overwhelmed by them.

Depression and anxiety can and do overwhelm. It’s like your body is betraying you. You feel trapped and out of control. So, I can’t help but wonder, how can God feel trapped? He is God. He is fully in control. He has a divine plan. God can’t understand feeling helpless because he has never been helpless. He has never felt trapped. He may have been human, but could he truly have been that human? For a long time, the answer to that question for me was, “No.”

RELATED: Via Dolorosa: Stations for Your Way of Sorrow

At least, that was what I thought until recently while reading the story of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. The Gospels tell us he is in anguish. He is desperately praying. He is panicking. The Pharisees are calling for his head. Judas is en route. Peter will betray him. His disciples can’t even stay awake with him. And as mankind turns on him, his own body, human in form, turns on him as well.

In Mark, Jesus explains to his disciples: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good description of depression. Depression can feel like the decay of death is eating away at you, overwhelming you, exhausting you, rotting your insides until you are like a walking corpse.

Are you feeling hopeless? 

Fr. Mike offers insights on how to combat despair. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, see no way out, or think nothing matters, Fr. Mike reminds you of the true meaning of hope. He explains that we can always rely on God’s presence. Choosing hope means choosing to act with courage, even if that victory is as simple as getting out of bed. 

Finally, he reminds us that one of the best ways to fight despair is to bring that hopelessness to God in Confession. You are loved, you are valued, and you are absolutely irreplaceable. 

Our team at Ascension is thinking of you and praying for you. If you’re going through a difficult time or struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Talk to someone you trust or seek support from a professional. You can also call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (available 24/7).

According to biblical scholars, St. Paul spent 18 months in Corinth (AD 50–51) founding the church there (Acts 18:1–18). Sometime between AD 51 and AD 53, St. Paul wrote a letter to them with moral instructions: “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.” (1 Cor 5:9)

In the spring of AD 54, St. Paul sent the First Letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus via his delegate St. Timothy. That same year, St. Paul made a “painful visit” to Corinth (2 Cor 2:1), and he also wrote them a “tearful letter” (2 Cor 2:4; 7:8) after that visit.

The “tearful letter” was delivered through St. Titus. Afterward, St. Paul met Titus and heard from him both good news and new challenges regarding the church in Corinth. Hence, in the spring of AD 55, St. Paul sent the Second Letter to the Corinthians from Macedonia via St. Titus.

St. Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3–4)

The word comfort literally means to come to one’s side. A fourth-century biblical commentator known as Ambrosiaster wrote, “Paul mentions two kinds of consolation. One is the sort by which people who are suffering distress unjustly on account of the name of Christ find consolation in being set free. The other is the consolation of those who, when they are grieved because of sins, receive consolation from the fact that hope of forgiveness is promised to them when they mend their ways. This happens amid a community of those who have received consolation from God and been rescued from distress.”

In 2 Cor 1:12–24, St. Paul explained his change of plans. St. John Chrysostom commented: “Paul did not want to go to Corinth in order to plunge the Corinthians into despair. Instead, he stayed away so that they would reform themselves, fearing what might otherwise happen if he did come.”

St. Paul wrote, “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.” (2 Cor 1:12) 

Ambrosiaster commented: “The boast of Paul’s conscience was simplicity and sincerity, qualities which belong to God’s teaching. In his first letter Paul had criticized teaching based on earthly wisdom, and he alludes to that again here. He accused preachers of that kind both because they preached according to the wisdom of the world and because they were doing it in order to make money.

Jesus will be heading into the garden soon. At this point in our Lenten journey, are we ready to go with him? Maybe we can take a few pointers from an old-time folk song.

I recently heard Garden Song, a tune that I had long forgotten about. Its catchy melody and rhyme triggered childhood memories of singing along, not realizing at a young age the significance of the lyrics.

Written by David Mallette and made famous in 1979 by the unmistakeable voice of singer John Denver, Garden Song is often associated with a folksy, perhaps even environmentally friendly, outlook on life, some might say aimed primarily at children (some readers may remember when Denver sang this song on The Muppets. But when I heard it a few weeks ago it struck me in a very Lenten way.

“Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow. All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground,” sings Denver. “Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds I sow. Someone warm them from below til the rain comes tumblin’ down.”

Aren’t we all trying to cultivate our spiritual gardens in Lent? Lent is a time to “dig” deep into the soil of our lives. We can take time to really evaluate what makes up that soil. Is it nutrient rich? Does it have all the elements needed to grow fruit that will nourish our souls? What does nutrient-rich spiritual soil even look like? In Lent, we are told that we build up our soil with prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Have we made these three pillars a priority, and are we ready to turn the corner into Holy Week?

“Pullin’ weeds and pickin’ stones, man is made of dreams and bones,” goes the third verse.

I couldn’t think of a better image to describe the Lenten journey than “pullin’ weeds and pickin’ stones.” Have we successfully pulled some weeds and picked some stones? Are we still battling the weeds and stones (maybe boulders?) of sin in our lives? Have we cleared the soil of our nagging vices of sins against charity, lack of prayer, addiction to things that take us away from God? Have we gone to confession lately?

The song continues: “Feel the need to grow my own, ‘cause the time is close at hand.” The time is indeed close at hand. We will soon recall Jesus’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on Holy Thursday after the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Are we ready to accompany Jesus on that garden journey? How does our garden compare to that garden?

It’s been six years, going into a seventh. Well, not quite, but hear me out. I still love my phone, even though it no longer receives operating system updates.

Seems I’m not alone when it comes to the Note 9 from Samsung. I started out with the “8” model back in 2018, buying it outright and using it subsequently on a month-to-month basis with Telus Mobility.

I came into the Android ecosystem quite by accident, when I won an early Samsung S IIX phone in an online contest. I say “by accident,” but as a physics and computer sciences teacher it was only natural I’d be drawn to the Android world. The closed nature of the Apple system didn’t appeal to me, aside from using a MacBook Air for a few years, although alongside a Chromebook and various Windows computers.

My Note 8 purchase was the first time I actually bought a phone. Previously I had phones related to my work, phones going back to the BlackBerry days. That contest-win phone hooked me on the Android platform and its freedom to explore, much different from the iPod/iPad/MacBook environment I had used at one time.

With the Note 8 I was immediately captivated by the large screen and the pen it came with, the so-called S Pen, which was part of what made the Galaxy Note lineup unique. This pen makes for easy markups of images and graphics, as well as selective captures of text, both highly useful if, like me, you are an avid poster to various social media platforms.

I was devastated when my Note 8 was destroyed by a gravel truck driving over it, a story I previously wrote about in this space. The phone was initially lost but eventually found, all but unrecognizable, thanks to Google’s Find My Phone service. I immediately replaced the unusable “8” with a used Note 9 equipped with a new battery.

Another aspect that made the Note 8 special, aside from the S Pen, was that this phone was almost entirely paid for from an experimental foray into cryptocurrency—singular, Bitcoin—as no others of any consequence existed back then. And, yes, the gain was reported on the tax return that year.

So why stick with the Note phone? Well, let’s list some of the reasons for the replacement Note 9. Gorgeous screen, as good now as when the phone was new. Part of the appeal of the screen is the curved vertical edges. These are used for additional menuing features. I can keep a number of frequently used applications in these sidebar menus, effectively expanding the front screen. Terrific camera at the time of introduction, and still pretty good after all these years.

How should we approach the beginning of Holy Week? Fr. Mark-Mary explains that following Mary’s example is the most powerful way to enter the mystery of Christ’s Passion. We should be open, available, and receptive to receiving the Bridegroom.