In a small, bare-walled room at the Maricopa County’s Durango Jail, more than 40 prisoners celebrated God becoming man at a Mass with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted Dec. 25.
“God changed history not by being far from us, but by doing what seemed impossible,” the bishop said in his bilingual homily. “While remaining God, He also became man. That’s the huge mystery of Christmas.”
(Photo from what is a very good idea – the Phoenix diocesan paper’s Flickr page)
Thanks to this reader for passing on this link about Cardinal George:
God was at the Cook County Jail on Christmas Day, as he is every day, Cardinal Francis George told 175 inmates Monday.
"He is here with you," George told the men seated on stainless steel pews in the jail’s chapel. "The Lord is with us. He wants to be with you. He wants to be here."
In baggy, beige uniforms, with laceless blue gym shoes, the men — sporting dreadlocks, cornrows and tattoos — enthusiastically sang and prayed. During the handshake of peace, and returning to their seats after communion, many warmly embraced fellow inmates they don’t see often in the complex of 10,000 people who are awaiting trial.
George said he was happy to be with the men on Christmas morning. "I look forward to this every year," he said. "One of the problems with a busy schedule is that I can’t be here more often."
Speaking in English and Spanish, George complimented the prison choir, which had practiced for weeks to lead the chapel in renditions of "Silent Night" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain" among other songs.
"All the ends of the Earth have seen the saving power of God," the men sang.
"A lot of us, we’ve got hearts. We’re not like people believe us to be," said choir member Everett Mosley, 32, who has been in jail four months. "I joined the choir because I want to change."
He said that humanity’s history is one of separation from God, but through Christ, God has unified human nature with divinity.
“That’s why we can have hope that the Lord is with us. He is always near us with His Son,” the bishop said. “If we accept his gift, we can also be sons of God and sons of Mary.”
Christ being born in a manger is itself a lesson, the bishop explained.
“He didn’t come the way we think of a lord, someone of great power. He came with great power, but it looked like great weakness,” he said.
“But the strongest thing in the world is Christ. He allows Himself to die to redeem us,” the bishop said. “That’s strength. That is real courage. That is stronger than any violence and stronger than hatred.”
Ricardo Holt, who expects to be released from the jail this month, said it meant a lot to meet the bishop in such circumstances.
“All of us here, there’s nothing we can do about it, so rather than being bitter about it, I’m looking forward to the time that I will be with my family,” Holt said.
“I will pray for everyone else who can’t spend time with their family and can’t let go of that bitterness,” he said.
Throughout the Mass, more so after Communion, the inmates wept.
“God was present here, as was evidenced by the tears,” said Betsy Sherf, who leads music at the annual Christmas morning Mass at the jail. Bishop Olmsted celebrates Christmas Mass for inmates each year.
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