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PAGE 4—THE BULLETIN, July 26, 1958 JOSEPH BREIG if I Were Young As I recall, it was Chesterton who said, 60 or 70 years ago, that if St. George were to come back to life, he would take a long look at the world around him — and prepare to be a martyr again. Today, my guess is that Chester ton and St. George, if they could come among us now, might take the long look together, and get ready to be, in one way or another, apostles, mission aries. Being no prophet, I may be mistaken, but I think we are emerging from our long baptism of blood and fire. I see the end ing of the period in which we had to use most of our energies in holding the fort of religion and civilization. IF MY JUDGEMENT is cor rect, the person who is in his teens or 20s now ought to look forward chiefly to expounding truth, rather than, chiefly de fending it, as we who went be fore them found it necessary to do. I agree with those who feel that a new wind is blowing across the world, dissipating the old fumes of error, hatred, prej udice, lies, selfishness, greed and ignorance. Our centuries of tribulation and misunderstanding have been due for the most part to a mad individualism which blinded men and women to the common good, to the duty of loving and serving fellowmen everywhere on earth. IN INSANE REBELLION against the individualist insani ty, movements like fascism, naz- ism, and communism blacken ed the world with violence, cruelty, injustice, falsehoods and wars. I think the pendulum now is nearing the center. We have had more than enough of hatred and lies. Now we want love, truth and justice. We are seeking the peace which only right order can give. We ask for guidance. If I were a youth today, look ing forward to a career and wishing to serve God and man in it, I would think not so much of refuting objections as of re vealing the depth, breadth and beauty of goodness, divine and human. I WOULD WISH to fit my self not to argue, but to enlight en and inspire. I would concern myself less with preparing to battle evil things, and more with training myself to propa gate nobility. I would desire to educate rather than dispute. I would be heartened in this course by many facts about the modern world. I would observe, for example, that racial, national and class discrimination no longer can pretend to any real respectabili ty — not in our South, not in South Africa, not even in India where the castes are crumbling'. The wrongs survive, but their foundations have been washed away. There is no durability in them now. I WOULD PERCEIVE that such foolishness as divorce, with its restless seeking for other mates, and birth prevention, with its nervous-nelly fussing over population growth, are be ginning to look as imbecilic as they are. Such things no longer have any power of attracting vigor ous youth. I would mark well the fact that even the most enormous bi gotry in all history — the com munist bigotry against God and religion, and against man as God’s image and likeness — is heaving and splintering from the pressure of its own ignorant contradictions. IF I WERE YOUNG NOW, I would judge that the future be longs to those who will harvest the seeds so long watered with blood and tears. I would resolve to devote my self to positive work. I would try to grasp firmly, and set forth for others, the splendor of re ligious dedications, of holy mar riage, of family life, of good government, of human dignity, of the literature that elevates rather than degrades, of wise education, of people-to-people help, of right international re lations, and the like. I would look upon television and radio, nuclear power, the drama, modern medicine, bank ing and business, as colossal op portunities to do colossal good. Oh, if I were a young person today, I would be filled with hope and determination — and courage. Theology For The Layman si RANGE BUT TRU Hie.Known Fact* for Catholics E Ethics In Government By M. J. MURRAY ©rprrtgtit, Its*. If.C.W C. N«w> amfen (By F. J. Sheed) Mystery, Not Contradiction The one, infinite indivisible Nature of God is wholly posses sed by three Persons — each of them, therefore, God, each of them, therefore, able to do all that goes with being God. If we are seriously using our minds upon this supreme truth, two dif ficulties may strike us: (1) it may seem quite incon ceivable, prac tically a contradiction in terms, that . one nature should be possessed by three persons; (2) we may feel that if the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, then there are three Gods, not one. We must look closely at each of these. Take first the apparent im possibility of three persons having one single nature. As we think of person and nature in ourselves, it seems clear that one nature can be possessed and operated in by only one person. But this appar ent clearness comes from not looking deep enough. It is true that we are conscious of a reality within us, nature, by which we are what we are, and a reality within us, person or self, by which we are who we are. But whether these are two realities, or two levels or aspects of one reality, we cannot see with any certainty. When we try to look really closely at ourselves, it is not so easy. Of our nature we have a shadowy notion, of our self a notion more shadowy still. When ^ someone says “Tell me about yourself,” we talk of our quali ties or the things we do, but . not of the self that has the quali ties and does the things. We know there is a. self there, the thing that says I, but we cannot get it into focus. Both as to the nature I have and the person I am there is more darkness than light. So that although all our ex- (Continued on Page Five) By David Q, Liplak Q: If has always been my im pression that there is something selfish about the kind of life led by cloistered monks and nuns, like the Trappisls and Carmel ites. Wouldn't it be far better for the Church if cloistered con- templatives were allowed to en gage in certain outside apostolic work, such as teaching or aurs- ing in hospitals? Then they would be accomplishing some thing of practical value for the community. A: No Catholic could possibly harbor the impression that a cloistered religious contemplat ive is living a selfish, imprac tical life, without at the same time showing himself to be grossly ignorant of true piety and the nature, significance and efficacy of the contemplative life as such. FOR CONSIDERED IN IT SELF, the contemplative life (i.e., the state in which prayer and penance are emphasized al most to the exclusion of all ex ternal activities) surpasses in no bility, meritorious worth and practicality the active life (in which outside works are en gaged in, though not without recourse to some contemplation, which is necessary for all). This does not mean that, the active life cannot be preferred to the contemplative life in a specific instance. Each soul, of course, must fulfill God’s will in his particular case. Subject ively, then, that state is su perior to which one has been called by God. BUT TAKEN IN ITSELF, the contemplative life is by its very nature higher than its antithe sis. In the words of Pope Pius XI: "ALL THOSE WHO, accord ing to their rule, lead a schedul ed life remote from the din and follies of the world, and who as siduously contemplate the di vine mysteries and eternal truths and pour out ardent and (Continued on Page Five) Jottings .. (By BARBARA C. JENCKS) • TWO BOOKS especially ideal for summer vacation read ing because of subject matter and escape themes are Henry David Thoreau’s "Walden" and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s "Gift from ihe Sea." I wonder if many others have noted the similarity between these two classics. The popularity of both the long-time classic “Walden” and the newer best seller “Gift from the Sea” shows that schedule and con formity-ridden men and women do yearn to jump the traces and return to nature if only for a few weeks as Mrs. Lindbergh did or for a longer period as did Mr. Thoreau with his now- famous experiment in primitive living. Reading both these books would be a brief reprieve to the harrassed time table, clock- punching victim or tranquillizer addict. It is no wonder that many a city prisoner groans be fore his terms and sighs aloud in wonder if this was the life God intended man to live. Both authors retreated so that they might maintain their equilibri um and that they might measure their life and its standards and ideals. It would seem that never before had people been whipped to such feverish pitch and ac tivity in the pursuit of empti ness as they are today. Both these books will serve as cooling foundations to feverish minds. • THOREAU WRITES: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if T could not learn what it had to reach and not find when I came to die that I had not lived. I did not wish to live life which is not life, liv ing is so dear.” Mrs. Lindbergh writes: “For life in America to day is based on the premise of ever-widening circles of contact and communication . . . My mind reels with it. What a circus act we women perform every day of our life . . . This is not the life of simplicity but the life of multiplicity.” She says “One learns first of all in beach liv ing the art of shedding; how little one can get along with not how much.” Comes a vaca tion opportunity and too often the wearied office worker or tycoon flings himself headlong into a series of exhausting ac tivities — long motor trips, ex pensive resort lodges, trips to big cities. They balk at the back to nature plan — a quiet place in the country or a house at the shore. They have little time to think and take inventory. Thus they return without being re plenished or refreshed during their allotted annual rest period. • MY IDEAL VACATION spot has always been a cottage by the sea: long talks at night by a fire, long walks along the beach, good books, fishing, sim ple food and dress. This is a va cation in . true .sense. The con centration is not on the super fluous. Mr. Thoreau and Mrs. Lindbergh go yet further in their retreat ideas. Again the author of "Gift from the Sea" writes what I wish could be my diary: “For a full day and two nights I have been alone. I lay on the beach under the stars at night alone. Alone I watched the gulls at the end of the pier dip and wheel and dive for scraps. It seemed to me separated from my own species that I was near er others. Beauty of earth and sea and air meant more to me. I was in harmony, I melted into the universe, lost in it, lost in a canticle of praise, swelling up from an unknown crowd in a cathedral: Praise ye the Lord, all ye fishes of the sea, all ye birds of the air, all ye children of men. Praise ye the Lord.” Thoreau writes of this same dis covered beauty of nature and silence: “For most part I minded not how the hours went. The day advanced as if to light some 7ne Art Gallery of ike PRO OVITATB CHRISTIANA movement, Assisi, Italy, Contains move than. 30,000 photographs of pictures of Christ from earliest , times to ike present dag. This 2/2. Foot fAO~ MAWS THE " END OF TWO OLD, NOW UNKNOWN, FRENCH FAMILIES A CENTURY AGO WHEN A CHILDLESS COUPLE, EACH THE LAST OF THEIR LINE, CONVERTED THEIR FAMILY JEWELS INTO AN ALTAR SET, Sold RECENTLY IN LONDON By A RELIGIOUS ORDER . THE BACKDROP I at a recent PARIS' J NUPTIAL MASS Was played on HARMONICAS/ SHARING OUR TREASURE Nurse Shows Patients How To Put House In Order By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D. (University of Notre Dame), Mrs. Grace Sullivan, a regis tered nurse in St. Joseph’s parish, Terre Haute, believes that it isn’t necessary to go to fair off heathen lands to do mis sionary work, that opportuni ties surround us on every side right here at home. That she has put her belief into practice is evidenced b y the fact that she has won eight converts and reclaimed four fallen-aways. “The Crusade for Souls that was launched throughout In diana a few years ago,” began Mrs. Sullivan, “opened the eyes of all of us to the opportunities of sharing our” faith with our churchless friends and neigh bors. It made us realize that we lay Catholics are called by Christ to be apostles and to help our priests in extending His kingdom. “When that crusade was get ting under way Archbishop Schulte came down here on a stormy winter night and ad dressed a mass meeting at the high school. He appealed to every Catholic to win at least one convert and reclaim one fallen-away each year. He said it was high time for us to bear witness for Christ and His Church, and not be content with merely attending Sunday Mass.” “Incidentally,” I remarked, “Archbishop Schulte drove to all the deanery meetings no matter how distant and address ed each one. I had the pleasure of being with him at all those meetings. It was his deep per sonal interest and earnest appeals that helped to make the crusade so remarkably success ful not only in the Indianapolis archdiocese but also throughout the whole state. The Indiana crusade thus set the pattern for operation doorbell in Wiscon sin.” “The archbishop’s eloquent appeals,” continued Mrs. Sul livan,” “made a deep irhpression on all of us, and I’ve tried in a humble way to put his advice into practice. I operate a nursing home, where a number of eld erly patients reside. When I find one without any church affilia tion I tell him about the peace, joy and security which our holy Faith affords. “One to whom I spoke was 69-year-old Charles Allred. He wanted to know if there were any age limits to members join ing it. 1 told him “No.” Then I work of mine; it was morning and long; now it is evening. In stead of singing like the birds, I silently smiled at my incessant good fortune.” “Madness” many will call it. Life must be faced and lived among our fellow men and all the world cannot be running away to the woods or the seashore to meditate and write. Yet if we are to survive the long winter, if we are to re tain our own singleness of spirit, we must escape from the mad ding throng and the market place at noonday be it for a day or week and there we must store up refreshment and light which will last when the dark days are upon us. Florida Chancellor Dies July 12th ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (NC)— Msgr. John W. Love, 43, Chan cellor of the Diocese of St. Aug ustine, died (July 12) of a heart attack in Daytona Beach. He also was pastor of St. Augustine cathedral here. He was born May 3, 1915, in Corry, Pa., and studied at Georgetown University and the Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C„ and St. Ma ry’s Seminary, Baltimore, Md. He was ordained in Miami by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley, Bishop of St. Augustine, May 9, 1942. After two years of post-grad uate work in canon law at Catholic University, Msgr. Love served as Vice Chancellor and assistant director of the Mission of Nombre De Dios, St. Augus tine, where the first parish Mass was offered in continental Unit ed States in 1565. In 1949 he was named dio cesan consultor and Chancellor. 104th Council STEUBENVILLE, Ohio, (NC) -—The 104th diocesan council to affiliate with the National Council of Catholic Women en tered the national federation this week with 100 per cent of the parish and local groups of its diocese. gave him a copy of Deharbe's Catechism and explained it to him. While undergoing instruc tion he got a heart attack and was taken to St. Anthony’s Hos pital where the chaplain, Father John Volgyese, O. F. M, Conv., finished the instruction and bap tized him. “Another elderly patient was Anna Hatcher. She had no Church affiliation. I told her it was timte for her to begin think ing about putting her house in order and explained how the Catholic religion could help her do so. “On the First Friday of the month a Franciscan Father brings Holy Communion. I told Mrs. Hatcher how wonderful it was to receive our Eucharistic Lord, and offered to arrange for her instructions. She was now eager to learn more about the Faith. Father William Stineman at St. Patrick’s instructed her and received her into the Church. “After receiving her first Holy Communion she was like a new person — so radiantly happy. Now she had something to live for, and something to look for ward to after death. Four years later on Easter Sunday, 1956, she died a beautiful death — so peaceful and resigned. Her ten grandchildren are now Catholics. “I am especially concerned when I discover patients who have never been baptized. I explain how Christ instituted baptism to remove the guilt of original sin and urge them to let me introduce them to a priest. In this simple way I have been able through God’s grace to help lead eight into the fold and win back four fallen-aways.” The ethics of men in public life, or the lack thereof, is again in the spotlight as a result of disclosures by the House Com mittee on Legislative Oversight that the assistant to the Presi dent had ac cepted gifts from a New England tex tile manufac turer. A bill has been intro duced in the Senate pro posing establishment of a Com mission on Ethics in Govern ment which would be charged with the duty of drafting a code of ethics for public officials. A similar proposal recom mended by a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare at the height of the so-called scandals in the Truman Administration died on the vine. The fact that the recommenda tions of the subcommittee evoked so little interest among the lawmakers raises the ques tion whether American moral standards have undergone a decline. This was a question to which the subcommittee devoted no little attention in its report on the lapses in the Truman Ad ministration in 1951 and 1952. The committee asked itself a series of questions about ethical standards in public life and the seeming indifference of the American people to the wrong doing of some of its servants. SECULAR TREND “Is there a secular trend in America,” the subcommittee By JOHN C. O’BRIEN asked, “which creates a new moral problem? Have the churches declined as a training ground for moral conduct? If such a trend exists and should continue, what will be the con sequences? “Do people have an over weening desire for wide social approval which makes them less independent in their judge ments, less loyal to ancient values and more inclined to go along with the sentiment or the practices of the moment?” The subcommittee also con sidered in a speculative way the seeming indifference of the public evidenced in the extent of nonvoting and a general apathy in regard to politics in terrupted at times by intense interest and feverish reform. “If these traits of a politically immature people should be found to exist,” the subcom mittee asked, “would they in dicate some degree of gullibil ity and emotionalism generally?” The subcommittee also raised the question whether there is general ignorance of the basic ethical and political ideas upon which American institutions were founded. “Are Americans,” the sub committee asked, “unaware of the ideas and principals which really control them today? If such ignorance exists, how does it affect capacity to deal with present day problems in public affairs?” PROPOSED REMEDIES The subcommittee did not attempt to answer the question it asked itself. But it insisted that these were questions of profound significance for which answers should be sought through an inquiry, such as the Senate is now being asked to consider. And, while it deferred con clusions as to the basic causes of ethical lapses on the part of government officials pending the completion of a full inquiry, the subcommittee did, _ however, propose general remedies, none of which have yet been adopted. It suggested, for example, that all federal officials receiving $10,000 a year or more should be required to disclose their in comes, assets and all dealings in securities and commodities. It proposed amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act, prohibiting the acceptance of any gift from a person or organ ization with which a govern ment official transacts business for the government. It even went so far as to sug gest that public officials should avoid involvement with persons outside the government through attendance at frequent lunch eons, dinners, parties or other expensive social engagements. Whether anything is done to raise ethical standards in gov ernment depends, in the last analysis, upon the public. An old axiom holds that any people get the kind of government they deserve. If we accept what seems to be a prevalent belief that politics and corruption go hand in hand, we will continue to have loose ethical standards in goverriment. If voters return men who have betrayed a public trust to office, as they have done in some instances in the past, then we shall continue to have too many cynical and self-serving public servants. Helping Each Other To Health This We Believe Luck is the crossroad where planning and opportunity meet. A few weeks ago we discussed here the problem of mental health. That discussion brought letters of comment from several persons who have suffered or are suffering from some form of emotional or gS? f > psy cho logical d i s t urbance. Reading these letters, we were remind ed that people such as these —persons who recognize their nervous disor ders for what they are, and who have the desire to do something about it — these are the more fortunate ones. All too often the persons with an emotional or psychological handicap Will cling stubbornly to the delusion that his difficulty has a physical heart palpita tions, or for his recurrent head aches, or for his frequent at tacks of nausea, or for his fits of dizziness, or weak spells or coughing spells, or extreme fa tigue, or trembling, or depres sion or overanxiety. He still thinks the doctors are wrong, still thinks that there is a hid den physical cause which some day will come to light. He cannot bear to admit to himself that his infirmity may be nervous in origin. He has a feeling (totally mistaken, of course), that there is something shameful about admitting that his trouble may be “all in the mind.” This is the person really to be pitied, because it is next to impossible to persuade him to seek the kind of help he really needs. He will recoil almost in horror from the mere thought of consulting a psychiatrist. He thinks that to do so would be to infer that his illness is a shame and a pretense — which of course it is not. Again and again it needs to be emphasized that an illness rooted in the mind can be just as real as one rooted in a diseased organ. It is not some thing that can be cured by tell ing ourselves, or by being told, that it just isn’t so. For any person who suffers from nervous symptoms for which his physician has been unable to find any organic cause, there is a remarkably ef fective and inexpensive form of therapy available. This is the self-help path to mental health which is called Recovery, Inc. It is about 20 years since Re covery was started by a Chi cago psychiatrist, and it now has spread to every major city and to many smaller communi ties too. The essence of Recovery con sists in weekly meetings of small groups of people who are or have been the victims of (By FATHER LEO TRESE) some kind of emotional, psy chological or nervous illness, Together they study and dis cuss the causes of such illnesses, and the remedies. They share their experiences and support and encourage each other in their efforts towards recovery and continued health. All this is done under the guidance of a trained leader who himself has found good mental health through the Recovery tech niques. Beginners in Recovery, per sons who previously had thought their own problems to be unique, usually are amazed to discover that there are so many others who share their problems. Members of a Recov ery group will include persons who at one time were hospitaliz ed with nervous disorders and who now in Recovery maintain the mental health which enables them to live a normal life. There will be others who suffer from an emotional or psychological illness which easily could have led to hospitalization if Recov ery had not provided the needed therapy. Still others, with less er problems, find in Recovery the aids which help them to a happier, richer life. Finally some members may be persons who are not themselves sufferers from any psychological disorder, but who do have loved ones suf fering from such an illness. In Recovery they learn how best to help the one they love. Recovery is not an organiza tion in the ordinary sense of the word, with officers, dues and constitution. Recovery simply is groups of people with a com mon problem, dedicated to«the task of helping themselves by helping each other. This is a thoroughly Christian concept, even though Recovery meetings are non-religious in , character. It is assumed that each member will find the spiritual help he needs in his own church and re ligious practices. There is no fee for participation in a Re covery group. Members are ask ed to buy a copy of the discus sion book if they can. If they cannot, they are welcome to share a book with someone else. In most cities Recovery, Inc., is listed in the phone book. A call to the number listed there will bring immediate and detail ed information through the mail. The Recovery office will provide information as to the meeting place and time of the group which is nearest to the person who inquires. No “appli cation” is needed for attendance at a Recovery meeting. Once the time and place is known, anyone is welcome to walk in and to take a seat and listen. Those who live in smaller towns or rural areas where no Recovery phone number is listed, may ob tain information by writing to Recovery, Inc., 116 South Michi gan Ave., Chicago 3, Illinois. For anyone with a nervous ill ness, a phone call or a letter may be the first step towards health and happiness. A man never adds to his sta ture by treading on others’ toes. lulklUt 416 8TH ST„ AUGUSTA, GA, I uWished fortnightly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Reverend Arch bishop-Bishop of Savannah, the Most Reverend Bishop of Atlanta, and the Right Reverend Abbot Ordinary of Belmont. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office, Monroe, Georgia, and accepted for mailing at special rate of postage provided by paragraph (e) of section 34.40, Postal Laws and Regulations. REV. FRANCIS J. DONOHUE REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition JOHN MARKWALTER Managing Editor V°l- 39 Saturday, July 26, 1958 No. 4 ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1957-1958 GEORGE G1NGELL, Columbus President E. M. HEAGARTY, Waycross Honorary Vice-President MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon Vice-President TOM GRIFFIN, Atlanta T Vice-President NICK CAMERIO, Macon Secretary JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta Auditor JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary