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PAGE 2—THE BULLETIN, March 17, 1982
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EDITED BY LEO J. ZUBER
2332 North Decatur RdL Decatur, Georgia
A. M. D. G.
For the greater glory of God
and for the spiritual benefit of
authors, publishers, reviewers
and readers.
THE CONSCIENCE OF IS
RAEL, Bruce Vawter, C.M.,
Sheed & Ward, 1961, 295 pp.
$5.00,
Reviewed by
Flannery O'Connor
In The Conscience of Israel,
Fr. Vawter analyses the pre-
exilic prophets of the eighth
and seventh centuries B. C.,
Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah
and Jeremiah and the minor
prophets, Nahum, Sephaniah
and Habakkuk, and attempts
to reset their words in the con
crete historical moment thai
brought them forth. Nine
teenth century Biblical criti
cism was largely that of liberal
Protestantism. The result of
this was that the prophets
were seen in the light of lib
eral Protestant concerns. They
became Israelite Luthers and.
Wesleys, innovators opposing
ritualism, or social reformers
of advanced views. Twentieth
century Biblical criticism has
returned the prophets to their
genuine mission, which was
not to innovate, but to recall
the people to truths they were
already well aware of but
chose to ignore. Victorian com
mentators appear sometimes to
have thought of the prophets
as “liberal vicars or non-con
formist chaplains . . . with the
same bluff piety that made the
Empire great.” Fr. Vawter re
stores them to their exotic
Oriental culture where they
Were seen by their contempo
raries as inspired men in com
munication with “that other
ness that men have always as
sociated with the divine.” In
this setting alone it is possible
to understand an Isaiah walk
ing naked as a warning to
Egypt, an Hosea agonizing
over his prostitute wife or an
Ezekiel baking his bread over
dung to symbolize the destruc
tion to come.
Fr. Vawter warns against
making Christians of the pro
phets. The prophets prepared
for the revelation of the New
Testament; they did not an
ticipate it. This excellent book
will give the reader a fuller
understanding of both prepara
tion and fulfillment.
THE CLOUD FOREST, by
Peter Matthiessen, Viking,
1961, 288 pp., $6.50, and FOUR
THOUSAND YEARS AGO, by
Geoffrey Bibby, Knopf, 426
pp., $6.95. )
Reviewed by
Michele Caraher
Explorers’ books come and
go, but your true devotee en
joys them all. Peter Matthies-
sen’s expedition covered such
contrasting regions as the
Matto Grosso jungle of Brazil
and the barren Tierra del Fue-
go on the southern tip of Ar
gentina. With several compan
ions he went down the Urub-
amba river (including its fa
bled Pongo de Mainique rap
ids), found an immense fossil
jawbone, and came in contact
With various Indian tribes and
odd characters. The Cloud For
est, however, is less the ac
count of an explorer than that
of a keen naturalist and writ
er. There is a wealth of ma
terial on the birds, animals
and plants of jungle, altiplano
and mountain country. On ev
ery page there are interesting
sidelights on the people, their
customs, political and social
convolutions, graft, good na
ture or pessimistic fatalism. In
Brazil’s frontier towns the au
thor finds a “wildwest” influ
ence: a revolver is still the
most potent law. About maps
he comments wryly that car
tographers must hate blank
spaces, judging from the num
ber of “cities” in vast jungle
areas. Mr. Matthiessen is not,
as the book jacket claims, a
naturalist writer of Tomlin
son’s or Beebe’s stature, but he
does offer marvelous humor
and revealing detail.
Turning from the present
day to the very distant past,
Geoffrey Bibby’s Four Thous
and Years Ago makes that
time comprehensive—a praise
worthy feat. In the span of a
millenium (2000 B. C.-1000 B.
C.) Abraham began the odys
sey of the Jews, Cretan ships
brought goods from as far
north as Denmark, an Egyp
tian pharoah defied tradition
by worshipping one God, the
Greeks rose as. a nation which
would help shape our western
civilization, and the ancient
east flourished in splendor and
war. The author dramatizes
archaeology by concentrating
on men and events, adopting
a positive approach to unsolv
ed questions (he carefully doc
uments his reasons at the end
of each chapter), and by un-
obstrusively presenting the
latest discoveries in this field.
He looks at a thousand years*
of history in terms of individu
al lifetimes, and the result is a
vivid re-telling of events. This
strictly non-scientific reviewer
was disappointed by the lack
of a map comparing ancient
cities and countries with our
present day map, so that one
has at least some concrete idea
of their locations. In every oth
er respect, it is an unusually
interesting book. Handsomely
printed and designed, Four
Thousand Years Ago is well
worth the price.
THE HOUSE AT OLD VINE
by Norah Lofts, Doubleday,
1961, 408 pp., $4.95.
Reviewed by
Jane Woodham
A really good novel is a
treasure find and Norah Lofts
has written a true story of the
old “curl-up-with-in-a-g o o d
chair” school. It is one of those
rare novels that reads as
though it were written for the
sheer joy of it; this makes for
quick and happy union be
tween writer and reader.
Miss Lofts tells of the love
and hate and joy and suffering
in the house at Old Vine in
England’s dynamic years of re
ligious turmoil from 1496 to
1679. She begins with a burn
ing at the stake in 1496 of a
Catholic who denied the Real
Presence. She Counterbalances
with the priest who died of
starvation in a secret room in
the attic because the man who
had hidden him from the Roy
alists died suddenly in posses
sion of the keys to the
hiding room. And she tells
of the generation who find
the strange bones in the
attic. There is much high
drama, but also much tender
ness and understanding; as the
life of the house changes from
feudal manor to inn to boys’
prep school, the story moves
and changes, but continually
Vibrates with the mysteries of
men’s touching lives.
This is that rare combination
of engaging fiction with a soul
of truth. The surface moves
and changes in light and pow
er, but it moves over a depth
of faith and truth that fortu
nately never is sermonized.
Technically, Miss Lofts is a
skilled writer, but never self
consciously so. The only flaw is
in the number of transitions;
though it is difficult to see that
they could have been avoided.
OUR LADY OF THE MILLS
CAMP
A Catholic camp for boys and girls ages
7 to 16. 200 acres, 37 buildings in the
Blue Ridge Mountains. Large modern
pool, mountain lake, with all camping
activities guided by trained counselors.
Ideal accommodations for visiting par
ents. Camp provides pick-up service to
or from nearest rail, air, bus terminal.
A camp for youngsters to grow... spirit
ually, healthfully. For literature, write:
Father Charles McLaughlin
OUR LADY OF THE HILLS GAMP
HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
RETREAT FOR BEGIN
NERS, by Ronald Knox, Sheed
& Ward, 1960, 234 pp., $3.50.
Reviewed by
E. Matthews
In Retreat For Beginners,
Msgr. Knox brings to the lev
el of beginners the truths of
our religion and our spiritual
life.
Many books have been writ
ten for children in the primary
grades and for the adolescent
who is just learning to control
his maturing passions. For the
child of any school age level
who wants to go deeper into
the meanings of his faith and
the development of his spirit
ual life, we have had a regret
table scarcity. The publication
of this retreat which Msgr.
Knox gave to boys at school
should become a stimulus for
all students to study their re
ligion With the purpose of
forming a strong spiritual life.
The introductory chapters
explain the what and why of
a retreat and, after thus form
ing the desire to make a good
retreat, Msgr. Knox develops
in twenty-two short conferenc
es the theme of the retreat—
personal religion, my God and
me.
As with all his sermons,
Msgr. Knox has a delightful
appeal for everyone, and
school students will not be the
only benefactors from this col
lection. The publishers antici
pate the enjoyment of all read
ers — bishops, teachers, clois
tered religious, housewives.
FROM GLORY TO GLORY:
TEXTS FROM GREGORY OF
NYSSA'S MYSTICAL WRIT
INGS, selected, and with an
introduction, by Jean Dan-
ielou, Scribner’s, 1961, 298 pp.,
$4.95.
The interest among Western
Christians in the churches of
the East has developed grad
ually during the past few dec
ades and is now further in
tensified by the special aim of
the forthcoming General Coun
cil, the reunion of Christen
dom. Publications dealing with
oriental religious matters are
no longer a novelty, but in the
present collection of texts from
St. Gregory of Nyssa, one of
the four great doctors of the
Eastern Church, we have a
work of quite exceptional qua
lity and interest.
Eighty-three texts from the
sermons and other writings of
the saint are prefaced by a
long treatment from the pen of
Father Danielou, Gregory’s
most authoritative student and
admirer. Bolstered with nu
merous cogent quotations, Fa
ther Danielou demonstrates for
us the depth and above all the
originality of St. Gregory’s
spiritual doctrine.
Despite the fact that he was
father of Eastern monachism,
Gregory’s famous brother, Bas
il, was above all a man of ac
tion, in contrast to the mysti
cal and truly contemplative
spirit of his younger brother,
whom circumstances neverthe
less forced into the episcopate.
After Basil’s death, Gregory
was perforce the natural lead
er of the bishops of Asia Min
or and played a leading role
in the Council of Constan
tinople of the year 381. Long
■a court favorite, both as
preacher and director of per
sons in high places, he event
ually fell into disfavor thus
enabling him to enter into a
sort of retirement and a re
covery of the leisure he long
ed for. He could turn his life
and pen now wholly to things
of the spirit and he was happy.
Gregory’s doctrine, at once
sublime and sensible, as ex
emplified in these selections,
can enrich the life of every
earnest reader.—(MPB).
THE MYSTERY OF MARY.
by R. Bernard, O.P., translated
by M. A. Bouchard, B. Heraer
Book Co., 1960, 304 pp., $4.95.
Reviewed by
W. L. Schmidt
The theme of this work can
best be stated by a quotation
from St. Louis Mary de Mont-
fort which Father Bernard
himself uses: “If Jesus Christ
the Head of men is born in her
(Mary), the predestinate, who
are the members of that Head,
ought also to be born in her,
by a necessary consequence.
One and the same mother does
not bring forth into the world
the head without the members,
or the members without the
head; for this would be a mon
ster of nature. So in like man
ner, in the order of grace, the
Head and the members are
WALTER H. BODIFORD
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From INSIDE BROTHER JUNIPER, by Father Justin
McCarthy, Hanover House, 1961, $LQQ.
born of one and the same mo
ther; and if a member of the
mystical body of Jesus Christ
—that is to say, one of the
predestinate—was born of any
other woman than Mary, who
has produced the Head, he
would not be one of • the
’predestinate, or a member of
Jesus Christ, but simply a
monster in the order of grace.”
Obviously Father Bernard
wants Mary to be better
known among men. In pro
claiming her he draws solid
ly on the New Testament and
on St. Thomas Aquinas, and
takes the reader on an inter
esting journey through the
mysteries as they relate to
Mary and her accomplish
ments. Theological in nature,
this is, however, very readable,
particularly in that the whole
will give the layman a clear
er understanding of the basic
aspects of the Mystical Body,
and Mary’s relation to it.
This work has gone through
four editions in France, where
Father Bernard is recognized
as an outstanding theologian.
Its appearance in English is a
genuine contribution to Mari
an literature.
THE INTERIOR LIFE, by
Canon Jacques LeClercq,
translated by Fergus Murphy,
Kenedy, 191 pp., $3.95,; x.,
The distinguished professor
of the University of Louvain
here penetrates the essentials
for developing holiness in his
discussions on prayer and its
various forms, and on living
the life of the sacraments. Par
ticularly revealing are the
chapters detailing the need for
exterior action necessary for
developing the interior and
spiritual life. Since man is
made up of the spiritual and
the physical, both necessarily
interact on each other, and
one phase of man’s being can
not be developed without the
help of the other. — (W.L.S.)
PRIESTLY HOLINESS, by
Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik,
S.V.D., St. Paul Editions, Bos
ton, 1961, 183 pp., $3.00.
For the priest, of course.
Each chapter begins with
words Christ Himself spoke in
relation to a particular sub
ject. These are followed by
Words from St. Paul, and of
various popes. Each chapter
then ends with a prayer for a
particular grace. Good for dai
ly meditations, or for retreat
reading. — (W.L.S.)
HISTORY OF THE MASS,
by Francois Amiot, translated
by Lancelot C. Sheppard,
Guild Press, 1960, 212 pp., in
dexed, 85c.
An interesting history of the
development of the Mass from
its earliest stages to its present
form. The various parts of the
Mass are taken one by one,
their purpose and meaning ex
plained. A helpful hand-book
towards a fuller understanding
of the most vital form of. wor
ship in the church towards
which all other forms are fo
cused. — (W.L.S.)
GENERAL MORAL THEO
LOGY, Vol. I, by Most Rev.
Antonio Lanza and Most Rev.
Pietro Palazzini, translated by
Very Rev. W. J. Collins, M.M.,
St. Paul Editions, 1961, 254 pp.,
$4.00.
The first in a series of three
books dealing with the princi
ples of moral theology, and a
concise treatment of the ori
gins, the nature, methods and
divisions of the subject. Its ori
gin is traced from the early
Fathers of the church down
through St. Thomas, and St.
Alphonsus to the present. Not
only will theologians find this
work valuable, but the serious
laymen will find it helpful in
the pursuit of his study of the
moral law. — (W.L.S.)
Catholics, Jews
Sponsor Course
ROME, (NC)—Thirty stu
dents have begun a course in
interracial and interreligious
relations at Pro Deo University
here under joint Catholic and
Jewish auspices.
The Chair of Intergroup Re
lations was founded as a part
of the Catholic-sponsored uni
versity’s Institute of Sociology
with a $30,000 endowment
made by the American Jewish
Committee.
The idea for the course grew
out of an audience which uni
versity officials arranged in
1957 for the American Jewish
Committee with Pope Pius
XII. It was referred to the
American Council for Inter
national Promotion of Democ
racy under God, an interna
tional movement of which Pro
Deo University is a part. The
idea was approved and be
came a reality in January of
this year with the American
Jewish Committee endow
ment.
The course is being given by
Eugene Hevesi, a foreign af
fairs specialist for the Ameri
can Jewish Committee since
1940. Hevesi, who holds de
grees from the University of
Budapest' and the Consular
Academy in Vienna, served in
a number of diplomatic posts
in Europe and the United
States prior to World War II.
Among the subjects covered
in the course are The Root
Causes of Group Tensions and
Antagonisms. Under this head
ing discussion is centered on
prejudice as it operates to sep
arate one group from another;
the roots of discrimination and
persecution; the influence of
economics cn prejudice.
Another topic is the Existing
Spiritual and Social Forces
Fostering Group Cooperation.
In this area, the course probes
the influence of religion, edu
cation and law and the impact
of democratic values and prac
tices as well as voluntary so
cial action.
Other subjects to be cover
ed by the course include: Ne
groes and group integration;
intergroup relations in the sat
ellite countries; the situations
in Africa and Asia; the status
of nationalities in the Soviet
Union; anti-Semetism as the
i n t ernational prototype of
group hostility.
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CHAMBLEE, GEORGIA
Formerly Smi-Nel Realty Co., Xnc.
Howard C. Nelson, President
Ernest M. Rives, Secretary-Treas.
SMITH'S
BROOKHAVEN SHOE STORE
"CORRECT FIT AND SATISFACTION ASSURED"
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• Shoe Headquarters in Brookhaven
Cultivation Of
Good Reading Habits
Sister Mary Gerald, C.S.J.
Principal, St. Mary's School
Augusta
Much has been said and
written within the past few
years about the lack of interest
of the present day child in
reading good books. Many rea
sons have been given for the
lack of interest; we are prone
to accuse our children of en
joying too many television
programs, absorbing movies
and skimming through so-
called comic books to pass
away time and absorb facts in
an easy manner. Some of this
may be true . . . but let us ask
Ourselves, as parents and
teachers what motivation have
we set forth in order to show
children that much pleasure
can be enjoyed through good
books?
The following poem which I
shall quote will perhaps make
the awareness of our respon
sibility in this field more ap
parent to us. The poem deals
with the thoughts of a teach
er but is applicable to parents
as well. I quote:
“I just teach school. But
poet’s thrill,
And singer’s joy, and
soldier’s fire,
And statesman’s power —
all, all are mine;
For in this little group where
still
I just teach school
Are poets, soldiers, statesmen,
all
I see them in the speaking
eye,
In face aglow with purpose
strong,
And straightened bodies
tense and tall —
When I teach school.”
How true it is that these
young little people who are
ours to train are the future
leaders in the world and it is
our responsibility to lead them
along the paths that will lead
not only themselves but those
whom they will influence
throughout their lives, with
the right ideals and principles.
Within good books they will
find many of these important
principles.
Again, much has been writ
ten in comment on the book
published a few years ago by
a critic of the present day edu
cational system entitled “Why
Johnny Can’t Read.” Perhaps
some of the criticism is justi
fied . . . but isn’t it true that
Johnny doesn’t read many
times for recreational purposes
because Mother and Dad do
not indulge in good reading.
Children are born imitators
. . . we know that little girls
love to pretend they are
grown-up by trying to do the
things that Mother does; that
a little boy imitates the
things in Dad that make him
feel like a “Big man.” So from
this it follows ... if we want
to teach our children to read,
we must show them that we
appreciate the habit of choice
reading.
When children are tiny tots
they like to hear stories. Read
stories to them . . . show them
that the great world of books
is truly a wonderful world . . .
and well worth exploring. Give
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your children books for gifts.
Take them to the library and
they will be entranced with
the rows and rows of books
which they see there. We must
strive to cultivate culture of
this sort. Have them start their
own library of worthwhile
books. Be interested in their
choice. Do not ridicule but
give constructive criticism.
In the realm of school we
urge our' children to be inter
ested in good reading. From
the practice of good reading
will follow knowledge and a
strengthening of faith . . .
faith in the goodness of God,
faith in mankind and faith
in the principles laid down by
parents, and those entrusted
with the gigantic task of
moulding truly Christian cha
racter. As parents you have
the duty of building these
principles in the mind of your
child; as teachers, we, too,
must be aware of our respon
sibility.
If children are taught to
read for the sake of develop
ing good reading it will but
be natural for this to carry
over into school work. What
is history but the “story of
man” ... or geography but
an exploration into foreign
places with the hope that we
shall learn more of the cul
ture of people throughout the
world and realize the common
bond of mankind. When chil
dren browse through the lat
est materials on space travel,
the Dead Sea Scrolls, explora
tion of the Arctic regions they
are unconsciously opening up
new horizons of educational
fields for themselves.
In fulfilling the trust given
us by God to truly educate our
children for their purpose in
life and for the fulfillment of
their goal — eternal happiness,
we must guide their minds to
be educated in the true sense
of the word. If we analyze
the word “education” we find
that it means to “draw out”
. . . we must stimulate the de
sire of children to find out
the worthwhile things in this
world and then we shall have
less to do with problems of de
linquency. If a child really en
joys good literature, he will
not be satisfied with sketchy
attempts at entertainment as
shown in comic books, nor in
cheap sensational “paperbacks”
to use an old fashioned term,
but will be led to appreciate
the noble thoughts of great
minds, thoughts that will in
fluence his life and perhaps
his generation.
“For in this little group
where still
I just teach school
Are poets, soldiers,
statesmen, all
I see them in the speaking eye,
In face aglow with purpose
strong,
And straightened bodies
tense and tall —
When I teach school.”
Kindness is another form of
riches that can never be taxed.
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