Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 5 - October 12,1972
KNOW YOUR FAITH
Responsibility-
Saying “Yes” to God
BY FR. EUGENE J. WEITZEL, C S V.
Some years ago, the noted psychologist, Ruth Strange,
observed that a large number of young people are showing
considerable interest in learning to resist the pressure of
delinquent groups and striving to become good citizens. These
adolescents are anxious to find things to do that are useful,
patriotic, and community-centered. Though they are often
restless in the classroom, play truant, frequently exceed curfew
regulations, drive recklessly, and readily lose their tempers, they
know and admit that such conduct is irresponsible and wrong,
and, in general, are anxious to avoid it in the future.
The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham maintains that young people
today are turning to Christ faster than in any period of
American history, and that the reawakening to Christ of people
of all ages is a very real thing in the U.S. today.
What both Dr. Strange and Rev. Dr. Graham are saying is that
there is not only a movement toward accepting moral and legal
responsibility for one’s actions, but that in many instances both
young and old are moving in the direction of social and
Christian responsibility. This includes our public officials, for as
Rev. Graham observes, the calibre of public leadership in the
U.S. is much higher today than in the past, for “public officials
are becoming more interested in religious things.”
This is good news indeed, as it seemed for a while that we
were moving in the direction of indifference and irresponsibility
rather than of concern and moral and religious accountability.
The hard fact is that neither an individual, his Church, or his
“YOUNG PEOPLE ARE showing considerable interest in
learning to resist the pressure of delinquent groups and striving
to become good citizens.” Eighteen year old Sally Comerford of
Chicago, Ill., registers at the Board of Election Commissioners.
(NC Photo)
country can long survive when large numbers of people refuse to
be held responsible for their actions.
Christian life is most difficult in such circumstances for this
life is understood as a response to God’s love and understanding
that not only explains the necessity for personal responsibility,
but provides the deepest meaning of it. At the same time this
life is being enriched by the very experience of acting
responsibly. But, what is this personal responsibility that is so
essential to meaningful Christian life and that the world so
desperately needs?
Responsibility is the willingness to be held accountable for
one’s actions; the willingness to accept reward or punishment,
praise or blame for what one does; reliability; accountability;
trustworthiness. These are ethical definitions.
In terms of Christian life, accountability can also be defined
as the individual’s response (answer) to God’s salvific call. It is a
reply structured in love (the call is a love call), that is correct
and appropriate, whereby a person takes his earthly tasks
seriously, and conscientiously accepts created values.
What does all of this mean? It means that God, from all
eternity, has lovingly called man to participate in the blessings
of salvation - ” . . .because God by calling you has joined you
to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9);
“ . . .be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has
called you . ..” (1 Pet. 1:15), -- and he expects a loving and
obedient response from him.
In short, man is called to be a son and an heir through grace,
and this places upon him the duty of a moral life while at the
same time giving him the means to fulfill this duty. The
individual lovingly responds to this call by a willingness to
“walk in righteousness” (Rom 6: 12-23), and by protecting his
privilege of being a child of God (Phil 2:15).
The Apostle John also refers to the Christian need to act
responsibly. When he explains the idea of “being begotten
(born) of God,” he states that this is a spiritual process
whereby, through the imparting of the Spirit, man is given a
new mode of existence. This new mode is a unique and
intimately personal relationship with God that obliges him in a
spirit of love to bear fruit in the moral conduct of his life (1 Jn.
2:29).
The well-known moralist, Bernard Haring, C.SS.R., explains
that the term RESPONSIBILITY is best suited to express the
interpenetration and formation of the moral through the
religious, and also the distinction of the two. For Haring,
religion consists of WORD - “In Christ the Incarnate Word we
come into communion with God” -- and RESPONSE. Man’s
response is progressive and consists of a response to his word
through growth in Christ, the Word, and imitation of him, and
consequently in fellowship with God. In brief, the acquisition of
the virtue of religion is man’s response to the Triune God,
whereby, through Christ’s redeeming actions, he is incorporated
in Christ, the Church, and the sacraments.
Once it becomes apparent that RESPONSIBILITY is achieved
through the acquisition and practice of the virtue of religion --
fellowship with God through loving and obediential activity in
objective union with Christ - it is obvious that we have touched
upon the deepest meaning of the word responsibility and
explained the necessity of it. We also see that there is a
correlation between each and every response to the Word so
that prior responsible acts continually enrich subsequent ones.
Preparation For Baptism
BY FR. JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN
Baptism in the family home sounds like a splendid idea -
until you think carefully about the practice. The obvious
advantages come quickly to mind: a small, close community for
the celebration and a more intimate involvement of the parents
in this Christian initiation of their child.
The liabilities, while subtle, are nevertheless serious and in the
mind of the church, overriding. Introductory paragraphs to the
rite for the baptism of children include these comments: “So
that baptism may clearly appear as the sacrament of the
Church’s faith and of admittance into the people of God, it
should normally be celebrated in the parish church . . .Except in
case of danger of death, baptism should not be celebrated in
private houses.”
The priests at Our Lady of Fatima Church in North Bergen,
New Jersey, who have developed a detailed plan of instruction
for parents before baptism, experimented with a home
celebration of the sacrament, but abandoned it after the first
effort. The reason? Basically because such a liturgy in the
family’s house did not suitably underscore the wider Church
community notion fundamental to baptism.
I wonder if they also did not recognize that this procedure
eventually tends to discriminate in favor of the comfortable and
against the poor (would you baptize in the tiny, crowded,
run-down apartment of a low-income housing unit?).
A one-night, two and half hour pre-baptismal catechesis for
the parents is Our Lady of Fatima’s major effort in trying to
foster a sense of community before the ceremony. That, plus a
regular pattern of monthly baptisms within the 12:30 Sunday
Mass or now (again as a pilot project) at a Wednesday evening
Eucharist around 8:00 o’clock.
The educational program begins with each set of parents
introducing themselves and mentioning the name of the child to
be baptized. The priest instructor then presents them with a
series of questions related to the 10 minute TeleKETIC film,
“Baptism-Sacrament of Belonging,” noting several points to
Iook ior as they view the powerful movie.
Afterwards the group separates into small sections for lengthy
discussions of the film based on additional questions handed out
by the leader. At the outset planners were concerned about this
aspect of this evening but quickly found their fears unfounded.
Participants alter 45 minutes of animated conversation i
only reluctantly agreed to stop for a coffee break.
The program resumes with a viewing of the Klise filmstrip,
“Baptism-Sacrament of Resurrection.” Then the priest speaks
about the liturgy with its many rich, symbolic elements and
engages them in planning the details of the coming ceremony.
Thus, one parent accepts responsibility for proclaiming the
scripture texts 4 another takes intentions for the prayer of the
faithful, others agree to bring forward gifts at presentation time.
In formulating these pre-baptismal sessions, some have
suggested that parents come before the baby
arrives-anticipating the time pressures which arise in a family
immediately after the happy event. They discourage this at Our
Lady of Fatima because not only does the pregnant woman
sometimes feel awkward in her condition, but, more critically,
the sessions would in the process lose much of their
community-building value. In the present set-up a few days
before the actual ceremony, the class both instructs parents in
their Christian duties and prepares them for the liturgy to come.
It is, in fact, a low-key, mini-rehearsal and would be impossible
without the presence of those parents who will actually
participate.
The official ritual stresses that the burdens assumed by
parents in baptism continue long after the water has been
washed over an infant’s body. “After baptism it is the
responsibility of the parents, in their gratitude to God and in
fidelity to the duty they have undertaken, to enable the child to
know God, whose adopted child it has become, to receive
confirmation, and to participate in the holy eucharist.”
Priests at the New Jersey church believe their single evening
course has helped parents to understand better the baptismal
ceremony and, in doing so, to grasp more clearly the Christian
commitments expressed within it.
‘MARRIAGE PARTNERS RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER’S LOVE.” - Two young people affectionately nuzzle each other.
(NC Photo by Richard T. Lee)
Responsibility =2 Response-A bility
BY FR. CARL J. PFEIFER, S. J.
As I sat down at the typewriter, I lit up my pipe. Puffing
away I began to strike the keys, spelling out the first sentence.
Just then a curious coincidence came to mind. My name in
German means “pipe-smoker.” I watched the blue smoke curl
upwards as I reflected on the fact that my name actually
described what I was doing at that very minute.
Pfeifer also means a “whistler,” and a “fife-player.” Like
many proper names, my name has literal meanings of which I
am rarely aware. Not only names of people, but common,
ordinary words often conceal intriguing insights under their
obvious meaning. Sometimes they reveal an entire outlook on
life.
Responsibility is such a word. It is obviously made up of two
more basic words: “response” and “ability.” Although I am not
usually very concerned about digging into the history of words,
this word caught my interest.
“Response” is from a Latin word “responsus” which has
roughly the same meaning: answer, reply, response. What is
interesting is that “responsus” is from two other Latin words
“re”, meaning “in return” and “spondere” which means
“promise” and is at the root of the English word “spouse.”
“Re-spondere” means to “promise in return.”
Responsibility, then suggests the type of promise or response
characteristic of a spouse. Marriage partners respond to each
other’s love. Their mutual response connotes freedom, love,
commitment. The root of the word responsibility points to its
deepest meaning in terms of freely responding in love to
another.
What is even more interesting is that the understanding of
responsibility suggested by its Latin roots, is similar to the
understanding of responsibility in Judaeo-Christian tradition.
Too often we have tended to look on Christian living primarily
in terms of codes and laws, whereas the biblical and more
traditional Christian understanding of moral life is in terms of
response to God’s call.
The Old Testament sketches out the core of life as a loving
response to God’s initiative in daily life. The prophet Hosea
describes this interaction or dialogue between God and his
people in terms of human marital love. “So I (God) will allure
her .. .and speak to her heart.. .she shall respond there as in
the days of her youth” (Ho 2: 16-17). The marriage or covenant
theme is echoed in the other prophets and even more
romantically in the Song of Songs (Canticle of Canticles).
The Old and New Testaments view man’s life in terms of
God’s daily involvement. God calls, invites, loves. Man is free to
respond or not. Human greatness is measured in terms of the
ability to respond with love to God and others. Human life is
meant to be characterized by a “promise in return,” a giving of
oneself with trust and love to God who first loves and calls us.
The core of Christian living ultimately can be defined in
terms of responsibility, understood as a free response of love to
the loving call of God. The specific forms this response takes
will most often be discerned through one’s response to human
needs, values, and opportunities.
God’s call may be recognized in the experience of life. It is
there, in daily living, that we can respond to that call. Scripture
and the Second Vatican Council provide ample affirmation that
God’s call is found not only in laws and precepts but in the
events, values, needs, opportunities, challenges of daily life. God
calls us through people and things, as well as through explicit
precepts. (CHURCH IN MODERN WORLD, 1).
Such a view of responsibility - suggested by the origin of the
word itself and confirmed by the Judaeo-Christian moral
Weekly Quiz
1. T. or F. - There is a reawakening to Christ amongst
people of all ages in the United States today.
2 is the willingness to be held accountable for
one’s actions.
3. In terms of Christian life, responsibility can be defined as
an individual’s response to the call of
(a) God (b) nature (c) superiors
4. T. or F. - “Response” is at the heart of “responsibility.”
5. In the Gospel, God’s call comes to us
through
6. What prophet described the interaction between God and
his people in terms of human marital love?
(a) Amos (b) Hosea (c) Isaiah
7. T. or F. - The core of Christian living can be defined in
terms of responsibility.
8. Responsibility requires
9. The new rite of infant Baptism involves a more active
role for the
(a) child (b) sponsors (c) parents
10. T. or F. - After Baptism, it is primarily the sponsor’s
responsibility to help a child know God.
ANSWERS:
1. (T) 2. (Responsibility) 3. (a) 4. (T) 5. (Phrist) 6. (b) 7.
(T) 8. (Freedom) 9. (c) 10. (F)
tradition - is attractive and challenging. Clearly it contains the
notion of accountability, just as the marital love involves
accountability and fidelity. But accountability is based on a free
choice, a free response of love.
Freedom and responsibility are not opposites, rather they are
almost synonyms. Responsibility requires freedom, that is the
ability to respond. That ability to respond is simply what is
meant by human freedom.
Religious education has as one of its major tasks the enabling
of free response - to God, to others, to oneself. Since love and
trust is what seems most to free others, the religious educator -
parent, priest, or teacher - most needs to be trusting and loving.
Responding
To God’s Call
BY FR. QUENTIN QUESNELL, S.J.
“The king caught sight of a man not properly dressed for the wedding
feast, ‘My friend, ’ he said, ‘how is it you came in here not properly
dressed?’ The man had nothing to say. ” (Matthew 22, 12).
“Response” is the word at the heart of “responsibility.” The
gospels love to show how God calls us, and how his every call
challenges us to make a response. Our “ability” to make such a
response is the measure of our “responsibility.” “When much
has been given a man, much will be required of him.”
In the gospel, God’s call comes to us through Christ. It is a
call to “come, follow me.” It implies Christ’s prayer for us “that
where I am, they also may be.” It carries with it the risk of the
cross. “If they harried me, they will harry you.” But it remains
a call to become great, and to do great things.
The call flashes forth in Jesus’ words and acts. His living and
his preaching sketch a vision of what all human living could be
like. Those who see the vision, begin to hear the call. “Have you
eyes and see not? Have you ears and hear not?”
And my response? That depends on how much of the vision I
have caught. Is the life around me really like what the gospel
shows life could be? Are men loving and generous and kind? Do
they care for each other, give to each other?
Can men move about the earth unafraid? Do they experience
God as their loving Father? Are they happy with all the gifts
they have received?
If not, what is wrong? What is missing? If I see something of
what is wrong, then that’s where my response begins. If I have
caught the vision and it makes me see some of what ails the
world, then that is God’s call to me to set it right.
And the responsibility? That depends on my ability.
Somebody has to make things better. Who? I’m only one person
- but has anyone ever been more?
Maybe I’m not in charge of anything: I’m not the boss, I’m
not the president, I’m not the pope. But I am one person who
sees a need. And the person who sees a need is the only one able
to make any kind of response.
The one who sees the need has the first responsibility. “If I
had not come to them, and spoken with them, they would be
guilty of sin. Now, however, their sin cannot be excused.”
I may not be able to produce a response strong enough to
take care of the need entirely. I may not have enough brains or
money or influence to do that (though I won’t know till I’ve
tried). All right. I’m not responsible for a response I am not able
to make. But I can do something - and I’m called to do what I
can. “Why have you been standing here idle all day?”
There is little reason to think that the people of New
Testament times were different from us in this respect. They
weren’t always seeing visions, hearing voices, having the heavens
swing open before them. We know too much about how they
argued with one another to imagine that God was always
sending angels to tell them just what to do.
Jesus called his first few disciples directly and personally
standing in front of them, looking them in the eye, speaking
their names. But for the hundreds of thousands of Christians
then, as for us now, God’s call had to come through their
understanding of Jesus’ life and words, and through their insight
into the needs of their own time. God called them by opening
their eyes to their responsibility. “Today if you shall hear his
voice, harden not your hearts.”
The story in the gospel of the poor fellow who comes to the
wedding but doesn’t dress properly, is there to remind
Christians that they can’t relax simply because they once
responded to God’s first invitation. Each response leads to
further responsibilities. “My friend, come up higher ”