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PAGE 5—February 1, 1973
“WHAT A HELP AND AN INSPIRATION we might be to each other if we would share something of what we are and have in some small way each day.”
A boy offers a doughnut to a friend. (NC Photo by Richard Lee)
W (All Articles On This Page Copyrighted 1972 by N.C. News Service.)
[Know Y our F aith j
We Give Things Away Out of Love
BY FATHER QUENTIN QUESNELL, S.J.
Is it REALLY better to be poor? Well, didn’t Jesus ask the
rich young man to give up everyting and come follow him?
Didn’t he say that the poor are blessed? That we should be like
the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, neither sowing nor
spinning, taking no thought for tomorrow? Didn’t he say that
“whoever of you does not renounce all his own possessions
cannot be my disciple?”
Learning to Share
BY FATHER CARL J. PFEIFER, S.J.
On my desk is a fire-red toy sports-car. Benji, age three,
brought it to me one day. He said he wanted me to have a toy
to play with. I aksed him if he didn’t need the red sports-car for
himself. Showing me a blue car, he assured me that he could get
around with it, and wanted me to drive the red one.
Like all boys and girls his age Benji is mostly concerned with
what is his. He likes to get more than give. That is to be
expected at his age. Knowing this, I was impressed at the fact
that he was willing to leave his red sports-car with me.
The red car on my desk is a reminder not only of Benji’s act
of sharing but of the importance of unselfish sharing in life. In a
sense that is what life is all about. It all started when God
decided to share himself with us. So he created the world. He
creates each of us to share the goodness, truth and beauty that
overflows from his own fullness of life.
Everything we know and have, everything we are, is God’s
gift. St. Paul once asked the Christians in Corinth: “Name
something you have that you have not received.” (ICor 4:7).
That is why thanksgiving is so characteristic of the Christian
response to life. We pray at each celebration of the Eucharist:
“Father all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and
everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
True gratitude finds expression in sharing. As Jesus once told
the disciples, “The gift you have received, give as a gift” (Mt
10:8). His own life exemplifies his words. His radical
unselfishness is seen in many ways during his busy life. He gave
of his time to such an extent that he often lacked time even to
eat (Mk 6:31). He seemed available to others, the sick, blind,
poor, needy, as well as the wealthy, important and powerful.
His life was one of generous sharing with people - sharing his
knowledge, his food, his time.
The experience of the early Christian communities, where
sharing was practically a way of life, could be summed up by St.
Paul in words he remembered Jesus’ speaking: “There is more
happiness in giving than receiving” (Acts 20:35).
One of the major challenges facing religious education is to
enable people to grow in their capacity for sharing. To learn to
share is one of the most basic fruits of effective Christian
education. Sharing cannot be learned in one or two lessons
during catechism class, although formal religious education can
play an important role. Like Benji, who as yet has not gone to
school, most everyone learns habits of sharing primarily at
home. And the learning comes more from living with unselfish
adults than from verbal exhortations.
In an age when parents (and teachers) are necessarily
concerned with economic security and advancement, when
many people tend to want much more than they need while
millions lack the basic essentials of life, it can be helpful to
reflect on oneself. How willing to share am I? How capable am I
of sharing? Do I experience more happiness in giving than
receiving? Am I aware that what I am and possess is a gift?
Questions like these may help us all reflect a bit more deeply
on our lives as persons and educators. If we, parents, teachers,
priests, are honestly struggling to grow in unselfishness, in our
ability and willingness to share, then there is reason to expect
that our spirit will be caught by those we teach. Then, too,
specific educational techniques recommended in recent religion
texts, may be effective.
But is it REALLY better to be poor? Well, didn’t St. Paul
write that “Christ, though rich, became poor for our sakes?”
Didn’t St. Ignatius urge those making his retreat to choose to
“be poor with Christ the poor man?” Wasn’t St.Francis of Assisi
following the gospel when he declared himself in love with his
“Lady Poverty?”
But still, people wonder, Better to be poor? Better to be
without? Then what about all we have learned about wonder
over God’s creation, respect for the world he has made,
enjoyment of the gifts he has provided. If the things God has
created are so good, why is it better to be without them?
Again, if it is better not to have things than to have them,
why does the gospel urge us to help the poor at all? Wouldn’t it
be better to leave them in their happy destitution? Why is Jesus
as judge dismayed that “I was hungry and you did not give me
food, thirsty and you did not give me drink, naked and you did
not clothe me; homeless and you did not shelter me?”
What if some one of those he is condemning should reply:
“We thought you liked it better that way. We didn’t want to
disturb the blessedness of your perfect poverty.” Who of us
would call that a Christian response in the spirit of the gospel?
Something is clearly wrong with it. But what? It seems to be a
logical conclusion, if being poor is truly such a fine thing.
The answer is that the gospel never does teach that being
poor is something we should aim at. It teaches that we should
give away all our possessions.That’s not the same thing.
The point of the gospel is not to be without, but to give to
others so that they may not be without. The point is not that it
is better to have nothing. The point is that it is wrong to have
anything so long as your brother has nothing.
The world is indeed for us. But it is for all of us, and no one
has a right to more of it than another. God gave the world and
all that is in it for our use. But he gave it to all of us, and all
have a right to it all.
Therefore, “you can go to hell for being rich, so long as one
poor man lies unattended anywhere near your gates” (Luke 16,
19-31). Therefore, “let the man with two coats give one to him
who has none. And the man who has food should do the same.”
Therefore, “if someone takes your coat, give him your shirt as
well.” Therefore, “give to everyone who asks you for
something.”
Therefore, “when you give a party, do not invite your rich
friends or neighbors or relatives, or anyone else who might
repay you. . .invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the
blind, because they cannot repay you.” Therefore, the rich
young man who wants to follow Jesus is told to sell what he has
and give it to the poor. He is not told to bum it or throw it away
or even walk out and leave it for his rich relatives to fight over.
He is told to sell it and give it to those who have less or nothing.
Sharing is the answer. Not “take no thought about food or
drink or clothing,” but “take no thought about what YOU shall
eat or what YOU shall drink or what YOU shall wear” (Matthew
6,31). But do take thought about food and drink and clothing
for the least of his brothers who are without them, lest the Lord
come and condemn you for neglecting him.
Sharing is the key, because love is the key. We give things
away out of love. We do not fail to appreciate the things God
has made. We appreciate them so much we want everyone to
have his share. And in the sharing, we give ourselves the last
place, because that is how Jesus showed us we should love.
Sharing
BY SR. JANAAN MANTERNACH, OSF
To share is one of the hardest things to do because it isn’t a
“natural” for most of us. If we learn the value of it and
recognize the need for doing it, we do it because it’s the right
and loving thing to do. And the opportunities for doing it are
multiple.
No matter who we are or where we are, someone needs
something that we have -- our time, sympathy, encouragment, a
smile, some advice, and a share in our material goods. The
former is much more important than the latter in many
situations because it’s a giving of self. However, we often leam
how to share ourself by the exercise of giving something other
than ourself.
“Example” is a good means of learning. And often the
example of sharing set for us is so obvious that we wonder why
we hand’t thought of it ourselves.
An example that immediately comes to mind is one that was
given to me recently. I liked a beret one of my friends was
wearing and told him how nice it looked. I thought it was a
French beret but he said, “No, it’s from England.” He had had
one that he brought from France and which he liked better, but
he had given it to someone because he didn’t need two.
That very evening one of the Sisters in the convent where I
live asked if I had a small black bag she could borrow. I not only
had one, but two. The thought occurred to me that I really
don’t need two black bags, so I gave her one. Sharing? Yes!
Perhaps one might say, “That’s sharing out of plenty and
without sacrifice.” Not necessarily! No one really needs two
black purses, but having two can be convenient. Sharing doesn’t
necessarily need to hurt, but sometimes it will. For example,
when another has nothing and we have something, although it
be just a little bit, then we may be obliged to the point of
hurting.
Often we’re vaguely aware of others’ needs but that’s as far as
we ever get, except for the insertion of a couple of dollars in an
envelope in response to a plea, the dropping of a few coins
in a poor box of the placing of a quarter in a cigar box or tin
can of the blind or lame person begging on the street. This,
without a doubt, is sharing, but it’s not the kind of sharing that
I believe is at the heart of what it means to be our brother’s
keeper.
Truly being our brother’s keeper is one kind of caring and
sharing that not only is responding to others in a global,
impersonal sense, but responding also to the needs of those who
are with us on a “people-to-people” basis at home, at work, and
at play. What a help and an inspiration we might be to each
other if we would share something of what we are and have in
some small way each day.
Let’s reflect on a few of those people who could profit most
from our sharing.
Many of our aged relatives and friends, even our own mothers
and fathers, are frequently lonely, and are caught in a struggle
with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Those of us who
should care and share ourselves with them may be too busy to
do the little and big things which could make them feel
genuinely wanted, and useful and beautiful. For them sharing
could mean sustained happiness.
Many of our children have dropped out of the habit of
communicating with us, because “we weren’t there to share”
even when we were“present.” A sixth grade girl in a CCD class I
am teaching wrote the following to substantiate her statement:
“Most of the time adults are too busy to talk or listen to us.”
This is just as she wrote it:
Well it all started
one day in school
our class got to make
spring scenes in paint
so we all did one
and the teacher
told the class that
mine was the best
one, so I went
home and ran in
and went Mom Mom!!
and she was on the phone and she
goes sh sh !!!!!!!
And then I went
back to my room
she got off the phone and
then I didn’t even
care.
It often only takes a moment to give of urselves or to
relinquish, for another, something that we have. And each time
we take time, we are sharing. And each time we share, we may
be developing our cpacity to love. And where there is love, God
is loving and sharing himself, creating happiness.
Forgiveness without Confession
BY FATHER JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN
“Has the Church done away with Confession?”
“You never hear priests preach about Confession anymore.”
“Why can’t I go to God directly and have my sins forgiven?
Why must I tell them to another human being, to a man, a
sinner like myself?”
“I heard about this priest in a nearby city who gives
absolution at the beginning of Mass and tells people it takes care
of their Confession.”
“We attended one of those Penance services the other night.
In the middle of it we went to a priest, just said our sins - no
“Bless me Father” beforehand or words from the priest
afterwards, except for the same penance everyone got - and
returned to the pew. Later all the priests stood in front of us
near the altar and said together aloud the words of absolution.”
“Someone said you shouldn’t bother the priest for
Confession anymore unless you committed a mortal sin.”
These are frequently heard comments today about the
sacrament of Penance. Because of these and similar other
remarks or practices, Pope Paul VI, through his Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued last June 16 a decree,
“Pastoral Norms Concerning the Administration of General
Sacramental Absolution.” This brief document does not
respond to all the questions raised above nor treat any of those
inquiries in detail. However, it touches a number of areas closely
connected with them.
The text begins with a reference to Jesus’ institution of this
sacrament as a means by which those who have sinned might
obtain mercy from God and reconciliation with the Church. The
next paragraph then recalls the teaching issued at the Council of
Trent which requires three acts for full and perfect forgiveness
of sins: contrition, confession, and satisfaction - “be sorry for
my sins, tell my sins to the priest, do the penance the priest
gives me” in familiar words of the very young. The Roman
decree, finally, repeats the Church’s requirement that a penitent
confess each and every mortal sin and significant circumstances
which surround it to a priest.
Having reiterated this traditional doctrine, the “Pastoral
Norms” proceed to examine several contemporary practical
situations and give fairly precise directives about them.
- The recent custom by which mortal sins are absolved when
they are confessed only generally or through what is called a
community celebration of Penance is prohibited and termed a
serious abuse.” Individual and integral Confession and
absolution, the decree states, remain the only ordinary way for
believing Catholics to be reconciled to God and the Church
unless certain impossible factors excuse from such a confession.
- Nevertheless, particular circumstances occasionally occur in
which general absolution may or even should be given to a
number of penitents without previous individual Confession. It
cites two cases: “imminent danger of death” and situations
when in view of the number of penitents there are not enough
confessors at hand to hear properly the confessions of each.
- Conditions for reception of such general sacramental
absolution are these: repentance for the sins committed,
resolution to avoid sin, intention to make up for harm done,
and awareness of the obligation to confess in due time each
serious sin he or she is at that moment unable to confess.
- Priests should seek to determine what days and hours
would be most convenient for the faithful to confess and
schedule these opportunities accordingly. At Holy Family we
are experimenting with a mid-day, mid-week period for
confessions. It is too early for a judgment about the success or
failure of this venture, although we are encouraged by the
preliminary response and believe this is the direction in which
we should be moving.
-- The document encourages liturgical celebrations and
community rites of Penance as greatly useful in preparing for
Confession and in amending one’s life. However, it warns that
these should not be confused with sacramental Confession and
absolution.
- If in the course of such celebrations participants make an
individual Confession, each is to receive absolution singly from
the confessor to whom he goes.
-- When circumstances do permit general sacramental
absolution, the celebration of this rite is to be kept quite distinct
from the celebration of Mass.
- The Roman text, referring to Pope Pius XII’s encyclical in
1943 on the “Mystical Body of Christ,” encourages frequent or
devotional Confession. It draws attention to this sacramental
meeting with Jesus in faith as a source of assistance in living the
Christian life. To achieve that goal, the directive urges priests to
display a constant readiness for this task of hearing Confessions.
Moreover, the “Pastoral Norms” cautions teachers and preachers
from conveying a false notion that individual Confession should
be reserved for serious sins alone.