Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, May 25, 2000
Forgiveness
(Continued from page 4)
placency, our acceptance of injustice,
our insensitivity and our selfishness.
Forgiveness also comes through rit
uals. Family prayer, practices such as
never going to bed or leaving a loved
one in anger, penitential prayer ser
vices and above all the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
Our willingness as Catholics to go
to confession has always been a seri
ous pledge on our part to get our lives
right with God and begin anew.
The Holy Father has placed a spe
cial responsibility on us as priests
when he called us to lead by example
saying, “The priest himself, minister
of God’s forgiveness needs to receive
forgiveness in a spirit of faith, humili
ty, and trust... to foster a sense of
communion with our brother priests,
to reach out to priests who are under
going difficulty, to offer support and
friendship to our elder priests... to
dialogue with those who have left the
priesthood in order to demonstrate a
commitment on our parts to the ways
of communion and reconciliation.”
And in keeping with the request of
our Holy Father, I would like to take
this opportunity to ask forgiveness of
God and you my brothers and sisters
for what I have done and what I have
failed to do as your bishop and as
your brother...
Daniel Gonzalez and Rosalie Ramos, Church of the Most Holy Trinity,
Augusta, May 13, 2000.
Devin Paul and Kathleen Fry, Church of the Most Holy Trinity,
Augusta, May 13, 2000.
What better
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The Southern Cross, Page 11
Forgive what, whom and when?
Forgive everyone, everything as
quickly as possible. But realize that
the practice of forgiveness, asking or
granting it is a difficult, daily, life
long struggle and its burden and
weight can surprise us when we have
momentarily forgotten its cost.
I would like to conclude with a
story recounted by Sister Helen
Prejean about a man whose 17-year-
old son was murdered. When he went
to identify the body, he knelt by his
lifeless son, David, and prayed the
“Our Father,”
Without hesitation he prayed,
“Whoever did this, I forgive them.”
But he acknowledged that it is a
struggle to overcome the feelings of
bitterness and revenge that well up
when he remembered David’s birth
day or thought about David getting
married, David with his children,
David as the man he will never know.
He has learned what we all must
learn, that forgiveness is never going
to be easy. What’s more, each day it
must be prayed for, struggled for and
finally with God’s grace, won.
Truly “a day of favor from the
Lord!”
Diocese of Savannah Vocation Retreats
Vocatio Dei 2000, Session I, June 2-4. This weekend retreat is open to any
single adult man who is searching for God’s will for his life and is open to
the priesthood. (The minimum age is a rising junior in high school.) The
retreat begins on Friday evening and concludes on Sunday afternoon. It will
be held at Saint John’s Center in Savannah. (Vocatio Dei, Session I is co
sponsored this year by the Diocese of Saint Augustine.)
Vocatio Dei 2000, Session II, June 7-10. This four-day combination sports
camp/retreat is for rising 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grade boys. It is an opportu
nity to leam about different vocations, to grow in holiness and to have a
great time! The camp will be held at Saint John’s Center in Savannah.
Call to Holiness 2000, July 23-26. This four-day sports camp/retreat is the
same opportunity as Vocatio Dei Session II, except it is for girls. The camp
is for 7th-10th grade girls and will be held at Saint John’s Center in
Savannah. Older girls are also needed as counselors.
For more information about these retreats, contact Father Brett Brannen at
912-743-1454 or e-mail him at Frbrett@savannahpriest.com or
Aaron Kiilips at Bravesfan@Hotmail.com.
Registration Form
Vocatio Dei, Session I.
Name
Vocatio Dei, Session II
Call to Holiness
Age
Grade Parish
Address
City, State, Zip
Tel. ( )
E-mail
Mail to: Vocation Office, 131 Ward Street, Macon, GA 31204.