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The Southern Cross, Page 4
By Ticki Lloyd
reedom is a powerful concept. It flows
through our veins. But how often do we let
our fears imprison us and keep us from using the
full potential of our being?
It is our thoughts and beliefs that bind us, but
they can also free us from any situation. Even
though we make our own prisons, we can
always keep the door unlocked. Jesus gave us a
key to freedom. We have free wills to choose.
Freedom actually begins by accepting that God
is always working within us. We may see our
selves as victims of some past unpleasant expe
rience and say to ourselves, “I’ll never get over
what he or she has done to me. I will never for
give them.” Yet all the while we could have
been freed from unforgiveness by turning the
problem over to God who will be with us all the
way.
True freedom is knowing we are whole, re
gardless of our physical condition. True freedom
is having peace even though we are experiencing
Celebrating freedom
difficulty. We are free when we have a spiritual
life in spite of ups and downs. Many of us have
known people who are physically bound, but
free in spirit. Christopher Reeve comes to mind.
Despite incredible physical disabilities, he refus
es to see himself as doomed. With God by his
side, he constantly fights to gain his total health.
He is an excellent example for the rest of us who
are able-bodied, and still feel we have lost our
freedom. No matter what physical or spiritual
tragedies life has dealt us, the truth is that we
will be free in our mind, heart and soul if we are
willing to accept our freedom and become whole
in Christ.
Jesus wanted us to know that we are all God's
offspring; all heirs to his Kingdom. He wanted
us to understand that we share access to life,
love and intelligence; that we have incredible
creative powers, but, we must accept them and
use them for the glory of God. We don’t have to
stay in a self-made prison; we don't have to be
bound by chains, especially when they are of our
Thursday, October 19, 2000
own making.
True freedom has nothing to do with pleasure
making. True freedom is a matter of our spirit
within. True freedom is when we are aware of
God's presence and when we give our lives to a
higher power. We will be free when we look
within ourselves and assume responsibility for
our lives. We cannot claim freedom. It is avail
able to everyone. It is a gift from God. When we
have an inner peace, we know it is coming from
God.
We can attain inner freedom in our prayer life,
in times of meditation and in caring and loving
others. The more of ourselves we give to God,
the freer we become. Let's celebrate freedom by
rejoicing that the spirit of God is within all of
us!
Ticki Lloyd is a member of Saint Francis
Xavier Parish, Brunswick.
601 E. Liberty St.
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
Expressions of thanks
Ann Pinckney, diocesan Director of the
Propagation of the Faith, received this letter
from Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples:
Dear Miss Pinckney:
With gratitude to God for the missionary faith
of the people of the Diocese of Savannah, the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
acknowledges their contribution in 1999 of
$20,009 for the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith and $674 for the Society of St. Peter
Apostle in support of mission vocations.
It is recognized and greatly appreciated that
this generosity is in great part the fruit of your
own dedication to the task of missionary lead
ership. Just as the missionary spirit you foster is
necessary for the mission ad gentes, it is equal
ly essential for the vitality of the faith in your
home diocese.
Your daily work on behalf of missionary ani
mation is vitally important as it encourages the
frill cooperation of all baptized persons in the
mission ad gentes in every form possible: spiri
tual, material and, in particular, vocational. In
so many places, peoples are open to the light of
the Gospel, eager to be evangelized and wel
comed into the Church. Numerous and pressing
requests for missionaries reach us from the
young churches. We must provide for these
needs.
Essential as well are true missionaries in
“prayer and sacrifice” as exemplified by the
lives of Saint Therese of Lisieux and Venerable
Pauline Jaricot; respectively, patroness and
foundress of the Propagation of the Faith. The
horizons of these missionaries too are no less
than the ends of the earth. They support the
service of the Church and the proclamation of
the Gospel among two-thirds of our world
With prayerful gratitude, this Congregation
acknowledges your effective collaboration in
Letters
the missionary task with Bishop Boland and
with Bishop McCormack, national director,
helping to ensure that the Church in the
Developing World may have the means to pro
claim the Gospel in its fullness to the peoples
of the world.
Jozef Cardinal Tomko
Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelization
of Peoples,
Vatican City
Bishop J. Kevin Boland received this letter
from Ken Hackett, Executive Director of
Catholic Relief Services::
Dear Bishop Boland:
On behalf of Catholic Relief Services, I
would like to thank you and the Diocese of
Savannah for its contribution of $32,171.86
toward the reconstruction efforts in the after-
math of the devastating earthquakes that
impacted Turkey. Further, please accept my
apology for the delay in acknowledging your
support. The glitch in our acknowledgement
system is being rectified to avoid any further
inconvenience this may have caused you.
CRS continues to be active in meeting the
needs of earthquake victims in Turkey. The
relief phase of our assistance is coming to an
end. A CRS-supported Caritas Turkey food
coupon distribution scheme for 2000 families in
Adapazari and Abali just ended in June. Now,
camp residents are resettled in more permanent
housing.
CRS’ assistance is increasingly focused on
rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. With
$1.12 million from CRS, Sakarya University in
Adapazari is currently finishing construction of
dormitories which will provide housing for stu
dents left homeless by the quake. This project
is engaging civil engineering students them
selves in monitoring the construction activities,
and is helping to foster student/faculty dialogue
as well as contributing to rebuilding a central
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element of civil society in the affected area.
With CRS support, Caritas Turkey is also
engaged in rehabilitation activities, including
the reconstruction of classrooms in Kaynasli
and the construction of three children's play
grounds in Adapazari and Abah, to provide
places for children's recreation and psychoso
cial rehabilitation. At the same time, CRS con
tinues working with Caritas to refine plans for a
housing construction project and other rehabili
tation projects.
May the community of Savannah continue
with acts of justice on behalf of those most in
need.
Ken Hackett
Executive Director, Catholic Relief Services,
Baltimore
RU-486 and the election
Dear Editor:
The article about the abortion drug RU-486
(October 5 issue) addresses another milestone
in the culture of death in the U.S. Our Holy
Father, Cardinals and Bishops have spoken out
forcefully against abortion-on-demand.
In 1996, when President Clinton vetoed the
bills banning partial-birth abortion, our Cardi
nals said it loud and clear: “your veto of this
bill is beyond comprehension”; “[we are] pro
foundly appalled”; “we strenuously oppose and
condemn your veto.” The Holy See said: “This
presidential decision, in contradiction to the
position of the American congress is a ‘shame
ful veto’ ... an incredibly brutal act of aggres
sion against human life . . . and the rights of the
unborn.” Despite this, in 1997 eight “Catholic”
Senators voted in concert with Senator Lieber-
man to again sustain the second veto— and the
override failed by three votes!
Could it be that this failure of Congress gave
“immoral” courage to the U.S. Supreme Court as
they struck down the state of Nebraska’s bill ban-
(Continued on page I I)