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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 FAX: (912) 238-2339 E-mail: DClark5735@aol.com 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)