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PAGE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY APRIL 11, 1963 the Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA BULLETIN SERVING GEORGIA S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Atlanta Published Every Week at the Decatur Dekalb News PUBLISHER - Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan MANAGING EDITOR Gerard E. Sherry CONSULTING EDITOR Rev. R. Donald Kiernan ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Spence Member of the Catholic Press Association and Subscriber to N.C.W.C. News Service Telephone 231-1281 U.S.A. $5.00 Canada $5.50 Foreign $6.50 Second Class Permit at Decatur, Georgia 2699 Peachtree N.E. P.O. Box 11667 Northside Station Atlanta 5, Ga. Easter 1963 What would you think, if you buried a good friend on Friday and suddenly he stood before you after supper on Sunday ? You would think that you were seeing a ghost. So did the Apostles. Good Friday was all horror but for this reason it passed quickly. Holy Saturday was agonizingly slow, but apparently safe. Easter Sunday brought fear. The missing body -• the empty tomb would lead to reprisals by the police -- the wild babbling of the women merely snapped over taut nerves. Huddle toget her in a rented room only be cause to be alone heightens the fear. Eat supper, if only from mechanical habit or because the strings of a shattered existence must be picked up sometime. Then suddenly, after supper, He is there. Not brutally bruised and scarred, not pallid and life less, but luminously alive. He is there. No door opens, but sud denly He is there, in the room with them. Of course they thought they were seeing a ghost. What else could frail human minds think? But He showed them His hands and His feet -- ghosts have no flesh, nor bones. He ate their food, some fish and honey even shared some of it with them -- ghosts eat no food. Then they knew that it was the Lord. And their joy was exceedingly great. The gall of the apostles’bitter ness became the guage of their joy; the darkness of their fear became the measure of their hap piness; the depth of their des pair set the height of their con fidence. Their Jesus, beloved Teacher and inspiring Leader, had con quered death--but evenmore im portant, He had returned to them. The little flock, scattered by de feat, was gathered again around the Shepherd. From here on out there is no need for fear, for timidity, for uncertainty. From this moment on, this fact “He lives,” --will be the clear spring from which they will draw se rene confidence. The only thing for them to do is to spend their lives being witnesses to this fact, spreading the good news to the whole world. This will be the bur den of The Apostles’ preaching: “He died, but now He lives again.” He had preached paradox and parable, and it was difficult at times to follow Him. At times it was impossible to believe that He was serious. His orders were just the opposite of the world’s ideals; Blessed are the poor in spirit--the pure in heart--the peace makers. Only the eyes of needles for the rich--implied contempt for the fighters--and pity for the lustful. But in the light of this fact-- “He died, but now He lives”--it is ob vious that it was the world that was crazy, and He alone who was sane. The world was topsy-turvy, and He walks, right side up. A new vision had to flow from this fact. Illumined by the light of this tremendous victory over death, The Apostles would go out and preach liberation. Freedom from blind chance--freedom in the hands of a loving and provident Father--freedom from the need of wealth,--because one can now make free with God’s treasures, which are rustless and moth proof--freedom from the chains of the flesh, because we live by the Spirit. The Apostles challenged the Roman Empire -- and established paganism --and the encrusted habits of ages. They had the aud acity to tell men that Caesar is no god, that the State is not the end all and the be all. They had the nerve to overthrow idols, so that men could worship in Spirit and in Truth. They made bold to challenge the fundamental assumptions of their time and their society. They challenged. And they died. But they also won. Where is Im perial Rome today? Where is the old paganism today? Where are those ancient habits? Where also is their victory? Each generation of apostles must come to grips with this fact-- that He died,--was buried --but also rose again from the grave. The Peters, the Johns and the Andrews of each gene ration must realize that it is their Lord. We must break through the veneer of routine--the many coatings of repetition--and come back to the freshness of that startling fact-- He died, but now He lives. In 1963 we must discover this radical liberation. In 1963 our joy must be exceedingly great. In 1963 we must be witnesses to THE fact. The world of today is as much enslaved as it was then. Tyranny is the rule. Idolatry may be more subtle, but this only makes it worse. Habits still dominate. Liberation can come only through Christ, preached by the witnesses of His Resurrection. In His Light we must see our world as it really is--we must judge it by the same paradoxes that He preached. Someone must stand up and tell the world that it is all wrong Continued On Page 5 ’ .-*/• ’ ‘ •jjf' *. , T • ' •* v rf 5 *,* .v * y " ■ v* • -v- >v • HOPE BIRTH CONTROL Personal Morality BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW Understandably, one hesitates to discuss publicly delicate questions of personal morality. This is particularly true regarding the number one problem of marital morality - birth con trol - as it affects sincere Catholics. And yet, compassion and a sense of obligation compel us to realize that continued reticence will only augment confusion and real anguish. Ironically enough, it is the conscientious, those who sin cerely desire to abide by the moral law, who suffer most intensely from any ambiquity. The lax and the callous do not expose themselves to the con flict between *the pressures of everyday life and the dic tates of right reason and moral authority. In terms of the number of individuals concerned, in terms of the stakes involved - the salvation of souls, the well-being of marriages, families and society - this particular problem of marital morality must be ranked as fore most for the Church. Facing this fact is the first step toward dealing intelligently with the very real crises it creates. A recent theologi cal treatise on marital morality states it in this way: “The most serious problem posed by con jugal chastity is without doubt the dilemma with which a large number of spouses will one day be confronted: the obligation of choosing between the burdens of fertility and the rigors of continence." (The Theology of Sex in Marriage, Daniel Planque, Fides Publishers.) For countless Catholic households the need to set a limit on fertility is the occasion of a genuine crisis of conscience. The categories of reasons which may dictate such a necessity are familiar enough. There are often potential threats to the life or health of the mother which it would be seriously imprudent to ignore. It would be willful to limit this consideration only to physical problems and to exclude the equally LITURGICAL WEEK real psychical and emotional distress which so frequently results from family tensions. As the costs of daily living and adequate education continue to squeeze those in middle and lower income groups, more and more conflicts arise between the legitimate aspriations of parents for their children and the demands of continued fertility. Pope Pius XII listed as well "eugenic and social" causes which could dictate a morally justified "regulation" of fertility. Even for those married couples who are physiologically able to use the rhythm method with a reasonable de gree of security (and infinitely more so for the many who are not) the occurrence of such a situation demands a serious and painful de cision. If we translate the abstract statement of the problem into terms of real concern and the strain placed upon the always delicate inter personal relationship of the spouses, we begin to see the true dimensions of the dilemma. The first thing owed to those who must cope with such a dilemma is understanding. Besides understanding, there are other forms which aid to such marriages may take. An in tense effort to broaden and deepen the under standing of marriage - both in the preparation of the young in our schools and parishes and in counselling those already married - could be a powerful weapon for the many who must face this dilemma now and in the future. Marri age is a state entered in to not only by indivi duals subject to a social purpose but also by persons divinely destined to seek and achieve their own particular fulfillment. Married love and livine ought to contribute to the many ends represented by this feality. A balanced under standing of these co-ordinate ends of marriage should inform every level of the union of husband and wife, including the sexual. Such a view will produce an attitude toward fertility and the use of marriage that is moral in the strictest sense, that is, governed by reason and will, disciplined, moderate, proportioned to its purposes. Such an attitude in the married - and instilled in the young before their marriage - will offer far firmer ground for solving the problem almost all will face. Sacrament Of Our Salvation BY FR. ROBERT W. HOVDA (Priest of the Pittsburgh Oratory) APRIL 14 EASTER DAY. The night that in troduces that day is for the Christian a sacra ment of his salvation. Primitive symbolism of fire and light and water and food; the recounting in word and song and ceremony of the purpose of existence as God has revealed it; the rites of Baptism and the Eucharist by which Jesus Christ shares with us a full human participation in that purposefulness and meaningfulness—these are the chief constituents of the Easter Vigil, the year's great central service of Catholic public worship. The meaning of Christ, His coming, His teach ing , His death, His Resurrection, His sharing His life with us in Church and sacrament through faith—all this illumines our minds and sparks our wills to a renewal of commitment. A com mitment we pledge by repeating the sacred words of our baptismal promises, "We do believe." Believing, we find our secure place both in God's love and in the history of the human race. We rejoice that we are being built up in Christ, "putting on" Christ, toward an ultimate realizat ion of the kingdom of God. And the later morning Mass echoes the same joy and triumph, the same unconquerable hope. APRIL 15 EASTER MONDAY. The First Re ading of today's Mass is Peter's classic ex ample of Christian preaching, from Acts. What is a sermon but a proclamation of the events we have just celebrated? So Word and Sacrament go together in the Catholic view. The Word and the truimphant Lord in sacred reading and preach ing. We see Him also in the sacred act, the Sacra ment, as they did at Emmaus "when he broke bread" (Gospel). APRIL 16 EASTER TUES DAY. The liturgy of this week sings with the "Evangel" — the good news. Today we hear Paul's preaching in the First Reading and the Gospel again points to the deeply significant fact of Jesus' sharing a meal with His disciples. Entrance, Gradual, Offertory and Com munion hymns all have special reference to the newly baptized members of the Church, for whom we pray in the Collect. APRIL 17 EASTER WEDNESDAY. Collector "Opening Prayer"), Secret and Postcommunion are three important prayers unique to each day's Mass which the community makes its own by its "Amen." The first is an expression of what the Christian people ask of th e Father as they gather for worship. The second is prayed over their gifts as the gifts have been prepared on the altar for the action of Christ. And the last is the assembly's joint thanksgiving and request for the Father's constant assistance. Look at today's Secret: “In Easter happiness, Lord, we offer this sacrifice in which your Church so wonderfully finds her food and growth." APRIL 18 EASTER THURSDAY. We sing in the Alleluia verse: "Christ has risen; the world's Creator has had pity on mankind." Mary weeps before the tomb, until she sees the risen Christ (Gospel). The liturgy makes it clear that Jesus’ rising again, His victory over death, is every- man’s rising and everyman's victory. APRIL 19 EASTER FRIDAY, "i am with you all through the days that are coming," is the Lord's promise as He solemnly charges His apostles with His mission (Gospel). The mission is to make disciples (of Jesus) through Baptism (in Jesus). He is the mediator, the one Priest. And every Christian act of worship, public or Private, is in Him and through Him and with Him. APRIL 20 EASTER SATURDAY. "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation" (First Reading). All of our worship is in Christ and is therefore acceptable to the Father, but our participation is real, we do share in it. For we are a priestly people, sharing not only His life, grace, but also His mark of priesthood (character). The communion hymn sings: "...you have put on Christ as a gar ment." TOPPLING SPLENDOR Did Isiah Foresee BY GERARD E SHERRY Did the prophet Isiah foresee our twentieth century with its toppling material splendor, with its world-wide terrors, and its back yard fallout shelters? Quite certainly he did not. But his inspired words, written in the eighth century before Christ, are ominously applicable to the conditions of this age: “A land full of silver and gold, with no end to its treasures... where men worship the devices their own hands have made... See where the Lord comes, in all his terrors, in all the glory of his ma jesty; take refuge, now, in some rock- carven, hide thee in some pit I Now in deed man's haughty looks must fall to earth, human pride must be abated; no room for any greatness but the Lord's when that day comes." (Isiah , 7-11). REAPINGS AT RANDOM. It is discourgingly evident that much of the modern would is no more hungry for God than were the corrupt rulers of Judah and their pag anized subjects at the time of the prophet Is aiah. Now as then, "Men worship the devices their own hands have made." They place their trust in missies and satellites, looking for salvation from policy decisions, treaties, and summit conferences. These things are good and have their place,* but they are not enough. We must convince dtir- selves how much we need Christ. ■ J For die soul must be hungry for God befo£ it can profit from Christ's birth and deaths just as the body must be hungry for foot if it is to receive its full share of nourishment from a meal. (A weak, starving than in the desert can actually live on a few nuts, ome' dried fruit, and water. But taken after a ban quet dinner the same food might as w<d not be eaten, for die little good it does to the sated and well-fed.) Christ’s birth is for admiring the woder and goodness of God. His death is for assesing the poverty and need of mankind. Isaiah Ben Amoz condemned thf people of his time because they continued to j»ce their trust in "devices their own hands -tad made,” confident in themselves and in their wn political and military skills. He did not ^pose use of arms and of man-made alliances; tit he insisted that men must also acknowledge neir total de pendence on Yahweh, humbly ask*g Him to pro tect their nation and bless tl*ir endeavors. For without His protection and bussing there can be no true and lasting peace. The angels who announced <*e birth of Christ to the shepherds carried much the same message when they sang: "Glory uyGod in the highest and on earth peace to men ofgood will." Isaiah's Inspired vision, as it applies to our own times, reminds us thatno nation —no matter how powerful, no matter »ow "full of silver and gold" — can survive if it refuses to bow low before its God and wo^Wp Him alone. If its citizens trust in themsaves rather than in their Creator, then their "fciughty looks must fall to earth, and human pride mist be abated." It is human pride vhich has resulted in our current era of secuarism: in which we have come to idoliz* mankind and its achievements, The atheistic naterialist’s slogan that religion "Is the opium of the people" has been adopted in many sections erf our so-called respectable society. Bel.ef in God and love of God have degenerated to the status of cliches. Modem man is more impressed with his own omni potence. i f ’ Humility and meekness is literally for the mild. The so-called strong see only pride and covert ness as the end product of their life. The "or- ganizatioml man" and the "status seekers" are the symbols of our success. The world is drifting towards nental and physical emptiness. Many of us are discovering, far too late, that the Hereafter is the only reality which must be faced. This :ime of crisis is a time of meditation and preparation; a meditation on the fact that time is short for what God wants us to do; a timely preparation for us to carry out our Baptismal vows; for the judgement is at hand. It is a somber reflection of our utter dependence upon God. We can grasp the opportunities pre sented or we can reject them. Either way, the responsibility is ours. j In this twentieth century we must find an easier way and a more effective road to humility than that erf being forced to "take refuge, now, in some rock-carven, (or hide) in some pitl" May we find our way back to God's will and God's law without waiting for it to be imposed upon us •s we crouch terrified in back yard fallout shelters, cowering beneath the radioactive cloud of our own proud folly* World crisis is a time for Grace, a time of preparation in which man is led to deepen his awareness of how much he needs Christ. May it lead us to sharpen the edge of our hunger for the Grace of Christ, that, hungering for the things that are above, we may be nourished in deed by His gift of Himself at His birth.Hls death at the Cross, and his Resurrection.