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PAGE 4—The Georgia Bulletin, August 22,1974
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/4*cidut€*t /4et**e«.
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan — Publisher
Rev. Peter A. Dora — Editor
Michael Motes — Associate Editor
Marie Mulvenna — Associate Editor
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at 601 East Sixth St., Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
“
Poor Foreign Policy
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following editorial is reprinted from THE SOUTHERN CROSS, Savannah. It was
written by Father Francis Donahue, editor.)
If public reaction to the events of
Cyprus over the last month tells us
anything, it is that the world has become
so weary of war that it pretends not to
notice when bombs and bullets are
killing other people.
It is well that people are war-weary. It
is not well that they are apparently
unconcerned about war so long as it does
not touch them directly. How else can
one explain the lack of public outcry,
not only here in the United States but
around the world, when Turkish troops
invaded Cyprus, killing or wounding (by
Greek Cypriot accounts) more than
8,000 people, many of them women and
children?
Over the years, Pope Paul has called
for an end to the narrow nationalism
that has been at the heart of so many
wars in the last century. Yet, it appears
that such nationalism has been growing
rather than diminishing.
Foreign policy in capitals all over the
world seems to be dictated not by the
needs of people, but by “the national
interest.” Hence, British policy in
Northern Ireland - aimed at preserving
the status quo rather than at securing the
human rights denied to hundreds of
thousands of people because of their
religion.
The government of Israel, fearful of
the political repurcussions of granting
citizenship to a large number of
displaced Palestinian Arabs, has closed
its eyes to the misery of displaced
persons camps for more than twenty-five
years.
Arab governments, uneasy because
their own people are asking how it is
that a tiny, fledgling nation like Israel
can be relatively prosperous while the
Arab nations remain at the bottom of
the economic ladder, continue to
threaten Israel with extinction.
African nations can vote en masse in
the United Nations to impose sanctions
upon Rhodesia and South Africa because
those countries oppress their black
citizens, but hold their peace when the
government of Uganda slaughters
thousands upon thousands of its citizens.
And when Turkish guns and warplanes
bombard hotels and populated areas of
Cyprus, the government of the United
States can do no more than administer a
weak threat, which it never intended to
carry out, to cut off military aid to
Turkey if it does not cease its military
action on Cyprus.
Worse still, the government of the
Soviet Union, a next door, neighbor to
Turkey, and therefore, a nation which
should be able to bring more pressure to
bear than the United States, does
absolutely nothing.
Of course, it is easier to cite a problem
than to solve it. But it seems to us that
Americans can at least make a beginning
toward changing a national world view
geared more toward preserving overseas
naval and air bases and protecting the
privileged positions of American foreign
business interests.
We still live in a free society and we
can make our opinions known to those
we elect to guide the fortunes of this
country. We can let them know that we
care more about people than about
things and that we do not want the
government of this country aiding and
abetting the policies which other nations
undertake against the fundamental
human rights of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.
Humility Disability
Dave McGill
I once saw a comedian on TV joking about
how humble he was. I remember one of the
one-liners from his monologue: “I just finished
a book on being humble entitled ‘HUMILITY,
AND HOW I OBTAINED IT.” It struck me, as I
grinned at the contradiction in the title, that
the quality of humility is indeed elusive - as
slippery as an eel. The minute you think you’ve
got it, you’ve lost it.
One thing that I’ve learned from observing
others is that being a Casper Milquetoast is by
no means a necessary condition for humility.
Being modest and grateful, not being puffed-up
or arrogant, and treating everyone as if he or
she was very important seem to be common
traits of humble people, and I see these every
day in outgoing types as well as in quieter folks.
Jesus was a master at making humble pie for
those without humility. Surely the biggest slices
were served up on the day He saved the
adulterous woman by saying to the menacing
crowd, “If there is one of you who has not
sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at
her.” (John 8:7). The arrogant scribes and
Pharisees, who had demanded the woman’s
death by quoting Old Testament Scripture (Dt.
22:22-24) got the point, ate their humble pie,
and slunk away home.
My friend Hugh Quaile once gave me a copy
of an anonymous Civil War soldier’s prayer for
humility. I will pass it along to you and hope
that it will mean as much to you as it still does
to me, as I struggle with a humility disability:
“I asked God for strength
That I might achieve -
I was made weak,
That I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health
That I might do greater things -
I was given infirmity,
That I might do better things.
I asked for riches,
That I might be happy -
I was given poverty,
That I might be wise.
I asked for all things,
That I might enjoy life -
I was given life,
That I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for -
But everything I had hoped for.
Despite myself, my prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”
"'CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH
HUMILITY TCWARP ONE ANOTHER,
FOR GOP IS OPPOSEP TO THE PROUD,
BUT GIVES GE4CE TO THE HUMBLE”
e —\
Return to Normalcy
Reentry Problems
Reverend John Reedy C-S.C.
N >
Because of the time lag in publishing, this
column is being written as the former President
of the United States flies back across the nation
to what will undoubtedly be a painful, bitter -
though very comfortable - retirement.
because they were asked to sit in judgment on
the most powerful office in the world. It’s
going to be tough for them to go back to
greeting constituents who happen to be
vacationing in Washington.
I took a firm resolution that I would not
produce a belated moralization on the
disruption which has plagued our government
and our nation for the past two years. You will
have heard more than you want to know about
this subject before my column appears.
However, I am intrigued by thoughts about
what the passing of Watergate will mean to the
American pattern of life. For example:
- News analysts and editorial writers will
have to surrender most of their preaching
function back to clergymen. Oh, I’m sure
they’ll still find some situations which will
allow for an exercise of their moral indignation,
but not on a daily basis, not with the same
satisfying righteousness generated by the
endless revelations of profanity, chicanery and
mounting desperation.
- Now, at last, addicts of day-time soap
operas can relax in the assurance that the sordid
chronicle of Somerset will no longer be bumped
by network brass who give priority to the
sordid chronicle of Washington.
- Nor should we forget the difficulty facing
Father John McLaughlin who will probably
discover that the new administration has no
need for a resident Jesuit. Possibly Father
McLaughlin can get another job as a
speech-writer, but I wouldn’t bet that there will
be an 1 opening for him on the staff of his
classmate, Father Drinan.
- The greatest national trauma of the next
few months will come in our search for
something to talk about. With a degree of
civility, one could in recent months carry on a
long conversation with complete strangers, even
though they were rooting for the opposite side.
What shall we talk about now - especially if the
football season collapses?
Like millions of others, I’m relieved that it’s
over. But don’t let it all slip from your memory
too soon. Around the year 2000 trivia experts
might ask you, “What was John Dean’s wife’s
name?” or “What reporter was asked by
President Nixon, ‘Are you running for some
office?’”
—v
A Unique
Baby
Shower
Teresa Gernazian
N ,
On August 15 about 40 ladies attended a
surprise shower luncheon at the Hilton Inn
honoring June Webb, eight months pregnant
with her seventh baby. This new concept of a
baby shower (no baby gift) was the work of
love put forth by several of her close friends.
When called, we were asked to bring a letter
cut out of a certain color of felt. The letters
would be pinned to a burlap banner and would
form a Scriptural quotation. We were also asked
to use a piece of construction paper and
brightly decorate it with some special message
to June. These would be taped all around the
room.
Pat Dailey, mistress of ceremonies, explained
before June arrived how we were to form the
verse. We had a “dry run” so we would know
where to pin our letter.
When June walked in, she was truly
overcome with an emotional joy that found its
only relief in the free flow of tears. When she
calmed down enough to express her
appreciation, she described a touching scene
that took place when her mother was dying.
She said all the family gathered around and told
their mother “I love you.” and her mother
replied, “I know you do.” June said this was
exactly what she wanted to say to us.
Before our lunch, Lisa Ware presented a
devotional so fitting for the Feast of the
Assumption. She chose the First Chapter of
Luke and apologized that her thoughts would
be disrelated since she had a tiny nursing baby
(who was there) and she hadn’t prepared herself
as well as she should have.
Lisa brought out a point that is rarely
stressed. She stated there was no one to be
happy about Mary’s baby, not even Joseph. So
God in His loving allowed Elizabeth to get
extremely excited about Mary’s pregnancy. She
said there is no one a pregnant woman can
relate to better than another pregnant woman.
Then we all broke out in laughter when she said
if anyone is pregnant and nobody in the family
is happy about it, not even the woman herself,
just call June and she’ll be very happy about it
for you.
Lisa presented many thoughtful reflections
about Mary and her reply to the angel, “Behold
the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me
according to thy word.” The devotional was
made all the more meaningful by the fact that
Lisa is not a member of the Catholic Faith.
After lunch we presented June with our
banner of love. One by one we walked up and
placed our letter where it belonged and when
we were finished St. Paul’s words to the
Philippians (Chapter 4; vs. 13) were colorfully
spelled out: I CAN DO ALL THINGS
THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS
ME.
One girl, who could not attend, sent in her
message on a tape and she shared her feelings of
June’s friendship to her in a very touching way.
There was an awful lot of work involved -
hundreds of phone calls - name cards with
individual Scriptural verses, and all the other
things involved in a big affair like this but it all
worked out perfectly. Even June’s husband was
able to come by for a few minutes.
In walking around and reading the various
messages taped on the wall I chose one to sum
up the shower. It is a quote from Eric Fromm:
“Those whose hope is strong - see and cherish
all signs of Life, and are ready at every moment
to help the birth of that which is ready to be
bom.”
Thousands, probably hundreds of
thousands of copies of the Watergate transcripts
have been transformed overnight from
best-seller status to scrap paper. (As a publisher,
I know the sense of embarrassment that comes
from an inventory of thousands of unsalable
books. It’s something like having a dead whale
on your front lawn - in the middle of a heat
wave.)
- Now we shall have to look for a new source
of jargon for the English language. During the
60’s we had a constant supply of expressions
(always outdated by at least a year or two)
from the black culture, campus radicals, the
Vietnam war. During the past couple of years,
we have depended on Watergate for these new
terms, which we hope show that we are in
touch with our times.
We hear people trying to sound casual as
they use atrocities like: “At this point in
time .. . stonewalling. . . taking the hang-out
route.” And all of us seem to be more
knowledgeable than we need be about the
intricacies of tape recording.
- Editorial cartoonists, whose only problem
in caricaturing Mr. Nixon was to avoid making
him look like Bob Hope, are now struggling to
master an identifiable sketch of Gerald Ford.
- We have to find some way to re-cycle into
useful pursuits all the people who have spent
the past two years becoming experts on all the
players and all the plays of Watergate. Like
someone who devoted years to the study of St.
Philomena - only to find that she probably
never existed - these experts deserve our
compassion and assistance as they discover
there’s no longer any use for their expert
knowledge.
- Also deserving a degree of sympathy are all
the relatively obscure senators and congressmen
who suddenly orbited into celebrity status
Prayerfully Yours
Rev. David E. Rosage
J
Prayer is a relationship with God. As we
spend more time in prayer this relationship
grows and becomes more intimate.
Praying with Sacred Scripture draws us into a
personal relationship with our loving, gracious
Father. He reveals Himself as a kind, loving God
who provides for us at every moment of our
existence. He is a compassionate God who
wants to forgive us more than we could even
want to be forgiven.
His guiding hand leads us along our
pilgrimage back to Him - our Father. He gave
His Son who is “The Way, The Truth, and The
Light.” He did not leave us orphans but gave us
His Holy Spirit to abide with us to nuture,
guide, strengthen and sanctify us.
As our relationship grows deeper in prayer
then death takes on a whole new demension.
Death is not to be feared but it is rather the
doorway into our Father’s arms.
Because of his deep relationship with God
through prayer Paul could cry out: “0 death,
where is your victory? 0 death, where is your
sting?” (I Corinthians 15,54,55)
In speaking of our victory over death St. Paul
says: “Thanks be to God who has given us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I
Corinthians 15,57)
At the beginning of His public life Jesus
invited His followers to COME. Come to Him
to be taught, to be formed, to acquire a whole
new spiritual way of thinking, to put on the
new man. After the Resurrection He
commissions them to GO and bring the Good
News to all men. His invitation to us is the
same: COME to Him in prayer and then GO to
all men bringing the glad tidings of great joy.
First Day, Matthew 28, 19-20 - All Nations
— “Go, therefore . . . and lenow that I am with
you always, until the end of the world.”
Second Day, Luke 10, 1-20 - Rich Harvest —
“He who hears you, hears me ... ”
Third Day, Acts 10, 34-43 - Good News —
“He commissioned us to preach . . . and to bear
witness.”
Fourth Day, Luke 24, 46-49
Reconciliation — “Penance for the remission of
sins is to be preached.”
Fifth Day, Romans 10, 13-21 - Message of
Joy — “How beautiful are the feet of those who
announce the good news!”
Sixth Day, Ephesians 6, 1-17 - Foot Gear —
“. . . and zeal to propagate the Gospel of
peace.”
Seventh Day, II Corinthians 4,1-7 -- Ministry
— “We proclaim the truth openly ...”