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PAGE 2—The Georgia Bulletin, November 29, 1979
Inside TV News
BY JOHN P. ZARRELLA
“Oh God” was on television the
other night. You may have seen it. I
hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
There were, surely you will agree, some
tremendously funny moments and some
extremely poignant moments. Granted,
George Burns is not the omnipotent
God of the Middle Ages or the “Hell fire
and brimstone” God of Jonathan
Edwards but, by the end of the movie
you sure wouldn’t mind having him
around on a permanent basis. At least,
over for dinner on weekends!
For those of you who may have
missed it, there is a courtroom scene at
the end of the movie which t like to call
the “I told you so” act! All through the
movie, Jerry, an assistant manager at a
local grocery has been visited by God.
God (George Bums) tells Jerry (John
Denver) to spread the word that He is
alive and well. Jerry does exactly what
he’s told and gets deeper and deeper
into hot water.
Finally, God enlists Jerry to go and
straighten out this evangelical preacher
who has been “cashing in” on the good
name of God. Jerry ends up in court
charged with defamation of character.
God comes to the rescue, showing up in
the courtroom and performing a few
tricks. As you might expect, whether
God was really in the courtroom can
never be proven and is left up to the
individuals.
You know, I have often wondered
about that very script. What would we
do, how would we handle it if God
suddenly decided to reveal himself? I
often wonder what it would have been
like if there were television and radio in
the time of Jesus Christ?
Can you picture live televised
coverage of Christ feeding the multitude
and, reports on the nightly news of His
latest miracles! Without question, the
networks would all want to cover His
trial before Pilate and, the rights to
carry live the Crucifiction would go for
staggering figures (not to mention
commercial sponsorship).
Forgive me if all that sounds a bit
morbid. I honestly don’t know what
would happen if someone came along
and claimed he was God or the Son of
God. I wonder?
If He so desired, God could pretty
easily convince the world that he wasn’t
some imposter. But, given Jesus Christ
style, I doubt if He would do much
better than first time around. Would we
write Him off as some religious fanatic
who took a dive off the deep end? I
suppose we would expect miracles -
walking on the water, making the blind
see and lame walk. That probably
wouldn’t convince us anyway. It doesn’t
say much for our world but, Jesus
would end up playing to a bigger
audience and getting the same reviews
He got in Jerusalem.
Perhaps that is why God prefers to
remain somewhat aloof these days. For
those people who have a hard time
believing, He remains a mysterious,
distant creator. For those who have
taken that leap of faith, He can be as
close as George Burns.
ADVENT I
The Homecoming Of Our God
BY MONSIGNOR
JERRY HARDY
Readings: Jeremiah 33,
14-16; I Thessalonians 3,
12; 4, 2 and Luke 21,
25-28; 34-36.
We make a mistake if
we focus too tightly on
the description of things in
the Gospel. We can too
easdy sit back and say “I
don’t see any signs in the
sun, moon and stars -
looks good to me.” Truth
is we can have 20-20 vision
and ears sensitive enough
to hear a leaf fall and still
miss the point of this first
Sunday’s readings: if we
are the only home He ever
wanted, as the poem
suggests, what really
counts for the home
coming of our God?
The Gospel suggests
correcting our patterns in
two areas:
a) Self indulgence and
drunkenness, not merely
too much eating and
drinking, but also the
self-centered laziness of
spirit that prevents us
from appreciating things
from God’s point of view
and instead substitutes our
own less demanding
agenda for growth as a
believing person.
b) Worries and
problems that we allow to
preoccupy our hearts
rather than choosing not
to allow them to do so.
As alternatives:
Jeremiah in the first
reading tal ks^.to us about
the fulfillment of a
promi§e&,,pur God will
come to us and stay with
us, just as he said. Paul
prays for the strengthening
of our hearts to deal with
preparing to welcome our
God. To answer the
question then: what
matters for the
home-coming of our God
is that we allow him to
recenter our hearts/minds
on Him and His way. That
may cause some violence
to our life style this year.
Questions and Reflection
a) If the end of time, as
described in the Gospel,
were posted as arriving at
midnite tonight, what are
the three most basic things
in your life you would
want to change and
improve? Why not go
ahead and do something
about them anyhow?
b) Take Sunday’s
reading from Paul and
change it around so it
becomes your prayer for
yourself: “Lord bless me
and make me overflow
with love for all those
around me. Strengthen my
heart, make it blameless
and holy in your sight at
the home-coming of Jesus.
Help me to conduct my
life in a way that pleases
you and keep me making
progress in coming home
to you.”
Use this as a family
prayer at meals during the
week.
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Conveniently located in
St. Jude’s Parish
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Presentations & Reports
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Dealers Wanted!
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964-1448
UK RAIN1 AN-RITE
ARCHBISHOP ORDAINED - Pope
John Paul II and two
co-c on se orators, Ukrainian-Rite
Archbishop Maxim Hermaniuk of
Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Cardinal
Josyf Slipyi, (far right) exiled head
of the Ukrainian-Rite Archdiocese of
Lvov, in the Soviet Union, ordained
Archbishop Miroslav Lubachivsky as
the new head of the Ukrainian-Rite
Archdiocese of Philadelphia in a
ceremony in the Sistine Chapel.
The Church And Family Planning
BY TERRI BUCKLEY
During Pope John
Paul's recent visit to the
United States, he
reaffirmed the Catholic
Church’s teaching on
marital non-contraception,
as was also stated by Pope
Paul VI in his encyclical,
HUMANAE VITAE. The
Catholic Church has
always taught that the
practice of artificial birth
control was to be avoided
as a method of family
planning. The “birth
control doctrine” has lead
many confused couples to
ask the question, “Why is
it wrong to practice
contraception?’’ This
article is an attempt to
answer this question.
In St. Matthew’s Gospel
regarding marriage, Jesus
states, “Thus, they are no
longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, let no man
separate what God has
joined.” (Matt. 19:6),
Theologians tell us that
marital coitus has two
aspects: the procreative
and the unitive. Artificial
birth control directly seeks
to separate these two
aspects, thus causing a
person “to consider
oneself not a servant of
God but lord over the
origin of life.” (Humanae
Vitae 13) By accommoda
tion then, the scripture is
applicable which says,
“therefore let no man
separate what God has
joined.” (Matt 19:6)
Concerning the
procreative aspect of
marital coitus, God
Himself has ordained that
conception can take place
on only a few days during
every woman’s monthly
cycle. Since conception is
more than a biological
event, we can readily see
that children are truly gifts
from God. Some couples
having difficulty achieving
pregnancy may use natural
family planning to help
them determine the most
fertile days during the
woman’s cycle, thus
enabling the couple to
conceive a much wanted
child. Fertility, therefore,
is a gift to be understood
and not just a problem to
be eliminated.
Concerning the unitive
aspect of marital coitus, it
is seen to have high value
in the mind of the Creator.
This is because, as was
mentioned before, the
p rocreative aspect exists
for only a few days during
each woman’s fertility
cycle. This implies that the
Creator has given a high
value to the marital act
even when conception is
not possible. Therefore,
those couples engaging in
marital coitus on the
woman’s naturally infertile
days are seen to be acting
in accord with God’s plan.
To think otherwise would
put a couple in a
precarious position of
wrongdoing even though
they may not be aware of
it.
On the more practical
side, there are reasons to
avoid artificial birth
control which are weighty
even though the Church
does not emphasize them.
Among these reasons
would be the 35-40
medically known side
effects of the birth control
pill, the abortifacient
characteristic of the intra
uterine device (IUD), and
the lesser effectiveness and
the unnatural characteris
tics of the contemporary
contraceptives.
The sympto-thermal
method of natural family
planning, a very reliable
and effective modern
method, is taught in
Atlanta by certified
instructors of the Couple
to Couple League. Two
separate series of classes
are beginning in
December. One series will
be held at St. John’s
Church in Hapeville on
December 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Another series will begin
at Corpus Christi Church
in Stone Mountain on
December 9 at 4 p.m. For
more information about
natural family planning or
for registration for either
of these classes, please call
Tom or Mary Ellen at
428-4366, Dan or Terri at
469-0951, or the Natural
Family Planning Office at
881-1411.
Our Lady Guadalupe
Sacred Heart Church, 353 Peachtree Street, will be the
setting for the annual celebration of the Feast of Our
Lady of Guadelupe on Sunday, December 9, beginning at
6 p.m. The Mass will be celebrated in Spanish, with
Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan as the principal
celebrant. A procession and fiesta-reception will follow
the Mass.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is especially honored as the
Patroness of the Americas and Queen of Mexico.
Father Raimundo Solano, OFM, assistant pastor at
Sacred Heart, has extended an invitation to all Catholics,
both Latin and Anglo, to attend the Mass and reception
following.
Senora De Guadalupe
En la Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon, 353 Peachtree
Street, tendra lugar la fiesta en honor de Nuestra Senora
de Guadalupe, et Domingo 9 de diciembre, a las 6 p.m. La
Misa sere concelebrada en espanol. El Senor Arzobispo
Donnellan sera el principal celebrante. A1 final de la Misa
la procesion y una fiesta-recepcion.
La Fiesta de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe es la fiesta
de la Reina de Mexico y de la Emperatriz de las Americas.
Su festividad es celebrada en todas las Americas. Aqui en
Atlanta, el Padre Raimundo Solano, OFM, hace una
cordial invitacion a los catolicos, anglo y latinos, a
participar en diclia festividad.
252Z
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428-3838
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Store Hours-9 :30 A.M.-9 P.M. Sundays 1-5 P.M.
Ignatius House
6700 Riverside Dr. N.W.
Atlanta, Ga. 30328
Retreats Directed
by Jesuit priests
(404) 255-0503
From everyday pressures a retreat offers time to advance in more tranquil
living. Week-end Friday evening to Sunday noon - retreats are open
single women, men, and couples are welcomed for prayerful thinking and
consultation. By reservation, please.
Still open up-coming dates: 30 November - 2 December - S; 7-9
December - H; 4 6 January - S; 1-3 February - H.
Symbols S and H denote director: Fr. John Schroder, S. J.; Fr. Harry Heiter,
S.J.
Christ said: Come with me to a quiet place and rest awhile.
GEORGIA BULLETIN ADS BRING RESULTS
STAFF SHOTS....-\
RELIGION EDUCATION co-ordination
comes easy to Sister Kathy Moore, Director
of the Elementary Religious Ed program for
Saint John the Evangelist parish in Hapeville.
With a background in education, she works
both on the parish and the school level in
her assignment. motes
EDUCATION IS ALSO important to
Curtis Goolsby, a retired high school science
teacher who now serves as Building Manager
at the Catholic Center.
Legion Of Mary
Legion of Mary members throughout the Archdiocese
of Atlanta spent a day in study at the first annual
Congress of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Curia,
Archdiocese of Atlanta, recently held at St. Paul of the
Cross Parish.
Special guests for the day’s event were Mrs. Lillian
Fimiani, President of the Miami Regia of the Legion,
which is the next highest Council to which the Atlanta
Curia reports. Other guests were Ivy Tominec and Charles
Fairbanks, who are currently serving as extension workers
for the Legion of Mary.
Papers and discussions were held on three major topic
areas: Officers Duties, The Meeting and the Member, and
Work Assignments.
Mrs. Fimiani gave the closing talk. The day’s program
opened with Mass celebrated by Father A1 Coen of St.
Paul of the Cross.
Guests included Legion of Mary members from
Columbia, S. C.
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Ronnie’s Caterers
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Ronnie Spetalnick 255-7824
1 880 Johnson Rd.
(Off Briarcliff Rd. across from
Sage Hill Shopping Center)
881-0166
Ultcln Garten
MOONLIGHT
BALLROOM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Every Friday & Sat. Night
The Don Miolla Orchestra
“The Best of Then & Now”
Make your reservations early Plenty of parking
All Major Credit Cards
Contact Lens Eye Diseases and Surgery
MARK J. SAFRA, M.D.
Announces the opening of his practice of
OPHTHAMOLOGY
Hours By Appointment 1 Block from Toco Hills
Phone 633-0606 Williamsburg
Emergencies: 633-0606 1276 McConnell Dr.
Decatur, Ga. 30033