Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4
The Georgia Bulletin
January 29,1981
4
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The Charities Drive -
Putting Your Blessings
To Work
Feb. 1, 1981
Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time (A)
THE WT ORD
THIS
EEKEND
Zep. 2:3:3:12-13
1 Cor. 1:26-31
Mt. 5:1-12
Paul Karnowski
The Annual Charities Drive, which
this year will be held on March 1,
provides the Archdiocese of Atlanta
with a major portion of the funds
necessary to fulfill the mission of the
Church in North Georgia.
The number of Catholics in the
Archdiocese has doubled in the past
10 years. To meet this growth, we
have established 20 parishes, greatly
enlarged our programs and services,
and initiated new areas of pastoral
ministry. It has been a source of joy
for me to witness the generosity of
the people of the Archdiocese and
what has been accomplished in the
past decade. I am confident that your
spirit of love and sacrifice will
continue.
The needs of the Church are
expanding, particularly in the areas of
support of the family, religious
education, care and education of our
children, growth of the Georgia
missions, formation of couples for
marriage, and training of young men
for the priesthood. Each year, we look
for better ways to serve the poor, the
homeless the elderly, and those who
have no way to help themselves.
Always, we try to reach out in love to
those who are alienated or have no
Church to call their own.
As your Archbishop, I ask that you
consider prayerfully a generous
response to the 1981 Charities Drive.
The best expression of gratitude to
God for His many blessings is to put
them to work for others. This is what
the Drive does every year. On behalf
of those who are served by the Drive,
I thank you for the charity in your
heart and your loving consideration
for all our people.
Whenever I open the newspaper to the
want ads, I can’t help but chuckle to myself
as I read the phrase “equal opportunity
employer.” Common sense tells me that
there’s no such thing as a REAL equal
opportunity employer; those words appear
only to reassure me that a company will not
discriminate on the basis of sex, creed, color,
or national origin. I laugh because I know
that they WILL discriminate on a number of
other factors: education, experience,
appearance, articulation, and
recommendations.
But none of us can complain.
Discrimination and exclusiveness are the way
of the world, and we all practice them with
an unrelenting fervor. Formally or
informally, we all belong to “clubs” and
organizations. Some have memberships in
exclusive country clubs; others join athletic
organizations. On the college campus, you’re
Greek or “dormie,” punk or preppie. Certain
memberships we acquire by birth: you
cannot become “one of the boys” unless
you’re born that way; in the sight of some,
you’ll always be a “honky,” or a “wetback.”
A lady in a small town once complained that
after twenty-five years, she was STILL the
“new lady” on the block.
In today’s second reading from the first
letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tries to
impress upon us that God’s ways differ from
man’s. God does not necessarily choose the
“wise” or the “influential” to speak His
word. “He singled out the weak of this
world to shame the strong. God chose those
whom the world considers absurd to shame
the wise ... so that mankind can do no
boasting before God ... If you must boast”
says St. Paul, “boast in the Lord.”
It all sounds very nice. But our boasting
in the Lord can easily become another form
of discrimination and exclusion. We make
the Church into one of our “clubs,”
asserting that this one is special because it
has the backing of the almighty. We lull
ourselves into a complacent
self-righteousness.
We miss Paul’s point when we fail to
realize that God is the only REAL “equal
opportunity employer.” No matter that we
have a PhD or a grade school diploma; no
matter that we are poor, rich, healthy, sick,
clean, or unclean; if we want to do His work,
He’ll hire us. The only prerequisite is our
humanity. And although the wages of love
may not put food on the table, He reminds
us that it is our only real sustenance.
Games Parents Play
Dolores Curran
Most Reverend Thomas A. Donnellan
Archbishop of Atlanta
Light One Candle
Father John Catoir,
Director of The Christophers
A Basic Catechism
What ever became of the Penny
Catechism? Personally I think some of the
newer religion texts are a great
improvement, but there is much to be said
for the disciplined format of the Baltimore
Catechism.
Some Catholic parents have been
mystified by the newer texts which say so
much about love, but supply little in the
way of clear information on the theology of
grace, the sacraments, and the
commandments.
Now there is a new, updated ' Catechism
of Christian Doctrine” which presents
church teaching in a simple question and
answer format. It has been prepared by
experts and is being offered free by a group
of laymen from Brooklyn, New York.
Richard J. Hughes, founder and director
of the project, told me it was undertaken in
response to urgings from Mother Teresa of
Calcutta, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. In a
brief forward, she suggests that it be given
particularly to “mothers of the world.” She
offers this advice to those involved in the
project, “pray the rosary, keep humble; and
no commercialization.”
The sponsoring group - CMD (Catechism,
Morality, Decency) Apostolate - has received
approval and praise from their local
ordinary, Bishop Francis Mugavero of
Brooklyn, as well as Cardinal Krol of
Philadelphia and Cardinal Cooke of New
York.
Dick Hughes says, “If Mother Teresa can
take care of thousands of the unwanted
dying, the least we can do is to distribute
these books; they are 72 pages in length with
47 scriptural notations, and 370 questions
and answers.” The book also has prayers
with a four-week cycle */of meditation
instruction. It is already being used In
churches, schools, prisons, CCD classes and
hospitals, but it is intended primarily for
parents, who are the first teachers of their
children.
I’ve read it and found it clear, simple and
thorough. It is a handy roadmap for converts
who might want to keep the esentials
straight as they read more deeply elsewhere.
CMD is non-profit. While copies are
offered free, singly or in bulk, any donation
will be of help in enabling them to distribute
more copies. Write directly to CMD
Apostolate, P.O. Box 52, Brooklyn, N.Y.
11209.
“Parents are always bringing up sex but
when we start talking about it, they back
off,” said a young nurse. “Why? Are they
afraid of it or reluctant to discuss it in a
group or what?”
A dozen or so heads nodded in agreement
as she voiced her frustration and
puzzlement, but we moved on to the next
member of the circle, a school counselor,
who said, “My biggest problem is the social
barrier. I’m from a small community where
there’s a stigma attached if you go to a
parent class. People wonder what’s wrong
with you. Why do you need a class? Are you
a bad parent or something?”
Again, there were wan smiles of
agreement from others and we went on
around the circle. We were participants in a
weekend workshop on conducting parent
groups at a local Center for Parenting
Education, and we learned something
valuable quickly: that we experience similar
reactions and hear , similar messages from
parents, whether we are in school, health,
agency, or church work.
Just as parents voice common frustrations
over children while sharing solutions, so did
we, only this time parents were the subject. I
think it might be valuable to parents to hear
what the “teachers” say about us,
particularly if we find ourselves playing
some of the games mentioned by
professionals who work with groups of
parents. There isn’t space here to go into
solutions but here are the most commonly
shared problems. I’m thinking your group -
sacramental prep, ME, or family catechesis -
might find these valuable for discussion
purposes.
“Parents say they want help and they
may even come to the first meeting, but
that's all. Yet, they say they learned a lot
from that meeting. Why don’t they come
back?”
“My biggest problem is getting men to
come. If they do come, they’re either so
resentful at being forced by the institution
or their wife to come that they just sit there
sullenly with their arms folded.”
“How do you deal with the group
monopolizer? There’s always one who wants
to take the whole time to talk about her
problems, her children, herself.”
“The only thing parents are interested in
is discipline. Until you mention the word
discipline, nobody is interested.”
“My groups are fine as long as I keep
doing all the work but the minute I begin to
expect something from the parents
themselves, the group falters. How do we
involve parents in the leadership of a
group?” f
“I find a lot of resistance to the system
surfacing and I don’t know how to deal with
it. Should we stop talking about parenting
and start talking about school, the Church or
whatever? Especially if it ties in with
families?”
“I always seem to have a clown in every
group. Just when parents start getting a
handle on something and begin to deal with
it in depth, this guy makes a joke of the
whole thing. I suspect it’s because he can’t
handle his feelings on it.”
“My groups want one easy solution: tell
us a no failure method of rearing children,
preferably in one evening. How do we let
them kno there are no easy solutions
without scaring them off?”
“How do you let people know that it’s
okay to disagree without being impolite?
That we’re not asking for a consensus but
for ideas?”
“I wish I could help my parents get more
enjoyment out of being parents. They seem
so scared and grim - always sharing
problems but never talking about the fun in
parenting.”
; yv.
We Human Beings
Joseph Breig
Mary my wife likes to tell this story on
herself: She went to our telephone the other
day with the intention of phoning to tell a
Resound ... Resound ... Resound ... Resound
To the Editor:
In view of some negative criticism in your
Resound column lately, I would like to share
a few thoughts without sounding like I’m
taking to the pulpit! (The older I get, the
more I know I need to know.)
We’re all inclined, at times, to think
anyone who doesn’t think as we do is
“far-out.” We are all the People of God - we
are the Body of Christ and we all need to
remember that our journey to God rests on
relationships. We need each other as brothers
and sisters in order to grow spiritually. We
need understanding and love, not judgement
nor “rules” alone.
The “improvements” in the church have
opened up a whole new world of loving,
caring and sharing the love of Our Lord with
men of different faiths. Our Blessed Mother
is the spiritual mother of all mankind, not
just Catholics. This love is expressed in many
different ways. To some it is deeply interior
and very personal. When all men think alike,
no one thinks very much - but in these days
of turmoil and change it is a comfort to
remember the words of Jesus: “I give you a
new commandment: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you are to love one
another. If there is love among you, then all
will know that you are my disciples.” (John
13: 34-35)
Our bishops have a difficult task, as do
our parish priests. They need our
affirmation, support and love. The Holy
Spirit is still guiding us. Jesus will never
desert His church.
Gloria Szabo
Atlanta
To the Editor:
The time is NOW for our Human Life
Amendment. NOW is the time to write your
senators and congressmen in Washington
insisting upon the submission of the Human
Life Amendment to the American
electorate, before the prolife movement
loses its victorious edge, before campaign
promises are forgotten, before the anti-life
If
\ Georgia
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan — Publisher
Rev. Monsignor Noel C. Burtenshaw — Editor
Gretchen R. Reiser — Associate Editor
Thea K. Jarvis — Contributing Editor
(USPS) 574 880)
Member of the Catholic Press Association
Business Office
680 West Peachtree. N. W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Telephone 881-9732
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at 601 East Sixth St., Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
opposition has any chance to regroup, and
before newly-elected members of Congress
have the opportunity to become too
comfortable.
Never before have we had the kind of
support in our executive and legislative
branches of government that we now enjoy.
THERE IS SIMPLY NO REASON TO
DELAY FURTHER! All concerned with life
are in the position today to orchestrate the
terms and timing of the submission of a
Human Life Amendment (S.J.R. 15 and
H.J.R. 198).
We have endured eight heart-breaking
years of working and praying and hoping.
We’ve been forced to endure unborn babies
being mercilessly slaughtered and their
bodies disposed of like so much garbage.
We’ve been forced to pay our taxes and see
those tax dollars used to pay for killing
unborn innocent children. We’ve been
arrested, convicted and jailed while killers of
the American Unborn remain free in their
abortion chambers. We’ve been ignored,
scoffed at, and vilified. We’ve been
discredi ->d in every way possible, not only
by abortionists and their camp followers,
but by government agents and agencies as
well. We’ve been denied access to the media
and consistently ignored in our appeals.
We have continued to fight only because
we had to — not because we had the energy
or the time or the money — but simply
because our conscience would let us do no
less. WE MUST NOT NOW BASK IN THE
GLORY OF INCOMPLETE VICTORY AND
ALLOW OUR COMPLETE VICTORY TO
SLIP AWAY. On the contrary, between now
and the end of February, WE MUST
DELUGE THE OFFICES OF EVERY U.S.
CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR WITH
THE DEMAND THAT THE SUBMISSION
OF A HUMAN LIFE AMENDMENT TAKE
FIRST PRIORITY IN THE COURSE OF
CONGRESSIONAL BUSINESS.
If we will all cooperate in this effort, I am
confident that we can have the Human Life
Amendment (protecting ill human beings at
every stage of biological development)
approved by the Congress and submitted to,
and ratified by the 38 states within 12
months.
Joe Kuppe
Tucker
neighbor that our phone was out of order.
That’s one of the wonderful human
things we have experienced in our long years
of marriage and family life, and in the
experiences of our friends.
Sometimes, for instance, I am tempted to
lay claim to the most absentminded action
in the history of mankind. Here is my story:
One morning when I went to the garage
to get in the car and go to work, picking up
several others on the way, I found the
battery dead.
I phoned a nearby fellow-employe, name
of Jim Flannery, and asked whether I could
borrow his wife’s car. (Jim didn’t drive.) He
said certainly.
I walked to his house, chauffeured him
and a couple other friends downtown, and
became absorbed in the day’s work. When
quitting time came, I assembled the other
pool riders, went to the parking lot, and
drove home.
The trouble is, I assembled the other
pool riders ALL EXCEPT Jim Flannery.
And not until I got home, after delivering
the other riders, did I suddenly realize that I
had left Flannery sitting at his desk, taking
something over the phone, and had driven
HIS CAR home without him.
Here is another human thing. Mary and I
have learned that the only way we can be
sure of remembering things that must be
done is to put notes on the kitchen floor.
That way, we are always walking over the
notes, and can’t help but keep checking
them to see whether we have forgotton
something.
The only problem with this filing system
is in the fact that when we have guests in
our house, naturally they pick up the notes
and pile them somewhere, thinking we have
accidentally dropped them or knocked them
off something.
We have learned to be alert about this;
and the moment a guest starts stooping
toward our notes, we say urgently: “Let
them lie - don’t pick them up!” Then, of
course, we must explain our weird system of
reminding ourselves of what we must do.
We have an artist friend who once regaled
us with descriptions of the ideal climate of a
South Pacific island where we was stationed
in World War II. He sighed and said to us,
“Gee, I’d like to live all the time in a
lugubrious climate like that!”
We had to think twice or three times to
realize that what he meant was “salubrious.”
One of the most absentminded men who
ever lived was the late, great, incomparable
G.K. Chesterton. And he defended
absentmindedness on the ground that it
really is present-mindedness-we are so
absorbed in what we are thinking that we
pay no attention to lesser things.
I’ll drink to that, GKC!
Jll//,
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