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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1987)
Page 4 • Foith Today ON PILGRIMAGE /fe\ “For Christian laity it is a question of com- ff mitment to imbuing all J3 temporal circumstances Hr with moral values and fi evangelical spirit: culture, JI art, education, health and iZ the medical profession, rela- jjp tions within the world of r work, social relationships, economic transactions, civic and national responsibilities and in ternational relations” (Pope John Paul II in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1985.) ■» ■» Present signs suggest that in parishes of the future, people will spend much more time reflecting on precisely what it means to be a businessman and woman, or a homemaker, or a teacher who is a member of Christ’s body. Homilists will preach on this. Adult lay Catholics will meet in groups to pray and reflect on the difference Christ makes for the 95 percent of their time that is spent in the worlds of work, homelife and leisure activities. It won’t be a matter, however, of saying in only the most general terms that faith’s impact ought to be felt in these areas. Rather, peo ple are likely to probe in con siderable detail what the Gospel means for Catholic scientists, politicians and voters, economists, journalists and many others. This is not a startling predic tion. Already the seeds are being sown for such an emphasis in church life. All indications are that when the world Synod of Bishops meets next October in Rome to discuss the life of the church’s laity, much will be heard on precisely this topic, often referred to as “the church in the marketplace.” To a great extent it is the laity who carry the Gospel into the marketplace. This role of the laity reflects a teaching of the Second Vatican Council that has received too little attention, many bishops, theologians and lay leaders feel. Bishop Raymond Lucker of New Ulm, Minn., spoke about this dur ing a meeting of the U.S. bishops in the summer of 1986. The laity are called to transform the society in which they live and work, he said. That is a point Pope John Paul II raises on many, many occasions. Bishop Lucker said, “It is especially in the family and socie ty, in sexuality and economics, in marriage and in work that this transformation must take place.” And lay people need support in “their role as church in the world of work, family and leisure.” “We need to help lay people,” Bishop Lucker said, “to see that in their everyday life, in their families and in their work and in their recreational activities, they are the church.” CHILDREN'S PLACE A priest of the peasants By Janaan Manternach NC News Service A 11 his life people called him Tilo. That was a warm, shortened form of his real name, Rutilio Grande. Tilo grew up in the town of El Paisnal, El Salvador, where he was born in 1928. His grandmother raised him after his parents separated when he was 3 or 4. His family’s breakup hurt Tilo very much. As a child Tilo was shy and anxious. He liked to be alone. His teachers suspected he had emo tional problems. When he was 12, Tilo entered the seminary. He wanted to become a priest. Five years later he joined the Jesuit order. His emotional problems grew worse and he had to be hospitalized. But he successfully struggled against his illness and was ordained a priest in 1959- Father Rutilio taught in the seminary and in a high school in the capital city, San Salvador. But he wanted to work with the poor Crossword Puzzle Across: 1. 'Tilo" wos o shortened form of 2. Tilo received thot he would be killed. 3. The peosonts began to read the together. Down: 4. Tilo wonted to work with the poor in the countryside. 5. Tilo mode the peosonts aware of their farmers in the countryside. In 1972 he joined a team of priests and nuns in a special parish in the country. Tilo helped the poor peasants form small communities of families. They read the Bible together. They began to discover how close the Bible was to their own lives. Tilo encouraged them to care about each other, to help one another as sisters and brothers. This took place in a country where many were poor and a few were very rich. The feeling was growing among the poor that this was not fair. The rich feared they might lose power and money if the peasants became too strong. The government was unhappy too. Leaders of some peasant groups were arrested and tortured. Then Father Rutilio and other priests reported they too had received threats that they would be killed if they continued their parish work with the communities of poor Christian farmers — work that made the poor more aware of their real dignity. Xj!u6jp : umop g ‘sjauwoj : UMop p aiqiQ ssojdo c -'sjoaiin ssojdo j : oi|i)ny ; ssojdo t :sjsmsuv Tilo prayed. The newspapers were reporting that other priests were being tortured. But he believed Jesus wanted him to con tinue his work among the poor. On Saturday March 12, 1977, Tilo got into his jeep to drive to his home town to celebrate the Eucharist. Along the road he was ambushed and shot. “We must do what God wants,” were the last words anyone heard him say. Father Rutilio Grande died that afternoon. Pope Paul VI called the killing a “detestable crime.” A fellow Jesuit said at a memorial service for Father Rutilio that the reason for his death was his work “stressing awareness among parishioners of the dignity of the human person, of human rights and human development.” (Ms. Manternach is the author of catechetical works, scripture stories and original stories for children.) What do you think? □ Try your hand at writing a brief prayer. Write an evening prayer to say at the end of the day. Think of all that you are thankful for; think of special needs you noticed during the day — your own needs and those of others. In the prayer you write, speak with Jesus about those things. From the bookshelf In the book Someone’s There — Paths to Prayer for Young Peo ple, by Francoise Darby-Berube and John Paul Berube, questions like “Why do we pray?” and “How and where can we pray?” are answered briefly. Old and new forms of prayer are introduced and suggestions on preparing for the Sunday Eucharist and the sacra ment of reconciliation are included. It is a helpful book on prayer for children. (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Ind. 46556. 1986. Paper back, $4.95.)
