December 5 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

December 5, 2007
VOLUME 45 • NO. 22
inside
Serving the Diocese of Baton Rouge Since 1962
Another Perspective
4
Family Life
5
Prayers for Priests, Deacons
and Religious Women
and Men
6
Spirituality
7
Our Catholic Community 10
Youth
14
Entertainment
16
Viewpoint
20
Letter to the Editor
21
Coming Events
22
Classified Ads
22
St. Aloysius
Childcare gets
first ‘star’ in new
program page 3
St. Alphonsus
Council 2807 earns
KC Star Council
Award
page 6
Religious art
exhibits offer
opportunity for
learning more
about faith
traditions
pages 12 & 13
The Golden
Compass softens
religious content
page 24
FIRST LIGHT — Father Gerard Young,
pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral, lights
the first candle of Advent Dec. 2 at St.
Joseph Cathedral, marking the beginning
of the Advent Season. Throughout the
world, similar services were held, calling
attention to the period of waiting and
preparation for Christ’s coming. Photo by
Laura Deavers
People need God to have hope,
pope says in new encyclical
BY
JOHN THAVIS
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — In an
encyclical on Christian hope,
Pope Benedict XVI said that,
without faith in God, humanity lies at the mercy of ideologies that can lead to “the
greatest forms of cruelty and
violations of justice.”
The pope warned that the
modern age has replaced belief
in eternal salvation with faith
in progress and technology,
which offer opportunities for
good but also open up “appalling possibilities for evil.”
“Let us put it very simply:
Man needs God, otherwise
he remains without hope,”
he said in the encyclical, “Spe
Salvi” (on Christian hope),
released Nov. 30.
The 76-page text explored
the essential connection between faith and hope in early
Christianity and addressed
what it called a “crisis of Christian hope” in modern times.
It critiqued philosophical
rationalism and Marxism and
offered brief but powerful
profiles of Christian saints –
ancient and modern – who
embodied hope, even in the
face of suffering.
The encyclical also included
a criticism of contemporary
Christianity, saying it has
largely limited its attention to
individual salvation instead
of the wider world, and thus
reduced the “horizon of its
hope.”
“As Christians we should
never limit ourselves to asking: How can I save myself?
We should also ask: What can
I do in order that others may
be saved?” it said.
It was the pope’s second encyclical and followed his 2006
meditation on Christian love.
He worked on the text over the
summer during his stay in the
Italian mountains and at his
villa outside Rome.
The pope said the essential aspect of Christian hope
is trust in eternal salvation
brought by Christ. In contrast
with followers of mythology
and pagan gods, early Christians had a future and could
trust that their lives would not
end in emptiness, he said.
Yet today the idea of “eter-
nal life” frightens many people
and strikes them as a monotonous or even unbearable
existence, the pope said. It is
important, he said, to understand that eternity is “not an
unending succession of days
in the calendar, but something
more like the supreme moment of satisfaction.”
“It would be like plunging
into the ocean of infinite love,
a moment in which time – the
before and after – no longer
exists,” he said. This is how
to understand the object of
Christian hope, he said.
The encyclical’s main section examined how the emphasis on reason and freedom
– embodied in the French
revolution and the rise of communism – sought to displace
Christian hope. Redemption
was seen as possible through
science and political programs,
and religious faith was dismissed as irrelevant and relegated to a private sphere.
While praising Karl Marx
for his great analytical skill,
the pope said Marx made a
fundamental error in forgetting that human freedom
always includes “freedom for
evil,” which is not neutralized
by social structures.
In the same way, the pope
said, those who believe man
can be “redeemed” through
science and technological advances are mistaken.
“Science can contribute
greatly to making the world
and mankind more human.
Yet it can also destroy mankind and the world unless it
is steered by forces that lie
outside it,” he said.
The pope said that while
Christians have a responsibility to work for justice, the
hope of building a perfect
world here and now is illusory.
Hopes for this world cannot by
themselves sustain one’s faith,
he said.
“We need the greater and
lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are
not enough without the great
hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope
can only be God,” he said.
The second half of the encyclical discussed how Christian hope can be learned and
See ENCYCLICAL page 2
2 news
Encyclical
December 5, 2007 • The Catholic Commentator
From page 1
practiced– particularly through prayer,
acceptance of suffering and anticipation of divine judgment.
The pope called prayer a “school of
hope,” and as an example he held out
the late Vietnamese Cardinal Francois
Nguyen Van Thuan, who spent 13 years
in prison, nine of them in solitary confinement.
In this “situation of seemingly utter
hopelessness,” the fact that he could
still listen and speak to God gave him
an increasing power of hope, the pope
said.
He emphasized that prayer should
not be isolating and should not focus
on superficial objectives. Nor can
people pray against others, he said.
“To pray is not to step outside history and withdraw to our own private
corner of happiness,” he said.
“When we pray properly we undergo a process of inner purification
which opens us up to God and thus to
our fellow human beings as well,” he
said.
Suffering is part of human existence,
and the sufferings of the innocent appear to be increasing today, the pope
said. He said Christians should do
whatever they can to reduce pain and
distress.
Yet suffering cannot be banished
from this world, and trying to avoid
anything that might involve hurt can
lead to a life of emptiness, he said.
Instead, Christians are called to suffer
with and for others, and their capacity
to do so depends on their strength of
inner hope, he said.
“The saints were able to make the
great journey of human existence in
the way that Christ had done before
them, because they were brimming
with great hope,” he said.
The pope recalled that in the nottoo-distant past, many Christians
would “offer up” to Christ their minor
daily disappointments and hardships.
Perhaps that practice should be revived, he said.
The pope said the idea of judgment
– specifically the Last Judgment of the
living and the dead – touched strongly
on Christian hope because it promises
justice.
“I am convinced that the question
of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest
argument, in favor of faith in eternal
life,” he said.
It is impossible for the Christian to
believe that the injustices of history
will be the final word, he said.
The Last Judgment should not evoke
terror, however, but a sense of responsibility, the pope said. It is a moment of
hope, because it combines God’s justice
and God’s grace – but “grace does not
cancel out justice,” he said.
“(Grace) is not a sponge which wipes
everything away, so that whatever
someone has done on earth ends up
being of equal value,” he said. “Evildoers, in the end, do not sit at table at the
eternal banquet beside their victims
without distinction, as though nothing
had happened.”
“Come, Follow Me”
The pope
said the idea
of purgatory,
as a place of
atonement
for sins, also
has a place
in the logic
of Christian hope.
Heaven is
for the “utterly pure”
and hell for
those who
have destroyed all
de si re for
t r ut h a nd
love, but
“neither case
is normal in
human life,”
he said.
Thu s,
the souls of
A church window displays Christian symbols of hope, faith and
m a ny d e salvation.
In his second encyclical, “Spe Salvi” (on Christian hope),
parted may
Pope
Benedict
XVI explores the connection between faith and hope
benefit from
and
addresses
the “crisis of Christian hope” in modern times. CNS
prayers, he
photo/Crosiers
said.
The pope
began and ended his encyclical with
With her conversion, St. Bakhita
profiles of two women who exempli- found the “great hope” that liberated
fied Christian hope. The closing pages and redeemed her, the pope said.
praised Mary for never losing hope,
The pope emphasized that this was
even in the darkness of Jesus’ cruci- different from political liberation as
fixion.
a slave. Christianity “did not bring
The enc ycl ical opened by de - a message of social revolution,” he
scribing a similar sense of hope in said, but something totally different:
a 19th-century African slave, St. an encounter with “a hope stronger
Josephine Bakhita, who after being than the sufferings of slavery, a hope
flogged, sold and resold, came to which therefore transformed life and
discover Christ.
the world from within.”
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Vocation in the Church
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news
The Catholic Commentator • December 5, 2007
St. Aloysius Childcare gets
first ‘star’ in new program
St. Aloysius Childcare Center in Baton Rouge was one of
31 childcare centers in Louisiana to receive its first “star”
Nov. 30 as part of a new state
method of rating childcare
centers. The rating entitles
these childcare centers to tax
breaks.
The state Department of
Social Services’ Office of Family Support administers the
voluntary quality rating system, known as Quality Start
to improve the qualit y of
child care in the state, while
providing a new tax credit
for the qualifying facility, its
personnel and parents.
“Child care in Louisiana
is movi ng toward h igher
standards and accountability
through the voluntary Quality Start system,” said Sherry
Guarisco, director of child
care and early childhood
education in the DSS Office
of Family Support.
With basic licensing as a
foundation, the voluntary star
rating system uses standards
by which centers can earn up
to five stars. Ranking criteria
for the different levels include
programming, staff qualification, administration practices,
and family and community
involvement.
All licensed centers enrolled in the program and
in compliance with all of the
state’s basic licensing standards are considered one-star
facilities. The second star is
earned when centers meet
12 other criteria, including
directors and staff completing
a certain amount of training. Three to five stars may
be earned through a point
system based on a center’s increasing quality as measured
in administrative practices,
family and community involvement, program and staff
qualifications.
Once a center earns its
first star, it can immediately
apply for a higher star, leapfrogging over other levels if
appropriate criteria are met,
said Guarisco.
Participation in the program is voluntary for the 1,762
licensed childcare centers in
the state, explained Guarisco.
But, the program offers a financial incentive through the
recently passed School Readiness Tax Credits for participating centers, teachers and
parents, which is designed to
“offset the costs of providing
and paying for higher quality
child care,” said Guarisco.
Tax credits increase for
each star earned by the childcare center.
St. Alphonsus Council 2807
earns KC Star Council Award
St. Alphonsus Knights of
Columbus Council 2807 of
Greenwell Springs has earned
the distinction of Star Council, one of the Knights of
Columbus top awards, for
the 2006-07 fraternal year. KC
District Deputy Peter Peragine presented the award to the
members of KC 2807 during a
special ceremony in October.
The Star Council Award
recognizes overall excellence
in the council in the areas of
membership recruitment and
retention, promotion of the
fraternal insurance program,
and sponsorship of serviceoriented activities.
“Please accept my sincere
congratulations upon attaining this prestigious award,”
said Carl A. Anderson, chief
executive officer of the Knights
of Columbus. “Your dedication to the order is seen in the
high standard of excellence
you have achieved. At the
same time, I encourage you
to carry forward the enthusiasm to meet the challenges
that will face the Knights of
Columbus in the years ahead.
May this award be a reminder
and an inspiration to t he
members of your council to
continue to promote the ideals
of Columbianism for the good
of the church, your community and the order.”
“Receiving the Star Council Award is quite an honor
for us,” said KC Council 2807
Grand Knight Vince S. DiLeo
Sr. “We’re extremely proud of
this accomplishment.”
The Knights of Columbus
is the world’s largest Catholic
lay organization. It provides
members and their families
with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic
Church, their communities,
families and young people.
With more than 1.7 million
members in over 13,000 councils worldwide, the Knights of
Columbus annually donates
more than $143 million and
68 million service hours to
charitable causes.
If you know of someone who is not
receiving The Catholic Commentator
and would like to call 225-387-0983.
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4
commentary
Another Perspective
by Father John Carville
Advent is waiting
for a crib to be filled
She who waits already possesses part
of the reality for which she is waiting.
That is what Advent is all about, waiting
in prayerful anticipation for the coming
of the Savior.
Father Al McBride, popular writer and
Catholic storyteller, reports on a creche he
saw in a Bavarian parish in Trier, Germany.
The parishioners used real earth, in which
they planted grass seed, so that by Christmas new life sprouted from the earth. That’s
adding some reality to one’s waiting.
We pray in our liturgy, “His coming is
certain.” That day is less than three weeks
away. Crechés, carols, and caramel corn
all conspire to heighten our anticipation.
Catholicism has always invented local
customs to enliven the Church’s liturgical
seasons. Of these customs, the crib most
perfectly expresses the spiritual meaning
of Advent – preparing for the coming of
Jesus in history, in our hearts and one day
in final glory.
The creché is one of the oldest traditions of the Christian Christmas. In 1223
Saint Francis of Assisi erected an outdoor
creche for the people of Creccio, a neighboring village in Italy. Stories about the
creche of St. Francis spread throughout
Europe. The custom grew, and as the Renaissance began, church creches became
elaborate works of art.
From the very beginning of Christianity
the faithful had longed to experience the
places where Jesus was born, lived, and
died. Pilgrimages were very popular, even
though a journey to the Holy Land might
take a year and offered real risk to life
from disease, robbers and infidels. Some
rather strict confessors imposed such pil-
grimages as penances for major sins. St.
Francis himself made a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land in 1219-1220.
The reactions of modern day pilgrims
to the scene of Christ’s birth are much the
same as those of ancient pilgrims. Saint
Jerome (343-420) lived in the Holy Land
while translating the Bible into Latin. He
left us his impressions of the first time he
and his companions entered the Bethlehem cave. They prayed, Jerome recalls,
“at the place where the ox had known his
Master and the ass the cradle of the Lord.”
Jerome also records his disappointment at
finding that prior pilgrims had replaced
the original crib of clay with one made
from silver. Modern pilgrims still have to
reach down through silver inlay to touch
the stone where the clay crib was.
Since not many Christians could travel
to the Holy Land to visit Bethlehem, Bethlehem’s greatest treasure, the crib, came to
them. Creches became a part of the Christmas celebration in churches and homes
around the world. Relics of the original
crib were brought to Rome and kept in
the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The second
name of the Church is “Saint Mary of the
Crib.” There Pope Benedict XVI, as Popes
have through the centuries, will celebrate
his first Mass of Christmas.
Our faith is in a God who loved us so
much that he sent His only Son to become
the light of our world. Because we are
created of flesh and blood we know in
the marrow of our being that a God who
came to earth as a baby must indeed be a
wonderful God. This is the simple truth
of Christmas that every creche displays
for the world.
Father Than Vu
Associate Publisher
Laura Deavers
Exec. Ed./Gen. Mgr.
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Bishop Robert W. Muench
Publisher
The Catholic Commentator
(ISSN 07460511; USPS 093-680)
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Pope invites Muslim
scholars to meet with
him, dialogue council
by
Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has responded to a letter from 138 Muslim scholars by
inviting a group of them to meet
with him and with the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
The papal response, released
Nov. 29, came in a letter to Jordan’s Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, president of the
Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for
Islamic Thought in Amman and
architect of the Muslim scholars’
project.
The letter, signed Nov. 19 by
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican
secretary of state, said the pope
wanted “to express his deep
appreciation” for the statement
of the Muslim scholars, “for the
positive spirit which inspired the
text and for the call for a common
commitment to promoting peace
in the world.”
The statement, originally
signed by 138 Muslim scholars
but later endorsed by dozens of
others, was addressed to Pope
Benedict and the heads of other
Christian churches.
Titled “A Common Word Between Us and You,” the text was
released in early October and
called for new efforts at ChristianMuslim dialogue based on the
shared belief in the existence of
one God, in God’s love for humanity and in people’s obligation
to love one another.
In the Vatican’s response, Cardinal Bertone said Pope Benedict
wanted to meet the prince and a
representative group of the signatories. At the same time, it said,
there could be a meeting between
the Muslim scholars and officials
of the council for dialogue with
the assistance of representatives
from the Pontifical Institute for
Arabic and Islamic Studies and
the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Dates for the meetings still
must be determined.
Aref Ali Nayed, a prime promoter of the Muslim scholars’
letter and one of its original signers, told Catholic News Service he
had no doubt the papal invitation
would be accepted.
“There is a theological and
moral principle in Islam that according to the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, when
you are invited to something you
should go,” he said.
“It should not be a photo opportunity, but a real discussion
with the pope and our scholars,”
he said. “The scholars that signed
the letter are theologians and
jurists; they see the pope not just
as the leader of 1 billion Catholics, but as a scholar in his own
right.”
Ali Nayed said he hoped the
two meetings would be occasions
for “a deep theological reflection
on many matters which we can
build upon for the future.”
Writing to the prince, Cardinal
Bertone said, “Without ignoring
or downplaying our differences
as Christians and Muslims, we
can and, therefore, should look
to what unites us, namely, belief
in the one God, the provident
creator and universal judge, who
at the end of time will deal with
each person according to his or
her actions.”
The cardinal said Pope Benedict “was particularly impressed
by the attention given in the letter
to the two-fold commandment to
love God and one’s neighbor.”
At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict said there
was “plenty of scope for us to
act together in the service of
fundamental moral values,” the
cardinal wrote.
“Such common ground allows
us to base dialogue on effective
respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective
knowledge of the religion of the
other, on the sharing of religious
experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting
mutual respect and acceptance
among the younger generation,”
Cardinal Bertone wrote.
When Christians and Muslims
know and respect one another,
he said, they can begin to work
together to promote justice and
peace throughout the world.
Some commentators have said
Pope Benedict believes the primary topics for Christian-Muslim
dialogue must be religious freedom and reciprocity in recognizing the rights of Christians and
Muslims in countries where they
See VATICAN page 6
family life
5
Power of good over evil theme of Harry Potter series
immortal by destroying and killing
all that is good. With strong negative
and positive publicity given about J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter series, many
Catholic parents are curious about the
book and wonder if “good Catholic”
parents should read the books and allow their children to do so.
Attempts are being made by cate-
about the Christian moral themes
prevalent in the novels.
Roper, a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Denham
Readers and moviegoers have acSprings, noted that Rowling’s work is
companied Harry Potter and his two
being compared to that of J.R.R. Tolkclosest friends at the Hogwarts School
ien, author of Lord of the Rings, and
of Wizardry and Witchcraft, Ron and
C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of
Hermione, as they battle the evil VolNarnia: The Lion, The Witch and The
dermort, who attempts to make himself
Wardrobe. She stated that Tolkien was a
devout Catholic who influenced Lewis’
conversion to Christianity.
Both Tolkiens and Lewis wrote fanby Therese Borchard
tasy to convey moral principals, Roper
said. She quoted Carry Birmingham’s
essay, “Harry Potter and the Baptisms
Denise Roper a teacher at Northeast
of the Imagination”: Tolkien wrote,
High School, talks about Christian
“The creation of a fantasy world is a
themes in Harry Potter during an
‘sub-creation’ that echoes God’s creapologetics course at Little Flower
ation of the world. If a fantasy is creI am part Get cozy with your dad’s friends and Christian Books and Gifts on Nov. 7.
ated well, the essential truth of God’s
of the “sand- neighbors because they will be the first chists, Christian authors and educators creation and redemption can be seen as
wich genera- to notice symptoms of a health problem to answer questions about the books.
a far-off gleam or echo of evangelium
During an apologetics class on in the world.”
tion,” young adults who divide their or any disturbing change. You might
In Tolkien’s, Lewis’ and Rowltime between caring for children and tell your dad that you’re going to do “Christian Themes in Harry Potter,”
aging parents. According to the Ameri- this, so he doesn’t think his friends and Nov. 7 at Little Flower Religious Books ing’s books there are battles between
and Gifts in Denham Springs Northeast good and evil, with good triumphing
can Association of Retired People, children are conspiring against him.
told through love and sacrifice. In Lord
Step Four: Make the most of your High School teacher Denise Roper
about 44 percent of Americans between
the ages of 45 and 55 have aging par- visits. This seems pretty obvious, but audience members, several of whom of the Rings, hobbits Frodo Baggins
had never read the Harry Potter books,
ents or in-laws and children under age it’s hard advice. It means packing
See FAMILY page 9
21. I say we should add to that figure everything into a few days: going to
the older half of Gen X, those persons doctors’ appointments (so you can ask
in their 30s and early 40s, because I’m the doctor your questions), tasks like
not alone in straddling the care, to paying bills, laundry and shopping,
but also fun activities, like catching
some extent, at least.
Many of these young adults give a movie or paging through a photo
album.
care from a distance.
Step Five: Be a sympathetic sibling.
According to AARP, out of the 34
million Americans providing support This one’s hard because someone is
to an aging family member, five million always going to feel burdened by carof them do it from hundreds of miles rying the majority of the caregiving reaway (the average distance being 450 sponsibilities. Divide the tasks as fairly
miles). The editors provide seven steps as you can among your siblings.
Give the accountant your mom’s
to reduce stress in the commuting
caregiver, and especially the sandwich finances. Tell the comedian her job is to
call mom twice a week to try to lift her
caregiver:
Step One: Recognize your role. Since spirits. If there’s a cook among you, she
caregiving doesn’t necessarily mean gets culinary tasks. And try to relieve
cooking, cleaning and bathing, many the sister doing the bulk of the work as
remote caregivers don’t appreciate well as you can. Think creatively.
Step Six: Let go of guilt. AARP
how much they are doing for a parent.
Paying bills, scheduling appointments, managing editor Melissa Gotthardt
preparing legal documents – all of cites some studies regarding stress !"#
$%
and caregiving: Harvard researchers
those are major contributions.
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Step Two: Call in a pro. Because a found that caregivers experienced
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caretaker can’t usually manage every- more than double the rates of depres "%
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( thing herself, it’s important to call in sive symptoms as non-caregivers, and"
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the professionals whenever possible. according to a University of Washing "% '!
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If keeping your mom’s checkbook is ton study, less than half were getting
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becoming too overwhelming, hire a enough sleep.
+
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# #
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+ "%
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Many long-distance caregivers feel
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bookkeeper. Consider a geriatric ca
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remanager – a nurse, social worker or guilty for not being at mom’s side. They +
+
# # , -.//
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gerontologist who assesses your par- should try to concentrate on everything # '
*
ent’s situation, health and care, and they are doing for their parent.
,
-.//
,
-.//
+
,
-.//
# Step Seven: Talk to your boss. Acthen makes recommendations.
To find one, call a local agency on cording to AARP, approximately 70
, -.//
aging or contact the National Asso- percent of caregivers are employed.
ciation of Professional Geriatric Care If you haven’t already talked to your
Managers (caremanager.org), AARP boss, you should ask about leave(aarp.org), the Family Caregiver Al- sharing, flex-time and telecommuting
liance (caregiver.org) or Eldercare possibilities. You might also speak to
human resources about the Family and
(eldercare.gov).
Step Three: Form a nearby network. Medical Leave Act.
by
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Our Turn
Being a caregiver
from a distance
6
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Sr. Mary Kieran, former Holy Family librarian, dies Nov. 29
Sister Mary Kieran Riordan
MSC, a former librarian at
Holy Family School, died Nov.
29 in New Orleans.
Born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1927, she entered the
Marianites of Holy Cross in
1947 and professed perpetual
vows in 1952. She was to have
celebrated her 80th birthday
Dec. 20 in her 60th year as a
vowed professed Sister of the
Marianites of Holy Cross.
In addition to her ministry in
Port Allen, Sr. Mary Kieran was
a primary teacher in Morgan
City, New Orleans, Ville Platte
and Franklin. She also served
as librarian and a member of
the staff of St. Rita Elementary
and the Academy of Holy Angels in New Orleans.
In her final years she served
in the ministry of hospitality
and prayers to others while in
residence at Our Lady of Holy
Cross Convent and St. Joseph
Convent in New Orleans. Due
to deteriorating health, Sr.
Mary Kieran moved to Our
Lady of Wisdom Health Care
Center in April 2006. Until her
death she continued to serve
and care for others.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 3 at Our Lady
of Wisdom Chapel in New
Orleans. She was buried in
Our Lady of Holy Cross Mausoleum in New Orleans.
“I believe the pope recognizes
the sincerity of the Muslim initiative, and I believe he wants
to go deeper than a diplomatic
discourse on reciprocity.”
The scholar said the papal
response and invitation are
particularly important for
letting Catholics know that
dialogue with Muslims is
important for him and for the
church.
At the same time, he said,
“the 138 scholars tried to set
a good example for all Muslims.”
“It is very important for
Muslim people to see enthusiasm for dialogue when there is
so much tension around them
and so many wars going on,”
Ali Nayed said. “It is extremely
important to have a sign of
hope.”
Vatican
From page 4
...
s
a
m
t
s
i
r
h
C
f
Spirit o
In The
are a minority
Ali Nayed said he was
pleased Cardinal Bertone’s letter did not focus on religious
freedom and reciprocity; in
fact, the letter did not mention
either topic.
“The pope is a respected
theologian and scholar and to
limit dialogue to just religious
freedom and reciprocity is not
a scholarly approach,” he said.
Please pray for the priests, deacons and
religious women and men in the Baton Rouge Diocese
Join us for
refreshments on
Saturdays!
St. Mary's
Books & Gifts
The little book store with a big
heart and a thirsting desire to
spread the Good News
11232 Florida Blvd. • Baton Rouge, La.
(225) 272-4030
Dec. 9 ...... Rev. Francis V. Ferrier SJ
................. Deacon William B. Blair Jr.
................. Sr. Rita Lanie OSF
Dec. 10 .... Msgr. Andrew F. Frey
................. Deacon Claude H. Bourgeois
................. Sr. Joan Laplace CSJ
Dec. 11 .... Rev. Edward F. Fuss SM
................. Deacon Eugene F. Brady
................. Br. Andrew Lawson CSsR
Dec. 12 .... Rev. Michael A. Galea
................. Deacon Jerry W. Braud
................. Sr. Marie-Paul Le ICM
Dec. 13 .... Rev. Henry W. Gautreau Jr.
................. Deacon Barry G. Campeaux
................. Sr. Mary Alice LeBlanc CSJ
Dec. 14 .... Msgr. William L. Greene
................. Deacon Michael T. Chiappetta
................. Br. Albert Ledet SC
Dec. 15 .... Rev. Henry B. Groover OP
................. Deacon Norman Christophe
................. Sr. Priscilla Lemire RJM
Dec. 16 .... Msgr. Leo Guillot
................. Deacon Randall A. Clement
................. Br. Noel Lemmon SC
Dec. 17 .... Rev. Eric V. Gyan
................. Deacon Samuel C. Collura
................. Sr. Beth Lieux CSJ
Dec. 18 .... Rev. Howard B. Hall
................. Deacon Jamin S. David
................. Sr. Lilian B. Lynch OSF
Dec. 19 .... Rev. Ronald Henery OP
................. Deacon Guy E. Decker
................. Sr. Mary Patrice Lynn OSB
Dec. 20 .... †Rev. William J. Hewson
................. Deacon Benjamin J. Dunbar Jr.
................. Sr. Vernola Lyons OSF
Dec. 21 .... Rev. Arun John IMS
................. Deacon W. Brent Duplessis
................. Sr. Joan Manuel CSJ
Dec. 22 .... Rev. Rafael M. Juantorena
................. Deacon Albert R. Ellis Jr.
................. Sr. Maria Manzano OSB
spirituality
7
Immaculate Conception painting
conveys feast day message
by
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Venet ia n ma ster a r t i st
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s
pai nt ing The Immac ulate
Conception depicts the Virgin
Mary, surrounded by a host
of 12 angels and crowned by
12 stars, crushing the head of
the serpent. As the Church
celebrates the feast of the
Immaculate Conception on
Dec. 8, an artistically painted
reproduct ion of Tiepolo’s
painting hangs on a wall in
the community center of Immaculate Conception Church
in Denham Springs in tribute
to, and a catechetical tool for,
the parish’s namesake.
Paintings have been used
for many centuries to teach
about faith, according to Father Chris Romaine, pastor of
Mater Dolorosa Church in Independence, whose first pastoral assignment in 2005 was
assistant pastor of Immaculate Conception Church. The
painting’s beauty and many
images capture the attention
of many people and prompts
them to ask questions about
their meaning.
Tiepolo painted this Immaculate Conception in 1769
after he was commissioned
by King Charles III of Spain
to create a series of paintings to decorate the altar of
the church of the Franciscan
Convent of San Pascal in the
Royal Residence of Aranjuez,
Spain.
The reproduced painting’s
rich symbolism helps Immaculate Conception Church
express its connection to the
Blessed Mother.
When Immaculate Conception Church renovated its
community center in 2005,
there was a bare space on
the front wall of the main
conference room. During this
time Fr. Romaine told church
members his observation that
the church had icons of Mary,
but had nothing depicting the
Immaculate Conception.
Wit h i n t wo we ek s, a n
anonymous person donated money for a painting of
the Immaculate Conception
that would hang in the bare
space on the conference room
wall.
Fr. Romaine, who has a
bachelor’s degree in architecture from LSU and loves art
history, joyfully researched
the works of the early masters. The rich symbolism of
See SPIRITUALITY page 9
Spirituality for Today
by Father John Catoir
The 150th anniversary of
the healings of Lourdes
The miraculous healings that have taken
place for decades in the little French village
of Lourdes in France have always fascinated
me.
The year 2008 will mark the 150th anniversary of the great miracle of Lourdes when
Mary appeared to a simple 14-year-old girl
named Bernadette Soubirous. A steady stream
of pilgrims have been coming to Lourdes to
honor Mary since then and to pray for healing.
When Mary first appeared to Bernadette,
she told her to drink from a previously invisible fountain of water that sprung up spontaneously from the ground. Bernadette returned
to report the incident.
Doubting church officials told her to go
back and ask the lady’s name.
“I am the Immaculate Conception,” was
the reply.
Ever since that day the Augustinian Fathers
of the Assumption have led annual pilgrimages to Lourdes on Aug. 15, the feast of Mary’s
assumption into heaven.
The Augustinians own the Catholic Digest. As such, the two decided to combine
their efforts to lead an American pilgrimage
to Lourdes to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the apparition and the miraculous
healings.
From the beginning thousands upon thou-
sands of pilgrims have flocked to Lourdes.
Many of them returned home cured of their
maladies.
The church’s teaching on this is quite positive. On Dec. 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX solemnly
declared in a papal bull entitled “Ineffabilis
Deus” (“Indescribable God”) that “the most
Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment
of her conception, by the singular grace and
privilege of almighty God, and in view of the
merits of Christ Jesus, savior of the human
race, was preserved immune from all stain of
original sin.”
This privilege was not merely a personal
gift to Mary, unrelated to her mission. Mary’s
twofold vocation was to receive Jesus into her
body and to give him away to the world for the
salvation and sanctification of God’s people.
Both the dogma of the Immaculate Conception and that of the Assumption of Mary into
heaven tell us that we too are destined for
glory, not merely as pure spirits but as human
beings in glorified bodies. After death, both
body and soul will be reunited for eternal
life.
I extend to you this personal invitation to
visit Lourdes during this 150th anniversary
year. The U.S. bishops have encouraged dioceses to consider a pilgrimage to Lourdes as
a way of honoring Mary and increasing devotion to her. Perhaps I will see you there.
Giovanni Tiepolo’s painting The Immaculate Conception,
of which an artistically painted replication hangs in the main
conference room of in the community center of Immaculate
Conception Church in Denham Springs, has many symbolic
images regarding the Virgin Mary. Photo by Debbie Shelley
8
news
9
Family life
From page 5
and friends bring a ring that
holds the power of the world
to Mount Doom, where it
was forged, to destroy it as
they are pursued by the evil
warlord Sauran, who wants
the ring.
In The Lion, The Witch and
The Wardrobe, siblings Lucy,
Edmond, Susan and Peter
enter through the closet of a
country home of an elderly
professor into the world of
Narnia. They learn with the
guidance of mystical lion
leader, Aslan, to fight the evil
power of the witch, Jadis, who
has cursed Narnia to eternal
winter. In Harry Potter, Harry,
Ron and Hermione fight Voldermort, who is trying to
achieve immortality through
killing people.
Roper talked about the
symbols of Christ contained
in the Harry Potter novels,
including the lion, unicorn
and phoenix, and said the
books contain messages about
life after death, loyalty, friendship, sacrifice and the need for
a redeemer. Readers learn that
Potter’s mother, Lily, died to
save his life when Voldermort
tried to kill the Potter family.
And when Harry and Hermione visit Potter’s parent’s
grave, Hermione talks about
death being defeated.
“It’s about the power of
love, friendship and family,”
Roper said.
Nancy Carpenter Brown,
author, blogger, catechist and
former contributing editor
for Heart and Mind Magazine, addresses the series’
underlying moral and spiritual themes in the book The
Mystery of Harry Potter: A
Catholic Family Guide.
The Potter books, according
to Brown, teach that people
must not only avoid what is
evil and practice what is good,
but also learn good habits.
“Harry and his friends
realize they must practice
defending themselves against
the dark side, and so must
we,” wrote Brown.
There is also an ongoing
Spirituality
From page 7
Tiepolo’s paintings appealed
to Fr. Romaine. He arranged
for the purchase of a painting
made by an artist who specializes in reproducing Tiepolo’s
work. The painting arrived
about four months later, and
the parish dedicated the 6-foot
by 4-foot painting on the Marian feast the Assumption of
Mary.
“A lot of the people of the
parish felt that it was always
meant to be there,” Fr. Romaine said.
He received so many questions about the symbolism
in the painting that he and
Sister Janelle Sevier SNDdeN
wrote a book which explains
the painting’s imagery and
contains prayers and litanies
dedicated to Mary.
Fr. Romaine explained that
Mary is presented in many
different forms in the painting.
She is presented, among other
ways as the tower of ivory, the
mystical rose, the mirror of justice, the blooming palm tree,
the white lily, queen of angels,
spouse of the Holy Spirit, the
sign of God’s faithfulness and
crusher of the serpent.
When the doors of the main
conference room are open at
the Immaculate Conception
community center, the paint-
ing is prominently in view
from the front doors. Immaculate Conception deacon
Peter Schlette discovered early
one morning shortly after the
painting was mounted that
when the lights in the conference room are on while it is
dark outside, the painting can
clearly be seen from Hatchell
Lane, which runs in front of
the church and community
center. The church has left the
lights on at night ever since.
The painting is also a conversational piece for nonCatholics who come to the
community center. Deacon
Schlette said the church recently hosted a Thanksgiving
Mass, which was attended by
several community dignitaries. At the reception in the
community building following the Mass, people admired
the painting.
“They were commenting on
how beautiful it is,” Deacon
Schlette said.
Fr. Romaine said the painting is also a popular back drop
when people take photographs
in the community building,
and expressed confidence that
it will be there as a teaching
tool about Mary and the feast of
the Immaculate Conception for
“generation after generation.”
theme about friendship in the
Harry Potter series. Ron represents the body, Hermione
represents the intellect and
Harry represents the heart.
Brown wrote that their relationship is trinitarian, as is
the one between the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
Brown’s book includes dinner-table questions; interviews
with Dale Ahlquist, president
of the American Chesterson
Society and convert to the
Catholic faith and young adult
author Regina Doman; and
suggested questions and recommended books for Harry
Potter discussions for catechists, teachers and parents.
She also suggested what are
the appropriate ages for children to read the books.
Parents can make sure their
children have a balanced understanding of the fantasy
elements of the Harry Potter
books by having them read
S T .
other books and participate
in different activities, according to Brown. And everyone
should remember it is a story.
“If the Harry Potter story points to the One True
Story, and I believe it does
in many ways, then it is a
good story, and a real story,”
E L I Z A B E T H
wrote Brown. She continued,
“Like those who heard Jesus’
parables, we have hearts that
like to hear stories. We hear
them, and we know just like
Jesus’ parables, there are two
meanings. And we, like the
disciples, are trying to pull
Jesus aside.”
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10
our catholic community
CHRISTIAN
INITIATION
In the Rural and
Small Parish Church
Saturday, January 19, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Our Lady of Peace – Vacherie, LA
This day will begin with a focus on some foundational principles
of the RCIA process. It will include a discussion of what
constitutes a RCIA team as well as some practical suggestions for
leading pre-catechumenate and catechumenate sessions.
Sr. Gael Gensler, OSF, pastoral associate at St. Julie Billiart
Parish in Tinley Park, IL, has been involved in initiation
ministry since the late 70s at the national, diocesan and parish
levels. She is a team member and on the board of directors of
the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. She is one
of the authors of the “Foundations In Faith” series published
by RCL of Texas and had other works published by Resource
Publications of San Jose, CA. She has written for US Catholic,
Today’s Parish, Catechumenate Magazine and the Catechist
Connection. Sr. Gael has also been the associate director of
religious education for the Diocese of Peoria, IL, and a catechist for many years.
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Prayer - Welcome/Introduction Foundational Principles
10:30 a.m. Break
10:50 a.m. Team Issues and Formation
12:15 p.m. Lunch (provided)
1:15 p.m. The Catechist in the Pre-Catechumenate &
the Catechumenate
2:30 p.m. Clarifications/Questions
2:45 p.m. Closing Blessing and Song
During the recent Awards Luncheon for the Senior Companion Program at Our
Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Bishop Robert W. Muench presented
the awards with the assistance of Mel Zufall, left, program director, and Angie
Cooper, program coordinator. Photo by Laura Deavers
Companion Program pairs
up two special groups
The Senior Companion Program at
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical
Center brings together two special populations, people who are home bound
and need respite care, and volunteers
aged 60 and over who need to get out
of their homes and be with others.
The volunteers were honored at a
luncheon Nov. 27 at Our Lady of the
Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. Bishop
Robert W. Muench presented service
awards to the volunteers before the
lunch and spoke to them about the
importance of the services they provide.
Senior Companion Program director
Mel Zufall said most of the volunteers
have spent years taking care of others,
usually a family member who has died.
Since they have the experience of car-
ing for their own loved ones the senior
companions are aware of the needs of
those who are home bound.
Zufall stressed that the volunteers
are not professional, nor licensed caregivers. They are able to offer primary
caregivers an opportunity to run errands or take some time for themselves,
knowing that their loved one is being
looked after.
Zufall added that in many cases
the volunteers themselves have been
home bound while caring for their family member. The companion program
gives them the opportunity to get out of
their home and to interact with others.
They work 20 hours a week monitoring the safety of their clients, preparing
light meals, and assisting with their
clients’ daily activities.
Church Parish:
Participant’s Name:
Telephone:
Participant’s Address:
Email:
I have enclosed $15.00 per person for those who will be
attending. Please make checks payable to, and return to:
Diocese of Baton Rouge, Office of Evangelization
P. O. Box 2028, Baton Rouge, LA 70821
Phone: (225) 242-0137; FAX: (225) 336-8731
(Make additional copies as necessary)
Return by Friday, Jan. 11, 2008.
GIVING THANKS — Every year, the religious leaders of the churches
in downtown Baton Rouge gather with members of their congregations at
St. Joseph Cathedral on Thanksgiving morning to give thanks for the many
blessings they have received. Present for this year’s Thanksgiving service
are, from left, Rev. Renee Brown, Mt. Zion Baptist Church; Rev. Andy Goff,
Wesley United Methodist Church; Rev. Mark Holland, St. James Episcopal
Church; Rev. Charles Smith, Shiloh Baptist Church; Rev. Chris Andrews,
First United Methodist Church; Rev. Gerrit Dawson, First Presbyterian
Church; and Father Gerard Young, pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral. Photo
by Mike D’Amico
news
news
by
Laura Deavers
Editor
H
umans have
always used
pictures for
teaching. From crude
drawings on the walls
of caves to current day,
pictures tell the story of
societal traditions and
religious beliefs. As humans
became transient, these
educational pictures needed
to be created in such a way
so they could be carried
with them. Educational
pictures telling the story of
what the culture believed
and the struggles endured
to maintain and preserve the
faith adorned the temples of
the Israelites and the walls
of churches for Christians.
Currently, the Louisiana
Arts and Science Museum
in Baton Rouge has two
exhibits of religious art
– one tells the story of
the Israelites’ journey to
Hand-colored etchings
present story of the
Israelites journey
Jacob Departs for Egypt, 1957
establish a homeland, and
the other tells the story of
Russian icons, during the
300 years of Romanov rule.
Marc Chagall: the Bible
Series is an exhibit of 30
hand-colored etchings
from a series of 105 prints
depicting stories from
12 Old Testament books,
including Genesis, Exodus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy,
Joshua, Judges, Samuel,
Kings, Isaiah and others.
Marc Chagall was a 20th
century painter, printmaker
and designer who is also
known for the theater sets
and costumes, murals,
stained-glass windows and
tapestries he created. Part
of a large, devout Jewish
family, Chagall once said,
“Ever since early childhood,
I have been captivated by
the Bible. It has always
seemed to me to be the
greatest source of poetry of
all time.”
The hand-colored
etchings, which Chagall
took over 25 years to create,
provide an opportunity to
reflect on the plight of the
Israelites, especially during
this season of Advent.
Since Advent is the time
of preparing and waiting
for the coming of the Lord,
the individual scenes in the
exhibit are appropriate for
families and individuals
to learn more about the
struggles Israelites endured.
While the Chagall
etchings tell stories of
the Old Testament, the
exhibit of Russian icons,
Tradition in Transition, tells
the story of the icons of
Orthodox Christianity that
unlike other liturgical art,
functioned as intermediaries
between the viewer and the
sacred realm. Every image is
of Christ, the Mother of God
or a saint. Because the metal
frame over the complete
painting has cut outs or
opening for the important
elements of the painting,
the icons are often likened
to windows through which
heaven is seen. The metal
adornment over a particular
icon often changed as the
family or individual that
owned the icon and used it
for personal prayer became
more prominent.
The icon exhibit presents
the evolution of the icon
during the period following
Russian’s Golden Age. The
effects of the split of the
Russian Orthodox Church,
the rise to power of the
various Russian families,
and the influence of the
Western world on Russia are
told through this exhibit of
Russian icons.
During the Soviet era
of Russia, most Russian
icons were destroyed or
offered for sale to foreigners.
Through the vision of a few
art patrons, the icons in the
exhibit were acquired and
are now available as an
educational picture of the
life and beliefs of Orthodox
Christianity.
Tradition in Transition:
Russian Icons in the Age of the Romanovs
Religious art exhibits offer opportunity for
learning more about faith traditions
Marc Chagall: The Bible Series
12
Russian
icons
seen as
windows
to heaven
Kazan Mother of God, about 1600-1650
Photos courtesy of Louisiana Arts and Science Museum.
Left, Crossing the Red Sea. Above, Messianic Times, 1957.
Complete set from Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty bequest to
Marquette University
Above, Mother of God “Pledge of Sinmers” circa
1912. Right, Three-Handed Mother of God, circa 1743.
Collection of Hillwood Museum & Gardens bequest of
Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973
13
our catholic community
11
4-H gives Lifetime Friend Award to Lt. Gen. Honoré
Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré,
commanding general, First
Army, was the featured speaker and an award recipient at the
2007 4-H National Convention
in Atlanta Nov. 27.
Honoré, a native of Lakeland
and a member of Immaculate Conception Church in
Lakeland, is stationed at Fort
McPherson, Ga. A lifetime
4-H’er, he received the 2007
Friend of National 4-H Congress Award for his unwavering support of, and admiration
for, the 4-H clubs throughout
America.
Honoré told the more than
1,000 students at the awards
banquet to “learn the concept of
discipline and lead disciplined,
ethical lives.”
In the audience were 30 4-H
members from Louisiana led
by the head of the 4-H Youth
Development Office, Mark Tassin, a member of St. John the
Baptist Church in Brusly. Of
the 30 students, five live in the
Baton Rouge Diocese.
Honoré said that joining his
4-H Club in Pointe Coupée Parish was the first outside activity
he ever did.
“When I was in high school,
every Friday we wore our 4-H
Club uniform, which at that
time was all white,” Honoré
said. “Now, in Louisiana in
the 1960’s, it took a lot of courage to wear an all-white outfit.
When I was a senior, 4-H went
to a green jacket, and you don’t
know how happy we were
about that.”
On a more serious note,
Honoré talked about what 4-H
has meant to him through the
years.
“The lessons I learned in
4-H have stayed with me to
this day,” Honoré stated. “4-H
taught me not where to start,
but where to finish. It taught
me the concept of discipline
and that has stayed with me
because today I am an American Soldier.
“I am the embodiment of
the American Dream; a poor
farm boy from Louisiana who,
through hard work and discipline, rose to one of the highest ranks in the United States
Army. I would not be where I
am without 4-H.”
To relate to the young people, Honoré talked about his
experiences in 4-H.
“We had one cow, a mix
between a Guernsey and Jersey, which weighed about 900
pounds,” Honoré explained.
“It took a lot of time and effort
to teach that cow how to stand
in a ring correctly and not get
spooked by all those people.
That cow couldn’t win best in
state because it was a mixedbreed, but we did win other
awards against farms that had
500 head of cattle. That is the
discipline and perseverance
4-H taught me.”
Honoré also had advice for
his young audience.
“America needs you to be
proud to be Americans,” said
Honoré. “The world needs you
to be successful – to be the next
generation of leaders. If you
don’t like the way things are
now, just wait a few years and
you’ll be in charge.”
“We live in a new normal.
We could have an earthquake
tomorrow, or another hurricane
or a terrorist attack,” Honoré
said. “I need you to help create
a culture of national preparedness. To be prepared for disasters before they hit.
“This Christmas, don’t buy
Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré talks with Courtney Tingwald during
the 4-H Convention in Atlanta. Photo provided by First Army
grandma and grandpa another
tie or a box of candy; buy them
a weather radio that will wake
them up at 3 a.m. when bad
weather is approaching. That
is the kind of easy, commonsense idea that helps develop
that disaster-preparedness
mind set.”
In closing, Honoré charged
the 4-H’ers to find solutions to
three great problems facing the
world today.
“Somewhere in this room is
a person who will grow up to
be an engineer who will solve
our dependence on fossil fuel,”
Honoré told his young audience. “Somewhere in this room
See HONORÉ page 18
14
youth
SMH track teams sweep
state 4A championships
The St. Michael High School
boys’ and girls’ cross country
teams swept the 2007 4A State
Cross Country Championships at Northwestern State
University in Natchitoches on
Nov. 13.
The girls’ team was first
with 45 points, and Parkway
was second with 92 points.
The boys’ team had 43 points,
and Beau Chene was second
with 122 points.
Anna D’Souza, who placed
fourth overall in the state, and
Melisa Dencausse, who placed
fifth overall, led the girls’
See TRACK page 15
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE – Mater Dolorosa School hosted its annual Thanksgiving
Food Basket Drive. The students collected enough food for 17 families. Putting the food
baskets together are, front row, from left, Paul West, Principal Alfred Donaldson, Nate Martin;
middle row, Chris Hano, Dakota Taylor, Kelby Bradley, Courtney Viola, Katie Russell, Ana
Arnone, Religious Education Director Melissa Mixon; and back row, C.J. Flanagan, Zachary
Terrebonne, Chris Chambers and Tyrone Dinet. Photo provided by Mater Dolorosa School
HGS CALL IN
THE DOGS – The
Narcotic’s Division of
the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s
Department and K9 dogs
visited eighth graders at
Holy Ghost School during
Red Ribbon Week, Oct.
21-26. The deputies and
dogs demonstrated for
the students how drugs
are dete cte d. M acy
Rivet wears a protective
suit provided by Deputy
Michael Dean that is
used to train the dogs.
Photo provided by Holy Ghost
School
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK – Donaldsonville Fire Chief
Chuck Montero visits with daughter, Karli, after presenting
fire safety information for the students at Ascension
Catholic School during Fire Safety Week, Nov. 12-16.
Montero told the students what to do if they see smoke
and fire, instructed them on how to “Stop, drop and roll”
when in a fire, and the importance of being careful when
around fire. Montero gave the students plastic fire hats,
showed them equipment on a fire truck and explained how
it all works. Photo presented by Ascension Catholic Primary
View The Catholic
Commentator on the web at
www.diobr.org/tcc
youth
15
McRoberts gains heart-felt knowledge
about social justice as Jesuit volunteer
BY
DEBBIE SHELLEY
Assistant Editor
A one-year-long immersion
as a Jesuit volunteer into an
inner-city community has prepared Tori McRoberts, campus
minister at St. Joseph’s Academy, to speak to SJA students
with heart-felt knowledge
about the Church’s teachings
about social justice.
McRoberts attended Sacred
Heart School, graduated from
St. Joseph’s Academy and received a bachelor’s degree in
theology in 2006 from Spring
Hill College in Mobile.
At St. Joseph’s Academy, established by the Congregation of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, whose founder is Jesuit priest
Father Jean Pierre Medaille,
McRoberts was influenced by
the charism of the school and
the sisters, specifically the teaching “that all may be one.”
As McRoberts attended
Spring Hill College, founded by
the Society of Jesus, theology
professor Dr. Stephen Wilson
and college President Rev. Greg
Lucey SJ directed her in the
teachings of the Catholic faith,
not only academically, but also
in her personal spirituality.
“As I grew in appreciation
for what the Jesuits taught, I
knew that I needed to continue
educating myself by immersing
myself in service,” McRoberts
said.
She was drawn to the idea
Y outh
Focus
15% Off
Tori McRoberts
Willow Tree
Hometown
Baton Rouge
Parish
St. Joseph Cathedral
of serving a year in the Jesuit
Volunteer Corps, a program
that emphasizes the four values
of community, social justice,
simple living and spirituality.
McRoberts was placed in
St. Mary of the Angels Church
in the Boston neighborhood of
Roxbury. As a small impoverished parish community in
the Archdiocese of Boston, St.
Mary’s has a 70 percent Hispanic membership.
Through her responsibilities
as a parish minister, she served
as a member of the parish council, taught confirmation classes,
organized parish outreach
efforts, visited with the home
bound, worked with community housing and economic
development organizations
and engaged in ecumenical
dialogue to address the needs
of the people in the parish.
“I was challenged by the
Nativity
Statue
people I encountered, but I discovered that by simply being
available to our parishioners,
I was ministering to them,”
McRoberts said. “It is humbling
to reflect on how much I was
transformed by my experience,
because it continues to have a
tremendous impact on me.”
The Jesuit volunteers in
Boston lived in a house in intentional apostolic community.
The volunteers shared meals
together and discussed social
issues.
As SJA’s campus minister,
McRoberts encourages girls
who want to serve others to
respond to that call.
“That’s what my ministry
is all about, being present to
build relationships so that I
can accompany the young ladies as they journey to enrich
their relationship with God,”
McRoberts said.
Track
From page 12
ST. GEORGE GRANDPARENTS DAY – Stefanos
Kafkallides, middle, introduced his grandfather, John Wells
and his uncle, John Michael Wells, a lieutenant colonel
in the U.S. Army, when St. George Home and School
Association hosted its 18th annual Grandparents and
Special Friends Day on Nov. 9. Lt. Col. Wells shared stories
of his tour of duty in Iraq. Over 700 grandparents attended
the event. Students in grades K-8 and their guests did
different activities in their classrooms, including singing
and hands-on projects. There were also liturgical dance
and music presentations. Photo provided by St. George School
team. Cassady Sanchez made
All-State by placing tenth.
Corey Williams, who was
state champion runner-up,
led the boys’ team. Marshall
Leavoy finished fourth and
also won All State honors.
“These trophies represent
the 11th and 12th state titles in
the last seven years,” said St.
Michael Cross Country Coach
Neil Borel. “Seniors D’Souza,
Dencausse, (Christina) Whiteside, (Brielle) Robin, Williams
and (Corey) Caillouet have
been an integral part of the
last four years of these successes.”
He added, “Although we
will sorely miss these fouryear veterans, St. Michael’s
future looks bright with so
many committed rookies looking to fight for a starting job.”
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16
entertainment
M ovie
Reviews
Enchanted (Disney)
Delightful musical romance follows
a maiden (the sparkling Amy Adams)
from the world of animated fairy tales
into contemporary, live-action Manhattan where she falls in love with a
lawyer (Patrick Dempsey), despite the
entreaties of her princely suitor (James
Marsden) and the meddling of an evil
queen (Susan Sarandon). With affection
and wit, director Kevin Lima and his
team gently spoof the cartoon fairy-tale
genre on which Disney built its reputation, never losing sight of its traditional
values and perennial charms. A-I; PG
Love in the Time of Cholera
(New Line)
Overlong, uneven adaptation of
Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia
Marquez’s acclaimed 1985 epic in which
a telegraph clerk (Javier Bardem) in late
19th-century Colombia at the time of
a cholera epidemic continues an overthe-decades obsession with the woman
(Giovanna Mezzogiorno) he courted as
a young man, even though she’s now
married to an affluent doctor (Benjamin
Bratt). Director Mike Newell’s cinematic
rendering of Marquez’s exploration of
love in its myriad forms cannot capture
the emotional complexities of the book
despite Ronald Harwood’s intelligent
adaptation, and the performances are
a mixed bag. The protagonist’s finding consolation in numerous sexual if
loveless liaisons is morally problematic.
Upper female and partial male nudity,
several brief non-marital sexual encounters, innuendo and some frank sexual
talk, adultery, domestic discord and
murder. L; R
No Country for Old Men
(Miramax/Paramount Vantage)
Spellbinding, richly detailed thriller
based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2003 novel
set in the Texas borderlands as a coldblooded, psychopathic killer (Javier
Bardem) ruthlessly pursues a welder
(Josh Brolin) who’s taken a suitcase of
loot after stumbling across a brutal drug
slaying, while a philosophical smalltown sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) pursues
them both hoping to avert tragedy. Codirectors and writers Joel and Ethan
Coen create an atmosphere of almost
unbearably quiet tension, with powerful performances by a masterful cast
(including Woody Harrelson and Kelly
MacDonald), underscored by themes of
the struggle between good and evil, the
changing ethos of the West, temptation,
honor and sacrifice. Strong violence and
multiple killings with blood, occasional
rough language and profanity, and brief
partial nudity. A-III; R
August Rush (Warner Bros.)
Unabashedly romantic fable in which
an 11-year-old musical prodigy (Freddie
Highmore) embarks on a search for the
cellist mother (Keri Russell) and rocksinger father (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)
from whom he was separated at birth
through the machinations of his grandfather (William Sadler), encountering
along the way a Fagin-like ex-musician
(Robin Williams) who seeks to exploit
him and a social worker (Terrence
Howard) who tries to help him. Director Kristen Sheridan’s warm-hearted
tribute to the power of music blithely
eschews all connection to reality, and
will likely strike some as charmingly
poetic and others as merely naive. An
implied premarital sexual encounter,
one use of profanity, one use of the
s-word and one crass expression. A-II;
PG
The Mist (MGM/Dimension)
Technically skillful but relentlessly
pessimistic horror tale in which an unnatural fog, alive with murderous mutant animals, descends on a small Maine
town, leaving a representative sampling
of the locals trapped in a grocery store,
where a courageous but sensible movieposter artist (Thomas Jane), accompanied by his son (Nathan Gamble) and
aided by the store’s plucky manager
(Toby Jones), must battle the malevolent
critters while also trying to arbitrate
between opposing groups led by a religious fanatic (Marcia Gay Harden) and
a relentlessly skeptical lawyer (Andre
Braugher). Writer-director-producer
Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen
King’s novella has the makings of a diverting, old-fashioned monster movie,
but – in addition to being excessively
bloody – it instead becomes talky and
meandering as it attempts to analyze
social dynamics, religion and the polarities of human nature. Bloody violence
and mutilation, mercy killing, pervasive
rough and crude language, much crass
language and profanity. L; R
This Christmas (Screen Gems)
Spirited but somewhat pat family
drama in which a well heeled AfricanAmerican clan gathers for the holidays
at the Los Angeles home of their mother
(Loretta Devine) and her companion
(Delroy Lindo) who then try to help
the oldest daughter (Regina King) cope
with her domineering husband (Laz
Alonso) – as well as with the tension
between him and her younger sister
(Sharon Leal) – ignore the amorous
antics of a third sister (Lauren London)
and her visiting boyfriend (Keith Robinson), and attempt to convince the eldest
son (Idris Elba) to quit his wandering
ways, while two younger sons (Columbus Short and Chris Brown) struggle to
find the courage to reveal their closely
held secrets. Writer-director-producer
Preston A. Whitmore II deftly interweaves the various elements of the plot
while adding welcome strands of humor
and music to produce, overall, a very
pleasant tapestry. A scene of domestic
violence, some sexual references and
humor, some crude and crass language,
implied non-marital sex and cohabitation, themes of divorce and skimpy
costuming. A-III; PG-13
Lars and the Real Girl
(MGM/Sidney Kimmel)
Poignant story of emotionally fragile delusional man (a brilliant Ryan
Gosling) who – unable to make human
connection – buys a life-size female doll
whom he presents as his girlfriend, and
how his brother and sister-in-law (Paul
Schneider and Emily Mortimer), his
office mates, fellow churchgoers and
townspeople accept “her” as human out
of love and compassion for him. Though
suspension of disbelief is essential,
director Craig Gillespie, working from
Nancy Oliver’s delicate script, makes
this improbable tale utterly believable,
while the themes of family, community,
religion, forgiveness, redemption and a
strong affirmation of human decency
override those very few elements that
might preclude younger teens. Two
nonexplicit images of a porn site, mild
innuendo, discreet sexual references
and brief profanity. A-II; PG-13
Hitman (20th Century Fox)
Slick but exceedingly violent action
film in which an assassin (Timothy Olyphant), trained to kill from childhood,
is hired to gun down the president of
Russia (Ulrich Thomsen), inexplicably
fails, kidnaps the president’s girlfriend
(Olga Kurylenko) and goes on the
lam, pursued at cross purposes by an
Interpol agent (Dougray Scott) and
the head of the Russian secret service
(Robert Knepper). Director Xavier Gens’
adaptation of the titular video game
is a blood-spilling, bone-crunching
rampage with stops along the way for
pompous dialogue and misogynistic
humor. Pervasive graphic violence, rear
and sustained upper-female nudity,
nongraphic sexual activity, much rough
and some crude language, and two uses
of profanity. O; R
A-I – general patronage; A-II
– adults and adolescents; A-III
– adults; A-IV – adults, with reservations; L – limited adult audience; O – morally offensive.
G – general audiences, all
ages admitted; PG – parental
guidance suggested, some material may not be suitable for
children; PG-13 – parents are
strongly cautioned to give special guidance for attendance of
children under 13, some material
may be inappropriate for young
children; R – restricted, under 17
requires accompanying parent or
adult guardian; NC-17 – no one
under 17 admitted.
entertainment
On The Record
1
by Charlie Martin
2
3
4
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Showing the world who
we are — in Christ
5
This is the clock up on
the wall; This is the story
of us all; This is the first
sound of a new child before he starts to crawl
This is the war that’s
never won; This is the
soldier and his gun; This is
the mother waiting by the
phone praying for her son
Pictures of you; Pictures
of me; Remind us all of
what we used to be
There is a drug that cures
it all; Blocked by the
government wall; We are
the scientists inside the
lab just waiting for the call
This earthquake weather
has got me shaking; Inside I’m high up and dry
of me; Hung up on your
wall for the world to see
what we used to be
Confess to me; All that
lies between us; All that
lies between you and me
We are boxers in the ring;
We are the bells that
never sing; There is a title
we can’t win no matter
how hard we must swing
what we could have been
Pictures of me; Pictures
of you; Remind us all of
what could have been;
What could have been;
We could have been
Sung by
The Last Goodnight
Copyright © 2007 by
Virgin Records U.S.
What could we be? What
pictures most reflect who we
are? Who are the “we” in these
questions?
It’s all of us who call ourselves
today’s disciples of Jesus.
These questions surfaced
when I read the lyrics to The
Last Goodnight’s new release
“Pictures of You.” As far as I
know, this is the group’s first
trip up the charts. The band
features an alternative rock
sound and is from Enfield,
Conn. Currently the group is
on tour promoting their debut
disc, “Poison Kiss.”
“Pictures of You” presents
various scenes. Some must be
particular to the song’s character. Others are familiar to all of
us, especially those reflecting
the current wars in the Middle
East.
What struck me about this
song is the reference to “pictures” that “remind us all of
what could have been.”
How important it is to consider what “pictures” of ourselves we want to present to
the world as today’s followers
of Jesus?
Surely today’s disciples
need to present pictures of
t hemselves as committed
peacemakers. We can be inspired by remembering the
picture of Pope John Paul II
repeating to world leaders just
before the U.S. invasion of Iraq
the words of Pope John XXIII:
“War never again!”
We must continue to tell
our elected leaders that approaches based in violence are
not acceptable. As disciples
of the Prince of Peace, whose
birth we will soon celebrate,
we can present the picture of
a community of Jesus that will
not support war.
Moreover, we also must
picture ourselves among those
who do not accept the numbing grind of poverty on people’s lives.
Just recently the United
States Conference of Catholic
Bishops sponsored its annual
Campaign for Human Development collection (see www.
usccb.org/cchd). By supporting this effort we show that
we stand together with all who
face hunger, a lack of healthcare and unemployment.
We also present a picture
of ourselves as a community
of Jesus when we:
– Question how the U.S.
government can spend hundreds of billions of dollars
on war while millions of its
citizens go without the basic
essentials of life.
– Love the earth. We know
that God sanctified our planet
when he created it. We want to
pass on its holiness and treasures to those who come after
us and address those issues
that threaten it, issues such as
global warming.
We are powerful, committed and filled with the Holy
Spirit. We know what Jesus
taught us and we believe it.
These are our “pictures of you,
pictures of me.”
May God inspire and guide
us as we actively care for all his
family on this planet.
Your comments are always
welcome. Please write to Charlie
Martin at: chmartin@swindiana.
net or at 7125W 200S, Rockport,
IN 47635.
Copyright © 2007 Catholic
News Service/U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops
Shane T. Bennett, CPA, CVA
A Professional Accounting Corporation
• Income Taxes
• Monthly Bookkeeping
• Business Valuation
3752 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Ph. 225-343-4715, FAX 225-343-4726
[email protected]
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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
ACROSS
1 It was empty Easter
morning
5 Temple tree
10 700 to Caesar
13 He had an Irish Rose
14 Person used as an excuse
15 What a catechumen
participates in
17 Highflyer
18 Bows before the altar
20 Keep at a distance
22 Miracle of the ____ and
fishes
23 Pewter
24 Te ____
25 False teaching
29 Woman’s negligee jacket
33 Fort in the San Antonio
diocese
34 Partner of Barnabas
35 ____ Dolorosa
36 Taverns
37 Sacrament number
38 Specks
39 Israel ending
40 Indian dresses
41 Republic in central Africa
42 Concluding
44 Out of breath
45 Against
46 Commandment number
47 Dwarfed tree
50 Breaking
55 Sacraments of _____
57 Canal or lake
58 The “B” of N.B.
59 First Mass in Canada was
celebrated on this peninsula
60 Eli’s university
61 Speech with a message
(abbr.)
62 External
63 Search
DOWN
1 “___ and eat; this is my
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body.” (Mt 26:26)
Sashes
Baseball glove
Alcoholic beverage
Catholic actor, Jimmy ____,
of gangster movie fame
Mournful poem
Eat
____ Dhabi
Armed soldier
Joseph interpreted these
305 to Cato
Refer to a biblical passage
Jesus entered Jerusalem
this type of animal
St. ___ Bertrand
“And ____ with you.”
Valleys
Religious garb
Overjoy
Less common
Printer’s measures
Polite
Egg-shaped
Volume measure (Brit.)
Relaxed
Caravansary
Capital of Chile
Son of Jacob
Commandment place
Bluish white metallic
element
Owner of a slave
Young animal
Literary device
Front part of an apron
Singles
Novena number
Ancient tomb
Symbolonthepapalflag
Dies ____
River Moses turned to blood
Strange person
Type of cross
Solution on page 22
18
news
Seminary Scholarship Funds
A contribution to a seminary scholarship fund is an excellent way to
remember a family member, relative or friend. This donation becomes
a lasting, living remembrance. Besides memorials, gifts can be made to
commemorate birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions.
Donations are gratefully received and the interest from the proceeds
of the scholarship funds educate seminarians for the Diocese of Baton
Rouge. All contributions are tax deductible. This is a partial listing
only. A complete list of all funds may be viewed on our Web site at
www.diobr.org/vocations.
Archbishop Antoine Blanc Fund
In Memory of: Deceased Members of Assembly #2047
By: Archbishop Antoine Blanc Assembly #2047 400.00
$5,631.00
Alene Kaylor Fund
In Memory of: Betty Averett
By: Rita Valentine
Patricia Ryan
In Memory of: Annette Bordelon
Gabrielle Marcantel
Cecil Jarreau
By: Court St. Francis of Assisi #1915
Rita Valentine
In Memory of: Ferrell J. Lorio
Rita Valentine
Patricia Ryan
In Memory of: Gerald J. Braud
Barbara Schmitt
In Memory of: John Torrance
By: Rita Valentine
Court St. Francis of Assisi #1915
Patricia Ryan
Barbara Schmitt
In Memory of: Jeanne Lacy
By: Jeryl Anne Salzer
In Memory of: Woodrow Delaune
Theresa Schexnaydre
Phillip Johnson
Russell Hicks
In Memory of: Edwin Blackwell
Mary Zito
Dennis Bueche
Russell Gautreau
Millie Reed
By: Rita Valentine
In Memory of: Willis Rudolph
By: Patricia Ryan
In Memory of: Andrew Pennington
By: Barbara Schmitt
In Memory of: J. V. Silvio
By: Rita Valentine
Barbara Schmitt
Dot Devillier
155.00 $17,439.68
Fathers Martens and Perino Fund
In Memory of: Emma Beauvais
By: KC Council #2150
100.00 $23,435.00
Fred Nacol Fund
Monsignor John Naughton Fund
Father Aubry Osborn Fund
The Ott and Berthelot Families Fund
The Pioneering Fathers of Grosse Tete Ridge Fund
George R. Reymond Fund
Monsignor Leonard Robin Fund
Father James Rodrigue Fund
Alphonse and Edna B. Rodriguez Fund
Contributions To Seminary Scholarship Funds
May Be Made By Sending Your Check Payable To:
Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, P. O. Box 2028, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821
For more information or to open your own family seminary scholarship fund,
call 225-336-8778.
Question Corner
by Father John Dietzen
Excommunication
from the church
Q. One hears much today about
excommunications, that people such as
politicians who are not sufficiently prolife or not against the death penalty or
who question some doctrines should be
excommunicated. I know from history
that excommunication used to be a big
stick the church used against people,
even emperors, who didn’t measure up.
But I thought this type of punishment
was obsolete. What is excommunication
exactly? Is it still around in the Catholic
Church? (North Carolina)
A. Excommunication is one of the
sanctions or “punishments” Christians have applied to other Christians
who seriously violate the Christian or
Catholic rule of life. An excommunicated person is forbidden any liturgical
ministry in the Mass or other public
worship of the church and may not
receive any of the sacraments. Other
consequences refer to excommunicated
clergy or others who hold some public
office in the church.
The occasional need (and I need to
emphasize “occasional;” these are not
punishments applied helter-skelter
against Catholics who hold any unpopular or supposedly unorthodox
positions not in line with what other
members of the faith would prefer)
of the Christian community to isolate
serious offenders from participation
in community activities goes back to
biblical times. The Gospels and letters
of the New Testament refer on several
occasions to situations in which the
offender should be expelled from their
midst (see, for example, 1 Corinthians
5).
These sanctions were more significant and powerful in past centuries
when the church and at least some
civil governments had more intimate
and close bonds than they have today. Partly for this reason church
practices regarding excommunication
were sometimes more complicated and
certainly more severe than now.
Excommunications may be automatic or applied in individual cases
by a proper church authority. Present
Catholic law provides automatic excommunication for only seven serious
offenses: desecration of the Blessed
Sacrament, doing physical violence to
the pope, (for priests) absolving an accomplice in sin, (for bishops) consecrating another bishop without mandate
from the pope, direct violation of the
seal of confession, procuring a success-
ful abortion, and rejecting the church
through heresy, apostasy or schism.
Many circumstances, such as the age
of the individual (no automatic excommunication applies to individuals under the age of 18) and fear or ignorance
present at the time of the action, affect
whether an excommunication actually
occurred. No church penalties at all apply to anyone under the age of 16 (see
canons 97, 1323, 1324).
It is also essential to remember that
such severe penalties, whether in the
New Testament itself or in church
law, are intended for the good of the
community and for the healing of the
one who has sinned against that community. Thus no excommunication or
other punishment is permanent and
irrevocable. It always includes the invitation to repentance and return. For
an excommunicated person, talking
with a priest is a good place to begin
that process.
It should be obvious from what I’ve
said that, while present laws are much
simplified, this part of the church’s
legislation remains complex. This is
because the church wants to make
them applicable only in the most serious cases, only when individual consciences are respected, and only when
absolutely necessary for the common
good of Catholics and others whose
spiritual life could be negatively affected.
As I said above, this decision must
be made with full knowledge of church
legislation, not in the heat of conflict or
anger (which has much of the time been
difficult to achieve), and with care that
the processes required by church law
before such sanctions are imposed are
followed meticulously.
Father John Dietzen, a retired priest living in Peoria, IL, answers questions from
and about Catholics. He can be reached at
Father John Dietzen, Box 3315 Peoria, IL
61615; or e-mail: [email protected].
Honoré
From page 11
is a person who will grow up to be a
research scientist who will find a cure
for the infectious diseases that plague
mankind. And all of you must work
to bring about religious, political and
ethnic harmony in the world or the first
two tasks will be for nothing.
“Keep up with your education, keep
up with your 4-H clubs, and keep living
a great, ethical life.”
viewpoint
How should voters regard
a politician’s religious beliefs?
What should a candidate’s faith mean?
by
19
With campaigning for presidential primaries underway, and
the release of the U.S. bishops’ quadrennial statement on politics and elections, “Faithful Citizenship,” attention turns to the
intersection of faith and politics.
Copyright © 2007 Catholic News Service/
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Tom Sheridan
Editor emeritus of The Catholic New World, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and
writes from Ocala, Fla.
I was a
16 -yea rold Catholic high
school
senior the
year John
Fit zgerald Kennedy ran for the White House.
The media was full of stories
about the candidate’s religion
and his passionate insistence
that Rome wouldn’t direct his
administration.
Unlike many detractors, we
certainly didn’t expect the pope
to be a “shadow” president, but
we did hope Catholic values
and sensibilities would surface
now and then.
Three years later I was in college and working for the Archdiocese of Newark’s newspaper
on a dark November day when
word flashed that America’s
first Catholic president was
dead.
Suddenly the religion of a
president – for a while, at least
– didn’t seem important.
Fast forward a few years.
Every chief executive is – at
least for public consumption –a
churchgoer. A few have worn
their faith more openly: Jimmy
Carter, George W. Bush.
Today, though, in some
significant ways, it’s 1960 all
over again. Questions of a candidate’s faith are raised as part
of the campaign for the White
House in 2008.
A little historical perspective. American voters have
always cared about the faith
(or at least the religion) of their
leaders. A candidate’s religion
wasn’t necessarily a plus, but
the wrong religion was surely
a negative.
The reaction when Al Smith,
Irish and Catholic like Kennedy, sought the presidency in
1928 was even greater than it
was in 1960. Raw emotion was
punctuated by outright fear.
This time around, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, has faced some
of those questions. As with JFK,
much of the criticism stemmed
from lack of knowledge of that
minority Christian group and a
confusion regarding its values.
Today, the evangelical Christians are also taking some
of the heat once directed at
Catholics. And the concern is
similar: Would a president in
the pocket of the evangelical
branch of Christianity govern
for that special interest – or for
the masses (if you’ll forgive the
pun)?
But even the evangelical
monolith has cracks: Recently
TV preacher Pat Robertson
threw his support to oft-married Republican pro-choice
Catholic Rudolph Giuliani,
proving once again the truth
that politics does indeed make
strange bedfellows. Of course,
some Catholic groups believe
Giuliani should drop the Catholic label entirely.
Sniping about candidates’
faith continues.
Barack Obama, a member
of the Church of Christ, is
accused of being Muslim. Hillary Clinton, raised Methodist
but who has attended Baptist
churches, is condemned by
opponents who don’t believe
she can have any faith at all.
Romney and Fred Thompson
exchange barbs about who
deserves pro-life support.
John McCain alternately calls
himself an Episcopalian and a
Baptist, depending on where
he’s campaigning.
There’s more, but you get the
picture.
What should a voter expect
from a candidate who claims a
faith connection?
At its heart, virtually any
faith proclaims the goodness
of people and a hope for favor
from God, no matter what that
deity is called.
That has long been a Christian theme. At an October
audience, Pope Benedict XVI
quoted St. Maximus and cited
the obligations of citizens to
support policies that help the
poor and promote peace and
justice.
That’s what we, the voters,
no matter our religious stripe,
have the right to expect from
our leaders: Governance that’s
at least guided by the principles
of the religion they espouse.
As Catholics, should we
expect candidates, especially
those calling themselves Catholic, to heed church teachings
in their lives and administrations? It would be nice, though
not realistic in this pluralistic
culture.
But should we expect them
to at least recognize and follow
broader religious values that
help the poor and promote
justice? Well, yes.
And we voters, of course,
have a way to encourage that.
It’s called the ballot box.
A young voter marks her ballot in her first election at the
offices of the Detroit Election Commission in 2006. This month’s
Viewpoints looks at the question: “How should voters regard a
politician’s religious beliefs?” CNS photo/Jim West
Private morality versus public actions
by
Liz Quirin
Editor of The Messenger, the newspaper of the Diocese of Belleville, Ill.
“I am personally opposed
to this law, but as an elected
official I must support ...”
You fill in the blank. How
many times have we heard
these words from our elected officials? Let me count
the ways: constantly on the
abortion and capital punishment issues, on just war, on
immigration and countless other social justice
issues.
Somehow, when a man or woman is elected
to an office, a kind of split personality develops,
or maybe comes with the territory. If you are
opposed to killing on any level, it would seem
that you could not support these policies under
any circumstances.
Consider the scenario of the faithful sitting
side by side in the pews at weekend liturgies and
then running over your brothers and sisters in
Christ as you beat a hasty exit from the parking
lot.
The lessons learned and the Eucharist shared
make little or no difference in the way we conduct our business during the rest of the week.
Our personal moral and ethical choices are
generally made during our time at work and
play rather than during the liturgies.
Most of us do not have the power to decide
life-and-death issues for others as do those in
elected office, and we sometimes watch with a
sense of horror at the decisions that are being
made in our names.
We stand by, sometimes physically present,
as a prisoner is wheeled on a gurney from death
row to a chamber where a lethal injection is administered, while a Catholic governor, who says
he is personally opposed to the death penalty,
does nothing to stop an execution.
We can’t have it both ways, yet somehow we
accept the policy of private morals and public
acquiescence. Where is our moral outrage at
these officials when we know what they are
saying, if not ridiculous, certainly baffles even
the most obtuse among us?
We don’t really believe what they are telling
us, but we don’t challenge their words or their
actions.
At the end of the day, we are to blame because
we don’t do anything to hold them to their personal beliefs. We have power that we decline or
refuse to exercise. That power exists at the ballot
box.
If we don’t believe them or accept their personal versus public personas, we must exercise
our own moral responsibilities and require
them to give us a better, more plausible explanation for their actions.
Are we suffering from that same myopic
view of the world where we tell people we
don’t believe in death through abortion or legal
injection, yet we sit in our safe and comfortable
homes without lifting a hand to stop what happens?
Our justifiable outrage surfaces when something personal happens to us, to our families, to
our neighbors. Otherwise, we absent ourselves
not only from specific action but from the conversation altogether. We have too much to do,
too many issues of our own, and we certainly
don’t want to “get involved” in trying to change
the world.
Personal morality must be exercised in public,
for the good of all of God’s people, not just when
it suits us or those who are elected to represent
us. How many times have you heard someone
say, “I was not elected to promote my own personal agenda but those of my constituents”?
It’s time to elect people whose personal agendas we know and support so they can stop using
that as an excuse to vote for the status quo. The
least we can do is tell them early and often that
we don’t believe them, and if they want to continue in their present elected roles, they should
stop using personal/private morality now.
20
viewpoint
Faith and Precedent
by Douglas W. Kmiec
Advent: Taking stock of all there is to do!
The Advent season is
upon us. A new liturgical
year begins and the calendar
year soon ends. Vestment
colors of purple remind us of penitence – a time to
take stock both as citizens of our respective countries
and as Catholics.
There is much to do!
Here is a short list:
1. End the war in Iraq. This has been the national
instruction at least since the 2006 mid-term election;
yet, the dying continues with both political parties
paralyzed in parliamentary maneuver.
Stop it.
Remember, this is a government “of the people!”
As this is written, there are around 3,870 U.S. soldiers
killed and 28,500 seriously wounded. The economic
cost of the war is edging past $600 billion with the
president requesting yet another $200 billion for 2008.
Our daily spending is over $270 million, with the
cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for a year in Iraq
roughly $390,000.
Think of the schools, hospitals, homes and businesses not being built with only a fraction of the
money being spent for war. True, one cannot build in
chaos, but as the Army Corp of Engineers has learned,
even basic services promote peace. Responsibly substituting reconstruction for military expenditure while
bringing significant troops home is overdue.
2. Seriously commit to ending our dependence
on oil. Electricity is less expensive and cleaner than
petroleum, and electricity can be generated domestically independent of the global oil market. It makes
no sense in the name of our national security to buy
$100 barrels of oil from those who in turn use this vast
revenue to promote hate and religious distortion.
3. Confront terrorism with international understanding.
A year ago, 38 Islamic scholars authored an open
letter of religious common ground to Pope Benedict
XVI within a month of his Regensburg lecture. The
number this past fall grew to 144 from 44 nations,
belonging to the different currents of Muslim thought
– Sunni, Shiite, Ismaili, Ja’fari, Ibadi. Some among the
signatories have in the past praised terrorist suicide
missions.
The letter, by contrast, aims to make the love of
God and neighbor the “common word” between
Muslims and Christians.
The Vatican, under the learned hand of Cardinal
Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue, is preparing a response.
While the good cardinal is appropriately cautious, on
the terms stated, an apt answer would be “Amen.”
Presidential debates have come and gone with
little or no recognition of this positive development.
The church must lead.
4. Confront terrorism with the international rule
of law. In fairness to the United States, it has been
bearing the singular responsibility for the world’s
defense against terror far too long. Whomever Americans choose as our next president must work with
his or her foreign counterparts to unify and more
equitably share the duties of both military defense
and containing terror.
Investigating, prosecuting, detaining and keeping
under surveillance those who threaten the world
order must reflect worldwide commitment. Keeping true to the promise of the international rule of
law, including the Geneva Conventions, means not
extending them without sensible modification to address the dangerous or, as Aquinas wrote, perfidious
men who strike at the community.
Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay) may close when there
are well-managed alternatives in foreign venues.
5. Get our own house in order in the U.S. It’s time
to remind young people of the importance of forming
families and raising children well.
In addition, part of the happy calculus of reducing the dependency on oil will be strengthening our
stewardship of natural resources, and frankly, just
reducing excess consumption.
Tax burdens on intact families ought to be light-
ened and simplified so that education and health care
decisions are made in the genuine spirit of Catholic
subsidiarity – from the bottom up. The last thing
America needs is more excuses, and new, centralized
bureaucracies are usually excuses.
Yes, there is much to do – not out of fear or apprehension but with hope and optimism. “Be not afraid,”
Pope John Paul II said. “We are God’s people, and
the challenges we face can be taken up cheerfully as
a continuation of the mission of Christ Jesus, whose
birthday once again can remind a world much in need
of his peace that the real Christmas story is true.”
Douglas W. Kmiec, professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, addresses judicial matters
and developments in the US and abroad pertaining to Catholicism and other religions for Catholic News Service.
In Exile
by Father Ron Rolheiser
Advent longing
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once suggested that
peace and justice will come
to us when we reach a high enough psychic temperature so as to burn away the things that still hold us
apart. In saying this, he was drawing upon a principle
in chemistry: Sometimes two elements will simply
lie side by side inside a test-tube and not unite until
sufficient heat is applied so as to bring them to a high
enough temperature where unity can take place.
That’s wonderful metaphor for advent. What is
advent?
Advent is about getting in touch with our longing.
It’s about letting our yearnings raise our psychic temperatures so that we are pushed to eventually let down
our guard, hope in new ways, and risk intimacy.
John of the Cross has a similar image: Intimacy
with God and with each other will only take place, he
says, when we reach a certain kindling temperature.
For too much of our lives, he suggests, we lie around
as damp, green logs inside the fire of love, waiting to
come to flame but never bursting into flame because of
our dampness. Before we can burst into flame, we must
first dry out and come to kindling temperature. We do
that, as does a damp log inside a fire, by first sizzling
for a long time in the flames so as to dry out.
How do we sizzle psychologically and spiritually?
For John of the Cross, we do that through the pain of
loneliness, restlessness, disquiet, anxiety, frustration,
and unrequited desire. In the torment of incompleteness our psychic temperature rises so that eventually
we come to kindling temperature and, there, we finally
open ourselves to union in new ways. That too is an
image for advent.
Advent is all about loneliness, but loneliness is a
complex thing.
Nobel Prize winning author, Toni Morrison describes it this way:
“There is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms
crossed, knees drawn up, holding, holding on, this
motion, unlike a ship’s, smoothes and contains the
rocker. It’s an inside kind – wrapped tight like skin.
Then there is a loneliness that roams. No rocking can
hold it down. It is alive, on its own. A dry and spreading thing that makes the sound of one’s own feet going
seems to come from a far-off place.”
All of us know exactly what she is describing, especially the latter type, the roaming kind of loneliness
that haunts the soul and makes us, all too often, too
restless to sleep at night and too uncomfortable to be
inside our own skins during the day.
And what’s the lesson in this? What we learn from
loneliness is that we are more than any moment in
our lives, more than any situation we are in, more
than any humiliation we have experienced, more than
any rejection we have endured, and more than all the
limits within which we find ourselves. Loneliness and
longing take us beyond ourselves. How?
Thomas Aquinas once taught that we can attain
something in one of two ways: through possession or
through desire. We like to possess what we love, but
that isn’t often possible and it has an underside.
Possession is limited, desire is infinite. Possession
sets up fences, desire takes down fences. To quote
Karl Rahner, only in the torment of the insufficiency
of everything attainable do we know that we are more
than the limits of our bodies, our present relationships,
our jobs, our achievements, and the concrete situations
within which we live, work, and die.
Loneliness and longing let us touch, through desire, God’s ultimate design for us. In our longing, the
mystics tell us, we intuit the kingdom of God. What
that means is that in our desires we sense the deeper
blueprint for things. And what is that?
Scripture tells us that the kingdom of God is not a
See ROLHEISER page 24
viewpoint
etter
L
to
the Editor
Fr. Dietzen’s view
of contraception
causes concern
I was reading Father John Dietzen’s
“Question Corner” in The Catholic
Commentator (11/7/2007) about “Clarification on Couples receiving Penance
Together” and had a concern about what
he had noted about contraception.
While I understand his distinction
about the church’s teaching on contraception – that a person who disagrees
with this teaching is not a heretic - it
should be clarified that it is a sin to use
contraception – as is noted in Humana
Vitae (2366 – 2370 in The Catechism of
the Catholic Church).
Fr. Dietzen’s statement in the 11/7/07
column was:
“Another example, Catholics who
do not accept the church’s teaching on
contraception are often wrongly called
heretics. They are not. While it is church
teaching, that particular teaching is
not technically a matter of “divine and
Catholic faith.”
I have noted that this seems to be
contrary to what is noted in to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2370:
“Periodic continence, that is, the
methods of birth regulation based on
self-observation and the use of infertile
periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality (157 Humana
Vitae 16). These methods respect the
bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the
education of an authentic freedom. In
contrast, ‘every action which, whether
in anticipation of the conjugal act, or
in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences,
proposes, whether as an end or as a
means, to render procreation impossible’ is intrinsically evil (158 Humana
Vitae 14).”
Especially with the feast of the Immaculate Conception coming soon, this
serious teaching about contraception
deserves to be clarified.
Keith John Paul Horcasitas
Baton Rouge, La.
Letters to the Editor should be
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not be printed. We reserve the
right to edit all letters. Send to:
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Commentator, P. O. Box 14746,
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-4746, or
to [email protected]
21
The Human Side
by Father Eugene Hemrick
Getting into the spirit of Advent
Experiencing awe is a
main object ive of t h e
spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of
Loyola. These exercises prompt us to
literally throw ourselves into Scripture
when meditating.
Advent encourages us to do this
too – to enter more deeply into the life
of God and to heighten our spiritual
imagination.
Unfortunately, Advent is also a season when marketers attempt to heighten
our secular appetites; hence the thunderous clash between the profane and
sacred.
The word “profane” means to be
outside the temple. Not only does the
commercialized Christmas season
prompt us to stay away from the temple,
it employs every means possible to get
us to worship in our shopping malls.
One of the biggest postmodern challenges Christians face is countering this
with sacred peace.
May I suggest visiting art museums?
Even though they may not be nearby,
they are at our fingertips.
I got this idea from my mother years
ago when she came to Washington to
visit me. I wondered then where I could
take her after everything she’d seen on
past visits.
She suggested, “Let’s go to the religious art section of the National Gallery
of Art. It’s Eastertime. Where better to
get into its spirit?”
How right she was!
As we moved from paintings of the
Madonna and Christ to those of notable
saints, I found myself wondering about
their awesomeness.
Later I learned that the awe I was
experiencing is one of the main objectives of the spiritual exercises of St.
Ignatius.
Ignatius would say, “If, for example,
we are meditating on Christ meeting
Peter along the shores of the Sea of
Galilee (or, for that matter, meditating
on a painting that depicts this), smell the
sea breezes, listen to the water lapping
against the shore, imagine how Christ
looked and spoke. Enter into the scene
with all your imaginative powers!”
The Vatican Museum has a Web site
that contains magnificent scenes from
Scripture. It allows you to enlarge them
and study the artist’s minute details,
what he or she is trying to portray
(http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/
MV_Home.html).
All art galleries have similar Web
sites filled with religious art. Just type
in a gallery’s name and you’ll be in the
midst of sacred art and holy thoughts.
Today we can experience virtual imaging and shop in massive malls filled
with remarkable items. We also live in
a frenzy-stimulated existence like never
before.
We can’t turn the clock back! We can,
however, select the best this age offers
to enhance our spiritual life.
This Advent we have a magnificent
means for entering more deeply into the
sacred peace of God. All it takes is one
click to transport ourselves from the
profane to the sacred.
Father Eugene Hemrick is a research
associate with the Life Cycle Research Institute at The Catholic University of America
and coordinator of institutional research at
Washington Theological Union. He writes
on issues pertinent to the church and the
human spirit for Catholic News Service.
Looking Around
by Father William J. Byron SJ
Are you your own worst enemy?
Charles
Wa t s o n i s
professor of
management at Miami University of
Ohio. He and I have never met, but
we have talked on the phone and exchanged books and articles that each of
us has authored. If we were in our early
teens we would be what they used to
call “pen pals.” As adult academics,
we are kindred spirits interested in the
formation of character and the restoration of integrity, through education, for
business.
“Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?”
is the title of a new book (Praeger
Publishers) co-authored by Watson
and Thomas Indinopulos, a professor of comparative religion at Miami
of Ohio. Knowing that I am on leave
from a business school professorship to
serve as president this year of my high
school alma mater, St. Joseph’s Prep in
Philadelphia, Watson sent me a copy of
his latest book along with a note saying, “Perhaps there are useful lessons
here for your boys.” Indeed there are.
Many, if not most, adolescents are,
I’ve found, their own “worst enemy.”
They think the other kids are OK,
but they are born to lose; they are not
“with it,” certainly not “cool.” What
they need is more encouragement and
praise, along with the occasional and
indispensable kick in the butt, to help
them get themselves in gear to move
forward in meeting life’s challenges.
They are, of course, our future, so
strategies aimed at overcoming yourself as your own worst enemy are
solutions that all of us elders should
be posting for their consideration. I
did just that at the opening assembly
of our student body last September.
The subtitle of the Watson-Indinopulos book is: “The Nine Inner Strengths
You Need to Overcome Self-Defeating
Tendencies at Work.” I pointed out that
they can also be applied at school, and I
used the chapter headings as an outline
for my talk to high school boys. Here’s
the list taken directly from the table of
contents:
1. Develop What it Takes to Make
Things Happen: Assume Responsibility, Initiate Action, Accept the Consequences.
2. Make the Most of Who You Are:
Understand Yourself, Accept Yourself,
Be Yourself.
3. Sharpen Your Thinking Skills: See
Beyond the Obvious, Pay Attention to
Your Surroundings, Anticipate Consequences and Outcomes.
4. Be the Kind of Person Others
Want to Be Around: Value Feelings,
Treat Others with Dignity, Be an Encourager.
5. Break the Chains of Mindless
Routine: Exercise Your Imagination,
Turn Failures and Mistakes into Lessons, Rise Above Mediocrity.
6. Become an Effective Learner and
Continue Learning: Be Curious, Reflect
on Your Observations, Expose Your
Mind to New Ideas.
7. Master the Art of Self Discipline:
See BYRON page 24
coming events
22
Support Group Meetings – Women who are
suffering from depression, anxiety or grief are invited to a support group meeting on Thursdays at
10 a.m. at St. Agnes Church, 749 East Blvd., Baton
Rouge. For more information call the St. Agnes
Church office at 225-383-4127.
Christmas Concerts – St. Joseph Cathedral
412 North St., Baton Rouge, will present the following Christmas concerts: Dec. 11, Baton Rouge High
School Christmas Concert, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 16, Baton
Rouge Concert Band Christmas Concert, 3 p.m. and
Choral Pilgrimage, 6-9 p.m. For information call the
St. Joseph Cathedral office at 225-387-5928.
Catholic High, SJA Choir Concerts – The
Catholic High School and St. Joseph’s Academy
choirs will present a Christmas concert on Sunday,
Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 529 Convention St., Baton Rouge.
Retrouvaille – Retrouvaille is a program sponsored by the Catholic Church designed to provide
help and support to married couples of all faiths
who are undergoing difficulties in their relationship. The next Retrouvaille weekend will be Jan.
4-6 at the Bishop Robert E. Tracy Center, 1800 S.
Acadian Thrwy., Baton Rouge. For information and
registration call the Diocesan Office of Marriage and
Family Life at 225-242-0323.
Advent Day of Prayer – Sister Jackie Bates RC
will present “An Advent Day of Prayer: Stations of
the Nativity” Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Cenacle Retreat
House, 5500 St. Mary Street, Metairie. Participants
will walk through the Stations of the Nativity, from
the vision of Zacharia to the return of the Holy Family to Galilee. For information contact Ann Morcos
at 504-887-1420 or 1-800-669-4095.
Advent Day – Father Gerald Fagin SJ, associate
professor of systematic theology and spirituality
at Loyola Institute for Ministry, will present an
Advent Day Program “Waiting for God in Familiar Places,” hosted by the St. Joseph Spirituality
Center, on Saturday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the St.
Joseph’s Academy Cafeteria, 3080 Kleinert Ave.,
Baton Rouge. Mass will be at 11:15 for the feast of
the Immaculate Conception. For fee information or
to register call 225-383-3349.
Day of Intergenerational Healing – Father
John M. Capuci, director of Center of Jesus the Lord,
1236 Rampart St., New Orleans, will present a Day
of Intergenerational Healing on Saturday, Dec. 8,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Center. The schedule includes
Mass. Lunch will be provided. For information, visit
www.centerofjesusthelord.org or e-mail questions
to [email protected].
STM Christmas Concert – The St. Thomas
More Church Adult, Contemporary and Children’s
choirs will present a Christmas concert Sunday,
Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. at St. Thomas More Church, 11441
Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge. The audience will
be invited to sing several traditional carols. A reception will follow in the STM Parish Activity Center.
For more information call the St. Thomas More
Church office at 225-275-3940.
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based. Kathleen 225-324-0340. email
[email protected]. Creative/retired teacher.
New York Life Insurance Company,
Bill Davis, agent. 225-709-6205. Life
insurance, annuities, long term care
insurance.
Chairs Etc. Upholstery, small chairs,
cushions, pillows. Sr. Carol Gonsoulin, CSJ. 2655 Plank Rd., Baton
Rouge, 225-928-1643.
THOMAS LUNDIN, CPA
Accounting and taxes for businesses,
non-profits and individuals; business,
computer, financial and management
services. 30 years experience; professional, prompt and personal attention.
225-296-0404.
Kitchen counter tops. Call for free
estimates. John O'Neill 225-925-3420
or 225-683-6837.
J & R PRESSURE WASHING
Mildew removal from houses, driveways, pool sides. Free estimates,
reasonable rates.
225-324-4023 or 225-751-8707
Mr. D's Tree Service
Free estimates, quality work,
licensed and insured.
Don Decell, owner
225-292-6756.
HELP WANTED
BUSINESS SERVICES
BUSINESS SERVICES
Picard Rug & Carpet Cleaning
Oriental rugs, upholstery and carpet
cleaning. Pick up and delivery. 225929-7144.
D o n n i e ’ s F u rn i t u re R e p a i r &
Upholstery. We do refinishing, repairs,
caning, painting of furniture and
upholstery. Business 33 yrs. Pick up
and delivery. 10876 Greenwell Springs
Rd. 225-272-2577.
FOR SALE
Gio’s Mezza Luna Italian Cuisine.
Now hiring mature hostesses and
bussers. Call 225-335-8880.
vÊ>ÌÊ,Õ}i]ÊÕÃ>>
Business Opportunity. A growing
10-year-old Catholic books and gifts
business in Baton Rouge area or Fixtures and inventory. Interested parties
should call 225-291-2201.
-Ì>vvÊ«ÃÌÊ>Û>>LiÊ>Õ>ÀÞÊ£]ÊÓään
>>}iÀÊvÊ`Ê-iÀÛVi
HELP WANTED
Are You Good With The Elderly?
If you enjoy the elderly and are an
extremely dependable person, consider joining our team. We provide
nonmedical companionship and help in
the home. Flexible part-time hours. No
certification necessary. Home Instead
Senior Care. 225-819-8338.
In sales employment advertisements, the advertiser must name
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Ads must state how wages will be
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money is mentioned. The ad must
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7iLÊÃÌiÊ>ÌÊÜÜÜ°V>ÌV}°À}°
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Session 4: April 12, 2008
Transform Society with the
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Do Justice! Make Peace!
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23
24
news
The Golden Compass softens religious content
HARRY FORBES
JOHN MULDERIG
BY
AND
NEW YORK — Hollywood
history is rife with examples
of literary works that by dint
of problematic sexual, violent
or religious content have been
softened to varying degrees to
mollify public sensibilities.
So it appears to be with
“The Golden Compass” (New
Line) which, we’ll say right at
the start, is a lavish, well-acted
and fast-paced adaptation of
“Northern Lights,” the original
title of the first volume of Philip
Pullman’s much-awarded trilogy, “His Dark Materials,”
published in 1995.
The film has already caused
some concern in Catholic circles because of the author’s
professed atheism, and the
more overt issue of the novels’
negative portrayal of his church
which represents all organized
religion.
The good news is that the
first book’s explicit references
to this church have been completely excised with only the
term Magisterium retained.
The choice is still a bit unfortunate as the word refers so specifically to the church’s teaching authority. Yet the film’s only
clue that the Magisterium is
a religious body comes in the
form of the icons.
Most moviegoers with no
foreknowledge of the books
or Pullman’s personal belief
system will scarcely be aware
of religious connotations, and
can approach the movie as a
pure fantasy-adventure. This
is not the blatant real-world
anti-Catholicism of, say, the
recent “Elizabeth: The Golden
Age” or “The Da Vinci Code.”
Religious elements, as such, are
practically nil.
Whatever author Pullman’s
putative motives in writing the
story, the film, taken purely on
its own cinematic terms, can
be viewed as an exciting adventure story with, at its core,
a traditional struggle between
good and evil, and a generalized rejection of authoritarianism.
The script makes use of
some of the occult concepts
found in the books, such as
the diabolically named “daemons” – animal companions to
each person, identified as their
human counterpart’s visible
soul.
Is Pullman trying to undermine anyone’s belief in God?
Leaving the books aside, and
focusing on what has ended
up on-screen, the script can
reasonably be interpreted in
the broadest sense as an appeal
against the abuse of political
power.
Will seeing this film inspire
teens to read the books, which
many have found problematic? Rather than banning the
movie or books, parents might
instead take the opportunity
to talk through any thorny
philosophical issues with their
teens.
The religious themes of
the later books may be more
prominent in the follow-up
films which Weitz has vowed
will be less watered down. For
now, this film – altered, as it is,
from its source material – rates
Dakota Blue Richards stars in a scene from the movie “The
Golden Compass.” The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting
classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned.
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. CNS
photo/New Line
as intelligent and well-crafted
entertainment.
The film contains intense
but bloodless fantasy violence,
anti-clerical subtext, standard
genre occult elements, a character born out of wedlock and
a whiskey-guzzling bear.
Rolheisr
Forbes is director and Mulderig
is on the staff of the Office for Film
& Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
From page 20
matter of eating and drinking,
of simple bodily pleasure, but
a coming together in justice,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, that is what we
ache for in our loneliness and
longing: consummation, oneness, intimacy, completeness,
harmony, peace and justice.
Sometimes, of course, in our
fantasies and daydreams that
isn’t so evident. God’s kingdom seems something much
loftier and more holy than
what we often long for – sex,
revenge, fame, power, glory,
pleasure. However even in
these fantasies, be they ever so
crass, there is present always
a deeper desire, for justice, for
peace, for joy, for oneness in
Christ.
Our loneliness and longing
are a hunger and an energy that
drive us, always, beyond the
present moment. In them we do
intuit the kingdom of God.
Advent is about longing,
about getting in touch with
it, about heightening it, about
letting it raise our psychic
temperatures, about sizzling
as damp, green logs inside the
fires of intimacy, about intuiting the kingdom of God by
seeing, through desire, what
the world might look like if
a Messiah were to come and,
with us, establish justice, peace,
and unity on this earth.
Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser,
theologian, teacher, and awardwinning author, is President of the
Oblate School of Theology in San
Antonio, TX. He can be contacted
through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.
Byron
From page 21
Assess Your Actions Honestly,
Cause Your Emotions to Work
for You, Learn to Make Favorable Impressions.
8. Act with Integrity: Know
Good from Evil, Right from
Wrong, Defeat Self-Centeredness, Pursue the Good and
Right Wholeheartedly.
9. Be of Service to Others:
Rise above Indifference, Have
an Ultimate Concern That
Goes Beyond Your Self, Serve
Others Generously.
The authors say, “We wrote
this book to show smart, capable, well-meaning people
how their inner tendencies
often lead to certain actions
that make them into their own
worst enemies.”
I recommend the book with
enthusiasm to those who want
to see improvement in their
workplace lives. If any of them
are parents, they can use “Are
You Your Own Worst Enemy?”
as a playbook to help their
youngsters put better numbers
on their academic scoreboards
while making progress on
their own preparation for productive citizenship in the not
too distant future.
Father William J. Byron, president of St. Joseph Preparatory
School in Philadelphia and research professor at Spelling School
of Business at Loyola College in
Maryland, writes for Catholic
News Service on current issues.
He can be reached at wbyron@
sjprep.org.

December 5 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

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