| October 22, 2007 | Volume 82, Number 26 | |
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FIRE program is offered as optionI would like to respond to the letter from Angela DeGrands Taliaferro (“Mary Hart column hits home”) in the Oct. 8 Catholic Virginian. My family participates in a wonderful program called FIRE (Family Intergenerational Religous Education at Church of the Redeemer in Mechanicsville). We have a group of six families and take turns leading and hosting the lessons. We meet in each others homes about twice a month for about an hour and a half after Mass. It works great for us. Our parish has about eight FIRE groups, which also relieves the strain on space and teachers for traditional R.E. classes. Before FIRE, I would drive my kids to church (about 20 miles round trip), drop them off, spend an hour waiting for them to finish, ask them what they learned and often got “Nothing” as a reply. Now we all are learning and developing a small community of faith as well as an incredible support system for our families (this is our fourth year together). There are several different programs like this available. I highly recommend you contact your Minister of Religous Ed. and ask about starting one in your parish.
Church’s teachings lacking in CVI just finished reading the letter written by Eric C. Demyanovich and re-read John Stec’s letter this evening. How very refreshing to read Catholic sentiments! John Stec presents uncomfortable truths which sadly are matters of public record. I would like to see the staff at the Catholic Virginian take up Eric’s challenge and present the Church’s perennial teaching on all of the items brought to light by John Stec.
(Editor: The Catholic Virginian is a newspaper meant to inform readers of news of the Diocese of Richmond and its parishes and Catholic schools. Hopefully, many of the feature articles published provide insight and reflect actions which are inspired by one’s Catholic Christian faith and its teachings. Letters to the editor are meant to allow people to express their opinion as Mrs. Hoffman just did.) read Mr. Demyanovich’s letter >>
CV letters show debate continuesThere has appeared in The Catholic Virginian recent letters identifying and refuting the faults of our society in its upholding some characteristics of morality as we understand them. These appeared in the letters of John Stec and Bruce Jones. Admittedly, the listed faults and the responses seem those of a culture teetering into decline. Regardless, both appear written in honesty and concern. It is, however, recommended that Reverend Gerald Vann’s (a Dominican priest), book “The Pain of Christ and the Sorrow of God” be reviewed in the second chapter where he identifies the four groups who betrayed Christ in His final hours. This chapter gives us a glimpse of ourselves, but one should not overlook the first chapter where the great love story is described in its climax. Father Vann identifies the least blameworthy of the four groups to be the lot of Peter and of the apostles who faced possible death themselves ... but they gained courage through the Holy Spirit ... and God chose them for their apostolic task. They began bravely, but they faltered. The second group is identified as the people and the crowds who sought another miracle from Jesus because they did not understand that the greatest miracle He was accomplishing was the reconciliation of mankind to God. Fortunately, they are like us. There remain the issues of what we learn and how well we love. We begin bravely, but we too falter. St. Augustine identifies this as a happy fault because the faithfulness of God brought His presence among us ... and it still retains His presence among us. What are we going to do about the Catholic politicians who publicly do not support the dignity of human life? Are we promoting a horrible split by not demanding loyalty now? What must we do regarding the immigrant issue? There is work done for our benefit without the protections granted to a citizen when existing citizens will not do the same work. There are other issues that were identified by both John Stec and Bruce Jones. Please continue to address and to publish the responses of our bishops and of our Church. The debate rarely ends at the conclusion of the last speech. May we, despite our hurried lives, stop and reflect upon the great gift given to us by Him who showed more guts, determination, and love by accepting crucifixion ... He gave up everything to have us. May His Spirit fill us. May the love story continue.
How Real Presence is revealedLike a great diamond whose facets shine with myriad hues, the presence of Christ shines in the Church in myriad ways. Chief among all these is the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is unique among the ways in which Christ makes himself present, in that it is the fullness of both natures of Christ, human and divine. In the words of the Church, it is “the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity” of Jesus Christ. These are not metaphors. a. Christ is present in the Scriptures as the Word of God; in the Eucharist he is the Incarnate Word of God, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine. b. Christ is present in the priest as “alter Christus” (other Christ) by virtue of Ordination. In the Eucharist he is the great High Priest who offers himself to the Father. c. Christ is present in the people as members of his Body; in the Eucharist he is present as the Head of the body. d. He is present in the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation to forgive our sins. When the priest says, “I absolve you of your sins...” he is not speaking in his own name; it is Christ speaking. e. He is present in the poor as he states so eloquently in the gospel of St. Matthew. f. He is present in creation as the one “through whom all things were made.” So why aren’t we also shining like diamonds, as Mr. (Mark) Hoggard also wonders? (CV, “Power of the Eucharist is ‘Source and Summit,’ Oct. 8 issue) It is the long story of sin and infidelity, inappropriate attachments and decision-making. Once we let Him clean this out, then we too will shine like Him, now and in eternity. A good resource for further study is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, available at www.usccb.org.
The Mark Hoggard article did not appear in the web edition of the Catholic Virginian
Singles need to have a voiceI am a member of the Church of Ascension in Virginia Beach and a facilitator for the support group “STARTING OVER AS A SINGLE … AND BEYOND, a ministry of the church. We feel that we have a protocol for Bishop DiLorenzo’s Strategic Planning Process. As far as I know there are no other groups with this focus, offered in the Catholic churches in the diocese. The fact that we all know that our priest shortage is beginning to appear as a reality moves us to consider what our future church experience will be. Our study shows that approximately 55 percent of the adult population is single. Single could mean not married, separated, divorced, widowed or of the Catholic religious life. What that says is that approximately half of the population is not married. In my opinion, that is a majority that is not sufficiently spoken to in the Catholic Church. If we are to continue to have a viable, living voice in the life of the church, we must appeal to this segment of church. Up until now, the church’s main concern has been the “family,” but the reality is that “whole families” (those including a husband and wife) are, sadly, becoming not the norm. With that in mind, the hierarchy must adjust its thinking to accept the reality that broken families are in need of attention and inclusion and should be viewed in a sympathetic, forgiving, respectful way or they will fall by the wayside and be lost to the Catholic Church forever. So, not only do we look forward to losing our clergy, but also a large segment of our body of Christ. My past 11 years as the leader of our group has shown me that the death of a marriage is not the choice of the majority of those who come to our respite. They feel pained and thrown away and sometime feel thrown away by the church. They feel guilty, whether it is their clear choice to end the marriage or not. They feel hopeless and alone. It is that which has given me and my co-facilitators the intense desire to be there as a source of hope for these people.. Our weekly meetings offer a place in the Church atmosphere, for those folks to feel that someone cares when they have for the most part, become lost and shunned. They are given a chance to voice the pain and loneliness that no one else wants to hear about. They can assess the anger and resentments that arise from the broken family exercise, that they must endure and know that we will not judge them or shut them down. If church cannot be a sympathetic ear for this group or people who will? Isn’t that what Jesus asked us to do, “Love each other as I have loved you”? I guess I am sounding passionate here, but I AM! Please consider doing a story on this subject and awaken the sensibilities of the people in our diocese.
CV article on twins shows family tiesThank you for your inspiring feature, “Twins join grandmother in rebuilding New Orleans” in the September 24 edition of the Catholic Virginian. I enjoyed it very much and thought it was particularly excellent in the way it highlights the great importance of family links and faith in shaping our lives and shows how the elderly and the young can work side by side in service to others. Well done!
Death penalty can be protectionWith respect to the letter of Dena Ferguson in the Oct. 8th edition, it is obvious that Ms. Ferguson does not understand the moral difference between abortion and capital punishment. The Church has always taught that each intended abortion is murder and a serious immoral act. It also has always taught that the State has a right to take a life in order to protect its citizens. Pope John Paul II stated very clearly that the State had this right but he hoped that it was no longer necessary. Only the latter part of his statement was picked up by most of the media. So the morality of capital punishment depends on the necessity, or deterrent effect, of taking a criminal’s life. Catholics can differ if a particular execution is “necessary “ or not, but the Church emphasizes today that most are probably not necessary.
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