Texas Gulf Coast Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, December 15, 1972 Page: 6 of 8
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Page 6
TEXAS GULF COAST CATHOLIC
Friday, December 15*1972
waMwws*sw«^^ Our Parish Council
1 EDITORIALS 1
KtmdtC*>
Link Parishes to Pastoral Council
By Beranti Lyons
Iluw do parish councils fit in with the
diocese and the pastoral council? here is the
way one bishop seees it.
Bishop William D. Borders, of Orlando,
writing in The Florida Catholic, outlined the
development of the diocesan pastoral council
and soon-to-be organized senate of parish
councils this way:
NECESSITY
“We consider parish councils in all of our
parishes a necessity. Through these councils
it would be possible for priests, religious and
laity to share, in depth, the work and
responsibility that Christ has given us to
Christianize the world.”
Saying that the response to parish councils
has been good, Bishop Borders also admitted
that “progress has not been necessarily
smooth or even.” About three out of four
parishes in his diocese have councils.
“Laymen have been encouraged to take
active part in the Church in Orlando since the
founding of the diocese,” the Bishoip said.
“To further that participation the diocese is
researching the establishment of a senate of
parish councils. This senate of councils would
bring each parish more closely into the long
range planning of the apostolic work in the
diocese.
EXCHANGE
“Since we are growing so rapidly in central
Florida and have so many competent people
in the Church it is essential that we have the
thinking of the people in each parish. The
exchange of ideas, the challenge, and
sometimes the tension that comes from ex-
change, are good. Hopefully, the senate of
parish councils will be formed within the next
six month.
“We envision this,” he said, "as an annual
or semi-annaul gathering of the represen-
tatives or the officers of the various parish
councils throughout the diocese. They will
Truths Men Live By
study the work of the Church, making positive
recommendations for our growth and
development.”
The formation of parish councils alone can
not assure an effective pastoral council.
Bishop Borders pointed out some parallel
developments in his diocese that are con-
tributing to the establishment of the diocesan
council
He told about the work of the liturgical,
education, social services and financial
commissions, the migrant ministry program,
and the coordinated work of the parish
education boards and high school boards.
PRESS
The diocesan paper also plays an important
role in developing the pastoral council.
“Fortunately,” Bishop Borders said about
TTie Florida Catholic, "we have a diocesan
newspaper that has served us well in
projecting so many of our programs Com-
munication is so vital.”
Another innovative step toward a pastoral
council was the joining of the diocesan con-
suitors and the priests’ senate into a con-
sultative process called the presbyterate.
“Through the presbyterate,” the Bishop
explained, “the priests of the diocese will
work very closely with the bishop in decision-
making, and jointly, with the bishop, accept
responsibilities other than the responsibilities
they have in their own parishes.”
REPRESENTATIVE
The presbyterate, the sisters’ council, and
the senate of parish councils will provide the
elected representatives for the pastoral
council.
Bishop Borders said the pastoral council
“will work in relationship with the bishop as
the parish council works with the pastor.”
And it will “serve as the basic unit to assure a
wide participation of everyone in the diocese
who works for Holy Mother Church.”
A North American Saint
OUR BLESSED MOTHER
By Rev. John A. O’Brien, Ph.D.
The University of Notre Dame
Family Clinic
“A Fair Share or
A Family Squabble”
by James J. Rue, Ph.D.
The Spirit In Action
The Church,Witness
Among Nations
Fr. Ignatius P. Chetcuti
The Church has never lost sight that Christ
has launched her among the nations to un-
derstand, penetrate, serve and love them for
God’s sake, and on his behalf. But, in times
past, she had occupied herself for the most
part in the salvation of souls, while Jesus
came to save man. For a good majority of
churchmen, then, salvation consisted in
regaining whatever appeared to have been
lost rather than developing salvation’s main
characteristic which is a positive and
dynamic one: the growth of man. This work
does not consist in simply to forgive, but to
overtake sin as health overtakes illness. It is
indeed a maturing growth of all of man, a
blossoming that when it reaches its peak it
may be defined witness, holiness.
Nevertheless, the Church has always shown
deep kindness and concern coward all
peoples, but was she always corresponded as
she deserved? Let us take a quick look at
sixteenth century history. Here we find that
man was developing in a way quite different
from that envisaged by the Church. In the
period in question, we often see the Church
understanding man according to set prin-
ciples and concepts that smacked of the
Middle Ages. Likewise, the impression given
by the Church was that Christian and Western
civilizations were one and the same thing.
EXAMPLE
To illustrate this by some example of
contemporary history, let us take the
Chinese. For them to become Christian meant
that they had to utterly detach themselves
from their orimtal sensitivity, to renounce
the liturgy in their own tongue, their cultural
traditions and customs and to become
religionsly ‘Latin’ or fake Chinese. The
reason for this embarrassing situation was
their misunderstanding of the Christian
message of salvation.
However, even in the West, in some
countries or periods, the Christian message
did not fully penetrate the hearts of men,
because the impression was that the Church
was interested, almost exclusively, in the
defense of a ‘system’, in the teaching of ab-
stract principles, in the proclamation of
outdated rules as if man was made for the
sabbath and not vice versa. In other words,
the Christian truth was offered in a fashion of
thought which would be hardly of easy grasp
for today’s faithful. It had become a kind of
closed shop language for them. Naturally,
this sort of presentation was leading to
misunderstand Revelation as being a
manifestation of God’s presence and life
among men.
Moreover, the tendency of forgetting that
next to the mystery of Redemption there is
also that of Creation, next to heaven earth,
next to grace nature, next to the spiritual the
temporal and after the Passion there is the
Resurrection, had created much confusion in
the minds of men.
Such kind of forgetfulness, according to a
prominent Vatican II Council Father, had
reached the point to offer an unnourishing
nourishment, a lifeless life, and by continuing
that way, the Church was risking to resemble,
in some countries at least, a concert without
an audience, a letter without an addressee, a
banquet without guests. In fact, this could be
the reason why many, seeing themselves
unkown or misunderstood by the Church,
walked away; first the learned, then the
middle rank, finally the bulk of the working
class.
VATICAN II
With this in mind, Vatican II dedicated its
strenuou. efforts, time and energies to re-
discover man and his needs, as Paul VI said
in the concluding speech on December 7,1965:
“All this doctrinal wealth has only one pur-
pose: to be of service to man, all of man
whatever his status and condition, his
poverty, his needs. (In this context) the
Church has declared herself the servant of
mankind”.
I don’t think the thought of Pope Paul would
be misrepresented if we paraphrase one of his
most important points thus: the way towards
God may be trodded through man; the
discovery of God can be effected through the
discovery of man; God’s service can be
achieved through the service of man; it is
necessary to learn to love man in order to love
God.
Thus the witness of the Church among
peoples “from the bishops down to the last
member of the laity” (Lumen Gentium, 12)
will be truly effective and continuedly
productive.
My elderly father left his very ample estate
to my no good brother. There were three
daughters also, one of them being me.
Neither of my two sisters are married, and
my family and I are just struggling along
financially. In other words, we would have
been delighted to receive some of my father’s
money.
We have not contested his will, but have
gone directly to my brother to try to talk some
sense into him, namely, that he should
voluntarily divide the money so that each of
us could have a fair share.
He laughed at us and refused. He said that
my father told him our husbands would take
careofus. Life hasn’t turned out that way, not
that I am complaining about my husband.
This problem has brought out the worst in
all of us. It isn’t that we are greedy, but we
demand our share. Don’t you think my
brother should listen to reason?
When money is an issue of conflict between
family members, it is difficult to be objective,
and in some instances, objectivity can offer,
at best, only a partial solution.
You are offended that your father did not
recognize you and your two sisters as well as
your brother in his will.
FAVORITISM
Since you made no comments with respect
to your early family life, one would assume
that your brother was the only and favorite
son, the "apple” of your father’s eye. For
some reason then your father doted on your
brother. And he evidently expressed this
favoritism in such a way that you three
sisters had deep feelings of repressed anger
and perhaps inferiority long before your
father made his will.
Thus an emotional conflict borne of this
accumulated resentment was developed
against your brother before your father’s
money became an issue.
The love that you felt should have been
yours as a child is now being equated with the
money which is denied to you and ia being
lavished on your brother.
“NO GOOD,” BROTHER
Perhaps in truth your brother was “no
good” in the sense that your father’s
favoritism made him weak and irresponsible.
This could conceivably have been the price
your father extracted in exchange for the
inheritance.
. Your evaluation of your brother’s character
may be objectively correct or fallacious.
Sometimes a father favors a son without any
intention of malice toward his daughters
because traditionally a son had to make his
way in the world. He had to be well educated
and compete with other men. Women, it was
assumed, would marry and would be finan-
cially cared for by their husbands.
This view, although traditional, is only
gradually being modified by the opportunities
available to women who must also make their
way In the world: Your father may have
erroneously believed in this sense that he
would not really be denying his daughters
substantial material assets.
FULFLLL PROMISE
He may have further believed that this
tangible inheritance to his son would enable
him to fulfill the promise that he may have
revealed in his youth. A father’s pride is
sometimes very much intermingled in the
personality of his son. He may unconsciously
wish to live his own life again in the ac-
complishments of his son, and that may be the
reason why your father chose to help your
brother.
Appearances are deceiving, and one can
never be certain of another person’s motives
no matter how much an individual believes he
understands another human being.
From the point of view of family harmony,
it is tragic to have money distort the four
personalities of those who are concerned.
-You might do well not to rely on your
brother’s willingness to listen to reason. For
each of you the inheritance has trmiendous
emotional implications. Unless a lawyer
would advise you that you have some legal
grounds for your expectations, try to detach
yourself from the resentment and destructive
emotions this money has aroused.
It is preferable to preserve family harmony
(whatever remains of it) although you may
not receive an inheritance rather thaathe
other way around, and each of you might have
a fair share, but you would not be speaking to
each other.
Truths Men Live By
Religion constitutes a powerful ally of the
individual who endeavors to face the trials
and adversities of life with fortitude and
courage. Why? Because it brings before his
mind the Supreme Being who is alone the
Guarantor of the rational organization of the
universe and the Underwriter of its moral
values.
“There are no eternal values,” observes
Professor William Ernest Hocking, “unless
there are-temal valuers.” Life cannot be “a
' tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.” Why? Because God is
infinite wisdom and the work of His hands
cannot be without meaning or purpose.
Religion clothes all life, even the dreariest
of our days and the most menial of our labors,
with a transcendental value and a divine
significance. Religion stands as a reminder of
the infinite worth of the human soul and of the
sanctity of the human personality. It
therefore gives the assurance which every
sojourner on this planet in the skies so sorely
needs at times — that he does matter, and
matter beyond all the power of man to count.
In religious faith is found a well-spring of
courage to fight on against all odds for the
decencies of life. From religion stems the
conviction that, as Dostoievsky said, “people
are people and not the keys of a piano.”
A JESUIT’S COURAGE
See the courage of the Jesuit missionary.
Jean de Brebeuf, who had surrendered
himself entirely to Christ and cast all his care
upon Him. Captured by the fierce Iroquois, he
was dragged to the village of St. Ignace.
There he was stoned, beaten and tied to a post
to be burned to death. Cheerfully, Brebeuf
kissed the post to which he was being bound.
A collar of red-hot tomahawks was placed
around his neck, and scalding water was
poured upon his head in mockery of baptism.
TTic fire was lighted , and his body was
slashed with knives, while the savages
mocked and taunted him. Brebeuf uttered no
angry cry of protest, no pitiful plea for mercy
or release. Such utter indifference to pain and
such incredible courage did he exhibit that
the eyes of the savages bulged out in
amazement.
As the flames leaped high around him, they
heard him utter only the simple cry, “Jesus!
Jesus! My Jesus!” until he fell. Then they
dragged his charred body from the fire, cut
out his heart and ate it, seeking thereby to
acquire bis courage and valor.
In surrendering himself to Christ, Brebeuf
rose above all anxiety and all dread. He has
shown us all that in unfaltering faith in God
and unswerving commitment to Christ and
His law of love and sacrificial service, we
have a divine prescription for the conquest of
life and the vanquishing of all our fears.
texas gulf coast
C ATHOL I C
PuDiished weekly, except me lev week of December ana me lai* weak o» July.
Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Corpus Christ!
President..................MostRev. Thomas J. Drury, D.D.
Editor and Business Manager.........Father Raymond Pena
Associate Editor.....................Father Lawrence White
Circulation Manager...... ...............Mrs. Irene Doyle
Address all communications to:
TEXAS GULF COAST CATHOLIC
P.O. Box 2584, Corpus Christi, Texas 78402
Telephone - 882-6191 Ext. M
Price. $4.00 per year
Entered as Second Class Matter United States Post Office
Corpus Christi, Texas_ _
Liturgical Dialogue
Preparation For Christmas
Fr.J. Wm. Hen net
Both Christmas and Easter have their time
of Intense preparation.
The new Roman Missal, I understand,
contains a special Mass for each of these days
of preparation for Christmas. The “interim
breviary” Prayer of Christians has a special
collect and antiphon for each one of them.
I suggest that you use them on the
day assigned as your personal preparation for
Christmas :
December 17. Collect — God, you are the
creator and redeemer of human nature. You
willed that your Word should become flesh in
the womb of the ever-virgin mother.
Graciously hear our prayers that your Son
who assumed our human condition may
enable us to share in his divine union. An-
tiphon — 0 Wisdom, proceeding from the
mouth of the Most High, announced by the
prophets, come to teach us the way to
salvation; come, Lord, come to save us.
December IB. Collect — Almighty God, we
are weighed down by the ancient bondage of
sin. Grant that we may be freed by the new
birth of your Son. Antiphon — O Lord,
shepherd of the house of Israel who guide
your people, come to redeem us by the power
of your arm; come, Lord, come to save us.
December 19. Collect — God, you
manifested your glory to the world through
the childbearing of the blessed Virgin. Grant
that we may revere the mystery of the in-
carnation with integrity of faith and always
celebrate it with humble devotion. Antiphon
— Son of David, standard of people and kings,
you, whom the whole world implores, come to
deliver us; Lord, do not delay; come, Lord,
come tc save us.
December 20. Collect — God, at the
message of an angel the immaculate Virgin
welcomed your ineffable Word. She became
the nome of Divinity and was filled with the
light of the Holy Spirit. Help us to follow her
example and to adhere to your will with all
humility. Antiphon — 0 Key of David and
Scepter of the house of Israel, who rule the
world, come to deliver us. Lord, do not delay;
come, Lord, come to save us.
December 21. Collect — Lord, graciously
hear the prayers of your people May they who
rejoice as they recall the coming of your Son
in our human flesh obtain the reward of
eternal life when he comes in his majesty.
Antiphon — 0 Rising Sun, splendor of light
eternal and Sun of justice, come to enlighten
those who sit in the shadow of death; come,
Lord, come to save us.
December 22. Collect — God, you took note
of man’s fall and redeemed him by the
coming of your only Son. Grant that we who
profess his incarnation with humble devotion
may share also in the fruits of his redemption.
Antiphon — 0 King of the nations, cor-
nerstone of the Church, uniting two peoples,
come to deliver man who you have created;
come, Lord, come to save us.
December 23. Collect — Almighty God, we
are drawing nearer to the birth of your only
Son according to the flesh. The Word became
man through the Virgin Mary and dwelled
among us. May he be merciful toward your
unworthy servants. Antiphon—O Em-
manuel, our King, hope of the nations and
Savior of all peoples, come to deliver us.
Lord, do not delay ; come, Lord, come to save
us.
December 24. Collect — 0 Lord, Jesus,
listen to us, that we who trust in your kindness
may be consoled by your coming. Antiphon —
When the sun appears on the horizon, you will
see the King of kings proceed from the
Father, coming forth like a groom from his
bridal chamber.
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Pena, Raymond. Texas Gulf Coast Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, December 15, 1972, newspaper, December 15, 1972; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth835322/m1/6/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .