Nuance in Catholic Teaching is hard
to express. In the simplest terms,
however, I think it is safe to say that whenever the world seems to express an “either/or,” inevitably the Church
teaching on the matter will be some form of a “both/and.” In times that are
as volatile as our own, it is nearly impossible to hear nuanced expressions of
Truth. In times when public discussions
are politicized and polarized, many find it difficult to know how to respond. Emotions run high and there is a kind of
intensity even to ordinary conversations that can get in the way of our hearing
one another clearly.
The Church’s Canon Law makes a point
in its final Canon #1752: “the salvation
of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept
before one’s eyes.” Every
application of and interpretation of law must have salvation as its aim. Much of the rhetoric we hear (and if we are
honest, which we speak sometimes ourselves) can have something other than this
in view. We want to be acknowledged as
“right.” Instead, our aim ought to be to
speak the Truth with such love that the Truth itself is seen for what it is.
Pope Benedict XVI chose as his
episcopal motto, “Cooperatores Veritatis,”
that is, “Co-Workers of the Truth.”
(III John 8) If we are able to see that
the Truth is a given, something that comes to us from God and through the
teachings of the Church that flow from her divine authority, we must
acknowledge a different responsibility that we may think we have. We are to seek to understand and live the
Truth. This is our primary task. Defense of the Truth is sometimes required. Clarification of what is mistakenly taken to
be the Truth may also be necessary. But
before and beyond this, a correspondence of our own lives to the Truth must be
our aim. Lives in accord with the Truth
are Holy Lives. It is Holiness of Life
that attracts others to the Truth.
One particular area of concern that
involves us all is the current effort of our society to impose laws on us that
would require us to ignore what we know to be true. Every human life has dignity and worth, and
any law that fails to acknowledge this truth fails to provide for the Common
Good and the basic human rights of all.
Concerning
Healthcare, the U.S.
Catholic teaching supports adequate and
affordable health care for all, because health care is a basic human right.
Genuine health care reform must protect human life and dignity, not threaten
them, especially for the most voiceless and vulnerable. Health care legislation
must respect the consciences of providers, taxpayers, and others, not violate
them.
Coverage should be truly universal and should
not be denied to those in need because of their condition, age, where they come
from or when they arrive here. Providing affordable and accessible health care
that clearly reflects these fundamental principles is a public good, moral
imperative and urgent national priority.
http://old.usccb.org/sdwp/national/Health-Care-backgrounder-2011%20final.pdf
If we understand this correctly, we
must admit that affordable health care for all is a right AND laws that promote
this right must at the same time respect the basic right to life and the free
exercise of conscience on the part of all.
The current law of the land fails in the latter and must be
changed. Thus, we must learn to work
together to promote “liberty and justice for all.”
Celebrating our Golden Jubilee:
Getting to know Saint Timothy’s
Community of Faith.
Up to now, we have concentrated our study on the Scriptures
associated with Ephesus
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Introduction
Ignatius, who is also
called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most
happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and
predestinated before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an
enduring and unchangeable glory, being united and elected through the true
passion by the will of the Father, and Jesus Christ, our God: Abundant
happiness through Jesus Christ, and His undefiled grace.
St. Ignatius of Antioch Ephesus Rome
This Week in Our
History: July 22-29
1966: Newly baptized – Kathleen Ann Quinlan,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Quinlan
1979: We are happy to announce that Mr. Dale
Beaver has been engaged to be Director of Music at St. Timothy Parish. Mr. Beaver has been playing the organ for us
at Mass for some time…Mr. Beaver attended Mount Union College and Ohio State
University…He is presently completing the thesis for a Master’s Degree in Music
Theory.
Our gratitude goes
with Felix and Melanie Azzola, who have taken their beautiful voices to far-off
Delaware
1981: We ask your prayers for Daniel F. Hartnett,
a member of this parish who died this past week. We ask your prayers also for his parents,
William and Mae, and the family.
1983: To the People of St. Timothy Parish,
Thank you for the
warm welcome you have shown me. As a
token of my appreciation, I have enclosed the “Holy Year” card in this
bulletin. I am grateful for the
opportunity to be with you this summer as part of my journey toward priesthood.
In Christ, Tim Hayes
1985: Remember in your prayers Joseph DeSantis and
Gary Smith of St. Timothy who were buried this past week.
Stop after Mass today to say farewell to Fr. Adams. Thanks to the Women’s Club for providing the
refreshments as we say goodbye to someone who has given so generously of
himself to all who needed him. Later, we
will be welcoming Fr. Jim Walter, chaplain at Riverside
Hospital
There will be a new look to the Missalettes next
Sunday. For years, the liturgical
theologians have been urging Catholics to listen attentively to the scripture
readings without reading along in their missalettes. Now the publishers have joined this move by
separating the readings from the response parts...We are sorry if this causes
any inconvenience, but this is part of a much larger movement than we can
control here at St. Timothy. A side
advantage is that everything in the books will appear in larger print.
The co-ed softball tournament starts today: 3:00 , Second vs. First, who upset the Silver
team last week by purposely distracting them with an injured child on the
field.
1989: Marg Mooney says ‘Thanks” as she writes, “If
I live to be 100, I will never forget the beautiful day that we shared July 9th—a
rainbow of dear friends and memories.
Thanks to all who made it possible and to all who attended in person or
in spirit. Thank you for your shower of
cards and notes and my great new VCR.
You are forever in my prayers and in my heart.”
1991: Graduation pictures from St.
Timothy School
1992: My dear Parishioners,
It is with great joy
that I return to St. Timothy Parish. I
am grateful to Bishop Griffin for this assignment and I am grateful to all of
you for receiving me as your pastor.
I look forward to
meeting once again all who were parishioners when I was here in ’81-’82. I anticipate meeting all those who since have
become members of this parish.
I look forward most
of all to proclaiming the Good News, to praying with you and working with you
as a Parish Community. Together, we can
continue to make the Christ the basis of our living and working and praying
together. We can also give witness of
His presence to all with whom we share our lives.
Thanking you again
for the privilege of serving as your Pastor and assuring all of you of my daily
prayer and affection for you, I remain
In Christ, James
P. Hanley, Pastor
1994: Please write Senators Glenn or Metzenbaum or
your U. S.
2003: Vacation Prayer in the Car with Tired
Children
Oh, God of Peace,
invade our car and turn it into a haven of peace and quiet for just a little
while.
Give the children a
little patience with one another and us a lot more patience with them.In the miles we go before we stop, help them realize their power to make each other happy or unhappy.
Make them willing to share the windows, to stop touching each other, to stop asking when we’ll get there.
Help us to hold our tempers for just a few more miles.
2008: A Word
from Your Pastor
I am grateful to
all of you for the welcome you continue to show me as I adjust to our new life
together. Our gathering for a Holy Hour
last Sunday was…a real tribute and a witness that Faith is alive here at St.
Timothy Church.
One delightful
moment…was right at the beginning when everyone sang out the hymn “For All the
Saints”. There were two verses that had
never been heard before that were on the lips of everyone as if they had sung
them their whole lives:
Saint Timothy, our
Patron and our Friend
Whose gift of Faith
shined bright until the end.,Fan into flame that Spirit God does send.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Pray for us now,
Disciple of the Lord,
Beg our dear Savior
for His sure reward;Teach us how to live His Holy Word.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Another item that may be of interest is the decision to take
the verse from the Statue of Saint Timothy in front of the church and to use it
as shared greeting for our Parish Family.
“To the King of
ages, the immortal, the invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and
ever! Amen.”
2009: Father Tim Hayes would like to invite anyone
interested in enhancing their Biblical knowledge to join him on a 10-day
pre-Lenten pilgrimage to the Holy Land , February 7-16, 2010 .
Remember in your prayers, Vern Rybski, a former (founding)
member of St. Timothy who died last week.
May he rest in peace.
2010: A Word
from Your Pastor
Dear Parishioners,
I am sure that all
of us share the shock and sadness at the loss of our parishioner Andy “Andyman”
Davis, who died last Sunday while on vacation with his family. He has been the face of fun in our parish
through the Festival, the Unforgettable Evening and Silent Auction, and in his
involvement in the school and parish community.
The celebration of his funeral liturgy with the St. Timothy community
was in the spotlight in the local media due to his role as deejay on CD 101
radio, as well as his involvement in the broader community. Andy was truly a man who enjoyed life to the
full. In his 42 years, he accomplished
much. His proudest role, however, was to
be the husband of Molly and the Dad of his three sons, Johnny, Ollie and
Sammy. He was in so many ways a witness
to the Catholic values he espoused when he became a Catholic through the RCIA
in 2006. Who can forget his powerful
testimony of his call to become part of what God is doing through he example of
Pope John Paul II?
Life is all too
short. The example of Andy Davis, Joe
DeVictor and so many others that we have lost in the past few years reminds us
of life’s brevity. Our community’s
response to these losses has been a sign of the power of God’s grace. We have pulled together a sa parish in the
face of many tragedies these past several months. God has been rich in pouring out His mercy on
us. May we continue to grow together in
the ways of Faith. And may we continue
to reach out to others so they can come to know the joy of God’s Love at work
in us.
2011: A Note from the Parish Festival Chair
Dear Parishioners,
Thank you so much
for the opportunity to lead such a great tradition. Julie and I have so much fun getting to know
new parishioners and seeing old friends every year….Believe me when I say we
have something very special at St. Tim’s that has people coming back year after
year, old and young, from all around Columbus.
I sincerely want to
recognize the funding parishioners that made all this possible with their
vision for a parish 50 year ago. As I
reflect on the success, it is all based on a great foundation of volunteerism.
Sincerely, Joe and
Julie Lorenz, “Festival Chairmen”
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