Holy Spirit Catholic Community
"Embrace The Spirit of Holy Spirit"
Street Address---4400 Continental Drive---Mailing Address--3930 East Lake Butte, Montana 59701
406-494-5078---Fax 406-494-5726
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Holy Spirit Catholic Community "Embrace The Spirit of Holy Spirit" Street Address---4400 Continental Drive---Mailing Address--3930 East Lake Butte, Montana 59701 406-494-5078---Fax 406-494-5726
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Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 6-3-07 The Clearest Reflection Today we celebrate our knowledge of the mystery of God’s life: one God in three Persons. We know about God’s inner life because it has been revealed to us, but we do not actually know God’s life in the sense of direct knowledge and full understanding. God is forever other, above and beyond, transcendent. On the one hand, human beings are nothing compared to the Other: When I behold Your heavens... What is man? On the other hand, humans are reflections of God and are therefore marvelous creatures: You have crowned Him with glory and honor. The offenses we commit against God are offenses against the Lord and Master of the universe, the magnificent Triune God whom we will never come to understand.The inhumanities we commit against each other are likewise offenses against the Other, reflected in human beings. It is not just some creature that we mistreat and bloody and oppress and ignore: it is the God who is, who was, and who is to come. That should give us some pause. “At the center of the Church’s teaching on peace and at the center of all Catholic social teaching are the transcendence of God and the dignity of the human person. The human person is the clearest reflection of God’s presence in the world; all of the Church’s work in pursuit of both justice and peace is designed to protect and promote the dignity of every person. For each person not only reflects God, but is the expression of God’s creative work and the meaning of Christ’s redemptive ministry.” U.S. Bishops, The Challenge of Peace (1983) 15 Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 5-27-07 Pope calls violence in media aimed at young people unacceptable (CNS) -- Portraying violence, antisocial behavior and vulgar sexual content in the media is unacceptable, especially when aimed at a young audience, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope appealed to both media magnates and workers in the field of communications to "safeguard the common good, respect truth and protect the dignity of the person and family." The pope's remarks May 20 commemorated World Communications Day, which is celebrated in most countries on that day. He made his comments before praying the "Regina Coeli" from the window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. Today's mass media have to help make programming and entertainment an educational experience that promotes "the dignity of the human person, marriage and the family, and the accomplishments and aims of civilization," he said. The pope, who chose this year's theme, "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education," said parents, teachers and parish communities "are called to collaborate to educate children and young people to be selective" in their viewing and to develop "a critical attitude" toward what is offered in the media. Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry-5-20-07 CATHOLIC
IMMIGRATION EFFORT LAUNCHES A MILLION PRAYERS INITIATIVE MAY 20-26
WASHINGTON-The Catholic bishops' Justice for Immigrants campaign is urging the
nation's 63 million Catholics to pray and lobby for changes in U.S. immigration
law May 20-26. The campaign, called "A Million Prayers Initiative," asks
Catholics to lobby and pray on behalf of immigrants nationwide, their families,
and members of Congress. Information on the campaign can be found at
http://www.usccb.org/mrs/jfi/millionprayers.shtml. "This
is a most critical time in the comprehensive immigration reform debate with
legislative solutions being proposed by both the President and Congress, said
School Sister of Notre Dame Jane Burke," manager of Justice for Immigrants.
"The U.S. Senate will be considering this legislation during the next two
weeks. They need our prayers and need to know that we are calling for a just and
equitable immigration reform bill, one that will make a vital difference in the
lives of those who will live by its mandates. Our voices are essential to the
passage of this crucial legislation. There are many ways to raise our voices but
two in particular are called for at this moment - advocacy and prayer." The
week of prayer precedes Pentecost, the Church feast which celebrates the coming
of the Holy Spirit. Catholics are asked to prayer a special Justice Prayer to
guide thousands of advocates as they work to influence the passage of a just and
humane comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Congress. This
legislation will affect millions of human lives-those working, paying taxes,
strengthening communities, and enriching the moral fiber of our country with a
brilliant resurgence of cultural diversity.
Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry--5-13-07 A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY DOROTHY DAY’S 1963 book Loaves and Fishes chronicled the founding and early decades of the Catholic Worker movement, which Day started with French worker-scholar (and illegal immigrant) Peter Maurin in 1933. Day’s story is dramatic and inspiring, with her radical roots, religious awakening, unpopular but steadfast pacifism, and courageous defense of civil rights and of all those who find themselves marginalized. It might be easy to conclude that she was an extraordinary person, a saint. But Day herself would have none of it, rejecting any talk of her sainthood with the reply, “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” Today, 27 years after Day’s death, more than 185 Catholic Worker communities remain committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken, according to the website CatholicWorker.org. Catholic Workers continue to protest injustice, war, racism, and violence of all forms. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the problems the world faces. But we can take solace, and guidance, in these words of Dorothy Day: “What we do is very little, but it’s like the little boy with a few loaves and fishes. Christ took that little and in-creased it. He will do the rest.” Daniel Grippo —reprinted with permission from Prepare the Word (©2006) Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 5-6-07 The commandment of love “What part of illegal don’t you understand?” Joyce was livid. Her son Tony, who lived in the same town, had taken a family of undocumented immigrants into his home. Joyce was afraid that Tony would be found out and arrested. Not only that, but Tony’s father was a prominent citizen in town and would be terribly embarrassed if Tony were caught. “But Mom,” Tony protested, “they’re destitute. After the outfit Eddie worked for closed down, he couldn’t find a job. They had to pay the bills for the baby. It all mounted up and they couldn’t meet their rent. They were living in their car for two weeks. I had to do something.” “They’re illegal aliens,” Joyce insisted. “They don’t belong here.” “They’ve lived in this country for three years. They’re hard-working and deserve a chance,” Tony replied. “They deserve to be sent back where they came from.” “What about the baby? She was born here. She’s an American citizen.” Joyce sighed. “All I know is you’re doing something against the law and if you get caught; there will be trouble for you and your father.” Tony was frustrated, too. “And all I know is that you brought me up Catholic. We’re supposed to fight against injustice and defend the oppressed.” Catholics sometimes find themselves between a rock and a hard place. We want to be good citizens, but God’s law comes first.–Father Paul Boudreau —reprinted with permission from Prepare the Word (©2006)
Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 4-29-07 Our Hope and Strength The risen Christ is our Shepherd. We are His people: the sheep of His flock. He gives us eternal life, and we shall never perish. The risen Christ is a light to the nations, so that all people everywhere are renewed by the Easter event. The poor, the hungry and the homeless stand in the presence of the risen Christ: He will lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Abused children and the neglected elderly stand before the risen Christ: He will lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. The victims of war and torture, the masses of uprooted refugees, and the despised people of the world stand before the risen Christ: He will lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. We walk in the valley of darkness, but we fear no evil, for we follow in faith the call of the shepherd, who was sent for our hope and strength. Dear Folks, A resolution urging the cessation of war and combat operations in Iraq, the return of American troops and full funding to meet the needs of American’s Veterans, and providing for an effective date herein is being considered by our Butte-Silver Bow County Commissioners. It is short, simple and straightforward. We think most everyone will be glad to support it once they’ve had a chance to read it. Copies of Council Resolution No.07 are posted in the commons on both the north & south bulletin boards. Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 4-22-07 The Good News of the Resurrection Christ is risen, and makes all things new. The resurrection is not just about Jesus rising from the dead; it is about the renewal of all of creation. With the resurrection we are now in the new time, when the sea produces an unlikely catch of fish, and the net is not torn. The resurrection of Jesus is also about our own resurrection, which we anticipate with hope. We pray that our Easter joy will come to perfection in heaven. But we know that there is a life to be lived, a life of struggle for the sake of the Gospel. By persevering in the effort to bring good news to the earth and all its inhabitants, we will one day join in with the voices of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea in a song of praise and honor To the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb. “As the third millennium of the redemption draws near, God is preparing a great springtime for Christianity, and we can already see its first signs. In fact, both in the non-Christian world and in the traditionally Christian world, people are gradually drawing closer to gospel ideals and values, a development which the Church seeks to encourage. Today infact there is a new consensus among peoples about these values: the rejection of violence and war; respect for the human person and for human rights; the desire for freedom, justice and brotherhood; the surmounting of different forms of racism and nationalism; the affirmation of the dignity and role of women.” Pope John Paul II, Redemploris Missio (1990) 86 Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 4-15-07 Believing Thomas had not seen the risen Christ, and so he refused to believe that Jesus had really risen. Jesus does not rebuke him, but he does point out that blest are they who have not seen and have believed. One reason why we are so far from the Kingdom is that we refuse to believe what we have not seen. We have not experienced a world without war, so we refuse to believe that peace is possible. We have always had poor among us, so we refuse to believe that poverty can be eliminated. We see only our own economic system and we refuse to believe that anything else will work. The saying of Jesus echoes through the centuries: blest are they who have not seen and have believed. Blest are those prophetic voices raised in anticipation of a new day, a new world of justice and peace. They no longer look for Jesus among the dead, but find Him instead in life and in the fullness of life. They base their lives on their total faith that we have become a new creation. “Will the world ever succeed in changing that selfish and bellicose mentality which, up to now, has been interwoven in so much of its history? It is hard to foresee; but it is easy to affirm that it is toward that new history, a peaceful, truly human history, as promised by God to men of good will, that we must resolutely march.” Pope Paul VI, Address to the United Nations (1965) 5 Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 4-8-07 NETWORK, the Catholic Social Justice lobbying group in Washington, DC informs us that the budget resolution for 2008 now looks better than when it first reached Congress. And that is due to Congress hearing from us folks back home. However, it is now crunch time and Catholics throughout the nation are being asked to call their local legislative offices during this Spring Break. Our message as Catholics is simple. Please tell Senators Baucus and Tester and Representative Rehberg to vote for a joint budget resolution that gives the greatest support to women, children, the elderly and those with special needs – rather than one which extends tax breaks to the wealthiest families. Of greatest importance is the fate of children’s healthcare. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is up for reauthorization. Nine million children in this nation remain uninsured, although six million of them are eligible for SCHIP. Both chambers have included enough money to allow the reauthorization to cover all children who are eligible, at a cost of $50 billion over five years. Because “pay-as-you-go” rules have been reinstituted in this session, legislators are looking at ways to pay for this. Refusing to extend the current tax breaks to the wealthiest among us is an option. For Senator Baucus: 782-8700-For Senator Tester: 723-3277 For Representative Rehberg in Missoula: 543-9550 For more information on the FY08 Federal Budget, see http://www.networklobby.org/issues/reordering_budget/2008budget.html Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 4-1-07 Criminals and enemies—The difference between the good guys and the bad guys always seemed pretty apparent to Raphael. He had fought in both Iraq wars, where the bad guys were the enemy, the people he was supposed to search out and neutralize. After he finished his last tour of duty, he joined his local police force, where the bad guys were the criminals he was supposed to capture. Then his kid brother, Hector, got arrested for riding around with some friends in a stolen car. Was his brother a criminal? According to Raphael’s definition he was. He was convicted of being an accessory and went to jail. But Raphael knew his brother wasn’t a bad guy. He had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. Yet the case against him was legitimate and justice was served. Somehow Raphael was going to have to change his thinking. He knew from experience that people who were enemies and criminals were also human beings, brothers and fathers and sons, sisters, mothers, and daughters who ended up on the wrong side of justice. One astonishing truth about the crucifixion of Jesus was that He was arrested for breaking the law, found guilty of a capital crime, and put to death. Was He a criminal? Was He a bad guy? Or did His death and resurrection challenge us to reconsider the whole question of good and bad?–Father Paul Boudreau—Reprinted with permission from Prepare the Word (©2006) From the Justice Voices 3-25-07 MCC Alert Network members: RE: HB 713 Revise Post Adoption Services, Sponsored by Representative Tom McGillvray-- This bill corrects a law that forbids private agencies from providing post adoptive services to birth mothers. Agencies can continue to provide post adoptive counseling, but they cannot help birthmothers with fees for things like GED, books, tuition, or other educational expenses or provide for other needs they may have as they heal and try to get back on their feet. They are prohibited from receiving private assistance from Catholic Social Services or other licensed adoption agencies. It also precludes agencies such as Good Samaritan and Knights of Columbus from establishing scholarships, job training, or other programs to help them get back on their feet. These ladies have made one of the most difficult decisions they could ever make. We should celebrate and support the decision they made, not continue to penalize them for placing their baby for adoption. Please write an email or call the members of the Committee listed below and encourage them to support this special group of young ladies who have made one of the most courageous and difficult decisions of their lives. We need to respect them and honor them for that. Weinberg, Dan-dweinberg@centurytel.net--Moss, Lynda-LYNDAMOSS@IMT.NET---Cobb, John-cobbchar@3rivers.net---Esp, John-jesp@mcn.net---Gillan, Kim-glonky@aol.com---Murphy, Terry- no email listed---O'Neil, Jerry-ONEIL@CENTURYTEL.NET---Schmidt, Trudi--TRUDI@IN-TCH.COM---Williams, Carol- CWILLIAMS@MONTANADSL.NET Legislative Messages: 1-406-444-4800—House of Representatives mailing address:Representative name---PO Box 200400---Helena, Mt 59620-0400---Fax 1-406-444-4825 From the Justice Voices 3-18-07 DEATH PENALTY UPDATE—March 12, 2007 Thank you for all your support with the House Judiciary Committee regarding SB 306 An act to eliminate the death penalty. The committee took executive action today and voted it down 9-8. The vote was party line except for John Ward who voted for us. So it was 8 Republicans and 1 Constitutional Party against us and 7 Democrats and 1 Republican for us. It was disappointing, but it is not over. We are talking about two options. One is to propose a reconsider motion in the Committee and the other is to try to blast it out of committee from the House floor. The reconsider is one more vote than we got in committee today. The blast motion takes 60 of 100 votes. The reconsider needs one person to change their vote. As strong as the opponents seemed to be this morning, I don't know if we can get it done. But please keep the prayers going. And, send each member of the committee an email asking them to reconsider. We may not get this done today or tomorrow or even this week. That's OK. It's not limited by time at this point. Thanks for all you do. God Bless you. Moe Wosepka—Montana Catholic Conference Director. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE Diane, Rice—drice@3rivers.net—Ron Stoker—stoker@montana.com—Dave Gallik—GALLIK@IN-TCH.COM—Douglas Cordier—bede@digisys.net—Robyn Driscoll—rdriscoll@peoplepc.com—Bob Ebinger—buffalojump@ycsi.net—George Everett ixoye777@centurytel.net—Julie French—julfrench71@yahoo.com—Rick Jore — rickjore@hotmail.com—Krayton Kerns—krayton@kraytonkerns.org—Roger Koopman—koopman@imt.net---Deborah Kottel—DKOTTEL@UGF.EDU—Tom McGillvray—tmcgillvray@bresnan.net—Jesse O'Hara (no email)—Ken Peterson—kenneth59@bresnan.net—Holly Raser—repraser98@bresnan.net—John Ward— hd84ward@wmconnect.com—Legislative Messages: 1-406-444-4800—House of Representatives mailing address:Representative name---PO Box 200400---Helena, Mt 59620-0400---Fax 1-406-444-4825 From the Justice Voices 3-11-07 NETWORK, the Catholic lobby in Washington informs us that our parish action is needed now. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is intended to provide health insurance for children in families whose income is too high to provide Medicaid, but too low to afford health care. In some states children are eligible if the family income is up to 200% of the poverty threshold. Unfortunately, only about half the children who are eligible for SCHIP are actually enrolled. This is because of lack of state matching funds (through federal Block Grants), and due to insufficient administration staff to get children registered for the program. So, about 6 million poor children lack healthcare. This forces families to use the emergency room – which is far more expensive than regular physician visits. You can play a role in getting a sufficiently funded SCHIP re-authorized this year. Please contact our members of Congress and ask them to support a level of funding for the SCHIP re-authorization sufficient to cover all eligible children. The cost of this, over the next five years will be at least $60 billion above the current funding level. From the Justice Voices Ministry 3-4-07 This week, Congress begins its work on the annual budget. NETWORK asks us, as Catholics, to use Pope John Paul II’s statement in our e-mails and letters to President Bush, our Senators and Representative: "You men and women in public life, called to serve the common good, exclude no one from your concerns; take special care of the weakest sectors of society." John Paul II, World Day of Peace, 1997. Please write all three of our members of Congress and urge them to develop a federal budget for next year built on fairness, economic equity and compassion for those who struggle for economic survival. On January 31, 2007 President Bush recognized the reality of the growing gap between rich and poor in the US by saying: “Income inequality disparity is real. It’s been rising for more than 25 years.” And the question is whether we respond to the income inequality we see with policies that help lift people up, or tear others down. Unfortunately, we have to help the current Administration fulfill the President's words because his formal budget is proposing severe cuts to programs which assist low-income families to live in dignity. Among the programs targeted for cuts is the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. It currently provides a monthly bag of groceries to 440,000 low-income seniors. The programs for child care assistance have been frozen, or cut, each of the last six years. Meanwhile, parents depending on TANF as they move toward financial stability are required to work more hours per week with less educational opportunity. As these parents try to improve skills and become more independent, they find less federal assistance for child care. As a Catholic, please ask our Congressmen to adequately fund programs which guarantee sufficient food, child care and health care, adequate housing and support for education. Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry 2-18-07 Network, the Catholic Social Justice Lobby in Washington is urging us to contact Representative Rehberg and ask him to vote to oppose the escalation of troops in Iraq. Our action is needed now to coincide with the lengthy House of representatives debate on H. Con Resolution 63. This is a nonbinding resolution that simply sends the message to the administration that no further US troops should be sent to Iraq. Network considers this a very important first step towards changing U.S. policy in Iraq. Representative Rehberg’s vote is important because he belongs to the President’s political party. Only when Republicans go to the Administration and say “no more” will there be a change in policy. It is not news if the Democrats oppose the President’s plan, but it is news if the Republicans do. Please contact Representative Denny Rehberg and urge him to vote for H. Con Res 63. You can e-mail your representatives via the Network web site at: ttp://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=9366971&type=CO Justice Voices—in praise of prophets 1-28-07 Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and bred a Southerner. Yet, when he began to organize nonviolent resistance to segregationist policies that had been entrenched in the South since the Civil War, he was imprisoned, his home firebombed, and his phone tapped. Clearly, he was a prophet not accepted “in his native place” (nor in most other parts of our nation, for that matter). Yet he, like the prophet from Nazareth, was at peace with the rejection he received, even when he sensed it would lead to his early death. In his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, delivered in Memphis on April 3, 1968, a day before he was assassinated, he said this: “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind . . . . I just want to do God’s will.” Sounds a lot like Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before he died: “ . . . not as I will, but as you will.” Being a prophet may be costly, but we can thank God that there are those who are willing to pay the price. Justice Voices Ministry Be a Peacemaker Jan-18-25 Work and pray for peace and make peace pledges. Go to: www.holyspirit-butte.com & click on the Justice Voices Ministry link. Then go to the Be a Peacemaker Link and make a peace pledge. Justice Voices 1-14-07 Minimum wage, universal health care coming to the forefront The abundance symbolized in Jesus’ first miracle at Cana is to be shared and enjoyed by all in attendance. But too often in an increasingly stratified society, abundance is available only to the few who can afford it. Several political initiatives in this week’s news, however, are designed to “share the wealth” more broadly. A substantial hike in the minimum wage was slated to be one of the first acts of the new House of Representatives. Raising the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over 26 months. “For the first time in 10 years, this Congress is going to break its silence on the minimum wage,” The boost would increase paychecks for millions of janitors, fast food clerks, and other workers at the bottom of the income scale. But the Economic Policy Institute predicts the hike also would have a “trickle up” benefit by pushing wages up for millions more who earn only slightly more than the minimum wage. The minimum wage was last raised in 1997, the longest stretch without an increase since it was established in 1938. Inflation has eroded the wage’s buying power to the lowest level in about 50 years. Meanwhile in California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed extending health care coverage to all of California’s 36 million residents. A total of 6.5 million people, one-fifth of the state’s population, do not have health insurance, far more than in any other state. “This is a very significant proposal,” said Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation. “It is not just children he is talking about. It is really dealing with the whole problem of the uninsured, with concrete positions to raise revenues to pay for that coverage, and the philosophy of shared responsibility. Source: Articles by Jennifer Steinhauer for the New York Times and Jeannine Aversa for the AssociaJustice Voice Reflections for Advent 12-17-06 “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given,” Isaiah declares. As we prepare to receive the Christ child anew in this season of Advent, our faith compels us to hear the cry of all children born to us, especially those suffering from poverty. If we are to receive the Christ child fully into our hearts, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and shape our lives. In particular we are called to take on God’s passionate concern for the world’s poor and oppressed. This Advent and Christmas, let us remember with Isaiah that the Child who brings light to those “who walk in darkness, tells us that if we offer food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,” our own “light shall rise in the darkness” and our “gloom shall be like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58) Every three seconds in the developing world, a child dies of preventable disease More than 25% of children under age 5 in developing ountries are hungry 113 million children (2/3 of them girls) do not have access to primary education. What can we do Three of the most effective ways to address global poverty are through: fair trade practices among nationsreduction of the un-payable debt that keeps many countries impoverished more and better aid to poor nations.There is new hope of greater political will to end hunger and poverty. In the Catholic community, the U.S. bishops and CRS have launched the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty. At the same time, the ONE Campaign in the United States, along with the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, have engaged millions of people around the world in calling for an end to extreme poverty, hunger and disease. As Christians, we can act on our faith by responding not only through charity, but also by calling on elected officials to make genuine human development a top U.S. policy priority. Justice Voices Religious leaders urge weekend of prayer for Darfur 12-10-06 WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Religious leaders in the Save Darfur Coalition urged prayer the weekend of Dec. 9-10 to call attention to the ongoing atrocities in the Darfur region of western Sudan. "Nobody knows the exact number" of those killed in the conflict, said David Rubenstein, executive director of the coalition, although he estimated 400,000 have died in the violence. "There are people dying every day, and at risk of death every day," Rubenstein said during a Dec. 5th conference call with reporters. "They are being burned from their homes and villages." "Mostly, what they need is security," said Rubenstein, adding that "3.5 million people in total have been affected by this conflict, and the systems of survival have shut down." In a related matter, 78 religious organizations, including five Catholic groups, signed a full-page ad in the Dec. 5th issue of USA Today issuing a "call to your conscience" on Darfur. Catholic signers were the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Pax Christi USA and the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. If you wanted to teach a child something, what better way than to immerse the whole being in frequent physical, mental, and emotional action, decision-making, and excitement. Video games are great teaching tools, but can teach wrong ways for children to react to stress. This is a season of gift-giving. Our gifts are reflections of our love and care as we remember family, friends, and those in need. May our gifts be one means by which we are messengers of peace and light. Because video games are very popular gifts for children these days, it is important to recognize that many such games promote extreme violence, sexism and racism and they are being sold to children and adolescents. In this weekend’s bulletin is a prayer card created by the Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry to help raise awareness for gift-givers. If you plan to purchase video games for children, or allow children to purchase such games themselves, please do so with caution. Check the video game content descriptors on the back of the package, and read the descriptions of the game at the websites listed on the prayer card. Researchers state that 50% of the games that the industry rates as appropriate for teens (13 and over) expose children to graphic violence. In many cases, these types of video games encourage and reward players for performing acts of violence and brutality that include beating women, shooting police officers and committing racially motivated acts of violence. Games with extreme violence are labeled "M" for “mature audiences” (ages 17 and older) by the industry ratings board. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility wants to make sure retailers are following industry-created standards to prevent children’s access to violent video games. You can help through this parish ministry and by helping to choose the best games for the children in your life.
In his first encyclical letter, God is Love, Pope Benedict XVI stated that “within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life.” In our own country, 37 million Americans struggle in poverty, many despite working full-time. Within our community of believers we do make a difference—when we support the work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. CCHD is committed to helping people create permanent solutions to the problem of poverty in their community. Many families are two paychecks away from becoming poor themselves—are we overwhelmed? Paralyzed? We can make a difference. We can give a hand up to people struggling to change their lives and communities. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development supports self-help projects of poor and low-income people working together to break the cycle of poverty. We as a community of faith can help break the cycle of poverty. Please give generously to the CCHD appeal this weekend. CCHD envelopes are in your parish packet and are available at the information table in the commons. To learn more visit Holy Spirit’s web site click of Justice Voices then go to the CCHD or Poverty USA Links.
Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry "Seldom does a single candidate or party offer a consistently Catholic set of positions," says a new brochure, Voting for the Common Good: A Practical Guide for Conscientious Catholics. It provides essential considerations for Catholics who wish to vote their faith this November. It calls us to look beyond divisive politics to the fullness of our Church's teaching on a range of social issues.- from right to life and workers' wages to health care and torture. Copies may be purchased for $1, or It may be downloaded from the internet at http://thecatholicalliance.org/new/voting-guide/guide.html. A quote: "Most importantly, we need to understand that our Church’s social teachings call us to consider a broad range of important issues – on everything from poverty to war, human rights, abortion, and the environment. There is no Catholic voting formula, and there is rarely, if ever, a perfect candidate for Catholic voters. Deciding how to vote can be difficult, but it is a task we all must take seriously and prayerfully in order to be faithful citizens." By placing Catholic Social Teaching at the center of our decisions, we choose to inform our consciences, apply prudence in our choices, and vote for the Common Good. The enclosed insert of Faithful Citizenship from the National Catholic Conference contains some 50 different issues. Look it over. Or find out more by going to the Internet at: www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship.
George Lopez, a Notre Dame theologian, poses a challenge to Catholics in a recent "America" magazine. He asks if we as a nation haven’t --- unthinkingly --- adopted "Dirty Harry" ethics in foreign policy since 9/11. Using the behavior of Clint Eastwood’s loner detective, Lopez asks if we haven’t adopted Harry’s reasoning. "Since these terrorists have no code of ethics and won’t obey the law, let’s just use the law of overwhelming force.” If our own unethical behavior prevents any further terrorist attacks, then we seem to be saying it’s justified. Lopez believes that Catholics should think deeply about adopting Dirty Harry’s views. Our Catholic teaching on war begins with one of the most standard ethical restraints on war making: “the end doesn’t justify the means.” If we’ve been using torture and killing 10s of 1,000s of civilians, and claiming that these actions have prevented further 9/11s, then we have adopted Harry’s “ends justify the means” ethics. Our “go it alone” attitude and willingness to ditch “quaint rules that tie our hands,” such as the Geneva Conventions, further illustrate Dirty Harry’s ethics. Lopez writes, “These standards are fundamentally at odds with basic principles of Catholic social thought about world order and the legitimate use of force.” He urges fellow Catholics “with their tradition of internationalism to restate and reaffirm responsible principles for the use of force not only to meet the terrorist threat but also to defeat the threat of internal moral collapse represented by Dirty Harry ethics.” Want to learn more about Catholic Social Teaching? The "Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching" may be ordered for about $20 from Kathy Ward, Resource Director for the Diocese of Helena at 1-800-584-8914.
In a July issue of America, Jesuit theologian, Dennis Hamm of Creighton University, presented an understanding of passages in the Bible that appear to counsel a passive and uncritical attitude toward public officials (see Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-14) Hamm notes that the Catechism of the Catholic Church develops a mature teaching by citing Paul’s statement and then adding that the loyal collaboration of citizens with public authorities “includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their criticism of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community.” (2238) Hamm writes, “The proper respect for secular authority does not release Christians from the responsibility of engaging as faithful citizens in political action and of advocacy for justice and peace.” He notes that Pope Benedict XVI (God is Love, #29) teaches that direct engagement in political life is the responsibility of the majority of the members of the church: “The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society . . . is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the state, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity.” Justice Voices Ministry meets at 10 am on October 15 in the church conference room. Violent video games is the main focus this week. All are welcome.
With Congress adjourned, no further lobbying in Washington DC is possible until the second week in November. However, with Election Day, November 7th coming up, the Holy Spirit Social Justice Ministry encourages us all to reflect on important beliefs about society and the individual that help define our faith. In his book “Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching,” Franciscan priest Kenneth R. Himes writes, “Human beings only truly flourish in the context of a community.” Catholic teaching holds that human beings can only reach their full individual potential if they work to promote and protect the good of society as a whole. Our obligation to love our neighbor is not only an individual commitment; it requires a broader social responsibility. In 1965, the Church agreed on the following teaching: “It is imperative that no one, out of indifference to the course of events or because of inertia, would indulge in a merely individualistic morality. The best way to fulfill one's obligations of justice and love is to contribute to the common good according to one's means and the needs of others, and also to promote and help public and private organizations devoted to bettering the conditions of life.” (Gaudium et Spes, #30)
In Benedict XVI’s first encyclical, God is Love, the Pope notes that the social doctrine of the church exists “to help form consciences in political life and to stimulate greater insights into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest. (No. 28a). In keeping with this teaching and that of James’ concerning the need to combine faith with works, Network, the Catholic Social Justice lobby in Washington, is again asking us to contact Senators Burns, Baucus and Representative Rehberg in an effort to save programs that aid the youngest, poorest, and weakest of our fellow citizens from major funding cuts. They write: Passage
of the Defense Appropriations bill before the end of this month is the highest
priority of the Congressional leadership. However, in authorizing a record
amount of $448 Billion for the Pentagon, there will have to be deep cuts made in
many domestic programs. A vote cast this week for Defense Appropriations will
allow candidates for re-election to pose as strong defenders of national
security without having to vote on which domestic programs they will cut to gain
the extra billions added to this year’s Pentagon spending. It will not be until
after the November 7th
election that Congress will reconvene to make those domestic cuts, cuts in such
programs as Pell grants for low-income college students, children’s mental
health, grants to states for the homeless, community health centers, child
welfare services, and some forty or so other programs important to our national
social safety net.
In last week's readings we
were told by Jesus that we must deny ourselves and follow him (Mark 8:27-35).
The reading from James 2:14-18 clearly said of our faith that if we "do not give
them (the poor) the necessities of the body, what good is it (our faith)?" The
Holy Spirit Justice Voices Ministry asks you to combine faith with works this
week by requesting our Representative and two Senators propose and pass a
"clean" federal minimum wage bill during this short weeks left in the
congressional session. The current minimum wage bills are attached to proposals
to reduce (and almost eliminate) the estate tax. Reduction of the estate tax
would rob the general treasury of capacity to meet the needs of low-wage
workers, elderly persons, children and others who are unable to earn enough to
support themselves and their families. The minimum wage increase to $7.25 an
hour (from $5.15/hr.) would give an additional $4,368 per year to a full-time
worker making minimum wage. This would be the first increase since 1997 (the
second installment of the wage hike approved in 1996). In the same period,
Congressional salaries grew by $28,500 a year greater than they were in 1996.
And, the average salary of CEOs of S&P 500 companies rose by over 400% to $14
million per year. Please ask Representative Denny Rehberg and Senators Conrad
Burns and Max Baucus for an up or down vote on the minimum wage without any
attachments.
Reprinted from the September 16, 2005 "The Montana Catholic" Justice Voices
Who will speak if we don't? column. Butte folks, Vatican act against nuclear weapons
By Mary Kay Craig On Saturday August 6, the 60th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of civilians in Hiroshima, my husband George Waring and I crossed the line onto the Nevada Test Site and were arrested along with about 200 others. Most were women; many were sisters, priests or had another religious connection to the issue of nuclear weapons. Some arrestees were not at all religious. George and I were there as members of the Catholic peace group, Pax Christi. The Western Shoshone People, who believe they still own this land where nuclear weapons will soon be detonated underground for the first time since the 80s, smudged and blessed us before we stepped through their willow hoop to suddenly become trespassers on federal land. The Nye County Sheriff gently greeted each person. An officer pointed to the appropriate cage - "women to the right, men to the left," and we compliantly entered to find ourselves within circles of wise and wizened, singing, teaching, visiting, prisoners-of-conscience. Once the arresting officers determined that no additional people would be arriving, prisoners were taken from the cages two-by-two for processing. Actor Martin Sheen and Rabbi Waskow were among the first released so that they were able to keep other commitments. Like loaves and fishes people, we shared salted sunflowers and bottled water. A group of new-age girls learned a song from Jewish women who led a circle dance for peace. Others sang something that closely resembled Missoulian Amy Martin's song that begs Americans "Wake Up." About midnight, some proud-to-be-Anarchist women sang, "show me the way to go home," which a more somber woman advised was inappropriate given the seriousness of the issue that brought us there. One is reminded that peace activists come from all kinds of experiences and, while striving for peace, are not perfectly there. We all harbor anger we'd like to see go away. Overcoming the most vicious form of anger - institutionalized anger - is why the anti-war movement exists. In all, it took well over two hours before I was free and reentered the willow hoop to congratulatory whoops. George's return was heralded with shouts of "Go Butte!" -- a cheer we hadn't heard since last football season. By the time the last of the 69 men arrested had been processed and released, about 80 women still remained in the distaff side's 12' cyclone fence cage. (Actress Allyson Adams must be right - see her Jeanette Rankin video, "Peace is a Woman's Job.") For those who ask why in the world a couple of Butte people in their 60s would drive 800 miles to be arrested for trespassing on the Nevada Test Site, we reply that our study of the issue has created a burden - the burden of knowledge that requires we speak out. The alternative - to ignore the facts - would say we are without conscience, without voice, without obligation, and without the trust that good people will arise with us to say no to the Doomsday Machine. George and I believe the world is closer to nuclear annihilation now than it has ever been because there are not only more countries with nuclear weapons, but the weapons are increasingly more powerful. Each bomb in the U.S. arsenal has 40 times more destructive power than those that vaporized hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in 1945. We estimate the U.S. has 20 nuclear submarines on continual patrol around the world, each with between 15 to 24 nuclear missiles aboard. Right here in Montana there are 200 Minuteman III missiles in silos dotting pleasant ranchland scenes. But we're not alone in our concerns. In May the Vatican issued a new position paper on the nuclear threat condemning the building and storing of nuclear weapons. This is a major change from its position in the 1980s when it reluctantly supported a policy of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War as a means to maintain peace. The U.S. has new nuclear policies. Underground explosions of Plutonium bombs are to begin again soon, even though illegal under treaties we've signed. And this year the U.S. adopted a "first use" policy for nuclear weapons in war. Along with "no negotiation" policies and our use of preventive war, the odds obviously increase for a no body left-behind scenario for our planet. Benedictine sister Joan Chittister said, "It is an irreparable burden to be without conscience. To live at a moment of time when my country is capable of annihilating the planet and make no attempt to say no is to be weighed down in soul." Trying to convince people to wakeup, she names the evil, saying, "to live in a nuclear world and never say a word against it is to live in a bubble of arrogance and hate. And arrogance and hate are the worst kind of pollution. Arrogance poisons reality and hate poisons life." There is something all citizens can do right now. Call and ask Rep. Dennis Rehberg to support House Resolution 373, the Woolsey Resolution, which may soon be voted on in Congress. This resolution calls on the President to inform Congress and the Secretary General of the United Nations what steps the administration is taking to implement UN resolutions on Nuclear Non-Proliferation. The resolution asks the administration to fulfill nuclear disarmament obligations undertaken in the 1990s. Finally, it asks the administration to declare that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons. Until all nuclear weapons can be eliminated, the resolution asks that the US Government use its nuclear weapons only to deter a nuclear attack. While the discernment George and I did prior to taking this civil disobedience action was serious, we were released after only a couple of hours and the fine levied may be forgiven. Perhaps the Western Shoshone people had something to do with that. They provided permits for us line-crossers to walk on their land. The permit states the land is theirs "from time immemorial." When you decide to do something a bit counter-cultural by today's standards, it is really great to know that it has the blessing of ancient people of conscience who will never buy into today's cultural passivity, a deadly silence of complicity.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Holy Spirit Social Justice Coordinator Mary Kay Craig, a tireless peace and human rights activist, will be honored Friday with a state-level Amnesty International award. Craig will receive the Montana Human Rights Award, which state Amnesty International members plan to present annually to honor Montanans who work with the group. Organizers said there's no one better than Craig to receive the inaugural award. "She's very enthusiastic and has lots of energy," said Eve Malo of Dillon, an Amnesty International member who has known Craig for several years. "I've never seen her depressed. She's always up and really eager to be involved. ""The one thing about Mary Kay is she's never afraid to be the first person out there," said fellow activist Marian Jensen of Butte, who has known Craig through various events since moving here in 1999."She's a wonderful person and very brave to take on all the work that she does in the political climate that we are in this country today," said another social activist, Noorjahan Parwana of Butte, who has known Craig for eight years. "This award is a recognition of a lifetime achievement and recognition of selfless concern for others. "Craig, a bit embarrassed by all the attention, said hundreds of others also have worked on the programs and missions close to her heart, but said she's glad to see the work and the causes being recognized. For Craig, 62, working for social justice is both a calling and a full-time occupation. When she received her public policy degree in 1999, Craig and her husband George Waring sat down and decided her work was valuable enough to forgo a second salary. Waring is a professor at Montana Tech while Craig works on everything from entering a peace float in the Fourth of July Parade and campaign finance reform to speaking out against violent video games. Prior to returning to her hometown, Craig worked in advertising and marketing both on her own and with large corporations. She returned to Butte in 1990, and met Waring, whom she married in 1996, while organizing supporters concerned about the rising water level in the Berkeley Pit.Craig and Waring both belong to the Sisters of Charity's Blessed Virgin Mary group that works with the nuns for social change. They also helped organize Butte's Taking Action for Peaceful Solutions, which has organized everything from peace vigils to the peace cairn effort at Broadway and Washington. The group recently won approval from the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners to make the lot a peace park. Craig's activism dates to her childhood, when at the age of 10 she handed out leaflets at Park and Main for the retail clerks union. Since then she's been involved in causes ranging from ending the death penalty to environmental justice. She's held picket signs and considered civil disobedience acts, but also was surprised this summer on the peace float at how just reminding others about the importance of peace can bring people together. Craig says she keeps going, despite the long hours and hard work, because "you always have to have hope ."Jensen said that's exactly what this award will give others ."I've seen her tired and feeling like only a handful of people support her and yet she kept going," Jensen said. "And this gives her recognition for that effort and I'm hopeful it will inspire other people, young people, to see that one person working alone or in a small group can make a difference.
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November 12th---Butte Catholics can help Japanese Catholics in their
efforts to keep the country's constitution from changes that would once again
allow war. On a recent visit to the U.S., Japanese Bishop Michael Goro Matsuura
of Osaka, president of the Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, asked
U.S. Catholics for help to prevent Japan from abandoning its post-World War II
commitment as a non-aggressive power. He said efforts are being made within the
U.S. to pressure Japan to remove a peace clause from its constitution. Their
Article 9 states in part, "Land, sea and air forces, as well as other war
potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will
not be recognized." Bishop Matsuura believes the U.S. government wants the
nonaggression clause removed so that the Japanese may be "integrated into the
U.S. military machine." He said the U.S. currently has 135 U.S. military bases,
36,000 troops and 500 cruise missiles in Japan. In 2003, Japanese troops went to
Iraq "with an objective only of humanitarian aid," he said. In three years, not
one Japanese soldier was killed, nor were others killed by the Japanese.
"Because of Article 9, Japan has not been involved in any war for 60 years.
Japan as a state has not killed a single combatant nor has any member of the
[Self Defense Forces] been killed." Both the Japanese Conference of Major
Superiors and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan are behind the effort to
save Article 9. Matsuura hopes U.S. Catholics will write to their U.S.
Congressmen, asking that they help deflect the pressure being applied to change
Japan's Constitution. "To resist the force that imposes violence as a way to
organize human society is a duty for all of us committed to peace and
nonviolence," Bishop Matsuura said.
Raise
the minimum wage? "November 5th
