The Knights Line. In Memoriam

Transcription

1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS The Holy Family Council 9236 Blessed Theodore G. Romzha Assembly 2279 P.O. Box 1391 Windermere, FL The Knights Line MAIL TO: DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DO NOT DELAY Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No Orlando, Florida RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED THE HOLY FAMILY WEB SITE - VOLUME 16, No. 3 March 2010 Health Care, Politicians and the Catholic Conscience 1/1/2010 A troubling new development has appeared in American politics. For decades, Americans have been subjected to the arguments of certain Catholic politicians who argued that while personally opposed to unjust policies like abortion, they were nonetheless unwilling to impose that view on the rest of the country. This argument is Carl A. Anderson disingenuous, premised on the fact that somehow a Catholic conscience has to be put aside in the public square. Now, the very people who argued that they couldn t bring their private conscience into a secular public square are poised to use the law to impose a particular view on others. By working and voting to include abortion coverage in health care legislation, several Catholic politicians stand to be the deciding votes in forcing their fellow Catholics to fund abortion through tax dollars. While professing that they cannot impose their consciences on anyone else, these politicians seem to have little hesitation about imposing an immoral political view one they claim to oppose in principle on the consciences of Catholic citizens. Catholic politicians willing to forsake their consciences have come a long way from the legacy of the highest profile Catholic statesman in U.S. history, fellow Knight John F. Kennedy, who while (Continued on Page 2) In Memoriam The Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 9236 and Blessed Bishop Theodore G. Romzha Assembly 2279 wish to extend their deepest sympathy to the family of Sir Knight Larry Gates who passed away on February 6, Grant, O Lord, eternal rest to the soul of your departed servant Larry and remember him forever. Council - council9236@me.com Assembly - romzha@me.com

2 Dear Brother Knights, As I write this report it is the day prior to the 3rd Degree Exemplification that Dan Buckley and John Conley, are two most recent 2nd degree members will be attending. However, I will not be able to attend this most important of events because the Regional Free Throw contest is being held at the same time. I cannot fully express how proud I am of both of these men and our Council and District Boys and Girls champions. We will be starting the Tootsie Roll Drive in the next few weeks. When you receive a call to help this most important effort, please respond in a positive manner. During this season of Lent as we look with anticipation toward the Celebration of Easter please keep our Council, clergy, St Andrew s and St. Nicholas parishes in your prayers. We often forget that prayer is the most important tool that we have to effect positive change. Take the opportunity to ask a practical Catholic man that you know to join our Council. Vivat Jesus Jeff Jones, GK Grand Knight s Report happy birthday! To all brother Knights who were born during the month of March some years ago: Elmer W. Carrier Cecil Cheney, Jr. Edward Fitzgerald Charles B. Hall Amine T. Harb Otis Hester Stanlet J. Mikalonas III Lavor J Miles (Continued from Page 1) discussing his role as a Catholic and candidate for president said: If the time should ever come and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same. While some might consider that Catholic politicians have disagreed with the public policy recommendations of their bishops in a variety of areas, the key point is this: many issues are prudential and open to reasonable disagreement, but the inalienable right to life in the context of abortion is not it is fundamental, and it may not be compromised. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI noted about Catholic politicians in 2004: not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion. He continued: While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion. Catholic politicians must now consider the effect of national legislation mandating Catholic cooperation in abortion. In his famous pro-life encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II 2 wrote: The passing of unjust laws often raises difficult problems of conscience for morally upright people with regard to the issue of cooperation, since they have a right to demand not to be forced to take part in morally evil actions. He said further: Christians, like all people of good will, are called upon under grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it (74). It is doubly ironic that a law that would force millions to violate their conscience by paying their taxes and would entangle thousands of Catholic physicians, nurses, hospitals and charities in the evil of abortion is being considered at precisely a time when the majority of Americans, in greater and greater numbers, identify themselves as pro-life. Catholic public officials in Washington have the power to prevent this moral tragedy from happening. They should not hesitate to do so. Vivat Jesus! CONGRATULATIONS! KNIGHT of the MONTH for February Otis Hester FAMILY of the MONTH for February Family of Jeffrey Jones BLESSED BISHOP ROMZHA ASSEMBLY OFFICERS Faithful Navigator Henry Abbott Faithful Captain Jeffrey Jones Faithful Admiral Don Kahrer Faithful Pilot Donald Abate Faithful Comptroller Michael Krochmalni Faithful Purser Eugene Hawk Faithful Scribe Peter Shine Faithful Friar Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee John Long Yr Trustee Michael Crawford Yr Trustee Vincent Samosky To request Honor Guard please contact the Faithful Navigator THE HOLY FAMILY COUNCIL OFFICERS Grand Knight Jeffrey Jones Deputy Grand Knight Joseph Chenette Warden Tommy Tate Chancellor Allison Anthony Financial Secretary Michael Krochmalni Treasurer Eugene Hawk Recorder Michael MacMenamin Advocate Dan Buckley Chaplain Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee Alan Spears Yr Trustee Otis Hester Yr Trustee Donald Abate Insurance Agent Alvin T. Smith, Sr District Deputy John Forster

3 About the Bible by Fr. D.W. Martin, C.M. PART 5 TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE About the third century after Christ, as the Church became more widespread among those who spoke only Latin in the West and only Syriac in the East, translations into these languages were used alongside the official Greek Bible of the early Church. These translations, however, were carefully watched over by the Church, whose mission is to safeguard her members against translations that would betray the meaning of God as contained in the Scriptures. Just as the New Testament Scriptures were being gathered by the Church during these centuries and were being judged first of all by their conformity to the teaching of the living Church, the translations of the accepted Scriptures also had to measure up to this same norm. As the Church spread into newer regions of the world and came into contact with newer or different languages, the Bible was translated into these also. The barbarian invasion of Europe in the early Christian centuries produced tremendous changes not only in political organization but also in culture and language. The Latin language was gradually supplanted by newer languages that developed out of the Latin. In Northern Europe and Britain, newer Germanic languages developed. It took centuries before these newer languages came to stable literary forms which could be the basis of lasting books. This was a period that had not seen the printing press, the easy means of communication between different regions, and still less the modern inventions of radio and television. As in ancient times, most of the people of those times could not have read a Bible, no matter what language it was written in. Those who could read anything at all could generally read Latin. And yet, there were numerous sections of the Bible translated into the shifting languages of the day for the benefit of those who might be able to read them. For those who could not read, the stained glass windows of their churches provided pictorial explanations of the events of the Bible. In addition to this, they were instructed through the miracle plays, through the preaching of the Church, through the dramatic actions of the Sacraments and Holy Mass, and through their prayers which taught them as well as expressed their needs and hopes. It was not unusual in those times for men to learn the whole book of the Psalms by heart, as well as large sections of other parts of the Bible. In our present circumstances, we have a hard time realizing what our civilization would be like without the printed word if the only reproduction of books were by the laborious process of copying word by word. The abundance of writing material that we rarely think about simply was lacking in those times. The ease of buying a book with the earnings of a few minutes or an hour makes us unaware that only the very wealthy could afford to buy any book in medieval times. The myth of the chained Bible shows how far we can misunderstand those times. Yes, there were chained Bibles. But they were not chained shut. They were chained to a reading stand so that no one could carry away this precious source of teaching which was for the benefit of all. Chained telephone directories in public places are chained for the same reason the Bible was so that all can have their use. In the light of these things, then, you can appreciate the care and love of the Church in providing for the copying of the Bible. Every monastery in medieval times had its writing room, where copies of the Bible were copied out by hand, sometimes on the most costly materials, so that these copies would be always available for those who could appreciate them and benefit by them. PROPER USE OF THE BIBLE The main problem, then, is not just having the Bible, but also profiting by its use. This should not be hard for anyone of us to understand. Our lives are surrounded by gifts of God, everywhere we look. Our own life itself is a gift from God. Yet, we don t have to look far to see how these gifts of God are constantly misused. The Bible is one of the greatest of God s gifts. But the fact that the Bible is God s gift does not automatically mean that everyone is going to make good use of it. Misuse of the Bible is at least as old as Christianity itself. For St. Peter writes of St. Paul s epistles: In these epistles there are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort, just as they do the other Scriptures also, to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16). The Bible is a religious book, one which teaches man how God acts with man and in man for his salvation. Since it is a record of God s dealings with His people in the past, it reflects the times and customs of these men. But it is not, as we have pointed out, simply a history of civilization. We have noted also the startling differences of the times in which these men lived, the language which they spoke, the customs which they followed. God used men of those times, living by those customs to state the truth of what He was doing through His own people. Hence, to understand the Bible profitably, it must be read with a view of understanding how the life of each man in the Church must be lived as manifesting in every action of his day the truth of God Whom he worships. Likewise, to understand the Bible fully, it must be read according to the ideas and ways of speaking in ancient times. Records, for instance, carried by word of tradition for centuries will have different characteristics from records of current events which you read in the daily newspaper. In those days, men didn t encumber their memory with details that had no meaning for their daily living. They were concerned first of all about God s dealings with them among their own people; what He was doing elsewhere would not help them to understand their own religious obligations to God. It is a gathering of the teachings of the people of God regarding their own lives. Some of these teachings were in simple narrative form. Others were in the form of customary laws. Others still were either stories told to explain a situation or perhaps poetic compositions which delight in exaggeration and startling contrasts. Sometimes fables were told to teach a lesson, just as we do with children. Language was taken from the religions of surrounding peoples who did not know the true God, and this language was used to show that the true God was all the false god pretended to be and infinitely more. Surely, the preaching of Jesus did not in any way deny the truth of God as revealed in previous times. But it did lead men to 3 (Continued on Page 4)

4 (Continued from Page 3) understand the profound realities that God had been referring to in those times. You might come to the conclusion that the Bible is meaningless for the bulk of mankind. But that would be going too far. It is God s written message to mankind; and His word will not return to Him empty, no more than the word of creation was simply an echo in empty space. He has spoken to men in ancient times to give them a dignity that is beyond any that man could possibly dream of: to be the living image of the truth of God in the world. These messages to men, God later put into writings that were His own writings, and entrusted these to the group which He had founded as His Kingdom on earth. Other men, not of that Kingdom, would be able to read the truth of God as lived in the lives of the members of His Church, and thus understand His written word. BENEFITS OF READING THE BIBLE The reading of the Bible, therefore, will lead you to a keener understanding of the nature of God s work among men. It will teach you that God is not afar off, speaking to men through the pages of a book that most men could not have read. Rather, He speaks to others through you and your loyalty to Him if you don t count the cost. You will read the pages of the Bible to see the living examples of the teachings which the Church sets before you. You will know that the Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, leading it to all truth. Hence, if some passage of Scripture seems to say to you something that is contrary to the teaching of the Church, you will know that you have misunderstood it. There are many passages of the Bible that still puzzle even scholars. But through the teaching of the living Church, they know at least some things that these passages cannot be saying. Otherwise, God could have made a mistake in one place or the other; or He would have abandoned that very institution which He brought into the world as the living pillar of truth. Neither of these is at all possible. What is possible is that we do not know all things; there are many things which you might know right now that would be of practically or absolutely no value in your relation to God. But when you look at the immensity of the truths proposed by God through the Bible, you ought not be disappointed to admit that they must be beyond you in all the wealth of their meaning. Secondly, you will read the Bible as it was directed to the people of its own time in the Church. What He said through them is what He says to us. Reading into the Bible curious statements about modern times and political situations that have no relation to salvation is the most fundamental and basic mistake. What the Bible must mean to us is what it meant to the men of those times; nothing different. From these truths, the Church will draw many applications to prevent conditions through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Or we ourselves may draw conclusions of this kind; but in our case, we have to admit candidly that we are neither infallible nor all-knowing. God guaranteed that His work and His teaching through His people will not fail. But He has not guaranteed that each individual will know all things with certainty. DAILY READING RECOMMENDED You should therefore undertake to read the Bible day by day. If you can do so, read it out loud. You don t need to set out to read as much as possible at once; rather, read what you can thoroughly grasp as applying in some way to your own life. It may even be pos- 4 sible to read passages with someone else; this, too, is of great value because you have the benefit of their understanding as well as your own. A slow and thoughtful reading of the passages of the Gospels and of the Acts of the Apostles will be unquestionably of value if it is done in the proper spirit. And what is this proper spirit? It is the earnest and unflagging desire to draw closer and closer to God. You are first of all using the Bible as the word of God to you. God is your Savior. He wants you to live in peace with Him and with others for His sake. He wants you to live the truth of His revelation not only in church, but in the shop, in the home, in matters concerning our nation and other nations. Knowing that you don t know everything about the Bible, you won t be afraid to admit that certain passages are puzzling. But that will not discourage you from reading further, where other passages will open your heart to the light of the Holy Spirit. This desire to know God, joined with the effort to practice His truth day by day, will bring you to realize the truth of the saying of Jesus: If anyone desires to do his will, he will know of the teaching whether it is of God (John 7:17). The Sacraments of Healing by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori Through the sacraments of penance and anointing of the sick, the Church continues Christ s healing ministry The 24th installment of Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori s faith formation program addresses questions of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. When he walked the earth, Jesus forgave sins and healed those who were ill. He often linked the forgiveness of sins and physical healing, as in the case of the paralytic whose cure is recounted in the second chapter of Mark s Gospel. At other times, Jesus forgiveness was not linked to a physical cure. In the eighth chapter of John s Gospel, for example, we read how Jesus forgave a woman caught in adultery. Because he forgives sin and heals sickness, we rightly call Jesus the Divine Physician. Rejoicing and giving thanks, the Church continues the Lord s work of forgiving and healing through the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick (Compendium, 295). SEEKING FORGIVENESS The sacrament of penance goes by several names: reconciliation, confession, or the sacrament of forgiveness or conversion. These names highlight various aspects of the sacrament: It reconciles us to God and to the Church; it brings us God s forgiveness; it is how we acknowledge our sins and repent; and it is a powerful means of conversion (296). The experience of our imperfection readily illustrates why the Lord gave us this sacrament on that first Easter evening (298). Although baptism gives us a new life of grace, a tendency toward sin, called concupiscence, remains as a result of the Fall. Mortal sin separates us from God and damages our relationship with the Church. And venial sin, while not destroying our friendship with God, weakens our relationship with him and with others. Through the Church and her ministry of reconciliation, Christ s call to lifelong conversion is (Continued on Page 5)

5 (Continued from Page 4) addressed to the baptized (297, 299). Although the season of Lent focuses on the need for repentance, our daily lives should always be marked by genuine sorrow for our sins. We manifest a contrite and humble heart when we fast, pray and give to those in need (cf. Ps. 51:17). If we commit a mortal sin, we are obliged to go to confession before receiving holy Communion (Compendium, 305). Strictly speaking, we are not obliged to confess venial sins. Nonetheless, we should regularly confess even our venial sins sometimes called devotional confession in order to resist temptation and grow in virtue (306). Sometimes, people hesitate to go to confession because they have forgotten how to do so. Thankfully, the Knights of Columbus publishes a step-by-step guide to the sacrament. There are several things that we, as penitents, must do: make a careful examination of conscience, based on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes; make a sincere act of contrition; confess our sins to a priest all mortal sins not yet confessed as well as venial sins; and fulfill the acts of penance that the confessor assigns ( ). Note that contrition is perfect when it is motivated only by love of God; it is imperfect if fear of just punishment is the motivation. Contrition also includes a firm resolve not to sin again and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Since Christ entrusted the power to forgive sins to the Apostles and their successors, only a bishop or priest can hear confessions. Bishops and priests act in the person of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to grant the Father s forgiveness (307). Bound to absolute secrecy, they listen attentively and help penitents open their hearts to the Lord s mercy, amend their lives and grow in discipleship (309). A confessor can offer general absolution only in cases of serious necessity such as impending death or some grave emergency (311). As the sacrament of penance brings about the forgiveness of our sins, we are reconciled with God and the Church. The eternal punishment due to mortal sin is remitted, and some of the temporal punishment due to sin is taken away. Temporal punishment is further remitted through prayers and good works to which indulgences are attached (312). This sacrament also brings us peace, serenity, joy and strength for living the Gospel. HEALING THE SICK We now turn to the second sacrament of healing: anointing of the sick. As he healed the sick, Jesus showed that he was ushering in the kingdom of God and its victory over sin, suffering and death. The Church continues the Lord s compassionate care for the sick and dying in many ways. In many parts of the world, the Church is the largest provider of medical services through its hospitals and clinics. Through anointing of the sick, celebrated only by a bishop or a priest, the Church ministers in the Lord s name to those in danger of death or those who begin to be in danger of death because of sickness or old age ( ). In the Latin rite, this sacrament is celebrated by anointing the sick person with oil on the forehead and hands. In all cases, a prayer accompanies the anointing (cf. James 5:14-15; Compendium, 318). If possible, the person suffering from serious illness should go to confession prior to being anointed (316). The sacrament of anointing unites the sick person more closely to the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, and contributes to the salvation of the patient and to the good of the whole Church. This sacrament also provides comfort, consolation, serenity and courage to patients in their suffering. If the sick person is unable to go to confession, this sacrament brings about the forgiveness of sins. If it is God s will, it can also restore a sick person to health. In every case, this sacrament prepares the recipient for everlasting life (319). As we thank God for the gift of these two sacraments, may we pray for our own conversion and for the conversion of sinners everywhere. May we also pray for those who are seriously ill, especially those who have asked for our prayers. Blessed Bishop Theodore G. Romzha Assembly # 2279 Spaghetti Dinner Saturday March 27th, :00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. St Nicholas Catholic Church 5135 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL Holy Gifts for the Holy By Archpriest David M. Petras, S.E.O.D $8.00 per Person $15.00 per Couple $20.00 per Family Max Spaghetti, Meatball, Salad, Bread, Dessert Reservations and Information: Mike Crawford Baronmc102@cs.com When we have prepared by prayer as well as we humanly can for the reception of Communion, the priest then invites us to receive with the words, Holy gifts for the holy. The original Greek here is much simpler, reading simply The holy to the holy, which means, What is holy to those who are holy. I find it always interesting that the more ancient a liturgical text is, the more succinct and dense it is. Only later do we have a passion to get very elaborate. It is also interesting that, while the deacon does most of the liturgical direction and invitation, here it is the priest that issues the invitation to the assembly, indicating that this phrase is very ancient, going back to a time when the roles in ritual were not yet so clearly delineated. With this phrase, then, we enter into the mystery of me holy. We have affirmed this many times during the Liturgy. We sang that God is holy, holy and mighty, holy and immortal. In the anaphora, we professed that God is three times holy by singing the Hymn of Victory: holy, holy, holy... Our faith in the holiness of God means that we are aware that He is entirely other than us. The author of The Divine Names wrote that God is mind beyond minds, (Continued on Page 5) 5

6 (Continued from Page 5) word beyond speech... as no other being is. God is the cause of all existence, and therefore transcending existence (1,1). God revealed himself to Moses by saying, my face you cannot see, for no man sees me and still lives (Ex 33:20). It is impossible for us to approach God in any way, to understand Him with our finite minds, to be worthy of Him by any merit or effort of our own. Yet this same God has come and dwelt among us, and in Jesus our Lord He revealed himself to us and has let us see His face, the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being (Heb 1:3). We can approach God only because He has come to us, as The Divine Names instructs us, we must not dare to apply words or conceptions to this hidden transcendent God. We can use only what Scripture has disclosed (1,2). Yet at every Communion, we are invited into the presence of the holy, and to partake of the very Body and Blood of our Lord himself. This is so only because of the incomprehensible mercy and love of God for us. His beloved creatures. This is ultimately what every Liturgy is about. What are the holy gifts? The original Greek only says Holy things, but this very clearly refers to the gifts of bread and wine that we have offered, and that the Holy Spirit has made the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, now given by God as a gift to us. Who are the holy people? Again, the Greek says only, those who are holy, but again refers clearly to those about to receive the gifts of Christ s Body and Blood. Can we conclude from this that only those who are saints may receive Communion, and that most of us are unworthy? St. Paul warns, Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup unworthily sins against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor 11:27). Indeed, we should receive Holy Communion with a sense of unworthiness, and with a spirit of wonder and reverence that God would consider us worthy of so great a gift. However, we must not allow ourselves to refuse the gift, for this would be weakness, a failure to enter into the relationship with God that He has commanded of us and invited us to in His infinite wisdom and love. Therefore, the deacon s invitation is in the form of a command, Approach... and he adds with the fear of God and with faith. We must come forward with great reverence but if we do not accept the invitation, we do not have the commitment of faith needed for salvation. That is why Jesus teaches us, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you (Jn 6:53). The phrase for the holy, must have some meaning, though. It cannot mean that everyone can receive Communion. Some may come forward but others may not. An early noncanonical work gives the most probable explanation, But let no one eat or drink from your Eucharist except those who are baptized in the Lord s name, for the Lord also has spoken concerning this: Do not give what is holy to dogs (Matthew 7:6), (Didache 9,5). This seems to be a way of referring to baptism. To approach the Eucharist unworthily means to receive without baptism. The authentic response to this unworthiness, then, would not be to reject Communion, but to receive baptism, if we have not yet. This is also an indication that in the very early church, the non-baptized were permitted to be present at the Eucharist, but could not receive. It is also true for the baptized that certain great sins make us unworthy of Communion, because they have stained our baptisms, destroying our life in Christ. To remedy this, we must first accept the rite of confession and penance, which the fathers called the second baptism. Therefore, it is the baptized members of the Church whom St. Paul often refers to as saints, Holy ones. Nicholas Cabasilas explains, Those whom the priest calls holy are not only those who have attained perfection, but those also who are striving for it without having yet obtained it... It is in this sense that the whole Church is called holy, and that the Apostle, writing to the Christian people as a whole, says to them, Holy brethren, partakers 6 Why the Our Father is a Pro-life Prayer (Part 2) Fr. Frank Pavone National Director, Priests for Life Each line of the Lord s Prayer gives us insight as to why we are pro-life. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Union with the will of God is the heart of salvation and the essence of holiness. It is also the cornerstone of the culture of life. To say, thy will be done is the opposite of saying, my will be done; it s all up to my choice. When we see a child living in the womb, we see the will of God. The Lord never makes human beings by accident. Each child exists precisely because God wants that child to exist, no matter what the circumstances surrounding his or her existence. When we say Thy will be done, we are expressing confidence that because God says yes to the child, so can we. He will give us all the strength we need to follow his plan. We pray, furthermore, that his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, the angels and saints are perfectly united with God because they see him as he is. One who sees God face to face cannot sin, because it is unmistakably clear that there is no good that surpasses God himself. Many acknowledge God and yet go ahead and abort their children, because here on earth, our vision is clouded and imperfect. Hence in the Lord s Prayer we ask that we not be misled to think that anything good can come from offending God. Give us this day our daily bread. We ask the Father for the provisions we need each day to live and to serve him. We ask him for the spiritual strength to resist the temptations that will certainly come our way, and for the grace to advance his Kingdom. This also means we are praying for the graces we need to advance the protection of human life. We may be tempted to compromise with the culture of death. We ask for the daily bread of strength to defend life, to speak up for the helpless, to intervene to save the weak. We pray also that those tempted to abort their children because of economic reasons may experience the help of God s people, the daily bread of their generosity. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We are asking the Lord to use us as an example of how readily and generously he should forgive our sins. He is more eager to forgive our sins than we are. This should not only give us confidence, but should help us inspire confidence in those who despair. One of the hardest sins to confess is abortion. And even there, the Lord is ready to pour out his mercy on those who repent. of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1), (Commentary 36:1-5). Our response to this invitation is the hymn, One is holy. One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. This is a popular acclamation, taken from the Great Doxology, which may be translated literally, One holy! One Lord, Jesus Christ! Such acclamations were popular in ancient times. The holy things were the body and blood of Christ, so it is natural that the faithful would shout out that only Christ was holy. The response itself is like a commentary on 1 Corinthians 8:6: For although there may be so-called gods in heaven, or on earth... yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, (Continued on Page 7)

7 Gentlemen: REPORT FROM OUR SPONSORS CORNER INSUR ANCE AGENT George Fencik Ron & Ellie Indelicato Presenting Alvin T Smith, Sr., LUTCF, CLTC I am pleased to announce the appointment of Alvin T. Smith, Sr., LUTCF, CLTC as the newest Supreme Council Representative for your council. Al takes the place of George P. Chandler, FICF, who is transferring to a different area that was previously serviced by Larry W. Smith, LUTCF, PGK. Larry has retired from the Order as a Field Agent but will remain active as the Aun Agency Recruiting Specialist. Al Smith is a veteran with 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, all with top quality companies. Al s current contact data is: Alvin T. Smith, Sr., LUTCF, CLTC alsmithsr@bellsouth.net Cell: (321) <> Home: (407) South Lake Orlando Parkway Orlando, Florida Fraternally yours, Michael A. Aun, FIC, LUTCF, CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame General Agent <> Knights of Columbus Insurance Nancy & Robert Robitaille John Cheney, Sr. Thomas & Gerri Prebee Donald & Bobbie Abate Peter Shine Jane & Jeffrey Jones William Busk Pat & Joseph Chenette Donald T. Kahrer, Jr. Florida State Council Knights Of Columbus State Warden Daniel Buckley John Robertson Andrew Verba Edward & Joan Fitzgerald A. Thomas Caufield John & Marlene Conley Robert & Lucille Urrutia Henry & Sherry Abbott Phone: (407) cmkdtk1@embarqmail.com 829 Grovesmere Loop Ocoee, FL Office: 2901 East Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Suite D, Kissimmee, Florida Mail: PO Drawer , St. Cloud, Florida Michael.Aun@KofC.Org - Home Office - Web Site (407) Office (407) Fax (800) Toll Free (Continued from Page 6) through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Again, the best commentary on the hymn is by Nicholas Cabasilas: When the priest says: Holy things for the holy, the faithful reply: One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, in the glory of God the Father. For no one has holiness of himself; it is not the consequence of human virtue, but comes to all from Him and through Him. It is as if we were to place mirrors beneath the sun; each would shine, and send forth rays of light, so that one would think there were many suns; yet in truth there is but one sun which shines in all; just so Christ, the only Holy One, pours himself forth upon the faithful, shines in so many souls, and gives light to many saints; yet He alone is holy, in the glory of the Father (Commentary 36, 5). For all your religious supplies and icons - Come visit our council website at and follow the link shown below 7

8 Dates to Remember MARCH :30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Friday 19 All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter Wednesday Thursday Saturday APRIL ST. PATRICK s DAY 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION 27 Assembly Spaghetti Dinner 6:00 PM-St. Nicholas 29 FOUNDER s DAY 28 PALM SUNDAY Friday 2 GOOD FRIDAY 12 7:30 P.M. Assembly business meeting 26 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting MAY Wednesday Friday Saturday THE ANNUNCIATION EASTER All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter MOTHER S DAY 10 7:30 P.M. Assembly business meeting (Officer Elections) 19 All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter FEAST OF THE ASCENSION PENTECOST 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting STATE CONVENTION - ORLANDO STATE CONVENTION - ORLANDO STATE CONVENTION - ORLANDO MEMORIAL DAY PALM SUNDAY If anyone knows of a member or family member that should be listed in our Pray For column please contact Michael P. Krochmalni at so that we can add their names. You can send this information by mail to: Michael P. Krochmalni 2207 Viento St. Orlando, FL or to: council9236@me.com Pray For Jeanne Zens Helen Obuch Mary Jane Spencer Thomas Prebee Anna Kocur Dennis Forza Norman Bartley Donald Abate 8 John Wisdo Sandy Moore Henry Dugan Larry & Minnie Gates Lois Swirderski Luiz & Juanita Ortega Vincent Samosky Josie Johnson Eugene & Shirley Hawk George Chandler SK Donald Whiting Lynne Kuzma Leo Chenette Jerry Chenette Bobbie Abate