Opinions

News About St. Baldrick’s Event From Event Coordinator Dan Colantuono

Welcome to the 17th annual St. Baldrick's event hosted by the Franklin Park Fire Department. As past shavees, volunteers, barbers, and attendees I would like to thank you for reading this message. Our committee cordially invites you to attend our 17th annual event on Friday, March 3 at North Park in Franklin Park. I am very hopeful that you will be willing to be a part of our event once again this year.

Please visit stbaldricks.org/events/ mypage/17/2023 to get registered NOW.

As you all know, change can happen very quickly and sometimes life throws you a curveball or two.

Unfortunately, about 2 weeks ago, we heard from Avalon Banquets that they were shuttering their doors as the building has been sold and will be torn down. So, for the second time, after we all delt with Covid for the last couple of years, we once again did not have a venue. However, we have been lucky enough to secure the park district building (North Park) across the street from our firehouse. For those that have been with us since the beginning in 2007, we are going home to our roots, where it all began all those years ago.

And now the other bit of news... after 19 years of being involved with this organization, 17 years with our event, and 14 years of being the lead organizer, this will be my last event (#15) as the lead organizer. I have hoped for a number of years to mentor someone from our fire department to take the lead and become the lead organizer, but that has not been successful. So, unless something changes, this will be the last St. Baldrick's event hosted by the Franklin Park Fire Department. I am hoping all of you will join us as we celebrate, remember, and honor your children and all we have accomplished as a group. I believe we have all made a change for the better in this world while involved with this amazing organization.

We are not certain as to what our event will look like as the venue is much smaller than in past years. The committee is working hard to figure out what the event will look like and whether we will be incorporating a combination of in-person as well as a virtual live streaming of the event. More details to come as we figure them all out.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Until there is a cure... Dan Colantuono and your St. Baldrick's committee

The Rock of Faith

BY FATHER ROBERT SCHULTZ

Whenever a new calendar year begins (hello, 2023), there are always some people who are quite happy to see the old year depart and welcome in the new year. The expectation here is that things will be better in the new year. Of course, we know that this is not always the case. For example, many people were excited to usher in the year 2020 (perhaps because that number just sounded cool), but would anyone argue that 2020 was better than 2019, given the Covid pandemic that we all experienced?

So, sometimes a new year has better things in store for us, and sometimes not. And if you are a person of faith, my question is: What role does your faith play in your life when things are going well, and when they’re not going well? Now, you might think that I want to focus on the importance of faith when things do not go well in life. But actually, what I want to address is the other side of the spectrum: The role of faith when your life is going well.

You see, many of us know that it can be hard to have faith in God when things are not going well in life – when our health is not good, we lose a loved one, we lose a job, we watch loved ones struggling in their lives, or our plans in life are basically not working out the way we want them to. It can be difficult to have faith in those times, as we ask, “Where is God when I need Him?”

But as hard as it might be to have faith during times of suffering, I would say that it can also be quite difficult (and maybe even more difficult) to have faith when everything is going well. Why? Because when things are going well, do we think about God as much? Perhaps we might think that we don’t really need God when life is going

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smoothly. I’m not saying that we consciously ignore Him, but if we’re honest, isn’t it easy to simply not think about God as much when don’t have any pressing concerns that we need to bring to Him? Whether we realize it or not, our faith might take more of a back seat when life is going well.

So, perhaps it’s actually harder to have faith during the high points of life, not the low points. There’s an old aphorism that says, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” which suggests that times of fear (especially the fear of death) can cause us to believe in a higher power. And what I’m saying is: Do times of peace and tranquility prompt us just as much to believe in a higher power? Maybe, or maybe not.

But whether it’s harder to have faith during good times or bad times, here’s my main point: It is very important for us to have faith in God when things are going well, because if we can have faith during the good times (when we don’t need to ask anything of God), then we are more likely to have faith during the bad times (when we do need to ask things of God).

As we begin the new year of 2023, none of us knows what this year will have in store for us. I pray that it will be a good year for you and your loves ones. If that does not turn out to be the case, I hope that you will turn to God in your times of need. And if that does turn out to be the case – if things go well for you this year – that’s all the more reason to turn to God. The more that we strengthen our faith foundation, the more of a Rock it will be for us when we need it the most.

Giver of Gifts

BY JAMES DE ROSE

In AD 325, three hundred bishops from all over the world came to Nicaea in Asia Minor to debate the nature of the Holy Trinity. One of these Bishops was a man from Egypt named Arius. This theologian argued that Jesus, although being the greatest prophet, was still ‘created’ and NOT equal to God the Father (John 5:16). Arius vigorously continued this tirade until another Bishop seized the moment!

Fifty-five-year-old Nicholas of Myra (modernday Turkey), defending his Christian faith, approached Arius, slapped him in his face, and was promptly thrown in jail! Thus, the beginning of the legacy of Santa Claus....Santa Claus???

Born in AD 270, he was the only child of devoted Christian parents. Inheriting his parent’s wealth after their deaths, Nicholas heeded the words of Jesus to, “Sell what you owe and give the money to the poor.” (Matthew 19:21)

The more he gave to others, the more he felt drawn to offer his life to serve Jesus. His generosity knew no bounds. “He was determined to be sneaky, so no one would know where the money came,” Barry McWilliams, Chapel Hill Presbyterian.

Most famous of these heart-warming stories involved three girls and a poor father. Orthodox countries during this time required women to pay a large amount of money-a dowry, if they desired to marry. The other options were slavery or prostitution. Nicholas took action upon hearing of this situation. He tossed a ‘stocking’ full of gold coins through the bedroom windows of these daughters. They all ended up being married to good husbands.

Nicholas experienced torture and imprisonment for his faith in the Lord. Despite the insults, he taught other inmates and jailers about the Gospel of Jesus similar to the Persecution of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:31). He passed away on December 6, AD 343.

This is a widely celebrated feast day throughout Europe. In The Netherlands, candies, chocolates, small gifts and riddles are thrown in doorways. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes hoping Saint Nick will exchange them for gifts.

Yes, Santa Claus was a real human being. Yes, many facts have been interwoven with imagination. The story of Nicholas reminds us that God gives NOT on what we deserve, but on His overflowing love for us.

All of us would do well to replace our picture of the jolly fat man in a sleigh who is remembered just once a year. Secret generosity is consistent with how Nicholas gave gifts. Jesus said, “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you,” (Matthew 6:4).