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Pop e calls fo r giving unreservedly Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CN S) — Pope John Paul II exhorted Catholics to observe Lent b y "the giving of ourselves unreservedly to God and neighbor." "What better time is there than Lent for offering this testimony of gratuitousness which the world so badly needs?" the pope said in his annual Lenten message. "In the very love which God has for us, there lies the call to give ourselves freely to others in turn . " For Latin-ri te Catholics, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is Feb. 13 this year. The theme of the pope 's message is "Freely You Have Received, Freely Give. " '"What do you have, ' St. Paul asks, 'that you did not receive?'" the pope said, quoting from 1 Corinthians. "The demand which follows this recognition is that of loving our brothers and sisters, and of dedicating ourselves to them. The more needy they are, the more urgent the believer 's duty to serve them. " Pope John Paul added, "As believers, we must be open to a life marked by ' gratuitousness, ' by the giving of ourselves unreservedly to God and neighbor." He said, "The world prizes human relationships based on selfinterest and personal gain, and this fosters an egocentric vision of life, in which too often there is no room for the poor and weak. Every person, even the least gifted , must be welcomed and loved for themselves, regardless of their qualities and defects. "
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Pope John Paul IPs p lea f o r g enerosity during Lent has sp ecial meaning f o r peop le such as this Afg han g irl who carefull y carries her food ration from a distribution center in a refugee camp outside Herat , Afg hanistan. Catholic Relief Services and Caritas International are among the agencies providing food and other assistance to Afg hans who have been disp laced by more than 20 years of war, four yea rs of severe droug ht and the rep ressive rule of the Taliban.
Such a stance is based in the Gospels, the pope said. "It is highly significant that Jesus spoke the words 'You received without paying, give without pay ' as he sent the Apostles out to spread the Gospel of salvation , which is his first and foremost gift to humanity," he said. "Christ wants his kingdom, which is already close at hand, to be spread through gestures of gratuitous love accomplished by his disciples. " He added, "In our own day too the good done by believers becomes a sign, and often an invitation to believe. When, like die Good Samaritan, Christians respond to the needs of their neighbor, theirs is never merely material assistance. It is always a proclamation of the kingdom . as well, and speaks of the full meaning of life, hope and love." LENTEN PLEA, page 9
Catechist's role: Baking bread, feeding hungry By Patrick Joyce
JL hink of your work as the sowing of seed, baking of
bread and feeding the hungry, Sacred Heart Sister Gretchen Mailer told catechists at the archdiocese's Religious Education Institute. '"The kitchen and dining room — that' s where we
find the God who is bread broken and shared , " Sister Gretchen , a consultant on faith formation and spirituality, said in her morning keynote talk on "Finding God at Home. " One theologian has long insisted that the two disciples who met the risen jesus on the road to Emmaus were a husband and wife , she said. "They welcome him into their home. He breaks bread with them and he becomes their bread. "
"When you think of the kitchen, think of die God who is bread broken and shared for us — and how are we bread broken and shared for others," said Sister Gretchen, whose talk dealt with "everyday spiritualities" — the theme of tire institute — in each room of the house. "Think of your role as catechist as making bread, " she said, using images from the parables of Jesus. In FEEDING HUNGRY , page 10
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