CHAPLAIN’S reportm a r C h 2 0 1 1 � v o l u m e 4 � n u m b e r 3 � w w w . k o f C . o r g / C h a P l a i n s

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In Service to One. In Service to Al l .

l e a r n i n g t h e f a i t h , l i v i n g t h e f a i t h � 1 C o l u m b u s P l a z a , n e w h a v e n , C t 0 6 5 1 0 - 3 3 2 6 , u s a

LIVING IN TRUTHChristians have a responsibilityto practice honesty and integrity

in all that they do

THIS MONTH’S TOPIC: (Based on the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

S eeing that we are approaching theLenten Season, a few thoughts on the

Sacrament of Reconciliation might be appro-priate. We are aware that over the years agreat change has occurred in how we priestsand the faithful approach this special sourceof grace. I do not need to elucidate thesechanges, but I believe that at this time wehave a given opportunity to re-focus the at-tention of our knights toward the teachingsof the Church where this much neglectedsacrament is concerned.

I wonder how often our Knights receive

the sacrament, or how often they have beencounseled to do so? Yes, I know that everyparish gives times for confession in theweekly bulletin and lays special emphasis onbeing reconciled during Lent, but I also won-

der how we as chaplains have workedthrough our councils to have them fully par-ticipate with the parish.

When chaplains address council membersat meetings, it might be helpful for them tohear about “confession” from the priest’spoint of view. Penitents have their opinions,desires, fears and trepidations, but don’t al-ways understand the confessor’s side of thestory. We are more often thought of as beingthere to judge and absolve, but there is more.

Once again we return to our topic of faith

Father John P.Grace, O.S.A.Director of Chaplain Programs & Development

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

Visit www.kofc.org/chaplains to sign up to receive future issues of this newsletter via e-mail. Previous issues are also archived at this site.

Focus on theSacrament ofReconciliationthis Lent

SEE reconciliation, PAGE 3

Experience teachesus that “honesty is

the best policy.” A mo-ment’s reflection re-minds us of theimportance of honestyand integrity in ourpersonal lives, our workand our relationships. When our word is ourbond, we build trust, engender cooperationand serve the common good.

Truthfulness, of course, is not just a matterof words; it is a way of life. St. Paul speaks of“living the truth in love” (Eph 4:15), and

Pope Benedict XVI aptlynamed his encyclical onthe Church’s social teach-ing Caritas in Veritate(Charity in Truth). Trueto the vision of VenerableMichael McGivney, wemust seek to live the

truth in charity and charity in truth.By contrast, experience teaches how de-

structive deception can be. How many mar-riages, careers, businesses and institutions havebeen tarnished or ruined by a lack of honesty?

Bishop William E. LoriSupreme Chaplain

SEE truth, PAGE 2

­­­

Deception complicates life and undermines a person’s good work. Yet,in a highly competitive and self-centered culture often marked bygreed and fear, it is easy for people to fall into the habit of telling lies.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church helps ussee that each person has a duty to sincerely seek the truth and to liveaccording to it.

HIDE NOTHING FROM GODWe know that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:16). Asfollowers of Christ, therefore, we must guard against duplicity, decep-tion and hypocrisy (Compendium, 521).

Among other things, this means that we must not “compartmental-ize” our lives, hiding aspects of our lives from the truth of God’s word.For example, a man may appear to be a loving spouse and father athome but still be a scoundrel at work. Eventually, his bad behavior atwork will impinge on his family. Thus, a Christian must “bear witnessto the truth of the Gospel in every field of his activity, both public andprivate, and also if necessary, with his very life” (522).

Each of us must ask for the light of Christ’s grace to shine in thedarkened corners of our souls so that we hide nothing from God orourselves. In doing so, we bear witness to Christ’s truth and love toothers with a clear conscience. Fundamental to this witness is observ-ing the Eighth Commandment — “You shall not bear false witnessagainst your neighbor.”

This commandment forbids all forms of deception and dishonesty,including false witness, perjury and lying. False witness means provid-ing dishonest testimony either for or against another person; perjuryrefers to lying under oath, such as in a court of law; and lying is de-fined as failing to tell the truth, speaking an outright falsehood or dis-torting the truth in the ordinary circumstances of daily life.

Of course, some lies are more serious than others. Perjury on thepart of a witness that sends an innocent defendant to prison for therest of his life is more serious than lying about one’s age. “Gilding thelily” when trying to help a colleague land a job is less serious thanspeaking falsehoods that lead to a co-worker being fired. The gravity offalse witness, perjury or any lie “is measured by the truth it deforms,

the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harmsuffered by its victims” (523).

JUSTICE AND CHARITYThe Eighth Commandment also forbids rash judgment, slander,defamation and calumny. Jesus has shown us a love that is patient andmerciful, yet it is easy for us to judge others and engage in gossip thattears down their reputation. Whether this gossip is true, false or onlypartially true, what these immoral forms of speech have in common istheir maliciousness — the use of one’s tongue as a weapon. This hasno place in our lives as followers of Christ.

Then there is flattery, adulation and complaisance. Flattery and adu-lation involve paying undue compliments or heaping false praise uponothers. Both are dishonest ways of speaking aimed at reaping some ad-vantage that we would otherwise not acquire. Complaisance has to dowith being overly agreeable to another’s wishes or actions, even whenwe know them to be morally flawed (523).

Obeying the Eighth Commandment, of course, does not meantelling everyone everything we know. Rather, it “requires respect fortruth accompanied by the discretion of charity” (524). Those whowork in the media have a responsibility to present information that is“true and — within the limits of justice and charity — also complete”(525). Yet, in today’s 24-hour news cycle and the world of social net-working, information is often shared without any regard for legitimateprivacy rights, human dignity or the common good. Things such asdoctor-patient confidentiality should be observed, and informationgiven under the seal of secrecy should be respected (524).

Finally, works of art should also lead us to the truth. Pope John PaulII captured the relationship between truth and beauty in the title of his1993 encyclical on morality, Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth).That which is true is beautiful, and that which is beautiful is true.Thus, artistic works, including painting and music, should evokesomething of truth and beauty of God. In this connection, we canreadily see the importance of religious art, which is aimed at glorifyingGod, whose beauty, truth and love were made visible in Christ (526).�

truth, FROM PAGE 1

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION COMPENDIUM QUESTIONS: 521-5331. WHAT FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED when measuring the gravity of a lie? (523)2. WHEN COMMUNICATING OR IMPARTING INFORMATION, why is it important to take discretion and charity into account? (524)

CIS Booklet: The Eighth Commandment: TruthThe Eighth Commandment — not to bear false wit-

ness — is really much more far reaching than it at first

seems. It forbids not only perjury, false oaths, and

slander, but all kinds of falsehood, and commands

total truthfulness. This Commandment is one of the

most neglected and most disobeyed of all the Com-

mandments. For like the First Commandment, it is dis-

obeyed whenever any Commandment is disobeyed.

Just as all sin is some kind of idolatry (choosing some

false god), so all sin is some kind of falsehood, some

kind of choice of darkness over light. Produced by the

Order’s Catholic Information Service (CIS), this booklet

is part of the Luke E. Hart Series based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

To obtain free copies of this and booklets, or to listen to it in MP3 format, visit the

CIS Web site, kofc.org/hart. Request printed copies by writing: CIS, PO Box

1971, New Haven, CT 06521-1971.

The Knights of Columbus Book Club Discusses:Mysteries of the Virgin Mary: Living Our Lady’s Graces Please join us in late March for a discussion of Fa-

ther Peter John Cameron’s new book, Mysteries of

the Virgin Mary: Living Our Lady’s Graces (St. An-

thony Messenger Press, 2010). Father Cameron

shows the power and centrality of Mary in a series

of insightful and reverent meditations on the

Church’s Marian feasts. His thought-provoking

discussion of the major Marian “mysteries” seeks

to bring the reader into a closer spiritual relation-

ship with the Mother of God. Please join us in late

March for a discussion of Mysteries of the Virgin

Mary with Father Peter John Cameron at

kofc.org/bookclub.

M E M B E R S H I P I N T H E K N I G H T S O F C O LUM B U S is open to men 18

years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy

See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic

Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the

Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

F ounder’s Day, March 29, marks the anniver-sary of our Order receiving its charter from the

state of Connecticut in 1882. Encourage yourcouncil to celebrate this occasion by honoring ourfounder Venerable Michael McGivney.

Ask the council to dis-tribute Father McGivneyprayer cards (#2617) avail-able in English, French orSpanish from the SupremeCouncil Supply Depart-ment at no cost. Copies ofThe Life and Legacy of Father McGivney booklet(#2045) are also available inlimited quantities. To orderitems please contact the Supreme Council SupplyDepartment by using a Requisition Form (#1).

Also, at a council meeting or event encourage theshowing of the 16-minute production The Life andLegacy of Father McGivney. This production, avail-able at no charge except $3 for shipping and han-dling from the Department of Fraternal Services,must be ordered at least four weeks before the in-tended show date. It can also be downloaded by vis-iting kofc.org/films.

One of the best ways to honor our founder is tojoin the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild. Theguild serves as a source for information about thelife, works and spirituality of Father McGivney. Theguild distributes informational materials about him,receives reports of favors granted through his inter-cession and oversees the distribution of relics. Guildmembers receive regular updates on the progress ofFather McGivney’s cause for canonization and areinvited to participate in promoting devotion to thisServant of God. Members of the Knights ofColumbus are not automatically guild membersand must elect to join the guild. The Father MichaelJ. McGivney Guild Newsletter is published bi-monthly except July—August, and is sent free toguild members. To join the guild go to www.fa-thermcgivney.org or write to the address below.

Requests for information about Father Mc-Givney, materials regarding his cause for canoniza-tion and accounts of any favors received through hisintercession can be directed to The Father Mc-Givney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT06510-3326.

Honor ourFounder onMarch 29 andJoin the Guild

formation. In our present context, itmight be useful to advise your councilmembers concerning the Catechism ofthe Catholic Church’s statement on thepriest’s role as confessor:

“When he celebrates the sacrament ofPenance, the priest is fulfilling the min-istry of the Good Shepherd who seeksthe lost sheep, of the Good Samaritanwho binds up wounds, of the Fatherwho awaits the prodigal son and wel-comes him on his return, and of the justand impartial judge whose judgment isboth just and merciful. The priest is thesign and the instrument of God’s merci-ful love for the sinner.” It continues, thepriest is called,practically, to lead“the penitent withpatience towardhealing and fullmaturity. He mustpray and dopenance for hispenitent, entrustinghim to the Lord’smercy” (1465-66).

So the priest is called to lead the peni-tent with patience toward healing andfull maturity. Knights can do much tobring this message to fruition by theirown participation in living what theChurch teaches and by carrying thatmessage of healing through confessionto others so they too can become thepeople that Christ wants us to be — thebest people we can all possibly be.

We strive to have better councils, tobecome better knights. We plan andmake decisions. But unless we evaluateour methods, assess our progress, planfor the future, decide on action andcarry that out, then we are marking timeand gradually stagnate.

The same is true where our spiritualprogress is concerned. As knights, wemust be seen to lead the way. We needto know our weaknesses in order to pavethe way for that excellence we all hopeto achieve. Unfortunately, the sacramentof penance has been abandoned to agreat extent. Perhaps knights can help

reawaken our families and our parishesto that special grace that leads fromweakness in sin to strength in beingconscious of our call to be truly faithfulpeople. We are not only cleansed but weare strengthened as well. And I believe Ihave heard that the knights are thestrong arm of the Church!

Let us begin with ourselves. Manydioceses have special penitential servicesand programs scheduled for Lent. In thediocese where I live, with our supremechaplain as its bishop, every parish hasconfessions at the same specified dayand time every week during Lent. Youcan actually see this advertised on a hugebillboard as you drive along the

Interstate Highway95. You have beennotified!

There are nu-merous websiteswith informationand catechetical in-struction to en-courage and inviteus to reconcilia-tion. One such sitethat caught my at-

tention was that of the Boston Archdio-cese (thelightisonforyou.org). If all ourchaplains assist our knights to under-stand its contents, and knights in turnhelp others to absorb its meaning, wewill have made a positive step toward amore fruitful Holy Week and Easter inmany parishes.

This site was intended for Advent,but as you follow some of the linksgiven, you will find a great treasure ofhelp and instruction. In fact, the quota-tion I cited before from the Catechismwas taken directly from that site.

May I take this opportunity to praywith you for a deeply spiritual Lent, andmay the Lord bring you through theseason with renewed vigor as we strivetowards being truly Easter people.

God bless and keep you all.

REV. JOHN P. GRACE, O.S.A.DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAINPROGRAMS AND DEVELOPMENTJOHN.GRACE@KOFC.ORG(203) 752-4263

reconciliation, FROM PAGE 1

THE PRIEST ISCALLED TO LEAD

THE PENITENT WITH

PATIENCE TOWARD

HEALING AND

FULL MATURITY.

W ith the Knights of Columbus Day ofthe Unborn Child soon approaching

on March 25, Knights have the opportunity tostand up and speak out against the evil of abortion. Please encourage members of yourcouncil to hold a special prayer service in coun-cil homes, meeting places or local parishes.When celebrating the Day of the UnbornChild, conduct a pro-life Mass or rosary service.Remember to invite all members of the com-munity, including public officials and healthcare workers. Strength in numbers gives othersthe courage to speak up and also lets the com-munity know there is a group willing to helpwomen in crisis pregnancies. To plan a service,work with your council to:• Establish a time and the kind of serv-

ice (i.e. rosary, Mass, etc.) to be held;• Make a pulpit or bulletin announce-

ment regarding the program at allMasses the weekend prior to the event;

• Send a notice to the local diocesannewspaper and local secular media;

• Distribute Prayer for Life cards(#4665), available in reasonable quan-tities from the Supply Department.

The Knights of Columbus Day of the Un-born Child was instituted as an addition to theOrder’s commitment to build a culture that re-spects and protects every human life, from con-ception to natural death. For more informationon the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child see the “community” section ofkofc.org/service.

To further assist you, the Supreme Council

offers the following materials (all of which arefree of charge when ordered in reasonablequantities; there is only a shipping charge): • The brand new four-page, full-color

“Winning Words of Life” flyer (#2275)offers thoughtful responses to common abortion arguments.

• The brochure “A People of Life — Andfor Life” (#4795) outlines the Order’scommitment to reversing the trend to-ward a culture of death and building aculture that values human life at everystage. The beautifully designed, full-

color brochure clearly explains thecommon sense and common law basisfor the protection of life, and also offersfive practical action items to help mem-bers, their families and all concernedindividuals get involved in building aculture of life. A poster (#4804) with asimilar design is also available.

• “Pray the Rosary to End Abortion”poster (#2073) and prayer card (#2072).

• “Gospel of Life” poster (#4238) andprayer card (#4237E, F, or S) in Eng-lish, French or Spanish.

Knights Join 38th March for Life On Jan. 24, Knights and their families

were among more than 200,000 par-

ticipants who braved frigid tempera-

tures to join the 38th annual March for

Life in Washington, D.C., observing

the anniversary of the 1973 U.S.

Supreme Court ruling Roe v.Wade.

Numerous flags and banners of

Knights of Columbus councils were

just one indication of the Order’s pres-

ence. The Supreme Council, which fi-

nancially supports the March for Life, worked with the D.C. State Council to distribute “Defend Life”

signs, which featured the emblem of the Order. On Jan. 23, the day before the march, Supreme

Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori addressed hundreds of young people at Georgetown University’s

Gaston Hall. He spoke on the legacy of Cardinal John O’Connor for whom the conference at George-

town is named. Also speaking on the panel were Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore, Father

Joseph W. Koterski, Associate Professor of philosophy at Fordham University, Mother Agnes Mary

Donovan of the Sisters of Life, and Professor Helen Alvaré of George Mason University Law School.

CHAPLAIN’Sreport1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326

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DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE UNBORN CHILD