worth noting . . .

THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS . . . Names in the Bible are very important because they point to the nature of the thing or person named or to his or her special function in salvation history. Thus Yahweh means “I AM WHO AM,” and Jesus means “Savior.” In this issue Dr. Michael P. Foley explains for us the importance of names in the Bible. We show respect, he says, for the name of God, of Jesus, of Mary not because of the letters and sounds that make up each name, but because of their meaning or what they signify. There is matter here for a good homily and we priests should show respect for the holy name of Jesus by bowing our heads when it is mentioned in the liturgy.

FINDING GOD IN SILENCE . . . It is difficult to listen to God and to find him in the midst of the noise of the modern world. One way to seek refuge, at least for a time, is to make a retreat in a suitable place. In this issue I am happy to offer you an article about the personal experience of a man who has been very much involved in the hyperactivity of the world of politics. The author is Mr. Lee Edwards, who tells us how he was able to be “alone with God” in a series of retreats he made over a period of many years. Mr. Edwards has made retreats with Trappists, Jesuits and Opus Dei. Each experience was a bit different but they all taught him how to be alone with God—at least for a few days. They also taught him that one can be alone with God in the midst of a busy life.

ON SHAPING THE CULTURE . . . Ever since the Protestant revolt against Rome in the 16th century Western civilization, century by century, has continued to be less God-oriented and more man-centered. Now the ideal seems to be the “autonomous man” who (supposedly) creates his own truth and his own morality. This process has speeded up dramatically during the past forty years. In this issue Dr. David R. Carlin, philosopher and sociologist, argues that the Catholic Church must get organized in a massive program to redeem the culture we live in—to bring it back to God and the Ten Commandments. He says we must not give the culture to the secularists.

THE CHURCH AND HER PERSONNEL . . . Critics of the Church often make the mistake of blaming the Church for what some of her members do or do not do. In this issue Professor Jude P. Dougherty offers us his reflections on one of Jacques Maritain’s last books whose title is On the Church of Christ. In that book Maritain made an important distinction between “the person of the Church” and “the personnel of the Church.” They are not the same. For the Church remains holy in spite of the sins of her members, including popes, bishops, priests and religious. Such a distinction helps us to understand better difficult historical cases such as the treatment of Galileo and the Inquisition.—K.B.