`     Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

                           Council No.  11259

APRIL 2006

 

For The Good of the Order! 

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance a Huge Success

 

The idea for the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance started as an idea of my lovely wife back in July 05.  What my wife’s, Diane’s, idea was and what took place Saturday Night March 18th, was to put on a musical skit and to combine it with a night of dancing and fun.   The first St Patrick Day Celebration razed close to $1,800 dollars for our council’s chantries, and would not have been possible without the help of a lot of people that gave freely of their time, talents and in some cases money.

  

A special thank you goes out to the following

 

The Lovely and marvelously talented Diane Wood, put together all the music, whipped everyone one in shape, and directed the stage show, as well as played piano during the show.

 

The fabulous Laura Glasgow wrote the script for the stage show sang and danced, and SK Andy Glasgow played guitar player and sang with the heart of an Irishman, even though he is Scottish.

 

We also had the great privilege of being present for the debut of the lovely and vivacious Shaina Glassgow who sang and danced, served as a very wonderful pot stirrer for the Mrs. Murphy stew skit and song and was an all around wonder of an actress. 

 

SK Charles Smallwood ( Danny Boy ) sang and danced and did a marvelous job decorating the dinning room.  SKs Pat Burley, Ed Waskiewicz, Angelo DeRight, Patrick Duffy, and Bob Prince sang, tried to dance a little, lost their aprons, served as bartenders, and provided otherwise hilarious comic relief during some very serious Irish anthems.

 

The lovely and incredibly talented Nancy Waskiewicz sang and danced, worked very hard on the dining room décor, as well as served as moral officer.  Operatic singing and power vocals were provided by the lovely and incredibly talented Mary DeRight.  She also was one of our most ardent costume makers. The wonderfully beautiful Pia Duffy put up with all of us and did whatever was asked to help.  The stupendously incredible and beautiful Cathy Prince served as second operatic and power singer and as one of the more talented barmaids.

 

Off stage, but none the less important, was John Hayden, who was our Country singer and DJ for the night.  SK George Sullivan was the head stage hand and the boss of bosses was the incredibly wonderful Sandy Sullivan, George’s boss and Director of all that is good.  Bartenders at the dance were SK Larry Smialek and SK Eugene Gonzales.  We would also like to especially thank Calvert Liquors who gave the knights special pricing on our adult beverages

 

With Gods help; His Servant

SK Douglas C Wood,  DGK

Producer    

 

        Grand Knight’s Report

 

My brother Knights and families,

 

I bid you all Happy Spring and also Happy Easter!! Our forty days and nights of praying, fasting and reflecting is almost over and now when can all rejoice in Our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Lent has been an interesting time of reflection for me.  I was given the chance, through a business trip, to return back to where we once lived before moving to Maryland. Bedford, Texas, is a bedroom community of about 70,000 people right in the middle between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.  I lived there for 10 years, or shall I say, I called that home for 10 years, even though I was always on the road on business travel.  So, I did not get the chance to spend much time seeing how the people around me were living.  Did not get the chance to just live life because there was always someplace to be, or something had to always get done right away. Well, on this particular business trip, I was given the chance to slow down for a few days and just live.  There were no dogs to walk, or groceries to fetch, and not even a honey-do list.  Yippee!!  Sorry for that Freudian slip. Back to my story.  I did the usual business meeting stuff in the morning, ate lunch with my colleagues, and then had a light dinner after work.  Nothing unusual there, right?  Well after dinner, with the sun still high in the sky, I decided to take a walk to nowhere in particular.  Just a walk.  As I was walking I noticed that I was walking down one of the streets that I used to speed down on my way to work every morning.  I was in such a hurry to get to work before, that I failed to notice how nice the houses and neighborhoods were and that there were some friendly folks living there.  As a continued on my walk, I came upon the church we used to attend and found out that there was an active Knights of Columbus Council there.  This was a surprise to me, because when we lived there, I was not aware of a Knights of Columbus Council, or I was just too preoccupied to notice before.  Wow!  I was now seeing things that I passed by before without even thinking twice. It is amazing how much you miss when you don’t take time out every once in a while and just live for the sake of it.  God created this wonderful world for all of us to enjoy each and every day.  So take time out and smell the roses every now and then.  It does a body good!  So, after about a 3-4 hour walk, which did not seem that long, I got to see things and places that I failed to see before, even though they were right there in front of me for 10 years, and all of this just because I took the time to slow down and just live.  I thank God for allowing me to take the time to have this wonderful experience during this Lenten season. So now its time for all of you to take a walk and see what you have been missing.

 

Well, back at the ranch in Washington, D.C., I received this in our weekly highlights last week and thought it was appropriate. A golf and beer story.

 

When the Marketing 101 class began, the professor wordlessly picked up a large, empty glass mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full.  They agreed it was. The professor than picked up a jar of pebbles and poured them into the jar.  He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open spaces between the golf balls.  He again asked the students if the jar was full.  They agreed it was.  The professor then picket up a box of sand and poured it into the jar and the sand filled the remaining spaces.  He asked once more if the jar was full.  The students responded with a unanimous yes.  The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and proceeded to pour the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the spaces between the grains of sand.  The students laughed.  “Now, said the professor, as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents life.  The golf balls are the important things in your life: family, partner, friends, health and favorite passions and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.”  “The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.”  “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or golf balls.  The same goes for your life.  If you expend your time and energy on the small stuff, you’ll never have room for what is important to you.  Pay attention to what is critical to your happiness.  Play with your children.  Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner dancing.  Play another 18.”  “There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, throw a dinner party and fix the disposal.  Take care of the golf balls first – they’re what really matters.  Set your priorities.  The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and asked what the beer represented.  The professor smiled, “I’m glad you asked.  It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers.”

 

A BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED SO HARD ON THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINNER DANCE!  IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS!  SPECIAL THANKS TO DOUG WOOD AND HIS LOVELY WIFE DIANE.  PLEASE KEEP DIANE IN YOUR PRAYERS.  SHE HAS HAD TO GO BACK INTO THE HOSPITAL WITH A SEVERE INFECTION.

 

Vivat Jesus!!!!

Stephen & Margaret Bayliff

 

Calendar of Events

Council Meeting Schedule !!!!!!!!

Council meetings in March will be held on April  13th, at St. John Vianney, and the second meeting will be held on April 20th, at Jesus the Divine Word.  All meetings start promptly at 7:30 p.m. under ordinary circumstances, so plan on coming and enjoy the fellowship. 

Monthly Rosary -- Important – Important – Important!

The Council Rosary schedule is as follows:  Every 1st Saturday of a month at St. John Vianney Parish at 5:00 p.m. before the 5:30 Mass.  Every 2nd Sunday of a month at St. Francis De Sales at 8:30 a.m. before the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Every 3rd Sunday of a month at Jesus the Divine Word at 9:30 a.m. before the 10:00 a.m. Mass.

 

        Chaplain’s Corner

I am sure by now you will have seen or heard about the article in the Post about the translation of the Gospel of Judas.  As the Post said, it is a Gnostic gospel.  Gnosticism was declared a heresy by the early Church.  Gnostics believe that there are two Gods, one good who resides in the spiritual and who is the creator of the soul, and one that is a lesser or evil god that is the creator of the world and all that is material.  Since a person is the combination of a body and soul or physical and spiritual in nature, for the Gnostics both gods’ have claim on every human being while we are in the world.  The Gnostics believe that the evil worldly god reaches up and captures a “divine spark” of the good god and places it in a body to make a person, and that by doing so, tortures the good god by imprisoning the divine sparks the evil god captures in human bodies.  This belief caused much trouble.  Sects of Gnostics began practicing ritual suicide.  Others formed in communities ministered to by a priest or “Perfect.”  Perfects led lives of extreme austerity aimed at encouraging the eventual death of their bodies all with the idea of returning the divine spark back to the good god.  This will give you an understanding why the Gospel of Judas has Jesus working with Judas to betray Him and have Him killed:  all to return His Divine Spark back to the good god.  Such priests or Perfects would not eat or drink for as long as they could stand it, then succumb, and begin the cycle again.  They also indulged in ritual torture of the flesh, designed to weaken their physical beings.  The people that the Perfects ministered to would follow a similar though less austere set of practices all designed to denigrate the flesh.  All of this was based on the concept that the body was an evil device of the lesser god and that the divine spark needed to be freed. 

 

Other Gnostic sects took a different approach to how the body was treated in that they came to believe that nothing done here on earth in the evil plane mattered.  It did not matter because what was done here was done in the evil god’s world, and no judgment would be levied by the good god on what happened here, since this material and evil world did not matter to the good god.  Such believers indulged themselves in ritual orgies and other forms of debauchery.  For as they rightly surmised debauchery to excess often leads to the death of the physical body.  The unfortunate thing for these poor souls is that they ignored the true Gospels warnings about what happens to those who do not obey Jesus’ and God’s commandments: spiritual death.

 

I tell you all of this so that you will have some perspective into why the Gnostic beliefs were declared heresy.  The Book of Judas was declared heresy in 180 A.D. by the Bishop of Lyon in France.  This is not a coincidence, as Gnostic beliefs spread in parts of France and Northern Italy around the mid-150s.  To give their beliefs some validity, it became apparent to Gnostic church officials that it would be a good idea to have a gospel that would place their beliefs on an even par with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Though the Post made it sound like the Gospel of Judas had some validity and was in equal competition with the Gospels of the New Testament.  It was not ever really considered by the true Church as having any validity because Gnosticism and Gnostic writings were never brought into the main texts that the Church used. Gnosticism from its inception was heretical and viewed as such and was battled by Saint Peter’s chair and Orthodox Christianity wherever it was found.   

 

The Gnostics who wrote the Gospel of Judas believed that it would help their cause and boost validate their beliefs if they could show a gospel that would have someone present with Jesus that would illustrate the duality of worldly existence and validate the existence of their good and evil gods.   Judas fit the character, since he was central to the events leading up to Jesus’ death, was no longer around to dispute their claims upon him, and would be a great illustration of the evil god at work in humanity.  By having Jesus give Judas knowledge of the duel nature of God and the world, (i.e., share secrets that He did not share with the other apostles), and by having Jesus make reference to His need of help in releasing His spark of divinity by having Judas betray Him to the Sanhedrin, the very secret collaboration of Jesus with Judas would mirror the duality battle between the good and bad god, and verify Gnostic beliefs.  So the creation of the Gospel of Judas comes about, written at the time that the Gnostic movement was reaching one of its several peaks in the early days of the Church.

 

So the next time you hear about the Gospel of Judas, you will know how to refute those whom are around you and might say, evil, naughty church, why did it suppress this gospel?  You will be able to answer that the “evil naughty church” declared the Gospel of Judas to be heresy to save the lives of the followers of the Gnostic heresy, who were committing ritual suicide and committing all manner of debauchery to kill themselves to free their souls or divine sparks in the wrong headed belief that their bodies were evil.

 

Pray for the end of heresies such as the Gnostic heresy, so that people can stop being hurt.  

 

Please note: information about the Knights of Columbus and our council is now available at www.calvertkids.net – this web site provides a guide to family events and organizations in and around Calvert County.  It is an exciting new non-profit website that features calendars of events happening in the area, an extensive directory of community resources, news articles and discussion forums.  The website is operated by the Calvert Crusade for Children, and strives to create an electronic community in Calvert County.

 

Remember, if you have access to a computer and the Internet, I urge you to try to visit www.priestsforlife.org  This website is an amazing fount of information available to priests and non-priests alike on Pro-life issues.  Please visit the website, and please keep the unborn in your prayers. 

News from the District Deputy:  Jim Rank, SK

District Deputy's Report:  

 

I just want to say how blessed I am to be in a Knights of Columbus Council where there are so many Christian gentlemen focused on charity.  Both at Jesus the Divine Word and at St. John Vianney, men of our council volunteered to give their time and talents and in many case money out of their pockets to travel as a part of their parish efforts to the New Orleans area to help with the clean up resulting from the damage left by Hurricane Katrina.  Unfortunately the damage is so great down in that area that it will take years to clean up everything and for the people to be able to return to some semblance of normalcy.  We must not forget them in our prayers and we to continue to support them in any way we can over the coming years. 

 

How plugged in to your Knights of Columbus are you?  If you want to know what is on tap for next six month the Calendar of Events from Jan – July 2006 is posted at www.kofc11259.us, so don’t say you don’t know what is going on.  As your District Deputy, I have the responsibility for traveling around to all the Councils in District 9.  I get to see the different folks in the various councils and all the variant ways these councils address our responsibilities as Knights.  Yes, I said the sixteen-letter curse word – responsibilities.  When you become a Knight, you are joining an organization that has a mission.  It is an organization focused on fraternity, charity, and involvement in family, church, and community.  There are many ways to give back to these highly important areas of social endeavor.  I know each of you is committed to your mission as a Knight.  You are in my prayers.  Thank you for all you do!

 

Vivat Jesus!

Jim Rank DD # 9

 

If you haven’t visited the State Web site recently, take some time to peruse it at

http://www.kofc-md.org/  A reminder: The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council ‘s Web Site is http://www.kofc.org there you will find information regarding the Father McGivney Guild.

IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT!

Our council under the great efforts of John McFadden has started a web page that will soon contain issues of the newsletter and other information.  Your ignorant editor, whose computer now in firmly in the last century will have to upgrade to be able to properly assist Jack in getting copies of the newsletter up on the web page.  For those of you who have more up-to-date equipment and software, you can access the web page at www.kofc11259.us

Also, do you want to know a little more about the new Pope?  GO TO  www.vatican.va  You will find a Vatican web site there that publishes Pope Benedict’s papal texts and public speeches practically every day.

        Fourth Degree

 

I would like to start this month’s article by congratulating and welcoming our new Sir Knights to the fourth degree.  Those of you who are new fourth degree knights have achieved what only one in ten knights achieve.  The fourth degree is the most visible arm of the Knights of Columbus, and when most people think of our Order, they think of the Knights arrayed in the regalia of the fourth degree.  We support many activities, but one of the most important is the Color Corp.  The Lord Baltimore Assembly serves the parishes in Calvert County, and is responsible for providing honor guards for many solemn events from funerals, to First Holy Communions, Confirmations, and special liturgies at the churches in the county, as well as providing honor guards for bishops, auxiliary bishops, the Cardinal and the Pope when he is in the country.   

 

The LBA Color Corp is a victim of its own success, as the demand for our attendance at various events has risen sharply as we have become more known and relied upon by our pastors. I offer those of you who are 4th degree members who are not members of the Color Corp an opportunity on Thursday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales parish hall to attend a briefing on the Color Corp.  If you have an idea you would like to know more about the Color Corp and why it is so important to the success of the Knights of Columbus, please attend this briefing.  There is no obligation, but there is a real opportunity.

 

Attention Ladies: Council 11259 is starting the process of trying to form a Knight’s Auxiliary, which is an organization that will ultimately function much like the Ladies of the Fourth Degree function now.  The formation of a Knight’s Auxiliary might best be handled if a few of our fine ladies who already participate in the Ladies of the Fourth Degree would step forward and take the lead in starting up the Knight’s Auxiliary.  If you are interested in helping us start an Auxiliary, please contact the Grand Knight at 410 257-2072.

        Pro-Life

 

As many of you know there has been a group of protesters who have been traveling around the country protesting at service men’s funerals.  The protests are centered on the concept that the servicemen who have died in Iraq are receiving God’s retribution as a result of the many things that have been happening recently in courts and legislatures that have begun a process of legalizing marriages of homosexuals.  As you may suspect, their protests have been getting much attention and are the subject of much concern to many. 

 

The concept that God punishes nations for their sins is a subject that has been broached by this column in the past.  When it was, it was addressed from the perspective that the USA might one-day be punished for its support of abortion.  As Christians, it is important that we always remember that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner.  Protests at funerals are not a very loving thing to do, no matter how strongly one might feel about homosexuality.  While it is important that we call our brothers and sisters to God, we must do so lovingly and always reserve our judgment on their actions.  Judge not lest you be judged is a good rule of thumb because it is right out of the Bible.  Judgement is reserved for God.  We can never know what is in a person’s heart and mind, for only God knows this.   While we hate the sin of abortion, we are instructed by Jesus to love both the abortionist and the poor woman who has an abortion.  Now one is beyond saving, nor are they ever out of God’s love.  The Creator of the universe can wipe any sin away and has, if the sinner will only recognize that he or she has sinned, confesses it, and accepts God's outstretched embrace. 

 

Did you know the State Council has a new web site containing a clearinghouse of info on the Pro-life efforts of our Order?  It is http://www.kofc-md.org/pages/Service/community.htm#ProLife

        McNamara Chapter

Chapter Schedule for 2005-2006 Fraternal Year is as follows:

 

Apr 19, 2006 Immaculate Heart of Mary #9968

May 25, 2006 Prince Georges #2809

Jun 21, 2006 Father Horace B. McKenna #11024 - Officers trade jewels

 

 

        INSURANCE

 

As all of you know, you can not plan for every event.  More importantly, you do not know the hour or the time when Our Lord will call your name and you find yourself, hopefully, going through the Pearly Gates.  Let me help you leave your families in the best possible situation after you go speak to St. Peter.  If you haven’t looked at your financial situation recently, it may be time to do so, and I can help you in assessing where the holes are in your planning.  I won’t pressure you to buy anything you do not want, but it always greatly upsets me when I hear of a family left struggling after the death of a loved one.  A little financial planning now can save your family a lot of worry later, particularly if you are in a two income dependent situation.  Give me a chance to help you.  If you want to know more about what I can do for you, just call me at 301-262-4300  Cell:  301-335-7939   Fax: 301-262-6304. 

God Bless!  William Guinane

Trivia Question

 

Last Month’s trivia question was as follows:   In the Roman martyrology, Saints Perpetua and Felicity are mentioned.  So well known was their cults in ancient times, that Augustine is known to have preached about them at least three times.  Who were these saints and what made them so well known?

 

Saint Perpetua and Felicity and the friends who died with them were martyred in Carthage in 203.  St. Perpetua was a young married woman of twenty-two who had given birth to a son a few months before being arrested with a number of other African catechumens in the general persecution of Septimius Severus, who had forbidden further conversions to Christianity.  Any people found to have converted were placed under a death penalty.  With Perpetua was a pregnant slave, Felicitas (Felicity) and her husband Revocatus, also Saturninus and Secundulus, and four other male companions.  We have an excellent account, as well as authentic detailed records of what happened to these martyrs, as well as written accounts of a number of eyewitnesses to their executions.  We also have a diary in St. Perpetua’s own hand, and a page by one of the other martyrs.  Tertullian, himself was one of the eyewitnesses, and is one of the early Church’s greatest theologians.   

 

All the martyrs were imprisoned because of their refusal to sacrifice to the gods.  Saturus, who is the one who served as the principal instrument of God that was used to help in the conversion of these saints, voluntarily joined them in prison rather than see them tested without being present himself.

 

St. Perpetua gave her son to her pagan father for safekeeping, and refused all of his pleading to acquiesce and apostatize.  Felicity gave birth to her child while in prison, and also refused to apostatize even when her child was taken from her.  During imprisonment, Perpetua experienced many visions and recorded them down in her diary.  All the prisoners were held for the Games.  On the day of the games, they were all led to the amphitheater and all were joyful as though they were walking on their way to heaven.  Perpetua refused to wear the dress of Ceres, a costume intended to entertain the mobs attending the games.  All sang hymns all along the way.  The animals were prepared for the killing of the prisoners: leopards and bears for the men and a crazed heifer for the women.  Saturninus was unhurt by a wild boar, but as he foretold, he was mauled by a leopard.  The heifer tossed Perpetua, but she got up and went to Felicity’s aid helping her to her feet.  Perpetua was so absorbed in ecstasy that she was unaware that she had been thrown by the heifer.  Returning to the gate of the amphitheater, she made a comment “When are we going to be thrown around by that heifer or whatever it is?”  She refused to believe that she had already been thrown until she saw the marks on her dress and on her body.   Saturninus and the others were herded to in front of the dais where the crowd demanded they be dispatched.  The martyrs exchanged a final kiss of peace.  And Perpetua then guided an erring and pain-causing blow from a gladiator’s knife to her throat assisting in her own death.  It was noted by the witness that “It was as though so great a woman. . . could not be dispatched unless she herself were willing.”

 

This month’s trivia question is as follows:  Our Blessed Mother has appeared to many saints and blesseds for centuries.  Each vision has served as a call by Our Blessed Mother for a return to God, to provide some grace we are needing, and in some cases to request the building of a church or some other edifice that will serve to assist us in returning to God.  The visions are usually made to someone who is not very significant and Mary appears at some distance from the visionary.  At. Rue de Bac in Paris, France, Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure.  Like all of the other authentic appearances of Our Blessed Lady, Mary gave us the great grace of the Miraculous Medal, and called for a return to God.  But there was one very unique thing about the appearances themselves that specially mark Catherine’s holiness and the love that the Blessed Mother held for Catherine.  What was it that distinguished Mary’s appearances from the appearances to other visionaries?

 

PLEASE REMEMBER THE EASTER EGG HUNT, WHICH WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE 11:15 Mass at St. John Vianney.  Plan on having the children down to the field behind the parish center at sometime around 1:00 p.m.  There are baptisms at the 11:15 Mass, which may take things a little longer than usual, and we want to give everyone some time to get their kids down to the field.  We will wait until Mass has cleared out before releasing the kids upon the field.