Our Guest Columnists Columns
The Georgia Bulletin features guest columns and spiritual reflections from laypeople and clergy from the archdiocesan community.
Our Guest Columnists
“There But For The Grace Of God…”
BY TOM REICHERT, CommentaryEnglish
Even on a good day, to venture into Haiti is to embrace stillborn dreams, aborted development, and the hardscrabble face of a crucified Christ. To venture into Haiti after this most recent earthquake was to walk a spell toward Golgotha like Simon of Cyrene, following a road that leads toward death and ongoing tremors of […] English
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
AD+Vents
Adults and school children responded to a request from The Georgia Bulletin and sent in their thoughts on the season of Advent. Prayerfully we prepare, anxiously we await, celestially we celebrate! Lord, we thank you for all that we hold in our hearts. We, who are worried about so much, look forward to your coming […] English
ByPublished: December 10, 2009
The Coat of Arms of His Excellency, The Most Reverend Luis Rafael Zarama, D.D. Auxiliary BIshop of Atlanta and Titular Bishop of Bararus
The episcopal heraldic achievement or bishop’s coat of arms is composed of a shield with its charges (symbols), a motto scroll and the external ornamentation. The shield, which is the central and most important feature of any heraldic device, is described (blazoned) in 12th century terms, that are archaic to our modern language, and this […] English
By DEACON PAUL J. SULLIVAN, CommentaryPublished: October 1, 2009
Reflection On The Year For Priests
This past August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, marked 40 years since our Lord called me into his service and the service of the church. Forty years, 28 as a priest—that’s remarkable. When God called me to serve him as a religious brother I never imagined he would extend that call to […] English
By FATHER RICHARD WISE, CommentaryPublished: September 17, 2009
I Have Witnessed The Gift That Priests Are
A priest is a man, clothed in tenderness, who speaks of God’s mercy, who prophetically pronounces the truth, unpleasant though it might be and who reflects God’s love to a hurting world. Sometimes he is shoring up souls and sometimes he is breaking up concrete. He’s comforting the grieving and challenging the young. He’s soothing […] English
By VICTORIA M. THORNPublished: September 3, 2009
Natural Wonders Give Glimpses Of Heaven
I am walking down the brick path as the big clock starts chiming ten times. It is my morning break from my job at the theology library at Emory University, and I am all alone. The air is clear, there are huge trees surrounding the path, and the sky is a crisp shade of blue. […] English
By LORRAINE V. MURRAY, CommentaryPublished: August 20, 2009
The Priest, Throughout Life
Alter Christus … the Priest, another Christ. In his love and wisdom, God did not leave us alone on this earth but gave us the priest. During my pilgrimage here on earth, the priest has accompanied me, helping me to navigate and stay on the path that will lead me to my eternal home. He […] English
By PAULA BROCK, CommentaryPublished: August 6, 2009
Signs Of Grace
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” describes grace as the “free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God.” My husband, Frank, and I have experienced God’s “undeserved help,” as we have wrestled with His plan for our family. We now know it was God’s grace […] English
By JENNIFER RICARD, CommentaryPublished: July 16, 2009
Paul’s Gospel Message Still Reaches Us
Paul had a bold take on the Gospel. He proclaimed that all peoples of the world were invited into a saving covenant relationship with the God of his Jewish ancestors through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He put it quite simply to the Corinthians: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, […] English
By CLIFFORD M. YEARY, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: July 2, 2009
A Bow To Miss Regina
One of the most moving and beautiful passages in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs begins with the question: Who shall describe a valiant woman? Many of the virtues and ensuring accomplishments of such a one are listed and extolled in the answering verses that follow the question; and most of these qualities were to […] English
By SALLY FITZGERALD, Special To The BulletinPublished: May 28, 2009
Paul’s Stature Beyond Letters He Wrote
The author of the Second Letter of Peter had this to say about Paul’s letters: “In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort” (2 Peter 3:16b). Many experts on Paul in our day might agree. Paul’s training in Pharisaical Judaism, his personal encounter with the risen Jesus on […] English
By CATHERINE UPCHURCH, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: May 14, 2009
Paul Finds God’s Strength In Suffering
Paul preached where he was not welcome and he disputed with doubters in public places. To too many, Paul was a pest. This is the first charge we hear his prosecutor from the Sanhedrin, Tertullis, make against him as he is presented to the Roman Governor Felix for trial (Acts 24:5). This was no small […] English
By CLIFFORD M. YEARY, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: May 7, 2009
Paul’s Images Help Shape the Church
When Jesus began his ministry he proclaimed “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). When Paul began his ministry he preached Jesus Christ, the embodiment of that kingdom. And he preached not to those he identified as disciples, but to those identified as brothers and sisters, the body of Christ, and the temple […] English
By CATHERINE UPCHURCH, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: April 30, 2009
Paul: Treat Body Of Christ With Respect
It seems almost cruel to say that among all the addressees of Paul’s letters, the Corinthians take the lead by bad example. But the conclusion is hard to avoid. Paul “yells” at the Galatians for allowing male converts to be circumcised (Galatians 3:1), and the Thessalonians may have been a bit lazy (2 Thessalonians 3:10), […] English
By CLIFFORD M. YEARY, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: April 23, 2009
Paul Valued The Ministry Of Women
Would you be surprised to discover that Paul worked closely with women throughout his ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ? If so, you’re not alone. Many Christians are most familiar with a few passages in Paul’s letters that seem to denigrate women, keeping them in their place, and even silencing them. Perhaps we need […] English
By CATHERINE UPCHURCH, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: April 16, 2009
The Cross And Joy
God wants you to be happy, even though life is filled with misery. There will always be crosses, and yet we are called to live joyfully. St. Paul helps us to master the Christian faith by understanding the relationship between God’s love for us and the trials we have to endure in this world. He […] English
By FATHER JOHN CATOIR, CommentaryPublished: April 9, 2009
Marriage Should Reflect Christ’s Love
When modern readers engage with Paul’s teachings regarding marriage, three concerns often arise. First, how highly does Paul actually regard marriage? He seems to respect it, but doesn’t he also treat it as an option meant for those in danger of succumbing to their baser passions? Then, there is the matter of the relationship of […] English
By CLIFFORD M. YEARY, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: April 9, 2009
The Way Of The Cross
Known as the Via Dolorosa or the Way of the Cross, this Christian devotion chronicles the journey of Jesus Christ to his death on Calvary. It is the ultimate sign of God’s love, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the redemption and salvation of humanity. This year The Georgia Bulletin extended an invitation […] English
ByPublished: April 9, 2009
To Love As Jesus Loves
Our authentic self is the sanctuary where God dwells within us. It is here in solitude that we can sense the innermost movement of God and what it means to be “one” with God. Thomas Merton wrote: “The inner self is precisely that self which cannot be tricked or manipulated by anyone, even by the […] English
By TOM REICHERT, CommentaryPublished: April 2, 2009
Spirit Within Allows Us To Live In Christ
When Paul speaks of his experience of God, he most often talks about Jesus the savior or he speaks of the risen Christ who reveals God’s plan for salvation. And yet, Paul’s writings are filled with an appreciation for the Spirit as well. Fundamentally, the Spirit originates in God and in Christ and is an […] English
By CATHERINE UPCHURCH, Little Rock Scripture StudyPublished: April 2, 2009