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14 COMMENTARY THE LEAVEN • February 5, 2010
Catholic Press Association
Award Winner
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Archbishop Edward O’Meara
Award Winner
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
2001, 2002, 2003
Quote of the
Week
“Not everybody is in a
sport or not everybody
is in a choir. But everybody
is in a house, so
they all have that feeling
that they belong.”
Kim Peterson,
a senior at St. James Academy
See story on pages 8-9
Scripture Readings
fifth week of ordinary time
Feb. 7
fifth Sunday in ordinary time
Is 6: 1-2a, 3-8; Ps 138: 1-5, 7-8; 1 Cor 15: 1-11;
Lk 5: 1-11
Feb. 8
Jerome Emiliani, priest;
Josephine Bakhita, virgin
1 Kgs 8: 1-7, 9-13; Ps 132: 6-7, 8-10;
Mk 6: 53-56
Feb. 9
Tuesday
1 Kgs 8: 22-23, 27-30; Ps 84: 3-5, 10-11;
Mk 7: 1-13
Feb. 10
Scholastica, virgin
1 Kgs 10: 1-10; Ps 37: 5-6, 30-31, 39-40;
Mk 7: 14-23
Feb. 11
Our Lady of Lourdes
1 Kgs 11: 4-13; Ps 106: 3-4, 35-37, 40;
Mk 7: 24-30
Feb. 12
Friday
1 Kgs 11: 29-32; 12: 19; Ps 81: 10-11b, 12-15;
Mk 7: 31-37
Feb. 13
Saturday
1 Kgs 12: 26-32; 13: 33-34; Ps 106: 6-7b, 19-22;
Mk 8: 1-10
The devil’s in the details.
This well-known phrase has
been one of my guiding principles.
Generally speaking, it’s not a
bad way to go through life. The phrase
means that if something is worth doing,
then it’s worth doing well. It calls me to
focus, to be thorough, to pay attention,
to follow through. Being detail-oriented
is certainly something that has served
me well as an editor.
As we celebrate another Catholic
Press Month, I like to remind readers of
what goes on behind the scenes here at
The Leaven before you see something
in print. Obviously, first and foremost,
articles are written (and sometimes rewritten
. . . many times). Then they are
edited by another set of hands. In the
stories accompanied by photos, those
pictures are selected and cropped, and
captions are written (and sometimes
rewritten . . . many times). Then headlines
are written (and often rewritten .
. . many times). Eventually, everything
makes its way to my eyes.
Like an eagle searching for prey, I
hunt down awkward phrasing, sloppy
punctuation, inconsistent capitalizations,
and glaring misspellings. My
middle name is “fact-checker.” I verify
the proper titles of books and committees,
check the accuracy of Web site addresses,
double check all Scripture and
church document references, and add
extra explanatory information when
needed. (I suspect that a whole section
of my brain has been taken over by the
Catholic News Service and Associated
Press stylebooks.)
Now, those editorial tweaks of mine
How would you react
if you saw a miracle
take place? Would you
blink your eyes and wonder
if you were dreaming?
Would you feel strengthened
in your faith, with
any doubts in God’s power
cleared up? How would
you react?
In Sunday’s Gospel reading, Lk
5:1-11, Jesus performs an impressive
miracle. Simon Peter
and his partners, James and
John, have been fishing all
night long, but have caught
nothing. They have climbed
out of their boats and are cleaning their
nets. They have called it quits.
Nonetheless, Jesus instructs them to
put out into deep water and lower their
nets. They comply, and catch so many
fish that their boats are in danger of
sinking from the heavy load.
Simon Peter’s reaction to Jesus in
the Gospel story might strike us as a bit
strange. When Simon Peter witnesses
the miraculous catch of fish, he calls
out to Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for
Mark my words
Beware the devil in the details
fifth SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
Lk 5: 1-11
are not bad things at all. They bring
a consistency to what you see in The
Leaven each week. But, there is definitely
a downside to being so detail-oriented,
and perhaps that’s why it’s said
that the devil can be found there.
You see, if you happen to come by
the Leaven office on a Tuesday, our
deadline day, you might see — or hear
— the “devil” residing in the editor’s office.
Focusing so intently on the details
can make me “somewhat” nit-picky,
demanding, impatient, cantankerous,
rude, judgmental . . . well, you get the
picture.
It takes real wisdom to tread the fine
line between “looking over” and “overlooking”
something. I’m still learning.
While St. Paul didn’t specifically
have those of us in the Catholic press
in mind when he wrote that passage
on love that we heard as the second
reading last weekend, what he said sure
does fit us. It’s hard, especially when on
the receiving end of criticism, not to be
quick-tempered or to brood over injury.
It can take effort to neither seek one’s
own interests nor be pompous at times.
Perhaps only wisdom can guide us to
strive eagerly to pursue this ministry of
journalism with love — a love that is
the gospel truth
I am a sinful man.”
We should note that Simon Peter,
in confessing his sinfulness, does not
mention any details. He is not admitting
his guilt for specific sins, but simply
acknowledging his unworthiness in the
presence of the divine. He is awestruck
by what God has done.
In that, Simon Peter follows
the example of other
biblical figures who respond
to a call from God by claiming
their unsuitability. We
encounter one such figure in the first
reading, Is 6:1-2a, 3-8. When Isaiah
sees a vision of God’s glory, he agonizes:
“Woe is me, I am doomed! For I
am a man of unclean lips, living among
a people of unclean lips.” Nonetheless,
God calls Isaiah to be a prophet.
Similarly, when God calls Jeremiah
to be a prophet, he protests: “Ah, Lord
God, I know not how to speak; I am too
young” (Jer 1:6). Jeremiah becomes a
prophet anyway.
patient and kind.
Naturally, it’s not only journalists
who are called to reflect on love’s
meaning and challenges. We all are.
Because of Valentine’s Day, February is
considered the month of love. There’s
no better way to mark this time of year
than by rereading St. Paul’s challenge
to love authentically.
It’s tough to love this way in our
world of TMI: too much information.
With Twitter tweets and instantaneous
Facebook status updates, we are
often overwhelmed with the details of
people’s lives . . . and the devil is often
found in those details. Knowing too
much about others can make us less
charitable and more judgmental.
Again, the key to true love is in finding
the wisdom to know when to look
over and when to overlook. When people
are hurting in some way, love calls
us to look over each other and do what
we can to comfort, tend and soothe.
But love also calls us to overlook details
at times — things like unkind words,
unfulfilled promises, unwise postings,
undone chores, and unpleasant moods.
When I sense that the devil is rearing
his head in the details, I break out this
little poem, which puts everything into
perspective. It goes like this:
My face in the mirror/Isn’t wrinkled
or drawn.
My house isn’t dirty/the cobwebs are
gone.
My garden looks lovely/And so does
my lawn.
I think I might never/Put my glasses
back on!
God gives each of us whatever we’re lacking
These reluctant prophets are perfectly
correct in pointing out that they
are unworthy of the mission that God
wishes to entrust to them — that they
lack the sufficient qualifications to
carry it out. As far as God is concerned,
that does not matter. On one’s own, no
human being would be qualified.
But God steps in to supply whatever
is lacking. God gave Isaiah insight,
and Jeremiah courage, to proclaim the
word. Similarly, God will enable Simon
Peter to haul in a huge number of
converts. The miraculous catch of fish
anticipates the vast crowds that Simon
Peter will draw to the Lord.
We only need remember the results
of Peter’s speech in Jerusalem on the
first Pentecost: “Those who accepted
his message were baptized, and about
three thousand persons were added
that day” (Acts 2:41).
Jesus Christ calls each one of us to
follow him. We may feel unworthy and
incapable, but that does not matter.
God will supply whatever is lacking
in us, to accomplish our mission. The
specifics may vary, but we all can contribute
our bit for the sharing of God’s
abundant love with all the world.
Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of
St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has
a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.
Chuck and Joyce (Cooley) Ross, members
of Curé of Ars
Parish, Leawood,
celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary
on Jan. 30
with a family dinner,
followed by an
open house on Jan.
31 for friends and
family. The couple
was married on Jan.
30, 1960, at Our
Anniversaries
Lady of Assumption
Church in San
Bernardino, Calif., by Father John Flack, uncle
of the bride. Their children and their spouses
are: John and Elisabeth Ross; Gina and Parker
Thornton; Greg and Michelle Ross; Roseann
and Jeff Pitts; Christina and Patrick McGrath;
and Anthony and Julie Ross. They also have 14
grandchildren.
Charles and JoAnne (Fleming) Kneisler,
members of
Good Shepherd
Parish
in Shawnee,
will celebrate
their 50th
wedding anniversary
on
Feb. 6. The
couple was married on Feb. 6, 1960, in Colorado
Springs, Colo. Their children are: Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John, Christopher, Andrew, and
Kathleen. They also have 10 grandchildren.
Wagner’s
Mud-Jacking Co.
Specializing in Foundation Repairs
Mud-jacking and Waterproofing.
Serving Lawrence, Topeka
and surrounding areas.
Topeka (785) 233-3447
Lawrence (785) 749-1696
In business since 1963
Virginia and John Zumalt, members of
Good Shepherd Parish
in Shawnee, will
celebrate their 50th
wedding anniversary
at Mass with a special
blessing on Feb.
13. Their children
and their spouses
will host a gathering
of family and friends
following Mass at
their home. The
couple was married on Feb. 13, 1960, at Christ
the King Church in Kansas City, Mo., by Father
Gilbert Stack. Their children and their spouses
are: Marcie and Jim Barnes; Johnny and Kena
Zumalt; and Jimmy and Rhonda Zumalt. They
also have six grandchildren.
Jeannine and Peter Sowle, members
of Immaculate
Conception Church,
Leavenworth, will
celebrate their 50th
wedding anniversary
with a Mass at
the church, followed
by a family dinner
party hosted by
their children. The
couple was married
at St. Francis Xavier
Church, Grand Rapids, Mich., on Feb. 6, 1960.
Their children are: Cynthia, Elizabeth, Kathleen,
Melissa, and Ted. They also have seven
grandchildren.
THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010
Viola (Steding) and Albert Greve, members
of Holy Angels
Parish, Basehor,
will celebrate their
70th wedding anniversary
on Feb.
6 at the 4:30 p.m.
Mass and at a family
dinner on Feb. 7 at
the home of their
daughter in Olathe.
The couple was
married by Msgr.
Herman J. Koch on Feb. 6, 1940, at St. Thomas
Church in Kansas City, Kan. Their children
and their spouses are: Rose and Alvah Young,
Olathe; George and Pearl Greve, Thayer, Mo.;
Joyce Baker, Trimble, Mo.; Deborah Aiman,
Kansas City, Kan.; and Timothy and Mary
Greve, Kansas City, Kan. They also have eight
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Marriage and the Eucharist
Celebrating Servant-Love
Bishop Robert W. Finn
Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
and
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann
Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Anniversary policy
The Leaven only prints 50, 60, 65
and 70th anniversary notices. Announcements
are due by 5 p.m. eight
days (Thursday) before the desired
publication date. Announcements must
be typed.
Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615
Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109,
attn: anniversaries; or send an e-mail
to: Todd@theleaven.com.
invite married and engaged couples for a Mass of
Thanksgiving for the gift of sacramental marriage,
and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Worldwide
Marriage Encounter.
Elmer Rottinghaus
6420 Parallel, KCK
Life • Home• Auto
Commercial
334-2222
Sunday Feb. 14, 2010
Mass will be celebrated at 3 p.m.
followed by a reception
featuring
national Catholic speaker
Damon Owens
Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception
416 W. 12th Street
Kansas City, Mo. 64105
Children are welcome!
For further information, please call
MO Family Life Office: 816.756.1850, x 553
KS Family Life Office: 913.721.1570, x 145
Local news
Robert Meyer Freeman, a member
of Boy Scout
Troop 91 and St.
Ann Parish in
Prairie Village,
has earned the
highest award
in Scouting, the
rank of Eagle
Scout. Freeman’s
Eagle Scout
eagle scout project was a
food drive at St.
Ann School and the surrounding Prairie
Village neighborhoods to benefit
Harvesters Food Pantry.
Knights to host banquet
15
Shawnee — The 2010 Shawnee
Knights of Columbus awards banquet
will be held Feb. 13 at the Knights of
Columbus Hall here, at 11221 Johnson
Drive.
Social hour will be at 6 p.m. and
dinner around 6:45 p.m. Mike Thompson,
WDAF-TV meteorologist, will be
the guest speaker.
For reservations, contact Rod
Coday at (913) 268-3145 or by e-mail
at: rcoday@kc.rr.com. The Knights
will present several awards, including
Knight of the Year, Family of the
Year, service awards, and Citizen of
the Year.