Editorial

Back in my sophomore year at Aquinas High School in La Crosse, I was privileged to have an inspiring English teacher who encouraged my already budding interest in literature and writing.

We had such a wonderful school year with Sister Ethel Marie that I almost hated to see summer vacation come. A friend of mine and I were thrilled when Sister Ethel Marie provided us with a personalized reading list for the summer to continue our education.

This was just one example of how this Sister (a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration) went out of her way to help her students. There were many other Sisters like her who influenced us during our grade school and high school years.

Annual appeal. I think of Sisters like them at this time of year. On Dec. 8 and 9, parishes throughout the country will take up the 14th annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. This appeal helps retired members of religious orders -- Sisters, Brothers, and priests -- who have spent their lives in such ministries such as education, health care, and social service.

There are currently over 40,000 religious women and men over the age of 70 in the United States. They need over $6 billion to help pay for their needs. Last year the fund collected over $32.6 million and provided assistance to almost 500 religious orders.

Need remains. Although Catholics have been generous in past years, the need remains. Why?

In past years, religious women and men worked for very small stipends. They had no health insurance or retirement plans. They hoped that God -- and the Catholic community -- would provide for them.

Now, of the more than 70,000 women religious in our country, 53 percent are past age 70; of the 15,000 men religious, 35 percent are past age 70. Total cost to care for them last year was $716 million. The annual Social Security benefit received by religious was less than $4,000 each.

You can do the math. There isn't enough money available to take care of these dedicated religious. Even though today's sisters and priests receive higher salaries and better benefits, they can't begin to put enough aside to care for their own futures and for their elderly community members.

We who have benefitted from these religious women and men -- and who continue to benefit from their knowledge, concern, and committed faith -- should help with our financial support for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

Share in the Care. "Share in the Care" is the theme of this year's appeal. We must all share in caring for our aging religious who have done so much for us.

As you write a check or drop money in an envelope at your parish, remember a Sister, priest, or Brother who influenced your life: someone like Sister Ethel Marie, who encouraged the love of reading and writing that stays with me to this day. Let's say "thank you" in a substantial way to all those religious who've made a difference in our lives.

Mary C. Uhler, editor

Mailbag

To the editor:

	Mailbag policy We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Limit letters to 200 words or less. All letters must be signed. Send letters to: Mailbag The Catholic Herald P.O. Box 44985 Madison, WI 53744-4985 Fax: 608-821-3071 E-mail: info@madisoncatholicherald.org

I have read with interest the debate in this paper about the use of feminine imagery in reference to the Godhead. I would like to come to Denise Boychuk Gorman's defense by pointing out that her use of the phrase "as a mother" is entirely biblical.

In Isaiah 66:13 we read, "As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort." These are words spoken by God himself, or, in this passage more accurately, by God herself.

In the Early Church there is evidence that there was a healthy freedom to explore the rich metaphors available to describe our loving God. The late 1st century AD Odes of Solomon, while not canonical scripture, show one Christian's creative attempts to describe God.

In Ode 19, we can see, in fact, a willingness to collapse the gender differentiations that the created order displays, and describe God using a mixture of such metaphors: The Son is the cup and he who was milked is the Father, and he who milked him is the Holy Spirit . . . The Holy Spirit opened the Father's raiment and mingled the milk from the Father's two breasts and gave that mingling to the world, which was unknowing . . . The Spirit opened the Virgin's womb and she received the milk. The Virgin became a mother of great mercy; she labored, but not in pain, and bore a son.

This passage also shows an early understanding of the importance of our Lady and strongly suggests, by referring to her lack of pain in childbirth, that she was not under the curse of Eve (Gen 3:16), thus indicating a belief in the Immaculate Conception at this early date in the Church's history.

In all debates about the use of language in describing God, we need to heed the Church's teaching that "our knowledge of God is limited, our language about him is equally so" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 40). "Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God" (ibid 41).

Because of this, whether we call God "He" or "She," we need to keep in mind that our categories of gender are a part of the created order and, as such, can only describe God imperfectly and by analogy at best.

But, within the comfort and security of our Church's proper order and authority, this should flower into, not fear of improper use of language, but freedom and creativity of expression.

Keith Massey, PhD, Madison