ST. THOMAS MORE SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY ad MARCH 2014

veritatemVOLUME 19 ISSUE 2 Heavenly Bookends GREGORY WEILER

A Well of Grace JOHN J. FLYNN III

Evidence that Demands a Verdict

PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP AD VERITATEM MARCH 2014

HEAVENLY The St. Thomas More Society of BOOKENDS Orange County is ad an independent veritatem organization sponsored PRESIDENT’S COLUMN by lawyers and judges GREGORY N. WEILER who are practicing members of the Roman Catholic Church.

ST. THOMAS MORE SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT Donal P. Hanley Gregory Weiler Donald A. Hunsberger THE LAW OFFICES OF It’s always good to take one’s bearings, especially halfway PALMIERI TYLER WEINER DONALD A. HUNSBERGER WILHELM & WALDRON William Malecki STATE COMPENSATION through Lent. It seems like yesterday that the Throw Away WEBMASTER INSURANCE FUND SECRETARY Culture (quoting Francis) just finished Christmas Fabio Cabezas Steven Cotugno Alma L. Murray CONSULTING SOFTWARE HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA (pretty much without Christ), and now we’ve celebrated what ENGINEER TREASURER Michael J. Alti Michael J. Offenheiser I belive is the greatest Feast Day on the Church’s calendar: Michael Murphy, CPA THE ALTI LAW FIRM BROWN & STREZA, LLP the Feast of the Incarnation, the infinite God joined finite THE ACCOUNTANCY FIRM OF MURPHY, MURPHY & MURPHY, INC. James P. Doan Julie A. Palafox humanity, the Annunciation. CHAPLAIN DOAN LAW GROUP PALAFOX LAW CORPORATION Christmas after all is a weigh station among 33 years of Rev. Hugh C. Barbour, Lydia C. Duynstee Jake Vollebregt O. Praem, Ph.D. BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP moments in Christ’s life, better described as the Feast of Our ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY John J. Flynn III NOSSAMAN LLP David Werner Lord’s “visibility.” But the Annunciation marks the seminal PAST PRESIDENT LAW OFFICE OF DAVID WERNER, LLP moment in the history of the physical universe, the infinite Hon. David Belz John L. Flynn III O.C. SUPERIOR COURT O.C. SUPERIOR COURT stepping into time, “yes” for an incredible purpose, but at one single moment: the “fiat.” BAM! ADVISORY BOARD Yet inexplicably the Annunciation seems a muted Hon. Michael Brenner, Retired • Hon. David T. McEachen Bishop Kevin Vann • Dean John Eastman celebration, not a holy day of obligation. Yes, we say the Hon. Andrew J. Guilford • Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Gloria as part of the “solemnity,” but Catholic schools are still open; we don’t exchange gifts or eat corn beef. IDEALS OF ST. THOMAS MORE members of the legal profession. The legal profession is a high calling Yet the confluence of mother and child , our Blessed Mother with corresponding responsibilities to MEMBERSHIP IN STMS society. The principal objective of every Each member of the Society is and the incarnate Christ started at a specific moment in time lawyer is to promote and seek justice. committed to: Catholic Lawyers pursue the truth in celebrated on March 25 – akin to the “big bang” but the most • strive to live an exemplary Christian both their spiritual and professional life and apply the principles and ideals stupendous of ”bangs” as God’s incarnation is of eternal lives. The duty of a Catholic lawyer is exemplified by St. Thomas More in to remain faithful to Christ, His their daily lives and encourage same significance. Church and its teachings at all times in the legal profession. despite the personal consequences. • attend monthly meeting of the Did I say the greatest Feast, greater than Easter? Society and provide personal support THE OBJECTIVES OF STMS Well, would not the incarnation, without the Cross and to the St. Thomas More Society. • encouraging its members to live a Resurrection, be any “less”? But we need not bifurcate. These Christian life and apply the principles • attend and support the Red Mass. and ideals exemplified by St. Thomas two bookends for Christ mean he did become man and did in More in their lives and encourage LAWYER’S PRAYER same in the legal profession. Give me the grace, Good Lord, fact redeem mankind. We have the incredible power to grab to set the world at naught; • promoting and foster high ethical to set my mind fast upon thee ahold of this redemption, to choose our destiny, to partake in principals in the legal profession and not to hang upon the blast of men’s generally and, in particular, in the a life between these two bookends. mouths; community of Catholic lawyers. to be content to be solitary; So on March 25, start your Lent anew with that greatest of • assisting in the spiritual growth of not to long for worldly company its members. but utterly to cast off the world pro-life feasts, the Annunciation of Gabriel to Our Lady and • encouraging interfaith and rid my mind of the business her grand “Yes.” May we be granted the same grace to say our understanding and brotherhood. thereof. • sponsoring the annual Red Mass for - ST. THOMAS MORE “yes” with our lives. PAX ~ GNW elected and appointed officials and Gregory N. Weiler is a partner at Palmieri, Tyler, Wiener, Wilhelm & Waldron LLP in Irvine. [email protected]

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Once while on pilgrimage, I heard a Franciscan priest speak about the expectations of pilgrims. He told the story of a woman, herself on pilgrimage, who lamented to him about the lack of consolation and joy, while all around her seemed lifted like kites. He told her that she was on a walk in the desert, a “true pilgrimage.” His answer, I thought, A WELL OF was both highly unsatisfying and utterly unassailable. GRACE On Ash Wednesday we enter the desert of Lent, bearing with us the bucket full of coins JOHN J. FLYNN III we have collected on the way of the previous year, now in search of the oasis that will save our lives. But before we can fill the bucket with the water we need to live, we must empty it. The prospect of emptiness produces rebellion within, but the Spirit, blowing where he will, now uncovers the path that had seemed lost to the sands. The path is regained, but we remain in the desert, even if an oasis is now in sight. It is the suffering of emptiness 4 Cross of Jesus Christ.” Now even the world of suffering that we endure at Lent, the creation of the “interior space has been redeemed, the abyss transformed by the suffering of where Christ, the source of the Church’s unity can effectively Christ into a well of grace. act with all the power of his spirit,” to use the words of John Paul II.1 In another context, John Paul II wrote: “It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for 1 John Paul II, , (1995), § 35. 2 the grace which transforms human souls.” And it is only 2 John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, Salvifici Doloris (1984), § 27. in suffering that love is authenticated: “If the agony on the 3 John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope (New York: Alfred A. Cross had not happened, the truth that God is Love would Knopf, 1994), 66. 3 have been unfounded.” 4 Salvifici Doloris, § 13. We undertake to suffer at Lent because it is the place chosen by God for the meeting of Heaven and Earth, the place where God revealed himself fully: “Love is also the fullest source of the answer to the question to the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the

The Law Offices of programs Advertise in Deborah Pernice Knefel invitations T Y Mammoth booklets ad • Labor and Employment Law business cards P E Real Estate veritatem • Municipal and Admin. Law logos Coldwell Banker advertisements Affordable • Tort/Business Litigation and the A ˜ Fly fishing, golf, skiing, advertising at $150 333 City Blvd. West, Ad Veritatem  per year back packing, property sales ˜ 17th Floor 15% discount for St. Thomas Orange, Calif. 92868 More Society Members Mike S. Martin (714) 937-2035 Mary Harrell [email protected] [email protected] 949.292.3447 [email protected]

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PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP Are you content with your spiritual life? Do you simply “long” for more? Do you want to Do you often find yourself frazzled, exhausted, and make Jesus more than an abstraction in your life? seemingly under assault from all sides? Troubling questions, huh?! Do you have that gnawing feeling that you could be If you have the gumption to really put out into the a better spouse or parent? Are you not at peace even deep, to change the status quo for the good, consider though you are a “successful” lawyer or judge? one of these life changing spiritual adventures.

Missionaries The Spiritual Attend a of the Poor Exercises Cursillo Retreat Please join a small group of Join one of the small groups for Cursillo, called a “short course STMS members in visiting and the famous Spiritual Exercises in Christianity” has probably serving with the Missionaries of St Ignatius of Loyola, the influenced more passionate of the Poor in their clinics in same exercises that every Jesuit Catholics in Orange County than Jamaica or Haiti. Father Ho experiences during a 30-day any other movement or Ministry. Lung (often seen on EWTN) retreat but which we laity can How? Again it is hard to describe and his brothers serve the least experience over nine months. how a three-day retreat can be of our brethren (clinics which These are the same exercises life changing. serve orphans, the severely which formed Pope Francis! However there is no denying handicapped, HIV infected and Meet once a week with a small that the men and women who all the disenfranchised) with group and leader and pray start the Retreat Thursday night unbelievable selflessness. Join through Scripture in a “special” are enabled, Grace charged, and the brothers for a week in their way for nine months. The are sort of divinized by Sunday Monastery, with them in their Spiritual Exercises have been a afternoon. The founders of monastic prayer and venture out pillar of Catholic formation for the STMS started the Society each day to serve. While not for almost five Centuries and are after their Cursillo. It’s not those desiring a little spiritual available to us in Orange County. some secret society or clique, vacation, your visit will be life If you ask around many of the but rather a three-day retreat changing and will, in a way that most passionate Catholics you with 15 talks that build on each cannot be described in words, know will have gone through the other, all given in the “oven” of blast you out of what might be a exercises. an incredibly loving Christian Christian comfort zone. For more information contact community. An incidental benefit will be to David Werner: (949) 244-1566. Cursillo is a Catholic must, be with Father Ho Lung, a priest especially if you think you don’t who we can only liken to a living need it! Mother Theresa. Email Don Hunsberger If you’re interested, call Gregory ([email protected]) for Weiler: (949) 300-4581. more information.

If you long for more , pray on participating in one of these gifts. “Lord should I do this? Lord, give me the courage and Grace to break my spiritual complacency.”

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EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT

Josh McDowell coined this phrase many before when he wrote his Christian apologetic him. In 1996, classic in 1992, Evidence That Demands Dr. Accetta a Verdict. This article addresses a new became curious question. Is there physical evidence about the that supports the case that Jesus Christ Shroud upon really was fully man and fully God and reading an that he rose from the dead? article which In the quest for an answer, the Shroud sparked his of Turin has once again obtained the scientific spotlight. A new book written in Italian, curiosity. The Mystery of the Shroud, by Giulio His interest under Jewish law would not have been Fanti, professor of mechanical and soon grew into an obsession. He has washed and would have been wrapped thermal measurement at the University assembled one of the world’s finest in a sacred burial cloth. The Shroud is of Padua’s Engineering Faculty, and exhibits of the Shroud. His work stained by blood, type AB or universal journalist Saverio Gaeta, states that by continues today. receive. The body was in the state of measuring the degradation of cellulose Recently, Dr. Accetta conducted rigor mortis. Rigor mortis develops and in linen fibers from the shroud, two some MRI studies that disclose another then declines within three days of death, separate approaches show the cloth is secret within the Shroud. The white therefore; the imprint on the Shroud at least 2,000 years old. Previous carbon illuminations in the area of the mouth occurred within three days of death. dating suggesting the Shroud was can be duplicated. The duplication study The fibers of the cloth were imprinted only 700 years old has been debunked suggests the image of full size teeth. In by an image caused by a light source. by tests that confirm that the areas other words, the teeth were imprinted Microscopic examination reveal a of the Shroud that were previously on the Shroud when the image was process of oxidation on the underside tested had been contaminated by the created. of the linen fibers. The oxidation has carbon remnants from a fire in the 14th How could this occur? The caused a discoloration of the fibers. The Century. The fire was caused by an act explanation comes from the evidence image can be seen only on the underside of sabotage. We have moved past the that the Shroud offers us. First of all, of the fibers of the cloth. Dr. Accetta 700 year old carbon dating theory. It is the Shroud is a heavy linen cloth with a has duplicated this marking process by no longer accepted in scientific circles. herringbone pattern. The fancy pattern using radiological studies to reproduce In pursuit of the answer to the and expensive linen cloth are more the same effect. His work supports the mystery of the Shroud, we have a world consistent with the use as a table cloth, conclusion that the image on the linen class full length exhibit of the Shroud not a burial cloth. The Jews had burial fibers was caused by a light source. here in Orange County. The Shroud traditions but only if the deceased died There is no evidence that the image Center of Southern California was a dignified death. Death by crucifixion was created by some a form of pigment established by Dr. Gus Accetta, M.D. in did not meet that criteria. Jesus death at the hands of a man. When a light is 1996. Dr. Accetta was raised a Catholic. as described in scripture would not During his college years he fell away have qualified for traditional Jewish (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) from the faith as has happened to so funeral rite. The body of a criminal

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shown through one side of the fibers of a linen cloth that when analyzed EVIDENCE the Shroud from by a computer is three dimensional. It is not difficult to THAT DEMANDS front to back, the understand why Dr. Accetta and so many other scientist A VERDICT light proceeds continue to be enthralled by the Shroud of Turin. completely Dr. Accetta continues with his work on the Shroud. The through the facts discussed in this article are just a few of the total (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5) fabric with no findings that support the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. obstruction. A The Catholic Church has not made a formal statement on the substance applied to authenticity of the Shroud. The closest claim to authenticity the cloth would block some of the light. The markings on the was a statement by Blessed John Paul II who referred to the linen are likened to a negative image similar to how a Kodak Shroud of Turin as “the greatest relic in Christendom”. film strip is created by light when the lens of a camera is The Shroud will continue to draw interest from Christians opened. and non Christians alike. Certainly, it continues to draw Modern computers have delivered a dramatic statement in controversy. As the scientific evidence grows, the message support of the authenticity of the Shroud. In recent years, a of what the Shroud is revealing to us grows. The evidence team of secular scientist examined the Shroud by computer supports a verdict that Jesus Christ existed and that he rose analysis. The scorch marks were assembled and analyzed by a from the dead. computer. The computer study revealed a shocking truth. The Albert Einstein, a religious man and believer in God, was scorch marks on the underside of the Shroud, when analyzed, once quoted as saying, “there either are miracles in which are three dimensional. In other words, the image on the lined case everything we see is a miracle, or there are no miracles at cloth has three sides as if the image was created when the all”. The image on the Shroud represents a miraculous event. cloth fell through something. That something is consistent If true, outside of creation, it is the greatest miracle in the with a resurrecting body. As the body mass was transformed history of man. Albert Einstein would have been pleased to from solid to light, the cloth dropped through and to the know that the answer to his query supports the belief that floor of the tomb, thus creating a three dimensional image. “everything is a miracle.” In summary, the Shroud is made up of a negative image caused by a powerful light source that burned an image on

Father Hughes recommendation of the month: was between dehumanizing fascism and Western democracy ( C.S. LEWIS' ESSAY "THE ABOLITION OF MAN" whatever that was/is), Lewis pointed to the fulcrum. Will man live by Truth, is there truth , reason , reality – the subjective Professor Robert George, the heir to vs. the objective - sanity . What is man without those values the mantle of Father Richard Neuhaus that are universal and do exist? “Men without chests.” in the intellectual and theological His last chapter tells us what we can expect of a culture of defense of the Church, in a recent talk “men without chests’ and it sounds eerily like the Op Ed page on Religious Liberty, Secularism and of the New York Times. the future of the Catholic Church, referred to Lewis’s 1943 work The “And all the time — such is the tragi-comedy of Abolition of Man as a seminal work our situation — we continue to clamor for those very which should be read by every Catholic who is serious about their faith and qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly how it is exercised in the Public Square. open a periodical without coming across the statement Well our AV readers are presumably that what our civilization needs is more ‘drive’, or such Catholics ! dynamism, or self-sacrifice, or ‘creativity’. In a sort of Hindsight makes Lewis’s 1943 Essay more than ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the prescient, more like a prophetic description of Lent in function. We make men without chests and expect of America in March 2014 . Written when the results of world them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are war II were still uncertain, two years after the blitz, long shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and before even the Cold War, when the titanic political struggle bid the geldings be fruitful.”

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