Another book to read
NBC’s Today Show featured an interesting segment on former secretary of state Madeleine Albright this morning. 
She talked about her new book ”Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War” in which she shares that she was raised Roman Catholic but found out that her family is Jewish and many of her family members died during the Holocaust.
See the segment here: “Madeleine Albright Reflects on a Childhood During Wartime”
By the way, I’m reading “A Wrinkle in Time” again as this is the book’s 50th anniversary. How did I not catch all the religious symbolism before? As a kid, maybe I just wasn’t able to put it all in context.
Anyway, I’m enjoying it again. I do plan to pick up “Prague Winter” and read it as well.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
April 24 Today’s Prayer
Many face struggles in their lives. Lord, let us be open to helping them. Amen. 
April 23 Today’s Prayer
O Lord, grant us the ability to forgive others and be free to ask Your forgiveness. Amen. 
April 20 Today’s Prayer
Help us stand strong, Lord, against evils and corruption we might encounter today. Amen. 
Pope marks several milestones this week
Pope Benedict celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday and marks another important milestone today. 
The pontiff celebrates the 7th anniversary of his election to the papacy today. I have read several stories on different websites that the pope might be thinking about retiring to enjoy the rest of his days without the demands of the papacy. No one has heard that come from the pope himself so it’s safe to say that that isn’t happening at this time.
Here’s an Associated Press story from Vatican City that sheds some light on the pontiff’s milestones and his thoughts about them:
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI prayed Sunday for the strength to carry on as he marks two major milestones this week: his 85th birthday and the seventh anniversary of his election to the papacy.
The comments, while innocuous, were the clearest sign yet that Benedict has no intention of resigning anytime soon despite his age and increasing frailty.
“Next Thursday, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of my election to the See of Peter, I ask for your prayers, so that the Lord gives me the strength to fulfill the mission he entrusted to me,” he said in French to thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.
Benedict has slowed down recently – he was seen in public for the first time using a cane when he boarded his plane for Mexico last month. During the long, six-day trip to Mexico and Cuba, he at times looked exhausted. He looked similarly tired during the busy Holy Week services that greeted him upon his return to Rome.
But Benedict’s health is remarkably strong for someone his age. He has never canceled a planned event due to illness and suffers from no known chronic illnesses. Few men his age go to work every day, run a 1 billion-strong church, write books, deliver speeches and meet with visiting heads of state.
And Benedict has some very pressing issues on his agenda. The Vatican is expected to receive word soon from a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics on whether they will accept the Holy See’s terms for reconciliation.
The group, the Society of St. Pius X, opposes some of the core teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly its outreach to Jews. Benedict, who is not unsympathetic to some of their concerns, has worked since the start of his pontificate to try to bring the group back under Rome’s wing out of fear that its members are essentially creating a parallel church.
On the other side of the spectrum are hundreds of dissident priests who are making their voices heard in Europe: Priest movements in Austria and Ireland are calling for a relaxation of the celibacy requirement for priests and for the church to ordain women – two things the Vatican has ruled out.
Benedict appeared so concerned by the Austrian initiative in particular that he dedicated much of his Holy Thursday homily to reminding its members that he had no authority whatsoever to allow female priests since an all-male priesthood is an “irrevocable” church teaching.
Other big events on the pope’s agenda include a trip to Lebanon in September, a meeting of the world’s bishops in Rome the following month and, farther ahead, World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the summer of 2013.
(Cutline: AP Photo/ Pope Benedict XVI blesses faithful while touring St. Peter’s Square during the weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, April 18.)
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Thoughts on this April 19
For me, this morning started much like the morn of April 19 17 years ago. 
In 1995, April 19 dawned sunny and bright and I barely registered that fact because I was trying to drop my children off at school and daycare and get in to work. The youngest of my three children was not yet 1 years old so mornings were pretty hectic as I attempted to get bookbags, my purse, a diaper bag and other assorted stuff into the car — and the kids too.
I had been sitting at my desk here at The Oklahoman for approximately 17 minutes when the bomb blew apart the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. My editor sent me to University/Children’s Hospital near downtown Oklahoma City to report on any happenings there. By 9: 25 a.m., I was on the Broadway Extension headed to my assignment for the day. I had no way of knowing that that morning would be the last morning that 168 people would ever experience on this Earth or that my own life and that of countless other Oklahomans and Americans would ever be the same. By the end of that workday which stretched to about 8 p.m., I climbed in my car emotionally drained and headed to pick up my children. Since my husband at that time was a first responder at the Murrah Building site, relatives had picked the children up and kept them until I could get off work.
I’d started my day just trying to get the children to where they needed to go and in the hustle and bustle of the hectic morning, I couldn’t remember what I said or if I had kissed them. I ended the day with a desperate need to see them and hear them and touch them again. My oldest was 8 years old at the time and he knew what had happened but he didn’t understand the magnitude of it, of course. The younger children were oblivious. All they knew was that that night I hugged them and kissed them many, many times and wanted to hear about every minute of their day. It had dawned on me that while I had expected — assumed — that many children from the daycare center inside the Murrah Building would be sent to hospitals due to injuries, the fact was that the majority of those little ones died. Mothers and fathers and grandparents had dropped them off that morning but most of those children never made it back home.
This morning, the 17th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, I leapt out of bed with the knowledge that I had an important phone interview at 8:45 a.m. I rushed and packed up my numerous bags for the day (purse, notebook tote, lunch, gym bag …) and headed out to the car. I took my daughter, now 17, to school and as we drove there, it dawned on me just what day it was. So even though I was in a hurry once again, I made sure that we had a nice chat. She didn’t realize it, I’m sure, but I took a moment just to look at her sweet face and marvel at how precious she is to me, how all of my loved ones are so precious to me. Everyday that we get to spend with our friends and family is another day to say “Hey, I love you.” We say ”I’ll see you later” and sometimes take for granted that we will, indeed, see them later, but no day is promised to us.
And guess what? After all that, I got to work for my phone interview and another one after that but I had to go back home because I left my laptop there. It’s easy to forget stuff when you are busy, busy. I’m just glad that I didn’t forget to take the time to really appreciate the people I care about most, to have our parting glimpses of each be filled with smiles and laughter.
Let’s keep each other lifted up in prayer today. Say a prayer for someone you know is hurting or lonely. Say a prayer for someone you know has perhaps forgotten to take the time to smell the proverbial roses. Say a prayer for someone you need to forgive or someone you want to forgive you. Say a prayer for the survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, the loved ones of those killed on that April 19 17 years ago and for all those impacted by this horrific event.
“We will never forget.”
(Cutline: Participants gather at the 2011 Day of Remembrance Ceremony at the 16th annual Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial ceremony. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman)
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
April 19 Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord, help us rein in gossiping tongues and not tell untruths about others. Amen. 
April 18 Today’s Prayer
Lord, let no one who confesses sin and calls on Your name feel unworthy of salvation. Amen. 
April 17 Today’s Prayer
We are grateful, Lord, that You give us people who are not afraid to proclaim their faith. Amen.
More on the Titanic
A Christian ministry has much to say about the Titanic amid all the interest surrounding the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ill-fated ship. 
A Religion News Service story published on the Washington Post’s website says that Texas-based Vision Forum Ministries in San Antonio and the Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic Society are sponsoring “Titanic 100: An International Centennial Event” in Branson, Mo., which is also home to a Titanic museum.
Leaders of the minstry said director James Cameron’s “class warfare” version of events in his epic film “Titanic” is not accurate.
Read the story here: “Group Says ‘Titanic’ film gets ‘women and children first’ doctrine all wrong”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
