Month: August 2009

On
Kat Wagner, Catholic Herald Staff

Building a place for peace, remembrance

MADISON — Through his Eagle Scout project, Evan Feller hopes to provide a place of peace for those coming to the Diocese of Madison’s Bishop O’Connor Center.

Feller will alter the entrance of the center with two gardens, each with a bench, to give visitors and residents a place for prayer.

“I really wanted to do something for the Church,” Feller said of his decision to work on this project. He had called around to several places and found he liked the idea of transforming the entrance to the center with the meditation gardens.

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino

La sabiduría de Dios y 50 años de matrimonio

Esta columna está tomada de la homilía de Monseñor Morlino en una Misa de Bodas de Oro matrimoniales celebrada el 16 de agosto.

Queridos amigos:

Tengo tres puntos de las lecturas (Ex 16:2-4, 12-15; Salmo 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54; Ef 4:17, 20-24; Jn 6:24-35) y luego algunas conclusiones. Hemos escuchado en las primeras dos lecturas de este domingo muchas cosas sobre la sabiduría y la necedad.

Resulta interesante que el autor de la Escritura indique que la necedad es lo opuesto a la sabiduría. Pudo haber dicho que lo es la ignorancia o incluso que la estupidez es lo opuesto a la sabiduría. ¿Por qué dice entonces que la necedad es lo opuesto a la sabiduría?

Muchos de nosotros somos ignorantes de muchas cosas y estúpidos con respecto a algunas otras. Pero es raro que escojamos ser ignorantes o que elijamos ser estúpidos. No solemos decir cosas como: “Sé que es estúpido, pero quiero defender eso de todas maneras”. Cuando las personas no son conscientes o cuando las personas son estúpidas en alguna área, con frecuencia no eligen serlo. Pero, en cambio, uno sí tiene que elegir ser necio. Por eso la necedad es lo opuesto a la sabiduría: ha de elegirse y uno tiene que hacerse responsable de ello. Por ejemplo, las Escrituras nos recuerdan que “el necio dice para sí en su corazón: ‘no hay Dios'” (Salmo 14:1).

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On
Barbara L. Lyons, Milwaukee

Support amendment excluding abortion from health care reform bills

To the editor:

Cardinal Justin Rigali, chair of the U.S. Catholic Conference on Pro-Life Activities, said it best in his August 11 letter to members of the House of Representatives regarding abortion mandates in proposed health care reform bills in Congress.

House Bill H.R. 3200 “delegates to the Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to make unlimited abortion a mandated benefit . . . nationwide.”

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On
Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Defining a happy death

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer

In my 81 years as a Catholic, I have been warned to “Pray for a Happy Death.” Suddenly I seem to be in charge of one and I don’t even know what it means. What is a “Happy Death”?

It is said that St. Joseph had one because he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary. I think that would be a hard one to pull off for the head of our family. We’d need a lot of space for me with our 10 kids: Rob, Tom, Tim, Elizabeth, Kathi, Kris, Gretchen, Patty, John, Mark, and their spouses. And the 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. That’s a lot of arms!

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino

The wisdom of God and 50 years of marriage

This column is taken from Bishop Morlino’s homily at the Diocesan 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration Mass on August 16.

Dear Friends,

under the gospel book

I have three points from the readings (Ex 16:2-4, 12-15; Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54; Eph 4:17, 20-24; Jn 6:24-35) and then a few closing observations. We heard a lot in the first two readings of this Sunday, about wisdom and foolishness.

It’s very interesting that the Scriptural author indicates that foolishness is the opposite of wisdom. He could have said ignorance is the opposite of wisdom or he could have said stupidity is the opposite of wisdom. Why did he say that it is foolishness that is the opposite of wisdom?

Many of us are ignorant of many things and many of us are stupid about a few things. But, it’s rare that we choose to be ignorant or choose to be stupid. We don’t usually say something like, “I know that’s stupid, but I want to stand by it anyway.” When people are unaware, or when people are stupid in some areas, they usually don’t choose it. But, you have to choose to be foolish. That’s why foolishness is the opposite of wisdom — you have to choose it and you have to take responsibility for it. For example, the Scriptures remind us, “the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

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