Day: December 23, 2010

On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

Llamados a ser luz de Cristo

Esta columna está destinada por el Obispo para los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de su intención.

Queridos amigos:

Al leer esta columna, Navidad estará sobre nosotros y el año del Señor 2010 habrá casi expirado. Al ver el mundo entero, apreciamos la violencia de la guerra y el terrorismo rampante, el hambre en muchos lugares así como la extrema pobreza, vemos a los ancianos sufriendo la eutanasia real o virtualmente, y vemos la masacre de los no nacidos, vemos también el don de la sexualidad humana, orientada naturalmente al amor generoso, malbaratada y usada continuamente para entretenimientos egoístas. Esta no es una “bonita imagen” pero es la cara del mundo que, afirmamos, pertenece a Dios esta Navidad.

Podemos de hecho identificarnos con las palabras del profeta Isaías: somos un pueblo “caminando en la oscuridad… viviendo en una tierra de sombras”. Nada de esto es dicho para borrar la alegría de la Navidad, sino para invitarlos a una aproximación realista para alcanzarla. Isaías dice luego que “quienes han caminado en la oscuridad han visto una luz mayor… y sobre quienes caminan en la tierra de las sombras una luz ha brillado”.

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino

A call to be the light of Christ

Under the Gospel Book by Bishop Robert C. Morlino
This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

As you read this letter, Christmas will be upon us and the Year of the Lord 2010 will have almost expired. As we look around the whole world, we see the violence of war and terrorism raging, we see hunger thriving in so many places as well as extreme poverty, we see senior citizens being actually or virtually euthanized and we see the slaughter of the unborn, we see God’s gift of human sexuality, naturally oriented toward unselfish love, cheapened and continually used for every kind of self-centered entertainment. It’s not a “pretty picture,” but it is a picture of this world that, we claim, belongs to God this Christmas.

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On
Sr. Margie Lavonis

Christ bids us to come – and go

Cutting Edge by Sr. Margie Lavonis

I have a ritual I practice on New Year’s Eve or day, depending on what is going on in my life. I take some quiet time to review how God has worked in my life over the past year.

Last year I recalled a journal entry that summarized a talk I still remember. It was given during a day of prayer. The presenter, a wonderful Holy Cross priest, made a simple but profound statement. He said that Christian discipleship can be summed up by two words — “Come” and “Go.”

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On
Ann and Larry Esser

Parishioners at St. Bernard’s enjoyed his sense of humor

To the editor:

When he was pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Madison, we were often treated to Bishop George Wirz’s unique sense of humor in getting a point made. Our yearly “money talk” consisted of a three-minute egg timer and however much he could say until it ran out, even when he was stopped mid-sentence!

Always health conscious, he walked in our neighborhood until so many people were stopping him to talk that he had to resort to walking in circles in the church parking lot.

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On
Olivia Knier

Christian feminity: Living like Our Lady in modern times

With Christmas festivities underway and family gatherings abounding, Christ’s birth is any Christian’s central focus.

Olivia Knier

Surely this focus has brought about some thought on the Blessed Virgin’s important role in the Christ Child’s life.

The simple, yet difficult role she held in His time can hardly be paralleled with such a fast-paced culture as ours is today, can it?

With the role of women in society changing rapidly, it’s easy to lose sight of where women should stand. Involvement of a woman in society today is different from that of Jesus’ time, but still centers around the same characteristic: primary focus of service to the family.

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