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| 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. |
In this past weekend’s Gospel (Jn 6:51-58), we hear Jesus say, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you.” What is Jesus talking about, that he’s going to give us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink? Does He think we’re cannibals?
Most of us like to have control over our lives. We decide when to get up in the morning, we choose the food we eat at our meals, and we decide what to do throughout the day.
Of course, there are outside circumstances that have an impact on our decisions. The weather comes to mind as an important factor affecting some of our plans. If it’s raining, for example, we might not mow the lawn, or we may choose to eat inside rather than have a picnic in a park.
However, in most cases we like to exercise control over what we do. We’re in charge of our lives. At least that’s what we like to believe.
As we grow older, we may start to realize that this way of looking at life isn’t the whole truth. Although we can have a great deal of control over our thoughts and actions, we aren’t the ones ultimately in charge.
God is the one who has the final say over what happens in our lives.
Q: We have been noticing some memory loss in my mom for about the past year.
She denies any problem and will not bring up the issue with her physician, and we are not able to convince her that she needs to talk to her doctor or make any changes.
She lives alone, not far from family but she is alone in her apartment and we worry about what might happen.
My siblings and I have talked about LifeLine or some kind of emergency system, but with her memory loss I am not sure she would remember to wear the device or push the button if she needed assistance. Is there anything that might help? (From a son in Racine.)
“I can’t do what I used to do.” How many times have we said or heard those words?
It’s such a common refrain among people in their 60s or older. Early on it may be spoken with a tinge of surprise, but often (God forbid) with a whine.
Independence Day concluded the Fortnight for Freedom mandated by the U.S. bishops, a two-week period of reflection and prayer on the defense of religious liberty that began on the vigil of the liturgical memorial of St. Thomas More.
In 2012, we may be grateful that none of us faces the headsman’s axe, as More did in Tudor England. But neither should we be indifferent to, or flippant about, the 21st-century threats to religious liberty that surround us.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — For Catholic Eagle Scout Michael Sherburne, achieving the highest rank in the Boy Scouts “is not just about being smart or physically strong, but also spiritually as well.”
“That is where the character and values come in,” he said.
“Eagles are supposed to be able to stand up (for) their beliefs. We are different from the rest of society and that is not a bad thing,” Sherburne said in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service.
MADISON — The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) has been busy this summer. There are a variety of free programs available to help serve the needs of the Southside community.
But do you think of the CMC as a place for fun and learning for children, too? This summer, the CMC welcomed Story Time Fun and summer tutoring to its children’s programs.
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| Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispo con los fieles de la diócesis de Madison. Cualquier divulgación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo. |
En el Evangelio del fin de semana pasado (Jn 6:51-58), escuchamos a Jesús decir “a menos que comas de la cara del Hijo del Hombre y beban Su sangre, no tendrán vida en ustedes”. ¿De qué está hablando Jesús, que va a darnos Su carne para comer y Su carne para comer? ¿Cree que somos caníbales?
Para quienes realmente admiten que Jesús dijo lo que dijo, hay dos posibles respuestas: una es “¿Cómo puede ser eso? No entiendo”. Y la otra es “está loco, me voy. ¡No quiero escuchar más de esto!” Si seguimos leyendo el Evangelio de Juan, veríamos ambas respuestas de parte de quienes escucharon las palabras de la misma boca de Jesús. Incluso en Su tiempo, incluso con Jesús de pie ante ellos, hay algunos que dirán “esto es muy duro, ¿quién puede aceptarlo?”
MADISON — A Way of the Cross is being built on the St. Raphael Cathedral site in downtown Madison.
“This Way of the Cross will help us to recover the sacred character of the cathedral site,” said Msgr. Kevin Holmes, rector/pastor of St. Raphael Cathedral Parish.
In May 2012, the St. Paul University Catholic Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison was granted approval by the City of Madison to build a new chapel and student center at 723 State St.
