Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Encountering Christ in the liturgy

Year of Faith column logo

One of the great contributions of the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy is the brief synthesis on Christ’s presence in the Church’s prayer.

“Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations,” (art. 7). Christ’s presence in the Mass is multifaceted and mysterious, but there are four specific ways named by the Council — in the Eucharistic species, the Word of God, the person of the priest, and in the gathered community in which “the Church prays and sings” (art. 7).

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Chris Lee

Catholic leadership is faced with a daunting task

To the editor:

After our 2012 election for president of the U.S.A., it is eminently clear to me that our Catholic leadership is faced with a daunting task.

When 70 percent of the populace of the Madison Diocese votes for an openly pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage slate that elected Obama, Baldwin, and Pocan, it is obvious that any and all teachings by Bishop Morlino and our parish priests are falling on deaf ears.

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Chris Lee

Democratic Party sold out to support abortion rights

To the editor:

I have heard many justifications for voting for President Obama by Catholics. One person said they were voting for the one who would continue to give her freedom of choice and freedom to live as she chooses, the one who would secure her rights.

One Catholic leader made the argument that there may be less abortions if Obama were in office because with more funding for welfare some of the fiscally poor unwed mothers may be more apt to keep their baby rather than “murder it” (my words).

“Abortion is murder, no less than if you murder a human outside the womb!” These words still resonate in my head as though I heard Fr. Ray Meier say them yesterday in his sermons at St. Patrick Parish, Madison, in the 1990s.

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Chris Lee

Camp Gray appreciates new retreat center, office space

This article is excerpted from a blog post on the Camp Gray Web site. For the entire post, click here.

BARABOO — As I sit at my desk in the new Camp Gray office, surrounded by the amenities of a modern office, I am abundantly humbled. This isn’t a post about me, however. This is a post about new and old. It’s about “the Joe,” a tiny old office, and now a great retreat space and spiffy new office.

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Chris Lee

We’ve got to work at learning to be grateful

Cutting Edge by Sr. Margie Lavonis

There are special times during the year when most of us at least make an extra effort to express our gratitude and appreciation for the people in our lives and the gifts we have been given — Mother’s and Father’s Day, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Now there are even designated days to celebrate grandparents, bosses, secretaries, and so on. For the most part these days are marketing tools to get us to spend our money. On the other hand, they do serve as reminders to us of how important it is to thank others and show our appreciation for them.

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Chris Lee

Thanksgiving invites us to share our gratitude

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, a column by Fr. Donald Lange

In Living Life on Purpose, Greg Anderson tells of a mother and her little daughter who were eating breakfast in a restaurant. The little girl asked, “Mommy, why don’t we pray here before we eat like we do at home?”

The waitress overheard her and said, “Honey, it’s okay to pray here. Why don’t you say the prayer before meals for us now?” Then the waitress asked everyone in the restaurant to bow their heads.

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Chris Lee

Helping elderly neighbors in need

Ask Jean column by Jean MuellerQ: I have been helping an older neighbor who is 79, for the past year. I started helping casually with things like bringing up the mail during snowstorms or helping him shovel. It was never consistent or “expected’ until now. He does not have any family and is alone and I want to be neighborly, but now he is asking if I can help with everything from cleaning to meals to transportation. I think he has enough money to be able to pay for such services, but I don’t think he wants to. How do I back out without making him feel bad? (Monroe).

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Chris Lee

Dar gracias a Dios todos los días

Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispo con los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo.

Queridos amigos:

Mi abuela con frecuencia me decía. “Bobby, envejecer no es para cobardones”. La abuela vivió hasta los 96 y recién tengo 65, sin embargo puedo confirmar que en esto (como en casi todo), ella sabía de que estaba hablando.

La semana pasada fui a Baltimore para la asamblea anual de los Obispos de los Estados Unidos. Recién estábamos comenzando con nuestras reuniones cuando sentí un mareo y caí (con todo mi peso) de cara contra el pavimento. En la caída sufrí varios cortes, me rompí la nariz y mi rodilla quedó muy golpeada. ¡Gracias a Dios no fue peor!

Afortunadamente había otro Obispo y dos sacerdotes a mi lado y me llevaron al Mercy Hospital, donde los doctores decidieron trasladarme al University of Maryland Medical Center. Si pudiésemos escoger el momento de nuestros accidentes, habría preferido, por supuesto, estar con mi excelente doctor en St. Mary’s, pero como sucedió, la atención que recibí fue realmente de primera y sigo agradecido a todos esos excelentes hombres y mujeres, a todos y cada uno de ellos.

Las heridas fueron lo que fueron, pero se hicieron más serias debido a los anticoagulantes que he tomado desde mi cirugía al corazón. Nuevamente, “¡envejecer no es para cobardones!” Estoy muy bien y muy agradecido a Dios por eso. Perdí algunas reuniones y estaré más cerca a casa para Acción de Gracias, pero todo está bien. Gracias a todos por sus oraciones, buenos deseos, llamadas y notas.

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Chris Lee

A golden opportunity

Cutting Edge by Sr. Margie Lavonis

Lately I have been reflecting on what the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012, to November 24, 2013) which was recently proclaimed by the pope, can mean for those Catholics who seek to grow spiritually.

It is similar to the purpose of the Season of Lent, which is a time of renewal and conversion. The Year of Faith affords every Catholic the opportunity to focus on his or her relationship with Jesus Christ and belief in what the Church teaches.

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