Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Sentados a los pies de Jesús: Haciéndonos humildes para abrirnos a la sabiduría

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?”

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Chris Lee

Striving for holiness, gift of faith

Our Catholic Schools, by Michael Lancaster

As we prepare to begin another school year, I often reflect on how blessed we in this diocese are, blessed with over 40 Catholic elementary schools, well over twice the average number of Catholic schools found in dioceses of similar size.

These schools are treasures, pearls of faith, hope, love, and knowledge shining brightly for our parishes, our communities, and our Church.

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Chris Lee

How we learn to serve others

MADISON — Blessed Miguel Pro, who was martyred in 1927 in the midst of persecution of the Church in Mexico, could be unknown or deemed irrelevant to young Catholics today. His death 85 years ago in the public eye is long removed in time and space. But his witness to the Catholics of that time served to bolster their faith and fight more enthusiastically for Christ the King.

Seminarian Bill Van Wagner shared the story of Blessed Miguel Pro with the nearly 300 young people who have come on Love Begins Here (LBH) mission trips this summer. Each time, it was accompanied by some encouragement to not be afraid to follow Blessed Miguel’s example.

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Chris Lee

Mary’s Assumption inspires us to imitate her discipleship

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, by Fr. Don Lange

Fr. Mark Link shared an inspiring story of a Catholic teenager who felt that her mother rejected her. She transferred her anger for her mother to Mary.

The girl reluctantly went on a required Confirmation retreat. The director talked about Mary. As the girl listened, angry feelings towards her mother surfaced. She rejected everything good the speaker shared about Mary. After the talk, she went outside to walk off her anger. She wanted to cry but her tears froze. She felt bitter loneliness and rejection.

She wandered aimlessly until her curiosity attracted her to a small grotto-like building. She looked inside and discovered a large statue of Mary from whom she was trying to escape. She wanted to run, but she was drawn to the kneeler at Mary’s feet. She fell on her knees, weeping in the folds of Mary’s robes. When she stopped crying, she felt cleansed and renewed. Touched by Mary, she began to accept her as her spiritual mother.

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Chris Lee

Attending Mass on vacation enhances appreciation for Cathedral Parish music

To the editor:

During a recent vacation, which included attending Mass at a variety of new (to me) Wisconsin Catholic parishes, boy, am I happy to be back at Madison’s Cathedral Parish, where the Mass is the Mass, the music is appropriately solemn and dignified, and the lyrics don’t center on us and on God’s good fortune that we showed up, but on a humble, grateful, and reverent attitude towards God.

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Chris Lee

Subsidiariedad, solidaridad y la misión de los laicos

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.

Queridos amigos:

No me sorprendió saber que nuestro hijo nativo de esta diócesis, Paul Ryan, ha sido escogido para ser candidato a la vicepresidencia de los Estados Unidos. Estoy orgulloso de sus logros como hijo nativo, un hermano en la fe, y mis oraciones están con él y especialmente con su familia mientras enfrentan las increíbles exigencias de una campaña presidencial aquí en los Estados Unidos. No le toca al obispo ni a los sacerdotes adherirse a un candidato en particular o a partidos políticos. Cualquier esfuerzo de parte de cualquier obispo o sacerdote debe evitarse. Y pueden estar seguros de que ningún sacerdote que promueve una agenda partidaria está actuando en comunión conmigo o con la Iglesia Universal.

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Chris Lee

We are both Catholics and Americans

Bishop Paul J. Swain of Sioux Falls, S.D., speaks on the topic of religious freedom to the St. Thomas More Society in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner)

MADISON — Religious liberty is one of the first values protected in the Bill of Rights. People had come to America to avoid religious persecution and so those writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution knew the importance of providing for religious liberty.

Bishop Paul J. Swain, formerly in the Air Force, a lawyer, legal counsel to Governor Lee Dreyfus, and a convert to Catholicism, recently spoke as a guest of the St. Thomas More Society on the Feast of St. Thomas More.

Bishop Swain is well known in the Madison area, having spent about 40 years here, discerning his call to priesthood, converting, becoming a priest, pastor, and vicar general before being named Bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D.

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