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In Isaiah 49:15 Isaiah asks “Can a mother forget her baby, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”
This passage praises mothers as symbols of amazing compassion, never forgetting their beloved children. Pope Francis said that a mother is concerned “above all about the health of her children. She cares for them with great and tender love the way Mary, our spiritual, heavenly mother, cares for us.”
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For the first 300 years of Christianity, followers of the nonviolent Jesus — imitating his example — practiced total nonviolence.
But after Christianity was legalized and later made the official religion of the Roman Empire, Christians began fighting for the empire. And sadly, Christians have been fighting for empires ever since.
The “just war” theory was developed to offer criteria — like protecting civilians from attack — that had to be met before war could be theoretically morally justified and continued. Most unfortunately, this led to the Catholic Church’s abandonment of total Christ-like nonviolence.
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In my capacity as regional bishop of the Santa Barbara pastoral region, which covers two entire counties north of Los Angeles, I am obliged to spend a good deal of time in the car.
To make the long trips a bit easier, I have gotten back into the habit of listening to audio books. Just recently, I followed, with rapt attention, a book that I had read many years ago but which I had, I confess, largely forgotten: C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce.
The inspiration for this theological fantasy is the medieval idea of the refrigerium, the refreshment or vacation from Hell granted to some of the souls abiding there.
Durward’s Glen Retreat & Educational Center in Baraboo will host “A Gathering on Mental Health” for the Sauk and Columbia County communities on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14.
This weekend conference is bringing in Deacon Tom Lambert, a national advocate on mental health from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and other local speakers and resources on mental health for panel discussions and breakout sessions.
The program will help participants better understand the mental health continuum, work to reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems, and share pertinent information on getting help in time of crisis.
Topics that will be covered include understanding therapy, suicide prevention, navigating the health care and social service system, understanding trauma, creating a supportive church community, information on community services, and taking care of yourself.
Participants will come away with new ideas for services and encouragement. There will also be time to reflect on the beautiful grounds of Durward’s Glen.
The event is open to all community members — including people living with mental health challenges, their families and friends, church or agency leaders, and the general public.
Cost is $50 for registration. Limited scholarships are available. Continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included in the registration fee.
Msgr. James Bartylla, […]
On May 8 we celebrate Mother’s Day, and as Catholics we dedicate the whole month to our heavenly mother, Mary.
And so, May is a natural time to reflect on the irreplaceable role of mothers and all women in our lives.
In the weeks following our appearance at the Supreme Court, several women who write about Catholic spirituality mentioned prophetic words of Blessed Paul VI to women in reference to our case — words uttered over 50 years ago, but which are, perhaps, more relevant today than ever.
“At this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid mankind in not falling,” Paul VI said at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council.
He continued with this urgent plea: “Women of the entire universe, whether Christian or non-believing, you to whom life is entrusted at this grave moment in history, it is for you to save the peace of the world.”
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| Dr. Ralph Martin gives a talk on “Mercy and Mission: Living as a Catholic in Challenging Times” on April 20 at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center in Madison — part of the semi-annual St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — “Seventeen hundred years of Christian culture is collapsing before our eyes,” Dr. Ralph Martin warned in his talk, “Mercy and Mission: Living as a Catholic in Challenging Times.”
Dr. Martin was the guest speaker for the semi-annual St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center in Madison on April 20.
He is president of Renewal Ministries and an associate professor of theology and director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit.
He is the author of a number of books, the most recent of which are The Urgency of the New Evangelization: Answering the Call; The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints; and ed? What Vatican II Actually Teaches Will Many Be Saved? What Vatican II Actually Teaches and Its Implications for the New Evangelization.
“We’re living in something like a big apostasy, whether it’s the [Great] apostasy or not, I don’t know,” he added. He cited the decreasing numbers in Mass attendance, vocations to the priesthood and Religious Life, and Baptisms and other sacramental practices.
The “Great Apostasy” Dr. Martin referenced is one of the events St. Paul said has to happen before Christ comes again — a “a turning away of the faith on the part of those who once had faith.”
Another event is a time of unrestrained evil and lawlessness.
MADISON — “Built on a Rock” is the theme of the Madison Diocesan Choir’s Spring Concert to be presented on Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the chapel of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center, 702 S. High Point Rd.
Choir Director Dr. Patrick Gorman said the theme points to Christ as our rock and the cornerstone of our faith as we look forward to our heavenly home. “We’ve taken the theme, ‘Built on a Rock,’ and selected Scripture readings and songs based on the theme,” he said.
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The announcement that Archbishop Christophe Pierre will succeed Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States is an opportunity to pay tribute to a courageous churchman who has served Catholicism, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis in an exemplary way during his tenure in Washington.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with each of the nuncios in Washington since full diplomatic relations were established between this country and the Holy See under President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II.
And at the risk of embarrassing him, I have to say that I consider Archbishop Viganò to have been the best of them all thus far.
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I know most of the time children are writing in to you to ask questions about their aging parent. Well, this is the opposite.
I am a 79-year-old mother who is being “smothered” by my children. All of a sudden they think I can’t do anything on my own. They think I should stop driving and that I should sell my house; the list goes on and on.
My husband passed away several years ago and I have been just fine on my own. I feel I am in good health and really just want them to stop worrying about me. Do you have any suggestions? (From a mother in Portage)
You are obviously a very good parent and are so blessed to have such caring, concerned children. I know several others who would love to have this kind of attention from their children.
