Category: Columns

On
Fr. Donald Lange

May Christmas bring us closer to peace

Jim Mahoney, a Marine sergeant, was married shortly before going overseas in World War II. He and his wife never had the chance to celebrate Christmas together.

He returned from the Pacific in December of 1945, hoping and praying that he would make it home in time to be with his wife for Christmas so he could surprise her with a special Christmas gift.

A special gift

He flew into New York City on Christmas Eve after the stores were closed. As he rode in a cab, he noticed a drugstore that was still open. He stopped the cab and made a purchase.

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On
Tony Magliano

Longing for peace in the Holy Land

During this wonderful time of the year, when Christians throughout the world focus minds and hearts on the coming of God himself upon the earth as one of us, our attention naturally turns to the place where the incarnation occurred.

While all the earth is a holy creation of the Almighty, Bethlehem and the surrounding lands that Jesus walked upon, taught upon, miraculously acted upon, suffered and died upon, and gloriously resurrected upon is uniquely holy, and thus deserving of the title Holy Land.

The way to true peace

In the Holy Land, the Prince of Peace taught humanity the way to true peace.

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On
Bishop Robert Barron

Why Christmas should bother everybody

Just a few weeks ago, at a ceremony for the lighting of the national Christmas tree, President Obama remarked on the meaning of the season. Here are some of the things he said:

“Over these next few weeks, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, as we retell the story of weary travelers, a star, shepherds, Magi, I hope that we also focus ourselves on the message that this child brought to this Earth some 2,000 years ago — a message that says we have to be our brother’s keepers, our sister’s keepers; that we have to reach out to each other, to forgive each other.

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On
Jackson Fonder

Understanding the homeless

Fonder Ponders column by Jackson Fonder

I bundled up on a very cold and windy evening last Tuesday night and met some new friends in the parking lot of First Methodist Church in downtown Madison.

Dennis, Daniel, and Sam were kind enough to invite me to help in their efforts to serve the homeless. This is what they do every Tuesday night as part of “Friends of the State St. Family.”

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On
Jean Mueller

Checking on parents during extended holiday visit

Q My husband and I are traveling to his parents’ home for the Christmas holiday. We are not sure what to expect. His parents are both in their mid-80s and we have not seen them for several months as we live on the East Coast.

My husband is an only child so we rely mostly on phone calls with his parents to inform us of their well-being. Each time we speak they assure us they are fine but it seems that our conversations have become less detailed. We have also noticed that they often repeat the same information during our conversations.

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On
Bishop Robert Barron

‘Arrival’ and understanding God’s speech

Like E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Starman, Independence Day, and a host of similar films over the past 30 years, Arrival explores the theme of an alien visitation to earth.

In this iteration, Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) is a linguistic expert, who is called upon by the U.S. military to facilitate conversation with visitors from another world, whose space-crafts have landed (actually not quite landed, for they hover a few feet off the ground) at a number of locations around the globe.

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On
Fr. Bart Timmerman

Dispelling fear in a season of hope

Fr. Bart Timmerman

One of the hallmarks of the Catholic Church in the United States is ministry to immigrants.

Some of the first saints of our American Church served Catholic immigrants to the United States. Most notably is St. Frances Cabrini, who was the first American citizen who was canonized. She founded hospitals, schools, and institutions for the poor that served immigrants in large cities like New York and Chicago. She is the Patron Saint of Immigrants because of her devotion and care for them.

Welcoming immigrants

So it has always been the Catholic Church through the centuries that has welcomed immigrants to the United States. Still in our day, we as Catholics, have a duty to continue ministering to our brothers and sisters who come to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

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On
Julianne Nornberg

Giving the gift of sacrifice this Christmas

Everyday Faith column by Julianne Nornberg

“I can’t do it!” my four-year-old son cries out in frustration as he suddenly scrunches up his artwork to his chest.

His masterpiece, a brightly colored partially crayoned alphabet, is now a ball of crumpled paper, mashed beyond redemption.

“It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm his tears. “I can help you.”

Slowly I coax the ruined masterpiece from my son’s angry fingers, smooth the jagged creases, place my hand over his to guide the creation of the letters he’d wanted to be just so.

“You are still learning,” I tell him. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

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