Bishop Robert C. Morlino encouraged everyone to appreciate the “beauty” of the priesthood as he prepared to ordain Deacons Vincent Bryan Brewer, Garrett Buchanan Kau, and Stephen Christopher Petrica to the priesthood for the Diocese of Madison on May 24 at St. Maria Goretti Church.
Tag: beauty
Finding beauty in the priesthood
Dear Friends,
“The love of Christ compels us (2 Cor 5:14),” says the second letter to the Corinthians. That love, which is made manifest to us in the person of Christ, is the most beautiful thing that there could ever be. It is beautiful because God is love. He is love and He is beauty itself.
‘Beauty’ film to be shown at parishes for appeal
Lent is a time for prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Catholics look at Lent as a time of beauty, a time when Jesus gave His life to save us. What a beautiful gift he gave.
Beauty helps prepare us for Heaven
Last summer, I was honored to be part of a Conference of the Napa Institute with regard to Catholic leadership. There I addressed the relationship between freedom, beauty, and feelings, in the context of the truth that democracy requires authentic freedom on the part of those who are blessed to live out that form of government. I’ve touched briefly on some of those themes here before, but would like to examine them anew.
The search for true beauty
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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 |
Dear Friends,
Next week, on October 11, we enter into a Year of Faith which was declared by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in order to invite the Church, once again, through the door of faith which God has opened for us. It is an outstanding opportunity to renew our faith and to reach out to those around us, to invite them back into a life of faith in the Church. Each of your parishes, as well as our diocesan offices, will be offering many and varied activities for the Year of Faith, and I’d urge you to take part, in a full and active way, in this year which in a particular way com50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism.
For my part, I’ve been encouraging parish leaders in our diocese to approach this Year of Faith with an extra emphasis on encouraging evangelization through beauty. Let me briefly explain why.
A journey through the Bible and the Catechism in the Year of Faith
Pope Benedict XVI has invited the entire Church to celebrate a “Year of Faith” beginning this October.
‘Vision’ becomes better with age
One of the benefits of aging is that our vision improves so much.
What? You say you have more trouble reading the fine print on prescription bottles? And you need stronger light bulbs and magnifying glasses?
Oh, sure, but that’s not the kind of vision I’m thinking about. I’m thinking of hindsight. You know, they always say that hindsight is 20-20.
So here’s what’s so great about it. We have perspective now. We can look back at the things that drove us crazy with worry, like a messy house when guests arrived. But now we know that it was never the picture-perfect house that mattered, but the warmth of our hospitality.
Being responsible stewards of creation
One morning as I walked to the Mound cafeteria for breakfast, I saw the rising sun, like a bright orange-red host, rise slowly from the chalice of the good earth. It was beautiful!
In the cafeteria, two Sisters were also deeply moved by its beauty. One of them exclaimed, “This is my morning prayer!”
Celebrating Earth Day
Sharing a beautiful sunrise or sunset can bond us with others and open us to God’s presence. It can invite us to respect God’s gift of earth. It can help prepare us for Earth Day.
We celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Earth Day was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to teach and to inspire the public to take better care of the environment.
Let the beauty of the Cross shine through
Dear Friends,
As you read this week’s column you may be either in the heart of Christ’s Passion or the Joy of His Resurrection. Thus, I’d like to reflect upon the paradox that is the beauty of the Cross, and the paradox that is our own tendency to turn against God’s plan for us, despite the fact that His plan is for our happiness and eternal life.
Growing closer to the Mother of God during May
Our Lady is for us the ultimate example of somebody adhering herself fully to God’s will. She was surely scared and unsure of what might come next, but unknowingly said yes to God’s will, that she would bear His son.
We can use this as a model for our relationship with God, and invoke Mary’s kind whispers in Jesus’ ear to help us through a hard time and grow closer to Jesus.
Devotion through the Rosary
Obviously, a powerful devotion to Our Lady, the Rosary is a great way to strengthen your relationship with God’s mother. While many people my own age think of the Rosary as a chore to pray with family or a boring task, sometimes its true potential is never quite realized.