An intriguing paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I have often pondered, is #675: “The Church’s ultimate trial. Before Christ’s second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution which accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil ‘the mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.”
Tag: bishop donald hying
Health care workers deserve our gratitude
On March 16, I was taken unconscious to University Hospital in Madison, suffering from heart, kidney, and lung failure.
I still don’t remember my first two days in the hospital. When I regained consciousness, I was shocked to find myself in the ICU with tubes connecting me with life-support systems.
Why I give to the Annual Catholic Appeal
Why do I continue to give to the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) in the Diocese of Madison?
Here are just some of the reasons.
This Advent, invite the Lord to enter in
In my columns during the season of Advent, I am reflecting on the Kerygma, the basic proclamation of the Gospel in its essence.
Last week, I pondered the first part of this Good News, which is the radical, unconditional, and eternal love of God for us, a love that we cannot even begin to grasp! Our experience of the Lord’s saving mercy is the basis of our spiritual response to God’s remarkable initiative, as Jesus breaks into our lives in all joy and promise.
Time is ticking away: thoughts on life and death
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If you knew the date of your death, how would you live differently?
Such a question may seem strange, but it is one I think about once in a while. Perhaps, I would live fearlessly; knowing how much time I have left would enable me to take risks and face danger more boldly.
If I was facing a premature death, would that knowledge painfully shadow my thoughts and feelings every day? If I was blessed with a long life, maybe I would be tempted to put off conversion, foolishly thinking I have so much time to pull things together.
Obviously, all of these questions and thoughts are moot, since we know neither the day nor the hour of our passing from this life.
Humility is the basis of the spiritual life
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“Though He was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, He emptied Himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that He humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!”
Paul quotes these lines of the Kenotic Hymn in the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, citing Christ’s example of humility as a model for the community to emulate.
Two leaders of the Christian community in Philippi were fighting with each other, causing dissension and conflict, so Paul, from his prison cell, seeks to heal the division. The Kenotic Hymn is probably the earliest Scriptural articulation of the Paschal Mystery, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The Greek word “kenosis” means “self-emptying,” a pouring out, a radical gift of self.
Chapel dedicated in Reedsburg
Many years from now, parishioners of, and visitors to, Sacred Heart Parish in Reedsburg will see that the Our Lady of Refuge Chapel was dedicated in 2019.
40 Days for Life kicks off in Madison
Prayer and fasting. Those are the two things that will end abortion, said Andrew Petersen
“I’m convinced this is why 40 Days for Life has successfully shut down 104 abortion centers to date,” said Petersen, the development director for Pro-Life Wisconsin.
Words of Saint John Paul II lit a fire in me
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Forty years ago this week, Saint John Paul II energized and inspired our country during his epic first Pastoral Visit to the United States.
Saint Paul VI had visited New York City in 1965 during a visit to the United Nations, but that short encounter was the extent of any papal presence in this country. Arriving directly from his remarkable pilgrimage to Ireland, Saint John Paul landed in Boston on a Monday afternoon and electrified all of us.
Listening to the pope
I was 16 at the time, thinking of priesthood, struggling to discern the mystery of such a call. I was also working my first restaurant job; having graduated from washing dishes to frying chicken, I was making $2.32 an hour, which even then was a terrible wage.
Freedom of religion is at risk worldwide
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Worldwide, Christians are being killed explicitly for their faith in alarmingly large numbers these past years. North Korea, the Middle East, and Africa are some of the top hotspots for Christian persecution.
Believers in Christ are being systematically driven out of the Holy Land through intimidation, prejudice, and lack of opportunity. Soon, there will be almost zero Christians in the country where Jesus lived. More martyrs are being born through a bloody death than any time since the early Church!
Religious freedom at risk
Here at home, we do not face such overt violence because of our religious beliefs, but some significant shifts in political praxis have put our religious freedom at risk.
The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees religious liberty in our country. This right is not some beneficent gift from the government; it is inscribed in our human nature as an inherent right to exercise freedom of conscience. No one can either compel or restrict religious belief or practice. Faith is a sacred gift nurtured in the heart and soul.