Second in a series on the recent conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope,” held in Fitchburg.
Imagine this: You are a healthy, 30-year-old husband, father, and accomplished musician — active, repeatedly successful, and comfortably employed.
Suddenly, you wake up one day to find you are numb to all sensation below your waist. More symptoms follow, resulting in weeks of tests and still more tests.
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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.
In the Holy Land, the Prince of Peace taught humanity the way to true peace.
Not long ago, dear friends of ours tragically had to lay their tiny precious baby, Maria, to rest.
At her funeral, Maria’s brothers helped carry her small white casket and her sister followed with a bouquet of roses. My friends and their toddler walked behind, supporting each other through tears.
At 32 weeks, Maria had unexpectedly died in the womb. Since then, my friends have been shouldering unimaginable suffering, wondering if they will ever again be free of the incomparable grief of parents who lose a child.
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When I arrived in Kraków for the 2016 World Youth Day, I was pretty exhausted, having left Los Angeles some 15 hours earlier and having had to change planes in Munich.
But I was enthused as I approached my first appointment right in the heart of the Old City. Through the good ministrations of George Weigel, the world’s leading expert on John Paul II, I was one of a group of bishops and priests invited to spend time with the original youth group of Fr. Karol Wojtyła.
After he returned from World Youth Day held in Poland, Pope Francis said at his general audience at the Vatican that in a world traumatized by war, young people gathered for World Youth Day gave strong signs of hope and brotherhood.
World Youth Day was a “prophetic sign for Poland and Europe” and took on a “global dimension” in a world threatened by war, Pope Francis said.
(Part II of a two-part series.)
Thank you for your prayers last week during my Grand Canyon run.
My journey started with a group of four men and two women ages 25 to 58. At 3:10 a.m. on October 26, we knew we had a long trail ahead of us. While it was daunting and emotions were mixed with fear and anticipation, we all commented about the beauty and light of the moon.
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| Julie Jensen |
“Women’s health” has become a hot-button issue lately, often for the wrong reasons.
But Our Lady of Hope Clinic, located on Odana Rd. on Madison’s west side, has positively focused on women’s health issues since it opened over six years ago.
As an avid long-distance runner, this is by far my favorite time of the year to run.
On most early mornings, I can be found on the trails of the many parks around south central Wisconsin.
Through the years, I have had many opportunities to run in some unique and stunning landscapes around the world. For me, running is not just physical, but helps keep me grounded mentally and spiritually.
VERONA — Hannah’s […]
VERONA — Hannah’s […]
