Tag: Jesus

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Peace in the Holy Land: Let’s pray and work for an end to conflict in the land of Christ’s birth

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

At this time of year, many of us put up our Nativity scenes as we prepare for Christmas. The scene from the stable in Bethlehem reminds us of that time long ago when Jesus was born.

The Holy Land of Jesus’ birth played such an important role in the development of our Christian faith. Jesus was raised in Nazareth and preached throughout the region. His passion, death, and resurrection happened in Jerusalem.

This area of the world is also sacred to people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. For example, Jerusalem is mentioned 669 times in the Hebrew Bible. Many sites in the Holy Lane have been destinations for religious pilgrimages by people of these faiths for centuries.

Yet conflict and violence continue to plague this area of the world. It is always sad to hear about violence happening in the places where Jesus — the Prince of Peace — walked.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Religious education: It’s not just for kids anymore

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

The late Jack McBride, who used to be in charge of adult education programs in the Diocese of Madison, often reminded me that Jesus taught adults and blessed children.

When I think about Jesus’ life as recorded in the Scriptures, I realize that Jack was right. Jesus is almost always found teaching adults. As we know, Jesus often used parables to help get his message across in words his audience could understand in that time and place.

I’m sure Jack realized that we do need to educate our children. However, he felt that the Catholic Church should do much more to educate adults on matters of the faith.

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Fr. Donald Lange

Mary’s Assumption inspires us to imitate her discipleship

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, by Fr. Don Lange

Fr. Mark Link shared an inspiring story of a Catholic teenager who felt that her mother rejected her. She transferred her anger for her mother to Mary.

The girl reluctantly went on a required Confirmation retreat. The director talked about Mary. As the girl listened, angry feelings towards her mother surfaced. She rejected everything good the speaker shared about Mary. After the talk, she went outside to walk off her anger. She wanted to cry but her tears froze. She felt bitter loneliness and rejection.

She wandered aimlessly until her curiosity attracted her to a small grotto-like building. She looked inside and discovered a large statue of Mary from whom she was trying to escape. She wanted to run, but she was drawn to the kneeler at Mary’s feet. She fell on her knees, weeping in the folds of Mary’s robes. When she stopped crying, she felt cleansed and renewed. Touched by Mary, she began to accept her as her spiritual mother.

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Christopher Stefanick

The priest: in persona Christi

Real Life Cathoic by Christopher Stefanick

I met a young priest in Fairfax, Va., last week. Of course “young” is a relative term. Everyone around me gets younger with each passing year.

Father Jaffe had been at the parish for less than a week and was the priest on call for the local hospital. It was 2 a.m. when his pager went off. A couple had lost their eight-year-old son hours before and the mother wouldn’t let go of his body.

All attempts of the staff and hospital chaplain to get her to release her son had failed. She sat rocking him, unresponsive to anyone. The woman wasn’t Catholic, but the staff knew from experience that it was time to call in a priest.

When the newly ordained 26-year-old arrived, he did the only thing that came to mind. He sat with the parents in silence for a moment and said, “It looks like you need some prayer.” He opened his rite book, The Pastoral Care of the Sick to the section with the prayers for the deceased and he began to pray aloud.

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Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze

The Almighty has done great things for us

Guest Column

On behalf of Bishop Robert C. Morlino and all our seminarians, I would like to congratulate Deacons David Johannes and Mark Miller on their upcoming ordinations to the priesthood.

The entire Diocese of Madison rejoices because the Lord has shown us great favor in calling these two men to be numbered amongst the Levites. I also want to extend our congratulations to Deacons Vince Brewer and Garrett Kau who were ordained to the transitional diaconate in May. We wish you all fruitful ministry in the Lord’s vineyard.

God works in our midst

Ordination of men to the priesthood is a good reminder to us of how God continues to work in our midst. The Holy Spirit working through the bishop, by his imposition of hands and prayer of ordination, raises these men to become in effect “Alter Christus.”

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Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

The hidden power in our suffering

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

In a 1999 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients with serious illness were asked to identify what was most important to them during the dying process.

Many indicated they wanted to achieve a “sense of control.” This is understandable. Most of us fear our powerlessness in the face of illness and death.

We would like to retain an element of control, even though we realize that dying often involves the very opposite: a total loss of control, over our muscles, our emotions, our minds, our bowels, and our very lives, as our human framework succumbs to powerful disintegrative forces.

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Fr. Donald Lange

Pentecost reminds us to use gifts of Holy Spirit received at Confirmation

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, by Fr. Don Lange

I was confirmed in seventh grade. In religion class, I learned that in the Sacrament of Confirmation we receive the Holy Spirit who strengthens us to be Christian witnesses. I worried whether I could witness to Christ by dying for him as a martyr. I took Confirmation seriously.

The Church received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. To prepare to receive the Spirit, for nine days key followers of Jesus gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. These included the apostles, together with Mary, some other women, and disciples. They were united in intense prayer.

In Acts 2:2-4, it says, “Suddenly there came from the sky, a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Tongues as of fire appeared to them, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”

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Sr. Constance Carolyn Veit, LSP

Listening to God’s call: He wants us for himself

St. Jeanne Jugan was well into her 40s when she established the Little Sisters of the Poor. Some might consider her a “delayed” or “late” vocation, but I don’t think Jeanne was delayed at all. From an early age she had a sense of her vocation.

Jeanne knew that God loved her and was calling her; she just didn’t know where the call would take her. When Jeanne turned down a marriage proposal, she told her mother, “God wants me for himself, he is keeping me for a work as yet unknown, for a work which is not yet founded.”

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Fr. Donald Lange

Founder of Knights of Columbus led Christ-like life

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, by Fr. Don Lange

The 2012 Knights of Columbus State Convention will be held at Marriott West Hotel and Convention Center in Middleton on Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29.

Because of its nearness, as a Knight I thought that now might be a graced time to reflect upon the Christ-like life of the Venerable Fr. Michael Joseph McGivney, who founded the Knights of Columbus.

Humble beginnings

He was born on August 12, 1852, in Waterbury, Conn. His parents were Patrick and Mary Lynch McGivney, Irish immigrants. His father worked as a molder in the heat and fumes of a brass mill.

Mary McGivney gave birth to 13 children. Six died in infancy. The McGivney children knew suffering and poverty. But they also enjoyed the blessing of growing up in a devout Catholic family where they learned lessons of faith, hope, and charity. These experiences influenced Father McGivney.

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