As we prepare to begin another school year, I often reflect on how blessed we in this diocese are, blessed with over 40 Catholic elementary schools, well over twice the average number of Catholic schools found in dioceses of similar size.
These schools are treasures, pearls of faith, hope, love, and knowledge shining brightly for our parishes, our communities, and our Church.
Dear Friends,
So much flows from our Holy Week celebration, culminating, of course, in the celebration of the Resurrection. The Easter celebration, in which we now find ourselves, truly is the center and wellspring of our faith and our entire year.
MADISON — As Lent begins, we again focus on the three pillars of the Lenten journey: fasting, praying, and almsgiving.
Even before I cared or knew much about fasting and prayer, I understood the necessity of assisting those in need, including material donations or acts of service. I felt compelled to serve others and that eventually taught me how to serve God and discover His will and plan for my life.
Throughout Scripture we are called to serve the needy in charity. In the book of James we are told, “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was involved in and benefited from service work and a variety of other programs at St. Paul’s University Catholic Center. It is because of these experiences that I am now an intern at St. Paul’s.
I work to coordinate service events for students, so that they too can learn to give of themselves through service and experience the realities of both spiritual and physical poverty.
The shortage of priests and religious men and women in the Church, particularly in Europe and North America, is common these days. Many international congregations like my own, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, are still getting new members, but in countries other than the United States. Many consider it a crisis.
Too often when we speak of vocations we limit that term to mean the call to ordained ministry and the consecrated life. When we pray for vocations, we usually ask God to inspire young people to answer a call to be Sisters, Brothers, and priests. Once in a while we might include the call to lay ministry in the Church, but that is the exception.
We do not have to look far to find vocations. The truth is that each baptized person has a vocation, not just religious and clergy. By our Baptism each of us is called to share the mission of Jesus. As disciples of Jesus, every Christian is called to reveal God’s unconditional love and to spread that love to others. The next time you are at a Baptism liturgy listen closely to the prayers.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul recently purchased the former John Erickson Chevrolet dealership in Verona.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 9, 2011 marks the beginning of the National Vocation Awareness Week.
While the Baptism of Christ focuses on the revelation of Christ as the “Beloved Son of God,” it reminds us of our own Baptism.
Baptism marks the beginning of our “vocation”as Christians.
By virtue of our Baptism, we also share in the three-fold mission of Christ to be priest, prophet, and king.
I have a ritual I practice on New Year’s Eve or day, depending on what is going on in my life. I take some quiet time to review how God has worked in my life over the past year.
Last year I recalled a journal entry that summarized a talk I still remember. It was given during a day of prayer. The presenter, a wonderful Holy Cross priest, made a simple but profound statement. He said that Christian discipleship can be summed up by two words — “Come” and “Go.”
MADISON — Many who work with the youth of the Church find Mother Teresa to be an engaging name to drop. Known for a life lived devoted to those in need, her name stirs up images of a woman small in stature, dressed in a humble habit of white and blue.
Beyond her physical appearance, her name brings to mind much bigger things, like her heart for service and the question: Why would someone choose to live in poverty?
Many youth are comfortable learning more about her and thinking of her as a model of holiness in the world. When it comes time to take her words to heart and make them a reality in their lives, they become more daunting, perhaps less appealing. However, her words resonate so deeply with the Gospel message that, while they are challenging, they often do bring about great response.
