Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop William H. Bullock Thursday, December 5, 2002 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 1:00 p.m. -- Attend Deans' Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Saturday, December 7, 2002 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Apostolate to the Handicapped Christmas Mass, Monroe High School, Monroe Monday, December 9, 2002 12:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Wednesday, December 11, 2002 7:00 p.m. -- Preside at Advent Parish Communal Penance Service, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Madison Thursday, December 12, 2002 10:00 a.m. -- Preside at Advent School Penance Service, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Thursday, December 5, 2002 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 11:00 a.m. -- Chair Board Meeting for Office for Continuing Education of Priests, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, December 12, 2002 10:00 a.m. -- Participate at Advent School Penance Service, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Madison

Can you explain the hope that is within you?

		The Bishop: A Herald of Faith Bishop William H. Bullock

Some weeks ago I mentioned in one of my columns for The Catholic Herald that I thought the people in the world needed "massive doses of hope."

Thus I began my Advent prayer reflecting on hope as an act of reliance on God resulting from the gift God has infused into our human hearts.

The meaning of hope

As I began my Advent prayer and reflection, I recalled Bishop O'Donnell's motto: "Hope in Eternal Life." I then remembered the Vatican II document on the Church in the modern world titled Gaudium et spes - joy and hope.

"The word hope tells me that I can still open my head to a new idea, fresh insight, or new theological thought . . . and that I can open my heart to people. I am best able to do this when I connect my head and my heart at prayer."

As I wrestled with these reminders, I kept coming back to the question with which I started . . . explain the hope that is within you. I turned again to that prayer, which concludes the Lord's Prayer at Mass . . . "as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." Response: "For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen."

But once again I found myself dodging the question - explain the hope that is within you - by recalling Pope John Paul II's marvelous book The Threshold of Hope and the marvelous impact that book had on us. Somehow the Lord kept bringing me back to examine my own meaning and explanation of hope as it was in me.

After all, I kept saying to myself, as I sat before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in my chapel, after 75 years of life, 50 as a priest, and 22 as bishop, nine here in Madison, you must be able to share something of your inner thoughts, your spirituality, on the hope that is in you.

My answers to hope

I then began to reflect how I use the word hope in conversation with God in prayer and with people. Be specific, I said to myself! Let me then humbly set before you some of my answers to the question.

1) The Act of Hope, a prayer learned at my mother's knee, tells me hope is a reliance on God and in his infinite promises.

2) The word hope as it applies to people and situations of everyday life, both worldwide and the simple ones, tells me I can change. Nothing is so locked in that it cannot change.

3) The word hope tells me that I can still open my head to a new idea, fresh insight, or new theological thought . . . and that I can open my heart to people. I am best able to do this when I connect my head and my heart at prayer.

4) Nothing changes me more significantly than when I am in deep prayer, when I really let God get a firm hold of me, gain a grip on me, change me.

5) Hope tells me to make connections in patience. Hope tells me to wait it out, endure it, allow more time for something to mature, to ripen.

6) Hope tells me to keep on trying.

7) Hope tells me I should never give up on situations, people, or myself.

8) I was taught by my parents, as a young boy, to be willing to make sacrifices in tough situations. Part of hope is to make sacrifices for the sake of others.

9) Hope also teaches me to accept and understand what cannot change. Hope also teaches me what the Serenity Prayer says so well: "God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

10) Hope springs eternal!

As I continued my reflection on hope I recalled how often I say or hear others say things like: a) "I hope all goes well for you!" b) "Well, there is some hope." c) "I can lick this problem." d) "I am not going to let this get me down." e) "There's no hope; this conversation is going nowhere."

Hope is hanging in there

I also remind myself of Jesus' words as I make acts of hope, "Take up your cross and follow me." Hope is hanging in there. Hope is not walking away from the problem. Hope is hard work.

Hope is hard work

Hope is not developing a wish list; it is not avoiding the subject we would rather not talk about by looking the other way. Hope is reaching inside to our human resources and tapping into our power of reason. Hope is relying on the infinite resources God placed there when he made us.

My personal hopes

Let me now turn to my personal hopes. I hope the United Nations inspection in Iraq results in a new hope for world peace.

I hope that the sexual abuse of minors and children by bishops, priests and deacons, and other Church personnel will finally get behind us and we can use our time and energy on poverty issues, faith and Catholic teaching, racial discrimination, and our multicultural challenges in the new millennium.

Beyond sexual abuse, there's hope

As I continue to hope, I also know that we cannot ever put the sexual abuse scandal to rest until we face it head on, work at it, accept the Charter and the Norms, work at assisting the victims of sexual abuse by seeking reconciliation and healing and offering them counsel.

Many of their lives are broken; we must reach out to them by following the Norms, doing what must be done as difficult as that may be. As bishops we are committed to following through on all aspects of the Charter and Norms, which will soon have full approval from the Holy See.

Shadow of shame for sins of a few priests

I ask your prayers, your understanding, and your willingness to read the Charter and the Norms, to be informed thoroughly. I ask for your hope in word, prayer, and action.

And a special plea: I ask once again your prayers for our priests. They stand in the shadow of shame for the sins of a small few of their brother priests who sexually abused a minor or child but are themselves priestly men, hard working, prayerful, and committed to serve you faithfully.

Every Bishop in the United States is committed to carry out the Charter and the Norms. We need from our priests and laity their prayers and support to do it thoroughly and thus well.

I wish you a holy, hope-filled Advent season as you come up with your own answers to the question: "Can you explain the hope that is within you?"

Official Appointment:

Most Reverend William H. Bullock, Bishop of Madison, wishes to announce the following appointment:

Reverend Monsignor Kenneth J. Fiedler, as Administrator, St. Joseph Parish, 1905 West Beltline Highway, Madison, effective 9:00 a.m., December 2, 2002, until such time as a new pastor is appointed.

Msgr. Paul J. Swain
Vicar General

Bishop's Letter

Dear Friends in Christ:

Recent information shows that there are approximately 70,000 women religious in the country and 54 percent of them are now past 70. In addition we know that the annual Social Security benefit amounts to less than $4000 each. Last year the Retirement Fund for Religious collected the most ever in its 14-year history, $32.7 million. This makes a total of over $380 million contributed to the Fund since it began in 1988.

This year we are being invited to reflect on the impact of our religious in the life of the Church in the United States throughout the years. Traditionally, they worked in schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Their commitment early in our country's history was to caring for the sick and to education. The promise of God's love was made real by the service our religious performed for others in the name of the Lord. We will never be able to fully measure the impact, the commitments made and the promises kept, but we can spotlight the achievement of our religious women and men in the United States. Many of them are now elderly and frail. They need our prayerful and financial support. They received little by way of stipend. They had no health or insurance plans. Our generous contribution to this appeal will help them meet their health care and living expenses.

I thank you and the people of our Diocese for showing appreciation year after year to our retired religious through your financial support for the Retirement Fund. Let us make our best effort again this year to ensure the success of this important annual appeal for a most worthy cause.

May God bless you this Advent and throughout the Church year.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,

Most Reverend William H. Bullock
Bishop of Madison