Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop William H. Bullock Thursday, December 26, 2002 3:00 p.m. -- Preside at Midday Prayer for Vocations, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop's Christmas Gathering with Seminarians and Parents, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Tuesday, December 31, 2002 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Thursday, December 26, 2002 3:00 p.m. -- Attend Midday Prayer for Vocations, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:00 a.m. -- Concelebrate at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop's Christmas Gathering with Seminarians and Parents, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison

Two Thousand Three, Lord, is for Thee

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

Out of the presents and wrappings of Christmas we begin a new year.

The new year presents new possibilities for growth that did not get attended to this past year. One of the great signs of God's love and mercy for us is that he allows us to start over again and again.

Resilience, a quality of life

I am always impressed with the resilience in people to withstand the ravages of sorrow and difficult times. Resiliency is a real gift, for it allows us to assess the situation, review and examine new possibilities in order to get on with life and improve our attitude toward God and our brothers and sisters. In a word, it helps us to live our life in God deeply, growing strong in our spiritual lives.

"We can be a light to other people by throwing that light on their path, showing them what God has given us to see."

A spiritual life is not a matter of spiritualizing, sentimentalizing God or our life in him. It is not a substitute for the harsh realities of life. It is taking reality into a fuller embrace. It is a matter of seeing through God's eyes what is happening to us, to the world, to our families, to our friends, to our children.

Let me close my writing this year of 2002 with two stories from Mother Teresa that illustrate the kind of focus on being resilient and embracing new possibilities.

Mother Teresa speaks

"Mother Teresa's friends and followers were drawn to her from all walks of life and religions. Speaking to a group which she knew had never felt the pangs of hunger for food, but perhaps silently suffered the hunger for love, she related this experience from her life.

"'None of us knows what is the pain of hunger, but one day I learned it from a little child. I picked up the child from the street. He was just six years old. I could see from his eyes that he was very, very hungry. I have seen that hunger in many eyes. I gave him a piece of bread and instead of eating it as fast as possible, he started eating it crumb by crumb. I said to him: "Eat the bread, you are hungry." And that little one looked up at me and said: "I am afraid that the bread will be finished and I will be hungry again."

"'That little one already knows the terrible pain of hunger which you and I may never know. That is why I say to you: Open your eyes and see, for there is hunger not only for a piece of bread; there is hunger for understanding love, for the word of God.'"

Many people hungry for understanding, love

So often as I speak of resiliency as a quality of our life while on our journey, I realize that there are many people who are hungry for love, for understanding, acceptance, forgiveness, sometimes just simple recognition. When we are steeped in Christ's love, we develop a deep spiritual life that gives us the power to reach out to others regardless of their condition and their need.

What follows are some other poignant words of Mother Teresa, perhaps put this way: little things mean a lot.

Mother Teresa: how do we love?

"Mother Teresa knew that people were looking for ways and means to put their love into action, so she put forth their unasked question: 'How do we love?'

"'Not in big things but in small things, with great love,' was Mother's answer. She once illustrated what she had said with one of her own small acts of love.

"'In Melbourne, Australia, where we had gone to work, I met a man and I asked him if he would allow me to clean his house and wash his clothes. He said: "I'm alright." I said: "You will be more alright if you allow me to do these things."

"'After I had finished, I saw a big beautiful lamp full of dust in the room. I asked him, "do you light this lamp?" And he replied, "For whom? For years nobody has come to see me. I do not need the lamp."

"'I asked him, "Will you light the lamp if the sisters come to see you?"

"'He said, "Yes, if I hear a human voice I will."

"'So the sisters started visiting him. After about two years he sent me word: "Tell my friend that the light she has lighted in my life is still burning. It is still alight."

"'See, that little act was something so beautiful. It is our little actions that can create much love and carry on beyond the moment we give it.'"

Be a light to others

In deepening our life in Christ in this new year of 2003, we can do what Mother Teresa suggests. We can be a light to other people by throwing that light on their path, showing them what God has given us to see. In relating our own personal experiences in Christ as we walk through life, we can truly offer those around us a new hope and continuing light.

I wish to express my profound gratitude to all of the people of our Diocese of Madison, particularly my fellow priests with whom I work in special apostolic solidarity, and those who serve in special ministry at the O'Connor Center.

It has been a good year, but it has had its terrible pain and suffering. I have, however, learned in life that not only to speak to the Paschal Mystery as a profound truth of our Christian journey, but to live it when it comes upon us, is to give flesh and blood to the reality that we, too, bear the Cross, suffer and die in Christ, only to rise again in a new, resilient way, wiser and stronger.

Let me conclude this column with the famous summary of Mother Teresa to guide us in this new year:

The fruit of silence is PRAYER.

The fruit of prayer is FAITH.

The fruit of faith is LOVE.

The fruit of love is SERVICE.

The fruit of service is PEACE.

In 2003, let's hit the new road of God's love running, with zeal and zest for the Church, reaching out to love, serve, and bring peace to all people.