Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop William H. Bullock Thursday, May 15, 2003 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Oaklawn Academy, Edgerton 6:00 p.m. -- Attend Serra Club of Madison Annual Bishop's Dinner, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Friday, May 16, 2003 1:00 p.m. -- Attend Luncheon, National Nursing Home Week, St. Elizabeth Home, Janesville Sunday, May 18, 2003 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, 50th Anniversary of Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Beloit 1:30 p.m. -- Attend Reception, Reverend James J. McEnery's Golden Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood, St. Mary Parish, Milton 3:00 p.m. -- Preside at Groundbreaking Ceremony, Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Beloit Tuesday, May 20, 2003 10:00 a.m. -- Attend St. Raphael Society Board Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Thursday, May 15, 2003 6:00 p.m. -- Attend Serra Club of Madison Annual Bishop's Dinner, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Saturday, May 17, 2003 5:15 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Westport Sunday, May 18, 2003 1:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Thomas Parish, Montfort Tuesday, May 20, 2003 10:00 a.m. -- Attend St. Raphael Society Board Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

The Rosary:
A Family Prayer

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

Many Catholic families were brought up in the Church to love and cherish the Rosary as a prayer of devotion to our Blessed Mother, Mary. But it was more than a personal devotion; it allowed us to reflect on the central mysteries of our salvation.

In my own personal life saying the Rosary, meditating on the sacred mysteries of the Rosary has been a mainstay of my spirituality as priest and bishop for many years.

"The Rosary offers us a rich heritage of prayer, of meditation on the sacred events in the life of Christ. Who better to help us understand those saving mysteries but Mary who always stood close to Christ."

A family prayer

From my earliest memory on the farm, when as a family we all knelt at a chair near the dinner table, dad or mom would lead us in the Rosary. We were all taught the names of the mysteries and we faithfully memorized them. We said the Joyful Mysteries in Advent, the Sorrowful Mysteries in Lent, and the Glorious Mysteries in the Easter season.

Themes from the Annunciation, the first of the Joyful Mysteries, to the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, in the final of the Glorious Mysteries, caught our attention and formed us as a family in lasting ways.

We learned to pray through these mysteries of the Rosary. There were always some titters and muffled laughter here and there among some as we knelt in prayer, occasioned for the most part as the youngest in the family was learning to talk and would try to pray with us. However, in basic ways the Rosary was true family prayer.

Pope John Paul II has declared this the Year of the Rosary and has given us five new mysteries called Mysteries of Light. I would like to briefly examine them for you.

Baptism of Jesus

These mysteries portray Christ in his public ministry beginning with the first Mystery of Light, The Baptism of Christ in the river Jordan, where John preaches a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 3:16-17 reads: "After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"

Wedding Feast at Cana

The second Mystery of Light is the Wedding Feast at Cana as recorded in John 2:1-5: "On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

"When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine,' [And] Jesus said to her, 'Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.'" Also this mystery reflects the goodness of marriage as a sacrament.

God's Kingdom proclaimed

The third Mystery of Light is the Proclamation of the Kingdom as recorded in Mark 1:15: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." This mystery announces that the Kingdom of God is extended to all nations.

Transfiguration of Christ

The fourth Mystery of Light is the Transfiguration as recorded in Matthew 17:1-2: "After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. As he was transfigured before them, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." This mystery gives us a glimpse of the divinity of Christ and a promise that we too will enter into glory.

The Institution of the Eucharist

The fifth Mystery of Light is the Institution of the Eucharist as recorded in Matthew 26:26-29: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.

"'I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.'" The Eucharist announces the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the Kingdom.

In this month of May we pray in special ways to Mary. These additional Mysteries of Light enhance our walk of faith.

The Rosary offers us a rich heritage of prayer, of meditation on the sacred events in the life of Christ. Who better to help us understand those saving mysteries but Mary who always stood close to Christ in all things, especially in his redemptive act of suffering, death, and resurrection.

The concluding prayer to the Rosary speaks to the fullness of why the Rosary is so special to us: "O God, whose only begotten son, by his life, death, and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant we beseech you, that while meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord."

The Rosary was not designed to provide a devotion for the uneducated but rather is a contemplative prayer for all people, embracing the full history of salvation for us all. From the simplest heart to the wisest, we will all do well to become schooled in its 20 mysteries of joy, of light, of sorrow, and of glory.

Confirmation schedule -- Fall 2003

Bishop William H. Bullock

Bishop George O. Wirz

Official Appointments:

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

Rev. David J. Flanagan, in addition to Pastor, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Cuba City, as Administrator, St. Joseph Parish, Gratiot, and St. John Parish, South Wayne, effective May 1, 2003.

Msgr. Paul J. Swain
Vicar General