Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007 10:30 a.m. -- Speak at Staff Catechesis, Preside and Preach at Mass, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Center, Madison Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Stational Mass, St. Patrick Church, Madison 4:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Bernard Parish, Middleton Thursday, March 8, 2007 7:00 p.m. -- Attend St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture By Duncan Stroik, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Center, Madison Bishop George O. Wirz Tuesday, March 6, 2007 12:00 noon -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, March 8, 2007 7:00 p.m. -- Attend St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Center, Madison

Lent: Defeating evil through humility

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

(en Español)

Dear friends,

This past Sunday's gospel for the beginning of Lent presented us with the temporary defeat of Satan by Jesus for our reflection. It has always interested me, and it has interested the Church, that Satan would have the pride to think that he could get the Son of God to fall victim to temptation.

Of course the essence of Satan, pure evil, is, from one point of view, pride. It was pride that caused the sin of Adam and Eve at the very beginning, so that all of us, who have affirmed their sin by our personal sins, need to be redeemed. In the official prayer of the Church during Holy Week we speak of the events from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday as "the hour when Jesus Christ triumphed over Satan's pride, so that we can celebrate the events of our redemption." Just as Our Blessed Mother and John the Baptist are major figures during the season of Advent, so too during the season of Lent the major figures are Our Blessed Mother; Peter, who became the visible head of the Church; John the Beloved Disciple; Satan, the father of lies, the essence of pride; and, last but not least, Judas.

Lent then is a time when we move from the temporary defeat of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert and then waiting for the next opportunity, to the final defeat of Satan through the marvelous events of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. We learn at the beginning of Lent, that the problem is pride, Satan's pride, our pride, and that the solution is the final defeat of Satan's pride through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The opposite of pride is humility, and so if our lives are to reflect the final defeat of Satan's pride in Jesus Christ, then our lives are to be lives of humility.

Fulfilling responsibilities

There are three responsibilities which our Church, as the Body of Christ, is called to fulfill: the ministry of the Word, that is the truth of Jesus as taught by the Church, the ministry of worship, and the ministry of charity. All of these responsibilities are expressive and formative of humility.

The truth of Christ is received from Christ through the teaching of Peter and the Apostles, that is through the Pope, our Holy Father, and the bishops with him. Sometimes when I speak out here in the Diocese of Madison, teaching that there is a single truth and claiming to be able to put it into words, I am called arrogant, and so are you when you similarly speak up. And yet, we are the very opposite of arrogant when we speak the truth of Christ, that is we are humble. We admit that we are not sources of the truth, and we humbly submit to the mind of Christ in choosing to teach that truth through our Holy Father and the bishops with him, unworthy though we are. When we speak the truth of Christ, as taught by the Church, this is indeed an act of profound humility, and when we speak out we are sometimes humiliated because of what we have said, and that humiliation builds our humility, and so we should rejoice in it.

Our responsibility to worship the Lord, to celebrate the Eucharist, to commemorate the Last Supper, is from beginning to end an act of profound humility. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are represented in the Eucharist, where we acknowledge we are nothing and that Christ is everything, because as we sing in the beautiful Easter proclamation "what good would life have been for us, sinners that we are, had Christ not come as our redeemer?" Had Christ not triumphed over Satan's pride, the abyss between God and humanity could never have been bridged.

It is also a profound act of humility to accept the Eucharistic worship that comes to us through the apostles, that is from the Church. It is an act of humility to realize that the celebration of the Eucharist is never a forum for the creativity of any individual locally, or of any local community. The liturgy is such that it must be worthy of the participation of the angels and saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the disciples of Jesus on earth, and no local community is capable of concocting such a format for liturgical worship. We are called humbly and reverently to offer the liturgy of the Church, as it comes to us from the apostolic authority, without, as I have said previously, serving up any innovative liturgical cocktails. We conquer pride and show our humility by reverently carrying out the liturgical rites as they are prescribed by our teaching Church.

The third responsibility of the Body of Christ, the Church, is the ministry of charity. We live in a world filled with violence and the absence of mercy, especially in the form of terrorism. I understand that there has recently been a spike in the amount of violence carried out by teenagers in our American cities against the homeless. This is indeed an escalation of terrorism on the part of our own young people, which truly is frightening. The spiral of violence and terrorism seems ever to be intensifying. It is certainly an act of pride to feel justified in carrying out attacks on innocent human persons. Pope Benedict has called us to see, in a unified way, our standing up for the dignity of every human life and our standing up for peace and justice in the world, because our concerns for life and our concerns for justice are united as part of our responsibility for charity in the world. Charity means caring for the other person's needs as more important than our own, and that too is an act of humility.

Resurrection power of Christ alive

As we seek to fulfill this threefold responsibility, the Resurrection power of Jesus Christ is alive in the Church. It was the humility of Christ crucified and risen from the dead that conquered Satan's pride at Easter. And it is the humility of Christ's Body the Church, reflected in the teaching of the truth, in our worship, and in our charity, that will continue the power of the Resurrection victory of Christ at work in the world. Jesus Christ has conquered Satan's pride once and for all. Let us, by our participation in His humility, through the teaching, worship, and charity of the Church, make visible the victory of Christ to all of our sisters and brothers in the Diocese of Madison during this holy season of Lent. On the Blessed Feast of Easter, let our rejection of Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises, be authentic, as we renew our baptismal vows.

Future of the Cathedral Church

Lastly, on a very different note, as we approach Easter and the days after Easter, I will be making my decision about the future location of our Cathedral Church. I am still open to being persuaded that the Cathedral should be located other than downtown, but very honestly, thus far, I have not been so persuaded. I will make the decision in my own mind around Easter time, then I will seek to consult confidentially with some parties whose wisdom would be helpful to me about the whole matter, before making my decision public early in the summer. I mention of this because I want to invite you during Lent to write to me at P.O. Box 44983, Madison, WI 53744-4983,or e-mail officeofbishop@straphael.org or otherwise communicate with me about the future location of the cathedral so I can take this into account during these closing days of consideration of the matter. I wanted to have as much input as possible, and the time for that input is growing short, so please feel welcome to be in touch. Be assured that your reflections will be given very careful consideration during these days of Lent.

Thank you for reading this. God bless you and yours with the grace to grow in holiness during this time of Lent. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bishop's Letter

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

	Related article: February 22, 2007 edition: • Diocesan Services Appeal: Uniting our efforts in 2007

Together as a diocesan Church, we have embarked upon a journey of faith through our pastoral planning process, Guided by the Spirit. Through prayer and sacrifice, we are working towards building a vision for the future of our diocese. A future that fosters the spiritual needs of our vibrant faith communities. The sacramental nature of our Church demands that the outward signs of our faith affect a real change within ourselves, within our Church, and that likewise the graces we receive are shared with others.

Your personal support of the Diocesan Services Appeal is needed to maintain ministries in our diocese that meet the challenges that lie ahead. The appeal assists countless men, women, and children in meeting the Risen Christ anew, everyday. In the United States and particularly in Wisconsin, we are blessed with the opportunity to openly serve those who are in need of physical and spiritual support through the ministry of the Church. Together we can and we must respond to this need in our diocese, community, and world with prayerful support and self-sacrifice.

During this holy season of Lent, as we strive to purify our hearts, to control our desires, and to serve the Lord, I ask you for your continued support of your parish, through the giving of your time, talent, and treasure. As we continue to come together as a Diocesan Community, and grow together in faith and love, I pray we choose to share the gifts God has bestowed on each of us.

Be assured of my continued prayers for you, your family, and your parish, particularly during this holy season. May God bless us as we strive to continue the work of the Risen Christ. Praised be Jesus Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison