WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court Monday declined to hear the University of Wisconsin’s appeal of an appellate court ruling in favor of a Catholic student group at the university’s Madison campus.
Author: Kevin Wondrash
Our top priority and the common good
 |
| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear friends,
The Gospel of this past Sunday is addressed to those who are too worried about tomorrow. That’s why Jesus addresses them as “you of little faith.” If they were where He wanted them to be in their relation to His Father and Himself, He wouldn’t have said, “you of little faith.” Because of our human weakness and frailty, whatever faith we have, from God’s point of view, is certainly always “little,” but for Jesus to address it as such indicates a moment of challenge to growth.
One of the measures of our faith is: “how much do you and I worry about tomorrow?” Why is it not a good thing to make worrying about tomorrow my top priority? Certainly it is among our priorities, for obviously we have to be concerned with putting food on the table of our family, and clothing on their backs, and shelter over their heads. It is the sacred responsibility of parents to “worry” about such things. Jesus’ point is not offering some kind of recipe for a care-free life, where one’s responsibilities are just forgotten and put aside. But, our top priority can never be worrying about tomorrow, if we have met Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
The more worrying about tomorrow is our top priority, the more we need to place Jesus Christ ahead of that priority, so that He is our top priority.
Clarifying the fairness issue
|
Dear Friends,
Believe it or not, I frequently try to avoid weighing in-on certain situations. However, the recent happenings in our state capital with regard to legislation about labor union practices beg for a comment. In this column, I simply want to point out how a well-informed conscience might work through the dilemma which the situation poses.
Living in a changing world
I grew up with clear notions of what kind of “old lady” I wanted to be.
I would have a pleasant relationship with my grandchildren and not always be criticizing them for wearing nail polish. I wouldn’t complain all the time about my arthritis and ulcers and tell them they didn’t need all that education because they “were just going to get married anyway.” I would keep up with the times.
Archbishop addresses right of workers, value of unions
MILWAUKEE — In a statement sent February 16 to the members of the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance, Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, president of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, addressed the rights of workers and the value of unions.
To God be the Glory, indeed!
|
|||
Dear Friends,
Like so many of you, I hope, I enjoyed an excellent Sunday this past week — with time for prayer and with some time for leisure.
In the first place, I was very happy to have the opportunity to say two of the Sunday Masses in Platteville, first at the local Parish of St. Mary’s, and then at the University Parish of St. Augustine’s. It was great to be at prayer with all of those good people, and I was very encouraged to see the new things happening for the Catholic community on the campus of the UW-Platteville.
Together with some generous donations, and some hard work by students and priests alike, the church at St. Augustine’s is looking more beautiful than ever, and the pieces are in place for continued growth in the faith activities of those students.
What the future really means
|
| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
It is wonderful to be back in Wisconsin, though I am very grateful to have had a bit of time for vacation — where the weather was a bit different from our weather here and now. Nevertheless, it is good to be home!
I’d like to bring up here a very interesting phrase that has come to the fore in recent weeks in our national life.
Clear ethical thinking and the tyranny of relativism
I once asked a young physician whether he had received any training in medical ethics during medical school. I wondered whether he had been taught how to handle some of the complex moral questions that can arise when practicing medicine.
It turned out that he had taken only one ethics class during his four years of medical school, and it was a rather loose-knit affair. For the first part of each class, he told me, students were presented with medical cases that raised ethical questions.
A wealth of information is hidden in parish libraries
Back in the “old days” when I was a student at Madonna High school (early 40s) we were taught by an order of Francisan Sisters who were on their toes when it came to keeping up with the latest Church trends.
The liturgical movement had just emerged and the good Sisters endowed us with the latest in liturgical art and the best of Catholic literature.
Holy Days of Obligation
The following are […]