“St. Benedict . . . found the world, physical and social, in ruins, and his mission was to restore it in the way, not of science, but of nature . . . not professing to do it by any set time or by any rare specific or by any series of strokes, but so quietly, patiently, gradually . . . Silent men were observed about the country, or discovered in the forest, digging, clearing, and building; and other silent men, not seen, were sitting in the cold cloister, tiring their eyes, and keeping their attention on the stretch, while they painfully deciphered and copied and re-copied the manuscripts which they had saved. There was no one that “contended, or cried out,” or drew attention to what was going on; but by degrees the woody swamp became a hermitage, a religious house, a farm, an abbey, a village, a seminary, a school of learning, and a city . . .
Category: Bishop Hying’s Columns
Experiences at the World Meeting of Families
Several weeks ago, I had the inspiring experience of being a delegate to the World Meeting of Families in Rome.
Who is the human person?
When I ponder the many conflicts currently raging in our culture, whether it be abortion, gender identity, sexual orientation, racism, or politics in general, the unifying thread of these fiery arguments is the fundamental question: Who is the human person?
A time of Eucharistic Revival
As we celebrate the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi this Sunday, we are also beginning the three-year Eucharistic Revival, a national effort to invite, inspire, catechize, and renew our people in our love for the Lord in the Eucharist, to understand and believe more profoundly in the meaning and purpose of the Mass, to realize anew the depths of Christ’s love for us in the Blessed Sacrament.
Pentecost and making disciples
This Sunday’s celebration of Pentecost marks the second anniversary of the launching of Go Make Disciples, our diocesan effort to be renewed in the power of the Holy Spirit, to deepen the understanding and practice of our own Catholic faith, and to evangelize others with a joyous confidence.
Celebrating Rural Life
Sunday, May 15, was the feast of Sts. Isidore and his wife Maria, the patrons of farmers and rural life. They lived in Spain near Madrid in the 11th century, and worked as agricultural laborers, their lives marked by a deep Catholic faith, an intense piety, a love for the poor and for nature, as well as a strong work ethic.
A look at Catholic Social Teaching
The social teachings of the Catholic Church are a rich treasury of wisdom, guiding humanity to build a culture of life, love, justice, and compassion, and to seek the common good.
We must accept and respect life
The third chapter of Genesis details the cosmic tragedy of original sin. Adam and Eve lived in a primordial innocence, in complete spiritual harmony with God, each other, and within themselves. Life was perfect!
Growing our relationship with the Eucharist
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is launching a three-year National Eucharistic Revival with a mission “to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist” and a vision of “a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist — and sent out in mission for the life of the world.”
Be strong, keep going
Every time I pray the Stations of the Cross, I linger at the seventh one, “Jesus Falls the Second Time.” Not one of the more dramatic moments on the cruel path up to Calvary, this second fall, nevertheless, is a crucial point in the unfolding of salvation history.