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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 really is a joy and a blessing to experience the change in seasons. It’s hard not to be thankful for creation in this time of so much color and in this time of harvest. This time of year should provide us with no end of seeds for reflection, but I’m always drawn to reflect upon the lives of our farmers in a particular way.
By nature of it’s being the “seat” of the diocese, the center of state government, the largest city, more-or-less the geographic center of these 11 counties, and the home of a world-class university, so much of our attention in the diocese is often focused upon Madison. And indeed, Madison is all of the things I just listed, but we should never fall into the trap of thinking that the Diocese of Madison is mostly Madison. To do so would not only mean missing out on some of the richest aspects of our diocese, but would also make for a very monotonous, hyper-political existence! And that’s the furthest thing from my mind or my heart.
As such, in addition to getting out of the gravitational pull of Madison as frequently as possible, I also cherish the opportunity I’ve had over the past few years to gather in a specific way with some of our farming communities to pray and to give thanks for the gift of “rural life.” I was able to do that recently in Footville. And as we are still in the harvest season, I’d like to share a few of the thoughts that I shared with those gathered.
