The greatest victory in the history of the world is celebrated now! Christ’s defeat on the Cross has become his victory over sin and death! We have been set free!
Category: Bishop
Reflecting the joy of the greatest victory
|
|
| 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. |
I want to wish you all a very blessed Holy Triduum and a very happy Easter. May it be a joyful and prayerful time for you and your family, and may it provide a powerful experience with our Lord Jesus, risen from the dead.
We are called, each and every day, to invite people to meet Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. In a very real way, this is the mission of my episcopacy here — it is the stated mission of my staff, and, by extension, it is truly the mission of each of us here in the 11 counties of south-central Wisconsin.
In order, credibly, to invite our neighbors to meet Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, we have to have met Him. So these days of Holy Week and Easter should be a very special time for each of us, when we intensify that meeting which we are called to have with the risen Christ. The proper celebration of Holy Week and Easter has everything to do with the mission to which each of us, by nature of our Baptism, is called.
Untangling the confusion about the Church
|
|
| 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. |
After months of political machinations, things are moving extremely quickly and we are at an advanced and critical point with regard to our discussion of healthcare legislation, to the point that, as of this writing, the House has passed the terribly deficient Senate Bill, as well as a bill making a few changes (which do nothing to help in key matters). The Senate has yet to approve these few changes and all that is really left is the President’s signature. Much can happen between my writing and your reading this, so I’d like to take a look more at what has happened, and why it is not a good thing. What will happen is still yet to be seen.
The prodigal son: A tale of two ‘snots’
|
|
| 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. |
The story we heard in the Gospel on Sunday, the story (as it is called) of the “Prodigal Son,” is a terrific story. I have a bishop-friend who always refers to this, not as the parable of the prodigal son, but as the “parable of the two snots.” That, indeed, is exactly what it is.
Let’s take a brief look at the first son. In speaking of this story over the past weekend, Pope Benedict talked about how, as young people grow up, they go through a period of “infantile dependence” on their parents, during which time they practice “infantile obedience.” Then, as they hit those wonderful teens, they get the idea that they should be free and more independent of their parents. And then they sing that old song, “I gotta be free, I gotta be me.”
Lent: Time to slam the door in Satan’s face
|
|
| 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. |
Each year we are invited to reflect on the whole of our Lenten journey in the context of Jesus’ temptations in the desert. That’s a model, if you will, a paradigm, for what is supposed to happen during Lent. And, I am happy to say that I discovered again this year that, substantially, my reflections on this Gospel passage are in line with those of our Holy Father. I know that when I’m in communion with the Holy Father, by God’s grace and for the good of the diocese, I’m right on target.
Madison bishops assist Diocese of La Crosse with Confirmations
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, bishop of the Diocese of Madison, will be administering the sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of La Crosse on three separate occasions this spring.
Ash Wednesday and a Lent for Priests
|
|
| 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. |
It was wonderful to witness and to hear of the strong turn-out of people at our Ash Wednesday Masses around the diocese. Such a turn-out is a hopeful sign that our people genuinely want to pursue the journey of holiness and conversion this Lent.
I share with you today three points that I made during my Mass on Ash Wednesday. The first point is regarding this, our Year for Priests, within the Church. I do think about the Year for Priests a lot, but I’m not sure that we’ve done everything that we can to help you think about it. I hope that you do think about it, though. My point is this: if it is the “Year for Priests,” and this “year” includes Lent, then this Lent is for priests.
Aid in Haiti — the beginning to a Lent of love
|
|
| 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 in Christ,
As was mentioned last week, you, your parishes, and your pastors are to be highly commended in general! We as a diocesan family have come together in an incredible show of our love of neighbor and our unity as a diocese by raising a remarkable $508,130.02 for our sisters and brothers in Haiti.
Very soon after the devastating earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI promised the people of Haiti of the prayers and concrete support of Catholics around the world. And even before the Holy Father made these promises, Catholic Relief Services was there in Haiti helping those injured and dying; you and your parishes were asking “what can we do?” and our diocesan offices were organizing how we could respond.
Journeying home during the Lenten season
|
|
| 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,
In the first place, let me thank you most sincerely for your remembrance in prayer during the days of my vacation. They were special days for me of friendship, especially friendship with the Lord, and also some needed rest and recreation. The time was most enjoyable and life-giving, I’m sure in large part due to your prayers. And, of course, I remembered all of you every blessed day.
Haitian aid collection
Thank you all for your overwhelming generosity in giving of your spiritual and material goods in order to aid our sisters and brothers in Haiti.