I was visiting the other day in the world’s most popular senior club, the doctor’s office, watching as she consulted her computer to check my X-rays from the week before.
I was just relishing the wonders of this technology that allows doctors to view any kind of health record or test results by a click of the mouse. Then I noticed her drumming her fingers in annoyance that she had to wait nearly a minute to get my record on the screen. I laughed.
Dive into a great mystery is the invitation. The mystery of our faith is the story.
Summer is usually a special time to get in a little extra reading, but the season is already appearing in the rear view mirror. Both a page turner and a good read, it cannot wait. This mystery is all about the fact that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
During my years as the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Madison I’ve encountered a certain set of recurring questions from priests and laity regarding our seminarian program.
They are excellent questions that show an interest in the seminarians’ formation for priesthood. In this article, I answer six of these recurring questions. If anyone has other questions, feel free to e-mail me at vocations@straphael.org. For more on diocesan seminarians, go online to www.madisondiocese.org and click on the “Vocations” tab.
“It is in the local churches that the specific features of a detailed pastoral plan can be identified — goals and methods, formation and enrichment of the people involved, the search for the necessary resources — which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mold communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture.” — Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29, Apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II (January 2001)
The Diocese of Madison is continuing on with the Trusting in the Spirit planning and implementation process, now in its second year, with 16 of the 40 clusters having turned in their plans for the upcoming year.
Supreme court opinions at the state or federal level offer insights into how society changes its mind on key questions. Over the past 40-plus years, the rulings of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on matters related to religion show such a change — a change more favorable in its treatment of religion.
Article 1, Section 18, of the Wisconsin Constitution says the following: “The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed; nor shall any person be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, without consent; nor shall any control of, or interference with, the rights of conscience be permitted, or any preference be given by law to any religious establishments or modes of worship; nor shall any money be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of religious societies, or religious or theological seminaries.”
Editor’s note: This is the first in a new periodic column in the Catholic Herald for young adults.
Hello to all! My name is Jon Leonetti. For this first column I have decided to give you a short biography of who I am, allowing readers to know a little bit more about me.
So here it goes . . .
The United States spans some 3,500 miles from coast to coast, and by August 2009, I will have walked it.
Doing God’s work includes serving as a Communion minister, usher, lector, serving on parish council, or other Church related activities. But our work can also be holy.
At the end of Mass, we are commissioned to “go in peace to love and to serve the Lord.” One way that we can love and serve God is through our work.
Human beings naturally recoil at the prospect of pain and suffering. When a sharp object pokes us, we instinctively pull away. When the unpleasant neighbor comes up on caller ID, we recoil from answering the phone. Our initial response is to avoid noxious stimuli and pain, similar to most animals.
Yet when dealing with painful or unpleasant situations, we can also respond deliberately and in ways that radically differentiate us from the rest of the animal kingdom.
I remember when my wife and I became engaged what great fun it was to go to the department stores and put together our gift registry. In fact, the greatest gifts I received (I mean, we!) were three different grills! I ended up returning them all and getting the daddy of all grills – what a gift!
Now that we just passed our 16th wedding anniversary, and the gas grill rusts on the back porch, I realize that there were other gifts far more important than the grills. In fact, perhaps the most meaningful gift was attending a weekend retreat for engaged couples before our wedding.
My wife and I had talked about many, many things during our dating relationship — I didn’t think there could be much more to discuss. But the opportunity to focus only on us — for a full weekend led by married couples sharing their own experiences and the wisdom of the Church — would have a far greater impact on our marriage than I realized at the time. In fact, I credit that experience for the ongoing success of our marriage.
In my 81 years as a Catholic, I have been warned to “Pray for a Happy Death.” Suddenly I seem to be in charge of one and I don’t even know what it means. What is a “Happy Death”?
It is said that St. Joseph had one because he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary. I think that would be a hard one to pull off for the head of our family. We’d need a lot of space for me with our 10 kids: Rob, Tom, Tim, Elizabeth, Kathi, Kris, Gretchen, Patty, John, Mark, and their spouses. And the 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. That’s a lot of arms!
