Columns – Page 66 – Madison Catholic Herald


	Fr. Richard Heilman

On Friday morning, August 26, at 6:45 a.m., I read an article about the miraculous closing of the Appleton, Wis., Planned Parenthood.

I say “miraculous” because “exactly to the day” one year prior, Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the specific intention to close that Planned Parenthood, and then proceeded to the Planned Parenthood site with many other prayer warriors to offer special prayers for its closing.

That’s right . . . one year. To. The. Day. And, it happened on the memorial of the Queenship of Mary (August 22). WOW!!

On September 15, 2016

Lindsay Becher

Reflections on the life, work, and canonization of St. Teresa


	Lindsay Becher

“God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 2560

I thirst.

These words spoken from Jesus on the cross were also imprinted on the heart of St. Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) on September 10, 1946, and every day forward.

These words, and what Jesus revealed to her about them on a train ride that “Inspiration Day,” changed her life. Through the Church’s newest saint, they have also changed mine.

On September 15, 2016

Bishop Robert Barron

Theologians and catechists: wake up!

First in a two-part series on a Pew Study about why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity.

After perusing the latest Pew Study on why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity, I confess that I just sighed in exasperation. I don’t doubt for a moment the sincerity of those who responded to the survey, but the reasons they offer for abandoning Christianity are just so uncompelling.

That is to say, any theologian, apologist, or evangelist worth his salt should be able easily to answer them. And this led me (hence the sigh) to the conclusion that “we have met the enemy and it is us.”

On September 15, 2016

Jean Mueller

Showing respect for others despite their ‘age’

Q I am an “older woman” who has worked hard, raised a family, and valued my education. I feel I have lived a good life.

My issue is that when I am out tending to my own business, some individuals will call me “honey,” “dear,” or “sweetie.”

They may hold a door open for me, they may pick up something that I have dropped, or perhaps offer some other gesture they consider to be helpful.

It is not that I don’t appreciate kindness as I think they are trying to be helpful, but I find this somewhat demeaning. They don’t know my capabilities or how I prefer to be addressed.

On September 15, 2016

Fr. Donald Lange

Remember the elderly in the autumn of their lives

October 1 is International Day of Older Persons as declared by the United Nations.

It is appropriate to celebrate this day during the fall of the year in order to focus upon the elderly’s autumn blessings and needs. An elderly Italian couple reminded me of this recently.

Visiting the elderly

On August 9, 2016, in Rome, Italy, four policemen visited the home of Michele, a 94-year-old man and Jole, his 89-year-old wife.

After 70 years of marriage, they still loved each other, but they were suffering from the cross of loneliness, partially because their neighbors were vacationing and also because of upsetting TV reports about terrorists’ attacks and abused children.

On September 8, 2016February 15, 2022

Julianne Nornberg

Embracing a new season of life

“Mom, won’t you be lonely when we all are at school?” my son asked me innocently one day, true concern spilling from his deep brown eyes.

At the time, I smiled and assured him that of course I would miss my children, but I would get lots of work done and the time would go by so fast that before I knew it, they would all be home in the afternoon.

On September 8, 2016

Bishop Robert Barron

Advice to students, new and old

Last week I offered some remarks at the matriculation ceremony for Thomas Aquinas College in California. Since I would give the same advice to any Catholic students reentering the school year, I thought I would share my thoughts here.

A few months before I was named bishop, I gave another lecture at Thomas Aquinas College. I was asked to deliver a talk that I thought was going to be a little too heavy. It was late at night, I had flown in from Chicago and driven up the California highway, and I thought, “Oh, this talk is going to bomb.”

On September 1, 2016

Fr. Donald Lange

Reflecting on the value of work

Labor Day is a public holiday which honors the American labor movement and contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. It also offers us opportunities to reflect upon the value of work.

Through Baptism and Confirmation, our daily lives are consecrated, through the indwelling Spirit, to proclaim, reveal, and witness to God’s Kingdom through our prayers, Eucharist, charity, and our daily work.

Be proud of work

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'”

On September 1, 2016

Bishop Robert Barron

Ben-Hur: a tale of Christ, a tale of grace

Lew Wallace’s 19th century novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, inspired two silent movies in the early decades of the 20th century and the magnificent 1959 film starring Charlton Heston in the lead role.

Almost everyone agrees that Heston was born to play the part, and who can forget the drama and excitement of the chariot race with which the movie comes to its climax?

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett have produced a new instantiation of the story, a streamlined version of the 1959 film. Like its predecessor, this one features a charismatic actor (Jack Huston) as Ben-Hur, plenty of visual grandeur, and yes, a stunning chariot race, depicted this time with the most up to date camera technology and CGI virtuosity.

On August 25, 2016

Tony Magliano

Running for their lives

Imagine, right now at this very moment you and your loved ones need to run for your lives!

With hardly more than the clothes on your backs, you and your family must flee from an invading armed force.

Or imagine your quick exodus is due to the fact that gang members have threatened to kill your family because your teenage son or grandson has refused to join their murderous drug gang.