The Spirit guides us ‘to all Truth’
As Jesus spoke with His Apostles at the Last Supper, He talked about sending the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, after He departs to the Father.
The ministry of the Advocate given to the bishops through the graces of ordination is to guide the Church to speak the fullness of truth in her efforts to give glory to God and bring salvation to the whole world (cf. John 14).
When you and your neighbors in the pews give to the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA), you are making an investment in the Church that affirms your faith in this very promise of Christ from nearly 2,000 years ago.
Your gift ensures that the teachings of Christ will echo in the hearts of those who call the Diocese of Madison home.
One of the newest ways that this evangelical imperative has taken shape over the last year is in the Mazzuchelli Institute of Mission and Leadership.
Offered in both English and Spanish, the Mazzuchelli Institute seeks to empower leaders across our diocese to:
Encounter Christ in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Embody the way of discipleship, conforming their lives to the Incarnate Word.
Be equipped with the skills and tools needed to speak the Gospel of Jesus into our culture today.
This two-year program first focuses on developing and deepening the students’ relationship with the Master as a “disciple.”
This formation takes the Four Holy Habits — Daily Prayer, Monthly Confession, Reclaiming Sundays, and Friday Penance — as its basis and pushes the students to uniquely conform their lives to the way of Christ, following after Jesus as Teacher and Master.
Sitting at the feet of Christ, the students learn to bear His yoke and learn from Him, to lean into His Sacred Heart, and to look to Him for strength, mercy, truth, love, grace, and peace (cf. Lk 10:39, Mt 11:29, Jn 13:23).
Year two focuses on the students’ way forward to the ends of the Earth as a “missionary.”
Having encountered the Risen Jesus anew, the disciple now takes on the apostolic urgency of proposing the Gospel, which is the power of salvation (Rom 1:16).
The student will learn to bear witness to Jesus with confidence and competence, walking and talking anew in the spirit of Truth here and now.
This approach mirrors the great Easter scene in the small village of Emmaus: First set their hearts on fire anew, then send them running to Jerusalem to tell everyone about their encounter with Jesus (cf. Lk 24:32-33).
As you discern your gift to the ACA, ask the Holy Spirit to infuse you with divine wisdom.
Look into the window of our culture today, a culture that needs the goodness, truth, and beauty of God’s grace.
Your gift is helping to develop missionary disciples who are eager to sow the seeds of salvation in the abundant fields of our communities and to transform our culture.
Thank you for your generosity, and may the grace of Christ, the Word made flesh, take root deep in your hearts to enrich your lives for eternal life.
