Even a cursory read of the Gospels illuminates the struggle between Jesus Christ and Satan from the very beginning of the Lord’s advent into human history. Even as a newborn child, Jesus is perceived as a threat by King Herod who seeks to destroy Him. Immediately after His Baptism, Jesus experiences the temptations of the devil in the wilderness.
Tag: Christ
Messiah, the Messiah, and the message
I am currently reading a fascinating book, Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times that made Handel’s Messiah by Charles King, which narrates both the complex history and the enduring legacy of one of the most popular musical masterpieces.
Finding peace through Christ
One of my favorite prayers is this from St. Francis de Sales: “Be at peace. Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise. God, whose very own you are, will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”
Advent time is here again
Every Advent, we hear the mighty voice of John the Baptist calling out in the desert, his radical voice urging people toward repentance, conversion, and purification.
The beauty of Christmas
One of my earliest Christmas memories is waking from a nap one afternoon and walking into the living room to see the Christmas tree for the first time, decorated and lit in all of its glory.
Regaining the clarity of childlike gratitude
When I was a young girl, my family frequented a farm produce stand down the road from my house. The produce there was beautiful, bright, and bursting forth throughout the summer and fall: Shiny red strawberries, sweet yellow corn, juicy orange muskmelons.
Only Jesus can show us how to carry our crosses
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“Look!” my husband said proudly one evening. “I fixed it for you!”
He held up my favorite handheld kitchen tool, the stainless-steel pastry cutter, and pulled on it to illustrate that he had fixed its broken handle.
To his dismay, the handle pulled apart in his hand.
The need for a renewed unity in Christ
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The attacks, accusations, and demands fly in from every side. “You supported Trump in the election and are complicit in the attack on the Capitol.” “You are in the back pocket of the Democratic Party.” “You made abortion the only issue in the election.” “You were not vocal enough in defense of life.” “You need to help stop the steal.” “I demand that you publicly affirm that Biden is the legitimate president.” “I am leaving the Church because you are too (take your pick) . . . conservative, liberal, silent, vocal, weak, strong.”
These are all messages I and probably every bishop in the country have been inundated with these past months and it is actually getting worse.
The anger and vitriol is palpably toxic.
Our cultural, political, and social divisions, exacerbated by COVID; the elections; and the violence in our streets and cities have unfortunately entered into the Church and are seriously wounding our unity in Christ.
We now seem to have Biden Catholics and Trump Catholics, perhaps just the latest incarnation of traditional and progressive Catholics, but a division that is louder, angrier, and far less compromising than all the previous rifts in the Body of Christ.
Connection between souls amidst a tattered world
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All masked up, my family and I sat 12 feet away from my elderly parents outside their apartment. Sitting side by side, my parents looked out at us from behind the screened porch.
They clasped hands, as always, embracing the odd state of the world — not knowing what the future would hold — but content to be facing it together, just as they had faced all things in their 63 years of married life.
Parishes around the diocese to host Men of Christ event
MADISON — The Men of Christ-Madison and the St. Francis Xavier Parish Knights of Columbus Council #3924 are hosting an Advent Men’s Retreat on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 5.
The event has come together after the initial in-person Men of Christ-Madison event had to cancel.
Due to COVID-19, the format has been adjusted to a mixed design.
The speakers’ presentations are being recorded and extended out to participating parish sites.
Each participating parish will host a live event, following the recommended health guidelines for their area.