Fr. Don Lange – Madison Catholic Herald

To the editor:

In his inspiring Holy Thursday homily, Pope Francis declared, “I ask the Lord Jesus to confirm the priestly joy of those who have already ministered for some years.” He prayed that God gives them a “second wind” to help them faithfully serve.

Our 77-year-young pope continued, “I ask the Lord Jesus to make better known the joy of elderly priests, whether healthy or infirm. It is the joy of the cross, which springs from knowledge that we possess an imperishable treasure in perishable earthen vessels. May these priests find happiness wherever they are.”

On January 15, 2014

Fr. Donald Lange

Praying and working for Christian unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held from January 18 to 25 this year.

Its theme is “Has Christ Been Divided?” This theme is based upon 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, where St. Paul — angry over divisions in the Corinthian Church — wrote, “Each of you is saying ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos’ or ‘I belong to Kephas’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Is Christ divided?”

On December 25, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

God’s Mother inspires us to work for peace

We Catholics begin the New Year by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

On New Year’s we also celebrate the World Day of Peace. This is a feast established by Pope Paul VI and supported by other modern popes.

In many ways these two feasts complement each other, because peace begins in the family. Responsible parents teach us to be persons of peace. Mary is Queen of Peace and the mother of the Prince of Peace.

On December 18, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

May the Christ Child fill our hearts with love

I especially remember the Christmas when Donna taught me that Christmas is about love. We were a family of five children plus Mom and Dad.

Donna, my seven-year-old sister with a generous heart, wanted to buy a present for every member of our family. This was an ambitious undertaking for a little girl, because our family was poor.

On December 11, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

Advent Reconciliation: Offering Jesus the gift of a purified heart

In the November 2013 issue of The Word Among Us, Scott Hahn is quoted as saying that an American priest went to Rome for a conference and a group meeting with Pope John Paul II. Before the meeting, the priest noticed a beggar on the steps of a church.

He recognized him as his former seminary classmate in Rome. They were ordained to the priesthood together. Now he was a beggar.

On December 4, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

Feast of Immaculate Conception points to Advent

Franz Werfel wrote a popular book called The Song of Bernadette. The reason he wrote this book goes back to World War II.

Shrine at Lourdes, France

As a controversial Jew in occupied France, he was on the Nazi hit list. He and Alma, his wife, fled from the Nazis who pursued them.

They sought shelter in Lourdes where the famous shrine of Mary is located. One night he went alone to the shrine.

In the darkness, he prayed, “God, I’m not a believer. I must be honest and say so. I am a Jew. But in my extreme need, on the chance that I could be wrong, I ask you to help me and my wife. If you see us safely to the United States, I promise to write a story of Lourdes for all the world to read.”

On November 27, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

Gratitude is our response to God’s blessings

Thanksgiving is a national holiday when we Americans thank God for our blessings.

Origins of the holiday

Its roots go back to the pilgrims whom the Old Testament influenced. After a severe winter when over half of the pilgrims died from scurvy, exposure to the elements, and other causes, they set aside three days to thank God for their blessings. One way that they thanked God was by sharing their blessings with Indian friends.

The pilgrims can inspire us to thank God for our blessings on Thanksgiving Day by sharing with friends, family, and the needy.

On October 10, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

Retirement has its blessings, challenges

On July 22, 2013, during the flight to World Youth Day, Pope Francis said that “Youth are the future.” He quickly added that “the aged are also essential.”

He stated that he did not want World Youth Day to be a meeting with young people in isolation because when we isolate them, we do them an injustice.

Like us, he said, they belong to a family, a culture, a country, and faith. To know who we are, and where we are going, it’s helpful to know where we came from.

On October 10, 2013

Fr. Donald Lange

November: time to reflect on communion of saints

We begin November by celebrating the feast of All Saints.

On All Saints Day, we remember and we honor both the canonized and non-canonized saints of the Catholic Church. Both invite and inspire us to imitate their Christ-like lives.

In No. 2013 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.

“All are called to holiness: In order to reach this perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift so that doing the will of the Father in everything, they may whole heartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor.”

On October 3, 2013August 31, 2023

Fr. Donald Lange

Human life is sacred from conception to death

Once when I visited a hospital, an urgent call came over the public address system: “If a Catholic priest is present, please come to the main desk immediately.” I hurried to the main desk. The receptionist asked me to talk to a lady who had just given birth to a still-born baby. She and her husband were grieving. I tried to console them.