We are in the midst of the Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis. The year officially continues through November 20 of this year.
During this year, we are focusing on the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. It is timely, therefore, that Sunday, Oct. 16, will be observed as Catholic Charities Sunday in the Diocese of Madison.
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| Veronica Arntz |
In this four-part series discussing Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (AL), I hope to establish a clear understanding of marriage and family in the first and second parts.
In the third and fourth parts, I will clarify some confusion over the nature of the divorced and remarried and the reception of Communion, looking at the document itself.
Our next step shall be to link what we previously said about marriage to what the Church says about family.
What is this world coming to? Violence is happening everywhere.
We used to think of civil unrest and wars occurring elsewhere — not in our own cities. But now it seems like no one is safe from violence.
Every time I hear about another shooting, I say a quick prayer and feel like crying, “Not again!”
Who is to blame? Is there anything we can do?
Sometimes when I’m driving home in the evening, I am treated to a panoramic view of the sunset on the west side of Madison.
The vibrant colors of red and gold in the sky are amazing. It prompts me to say a quick prayer of thanksgiving to God for the beauty of our world.
Unfortunately, it’s a world we often take for granted. And if we don’t start paying more attention, we might not be able to enjoy this beautiful world as much in the future.
To remind us to pay attention, Pope Francis in 2015 declared September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He joined the Orthodox Church in this practice, something that Church has done since 1989.
Take risks and do not let life’s obstacles get in the way of encountering the true joy and life that Jesus can give, Pope Francis told more than one million young people.
When I mentioned to someone that Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer had died, he said, “Monsignor Schmelzer was the real deal.”
I knew just what he meant. Monsignor Schmelzer was a genuine priest who loved the priesthood.
It doesn’t seem possible that almost a year has passed since Pope Francis issued Laudato Si’, his beautiful encyclical on care for our common home.
Released on June 18, 2015, the encyclical touched on many of the critical issues facing our world today, including the availability of fresh drinking water, the loss of biodiversity, decline in the quality of human life, the breakdown of society, and global inequality, to name a few.
When I was growing up in La Crosse, I used to attend Our Mother of Perpetual Help novenas every Tuesday evening with my family at Blessed Sacrament Parish.
I liked attending the novenas, but I never learned much about this Marian devotion. It wasn’t until recently that I found out how it developed.
I discovered that the icon of the Blessed Mother with her divine son (pictured here) has helped provide strength, comfort, and even miracles to the faithful for centuries.
It seems appropriate during May — the month dedicated to Mary — that we learn more about Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
As a small child, I can remember watching my grandmother work in the garden on the family farm. It was so peaceful to be outside in such a beautiful setting.
My father also had a garden in the backyard of our house in La Crosse when I was young. As a teacher, he had summers off and had the time to plant a big garden. At harvest time, he often went through the neighborhood giving away beets, tomatoes, and other extra vegetables.
I enjoyed helping him plant and care for the vegetables and flowers (which were my favorite part of the garden). To this day, there is nothing I like better than digging in the soil and planting flowers. The smell of the dirt and the sound of insects always make me feel good.
Dear Friends,
There is a great deal to consider and to speak of this week. However, I want first to comment on the readings of this past weekend and specifically upon the Second Reading (Rev 5:11-14), which provide us with a beautiful image of heaven.
In that reading we hear of the vision that St. John had of all creation singing eternally: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!” A beautiful, glorious hymn of praise for all eternity is one very reliable picture of what heaven is like.
