Msgr. James Bartylla gave the following homily at the White Mass held on May 19 at St. Maria Goretti Church in Madison.
Tag: white
Annual White Mass scheduled for March 18
MADISON — The Catholic Medical Guild of the Diocese of Madison will present the annual White Mass with Bishop Robert C. Morlino on Sunday, March 18, at St. Patrick Church, 404 E. Main St.
The White Mass honors physicians, nurses, and healthcare workers. The Mass will be at 11 a.m.
A brunch and speaker will follow the Mass. Vicki Braun, MS, CGP, will speak on “The Female Cycle as the Fifth Vital Sign — Fertility awareness based methods and their role in women’s health issues.”
Why it matters more who Jesus is
I have been reading, with both profit and delight, Thomas Joseph White’s latest book, The Incarnate Lord: A Thomistic Study in Christology.
Fr. White, one of the brightest of a new generation of Thomas interpreters, explores a range of topics in this text — the relationship between Jesus’ human and divine natures, whether the Lord experienced the beatific vision, the theological significance of Christ’s cry of anguish on the cross, his descent into Hell, etc. — but for the purposes of this article, I want to focus on a theme of particular significance in the theological and catechetical context today.
White Mass set for February 3
MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino will celebrate the annual White Mass for healthcare workers at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 — the feast of St. Blaise — at Holy Redeemer Church in Madison.
Members of the Madison Guild of the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) will be attending the Mass with the bishop, asking God’s blessing upon doctors, nurses, caregivers, and patients under the patronage of St. Luke.
Bishop to celebrate White Mass on November 23
MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino will celebrate the annual White Mass at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at St. Patrick Church in Madison.
Members of the Madison Guild of the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) will be attending the Mass with the bishop, asking God’s blessing upon doctors, nurses, caregivers, and patients under the patronage of St. Luke.
All those involved in the medical profession are invited to join Bishop Morlino for this “White Mass,” so named from the traditional color of lab coats and nurses’ uniforms.
Black and white, or gray?
One widely-encountered idea today is that there is no black and white when it comes to morality, only a kind of “gray area.” This is often taken to mean that we really can’t know with certainty what is right and wrong, allowing us to “push into the gray” as we make certain moral decisions that at first glance appear to be immoral.
The behavior of the semi-legendary figure of Robin Hood is sometimes mentioned as an example of this “gray area” phenomenon, since he was a character who would steal money (morally bad) for the purposes of helping the poor (morally good).
‘Gray’ shrouds immoral actions
By focusing on the good intentions motivating our choices, and by arguing that morality is ambiguous and mostly “gray” anyway, a person can more easily justify and provide cover for morally problematic actions. When we begin to scrutinize the claim that morality is “gray,” however, we encounter significant problems and contradictions.