Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007 7:00 p.m. -- Attend Bishop's WHINSEC Forum, Catholic Multicultural Center, Madison Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007 4:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Mass for Scouts, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Stational Mass, St. Patrick Church, Madison 3:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Rite of Election, St. Albert the Great Church, Sun Prairie Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007 11:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007 10:30 a.m. -- Speak at Staff Catechesis, Preside and Preach at Mass, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Bishop George O. Wirz Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007 12:00 noon -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

Lent: A time for spiritual exercises, works of mercy

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

(en Español)

Dear Friends,

Lent is once again upon us, lent which is the Old English word for springtime. I hope that Lenten weather will be upon us soon as well, and that Punxsutawney Phil was right.

The liturgical texts for Lent give us much to ponder.

Serving the Lord in 'freedom'

The Season of Lent is God's gift during which we ask for the strength to purify our hearts, to control our desires, and to serve the Lord in freedom. Lent is a time for thinking and praying about freedom and examining our conscience as to its use. Pope John Paul the Great said wisely that freedom is not the ability to do what I would like to do or what I feel like doing, but rather the ability to do what I ought to do, the ability to do what is good. Freedom is created to realize what is truly good, and so freedom is always a faithful partner of truth.

In our culture we frequently take the incorrect definition of freedom - the ability to do what I feel like doing - for granted. And if we are free to do something, we then proceed to conclude that we have a right to do it. That is, we have a right to do whatever we would like to do, as long as we think we can get away with it. That is a very impoverished notion of both freedom and of human rights. Freedom's partnership with truth means that freedom follows the natural law, the law of reason. One of the central convictions of reason is the definition of marriage.

Tragic results without marriage bond

During these days I am praying frequently for the repose of the soul of Anna Nicole Smith and I don't mean in any way to judge her - I do feel sorry and pray for her. But in her tragic life, the marriage bond has been tinkered with repeatedly, in terms of multiple partnerships and lately a quasi-marriage. The result is that her new-born baby could have one of six natural fathers; the rights of next of kin in this case will have to be determined by the courts. There will be custody battles among the candidates for natural father who are still alive, regardless of the identity of the natural father, and the connection between the new-born baby and almost a half-billion dollars from the estate of the deceased husband of Anna Nicole, all of these are in the legal mix.

There is pending litigation about the house in which she lived and even over her human remains, as to funeral arrangements. It has been said that the litigation surrounding her death at this point is going to be the most complex litigation of this sort in all of history. It will take many years, and it will cost millions of dollars.

Protecting, reinforcing marriage bond

When the state does not protect and reinforce the marriage bond and the true definition of marriage, everything is left to the courts and there is a lot of money to be made. The civil law was meant to reflect the law of reason - the natural law - and when it doesn't, there can result profound excesses in the litigation sphere as is evident here. When civil law opened the door to no-fault divorce and in-vitro fertilization, civil law started down the slippery slope that led us to the present moment.

Tinkering with the marriage bond and with the definition of marriage empowers the courts to usurp decisions that belong to the traditional family and affords great wealth to eager litigators. The natural law is the guide both to freedom and to conscience in these very sensitive matters. I will try to write more about the natural law during this holy season, because the education and formation of human freedom and of human conscience depend very much on a correct understanding of the natural law.

Lent: a journey to draw closer to God

Of course all the education in the world does not give us a heart rooted in Christ. Prayer, along with works of penance and charity, form the core of our Lenten observance. When we receive ashes, and I am always thrilled at the number of people who want to participate in this beautiful rite of the Church, we are telling the Lord, we are telling the faith community by this public gesture, and we are telling ourselves that our Lenten observance will include more prayer, more works of penance, and more works of charity.

Sunday Mass and Mass on at least one additional weekday, perhaps Friday, would be the best place to start for those who do not attend Mass on weekdays.

Secondly, the reception of ashes would be a public statement that I intend to make a good confession during the Season of Lent and receive the wonderful graces of the Sacrament of Penance, at least once, but more than once as might be necessary or helpful.

The attendance at Lenten devotions - the Stations of the Cross - would also be very much in order, and of course very importantly, time spent in prayer before the Lord's presence in the Eucharist in the tabernacle - that prolongation of the Mass through meditation is always most appropriate. It is my hope and prayer that this year's Lenten journey will bring all of us closer to Christ and strengthen us in holiness.

Making decisions with help of prayer

We have many things to do this year as we look to the future of a Cathedral Church and as we continue the parish planning process. The most important thing we can do each day of Lent is to offer the Mass, and then engage ourselves in these other spiritual exercises and works of mercy that draw us close to Christ. The decisions to be made about the Cathedral and parish planning are truly important. But far more important is the state of our souls as we participate in the making of those decisions.

Please do have a holy and blessed Lent. Thank you for reading this. God Bless each one of you. Praised be Jesus Christ!