W C, A: S H C H. Fr. Michael Radowicz Pastor

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1 A publication of St. Bernard Parish November & December, 2017 January, 2018 W C, A: S H C H Fr. Michael Radowicz Pastor When I was on my retreat last month, there was a very powerful reading from chapter one of St. Paul s letter to the Romans. It has really caused me to think, and it has been bubbling up to the surface of my prayer, which means that the Lord must really want me to keep this before me. These were the words that touched me in particular: The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man. What does it mean to know God, friends? When we know something or possess knowledge of something, it means that we have certainty about something. For example, I know that if I plug in the toaster and push the lever down, the toaster will come on. I know if I depress the brake pedal on my car, the car will slow down. In his pastoral letter, St. John speaks of this as well. In chapter four, he says that everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. On the other hand, Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Love and knowledge of God are intimately intertwined together, friends, and we cannot say that we know God if we fail to love. St. Paul talks of those who knew God, but did not glorify Him or give Him thanks. They became vain in their reasoning. This is precisely where we are in the world today. There are so many people who claim to know God, but they act entirely apart from God. It s like living life as a double agent. I purport myself to be one way, but then I act totally different from how I present myself. The Scriptures place love of God and love of money at opposite ends. In St. Matthew s gospel, Jesus tells us that no one can serve two masters. Whether it be things like money and power, or simply living in accord with Christ s teachings and observing God s natural law, we must do these things all the time, as it is a part of someone who loves God. If we love God, then we love what He created and how He has called us to live. There s no doubt that, in today s world, we live in a way that s both/and instead of either/or. I can be Catholic and... you fill in the blank. Most often, that second half of the statement is something that opposes God, His laws or His Church. It s too difficult to live in an either/or mentality because we have to make difficult choices. Do we go the way of God, or do we go the way of the world? In order to prevent us from having to make those tough choices, we ascribe to the both/and mentality, and we incorporate everything we want, along with our relationship with God, and somehow, we reason with ourselves that everything can happily coexist and we convince ourselves that this is true. This is what St. Paul calls vain reasoning. Our reasoning is fractured because we are taking in ₁

2 things that are not of God and we re putting God in that same grouping. It s not a compatible way of life. So often, friends, we tend to live this way, and deep down inside, we know what we re doing isn t right, but we don t have the inner strength or the fortitude to address it head on and throw out the ungodly. Sometimes, it takes a brush with death in order to shine the spotlight on a problem that s bubbled over to the surface. Those who struggle with addictions to alcohol and drugs think that they can live a perfectly normal life until they overdose and almost lose their lives. It throws their whole decision-making process into chaos, and through that chaos, they begin to align themselves with the Lord once again and reestablish unity in their living and in their love for God. St. Paul warns that a sense of wisdom can overcome us as we think we ve done the impossible in making everything happily coexist. What we ve really done is throw away our chance for immortality as we succumb to the weakness of human nature. What we thought was so cleverly schemed and carefully planned out turns out, in reality, to be an exercise in futility - one which will further distance us in our relationship with the Father. Instead of facing the truth, we push it further down and try to hide it. God is love and truth itself, friends. If we appear before God with this longing to have it all, God will laugh at us! In our love for God, He has authored a way of life that has been clearly laid out for us in the scriptures. If we embrace that way of life that God has called us to live, then there is no duplicity within us. Our heart and our way of life are united with God s holy will. When we choose to live in ways that go against God s will and we try to convince ourselves that everybody s doing it so it must be OK, we fool ourselves if we think we know God. You don t have to be a lofty theologian or a learned scholar to know God, friends! All God asks is that we love Him, obey Him and love those entrusted to us. That s it - very plain and simple. If we embrace these things and live the spiritual life, we will truly come to know God and his unfailing love. That will drive us to seek it more and more, and that will cause us to yearn for it in perfection, which is the gift of eternal life. Once we know God for who He truly is and we embrace that, we will want to know Him more and more, with increasing intimacy. The Father welcomes us, friends, and He bids us come to Him with open arms. As the season of Advent comes upon us, I intend to do some serious reflection on my own knowledge of God, and if my way of life embraces Him, or if I m trying to lump the good and the bad together and call it all good. We don t want our minds to be dark, paltry places. We want our minds and hearts to expand as we are filled with the awesome feeling of knowing God and living under Him, not above Him. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves some difficult questions and evaluate which way we go when we discover the ungodly in our lives. May we always have the grace to go in the way of Christ, as we rest in that beautiful knowledge that eye has not seen, nor has ear heard what God has ready for those who love Him. S ₂

3 T M Our Thanksgiving Day Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, November 23rd at 9:00am. Please plan to join us as we join with the angels and saints in giving thanks to God for all of His blessings and His choicest gifts that He has bestowed upon us in the past year. We will take up a collection on Thanksgiving morning, and all monies will be directed to our local parish conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. S S I C! Regardless of the day on which it falls, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is always a holy day of obligation. We will follow our regular holy day Mass schedule. The vigil Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, December 7th at 6:30pm. Masses on Friday will be celebrated at 8:30am and 12:10pm. S M S C E $ C D Christmas Eve December 24th ~ 4:00pm ~ Mass with Children s Choir Children s Homily ~8:15pm ~ Prelude and Hymns with the Adult Choir ~ 9:00pm ~ Mass Christmas Day December 25th ~ 8:00am ~ Cantor with Trumpet ~ 10:00am ~ Men s Ensemble with Instrumentalist Please note that Christmas falls on a Monday this year. Saturday night and Sunday morning will count for the 4th Sunday of Advent. Sunday evening and Monday will count for Christmas. C P S: E S C Three of our four east side parishes will offer a Communal Penance Liturgy during the season of Advent. The liturgy includes the Liturgy of the Word, the Examination of Conscience and a time for individual confessions. All of the east side cluster priests will be available for confessions at each parish. December 3pm St. Bernard December 7pm St. Peter December 7pm St. Dennis The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts and minds to receive Christ at Christmas. Please plan to join us! S M, M G The solemnity of Mary, Mother of God begins the New Year. Because the solemnity falls on a Monday, it is not a holy day of obligation. Mass will be celebrated on January 1, 2018 at 9:00am. S H A' Our new Word and Song hymnals for have arrived and will be in the pews starting December 2nd. We have extra hymnals available if you d like to have a copy of your own for use at home. Suggested donation is $5.00. Please contact Ken in the Parish Center, x225 or liturgy@sbmsn.org S ₃

4 C L S A reminder that we will not have Core Lesson in January and February. Core Lesson will resume on March 4th. Our faith formation year is now running July June, with off months in January and February. S B. S R : A E,! O P Sr. Joan Duerst, OP Parishioner, St. Bernard Parish Recently in his homily, Fr. Michael referenced Blessed Stanley Rother, who had just been beatified by Pope Francis, as an example of how to live the Gospel. Fr. Stanley Rother beatified today! The words made me wide awake. Fr. Stanley, born and raised in Okarche, Oklahoma, was martyred on July 28, 1981 in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. I was sent to Oklahoma two years earlier by the Dominican order, and I became aware of Fr. Rother when the Tulsa Catholic Charities Homeless Shelter was named the Stanley Rother House. A few years later, I was blessed to be on a mission trip with other parishioners from Christ the King Parish in Tulsa to St. James the Apostle Parish in Guatemala. We stayed at the parish house where Fr. Rother ministered in Guatemala and visited the room in which he was martyred. We also prayed at the place in the church where his heart is interred. Little by little, my life was being touched by this simple man from Oklahoma. I read the book written about him, The Shepherd Can Not Run. Fr. Rother knew that his name appeared on a list of eight people to be killed by the Guatemalan army. Hundreds of unarmed indigenous Tzutujil Mayans were being killed because the government regarded them as allies to leftist guerillas. The Mayans wanted fair wages and fair land distribution. Fr. Rother wrote about this struggle to his bishop. "The Church seems to be the only force that is trying to do something about the situation, and therefore, the government is after us." Thirteen priests and hundreds of catechists were killed nationwide during the violence. In December, 1980, Fr. Rother had addressed a letter to the people of Oklahoma about the violent situation in Guatemala. "This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. On the 10 th anniversary of Fr. Rother s death, the people of his hometown of Okarche invited everyone to celebrate an outdoor Mass. The Oklahoma plains can be very hot and dry in July. As we tried to be attentive to the Mass, the heat challenged us. The parish members understood, and with gentle care, passed glasses of cold water as we continued to celebrate Mass together. In his homily the priest celebrant had said he wasn t sure when, but he knew that the young Stanley had given his heart to God. As I listened that day, I suddenly knew the answer. The loving people of Stanley s family and parish church family had given Stanley an experience of God s love. It was there in Okarche, Oklahoma that Stanley gave his heart to God. As I looked around St. Bernard that day, I saw the people of Madison s east side where my childhood friends and I grew up, and I understood a call that this parish continues to have: to show to our young people the love God has for them. We are not farm families like the Rothers were, but we are simple, down-to-earth people who are able to live simply in God s graciousness and share it with others. During Fr. Stanley s life in Guatemala, he learned to resist the elite who did not accept the requests of poor people. As Madisonians, we too can listen to the needs of the poor among us and stand with them. As a parish, let us love one another, love the poor people who come to our door and love the children. Then we will teach our children to give their hearts to God. Following is a story you may want to share with children: Kathy Rother is a cousin of Fr. Stanley who knew him growing up. Her family lived just a few miles down the road, and she went to school with Fr. Stanley and his siblings. Kathy fondly remembered Stanley as a kind, brotherly figure, someone who once stopped the bullies on ₄

5 the bus from picking on her. The big boys would like to pick on the little kids because they were bored. They d pull their hair or take your lunchbox, Kathy said. I remember one time I was the butt of the jokes... and I remember looking around for one of my older brothers to rescue me, and they didn t, but there was Stan sitting there and he patted the empty seat next to him, and I sat there, and they left me alone, the boys just backed off, she said. It wasn t like Stan was a sissy, he was very self-contained, he knew what was right, and it wasn t right to be picking on little kids, she said. He was very much looked up to. S Read more on the story of Blessed Stanley Rother from the people of St James the Apostle Parish, Guatemala. h,ps:// Story excerpted from h,ps:// W S M' O P Over the past few summers, we have welcomed one of our seminarians preparing for ordination to the priesthood. Michael Johnson has become a regular part of parish life during the summer months. Michael has really enjoyed getting to know parishioners and being a part of the parish. He has decided to make St. Bernard his home parish, and that means that, at the time of his priestly ordination, he will celebrate his first Mass with us! We re very excited to support Michael in his vocation, and look forward to celebrating his achievements with him as he continues his journey to ordination. Michael has prepared an article highlighting his seminary studies that I m happy to share with you. Please continue to pray for Michael and all of our seminarians. was my first of Theology. I live at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee a beautiful campus right on the lake. The seminary continues to grow. This year we have over 40 seminarians from every Wisconsin diocese. Classes are at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners - about a 20 minute drive. This past year, I received the ministry of Lector, the first step toward the priesthood. In December, I will receive the ministry of Acolyte, which is mainly concerned with the Eucharist (for instance, I will be allowed to purify the sacred vessels after Communion). God willing, during my third year of Theology, I will be ordained a Transitional Deacon, the final step before ordination to the priesthood after a fourth year of Theology. As I stand, I am roughly at the half-way point, three years down, three more to go. Second Theology is typically considered the most difficult year of seminary, particularly at St. Francis de Sales. On top of our regular classes (15.5 hours for me in the Fall), as well as our teaching parish (I help out at St. Joseph Parish in Fort Atkinson two weekends a month), we have a required number of hours for pastoral ministry. I have chosen to help with a Bible study at the Waukesha County Jail on Monday nights. I also may be helping at the Riverside Food Pantry on Wednesdays or Saturdays, depending on the schedule. It will be a very busy year, but it should be fulfilling. I look forward to seeing all of you again at Christmas time. God bless you! S -Fr. Michael * * * As you may know, I had two years of Philosophy studies in Houston before transferring to the Diocese of Madison. This past school year ₅

6 S. B P A W M: B $ B The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. A beautiful and magical story that will entertain all ages! Performances will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 15th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th and will be performed as a Dinner Theatre. The doors will open at 5:45pm. with a complimentary cocktail hour. Dinner will be served at 6:00pm and the show will begin at 7:00pm. There will also be a performance on Sunday, February 18th, with doors opening at 2:45pm with a complimentary cocktail hour. Dinner will be served at 3:00pm at the show will begin at 4:00pm. Tickets will go on sale beginning Monday, January 8th, 2018 and can be purchased by calling , ext No advance reservations will be accepted before that date. Hope to see you at the show! S L S: S. M T Ken Sosinski Director of Liturgy & Pastoral Music St. Martin of Tours, patron saint of the poor, soldiers, conscientious objectors, tailors and winemakers, was born either in the year 316 or 336 in Savaria, Pannonia, now a part of mod- ern day Hungary. His father was a tribune, a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Horse Guard. Martin s father was assigned to a post at Ticinum (now Pavia) in northern Italy, where he grew up. Christianity had only recently been legalized in the Roman Empire as a religion. Martin s parents were pagans, and Martin at the age of ten made the decision to become a Christian, entering the catechumenate, which in the early church was a long period of study towards becoming a Christian. As the son of a senior military officer, Martin at the age of 15 was required to enter military service and became a member of the Roman cavalry corps, and it is believed he served in Gaul, now modern day France. It was as a young soldier that Martin encountered a beggar who was unclothed and very cold. Martin took off his cloak and cut it in half with his sword. He gave half of his cloak to the beggar and wore the other half. That night Martin experienced a vision of Christ who appeared to him and said, Martin, a mere catechumen has clothed me. Martin also made clear to his superior officers that he would no longer fight following his Christian conscience, becoming the first recognized conscientious objector in recorded history. His announcement was prior to a battle that was to take place near the German city of Worms. Martin was accused of cowardice and was ordered to be imprisoned. Martin offered to demonstrate his sincerity by going into battle unarmed. This was viewed as an acceptable alternative, but before the battle took place, the opposing army agreed to a truce and no fight took place. Martin soon after was released from military service. Afterwards, Martin traveled to Tours, France where he studied with Hilary of Poitiers, who is now recognized as a doctor of the Church. Hilary opposed the heresy of Arianism (denying the divinity of Jesus Christ), and his student likewise opposed it, bringing him into this conflict which resulted at times in exile. While ₆

7 exiled from France and traveling to Italy, Martin experienced a vision to visit his mother in Hungary. He did and she converted to the Christian faith. During these journeys, Martin is also said to have confronted a highwayman whom he converted to Christianity. He is also said to have confronted the Devil and to have cast out demons from people. Martin s biographer was the hagiographer Sulpicius Severus, who knew Martin personally. A hagiographer is a writer of the lives of saints. Martin eventually returned to Tours after Hilary of Poitiers was able to return and he continued to work and study with Hilary. During this time he was given a small grant of land and formed a monastery in the Benedictine tradition, Liguge Abbey, in 361. Martin was noted as being an extraordinary evangelist. In 371, a new bishop was needed for Tours, and Martin was tricked into coming to Tours to become their new bishop under the guise of administering aid to someone who was sick. One version of the story claims that after he found out, he tried to hide in a barn with a flock of geese but was discovered because of the noise they made at his intrusion. He became bishop of Tours and established a system of parishes that he would visit at least once every year. He also combated paganism, notably the Druid religion and was personally involved in the destruction of sacred sites, including sacred trees. One story tells of people permitting the destruction of a sacred tree only if Martin would stand in the path of its fall. Martin agreed to do so and the tree miraculously missed falling on him. As a bishop, Martin also founded an abbey at Marmoutier to give him a place to retreat to and live as a monk. As a bishop, Martin was also opposed to the execution of prisoners. When authorities, including emperors, heard he was coming to visit them, they would refuse to see him as they knew he would request mercy and they would not be able to refuse. There is one episode of condemned heretics known as Priscillianists, where Martin, even though he opposed their heresy, pleaded on their behalf not to be put to death. He convinced the Roman emperor at the time to spare them, but after Martin left, others convinced the emperor to put them to death. Martin died in Candes-Saint-Martin, Gaul in 397. His feast day is November 11. He is often depicted on horseback and is shown cutting his cloak in half with a sword. Martin was one of the most familiar and recognizable saints for a variety of reasons. The abbey he founded in Tours was one of the most prominent and influential establishments in medieval France. Part of his popularity can be attributed to his adoption by the royal houses of France. The half of the cloak that Martin kept was considered a holy relic and some would call it the first flag of France. Sacred oaths to the king would also be sworn upon the cloak. The cloak would even be carried into battle. Historical records note it being in the royal treasury in 679. The cloak was later given to the monks at St. Denis by Charlemagne around 798. Interestingly, the cloak in its reliquary was cared for by a priest who was called a cappellanu. Eventually, all priests who served in the military were called cappellani, which translated into French as chapelains, from which the English word chaplain is derived. The word chapel also came from the word given to small temporary churches built to house the relic, and while these small churches eventually lost their association with the relic, small churches retained the name of chapel to describe them. S Sources cited: Wikipedia A C! ' A' The Magnificat Advent companions will again be available this Advent season to aide you in your spiritual preparation. Please take a complimentary copy, located at the parking lot entrance to the church. Copies will be available the week before Advent begins. If you like the Magnificat series, consider purchasing a yearly subscription. A yearly subscription is $ Please visit for more information. S ₇

8 S. B P 2438 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI Have a new address or phone number? Don t want to receive these anymore? Let us know and help us keep our contact information up-to-date! Non-Profit Organization U. S. POSTAGE PAID Madison, WI Permit No L S 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays All Fridays 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Fridays Sundays First Fridays First Saturdays Confessions 5:45pm 6:15pm Rosary at 6:10pm Evening Mass at 6:30pm Rosary at 11:50am Mass at 12:10pm Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal devotions following Mass Rosary at 8:10am Mass at 8:30am Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions following Mass Mass at 12:10pm Rosary at 8:10am Mass at 8:30am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following Mass until 10:15am. Confessions following 8:30am Mass, dependent on presider s schedule. Saturday Anticipatory Mass 4:30pm Saturday confessions 3:30pm 4:15pm Sundays at 8:00am and 10:00am Sunday confessions 9:15am 9:45am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament beginning at 6:00pm. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available during this time. Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Acts of Consecration and Reparation and Benediction at 7:00pm. Rosary at 8:10am Mass at 8:30am Marian devotions following Mass Confessions following devotions. P S D (608) ADMINISTRATION Rev. Michael Radowicz, Pastor Ext. 222 pastor@sbmsn.org Dcn. Tim Reilly, Permanent Deacon Ext. 221 deacon@sbmsn.org Gloria Brockman, Administrative Assistant Ext. 221 office@sbmsn.org Nicholas Meyers III, Maintenance & Custodial Ext. 248 maintenance@sbmsn.org Susan Meyers, Rectory Housekeeping Ext. 221 housekeeping@sbmsn.org PARISH MINISTRIES Ken Sosinski, Liturgy & Pastoral Music Ext. 225 liturgy@sbmsn.org Connie Hultman, Pastoral Care & Outreach Ext. 229 pcare@sbmsn.org Geri Nehls, Religious Education & Youth Ministry Ext. 230 re@sbmsn.org St. Bernard Preschool & Child Care Center Ext. 228 preschool@sbmsn.org Geri Nehls, Interim Director of Child Care Heidi Rosemeyer, Carol McHugh, Lead Teachers For e-bulletins, a full calendar of events and other late-breaking information, visit us on the internet!! ₈