Praised be Jesus Christ! What are you giving up for Lent this year? That question was posed a while back by the newspaper and people were invited to write in and share their sacrifices. Sometimes people say it’s better to do something positive than to give up some bad habit. Without becoming polemical (i.e. argumentative – do you notice how from time to time big words are used in this column . . . . the goal is to improve your chanc- es on Wheel of Fortune and cross word puzzles, not to mention impressing people with your expansive vocabulary! Sorry for the verbose (i.e. wordy) aside.) why not do both this Lent? First, determine something you can live without, the sacrifice of which would be a daily reminder that it’s Lent. Giving up sweets is an easy choice for me, because like Father Stoetzel, I have a sweet tooth. Giving up Facebook or going out to eat or watching TV are also robust choices. Lent is a long season and we need something to help us remember that penance is good for us because it strengthens our will and bends it toward God’s will. Doing something positive is also a great way to sanctify these holy days and now is the time to determine our plan of action. And planning these things is essential to making spiritu- al progress; Benjamin Franklin once sagely pointed out, “Those who fail to plan can plan to fail.” My parents made it a point of visiting the sick and shut-ins before Christmas and Easter. Maybe we volunteer at Saint Vincent’s or other community events (e.g. every spring Marshfield hosts “Empty Bowls” and “Feed My Starving Children). Now it should go without saying that the goal of Lent is to deepen our friendship with Jesus. That means it’s important to take a good look at our spiritual life. A classmate of mine, Father Roger Landry, just wrote a book titled Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God. I read it while deer hunting in Alabama and it is really excellent; at 120 pages, it’s short and very helpful in showing us how to take tangible steps to living our faith more generously. For example, there’s a chapter on how to start the day by get- ting up at a set time and saying our Morning Offering immedi- ately. If you’re anything like me, it’s a struggle to be consistent, largely because it takes a lot of discipline to go to bed on time. Father Landry even provides a version of the Morning Offering that he prays and I share it with you here: “Thank you, Lord, for the gift of another day. Please help me to live it well. If it proves to be my last day on earth, help me to live it in total un- ion with you so that it will be my first day in eternity. Grant me the graces I need to overcome all the temptations you know I’ll face today. Awaken me to receive everyone the way I would receive you, and help me to be for them a reminder of you and your holy priesthood. Help me to make this day a liturgy of the hours, my heart an altar, and my work a commentary on the words of consecration. Into your hands, I commend this day, begging the intercession of my guardian angel and all the saints.” Lent is a great opportunity to work on these practices, which over the course of our lifetime help us to become more grateful, humble, and generous. Another practice that is espe- cially important for Lent is praying the Stations of the Cross. You can pray these at any time, but Fridays during Lent are the best time because we more naturally enter into Our Lord’s Pas- sion and death as we meditate on the 14 stations. Blessed Alvaro del Portillo once wrote, “The Way of the Cross is not a sad devotion . . . . Christian joy has its roots in the shape of a cross. If the Passion of Christ is a way of pain, it is also a path of hope leading to victory.” So, what are you giving up for Lent and what spiritual progress are you planning to make? “Those who fail to plan can plan to fail.” May these forty days of Lent bring us closer to Jesus and closer to each other! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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Evening of Recollection * Led by Fr. Martin * Eucharistic Adoration and Reflection * The evenings will alternate between St. John and Christ the King parishes. Time:
6:30 pm-8 pm Thursday– February 15 , 2018 Theme: Memory and Hope @ Christ the King in Spencer Ash Wednesday * February 14, 2018 * Mass times: Christ the King * 5 p.m. Mass and 6:40 p.m. Mass St. John’s / Mfld * 6:30 a.m. / 8 a.m. / 12:15 pm. / 6:30 p.m. Ministry Participants needed for Ash Wednesday masses. If you are attending either oft these masses your helping would be greatly appreciated. Sign up sheets have been placed on table in gathering room. Thank you. See more news in the bulletin.
From the Diocese:
In January, 193 pilgrims representing the Diocese of La Crosse attended the 44th Annual March for Life in Washington D.C. There were many things to remember this year, one being the first time a sitting president of the United States addressed the group. Chris Rogers, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, led the pilgrimage and offered these comments. Read More... Steubenville Youth Conference for teens presently in grades 8-12 An awesome, high
energy event with 2,000 other teens . PLUS: we'll roll up our sleeves and lend a hand while serving others. It will be at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, July 27-29 The cost of $270 includes most meals, transportation, & all housing A deposit of $50 is needed with sign up by Feb. 10. There will be an Information Meeting on Mon., Feb. 5 from 7-8pm To sign up, please contact: please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber. Teen & Young Adult Retreat Team Looking for teens and young adults to help lead youth retreats. Living Stones is the name of the group and it rocks! Meet lots of great people, grow in your faith, and have tons of fun. If interested, contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber. CATHOLIC Adventure Camp July 8-13. This is for teens currently in grades 6-12. Crosswoods Christian Adventure Camp, located south of Ashland, has been reserved for the Diocese of LaCrosse! This high adventure week will offer you the chance for rock climbing, repelling, canoeing, mountain bike riding, low ropes and high ropes, adventure trails, hiking, and time for prayer, the sacraments and reflection on God’s marvelous creation. The total cost will be $410 for youth and $250 for adults. Signup soon. Financial help is available. There will be an Information Meeting on Mon., Feb. 5 from 6:30-7:30pm If you have any other questions, please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber. Praised be Jesus Christ! Some years ago a distraught mother sought spiritual assistance because her son was sick to the point of being at death's door. She stopped at the Benedictine monastery and begged the monk who answered the door to pray a novena for her son; she promised him keys to a new Lexus if he would only promise to pray. The confused Benedictine asked, "What's a Lexus?" Determined to make this work, the mother zipped over to the Franciscan residence and promised the Friar who came to the door the same prize: keys to a new Lexus if you'll only pray a novena for my son. Once again, her generous offer was met with a quizzical look and the question, "What's a Lexus?" Finally, exasperated by the circumstances, the mother stopped by the Jesuit house and promised the priest who opened the door, "PII give you these keys to a brand new Lexus if you'll just agree to pray this novena for my dying son." The Jesuit looked embarrassed, but nervously asked, "What's a novena?" With all due respect to the Jesuits (and I owe them a lot as I attended one of their universities while I was in Rome, not to mention all the incredible saints that come from their order: e.g. St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and Blessed Miguel Pro, just to name a few), a novena is a prayer that is offered for nine consecutive days as a concerted effort to grow closer to knowing and doing God's will. One of the best novenas I've come across recently was sent by Bishop David Ricken, the Bishop of Green Bay. He shared a novena prayer to Our Lady of Good Help and at the end of this article | will share it with you. The Blessed Mother appeared to Sister Adele in 1859 and there is now a Shrine commemorating this amazing apparition near Champion, a small town about 15 minutes East of Green Bay. As you know, the idea of novenas came from the 9 days that the Apostles and the Blessed Mother spent praying in anticipation of receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I have been somewhat negligent in putting novenas in the bulletin because they are here and gone before I get myself organized. Well, in this new year of Our Lord 2018 I promise to do a better job. Now please make it worth the effort by actually praying the novenas that I post! For the record, l'Il be making my annual retreat this week and will be spending Monday-Friday at a priest guest house attached to the Carmelites in Denmark, Wisconsin. Each day II be praying for you and if you'd remember me in your prayers, 'll come back a holier priest (friends tell me there's only one way to go for me). Without further ado, here's the Novena to Our Lady of Good Help: O Dear Lady of Good Help, you revealed yourself as the Queen of Heaven to your servant Adele. You gave her a mission to pray for the conversion of sinners, to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others and to prepare the children for the reception of the sacraments. I trust that as you called Adele to holiness, you are calling me, in my station in life, to live a holy life, devoted to Jesus Christ with the help of your maternal love. I bring before you now my worries and anxieties. I abandon my attachments to them and place them at your feet. I ask you to hear the deepest longings of my heart as I pray most earnestly for: (Your Intention). Dear Lady, you told Adele and you say to all of us, Do not be afraid; I will help you.' Help me now as I place this intention with complete confidence and trust. Amen." (You may wish to add and Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be). Please note that even if you pray this novena for me, keys to a relatively new Ford Focus are not on the table!
May God convince us of the power of intercessory prayer! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin Ash Wednesday * February 14, 2018 *
Mass times: Christ the King * 5 p.m. Mass and 6:40 p.m. Mass St. John’s / Mfld * 6:30 a.m. / 8 a.m. / 12:15 pm. / 6:30 p.m. Ministry Participants needed for Ash Wednesday masses. If you are attending either oft these masses your helping would be greatly appreciated. Sign up sheets have been placed on table in gathering room. Thank you. See more news in the bulletin.
From the Diocese:
Why celebrate Catholic schools? Because Catholic schools are schools of faith, schools where a child isn’t simply educated about basic facts, but on how the Catholic faith is part of those basic facts. We make a point to celebrate Catholic Schools Week every January, and this year we’re focusing on the following themes: Read More... CATHOLIC Adventure Camp July 8-13. This is for teens currently in grades 6-12. Crosswoods Christian Adven- ture Camp, located south of Ashland, has been reserved for the Diocese of LaCrosse! This high adventure week will offer you the chance for rock climbing, repelling, canoeing, mountain bike riding, low ropes and high ropes, adventure trails, hiking, and time for prayer, the sacraments and reflection on God’s marvelous creation. The total cost will be $410 for youth and $250 for adults. Signup soon. Financial help is available. There will be an Information Meeting on Mon., Feb. 5 from 6:30-7:30pm If you have any other questions, please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber.
Steubenville Youth Conference for teens presently in grades 8-12 An awesome, high energy event with 2,000 other teens . PLUS: we'll roll up our sleeves and lend a hand while serving others. It will be at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, July 27-29 The cost of $270 includes most meals, transportation, & all housing A deposit of $50 is needed with sign up by Feb. 10. There will be an Information Meeting on Mon., Feb. 5 from 7-8pm To sign up, please contact: please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber. |
MASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 3:15 - 3:45 PM OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our PastorWelcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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