Praised be Jesus Christ! Do you remember the Swedish Chef from the Muppets? One of my favorite videos is watching him prepare popcorn shrimp. Whenever I’m having a long day and need something to put me in a better mood, this video is an infallible source of mirth (you can easily find it on the Internet – it’s been viewed nearly 40 million times). I mention this because of the recurrent theme of Jesus encouraging us to become more like children so as to be able to one day enter His Kingdom in Heaven. While there is some latitude in understanding Jesus’ teaching, it’s clear He would never condone the adage about “young once, immature forever.” Just the same, Jesus is intentional in setting children before us as role models for how we best approach Him and His Father. This brings me to one of the best parts of a new school year: celebrating Mass with our youngsters. Catholic school kids have it made, as they get to go to Mass every week. Our CCD students have Mass too and even if it’s not as regularly scheduled, it’s still a source of hope and peace. I never cease to be amazed at how open children are to the reality of God and His plan for them. Sadly, this time in our life passes and then it becomes more challenging to believe that we were made by a supremely good God who loves us and always cares for us. As a parish we should always do our best to invite young families to bring their children to Mass on a regular basis, as this is most formative experience the Church offers. As one wise adage put it, the faith is more caught than taught – the witness of others who believe and practice their faith is crucial if we hope that our children and grandchildren will believe in the good God. All of us know family and friends who do not practice and this is typically a source of sadness and discouragement. Our best response is to harness the power of intercessory prayer and ceaselessly pray for them to return to their spiritual home. This often feels futile but we must remember that God hears and answers our prayers, even if His timing is decidedly slower than we’d prefer. The Adoration chapel is second only to daily Mass in its power to win grace for our loved ones. For those who adore Jesus one hour a week, a gentle peace comes that staves off the devil’s accusations of this all being for naught, that we’re wasting our time, and that prayer is just mental gymnastics after all. For those who do not pray, it’s easy to succumb to these voices (a.k.a. “stinking thinking”). And that’s precisely what the evil one wants – give up, your efforts are in vain. But for those who trust in the Lord, they become instruments of hope and joy, and because these things are so good for us, such friends of God have a more youthful spirit. When a small group of us American seminarians met Mother Teresa in 1995 we were impressed by her infectious sense of humor and the inner glow of a peace that did not originate in this world. Looking back, we now know how much Mother Teresa suffered from the spiritual pain of darkness and loneliness. And yet, her fidelity to prayer transformed that suffering into one of the most beautiful lights our world has ever seen. Mother Teresa continues to attract souls to God because she became more childlike as the years passed. And this can happen to you and me if we but imitate Mother Teresa’s love of Jesus in the Eucharist. If you feel your heart hardening at times because of the many struggles of this world, the Lord invites you to come to Him and find rest. Maybe you know an older person who is authentically kind and at peace, the kind of person who is a joy to spend time with... the secret is always Jesus. He will keep us young in our heart if we simply spend time with Him and trust in Him. So many people will never discover this truth – we see this every day and it can make us sad or discouraged. Mother Teresa decided to bring these people to Jesus when she prayed and that changed her in all the best ways. And so, while a video about a Swedish Chef and popcorn shrimp is cathartic at times, only time with the Lord brings true and lasting peace.
May God bless our children and help them to find His path for them! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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Mariann’s Closet * We will be collecting winter clothing for the school again this fall. Please bring items now thru October 28th. There will be a tub in the entry way of the church. Items needed: Children’s outerwear (Sizes to fit newborn to age 12) * Coats * Snowpants * Mittens * Hats * Boots * Scarves Clothing Sweatpants/soft pants, sizes 7/8 to adult medium as well. They have a lot of boys’ clothing, but really lack in the girl department. Anything gender neutral would be appreciated. Also a request for: Elementary Holiday/Concert Clothes for this special time of the year. . Someone donated last year a new package of underwear, which was a huge hit. Thank you for your generosity!
The Giving Tree will be starting the middle of November. Sue Toufar / The Family Life Committee
From the Church:
The Holy See announced that Pope Francis is asking the faithful to join in prayer during October, the month of the rosary, asking God to protect the Church from the devil. A statement from the Vatican explains that the pope met with the international director or the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, asking him to spread news of the request. This network is responsible for the pope’s monthly intentions, including The Pope Videos, which are short video presentations featuring the pope reflecting on his monthly intention. The Holy Father is asking the people to pray the rosary, and to conclude it with two specific prayers. First is the prayer to Michael the Archangel, the heavenly being traditionally associated especially with combatting the devil. In addition, he invites the faithful to conclude the rosary with the most ancient prayer to Mary. Read More... Have you tried Formed? Hello! I would like to invite you to try formed.org this week. Formed is like a Catholic Netflix, but so much more. There are movies, documentaries, bible studies, audio programs, and audio books. Formed is available online, and also available as an app for both android and IOS devices. There is an excellent fiction audio book available right now called "The Shad- ow of the Bear" by Regina Doman. My 13 year old daughter really enjoyed this book, and I did too. I would also recommend The Mother Teresa movie, and the Brother Francis episodes for young children. The parish access code is c7b2ca, you can create an account online at formed.org God Bless ! David Alcott Coordinator of Evangelization Ministries Praised be Jesus Christ! October 7th is the feast of the Holy Rosary but it was once more widely known as “Our Lady Queen of Victory.” That’s because on this day in 1571 the Christian fleet not only held its own against the Turks, but even pulled out a most unexpected victory. Until that time the Turks had never been defeated by anyone in their many battles at sea. What hung in the balance was whether Jesus Christ would be worshipped or replaced by the Muslim god of Allah. Pope Saint Pius V was one of the few in Europe at the time who understood the ramifications of this battle and he called on all Christians to invoke the maternal intercession of Jesus’ mother by praying the Rosary for victory. Because we live in a time when our faith has rarely been seriously threatened by a power that would brook no compromise, we fail to get all that excited about how miraculous it is that we are Christians at all. Many times down through the centuries our faith was preserved by events that on a natural level are hard to explain without recourse to some divine power. On that fateful autumn day, Pope Pius V was in Rome and got up from a meeting at a certain point and walked to the window facing east. He felt in his soul that the Blessed Virgin Mary had interceded with clemency and had helped the servants of Her Son turn back the Turks. Recently a priest wrote about the events of that day: Centuries ago, the Venetian Senate wrote to the other states which had taken part in the Crusade: “It was not generals nor battalions nor arms that brought us victory; but it was Our Lady of the Rosary.” Holy Mary, Mother of God, and Our Victorious Lady of the Rosary, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” Do you pray the Rosary? As a family my parents asked that we pray the Rosary more regularly during the months of October and May. While we were not always very happy about it, someday in Heaven we’ll see how much good it did. Do you pray the Rosary? It’s one of the simplest ways to get to know Jesus better. Meditating on the birth, life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus brings much grace into our lives – Our Lady of Fatima told the world in 1917 that another war, worse than the first, would follow unless people prayed the Rosary every day. Sadly, too few paid heed and countless millions died in a war that continues to shake the world’s hope for a peace that will last. Do you pray the Rosary? You’re welcome to join the Rosary Rally at Saint John’s this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. as the Rosary is prayed all across America and Europe at the exact same time. Again, you’re welcome to come to the “Christ Guide Us On Our Way” statue also this Sunday, October 7th at 3:00 p.m. with the Knights of Columbus and October 13th (the anniversary of the miracle of the sun at Fatima) at noon for the Rosary. Or how about October 27th at 9:00 a.m. at the Memorial for the Unborn in Gate of Heaven cemetery? Do you pray the Rosary? My Uncle Arnie died in 2004 on the Feast of the Holy Rosary and his pastor wrote the following on that occasion: “Marcia (Arnie’s wife, my aunt), after returning on Tuesday to give Arnie our Savior in Holy Communion, my last memory of your husband is of him making a great effort of will to say ‘thank you’ with as much sincerity in his voice as strength of body would allow. For a priest, it is the most beautiful and heartening thing in the whole world to encounter such desire and appreciation for the Eucharist as the two of you possess. Arnie gave thanks on Tuesday because in the Eucharist, with eyes of living faith, with hopeful eyes guided by our Lady (and also by you, his beloved helpmate), Arnie continued to look lovingly to the East to see the Risen Son, to see Victory Himself in the midst of apparent certain defeat. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day” (Jn. 6:40).” Our Lady, Queen of Victory, pray for us! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin “How to Share Your Faith -- And How Not To“
Andrea Jackson from Evangelical Catholic will explain how to share your experience of Jesus with someone in 5 minutes or less. Please join us! Tuesday Oct. 23rd, 6:30pm- 8:30pm in the Francis Room of St. John's school in Mfld. Contact David Alcott for more information. evangelize@frontier.com
4th Annual Men of the Cross Men's Conference: This year's conference will be held October 27th in La Crosse at Logan Middle School. Register online at menofthecross.org or at the door. Adoration and confessions will be available. You will not be disappointed! There is a bus available to go to the conference please contact Troy Kroening at email rykole@msn.com . The bus will leave from Columbus High School. There are some powerful youth retreats coming up that you should know about! October 21st is the 150th Celebration Adoration across the Nation Retreat @ Pacelli High School in Stevens Point. Cost: $10 There is 1 spot left for a student in 9th - 12th grade. Trans- portation is arranged from St. John's in Marshfield. Contact David Alcott by October 1st if interested. http://diolc.org/yya/150-celebration/ November 7th Matt Fradd Youth Rally at St. Bronislava Parish in Plover. Cost $2 Donation. For Grades 7-12. Matt Fradd is a best selling author and speaker who will share about overcoming pornography addiction. https://mattfradd.com/ November 8th Parenting the Internet generation at St. Bronislava Parish in Plover , Free. Matt Fradd will focus on parents seeking to keep their children safe online. November 10-11 Praise the Lord Immersion Retreat @ Chula Vista Waterpark Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, approximately $150 per student. diolc.org/yya/youth-opportunities/immersion-retreat/ |
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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