Christ the King Church
  • Home
    • Staff
    • Links
  • Bulletin
  • Parish Life
    • Homilies
    • Parish Blog
    • Welcome
  • Ministries
    • Ministry Schedules
    • PCCW
    • Homebound Ministry
    • Welcome Ministry
    • Kitchen Ministry
    • Bereavement Ministry
  • Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • Reconciliation
    • Holy Communion
    • Confirmation
  • Religious Education
    • RE Classes >
      • Catechist's Corner
      • First Communion prep
    • Prayers
    • Sunday School (4 & 5 yrs)
    • VBS
    • Adult Education >
      • Adult Classes
      • Bible Study
      • CIY Discussion Groups
      • Franciscan at Home
    • MERIT - for Special Needs
    • Columbus Catholic Schools
  • Youth Ministry
    • Serving the Community >
      • Rotary Winter Wonderland

From the Desk of Father Martin - July 22, 2018

7/25/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Praised be Jesus Christ! The movie “Romero” came out in 1989 and became a staple for Catholic students as it was shown in religion classes for many years. I remember seeing it and being impressed by Archbishop Oscar Romero’s courage and his true solidarity with the poor. I was shocked when he was gunned down while celebrating Mass in March of 1980. This October 14th Pope Francis will canonize Archbishop Romero a saint and that means the poor of this world will have another true friend and intercessor in Heaven. His feast day is March 24th, the day he was martyred in the hospital chapel of Divine Providence. At some point it would be great to show the film and have some discussion about the impact of his life... keep your eyes peeled for this later in the fall. You might be familiar with the spiritual axiom that nobody goes to Heaven alone – in that spirit Pope Paul VI will be canonized a saint on the same day as Oscar Romero. Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (I’m not kidding – what a mouthful!) in 1897, there is a famous story of how he came to Rome with his parents shortly after his 1st Communion. Pope Pius X was so moved by how pious little Montini looked in his 1st Communion outfit, that he suddenly took off his white skull cap (a.k.a. zucchetto), put it on the boy and said, “Ecco, quel papalino!” (Look at that little Pope). And lo and behold, in 1963 Pope Pius X’s prediction came true. For those of you who remember him, Pope Paul VI was austere in appearance and followed in the formidable footsteps of the affable Pope John XXIII. Whereas “Good Pope John” was gregarious and open-hearted, Paul VI was more melancholic in temperament (leading some to dub him “the sad Pope”). And while both became saints, the circumstances in which they did so were radically different. Pope Paul VI served as Vicar of Christ from 1963-1978, arguably some of the most tumultuous years the Church has endured since the French Revolution (1789-1799). This year we remember the 50th anniversary of the year that will forever be connected to Pope Paul VI: 1968. It was then he issued the encyclical Humanae vitae (“Of human life”), the document that affirmed the Church’s perennial teaching about openness to life and to God’s will for procreation. Saying it was not received well in some quarters is putting it extraordinarily mildly. The birth control pill had received full FDA approval in 1960 and the Supreme Court decision Griswold vs. Connecticut in 1965 had decriminalized the use of contraceptives. The expectation of many (including myriads of priests and religious, as well as some Bishops) was that the Church would follow the lead of the Anglican church and allow discerning couples to use the pill in a responsible fashion. Pope Paul VI shocked the world when he affirmed that the way of love according to God’s design could never endorse contraception, as it closes our hearts to trusting in Him in the marital act. Many dissenters were given a megaphone to tell the world that Pope Paul VI was wrong and that his predictions about this being bad for marriage and especially bad for women were roundly ridiculed. But the verdict is in: contraception has been very bad for marriage and family. Many people in our world still do not believe this. The best answer is in the families who are trying to live the way Christ teaches through His Bride, the Catholic Church. Our parishes are getting younger with many vibrant, faithful families, and that is in some part due to soon-to-be Saint Paul VI’s courage in teaching an unpopular truth. As Pope Liberius pointed out nearly 1,700 years ago, “The truth of the faith is not lessened by the fact that I stand alone.” We thank God for these two new saints who inspire us by their courage and assist us by their prayers.
May God be praised in His Saints – the holy men and women who were faithful in their trials!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin 

​
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    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 Parish

    Welcome from Our Pastor

    Picture
    Welcome 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

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All
    Catholic News
    Faith Formation
    Homilies
    Parish News
    Pastor's Desk
    Youth Ministry

    RSS Feed

All photos and videos on this site are used with permission. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
​Copyright © 2022 Christ the King Parish. All Rights Reserved.

Mailing address:  306 S. LaSalle St, Spencer, WI 54479
(715) 659-4480