Praised be Jesus Christ! Did you happen to watch this year’s Super Bowl? I saw the first half and listened to the second half on the radio on the way to my annual retreat. It was an incredibly entertaining game, one that literally came down to the last play. Now before I sing his praises, I will give full disclosure and admit that I have never been a big Nick Foles fan (the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles). The guy played a heck of a game and genuinely deserved the MVP award that he won. However, what has been even more impressive was the humility and wisdom Foles displayed in his words during the postgame interviews. Maybe you’ve seen the following quote, as it has rightly been splashed all over social media: "I think the big thing is don't be afraid to fail. In our society today, Instagram, Twitter, it's a highlight reel. It's all the good things. When you look at it, you think, like, wow, when you have a rough day, your life's not as good as that, [you think] you're failing," Foles said. "Failure is a part of life. That's a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn't be up here if I hadn't fallen thousands of times, made mistakes. We all are human, we all have weaknesses... and I might have just won the Super Bowl. But we still have daily struggles. I still have daily struggles. That's where my faith comes in, that's where my family comes in. I think when you look at a struggle in your life, that's just an opportunity to grow. That's really just been the message: simple. If something's going on in your life and you're struggling, embrace it, because you're growing." Good advice for all of us and a healthy reminder that athletes are just as human as any other group of people. Now the spiritual nugget in what Foles said is the reality of learning to accept suffering in our lives – and this is a challenge for all of us. So many times we’re tempted to approach suffering as an unmitigated evil that must be avoided at all costs. As Foles rightly pointed out, without suffering (in the form of failure in his case), we cannot grow and become a better person. It is not that we want to suffer, but nor are we afraid to if God permits it. We should always seek healing, but with the understanding that we may be carrying a cross that God permits so that our suffering will change us in beautiful ways. Flannery O’Connor was a remarkable Catholic author who got sick with lupus at the age of 25. Her Dad died of the same disease and so she knew from the outset what she was in for; because of her deep faith in Jesus, O’Connor accepted her suffering without fanfare or complaint. Do you struggle with suffering? Or maybe it’s not the suffering but the nagging sense that God is asking too much of you and others unfairly have it much easier. Next Friday, March 2nd Our Lady of Peace will again be hosting a Healing Mass and you’re invited to attend. Confessions begin at 4:00 p.m. (we’ll have at least three priests), and the Mass is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Father Bob Thorn from Wausau will be leading us, as he has beautiful gifts of healing and compassion. The healing prayers begin after Mass and you’ll be impressed with how frequently they admonish the devil and call on God’s protection from evil. Finally, you will have the chance to be prayed over by priests with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament guiding the whole enterprise. True healing takes place at these Masses, though it’s not always apparent because it’s not always physical. Some of the deepest healing happens in our hearts and souls, where there may be fear, resentment, unforgiveness, or despair. If you’ve never attended a healing Mass, here is your chance. As Nick Foles admitted after the Super Bowl, it was his faith in God that got him through the failures of life. Faith grows when we trust in the Lord – attend the Healing Mass and you’ll see.
May our hearts be open to the healing touch of Jesus in the Eucharist and in Confession!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin 

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REMINDER to Parishioners * 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration for 2018 - First Friday – March 2 through March 3 ** Starting at 9 am on Friday an ending at 9 am on Saturday) Note: There will be a prayer petition book placed out the week prior to our First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Anyone wishing to have petitions offered during Adoration may enter their petition into the book and they will be prayed for. Attention: Church doors are locked @ 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. if you are coming to pray during this time please knock on door (under carport) 5 minutes before the start of each hour and you will be let in by person already inside of church. 


The Holy Name Society Annual Pancake and Raffle will be taking place on Sunday, March 4, 2018.
Serving from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. “New this year” at the breakfast, there will be a raffle table apart from the regular tickets. We are looking for any donations of baskets, gift certificates or any craft/yard art projects. 
Men and youth of the parish your time and talent is needed in the preparation for this annual event. Set-up, serving, kitchen help, pancake grillers, clean-up, etc. Remember this is the only fundraiser that the Holy Name Society has each year and this can only take place, if there are volunteers helping. Contact Todd Rueth or Tom Springob to say you will be there to give your services or are able to give to the raffle table, to support the parish Holy Name Society and this fundraiser. 

See more news in the bulletin.

March 14 - St. Joseph’s Table will be celebrated by the students. A food drive is part of this activity and all are welcome to donate food during March. Baskets will be available in the gathering room. The food will be blessed on March 14. 

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Praised be Jesus Christ! A friend of mine has a blog that I’ve followed for years and each Friday he posts a song that captures his mood as the work week wanes and the weekend begins. A month ago he posted the song “Perfect Space” by a group called “The Avett Brothers” and it’s worth your me to check it out. Some of the lyrics are downright poignant, especially the following: “I wanna have friends that I can trust, That love me for the man I’ve become not the man that I was.” It’s a song about the lessons we learn in this life and the ways we change that make every life worth living. God knows we all change so much as we pass through this world and one of the discouraging elements is that we don’t all change in the same way or at the same me. This causes tension in relationships that were once a source of support and joy; sadly, some friendships end because what- ever once brought us together is no longer sufficient as we slowly drive away from the person we once were. We have many former friends because people change and not always in the same way and at the same me. And this reality makes our faith even more of a gift because it introduces us to a Person who is unchanging. Jesus calls us no longer slaves, but friends – and He truly intends to be the best friend a person could ever ask for in this world. Getting to know Jesus is the single most important decision we make in this life, as friendship with Him changes us in all the right ways. Speaking this way makes us uncomfortable – a seminarian once had a voicemail greeting that I would call and listen to in a mocking fashion because it was all about his love for Jesus and how he wanted to share that with whoever was calling. Needless to say, I lacked the spiritual maturity to be able to admit that a friendship with Jesus was the most valuable reality in this world. The good news is that He wants to be close to you – but He is not yet satisfied with the depth of His friendship with you. No, Jesus wants to truly be the God of our life (He is, but He leaves a lot up to us in terms of how much we trust Him and let Him in). Last weekend you heard something about Eucharistic Adoration and how it changes people in good ways. Many people listen to these testimonies and are inclined to think that’s a good idea . . . . for someone else. And that’s where we need the Holy Spirit to change hearts. Jesus wants to be closer to you and give you the grace to accept the life you have as His first gift to you. But the greater gift He is offering is the one we are reluctant to consider – He wants to share your life with you, not just an hour on Sundays. He wants to inspire you with His Holy Spirit when you need new ideas, He wants to give you just the right words when a friend or co-worker is grieving, He is the best listener when you are confused and are trying to work out what to do next. All of this is possible for every human being . . . . Jesus is knocking at the doors of your heart. You can let Him in if you want to, but only you can do this. Nobody else can make this deci- sion for you. Our parish prays for vocations, which is basically a plea to God to open the eyes of our hearts that we might see and accept His will for us. Please consider your prayer life; people who pray li le in this life will be sad when they meet God because then they’ll know how much beauty and love they missed by not spending me with Him. And sign up for Eucharistic Adoration. One hour a week in the Adoration chapel will change your life, but only God can convince you of this. In conclusion, Pope Benedict XVI once said, “If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great . . . Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.” Why not let Jesus be the friend who will love you for the person you’ve become, not the per- son you once were?
May we learn to trust Jesus through Adoration and His desire to forgive all of our sins!
Your friend in Christ, Father Mar n 

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From the USCCB:

U.S. Bishops Conference Offers Audio Recordings of Scripture, Daily Reflections, Downloadable Calendar to Help Catholics Observe Lent 

WASHINGTON—A variety of resources to help Catholics observe Lent, which this year begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14, are being provided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

With the theme "Raise Up, Sacrifice, Offer," resources include a new set of daily suggestions for reading, reflection, prayer and action, in addition to the traditional downloadable reflection calendar available in years past. The downloadable Lent calendar with quotes from Pope Francis, Scripture, and Church fathers, is available in both English and Spanish. The daily suggestions and downloadable calendar offer teachings and suggestions for taking an active approach to the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

The website www.usccb.org/lent, also includes facts about saints whose feast days or memorials fall within Lent, a reflection on fasting, information on rediscovering the Sacrament of Penance, and a section on Holy Week observances. The USCCB has also created an accompanying video reflecting on Lent for sharing on social media. 

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