Praised be Jesus Christ! Do you know who Don Shula is? Don’t feel bad if you don’t, but not that long ago he was one of the most recognizable and successful coaches in the NFL. A friend told me a story Shula shares about his life that happened when he was still coaching. He and his wife went on a vacation and because the goal was to get completely out of the spotlight, they went to a small town in northern Wisconsin (I’ve also heard that it took place in Maine). One evening they decided to go to a movie and no sooner than they entered the whole place erupted in applause. Don turned to his wife and groaned, “Oh no, they know me here too!” As the applause died down a man sitting just in front of them turned around and explained, “We’re cheering because the manager said he would only run the movie if two more people showed up.” The way Shula tells the story, everyone laughs as they realize how quick we can be to make false assumptions. But I share the story to segue into the fact that we sometimes give too much attention to some people and far too little to others. For example, a friend of mine is a priest in California and for a while he was the pastor at one of the Catholic parishes in Chico. Now for those of you not sure of Chico’s significance, it is the home town of one Aaron Rodgers (and if you don’t know who he is, please don’t tell anyone). Maybe it was in the summer of 2011, I cannot remember, but my friend told me that Aaron and his brother showed up one day and asked to be let into the gym so as to shoot some hoops. They were having a great time until a kid peeked in, saw who it was, and then took a picture and posted it on social media. In 10 minutes the place was mobbed with fans seeking autographs. Aaron and his brother snuck out the side door and thus ended their fraternal fun. It might be fun to be famous for a day or two, but imagine how burdensome it would be if you were always recognized and thus always in the limelight of what tends to be a rather critical world. Too much attention is certainly given to some people living on our planet (professional athletes, famous musicians and Hollywood stars would rank high on this list). On the flipside of the coin, some people are sadly ignored or denied their proper respect. As we celebrate Veterans’ Day, we might reach out to some of the men and women who served our country with valor and generosity and simply thank them. Some of them know they are loved and respected for doing their duty to defend freedom and root out evil. Others have been haunted by the suspicion that for all that it cost them to serve in the military, they have been made to feel that their sacrifices were not all that valuable, or worse, that they were a part of the problem and only made things worse. A parishioner recently shared some of his wounds by writing a poem that he shared with me. Given that it’s a perspective I don’t often consider, it has given this day a greater significance as it reminds me to pray for those who have carried not only the memories of the terrible nature of war, but also the loneliness of never having received the love and respect their service deserved. Because the aforementioned poem gives a unique insight and the author has kindly consented to let me share it: Titled “The Ones that Came Back,” without further ado here it is: “Why can’t we forget about that Vietnam war. Why do these memories keep knocking at our door. For many a year we kept our lips sealed. Hoping for the day our hearts would be healed. For many of us the pain will not mend. Until we’re all back together again. We’re the ones that came back from that Vietnam War. Only to see people that spit on us and swore. So we built great memorials for our comrades in arms. To honor the Warriors from ghettos and farms. People look at memorials staring at names. Some understand, some are insane. We love our Brothers who died over there. Why couldn’t it been us – then some would care. Why keep building Memorials to honor our dead. When it’s us that’s dying from letting this spin in our heads.”
May Christ, the Prince of Peace, give His immortal gift to all who have served Him in word and in deed! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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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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