You forgot to buy your 150th Diocesan Anniversary Book!
And I know you’ll regret it if you don’t purchase one now before we run out. I have been reading mine and realizing that $33.00 is a steal for such quality. We will be selling after the Masses on the weekend February 3rd and 4th @ Christ the King) for your convenience. By now you’ve heard about how fantastic this book is and here’s your chance to have a treasure for the rest of your life. If you buy now we’ll even throw in a free vacuum cleaner that no longer works . . . . . sorry, I’m getting a little carried away here! See more news in the bulletin.
High School Seniors of Christ the King Parish: Is your faith important to you? Do you plan to continue practicing it in your career and as you attend college, technical or another institute of learning. If so, two scholarships sponsored by the parish P.C.C.W. and Holy Name Society are available. If you are interested, please see your guidance counselor at the high school or stop by the parish rectory office for an application during weekday office hours. Other students, who have already graduated from high school, who are members of the parish may also apply, but first priority will go to the high school seniors, of our parish. Return your completed application to the parish office by deadline of Monday*April 2, 2018 @ noon. Praised be Jesus Christ! Have you ever heard of Wim Hof? Until recently, neither had I. A cousin told me all about how Hof, the so-called “Iceman”, is teaching the human race about the benefits of the cold. Given that it’s early in January, this is very good news for us! Hof was born in 1959 in the Netherlands and holds some of the most unique world records. For example, he once ran a marathon (26.2 miles) in the Namib Desert without water and also ran a marathon above the Arctic Circle dressed in nothing but shorts. Most impressive is the amount of time he can spend immersed in ice – his current record is one hour and fifty minutes. Hof attributes his amazing feats to breathing exercises that decrease the carbon dioxide in our bodies while simultaneously increasing the oxygen levels. He claims that anybody can do what he does; for full disclosure, I’ve done some of his breathing exercises and it does seem to increase core body temperature. For whatever reason, my circulation seems to be deficient insofar as my feet and hands are cold for about half of the year. If I had a nickel for every time someone noted my cold hands (“but a warm heart”), I’d be very close to retirement. At any rate, if you are intrigued by this guy, check him out on the Internet. I mention him here because most human beings dislike the cold, and as we get older we might even begin to resent it. The Christian impulse has always been to accept suffering as a way of drawing closer to Jesus and to His people. With Lent just over a month away, winter affords us a chance to examine our attitude toward suffering and ask God to give us a generous spirit. Some people for Lent, for example, take cold showers and offer the pain as an exercise in redemptive suffering. Mother Teresa (now a saint) wore a hair shirt under her religious habit as a way of suffering with the poor people to whom she ministered. There are many ways we can grow in this regard, especially at a time when so many things are extraordinarily convenient. The thrust of a guy like Hof is that he is interested in discovering the inner potential of the human body. And as Catholics who believe that Jesus took on our flesh at His Incarnation in Mary’s womb, we have a deep reverence of the body and its role in our life. As Saint John Paul II put it, the body expresses part of who we are – it’s for this reason that we take care of it and thank God for it. People who work on perfecting their bodies are worthy of our attention, as we might learn something that will allow us to worship God better, not to mention loving our neighbor with greater patience. However, Hof and his crowd generally are deficient in the area of our spiritual nature (a.k.a. our soul), and we can thank God for all that He has revealed in the Scriptures and in the lives of His saints. Christianity is Jesus’ gift to us, as it teaches us to care for our body because it is the temple of His spirit within us. So we can embrace exercise and a good diet without obsessing over such things. Taking care of our physical health has benefits in our spiritual life, and it seems plausible that the opposite is true (check out studies about the average age of death for Sisters – it seems a life of prayer is good for us on many levels). As we come to the end of the Christmas season (January 8th is the feast of Christ’s Baptism and the last day of the Christmas season) many are wanting a healthier, happier 2018. In the spirit of Christ, we leave the last word to Alexander Solzhenistyn: “How can you expect a man who’s warm to understand one who’s cold?” May God bless you and your endeavors during the New Year of 2018! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin *** Help is needed on Sunday-January 14, 2018 *** after the 10 a.m. mass. Christmas Decorations will be taken down and placed in storage until next Christmas Your time and talent is greatly appreciated in lending a hand to help. Thank you.
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– January 11 , 2018 Theme: Pro-Life Reflection @ St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Mfld . The Family Life Committee members of Christ the King have discussed and agreed to take on a “new” informational endeavor, called: “ Meet Your Parish Family .” Every one to two months, one of our parish families will be contacted by a Family Life Committee member asking them, first for their permission, than facts about their family and requesting a time when a Family Life member can take a family picture or the family can provide them with a picture. Please take time, after mass , to look at the “Meet Your Parish Family” easel that has been placed in the gathering room of the church. We hope that this will become a way for every family of our parish to get to know the names and faces of those who are registered members. See more news in the bulletin. News from the Pope:
Pope at Angelus: Christ's coming means conversion, change - In his reflection, Pope Francis said the connection between the birth of Jesus on Christmas, and the martyrdom of St Stephen the following day, might not seem clear – but in fact, there is a strong link between them. Stephen was martyred, he said, because of his firm faith, and proclamation, of the “new presence of God among men.” He knew that Jesus, “the eternal Word come to dwell among us” was the true temple of God....Read More News from the Church: Thomas Aquinas College Survives Harrowing ‘Thomas’ Fire - Thomas Aquinas College narrowly escaped the worst of the Southern California fire that took its name, but still suffered extensive damage on a campus where trees are still smoldering and the ash is nearly knee-deep in some places, forcing an early end to the fall semester.....Read more News from the USCCB: President Should Work with Congress Toward Acceptable Tax Bill, Says U.S. Bishops Chairman - WASHINGTON—After the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed The Tax Reform and Jobs Act, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, drew attention to unacceptable problems that remain, and called on President Trump to insist that Congress fix them before he signs a bill into law......Read More Adult Confirmation Classes – If you are a practicing, baptized Catholic adult who has never been confirmed and would like to celebrate the sacrament, we have an opportunity for you! The 7-week Adult Confirmation program will begin on Jan. 15th at St. John’s. It is for adults only and is not an RCIA program. For more information or to register for class, contact Deb Mlsna
Praised be Jesus Christ! This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The following meditation was found on a card inserted into all the pews of a parish somewhere in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan: “To the Parents of our Young Children, May we suggest...... Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome! Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on at the altar. They tire of seeing the backs of other people’s heads. Quietly explain the parts of the Mass and the actions of the priest before Mass and as they happen during Mass; don’t overwhelm them, though. Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you. Take care of bathroom needs before Mass, but if you have to leave with your child, please come back. Remember that the way we welcome children in Church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God, and to one another. Let them know they are welcome. Let them know, too, how to be reverent in this house of worship. If at times your child is fidgety, encourage them to draw what they see in church. Feel free to use the back side of this sheet for that purpose. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR CHILDREN TO CELEBRATE WITH US. To the members of our parish: The presence of children is a gift to the Church; they are a reminder that our parish is growing. Please welcome our children and give a smile of encouragement to their parents.” Well, what do you think? It’s pretty well written and even if we might quibble with a detail or two, it does capture our joy when we see young families coming faithfully to Mass. In case you haven’t noticed, our parishes are getting younger again and that’s a rich source of hope for our future. Now the beauty of a parish family is that it runs the full spectrum of human life, from infancy to the day the Lord calls us home. We also want to be sensitive to the needs of our seniors and it seems both parishes are doing a wonderful job in this category too. It’s edifying when people park in such a way so as to let others with greater challenges have the spots closest to church. Moreover, we work hard to make sure Holy Communion is distributed to everyone in church, even if some are no longer able to receive by processing to the front. God knows our older members are rich in wisdom, humility, and redemptive suffering and our parish is indebted to them for this. When I was home over Thanksgiving I sat down and read my Uncle Leo’s memoirs, which he wrote before finally succumbing to Alzheimer’s in December of 2015. As you know, my own Dad is walking a similar path (Uncle Leo is his older brother by three years), so reading it was rather emotional. Toward the end, Uncle Leo wrote, “It’s frustrating! And there is also the depressing psychological aspect... it is NOT LIKELY TO GET BETTER. Confidence and good self-image is weak. It’s pretty obvious that I’m uncertain, lacking conviction and purpose.” Some have titled Alzheimer’s “The long good bye,” as it is a very challenging disease with no cure. Just the same, my Uncle’s faith in God was true until the end and someday God will show us how his suffering brought untold graces into the world. Uncle Leo’s last words are the most profound of all: “The dignity we seek in dying must be found in the dignity with which we have lived our lives!” There is enough wisdom in that statement for a lifetime of meditation. This weekend we celebrate God’s family, which is to say our family. And we are grateful for each and every one of you, young, old, and everywhere in between. May God continue to bless us with the enthusiasm of our young families and the wisdom of our elders! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin |
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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