During the “Month of May “ the rosary only will be recited 20 min. before Mass * Needed: Parishioners of the parish to lead the congregation in reciting the rosary. A sign-up sheet can be found on back table in gathering room. Your help in being a prayer leader (Ladies, men or teenagers) in reciting the rosary would be greatly appreciated. Parishioners: Please show respect for the rosary being prayed and enter the church quietly. Thank you.
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From the Pope
Pope Francis warned a group of high school students about cell phone addiction, telling them that while cell phones are a great “advance” and a great “help,” if someone gets addicted, they lose their freedom. “Free yourself from dependence on your mobile phone, please!” he exclaimed Read More... Please donate to our upcoming Rummage Sale and support our Youth Ministry Program! Do you have items that are just taking up space? Bring them to the St. John's Religious Education Office Wed. May 15th 3-7pm or Thursday May 16th, noon-3pm, or contact David Alcott to make arrangements. The Rummage sale will be held on Thursday May 16th 3-7pm and Friday May 17th, 8am-3pm in the Columbia Room of St. John's School. Please visit Please visit: http://www.stjohnsmarshfield.org/fundraising-opportunities.html
Praised be Jesus Christ! The following is a story that seems appropriate as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday: “There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into the fence. On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence. The boy gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he was hammering into the fence slowly decreased. He discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer so many nails into the fence. Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. ‘You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. . the wound is still there.’” As we hear the story of Jesus’ empty tomb, we remember that though He defied death, He mysteriously retained His wounds. Saint Thomas was famously convinced of the resurrection only when he put his finger into Jesus’ nail marks and his hand into Jesus’ side. Why would Jesus, who now had a body no longer subject to such things as gravity or hunger, nevertheless retain the marks of His crucifixion? Was it to remind us of our guilt? We might wonder this, especially as we’re still somewhat inclined to imagine God as the great enforcer who is seemingly always out to catch us doing something bad. Just like Adam and Eve, sin makes us suspicious and afraid of our Creator and we too often seek freedom in dark places as we distance ourselves from God. Pope Francis’ response a number of years ago succinctly captures Jesus’ motivation for appearing as He did after rising from the dead: “Jesus kept His wounds so that we would experience His mercy. This is our strength and our hope.” Jesus keeps His wounds so that we can find refuge and strength in Him when we’re struggling with the many sorrows of this life. Unlike any other religion in the world, Christianity proclaims and worships a God who not only became one of us; He actually suffered in the ways that we do and so His capacity for empathy is unparalleled. When we experience rejection, betrayal, or malice, Jesus knows these well from His last days in Jerusalem. If it’s ingratitude or misunderstanding, many are the occasions when Jesus bore these patiently. I’m reminded of a story about a young associate who was very popular in his parish assignment (I’m not kidding now). However, when a prominent parishioner died suddenly, the family asked for the old pastor... the young priest felt hurt until someone explained that it wasn’t anything personal. It was just that the old pastor had obviously suffered more in his life than the young priest and it was his compassion and the wisdom that he had gained at the foot of the cross that they needed. Say what you will about Christianity, but one thing no one can claim is that Jesus doesn’t understand how hard life can be down here. He knows. In closing, the Irish tell the legend of a man who died and met Saint Peter at the pearly gates. Before granting him admittance, Saint Peter asked to see the man’s scars. The man looked confused at first, and then admitted to not having any scars. To which Saint Peter exclaimed, “You mean to tell me that there wasn’t anything worth fighting for down there!” Suffering, the mark of one who loves – that’s why Jesus retains His wounds today and forever. May God lead us into His Son’s heart, which was pierced by a sword so that we might be washed clean by His mercy! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin REMINDER to Parishioners * 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration for 2019 - First Friday – May 3 thru May 4 * 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.
From the Pope
Speaking to French pilgrims present at the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis thanked the many people who risked their lives to salvage Notre Dame as fire tore through Paris’ Cathedral. “The gratitude of the whole Church goes to those who did everything they could, even risking their lives, to save the Basilica,” he said. The Holy Father said he felt a great sense of sorrow for the damage caused by the devastating blaze. Read More... Please donate to our upcoming Rummage Sale and support our Youth Ministry Program! Do you have items that are just taking up space? Bring them to the St. John's Religious Education Office Wed. May 15th 3-7pm or Thursday May 16th, noon-3pm, or contact David Alcott to make arrangements. The Rummage sale will be held on Thursday May 16th 3-7pm and Friday May 17th, 8am-3pm in the Columbia Room of St. John's School. Please visit: http://www.stjohnsmarshfield.org/fundraising-opportunities.html
Happy Easter! Many of you are familiar with the game show “Jeopardy!” and probably already know that the longtime host Alex Trebek is sick with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. When he spoke to the public about his illness he assured folks that “I’m going to fight this. And I’m going to keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends, and with the help of your prayers, I plan to beat the low survival rate for this disease.” And just to show that his sense of humor is still in- tact, Trebek added, “Truth told, I have to (keep working). Be- cause under the terms of my contract, I have to host “Jeopardy!” for three more years.” I’ve been praying for him ever since I heard and wonder if he’ll still be with us by the time you sit down to read this (I’m writing in late March, before the big Lenten rush swallows me up and chews up all of my free time). So, I’d like to dedicate this column to Alex Trebek and all of the many fans of “Jeopardy!” who will be saddened by his departure from the world as we know it. Though I’ve rarely had the time to watch the show, I always found “Jeopardy!” to be one of the few programs on TV that actually promotes education. A friend used to watch it religiously and while he found the depth of learning in the contestants to be outstanding, he always remarked that they were simultaneously very ignorant about nearly everything having to do with reli- gion. Well, let’s see you how you fare with a few easy ones: Knock knock, who’s there? It’s members of this denomination whose name references Isaiah 43:10. Answer: Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses? It’s the act of dying for one’s faith. An- swer: What is martyrdom? Christmas is December 25th; this holiday around the same time starts on Kislev 25 on the Jewish calendar. Answer: What is Hanukkah? Pope Benedict XVI’s first of these was titled “Deus caritas est” – God is love. An- swer: What is an encyclical? Okay, now that you’re warmed up and feeling good, we’ll move into more current events with a splash of religion. If you are able to solve all of them without recourse to your phone or any weird new age divination, the grand prize is a 2016 Ford Focus. It only has 36,000 miles, is completely paid for and insured, and has been in the shop twice in the first year I owned it. It’s now two-toned blue and has been recalled for a faulty gas valve that results in nearly stalling every time I back out of the garage and start up the little incline on Chestnut. I’d like to trade it but I’m assured I’d only get a new pair of pajama pants and a rancid box of Swish- er Sweets in exchange. So you can have it if you get a perfect score . . . . good luck! 1) Formerly known as the Baron of Blenker, he’s tall, mean and not nearly as funny as he thinks. Answer: Who is Father Burish? 2) Possibly the nicest of my former associates (which really isn’t saying much), he stopped eating Big Macs and instantly dropped 50 pounds. Answer: Who is Father Kuhn? 3) He drove a car named “The Great White Hope,” and was frequently forced to walk because it was a Chevy. Answer: Who is Father Sedlacek? 4) He was born in 1940 and thinks he’s pretty smart. Answer: Who is Father Barry? Oops, sorry about that . . . . the answer is actually Who is Alex Trebek? Well, how did you do? By the way, I love my Ford Focus and was only kidding when I said you could have it . . . . the people who sold it to me might be reading this and I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship! Now to end this East- er special, the bonus round: He wore a yarmulke, spoke fluent Aramaic, knew the Psalms by heart, was accused of blasphemy and crucified for claiming to be God’s Son. But He was Who He claimed to be and when Alex Trebek dies and you die and I die, we will meet Him and be judged by Him. Answer: Who is Je- sus Christ?
May God fill your heart with the hope and healing of Easter! 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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