Divine Mercy Sunday * April 28, 2019 * Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament * Presentation by Fr. Samuel Martin * Chaplet * Adoration * Benediction * Confessions will be available, here at Christ the King Parish at 1 p.m.
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From the Church
In the first part, I aim to present briefly the wider social context of the question, without which the problem cannot be understood. I try to show that in the 1960s an egregious event occurred, on a scale unprecedented in history. It could be said that in the 20 years from 1960 to 1980, the previously normative standards regarding sexuality collapsed entirely, and a new normalcy arose that has by now been the subject of laborious attempts at disruption. In the second part, I aim to point out the effects of this situation on the formation of priests and on the lives of priests. Read More... First Communicants: Please pray for our students who are preparing to celebrate their First Holy Communion! First Communion at Christ the King will be celebrated at the 10am Mass on Sunday, April 28. This is Divine Mer- cy Sunday – what a special day to receive Jesus for the very first time! Please pray for our students, their fami- lies, our catechists and Father. Praised be Jesus Christ! Last year Mr. David Eaton wrote a letter before Holy Week to the parents of all of the Catholic school students. Mr. Eaton is the President of Columbus Catholic Schools and has given me permission to share some of his thoughts. His reflection has to do with Holy Week, so the timing is perfect for us:
“The three days of the Easter Triduum make up the shortest season of the Church year. On Holy Thursday we celebrate again the Last Supper. In Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians we are witness to the first Eucharist and hear Christ’s words still spoken at each Mass, “Do this in remembrance of me.” In the Gospel we see Jesus washing the apostles’ feet and saying to them, “As I have done, so you must do.” In Christ’s directions to his apostles, to celebrate the Eucharist in his memory and to serve others, we see the beginning of the priesthood. This is not only a striking reminder of the priests’ service to the church, but of our call to serve each other. On Good Friday we read the Passion and hear of Christ’s betrayal, torture, and crucifixion. In the Veneration of the Cross the congregation is invited to come forward and give a sign of gratitude for our salvation through Christ’s death by genuflecting before, or kissing, the cross. On Good Friday we also have special intentions. Of these, I find the prayers for Christian unity, for the Jewish People, and for unbelievers to be the most moving. On Holy Saturday we have the Easter Vigil. This celebration is truly extraordinary. The first thing that happens is the lighting of a fire; from this fire, the Paschal Candle is lit. This candle represents for us Christ’s light to the world. The Easter Proclamation is then sung. This song encourages us to rejoice in the knowledge that Christ will rise from the dead. The Vigil continues as we hear a series of Scriptural readings: if you follow along closely, you will see that those readings are about the covenant between God and his chosen ones. Then something simple, but profound happens: the Alleluia, silent since Ash Wednesday, celebrates the Risen Christ! If the parish is lucky enough to have baptisms you will see another of the important events of the Vigil. The Easter Vigil has always been a time for new members to join the church. A word of encouragement and a word of caution about the Easter Vigil: the Vigil is absolutely the high point of the liturgical year and can be profoundly moving; it is, however, long. To fully understand and appreciate our faith we must understand and appreciate the events of the Triduum and how the Church commemorates them. Hopefully this will give you some help in explaining to your children just what the days leading up to Easter are all about.” Every year we have the opportunity to really enter into the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Sometimes our work schedule or other demands make this impossible. But it would be a great sadness if we died without ever having experienced the raw emotions that Our Lord’s sacrificial death causes in us. Before you go, consider making a good confession – there are many times available and you honor the gift of priesthood by receiving sacramental absolution. As this Palm Sunday makes manifest to the world, there can be no true crown without the cross because there can be no true love without suffering. Please remember to pray for all of us who are ordained on Tuesday, as we celebrate the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral in La Crosse (you’re very welcome to attend – it begins at 10:30 a.m.). We renew our vows at that Mass and it’s a powerful reminder of how God is faithful to His Church, especially in the midst of human frailty and sin. I’ll be asking for the grace to serve Him and you more generously in the year to come – I rely on your prayers to keep this promise. May this Holy Week deepen our ability to trust God so that no suffering will ever separate us from Him! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin Holy Thursday-April 18, 2019 Mass @ 8 pm Good Friday--April 19, 2019 * Service at 1 p.m. Holy Saturday - April 20, 2019 * 8:30 p.m. Mass Easter Sunday - April 21, 2019 * 8 a.m. Mass Easter Sunday - April 21, 2019 * 10 a.m. Mass
From the Church
To request such a blessing, up until now it was necessary for someone to go physically to the Office of Papal Charities, located within the walls of Vatican City, or to send them a letter or fax. But that was before: Now, the Papal Almoner has recently launched a new website where we can submit a request directly online. Read More... Did you know there is a free internet filter? My family has been using K-9 Web Protection for several years, and we have been quite happy with it. It allows you to filter out a number of different categories of content, and you can also set up custom times when internet access is allowed. You can download it at this link and set it up in just a few minutes. Be sure to keep your password safe. http://www1.k9webprotection.com/get-k9-web-protection-free
Praised be Jesus Christ! Saint Philip Neri lived in Rome in the late 1500s (he died in 1595) and is still one of the all-time favorites of the Romans. The movie about his life, “I Prefer Heaven,” is one of the best depictions of holiness that you’ll ever see. Neri was a man of profound joy, which undoubtedly was the fruit of his complete trust in the Lord. Neri came to Rome hoping to become a Jesuit, but God had other plans. Neri soon found himself serving the street children, helping them to believe that even though they had so frequently been rejected by others, there was a God who loved them perfectly. Neri’s life is one of great insight, as he once asked a person who had confessed gossip to go and scatter chicken feathers on a windy day. When the person completed the task and came back to Neri, he told the penitent to now go and collect them. When the penitent said such a thing would be impossible because the feathers had spread so far and wide, Neri said such is the damage that gossip causes others... only God can heal it. Neri had a big heart, which is literally due to what theologians sometimes call a “transverberation.” This is the rare experience of a holy person whose heart is pierced by a mystical grace given by God. Saint Teresa of Avila experienced it, as did Saint Philip Neri. When he died they performed an autopsy and discovered that a couple of his ribs had been broken and then healed irregularly so as to make enough room for his literally enlarged heart. It’s no wonder that Neri would often go into ecstasy while celebrating Mass: the servers grew accustomed to him levitating after the consecration, and so would snuff out the candles and go outside to play soccer. After an hour or two they would return in time to re-light the candles and witness Neri come back down to finish the Mass and continue as if nothing had happened. Truly, Saint Philip Neri was a remarkable saint. However, lest you think that we have nothing in common with such a man, we must remember that the joy he lived is something that is accessible to every human being. But the difficulty is that such joy comes from God, and too many of us forget this and try to manufacture it ourselves. Mother Teresa discovered that if she put Jesus first, others second, that there was always enough left for her. Are we putting Jesus first? When do we say our first prayer of the day? The goal is to get up, kneel down by our bed and say a humble prayer of thanksgiving for the new day while begging God for the grace to live it well. If we do this, we’re off to the best start possible. Another sign of spiritual growth is that we begin to make sacrifices so that we can pray more often. I’m writing this during the NCAA March Madness season and shutting off the TV and walking over to the Adoration Chapel is more challenging than I’d like to admit. What are you willing to sacrifice so as to put Jesus more at the center of your life? Prayer is a battle: a battle to make it a priority, and sometimes a battle to focus while we’re actually praying. But a life like that of Saint Philip Neri shows that the fruits of faithfulness are worthy of the sacrifices we must make. Saint John’s is hosting 40 Hours this week (beginning on Thursday, ending on Saturday), which commemorates the time Jesus spent in the tomb so as to save us. The church will be opened for all of that time and Jesus would love to visit with you. Bring your hopes and your hurts; bring in your heart those who are close to God as well as those who seem to have given up on Him. You’ll find a strength, a hope, and a joy that are not of this world. Jesus promised these things... how can you say no to this Man? Saint Philip Neri, pray for us, that we experience the joy God gives to those who serve with generous hearts! 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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