Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s on the Lake,

It was a real blessing to be able to celebrate the Confirmation Mass last week.  Like any gift we receive, we need to keep on striving to put it into practice.  Preparing for that Mass was a great help for me to think about how I am (or am not!) living in the grace of my Confirmation.  In the Acts of the Apostles we see that first great infilling of the Spirit at Pentecost, and then we see it repeated time and again as the Apostles run into obstacles and come back to the Lord to be filled with more.  For them and for us, we have this reminder to make sure we have this threefold pattern in our lives: to ask, receive, and act, and all with boldness.

We need to ask with boldness.  God is not small, so we need to train ourselves to not ask for small things.  No, we need to ask with boldness for that which we need.  Elisha the prophet, when he was being commissioned to take over for Elijah, asked for a “double-portion” of his Spirit. That is a bold prayer, and it is a prayer that God answered.  Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that those who ask receive, those who seek find, and to those who knock, the door is opened.  When we come before the Lord with our needs—perhaps confronting obstacles that seem insurmountable—may we always ask boldly!

The second step after having asked boldly is to receive boldly.  This means being open to the way that God responds.  Too often we approach prayer with a preconceived notion of how God needs to answer, and if the answer doesn’t fit that mold then we tend to dismiss it.  Part of receiving boldly, then, is to be open enough to accept something that we might be tempted to dismiss in other situations.  Be open to the way God speaks—be it a sense of His presence, an image that comes to mind that brings peace and/or direction, a person who comes into our life at just the right time.  St. Paul, before his conversion, was persecuting Christians.  When he was blinded after encountering Jesus, he was sent to Damascus.  He was met there by a Christian named Ananias.  Ananias received a message from the Lord in prayer to meet this great persecutor of the Church.  He received it boldly, and because of him we have St. Paul.

The last step is to act boldly after we have asked and received.  This might be the hardest step—acting boldly and taking a step of faith.  I think of the Apostles, who dropped their nets and followed Jesus, leaving behind everything to follow Him.  Boldness!  I think of Mary, who said yes to the Angel Gabriel’s message and made haste to go and be with her cousin Elizabeth, who was also with child.  Boldness!  I think of Mother Teresa, who went into Calcutta.  Boldness!  I think of the parishioners who built St. Mary’s on the Lake and Sacred Heart for themselves and future generations.  Boldness!

May all of us learn to continually ask, receive, and act.  And may we do all of them with the great boldness that flows from the confidence we have in Jesus and His promise to send us the Holy Spirit.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s on the Lake,

I want to thank Jen Loar for all of her work in leading our Confirmation program for St. Mary on the Lake and Sacred Heart this past year.  She worked hard throughout the year, and when the pandemic pulled the plug on in-person classes, kept on reaching out to our candidates.  Thank you, Jen!  May you be abundantly blessed in your work and desire to help our teens grow ever closer to Jesus.

This weekend, we celebrated the feast of the Assumption.  What I have been most struck by this feast this year is that it is the culmination of Mary’s “Yes” to the Angel Gabriel.  When the Angel appeared to her, Mary’s response was this: “Let it be done to me according to your will.”  That was the beginning of a life with ups and downs she never could have expected.  We know that life included many moments of great joy and also great sorrow.  Yet all along the way, she said yes to the Lord and continued to say yes.  That Yes of faith carried her to that moment of being assumed by God into Heaven.

For all of us, we are called to live in the freedom of a life well lived like that—a life even with its ups and downs, but also cognizant of the fact that we are never alone.  Jesus accompanies us every step of the way.

That is the story of the sanctuary at St. Mary on the Lake—whenever we are able to get it finished!  In the center is the image of Mary’s Yes to the Angel Gabriel.  Off to the right is the image of the miracle on the Sea of Galilee.  It is a reminder of how life does have its share of storms, but Jesus is present there in the boat with us.  When I see that image, I think of the storms Mary encountered—the most painful one being at the foot of the cross.  Yet she still said Yes even there.  On the left side is the image of Mary being crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth: the culmination of her life lived in God.

That is what the arc of a Christian’s life will look like.  At different times we will find ourselves on a different place on it: saying yes, or crying out to Jesus in the midst of a storm, or looking into Heaven.

2020 has been a banner year to practice this kind of surrender because nothing has turned out like we ever could have expected it would!  I think of our seminarians who had to finish their semesters online.  Our students finding themselves at home for graduation.  Parishioners finding themselves working at home if they are able to work at all.  The incredible strangeness of celebrating Mass by myself in front of a camera for two months.  Yet through it all I, we, have not been alone.  Jesus has been walking with us.

As we prepare to enter into the fall and the beginning of a new school year, it is a perfect time to pray these words with Mary: Let it be done to me according to your will.  Wherever we find ourselves on that arc of the Christian life, let us continue to say Yes and look to the future unafraid because the Lord is with us.  Mary, our dear Mother, pray for us!

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s

I want to continue the series on developing and living our spiritual plan that Craig Pohl shared on our recent staff retreat. That plan has four elements: prayer, community, study/catechesis, and apostolate.

This week I want to focus on the last aspect of that plan: apostolate.  That refers simply to the place God is sending me/using me right now.  What is the mission God has for me and am I responding to it?

When thinking about our apostolate, there is an immediate obstacle we need to overcome.  It is the temptation to think we only have a mission if it takes us across the world. Someone once met Mother Teresa and was so inspired that she shouted out that she was ready to go to Calcutta as soon as she could get a flight.  Mother Teresa responded by saying this: “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in homes and in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see.”  Most often the place God has for us is our families, our parish, our school, our workplace.  That is our apostolate, the place God wants us to minister.  What is that right now for us?

One of the most important apostolates we have is family life.  It is there that God works and wants to work.  We need to learn to never underestimate the importance of family life.  Every family is the seed bed in which every other vocation is sown and takes root.  The U.S. Bishops wrote this in a pastoral letter to families: “The profound and the ordinary moments of daily life—mealtimes, workdays, vacations, expressions of love and intimacy, household chores, caring for a sick child or elderly parent, and even conflicts over things like how to celebrate holidays, discipline children, or spend money—all are the threads from which you can weave a pattern of holiness.”  All those moments that are part and parcel with being a family are part and parcel with living in your apostolate.  Moms and Dads, Aunts and Uncles, Grandpas and Grandmas—know the importance of your mission field!  No act of love or sacrifice is ever wasted.

I can’t possibly write the names of all the many people who have Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s on the Lake as their apostolate.  They hear God’s call to make our parishes a place to encounter the Lord.  As Pastor, thank you!

There is a great call to serve our immediate community.  I think this is especially true during the ongoing fight against Coronavirus.  Many people are isolated and alone.  Our apostolate can be simply reaching out to people who need more than ever someone to give them a phone call.  I know people who go out of their way to find those who need such encouragement and love even in our own community.

The way we grow in our faith is by giving it away.  Our apostolate is then not just the way we serve God—it is also the very way God helps us grow ourselves.  Jesus promised that the way to find life is by losing it.  Let us lose our lives in Him, and then we will find the life He made us for.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear St. Mary’s on the Lake and Sacred Heart-

Amber Czeiszperger will be entering the postulancy on August 22^nd.  We are going to have a send off party on Sunday, August 16^th following the 11am Mass at Sacred Heart.  We plan on having ice cream available outside the church.  If you would like to give Amber a card you can give it to her that day or simply drop one off at the parish and we will make sure she receives it.  Let us keep her and our seminarians in prayer as they get ready for their studies this fall.

I want to continue the series on developing and living our spiritual plan that Craig Pohl shared on our recent staff retreat. That plan has four elements- prayer, community, study/catechesis, and apostolate.

This week I want to focus on the third part of that plan, study/catechesis.  A question we all need to ask ourselves from time to time is this: what is forming me?  Am I more formed by God and what He reveals or am I more formed by the world around me?  A regular manner of study guides us, helps us grow, and helps us understand what the world throws our way.  Regular study also helps us reach out to those around us when they have questions

Ongoing study/catechesis can take many forms.  The important thing is for us to build some time for studying into our schedule.  I know that can be challenging with the busyness of our lives so I want to mention a few options of things that can work with our schedules.

Short online Classes:  https://shortcourses.augustineinstitute.org/

– Three to four hours of high-quality video instruction

– Detailed companion presentation slides

– Reading assignments that are modest in length but generous in depth and beauty

– Quizzes

– Related resources: books, video, audio and more

Podcasts:

Word on Fire: https://www.wordonfireshow.com/podcast-archive/

Fr. Mike Schmitz: https://media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts/frmikepodcast/

Leah Darrow: A Catholic Women’s Podcast on a variety of topics.  https://leahdarrow.com/category/podcast/

Good Books:

Introduction to Catholicism Adults: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Catholicism-James-Socias/dp/1936045885/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=introduction+to+catholicism+for+adults&qid=1595618147&sr=8-2

Any Biography or Auto-Biography of a life of a Saint.  Hearing about their stories always helps me see God’s hand more clearly in my own life and walk with Him.

With any of these steps you will be built up and you will be Blessed!

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s,

It has been a joy to celebrate two baptisms over the last two weeks for our two members of RCIA: Ali Marry and Alissa Janik.  Typically, they would have been baptized at the Easter Vigil, but that of course was rearranged like everything else!  It is an inspiration watching them grow in their walk with the Lord.  It is a reminder for all of us that we are all meant to continue growing in our own relationship with God.   Please continue praying for them.

I want to continue the series on developing and living our spiritual plan that Craig Pohl shared on our recent staff retreat. That plan has four elements: prayer, community, study/catechesis, and apostolate.

This week I want to focus on the second part of that plan: community.  Christian community looks at those people we can really walk with in an intentional way.  For many of us, when we think of community, what comes most immediately to mind is our parish families. We are a community and we support each other.  This level of community is a critical piece of our Christian life, but the point Craig is making is that it shouldn’t be our only source of community.

The challenge is to find within that large community of faith a smaller group of people that we can walk with on a deeper level.  This is a group of people that we are close with, probably friends with, but also intentionally work with to help each other live better the spiritual life.  At times, we can be uncomfortable talking about our spiritual lives.  These groups are a context where we can begin to articulate what we see God doing, ways we are growing, or roadblocks we are encountering.  There are many forms these groups can take.  Here are a few examples:

Bible Study.  Obviously, this group is centered around studying Scripture together.  It is smaller, and within that setting people begin to share how what we are studying is touching one part of their life or another.

Focused small groups.  I think of my Mom, who has been part of a group for moms whose son (or sons) are in seminary.  They meet once a month to share their experiences, help each other with practical questions, and pray for each other and us.  A group like that can be formed around any specific situation—moms’ groups, dads’ groups, school parent group, etc. The key is that the group has a spiritual component when they meet together.

Accountability Group.  I am not sure what to call this kind of group, so I simply call it by the role it plays in my life.  This is a specific group that helps us make sure we are staying true to God and continuing to grow.  I meet with my four classmates once a month (when there isn’t a pandemic) to pray together and for each of us to share how things are going—both good and bad.  It is a real blessing to have a setting like that with brothers in the Lord who can help keep me on track.

These are just three examples out of many.  May they help us ponder that question from Craig: what is my Christian community?  Who are the people who I really can walk with?  Look for a community, but also don’t be afraid of starting one yourself—it can be the seeds of great growth not only for you, but for many others.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear Parishioners,

Please pray for Amber Czeiszperger as she will be entering the the community or the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Euchraist.   This week I would like to share her story with you.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Hello! My name is Amber Czeiszperger and I am entering the community of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist (DSMME) this August. I have been so blessed by God to receive the gift of a religious vocation. My vocation story is not one of great conversion, but of gradually hearing the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.

The seed of a religious vocation has been growing in my heart since my Baptism. I was interested in religious life in middle school at Sacred Heart. In seventh grade, although I was a year or two under the age requirement, I was able to go on a small diocesan Nun Run with other older women who were seriously discerning. I visited a few communities, including the one that I am entering now. At the time, I never could have thought that God would lead me back to this particular community.

As I began high school, I let religious life “sit on the back burner” because of all the career options I was being introduced to. Then, in the summer before my junior year, I attended a retreat that refocused my search for God’s Will in my life. After this retreat, I began to read and listen to talks about religious life. A friend of mine in the Upper Peninsula encouraged me and gave me resources as I sought for more knowledge. At the beginning of December that year, I had my first talk with Fr. Todd about my possible vocation. He gave me great encouragement and advice. He also recommended that I attend an upcoming vocational discernment retreat in April with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. It is amazing how everything happens in God’s perfect timing. To begin with, the retreat came after my all-school play, a large Key Club event, and an NHS trip to New York. I was exhausted and needed a time to slow down and have some silence. Secondly, by God’s grace, I was given the lead women’s role in our play. This boosted my self-confidence and my reliance on the Lord. It was a catalyst for a deeper relationship with Jesus and deeper relationships with those around me. I do not know if I would have had the courage to follow the Lord’s call without this opportunity.

The retreat was one of the most clarifying and peaceful experiences I have ever had. At the beginning of the retreat, we randomly chose Marian Litany titles and were told to ponder why we had received that specific title. I received “Mary, chosen Spouse of the Most Holy Trinity, pray for us.” As I reflected on what it could mean, I realized that God was asking me to, like Mary, be His Spouse. The best part of the retreat, though, was the all-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In the silence of that night with Jesus, I was more peaceful and surer that God was calling me to be a religious Sister at that community than I ever was before. At the very end of the retreat, I was blessed to speak to Sr. Joseph Andrew, the vocations directress, about where I was at in my discernment.

During the next months, I dove into a deeper prayer life and attended Daily Mass and Adoration as much as I could. As I grew in knowledge of God and myself, my belief that I was being called to religious life (and possibly the DSMME) persisted, though I was still unsure when the right time was.

Then, in September of my senior year, I went on another Nun Run that our diocese put on. We visited several communities in Chicago. It was beautiful to see the different missions that each community had and all the women answering God’s call to be Brides of Christ. I had felt that God was calling me to the DSMME, but seeing all the other communities made me unsure. For a while I struggled with doubt and confusion. Part of the difficulty came from my Cross Country season. I was not running the times I wanted at the races and I was no longer at the head of my team. Looking back now, I am so thankful for how my season went. It made me realize that I could be a joyful leader without having to be the best. I discovered more deeply my passion for encouraging, even when I need encouragement. God was already preparing me for entering a community of Sisters. Although I did not get the times that I wanted, it was still the best year of Cross Country I have ever had. I was surrounded by a wonderful team that taught me how to receive love even when I felt unworthy of it.

Then, I attended the November vocational discernment retreat and again was filled with peace and joy: the joy that shone on the faces of all the Sisters that I saw. I realized that I longed so earnestly for that same joy. I talked to Sr. Joseph Andrew and she gave me application papers to enter the community! My best friend was there; she encouraged me, sharing in my joy. I was so filled with love, hope, and peace. After turning the papers in, I experienced all the joys and doubts of a person waiting for acceptance, uncertain that it was the right time. Then, in January, I was accepted for Pre-Postulancy in the summer.

This was a huge first step, but it did not yet mean that I would be entering in August. I then had to continue to prepare for the possibility of college if the Sisters judged that I needed a year away from my family before I would be ready to enter. Then in mid-March, school was cancelled, and we were given a Stay at Home order. Although I was sad about everything we were missing at school, I look back and see March, April, and May as blessings in disguise. I was not busy with school, sports, and events. I was able to focus so much more on my relationship with Jesus and grow immensely.

Unfortunately, because of the coronavirus, we were unable to attend a traditional Pre-Postulancy at the Motherhouse.  Even so, God poured out His blessings on our group as we listened to Sr. Joseph Andrew through Zoom meetings. At our last meeting, Sr. Joseph Andrew announced the 2020-2021 Postulants, and I was accepted! Again, the Lord filled my heart with peace: peace in the knowledge that I was going to be where I could best come to know, love, and serve Him. I cannot wait for the adventure that God has planned for me with the Sisters!

Dear St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart,

This weekend I am with my brother, Fr. Gary, as he moves into St. Joseph Parish in Howell, MI.  It is a very exciting time—albeit a bit strange since it is happening in the midst of an international pandemic!

Last week, we heard Jesus remind us that we do not need to be afraid.  Such timely words when so much is uncertain.  Here are twenty verses where God seeks to reassure us of His presence and love.  Let these be a source of light even in the darkest of times.

1. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
2. “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27
3. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
4. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
5. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
6. “Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'” Mark 6:50
7. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
8. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
9. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
10. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25
11. “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22
12. “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.'” Mark 5:36
13. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
14. “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.'” Revelation 1:17
15. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22
16. “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.  Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
17. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19
18. “But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
19. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4
20. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

God Bless,

Fr Todd

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s on the Lake,

Praise God for these beautiful summer days!  This past Monday, I was home for the day off and was able to help get the last of the corn planted. It was thoroughly enjoyable.  Now the rest is up to providence.  In the end, we all need to place our hearts in the hands of God.

This coming week we celebrate our Parish Feast Day for Sacred Heart.  I want to include here part of an article describing the history of this revelation of Jesus’ Sacred Heart:

https://www.simplycatholic.com/why-the-sacred-heart/

“Jesus revealed to the saint [St. Margaret Mary] His heart, burning with love for humanity. Pierced and crucified — offering salvation and mercy — Jesus’ heart longs for us to offer our love and devotion in return. If some distorted forms of spirituality focused only on God’s punishment, the Sacred Heart emphasized mercy. If many believers inordinately feared God, here divine love and joy were manifest. If Jesus had seemed distant and unapproachable before, the Sacred Heart beckons us to enter into the divine furnace of charity.

St. Margaret Mary described her experience of the Lord: “My divine Heart is so passionately fond of the human race and of you, in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you and reveal my Heart to the world, so as to enrich mankind with my treasures.” Following this revelation, Jesus united her heart with His in a fusion of mystical love and joy.

As St. John reminds us, God is love (see 1 Jn 4), the One who empties himself out for others, desiring our eternal salvation, seeking out the lost and carrying the wandering sheep home. The whole Christ event is a mission of mercy, as the Son, in radical obedience to the Father, becomes incarnate in our flesh — preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing the sick, forgiving the sinner, feeding the hungry and, ultimately, offering His life on the cross. Every word, action, gesture and attitude of Jesus manifests a perfect, pure and selfless love for each human person. If love means willing the good of the other, completely free of self-interest, we see the perfection of such charity in the burning heart of Christ.

Lest we think that such a love is naive, simplistic or easy, the Sacred Heart shines forth, crowned with thorns, pierced and bleeding. The crucifixion of Christ is the terrifying path through the valley of darkness and evil which God himself walks, embracing everything sinful, broken and dead that ensnares and destroys us. By remaining silent before His persecutors, praying for His killers, loving a dying thief and asking forgiveness for sinners, Jesus shows that the unconditional, infinite and divine love of His heart is the only force that can heal the world of its hatred, sin and rejection of God. By taking upon himself the totality of human evil committed by every person of every time, Christ refracts this overwhelming darkness into the light of the Resurrection.”

Let us run to the Lord’s Heart burning with love for us!  Let us place there our loved ones, our families, our world.  This is the life and mission of our Church.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear St. Mary’s on the Lake and Sacred Heart,

It is great to offer a partial welcome back!  Something is better than nothing, so even though we have restrictions for resuming Mass, I am glad we can at least start.  For those who cannot or don’t feel comfortable yet returning to Mass, please know of our continued prayers for you.  We will continue recording Masses for those who can’t be with us in person.

I want to offer congratulations to Deacon John on the 9^th anniversary of his ordination on this past May 21^st.  I am very grateful for all he does for both of our parishes.  I am especially grateful for his help in applying for the payment protection program through the Cares act in the midst of this pandemic shutdown.  He navigated through many, many emails of requirements and helped us make sure we had all of the proper paperwork in place.  His training in the nuclear power industry making sure power plants didn’t have a meltdown equipped him well for handling the first international pandemic in 100 years!  He has been a blessing in this time of great uncertainty.  Thank you, Deacon John, for your ministry both temporal and spiritual!

This weekend we celebrate Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles and disciples gathered in the upper room.  This is the birthday of the Church.  What we all need to realize is that the Holy Spirit longs to work in us and through us.  God desires to work through us just as He worked in the lives of the Apostles.  Never close yourself off from what God can do!

There is an article talking about 10 ways to be open to the Holy Spirit: https://catholicexchange.com/10-ways-open-holy-spirit.  I want to highlight three things it suggests:

Acts of the Apostles

Read the book from the Bible, “The Acts of the Apostles.” Written by the Evangelist Saint Luke, this book clearly shows the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles—especially Saint Peter and Saint Paul—as well as the formation of the primitive Church. As you read, be keenly attentive to the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit and beg Him to work powerfully in your own personal life! “Come Holy Spirit come….”

Loneliness? Problems?

If you experience loneliness and are weighed down by many problems, then never forget to enter into the depths of your soul and speak to the Holy Spirit whose name is “Sweet Guest of the soul.”  You will recognize that you are really not alone and that your problems and crosses are not as heavy as you think. Rather, the Holy Spirit can help you to resolve your problems, or at least help you to cope with them.

Docility

Silence is a prerequisite to move on to the next step—docility to the Holy Spirit.  A person who is living in the state of grace, honestly pursuing a life of holiness and seeking perfection will be exposed to heavenly inspirations that come from the Holy Spirit. The key is an ability to listen to these gentle but insistent inspirations, discern them coming from God, and then the most difficult is to follow and obey these inspirations.

The Holy Spirit is, so to speak, a “Gentleman” and will never force Himself upon anybody. Rather, He waits patiently for us to respond and then He can work very powerfully only if we are silent, humble and obedient.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s on the Lake,

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a weekend to remember all those who have died serving in the armed forces. I know many events that would usually happen are canceled.  Events or not, may we pray for those who have died.  I have included a beautiful prayer written by Tony Rossi:

https://aleteia.org/2018/05/25/a-prayer-for-memorial-day/

Heavenly Father,

Today we honor those who gave their life for their country on foreign battlefields and here at home. Though they would have preferred peace to war, they responded to the call to serve and made the ultimate sacrifice defending the ideals in which they believed, defending their brothers-and-sisters-in arms, and defending innocents from violence. May their courage be honored and remembered; may their example influence current and future generations; may their legacy be one of love and sacrifice; and may their souls be embraced by You.

We also remember those service members whose invisible wounds led them to take their own lives. Their minds, hearts, and spirits were in turmoil due to the violence they had experienced, and they thought there was no other way to end their pain. We pray that You welcome these men and women into Your loving and merciful heart. We also pray that those enduring these struggles right now realize that suicide is not the answer. May they find the hope they are looking for because there are good people out there who are willing and able to help them.

We pray also for those designated POW/MIA. Their families have no closure. They don’t know if their loved ones are alive or dead. Bring them the answers they seek and, if possible, bring the missing home.

Finally, comfort the families of all the men and women who have been lost to war and terrorism. To them, the deceased are not just military personnel, but rather father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, friend. Help these families remember the good times and look forward to being reunited with their loved ones in Your heavenly kingdom some day where there will be no more mourning.

We ask this in Your loving name, Father.  Amen.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd