January 2016 Bulletin: Little Sponges

Lead article from the January 2016 bulletin, online now.

As a father sometimes I wonder if my kids pay attention when I speak.  As much as I try to teach them how to be good people and strong Catholics, most of the time I feel like my words just go right past them without slowing down.  It's always reassuring when they surprise me by doing or saying something that supports my teachings.  I bring this up because there were a couple examples this month where my kids surprised me and it makes me think about how many other things I do and say (good and bad) are being absorbed by them without my knowledge.

One of my biggest challenges and frustrations is trying to get my kids to sit still and pay attention during mass.  Most times I just accept the fact that I cannot make them listen and just try to keep them upright and in the same pew.  But every once in a while when you least expect it they surprise you.  I went to mass with Avril this month and it was just the two of us.  Fr. Ellis was giving his homily and I noticed that she was looking down at her feet fidgeting not seeming to be paying attention at all.  Later that evening she was playing on the laptop and came up to show me a picture.  It was the photo “Burst of Joy”, which Fr Ellis had talked about during his homily.  It really surprised me because I thought she was completely disconnected while he was talking.

This month we also began working through the Jeff Cavins Gen2Rev program.  This is a new book that the Church is piloting with the 4th grade students.  It's basically a bible timeline for kids that is meant to get fathers to read the bible to their children for 10 min every day.  I committed to doing the 6 month program with Avril.  My plan was to try to get at least her and Owen (2nd Grade) to do this with me.  Honestly I was expecting some whining and complaining especially after the first couple times.  Not only have they not complained but they ask questions and really enjoy those 10 minutes of faith education.  It isn't just Avril and Owen that have come to enjoy that time, their older siblings have not missed an evening if they were home.  I am truly surprised how much these kids are interested in their faith.

Regardless of what they communicate back to us, these children are little sponges.  They pick up on things we say and do even when we don't think they are paying attention.  That is why it is our responsibility to lead by example as strong Catholic men.  How do you expect your children to be serious about their faith if you are not?  Remember, God is not the only one watching everything you do.

God Bless,
Joe VanHoorik
Grand Knight

March 2015 Bulletin: A Silent Sermon

Lead article from the March 2015 bulletin, online now.

This month I couldn’t find the right words and had an extreme case of writers block. Every time I started to write I just stumbled and couldn’t finish a thought, so I went searching for some inspiration. I found this light hearted story and immediately thought of our very own Father Richards.

A Silent Sermon 

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.  It was a chilly evening.  The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. 

Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.  The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. 

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone.  Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.  The host watched all this in quiet contemplation.  As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.
Soon it was cold and dead.  Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. 

The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire.  Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. 

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon.  I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

Author Unknown

We are very fortunate in the quality of priests and deacons that we have at our two parishes. They inspire us to continue to grow in our faith and challenge us to invite and be warming to others.

I hope you found some humor in this article and have a great start to the Lenten season!

God Bless,

Jim Wiegers

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 
-- Romans 12:13

April 2014 Bulletin: Our Faith

Lead article from the April 2014 bulletin, online now.

Do you have friends or family who aren’t Catholic and challenge what you believe? I sure do and some of them can recite scriptures left and right. I don’t always have the right words to say or I’m just not up for the argument. I always seem to search for what to say or I avoid the topic altogether. But I just learned something this past month from my soon to be 10 year old son. Who said you can’t teach an old dog a new trick!

Here is the story of what I learned from him: It was Ash Wednesday and we were in a rush but I made sure that we went. As we went through Mass my son was fidgeting and asking, "How many more songs? Can we go yet?" I was getting pretty upset with him. After we had the ashes put on and got back to the pew, he was saying they itch and, again, "How many more songs?" Now I was getting really frustrated with him and told him, "Sit still; it’s almost done."

We left Mass in a rush because we had to get changed for cub scouts and our den meeting. We quickly ate and headed off. After we arrived a few boys started to pick on my son saying he had dirt on his forehead and things like that. You got it. He still had the ashes on! Then something changed. I notice my son reacting not in anger, but he just talked about the meaning of the ashes in his terms. He told the boys that it was the least he could do for Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. I was shocked to hear him say that to the other boys, none of whom are Catholic or very religious. They sat down and later Jake was talking to them about Duluth and the big ships being towed by much smaller tug boats. He explained that the tugboats are us and the bigger ship is Jesus as he follows us on our journey.

So if you were at Mass, that was a lot like the Homily that night. He was paying attention! My son told them about getting the ashes on his head and about returning to ashes someday. Later he went on to tell the boys that he receives Jesus every weekend from the Bread he gets at Mass. The boys didn’t pick on him anymore. They thought it was cool that he had ashes, for he made it sound like they were hot out of a fire and they then wanted some too.

So it occurred to me that when people want to challenge my faith I don’t need to hide, I can easily defend it by how I feel. I don’t need to recite the correct scripture or search for the perfect words, though that would help. I can just stick to what I know and try to lead by example and that should be good.

God Bless,

Jim

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
-- Proverbs 16:9

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ..."

Archbishop Nienstedt prays over Deacon Paul Shovelain.

Deacon Paul's first baptism...

Last Saturday, many of our council witnessed the ordination of one of our own. Paul Shovelain, son of our former Grand Knight and long-time Pro-Life Director Jim Shovelain, was ordained to the transitional deaconate along with six other young men at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. God willing, these seven will be ordained priests next year. Numerous families drove in from Albertville and St. Michael, along with countless family members, and even the elderly priest who baptized Paul decades earlier. In addition, among the Fourth-Degree Honor Guard escorting the seminarians, clergy, and the archbishop in were at least five local Knights. Paul has given so much of himself to St. Michael parish, the St. Michael and St. Albert youth groups, and the community. It was good to give him something back, in the form of our presence and our prayers.

On Sunday morning at the 10:30 mass, Deacon Paul baptized two infants and delivered a moving homily (below) about meeting and sharing Christ. He spoke without notes, with the earnestness and joy that every knows and loves in Paul.



Congratulations, brother -- may God continue to bless and guide you. Blessed Mother, pray for him!