Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I want to commend the many people who make being on time for Holy Mass a priority. To be clear: our Mass times are at Saturday 4:30pm English. There is the 8:30am, 10:30am English, and 12:30pm Spanish on Sunday. Our Mass times not 4:35pm, 8:35am, 10:35am, and 12:35pm. It is not fashionable to be late to Holy Mass—it’s disrespectful. There are occasions when something happens and therefore being on time is impossible. Once or twice is understandable – every week is wrong. It is most especially rude and disrespectful to leave Holy Mass early. Please avoid leaving early if at all possible. As the Holy Mass is the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, can you imagine Mary or the beloved disciple leaving early from the crucifixion to beat the crowd or to get a better lunch table or to make it to the game on time? It is shameful that with all our blessings that we cannot give God time.

Concerning the children, some without kids would love it if I called out parents for loud and unruly children, but it’s not going to happen. Children are made in God’s image and likeness; we are a pro-life parish; and we baptize children, initiating them as members of the Body of Christ--they have a right to be here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Most post pubescent males can father a child. Fathering a child is vastly different from being a good father.  So what does it take to be a good father?  One this Fathers Day, I would like to address the vital role my father holds in my life and the important role of the father in the life of his family. 

Of the many lessons I received from my father, his willingness to be present to our family keeps our family rooted and focused on what is essential.  Running his own business could have easily consumed him and kept him away from our family. I cannot remember my dad ever missing dinner with the family. His presence wasn’t just at dinnertime. I also recall that our family was usually together on the weekends. Whether we were doing chores around the house, mowing the lawn or heading to the lake for some fun, it was dad, with mom at his side, leading the charge by being present. 

Dad brought order and from that came peace.  God, family, and everything else was the way dad prioritized things for our family. Dad made sure we never missed Mass. Every Sunday, Mom and Dad would corral the five children into the family station wagon and off we would go. It wasn’t even a discussion. It was just what we did…and still do. I have no doubt that my dad’s presence made all the difference in creating a solid way of life for his family.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is hard to believe that it’s been eight years since our parish took a hard look at the General Instruction of the Roman Missal or how we celebrate Holy Mass.  In general, perpetual adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the homilies and weekly bulletin articles have led many to a more reverent celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our lives as Catholics, where we have the privilege of receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood to nourish us for our Christian journey. 

When we seek to grow in holiness, one great question to ask ourselves is: “How can we celebrate Holy Mass better?” That is, if we are going to be inspired by the depth of Catholic liturgy, then we need to remind ourselves over and over what an incredible gift we have been given in the Eucharist.  Secondly, how do we receive this wondrous gift of Our Lord in the Eucharist at Holy Mass?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church is blessed to celebrate this special Feast of Corpus Christi today.  So what are we celebrating? Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is the Bread of Life. The Gospel reminds us that Christ feeds multitudes with bread.  In the Mass, our Lord feeds us with His own Body and Blood! Christ Himself gave us the Eucharist on the night of the Last Supper.  The Church has offered Holy Mass from then until now and the Church will offer Holy Mass until the very end of time. Why? She will do this simply because Jesus commanded us to “do this in remembrance of me”! 

What is “this” we do when our Lord says do “this?”  We attend Mass and we receive our Lord in Holy Communion.  That is what we are doing in remembrance of our Lord’s request.  In this Sacrament of Holy Communion, we receive our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!  Mass is the time for every Catholic to “remember” our Eucharistic King in a miraculous way. When we receive our Lord in Holy Communion, we literally become more like Christ and move closer to the Kingdom.

In every generation, Jesus has called upon men and women to literally be his hands and feet, to act on his behalf as his messenger and speak for him directly, either to his Church, to a specific culture or to the world at large. Those men and women who said “yes” to Christ and did what He asked them to do, accomplished the Will of God with his help in amazing ways. Many of them have been recognized officially by the Church for their heroic witness to Christ. We call them Saints.

Of all the Saints, few have captured the hearts and imaginations of people as the patroness of our parish, St. Joan of Arc. Most people know her story. She was born into a peasant farming family in northeastern France on January 6, 1412. At the time, the French were at war with England, and the English invaders controlled more than half of France. The French king could not even be crowned because the Cathedral where coronations took place was in the hands of their enemies. At the age of 13, Joan began to receive heavenly messages from St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church. The promised Holy Spirit that we’ve heard about these last couple of weeks comes down upon the Apostles, and their lives would never be the same! The world would never be the same! The Catholic Church, as founded by Christ, now celebrates the fact that the Holy Spirit remains with us to this very day. It is the Holy Spirit that enables all of us to hear Our Lord’s call to follow Him every day.  It the same Holy Spirit that enables us to build the Kingdom of God here and now. It is the same Holy Spirit that enables us to do God’s work, while we await His return! 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are blessed with so many families at St. Joan of Arc. I am always amazed at the incredible sacrifices I see parents make at each and every Mass to be a good parent. As I see moms and dads bring their little ones to religious education classes, I am so grateful for their dedication and desire to share God's love with their children. The wonderful catechists at St. Joan of Arc are here to help you, but your role as your children's primary teacher is your gift to your children. You have the awesome privilege and blessing to form the future of the world IN GOD'S IMAGE!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I enjoy a good movie. Every once in a while, I will take a night off, grab some popcorn and a soda, and escape. A good movie can lift your spirit and inspire a person to be better and aim higher. I have found that it really pays off to do a bit of research about the movie before seeing it so you won’t be disappointed or worse. Perhaps checking the Catholic reviews to make sure the movie is not morally objectionable would be a good place to start.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Francis added an additional Marian day to the Roman Calendar that will occur on a fixed date every year.  It is called the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, or B. Mariæ Virginis, Ecclesiæ Matris.  The Memorial occurs on the Monday following Pentecost Sunday.

Why did Pope Francis add this the Roman Calendar? The Holy Father wishes to promote this devotion in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety."

My Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

As missionary disciples, we are witnesses to Jesus not only to our community, but to our brothers and sisters of tomorrow. We are tasked by God, as every generation is, to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us for both the present and the future.

Many of us have experienced the beauty of the church in our local parishes, Catholic Schools or in the ministries of the Diocese. All of these were brought forth by the sacrifice, generosity, and love of generations before us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Several years ago, as I hiked 125 miles along the Camino in Spain, I came across a vandalized STOP sign.  In addition to STOP, someone added complaining.  My friend,  Fr. Richard, took a picture and sent me a copy.  With this one photo, he challenged me to check my attitude.  How do I deal with things when things don’t go my way? How do I deal with hot weather, scandals and frustrating politics, along with the regular challenges of daily life?

I was reminded of this STOP sign when I read from the Book of Exodus during Lent.  It is  stunning how the Israelites complain during the exodus. As God liberates them from Egyptian bondage, they are so forgetful. Israel’s response to their deliverance is not praise and trust. Instead, they are grumbling, complaining and quarreling.  

"And so with provident pastoral sensitivity and in order to impress deeply on the souls of the faithful these precepts and teachings of the Christian faith, the Supreme Pontiff, John Paul II, moved by the consideration of the Father of Mercy, has willed that the Second Sunday of Easter be dedicated to recalling with special devotion these gifts of grace and gave this Sunday the name, "Divine Mercy Sunday" (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Decree Misericors et miserator, 5 May 2000).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Easter to all of you and a special welcome to all of our visitors! I pray as you celebrate Easter Mass with us you may come to know the peace of God in your hearts now and always. You are always welcome to come and to thank God for His many blessings most especially His Son who has risen from the dead!