May 27, 2017
Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father
in my name he will give you.
This almost sounds like a genie in a bottle. Too often, I think we treat God like a genie in a bottle, a celestial being who exists to fulfill our wishes and desires. Early in the book, “Huckleberry Finn”, the Widow Douglas tells Huck about the power of prayer. Huck decides to try it out. First he tries it out on something small. He prays for a fish hook. Sure enough, he finds a fish hook. Then Huck tries prayer on something a little bigger. He prays for a fishing pole. Well, time passes and he does not acquire a fishing pole. In the text, Mark Twain mentions that Huck doesn’t have any more use for prayer from then on. I find this literary anecdote amusing because this is an example of how many people treat God and prayer. I will try God and religion for a while and see what happens. God is the divine who dwells in our hearts, in the world, and in the universe. God does not grant wishes, or prevents bad things from happening to us. God is love and life who cares for us in God’s own way and time. What we need to do is trust.
Rev. Timothy Guthridge, C.PP.S.
Kansas City Province
May 26, 2017
St. Philip Neri
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
We are nearing the end of the Easter season. But the joy is still with us! The joy that the disciples experienced on the day of the Resurrection lives on. To me joy is something that permeates one’s whole being. It is not something that comes and goes. Rather it is always with us. Sometimes the joy may be tempered by a problem or a sorrow, but underneath it all is joy. In his encyclical, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis tells us that “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” (#1) In paragraph 5 he reminds us, “The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice.”
Today is also the feast of St. Philip Neri. As I went online to find out more about the life of Philip, I found this as the opening line on his page on Catholic Online. “If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of holiness that would be Philip Neri.” Sort of fits the theme of the day! He sounds like a joyful, holy man. He seemed like someone who was fun to be with and who shared the joy that he knew by knowing Christ.
I would hope that the joy of knowing Jesus would be as evident in me as it was in Philip Neri, I would hope that the redeeming love of Jesus would permeate my whole being.
Sr. Ann Clark, C.PP.S.
Dayton
May 25, 2017
The Leadership Team of the Kansas City Province of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood is pleased to announce the following appointments:
Father Alan Hartway, C.PP.S., Kansas City Province representative, Community Life Symposium, Rome, Italy, July 23-28, 2017.
Father Peter Tam Hoang, C.PP.S., vocation director & member of Leadership Team for the Vietnam Mission, effective July 1, 2017. Father Hoang will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2017. He has been serving as director of vocations for the mission since 2015. Father Tam will live at the House of Discernment in Ho Chi Minh City.
Father David Matz, C.PP.S., Pastor, St. Agnes Parish, Los Angeles, CA, effective July 1, 2017. Father Matz has been administrator of Saint Agnes Parish since January 6, 2015.
Father Joseph Miller, C.PP.S., Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Saint Joseph, MO, effective July 1, 2017.
Father Joseph Uecker, C.PP.S., Chair, Human Development Fund, effective July 1, 2017. Father Uecker has served as chair of the HDF for the past five years. This appointment is for another five-year term.
Father Ron Will, C.PP.S., Sabbatical, effective July 1, 2017, with residence at Precious Blood Center, Liberty, MO. Father Will joins the ministry team at Precious Blood Renewal Center, effective January 1, 2018.
Father John Wolf, C.PP.S., Kansas City Province representative, Community Life Symposium in Rome, July 23-28, 2017.
Father Mark Yates, C.PP.S., pastor of St. Patrick Church, Georgetown, IA, St. Peter Church, Lovilia, IA, and St. Patrick Church, Melrose, IA, effective July 1, 2017. For the past year, Father Yates has served as administrator of these three parishes in the Diocese of Davenport.
The Leadership Team has made several appointments to the LGBT Committee in recent months. Neil Mansuy is the new chair of the LGBT Committee, effective April 1, 2017. Neil replaces Sister Diana Rawlings, A.S.C., as chair of the committee. Sister Diana will continue to serve as a member of the committee. Companion Connie Swymeler replaces Companion Cathy Pankiewicz, effective May 1, 2017. We are grateful to Cathy for her many years of service. Father Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S., has also been appointed to the LGBT Committee, effective June 1, 2017.
We are grateful to these missionaries for accepting the call to be sent by the Blood of Christ in the spirit of St. Gaspar to be a reconciling and renewing presence in the Church and our world.
With peace in the blood of Christ,
Joseph Nassal, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director
Richard Bayuk, C.PP.S.
Thomas Welk, C.PP.S.
Ronald Will, C.PP.S.
Mark Miller, C.PP.S.
May 25, 2017
The Gospel reading for the Ascension of the Lord speaks about a mountain top experience for the 11 disciples. They saw Jesus and they worship Him even though deep inside they could not believe. On a scale from one to ten I ask myself how much do I believe in a loving and forgiving God. Why is it harder some days than others? What can I do to believe even more?
Matthew Kelly in one of his books, Rediscover Jesus, says that to know Jesus we need to spend more time in sincere prayer and learn about Him by reading the Gospels. A short read from one of the 4 Gospels everyday puts us in contact of who Jesus is. I started doing that several months ago reading a paragraph or two each day, learning all kinds of things about Jesus that I glossed over before. Spending time in reflection not only helps me to know Him but to experience Him in my daily life. And yet most days when my prayer time is over and I get busy with life duties I let Jesus behind. And it is at those times when I don’t feel high with Jesus, and my faith falters.
Reading just short versions of most of the Doctors of the Church it was clear to me that dryness of faith was a struggle for most of them. And it goes back to when we were young we heard that anything worthwhile comes with a struggle. And we can’t forget that faith is a gift from God and the portion we receive is freely given by Him. It is up to us to take up the struggle and learn to believe when we can’t believe anymore.
The disciples were on a high receiving the command from Jesus to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I command and reminding them that I am with you until the end of ages.
The real work comes with the struggle to believe when doing what we think Jesus wanted of us has poor results. People do not always want to hear the good news and that pulls us down. Pope Francis speaks to us about the joy of the gospels. Let us turn to the gospels and find the joy and strength to do His will each day.
Br. Nick Renner, C.PP.S.
Cincinatti Province
May 24, 2017
The God who made the world and all that is in it . . . gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
As the flowers of Spring burst forth around me, I am called to reflect on our care of the universe. God has given us “life, breath, and everything.”
What is my response as I strive to live in a manner that will preserve God’s creation for the generations still to come?
I rise each morning with hope as I recite the Morning Offering and my vows. As the rainy clouds spawn a rainbow which melts into sunshine, I am encouraged to be cheerful, live simply, and greet each person I meet as Christ. As I walk to Mass I savor the trees’ new growth, feel the bite of the morning breeze, and appreciate the activity of life awakening around me.
As the day progresses, I thank God daily for the gift of retirement that gives me time to pray as I color mandalas, do research on sustainable practices, be mindful of living simply and caring for the use of water and energy, and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation around me.
Sr. Marcella Parrish, SSMO
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
