Parish Blog

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Between Christmas and New Year's there is a special space for Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the ideal Christian family. After more than 2000 years, the life of the Holy Family is still an example for us to imitate to be happy. They were three separate people, but in love they were one. That is the secret ingredient that makes a family go outside of themselves and triumph: love.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christmas is just around the corner. The air is full of the good things - and the not-so-good things - we are doing to celebrate the feast. Christmas carols, gifts, joy. Joy? Do we really feel joy these days, or does everything just turn into a few days of distraction in which we forget about our problems, our anxiety and the dissatisfaction of the rest of the year?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, as in last Sunday, the Church familiarizes us with the figure of John the Baptist. He had many disciples and a clear and well-differentiated approach to the people in his life: for the Publicans, for the soldiers, for the Pharisees and Sadducees... His desire was to prepare the way for the Messiah's public life. First, He sent John and Andrew; today He sends others so they could know Him too. They ask Him: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" (Mt 11:3). John certainly knew who Jesus was. He himself bears witness to that: "I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' (Jn 1:33). And Jesus responds with facts: the blind see, the lame walk...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Every year at this time of Advent we remember the words of John the Baptist: "Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight his paths!" The paths are our ways of thinking, our ways of behaving, our ways of living.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today is the First Sunday of Advent, a time of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. His historic coming took place two thousand years ago. Jesus was born, lived, suffered, died and rose again on this earth, in our history. And in this way, he offered redemption to all mankind that had been lost in sin.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we behold three men crucified on Mount Calvary: the redeemer of humanity and two evildoers. Many others were condemned, but only these two were called to die next to Jesus, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." And He told one of them, "Today, you shall be with me in paradise."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Friday on the 14th of November, I turned 74. I'm most grateful for my life and for the health that I enjoy! Here's how it all began for me.

My mother, Harriet Wilson was over nine months pregnant with me on the 13th of November in 1951. I was her fourth baby of nine. She went in to see Dr. Dale. As many of you know this is the time of the year for deer hunting season in Minnesota and Dr. Dale was a deer hunter; so was my father.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What did the saints have to say about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Just a few quotes to reflect upon:

“When the Eucharist is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the divine victim immolated on the altar." St. John Chrysostom

“The angels surround and help the priest when he is celebrating Mass.” St. Augustine

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This has been an interesting year in terms of our Sunday Eucharist. Every seven or eight years or so, we get some unusual feast days that show up on Sunday. This year we had All Soul's Day on Sunday and of course it trumped the regular Sunday celebration for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I'm excited to share some updates about the wonderful things happening at our parish school. St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church and School are committed to continue to grow and enhance our community for the benefit of our students, staff, families, and parishioners.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Friday around 6:00pm, we returned from our pilgrimage to Greece and the Greek Isles, following in the footsteps of St. Paul. There were so many highlights and blessings over the 11 days that it is difficult to reflect upon them and process them: Athens and the Acropolis; Mars Hill; Corinth; Ephesus; The House of the Virgin Mary; the island of Patmos; the monastery of St. John; the islands of Crete and Santorini; the hanging monasteries of Meteora; and Thessaloniki. It was truly an amazing experience to see the wonders of God’s creation and reflect upon St. Paul’s journeys and ministry as he was used of God to establish the early Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

October 11th is the one-year anniversary of my open-heart surgery. It's hard to believe that one year has gone by since that major event in my life. I want you to know that I'm ever so grateful for your prayers and support over this past year. I feel good, I'm back exercising again. I can ride my bike. I can go to the gym. I feel very healthy. All the same, a major milestone like this is an opportunity to reflect on the many graces that God has given me through this experience.