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March 19
Many years ago, alright, decades ago, my siblings, nieces and nephews would bring their dates to our house for one of our family get togethers. It was always interesting to learn more about these people and trying to figure out why this relative would choose that person as a dating experience. Most were nice and good folks. Some we're strange. And I don’t mean that in a good way. They probably felt they were fish in a bowl given how big our family was. With some age I can see better why they were interested in those individuals at that time of their life. I am glad they married some and others, not so much. I am now glad that they have the spouses they have as these spouses have helped bring out the best in my family members. I can see more clearly why I dated the girls I dated. But I am glad I did not marry as this vocation is by far the best vocation I could have ever found. Thank you Jesus. Fr. Mike
March 12
Thinking back to things that happened to me years ago always brings a smile to my face. The house I spent my early years growing up in was so huge until I went back to visit and discovered it was very small for 6 kids. The city park I used to play in was so neat because of the many things I did there with my friends. Except when I went back, I discovered most of the things I remember were not there, but it was the things my friends and I did that I remember. Some of the things I remember happening growing up my siblings do not remember, but they do remember other things that I don’t recall. It is always fun to share these stories because when we do, others are amazed by what we recall just as I am amazed how they recall events. The mind plays tricks on me by filling in the parts of the story I do not remember, making me think they really did. I wonder how many of my “memories” are real and how many are reconstructions. Fr. Mike
March 5
When my high school class gets together, they used to ask "Who has the most children or grandchildren. I would always raise my hand, but they would never allow me to count the children in my parishes. One of my sister's recently posted a picture of her 3 great-grandchildren. That made me realize that she was a great grandmother, and I must be a great-grand uncle. Or would that be a great-great uncle? I have not even met the three girls. I wonder what my classmates from high school would say if I pointed out that I have 3 great-great-nieces? That does not include all those that you have that I would count, if they let me. Fr. Mike
February 19, 2023
I think I may be getting old. It is not the aches and pains that come with age, I don’t really notice those things so much. It is that now when I sit, stand, or even bend over to tie my shoes, I am making old man noises. I grunt, groan, and even moan. I think where did that come from? It does not feel any different than it did a few months ago, but now it just seems normal. It is not normal for someone as young as I am. One of my friends in my priests support group even said, “You are hitching up your pants like an old man!” I AM NOT!! I do not pull them up under my arm pits. My waist is just getting a little lower. How does this happen when I am not aging? Fr. Mike
January 29, 2023
It is hard to believe but I have noticed I am getting older. Hopefully wiser as well. Since Fr. Ron is so much younger than I am I have willingly given up my responsibility for shoveling snow at out house. Now I let him do it whenever he wants. If I had known it would be so satisfying I may have had grandchildren. But that is a different story. There are a couple of people in the parish that I have heard have fallen this winter on the snow and ice. I think it may have been the fact that none of us want to think we are getting older. One time my dad asked me to create some kindling for their wood-burning stove. At first my thought was: “You have been doing this for the past 20 years. Why didnʼt you chop the wood up earlier?” And then I realized he was 87. He didnʼt have to anymore. He had me. Taking a different perspective on things has helped me see things in a new light. Fr. Mike
January 22, 2023
When I left for college, I thought I had a pretty broad mind and a wide-ranging set of experiences. Nope. In college I had friends from big cities, from foreign countries, of different nationalities and different religions. At first, I just thought all these other folks were strange. Then I realized how they saw the world was their experience just as my view was from my experience. Once I began to find out more about them, I found myself stretching to understand their life from their perspective. The things they shared were working in their life and in their world. Now, instead of being wrong, each new experience was an opportunity to grow and appreciate how there are usually many ways to see any problem and to solve every challenge. I am thankful for this faith community. We have people from all over the world, all over the country, every political side of issues and every sort of family situation. All of these are gifts to me. Thank you. Fr. Mike
January 15, 2023
West of Maple Grove there are many open fields. While out that way recently, I saw many snowmobilers having great fun in the fresh snow. It reminded me that years ago, I thought it would be great to have a snowmobile. Then I realized that owning one of those machines would mean I would have to learn how to fix motors, tracks and possibly skis. Thank goodness I didn’t get one. Those things are not one of my gifts. But the same thing applies to other things as well. It would be nice to own lake property. No, it wouldn’t. I would have to spend every weekend doing house chores. It would be nice to own any number of things, until I realize the consequence of owning that thing. I am now thankful that God has always given me the opportunity to reflect upon the things I think I want. I realize many times it is only a passing fancy. God has saved me from doing many goofy things. Fr. Mike
January 8, 2023
Seeing all of the snow we have had this year brings to mind good memories of snow when I was a child. I used to go out and make forts by piling up snow into a square. I used to pile it up into a tall hill and then form a slide to go down in our back yard. I used to dress up in multiple layers to go outside to play tackle football. Falling in the snow made it easy but running in the snow made it difficult. I remember extra cold days when I was in high school. The country kids did not have to come to school because the diesel fuel in the busses would solidify before they were done with the routes. For those of us in town, the thought was our parents would drive us to and from school. Not so much for my parents. Since they owned a business, I could get a ride to school but then had to walk 2 miles going northwest into the snow. The stores were always nice and would let all of the kids inside to warm up on our journey home. Other than feeling like I froze my toes, my nose, and everything in between, it was not too bad. This year we can certainly use the moisture and I pray it melts slowly so most of that can sink into the ground. Fr. Mike
January 1, 2023
Recently Frank Pavone was dismissed from the priesthood by Pope Francis for failing to obey his bishop. Little more of the story is being released because the matter is considered confidential by the Vatican. This is much like civil law where person, private information is withheld. Mr. Pavone was/is the leader of Priests for Life, a pro-life organization. What this means is that he is no longer a priest. Having worked in this area of Canon Law and reading what the diocese has done I find it most improbable that he had no idea this was forthcoming. Canon Law requires the priest be kept in contact with all steps taken by a diocese and by Rome. He would have been given time, although limited, to present his own case and rebut what the diocese had submitted. To say it was a surprise for him is not truthful. A notice of laicization becomes effective when the person is notified by certified mail or in person of the decree. Fr. Mike
December 25
I remember as Christmas was approaching how the pile of presents would grow under the tree. I would search for mine and shake them to hear what was inside. Then on Christmas Eve, we would have our big meal before opening the presents. At about 10 PM, I would bundle up with layers of clothes to go outside and play tackle football with the boys of the neighborhood. With snow on the ground and lots of padding, tackling was rather fun. Then I would rush back inside to clean up and get to midnight Mass. Of course, I wanted to wear all of my new clothes. I also remember when I was 4 or 5 years old, going to midnight Mass and sleeping on the coats everyone wore to church. I think that is why I used to always yawn during the early years of my priesthood during Mass. Thank goodness I have finally broken that habit. I pray you have many good memories of your Christmases when you were a child. Fr. Mike
December 18
As my parents were getting older our family realized there were not many things that they needed. And certainly nothing to put up on the walls or in cupboards. One of my sisters came up with the idea of an Advent calendar. For the 24 days of December leading up to Christmas each child participating would buy an appropriate number of gifts. They were smaller things like crossword puzzle books, dictionaries, and cards or dice for various games. Each day in December they would open a small box to see what number was inside. Then they would open the gift with that number on the present. That worked well, until they decided to go to California for the winter months. Then we had to buy the present earlier and they would have to haul them to and from California. I thought it was a great way to make Advent a time of anticipation for them. As well as humorous and interesting for each child. Bigger did not mean better any more. Fr. Mike
December 4
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with some younger couples and break bread with them. It was a wonderful experience, although only one couple brought their baby. It was fun hearing them talk about the joys and difficulties of being a parent. In today’s world, I appreciate their efforts to imbue their faith into their children by explaining what we are doing, why we are doing it, and why it is important to the parent as well. It also reminded me how much we are products of our own family. I remember how my dad used to push a particular view when interacting with the children. We would get upset with each other and then he would step in and “resolve” the difficulty. At least he thought he had resolved it. When we talked about this as adults, we decided to not play the game. But when we gathered that year for Thanksgiving, he did it again, and we got caught in the cycle once again. Until someone said the secret word we had agreed on to alert us that we had fallen into the same old trap. So as children, we simply quit the conversation. My dad was confused because no longer did he need to resolve the fight. Every once in a while now, I find myself thinking those same battle thoughts until I catch myself and remind myself that it is goofy thinking. It is hard to change somethings no matter how hard we try.
November 20
I am willing to pass the torch. For many years the Highway Patrol and some County Sheriffs have awarded me certificates identifying me as the fastest driver on the road. It is almost with sadness that I recognize others have now stepped into that roll. I noticed it first many years ago when I would drive into the cities on Interstate 94. It was 70 MPH until just west of Weaver Lake Road. Then it became a 65 MPH area. Now folks drive faster than 70 and speed up when they get to that spot. I did not notice that I had been apparently slowing down, but I have noticed that a lot more people are now passing me. Guess I will have to be content knowing that once upon a time others recognized how fast of a driver I was. But now there is a new breed. I'm just getting old. Fr. Mike
October 26
I’m sorry, but I think I need to go back to France. I was there for just ten days. I ate everything I could, especially the pastries. And I lost weight. It was either the good food or the 15,000 steps each day. I am not sure. But I think I should go back for at least another 2 weeks to help me determine what it was that helped me lose weight. So if you see me gone for a few weeks you will know where I am. Seeing all the churches, shrines and holy sites as well as being at the towns where the saints came from was interesting and moving. Although I am not French many of the sites and homes of saints are universal so it was a real spiritual experience. If you want to experience the holy sites I encourage you to go on a pilgrimage to any of the sites in Christendom. As a bonus you might loose weight also. At least you could give it a try.
October 21
There were times in the past that I thought I drove pretty fast. But it has been many years since the highway patrol has given me an award for being the fastest drive on the road. Maybe it is COVID, but it seems even though I am driving over the speed limit that others must have missed the sign. I used to get frustrated by "stupid" drivers, until I realized I was making the same mistake further down the road. If you see me doing something goofy on the highway, please honk your horn but also give me the same smile I share with those who whip right past me. They must be late for something, but it certainly cannot be their own funeral.
October 16
Thank you for bringing your babies and young children to our worship services. The other day at Mass it sounded as if two babies were talking to one another. First one, then the other would "talk". They waited turns so it sounded as if they understood one another. Who knows, maybe they do. Over the years I have heard and seen some funny things at Mass. It always reminds me that when our family used to gather for any celebration, we had people of all ages. There were many times adults had to turn away from the table so their smiles would not show to the small child who had just said or done something. That is what kids do. They have no filter, and many times misunderstand what some of the words are. Children are one of the reasons I truly enjoy this life and them when they come to Mass. Thank you. Fr. Mike
October 2
This past weekend I was away celebrating one of my brother’s-in-law birthday. He turned 90. So since I have been to Rochester many times since moving to the cities I hopped on the road and began the drive. About the time I reached Woodbury I was wondering if I was on the right road. When I saw the sings for Wisconsin I realized this is not the road to be on. So I turned south thinking I would arrive at a road that would take me back to Highway 52. I turned here. I turned there. And I discovered towns that I recognized their names but did not know where they were on the map. It could have been frustrating and caused me to be upset. Or I chose to enjoy the new adventure. It was interesting and there was lots of beautiful scenes. Sometimes taking a new road, even if it is unintended, can provide a nice experience. Glad I took to road less traveled. Fr. Mike
September 11
The state fair has come and gone. I remember my first one. I went to a booth where they would guess your weight. He was wrong so I won a prize. I’m pretty sure that what I won did not cost as much as what I had to pay to have him guess my weight. Since then I frequently have gone. Each time I try foods that I have not had before. Some of my favorites are no longer there. I also have met people there from the various parishes where I have served. It is always a delight to see folks who I recognize. I tend to stay far away from the rides as I find them too noisy. I do like to see the various places where folks are displaying their creations. I enjoy the international market. Do you remember the lamb fries from a few years ago? It was funny to see how long the line was to buy them. But it was funnier to see how many were dumped at the door going out when people realized what they had been eating. The grandstand is always interesting. I enjoy walking both floors to see the latest wares. I’m sure I eat do much but I am also sure I have walked more than 3 miles. It is mostly fun to see the kids excitement and how people dress. It has always been a fun time for me. Fr. Mike
September 4
The other day I was in an office and there was the sound of a baby crying loudly. I asked the staff “Who pinched the baby?”, knowing full well no one had. Later I saw the parents. A young couple with a 3 day old baby. Now the baby was quiet. It was so tempting to ask if I could hold her. But I restrained myself. I do love the sounds of babies, especially when they are laughing. Frequently it is about something that is goofy. A dog doing something. A sound they hear repeatedly. Or even something someone is doing to make them laugh. Their laugh is contagious. Then I think about how wonderful our God is that he gave us the privilege of being co-creators with him. This little child is something that mom and dad have created. This gift from God I believe is a way in which God says to us he believes in us and he trusts us. I believe that is what makes sex between couples so holy and precious. I wonder what the reaction would be if people believed they were engaged in something so holy that it could lead to life. Fr. Mike
August 28
Laugh at yourself. The other day I was having supper at a families house. The father was celebrating a birthday. The 10 year old asked me how old I was. So I said: “29.” The child smiled and with a twinkling in their eye said: “Maybe those numbers should be reversed!” I burst out laughing while the rest of the family looked a bit stunned with the retort. I love young children because they have so little filter. They tend to say exactly what they are thinking. Much to the chagrin of their parents. And if you ever need to see yourself in a different light, ask a child. I have learned to laugh at myself because some things I do are mistakes. Others I do intentionally. But I try not to take myself too seriously. Life is to short to be serious all the time. Fr. Mike
August 14
Between my writing of my reflections I think of a number of things I want to write about. By the time it comes to write, I have moved on (forgotten?) what those things were. I recently received a phone call from a high school classmate that I have known since third grade when I moved to Detroit Lakes. We are holding our 5 year, OK, our 55th year reunion this year. It caused me to reflect on some of the memories from that time. I was in a physics class, the last hour of school, where we had 17 boys and no girls. In the middle of December I was paged by the principal’s office. So as I was leaving the other guys were giving me hard time because I never did anything to get into trouble. After going to the office I was told one of my grandmothers had died. Did I want to go home then? We knew she was dying. She was 93, so I elected to stay. As I got back to class someone asked if the reason I was called to the office is because someone had died. I said it was, and the entire room became silent. They were all embarrassed, I think. It was a sign to me that we never really knows what has gone on in another person’s life. I have tried to not ask embarrassing questions of folks or prejudge them because I am not in their shoes. That is not always the case, but I try. It has kept me from being too stupid on occasion. Fr. Mike
July 31
While I was gone on vacation I visited the graves of my parents and my dad’s parents. I realized that none of my family lives anywhere near there so it is unlikely that the graves get visited very often. It also caused me to reflect upon my own death and burial. That may sound odd but 25 years ago I put together a living will, health care plan, a health care proxy should I be unable to make decisions for myself, and a funeral plan. Over the years I have had to change it often for various reasons. I have found that this sort of planning helps me realize that we are all going to die. What am I doing to prepare the physical side of things but also the spiritual side? In some sense the physical is easier because it is more tangible. The spiritual side seems more difficult because it involves my relationship with God. I am thankful that my idea of God has switched from a judgmental God to a loving God. I see parents become exasperated with kids. I know my mother was that way sometimes with me. But I see those same parents responding in love more than any thing else. It is good to see how loving parents are towards their children because when they are that good I know that God is even more so that loving parents. Fr. Mike
July 17
Several years ago I was walking with one of my sisters. Typical of me, I was talking to most folks I met on the street and in the store. Finally she said: “You don’t have to talk to everyone!” I think she was a bit exasperated. But I do need to talk to everyone. I see it as simply acknowledging their existence. And sometimes it can lead to interesting conversations. It can also bring a smile to someone’s face. I’ll talk to parents of small children who are having a meltdown in the grocery aisle. I’ll laugh and tell them how good it is that they keep their cool. I’ll talk to someone who is helping another person and tell them how good it is to work as a team or a friend. I can go to wedding receptions, sit at a table of strangers, and talk the entire time with folks there. We always discover something in common. I realize not everyone does this. But I do because that is me. I probably learned that from working in my parent's restaurant as a kid.
July 8
As I continue to age I reflect upon how many ways my parents and family life influence what I do, how I do it, and even why I do things. One time as a teenager my dad and I were having a major disagreement. Someone came up behind me, a bit out of breath, and said: “You walk just like your dad!” That is not what I wanted to hear at that point in time. But over the years I realize my sarcasm comes from my passive-aggressive way of dealing with my older siblings. There were 4 girls born before me and they would tend to gang up on me at times. My mother roped me into doing gardening with her. She would go driving, looking for rocks in farmer’s fields and ask me to go inside the fences to pick them up. I no longer get rocks or even trees from the wild. I’m pretty sure someone would notice. Why I think certain things or how I see things comes in great part from my family. I tend to do those things without thinking. It is hard to change something that you have been doing for decades.
July 3
While at the gathering of US Catholic Priests, held in Baltimore, we were at the Maritime Convention Center. This Center trains people to be pilots of ships, captains, First Officers, and almost every other job people do on ocean vessels. They have a large auditorium in which the main talks were delivered and then smaller rooms where we broke up for smaller presentations. There was a teenager there (actually a young priest. He just looked way too young to me.) He reminded me of my early years in priesthood when I thought I knew everything. I didn’t, and still don’t. He also reminded me of how many activities I could do years ago. I needed to take an honest look and realize I can’t do all those things like I used to. The mind is willing but the body just doesn’t want to do those things. Upon reflecting I realized that while I may have run everywhere trying to do everything years ago, with age (and maybe some wisdom) now realize it is better to ask someone to help. Darn. This getting old is not for sissies. Fr. Mike
June 19
When I was first ordained I was concerned that there be no surprises for me during the celebration of the Mass. There was the transformation moment when we were having a baptism and I realized as I was walking down the aisle that I did not have the baptism book that has the prayers in it. It was not in the sacristy but in my office in the house. The house was locked so I could not send anyone to get it. Thinking quickly I realized that at the Easter Vigil we had the whole ritual because we baptize adults at the vigil. It was during that Mass that I realized that if there were surprises it is usually because I am the one who is not prepared. So I began to relax. That is why when things happen at Mass, like I forget where I am in the prayers or something else happens, it just means I have to adjust. Because things happen that are beyond my control. That is really the reason I love to see and hear young children at Mass. They are continually surprising their parents and the rest of us with what or when they say things and what they do. I smile during Mass a lot, and now you know why. Some child has added something unexpected to our celebration. Fr. Mike
June 12
Several years ago a woman from the parish died in late October. Her brother called to let me know and asked if they could have the funeral here. Of course. He asked if they could do the funeral on the 4th of July weekend. Stunned, I think I mumbled yes. We were going to wait 8 months for a funeral? She was cremated, thank goodness so it was easy to wait. But how things have changed. When my grandparents died the funeral was usually 3 or 4 days. Then they began to be spaced out to about a week. Now, with cremation, it can be anytime and frequently we wait for a couple weeks or even months to accommodate the family member’s schedules. Wakes used to be in the homes. Then they moved to funeral homes. Then they moved to the church. And now they hardly ever happen. More folks are asking for “celebration’s of life”, which is what the wake was for. So we try to accommodate families by being flexible. It teaches me that thing are ever changing and we need to continually be flexible. I like to think that all of our funerals are celebrations of life. We celebrate the individuals life but are also reminded of eternal life, which Jesus claimed for us as Children of God. Treasure each and every family gathering.
June 5
My family has always tended to appear younger than we are. When a doctor saw my dad the doctor thought he was 79 rather than his upper 80’s. At the age of 28 I was carded when I went into a drinking establishment. Now that I have grey hair, and less then before, they tend to not card me anymore. One of my favorite stories happened at another parish when the school was celebrating my 35th birthday. A kindergartner came up beside me and said “Happy Birthday Father. You’re not so old!” Being filled with myself I asked him. “How old do you think I am?” Not even skipping a beat he said, “You can’t be as old as my dad. You can’t be over 75!” I thought the teacher was going to bust a gut laughing. She told me never to ask kids how old they think you are because the younger the are the older you appear to them. For a 5 or 6 year old, 12 is old. It is twice their age. It jumps to as old as dinosaurs pretty quickly. I’m not that old, yet. But I am approaching the age when reflecting upon my life happens more often than looking forward to what I plan to do. I do not intend to retire yet. I’m not that old!
May 29
The law of unintended consequences. Decades ago in northwest Minnesota, farmers were convinced to put drain tile in the fields so spring melt and rain would more quickly be removed from their fields. The idea was to get into the field quicker so that yields would be bigger and they would make more money per acre. That worker. But by draining the fields more quickly there was more water in the ditches, do culverts became bigger to allow the water to move downhill more quickly. The bigger they were up hill the bigger they needed to become downhill. Thus the floods in the Red River Valley have become bigger with the passing of time. Now there are dikes around the towns or diversions around the towns which push the water back into the fields further downstream. Farmers in the lower levels lose again. What are the unintended consequences of not going to church regularly? Of not praying before meals? Before having our youth engaged in formal sports rather than neighborhood games? I don’t know, but I wonder what that means for them as they get older. Fr. Mike
May 22
As I gaze out of my office window I see the vacuum where one of our evergreen trees near the baseball diamond is missing. It blew down during one of the windy days a couple of weeks ago. It was tall and lush with a strong root base. But it didn’t last. The winds blew it down. I am surprised some small children didn’t get blown away as well. But just looking at the tree, looks can be deceiving. So it is with people. Looking at people we really cannot tell if they are happy or sad. Full of expectation or depressed. We cannot tell if they are on this side of an issue or the other. What we can do is listen. We also need to be able to talk to one another about important issues. Even if we are on different sides of an issue by talking we might find common ground. We could argue about differences or look for similarities. In being open minded and sharing with someone else, there is a good chance we can do some good. Alone we are limited. United there is great power. Things change all the time. That is usually a good thing. Perhaps with this tree being gone something new will arise. I hope so.
May 15
The other day I was shopping and walked past a couple who were struggling to put a trampoline (in the box) onto their shopping cart. I asked if he wanted help. At first he said no but as he continued to struggle he agreed. It weighed a lot more than I thought. But it was such a good time to just be able to talk to them about this item they were purchasing for their kids to enjoy this summer. It simply reminded me that every day there are opportunities to help others. We don’t have to go to Haiti or anywhere else in the world. People all around us need help. The flip side of that is that we have to ask for help. In the early years of this country people moved by wagon trains so many people could help build new homes. We may think we are self-reliant, but we are not. The shortages we see on store shelves should remind us that we live in a world where we are all dependent upon others. Most of the time we don’t have to look for opportunities to do for one another. They jump out at us. We just have to choose to say yes when the time arrives.
May 1
Over the winter several parishioners have asked me if I have an Amazon account or if I needed money to give someone a gift. NO! I don’t and won’t ask anyone for money for these things. These hacks are getting more sophisticated. I have received several at home that say: “Thank you for your order. Please confirm by acknowledging this receipt.” Then they usually want to confirm my credit card number. Nope. Not doing that. I’ll save the email for a week or so to confirm that this has not been charged to any of my cards and then discard the email. I would never do that to you and I would not allow the church to do that either. At work I get several emails a week telling me my gift is at the international airport closest to me. I can pick it up if I just give them my bank account number for direct deposit. If I had only responded to those I would have nearly enough money to get the US government out of debt. Scams are getting more sophisticated and they are harder to detect. But I will never ask you are anyone for money for any reason. Not by phone and certainly not by text. I don’t have one of those phones. At least not yet. Fr. Mike
April 22
This past week there was a shooting incident near the rectory where one driver was seriously wounded and eventually died. It gave me pause to reflect upon my own driving habits. I know I have almost pulled into a lane when it was already occupied by someone else. At freeway speeds that is obviously not safe. Thank goodness nothing happened except the other driver would generally give me a dirty look. I slap my head and try to acknowledge that I am at fault. But I also realize that even if I were to drive 100 MPH from the church to the rectory I would only gain 30 seconds or so. And I usually get a red light at the exit anyway. So anything I gain I lose by sitting there. I just slow down now most of the time. I want to go to heaven. I just don’t want to do it right away. Road rage is something I just can’t figure out. Cutting someone off, trying to squeeze into a space in front of a semi, and recklessly driving are just not worth my life or the life of a stranger. If I make mistake (I know I do that at almost every Mass) the other person has a right to make some of theirs as well. Life is too short to become enraged over something little. It is not worth it. And it is not very Christian.
April 14
I believe one of the best Eucharistic celebrations offered by the church is the Easter Vigil. It is at least 3 hours at our parish. It includes the stories from the Old Testament about God's faithfulness, even when the people were not so faithful to the covenant. Then the New Testament stories of Jesus trying to enlighten the people that God is forming a new covenant. We welcome folks into the faith family by baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. There is lots of singing. There are many things going on to capture your attention. But it is 3 hours. Young children even take naps. We do all three Holy Week celebrations particularly well at St. Joe's. I strongly encourage you to attend at least one of them. They can be faith strengthening events. And one that you will remember.
March 27
Over the past few months we have had a good number of families that have joined St. Joseph’s. They come from all over the world, all over the US and all over the cities. Welcome. They have brought many young children with them. Thank you for bringing your children here to worship with us regularly. It is even enjoyable to hear them during the Mass. Catholic Mass is not really designed for young people so to hear them talking, singing and even crying is something I expect. But I also see parents being so patient with this children. What a blessing. Children are not the future of the church. They are part of the church now. Around many family tables we see children of all ages. That is what makes a family. As adults we frequently see what we can do to help parents with very young children eat their meal and take care of the child. After so many funerals these past several months it is encouraging to see so many babies and young children enjoying our music and our celebrations. They even enjoy donuts with sprinkles. Welcome one and all to the feast that Jesus provides.
March 20
The conflict in Ukraine bothers me terribly. I flip-flop on what to do. Bomb Russia. Welcome refugees. And being somewhat a student of history I don’t want us to pull a Nevil Chamberlain from the 1930’s. I feel grateful that I am living in the US, but guilty that I am living here. Over and over we hear that we are living in a global community, but we cannot be the police for the rest of the world. I wonder what the early Christians did when they encountered the Roman army and leaders. We don’t read about them bringing swords to those meetings. What is the best way for us as a country and as individuals to find a way to live in relative peace with one another. I hate being in an either-or situation when both options look so terrible. Fr. Mike
March 6
This past January and February have been the coldest they have been in 10 years. The past week it seems we have had a taste of spring. This time of year always reminds me that under the snow is the hope and promise of new life. We have had more funerals the past 4 months then usual. So many of the families have spoken about how their loved one was looking forward to death so as to go to heaven. They were eager to be reunited with family and friends who had gone before. They were done with suffering and the time leading up to their death. They wanted to “get it over with” and move on to Heaven. They have been great sources of inspiration for their families and this faith community that we have never been destined for this world. We have been called to the fulness of the Kingdom of God. We have had living saints in our midst. A comforting thought during Lent. Fr. Mike
February 27
My oldest brother who was nearly 12 years older than I am died this past summer. While I was growing up there was such a difference in ages that we never did anything together and did not share much of life while we lived at home. He retired a number of years ago. He felt that it was his job to connect with each member of the family on a regular basis. I found that while I wanted to connect with him, our experiences of the family were so different that we just had nothing in common. Thus, we had a difficult time carrying on a conversation. It is a picture to me of how much we are a product of our family. His experience was vastly different than mine. Even when we don’t want to take a part of the family with us into adulthood, we do it subconsciously. It is a strong reminder to me to look at everything I do and ask why? Why do I do it that way? Why do I think this way? How do I change? Life is constantly evolving. Fr. Mike
February 20
The paper carried a story the other day about how there are more pedestrian victims since COVID began because more folks are driving faster. I’m not sure I am driving faster but I am more conscious of drivers around me. I used to be one of the faster people on the roads. Now, not so much. At times I realize how close people have come to having accidents. How they may be weaving across the lines while using their phones. And many times I have to smile because the person who just rushed past me is now stuck in a lane going slower than I am. I get to pass them this time. Maybe we can learn from COVID that rushing everywhere means we miss the small things that happen. We become focused on the end goal and miss the wonders happening all around us. Stop. Look. Listen. And you might discover God right next to you. Fr. Mike
February 13
It amazes me how rapidly our world changes. Decades ago my dad was wondering if he should get a microwave oven for the restaurant we operated. Now it is in every home and considered essential. We had windows in the car that required manual work to roll them down. Now they are electric. We put on multiple layers of clothes when we went out in the wintertime. Now we use materials created for astronauts to stay warm. The temperature now reads some minus degree and we talk about danger. I used to have to walk home from high school in biting winds. -40 was common every winter in Detroit Lakes. Cell phone are now considered essential. The church is facing major changes but I am not sure Rome or the local church is up to date with how to deal with those changes. Covid has pushed us as a parish to look into more technology because that is an essential part of our lives now. Faith in a God is being challenged every year by new discoveries. How are we going to look at God in new ways to accommodate the new information and new understandings of human development? The future looks a bit blurry to me from this vantage point but I always have liked a good challenge. Fr. Mike
February 6
While studying for my Masters Degree in Canon Law the professors were consistently pushing that the law was to benefit the people, not to punish them. So I have taken that to heart over the years and constantly look for way to help people use the law to the best of their advantage. That has pushed me to find ways to find people less culpable for their errors and help them realize God’s love reaches beyond our faults. I also tend to look at the wording of things much more carefully. My spelling has not improved, but I look at other things that are written to find loose ends, omissions, or even errors in what is written. So I tend to look at laws as the outer limits rather than the narrow confines of the wording. So that gives me much more latitude in dealing with issues. I know as parents you do that with your children. You lay down the law. But if the law is breached you respond with more gentleness, love and forgiveness than the law would indicate. It is nice to know that God does the same thing with us that we do for those we love. Fr. Mike
January 21
Old habits die hard. When crossing the streets I have always acknowledge the drivers in the cars that are waiting or giving me permission to pass in front of them in parking lots. I smile and mouth the word: “thank you!” Since we have been putting on masks I find that I still do that. I will nod, smile and still mouth the words before I realize they can neither see me smile or mouth the words. So I enter the store across the street laughing at myself for doing something that no one can see. Even while walking with the mask on I find myself greeting another person and smiling. I hope they can see my eyes having at least the twinkle in them as we pass. With covid being a part of our lives the past two years, and maybe well into the future, I find myself wondering what can I do now to convey the same message of acknowledging another person or thanking them for their politeness? As humans we still need interaction with other people, but what action can we take that allows us to connect with other people? I think we are still trying to figure that out. If you have any ideas please let me know.
Fr. Mike
January 13
It always amazes me how people of faith see the hand of God working in their lives while people with little or no faith tend to see “lady luck” or “good fortune” or even bad luck in the same events. I have one sibling who has meet parishioners from several of the parishes where I have worked over time. She sees it as “fortune” when she runs into them. She and her husband have met parishioners 6 times over the years, but still cannot see the hand of God at work in their lives. None of my other siblings have ever met any parishioner anywhere in the world. We were all raised in the same family. We were all exposed to the same church activities. Yet widely differences of explaining some incredible events. I see the hand of God at work in families with children, with folks who “adopt” families from different parts of the country and world, with folks who get involved because of the close friendships they make with others from the parish. Maybe I am just an optimist but I see the hand of God even at work within the virus. We have all become aware of the need for face to face connections. Social media allows quick connections but now we know that is not enough for our children and for ourselves. Fr. Mike
January 9
As a young boy I used to swim a lot in the school pool and in a lake. I loved to go underwater towards someone and scare them by coming up next to them. Sometimes it was fun to pull them under when they were not expecting it. In swimming long distances underwater, you occasionally need to come up to breath. This past Advent and Christmas sort of felt the same way. After being under COVID for so many months it was nice to come up for a breath of fresh air. But little did I know that with this new version of the virus we would be back underwater again so quickly. I would like to believe, like many of you, that this latest bout of the virus is short lived. Sadly, that is probably not going to be the case. So, we are going to have to adapt as a faith community and as individuals to be more flexible, more watchful, and more eager to support others who may be having a difficult day or week. But that is what the Body of Christ, and every human family tries to do. Adapt to the situation. My New Year's resolution: be more adaptable. Fr. Mike
December 26
At several of the Masses Christmas weekend it was so encouraging to hear the infants singing along with the congregation. One could say they don’t know the words to our songs but we could just as easily say we don’t know the words they are singing. I like to think that perhaps what they are singing is the eternal hymn being sung in heaven and we just forgot the words because we don’t use them. I’m pretty sure they have it right and we simply forgot. That means that the more I forget today, the closer I am getting to being reintroduced to the songs of heaven. Forgetfulness as we age may be the way God is preparing us for eternal like. That thought makes me happy. At Christmas it was so uplifting to see so many people at church. We truly felt like a family again to me. Thank you for your warm wishes and generous gifts. Know that you are loved as I love my own family. Fr. Mike
December 3
It can be hard thanking God for the trauma in our lives. When we are in the midst of that we usually cannot do that because we are feeling so down. In the 1990’s I was serving in the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Warren, MN. They went through catastrophic loss 7 years in a row. I became depressed seeing the losses to homes and farms of my parishioners and the whole town. I finally went to see a counselor at the advice of some priest friends who noticed how depressed I had become. She helped me acknowledge my depression and told me to get a prescription from my doctor. He was an MD and did not know anything about drugs for depression. I talked about my depression from the pulpit. Many families came up to me and said how thankful they were that I spoke up. My doctor playfully told me that because of my statement on Sunday he now needed to do a great deal of research to discover more about those sorts of drugs. Many people were now flooding into his office looking for help. Dealing with covid has caused me to get down many times. But I can now look back and see how God was preparing me for this back then. I had learned I needed to look at things differently, speak to others about the loss, and do something about my depression. Now I can thank God for that experience because it helped prepare me for this experience with covid. I pray that you will be able to look back on this experience someday and see how God was working within you to prepare you for the future. Maybe we can see the hand of God in our lives and together give thanks. Fr. Mike
November 10
There is a wonderful picture of the Prodigal Son painted by Rembrandt. It is easy to miss some of the smaller points. There are two hands on the shoulders and back of the returning son. One is the hand of a male and the other of a female. There is only one sandal in the picture. It is easy to miss these small things but the small are also the important things. While we all need to be aware of the big picture we also need to be aware of the small things for they tell us so much about the people involved. Look for the small things in the people you love most.
November 3
Recently I did a “celebration of Life” for someone at a funeral home. The family and friends were having a good time sharing memories and telling stories. Then the service began. It seemed like no one knew how to make the sign of the cross or the ending of any prayer. I felt bad for the person who died. Yet I felt more sorry for those who were there. It seemed that they knew how good the person was but they had no idea about that person’s faith life. I can’t help but wonder what they thought about eternal life. I have held the hands of several folks who have died. They all had smiles on their faces because they knew about heaven. They were almost eager to see their loved ones who had gone before them and to see Jesus, face to face. At. St. Joe’s we try to make the funeral a celebration of life. Life eternal. Gathering with members of the faith community surrounds us with those who have loved us.
October 27
I hate it when folks say "That is common for old folks", or "You can't do that anymore", or "You have to slow down". Although it has been years since I graduated from high school I don't feel my age. But the sad reality is that as I do give up some things it enables someone else to show their talents and gifts. They may not do it the way I do but they are not me. Doing things in a new way can bring new insight and better ways to doing most things. Everything changes. Except me. I am still 18. Or nearly so.
October 14
This past weekend I was in Wisconsin for a wedding. I went on line and wrote down directions. The directions never mentioned road construction but since I knew the numbers of the highways I needed there was no problem reaching my destination. On Monday of this past week I was driving behind someone who appeared to be unsure where they were going. What I found humorous is that they had their GPS system because I could see it looking through their back window. When they finally determined where they were going to turn, they ran a red light. No one was hurt. Technology is important because so much of our life is dependent upon technology. But like anything it is only good if you use it. I wonder if we tend to use technology too much so that we forget we can also use other things to achieve the same conclusion. Faith does not tells us what to do but helps us make better decisions based upon our knowledge of Jesus and his words.
October 7
I am amazed by the inventiveness and creativity of human beings. In the 1950’s one of my grandfathers died of stomach cancer. They only had one kind of chemo that they used for every cancer. Now the doctor will mix things to fit you specifically. So things like your blood type, your sex, your nationality, your family history, and others are all added together to get the mixture that best suits you. With COVID there is a teacher who invented a mask so little kids can pull up a flap to insert the straws from those small containers of juice. When done you just pull the straw out and the flap goes down and it seals again. Another teacher invented a mask that you see through, sort of like a C-PAP mask. Kids can see her and things work better. Three companies have developed vaccines in the US. Many other companies around the world have created other vaccines. Zoom was little known until we were keeping our distance from others for safety sake. The creativity of the human race seems to know no bounds. Isn’t God incredible to give us such ability, creativity and diversity to do so many things when we see possibilities?
September 23
There is a story in the gospels that Jesus tells. There is a tree that is not dong well. The owner tells the steward to cut it down. The steward asks if he can try for one year to nurture it along and if, at the end of the year, it is dong no better, then he will cut it down. It reminds me of how easy it is for us to quit on something because it did not work as quickly as we wanted it to happen. Young children will break into wailing and tears because something they wan tis not available. It sounds as if it is the end of the world. Maybe for them it is. We don’t tend to wail because we don’t get our way but sometimes it seems to me we quit too early because it does not happen fast enough to please us. Thank goodness God is nice quite so quick to demand results. Instead God hangs in there and keep nudging us to make those changes. God ain’t done with me yet, so hand in there and let God have time to help me fix what needs fixing.
September 5
The other day I ran into some laundered money. No, it was not counterfeit. Just money I forgot to take out of my pants when doing the laundry. It is now crisp and clean. No germs on that one. I have done my own laundry for years. I know I should be checking my pockets before putting them in the hamper and before they go into the wash. But I get lazy once in a while and take things for granted. We probably tend to do that in a lot of places. We do it because it has become a routine that we do because it does not require any thought. It is easy to do that with spouses to. We talk about the same old thing and hardly even go back to revisit former topics. Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why did your actions trigger my reaction? During COVID I have found myself thinking like I did as a younger person. In asking myself why, it is because I did that for so long without thinking. Reflecting upon my childish ways has helped me realize that family habits are tough to change. Even when we want to. If this has happened to you may I suggest you go back and look at old family of origin habits and see if you are acting the way you want now that you are an adult. Fr. Mike
August 20
The other day I had a knot in my shoelace. I remember as a kid trying to untie my shoe and getting frustrated that a knot happened. I would pull on those strings so hard and then finally go to my mother to untie them. She would use her fingernails (or sometimes a tine from a fork) to patiently untie them. Pulling never worked. So I always smiling at Mass when I see parents and the patience they show with their children. Some are playing. Some are eating. Some want to go to the bathroom. And again. And again. Most parents have much more patience then they think they do. So then I change my thinking to God. If earthly parents know how to show so much patience with their children because we know they are young and learning, how much more patience God must have with us. Sometimes we make the same mistake over and over, never seeming to catch on that we are going to get the same results. Yet God continues to pour His love upon us. Thank you God for letting me be a little child, even when I don’t know I am acting like one. Fr. Mike
August 5
This past week we heard that 3 of the 4 quarterback for the Vikings were ineligible to play because they either were positive or exposed to someone who was positive for COVID. Then we heard they have the fewest players in the NFL who have been vaccinated. Guess we know why they can’t win. Stupid usually does not bring success. Some may claim there has not been enough testing on the vaccine. Guess 40 years is not long enough for them. But then throw away your cell phone because we don’t know if that cell next to your ear causes cancer. Or some may say they don’t want to be told what to do. Guess there is no reason to have a play called during a game. We’ll just all do what we want to do. No need to work out, avoid drugs, engage in physical battery. We can just do what we want. Some may claim it is a religious thing. Not sure what that would be as the vaccines are using RNA and not DNA. Everyone has RNA and it is easily obtained from people. That is the Vikings. Then we look at society as a whole. And we see the same lame excuses. I do things as an adult because it is good for my family? Is it only my pleasure or do I take into consideration those I love? Regardless of how the information about COVID have come out or what the mandates may have required, getting the vaccine now just seems to make sense. This new strain causes more people to go to the hospital, needing more intense care, and kills more young people at a higher rate than the older versions. Seems to me the decision to get vaccinated just makes sense for the Body of Christ to remain healthy.
August 1
I’m 29. OK, maybe 39. But not a day older than 40. At least that is how it seems to me most of the time. Then a sibling dies and the reality of life breaks in upon my fantasy world. I’m not planning on going anywhere tomorrow or any time in the immediate future, but I realize that I am going to retire at some point. While at my brother’s funeral last week one of my young relatives (a 58 year old man) asked me when I was going to retire and what I planned to do in retirement. It was a sobering thought. It is easy to imagine that I will live until I want to die, or forever. Whichever comes first. But death to anyone, especially a family member, makes me realize that death is as certain as life. One follows the other. So while I relish this life and this faith community there is something beyond that I know too little about. But the reality is I need to think about that in very concrete terms. I pray that my brother’s death would help me focus more clearly upon living this life as if it were practice for eternal life with my God, my family and those whom I love.
July 16
I went on a few days of vacation with several priest friends of mine recently. It was nice to be in the company with those we know and can feel relaxed around. I could do what I want, when I want and even choose to not do what someone else wanted to do. That kind of comfort comes with a strong sense of deep care and affection between people. I don't think it comes quickly and it does require that I put myself out to listen to them and care deeply for the other person. When people join a faith community they have the ability to choose the level of commitment they want to experience. It seems to me that folks want to join our faith community because they sense the real care you show one another. That kind of trust and care is something we all need and crave. This faith family is only a family because you make it a family. Thank you.
July 9
At our family gatherings as I was growing up, it always seemed that there were little babies around. They would get passed from one person to another. We all held them, fed them and many of us would change diapers. Hearing their cries I think I was getting to the point where I could tell why they were crying. They were hungry, needed burping and a change of diapers. Their cries always helped me see the cycle of life. During Mass I sometimes hear a child cry or talk to mom or dad. It reminds me again that we all started that way and crying or talking is normal. It is the way they communicate. So when you see me lose my place it is frequently because I have heard a child say something or saw mom and dad respond to a child. It distracts me from the Eucharist but reminds me that it is in this life where I see Christ most clearly. Thank you for sharing your babies and small children with us. Jesus said we are to become like little children so the fact that you share your child with us should be a reminder to all of us that God loves us as much as you love your child.
July 2
As a small boy my grandmother used to tell me stories of what it was like when she was a little girl. It was fascinating because I could not imagine living in a world like she described. She saw so many things change from the late 1800’s until the early 1960’s. My dad used to tell stories of what he and his brother did as little kids in the early 1900’s. Now I hear what young people tell me they are doing in school, in extracurricular activities, and on a computer. Then I pause to think how much things have changed since I was a little boy. The world does not slow down for any of us but keeps right on spinning by. I wonder if COVID has given us a chance to look at the things we have given up and to reassess if any of those things are worth reclaiming. Families have spent more time together. Children have interacted with parents more than in earlier times. As adults we have seen the value of face to face interaction. I hope and pray that I and all adults have taken the time to look at things we gave up because the world was changing so fast and look if we gave up some things that were too important and reclaim the good things.
June 25
When you drive around Maple Grove there all kinds of signs of businesses and offices trying to hire people. I hear that it is even true of school. I know it certainly is true for the job positions we have posted. Not only are there no qualified people applying but even the unqualified people are not applying. This is an unusual position with the very high unemployment rate last summer and fall. Not everyone retired. If we have a lot of folks who are without a job, I would think that somewhere there is a job that fits that person's interests and talents. But, just as living through COVID was strange, being in this employment situation is also strange. Many times I would think that my job was full-time, but it was not a lifetime. I wonder what God has up his sleeve?
June 17
This past week I heard from one of my nephews that my oldest sibling, one of my brothers, is suffering from degenerative congestive heart failure. He is expected to die within a few weeks to a few months. It reminds me that all of life is short, no matter if we live to be 10 or 110. In comparison to eternity, life is always short. Certainly COVID has taught all of us the value of family and friends. Having experienced the loss of close contact with those we love for so many months, we are aware of how important their contact is. Has this awareness made you see life differently? It has brought home to me the value of connecting often, in person, phone or Skype, with those we love. They are the source of our daily strength. Who is your source of strength? What are you doing differently now than you did a year ago?
June 3
Many years ago I took the Myers-Briggs personality profile. It measures a number of things but one of those things that struck me then, and it continues even now, was the fact that I scored so heavily on the extrovert scale. The woman who gave this to me said she had rarely seen anyone that strong on that scale. With the pandemic these past 14 months I have felt the absence of people so much it is hardly describable. I did not realize how much I identify the people of the parish as my family. My siblings have told me how much they missed not being able to see their children and grandchildren and I certainly empathize with them when we did not have church inside, or even when we were inside, how much I missed not seeing faces. It is so good to see so many members of my family are back celebrating with us on weekends now. Thank you. I look forward to the many more faces who will be returning in the coming months. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, I can certainly attest to that. I love you and look forward to sharing our Sunday meal with you again.
May 27
In one of the first parishes I worked at I led the closing months of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). There were 3-4 couples of which one had been married for 10 years or so and two more who were planning on getting married later that year. The married couple were expecting their second child which would give them 2 under the age of 3. One of them was giving advice to the other two about to be married by telling them “We waited for 7 years to have children. I would never had any if I had known how much they would change our lives.” My response was “Maybe you should not have waited 7 years to have your first!” From my perspective, knowing that I have not actually raised any children, is that children automatically draw us out of ourselves. Children draw us into the neighborhood, into the schools, and into the extracurricular activities kids want to get involved in. We have to get involved in community again. The church doesn’t really demand involvement but I have found the more involved a person is, the greater the ownership and commitment. Of course with the commitment comes the reward of knowing others and a feeling of joy for sharing their faith.
May 23
The other day while driving to work I heard two radio announcers responding to a story. When they heard the story the both came away with totally different understandings. It story did not even affect either one but they were staunch in their understanding. It reminded me that men and women see most things in totally different ways. While that can cause some distress it can also offer an opportunity to seek clarification from one another. How did you get to your conclusion? What facts are important to you? Is there anything in your life that has happened that might affect how you see this issue? And many more questions. Clearly woman and man are different in many ways, but when married they are determined to work their way through the difficulty. The Heavenly Father and Jesus are also different. It is in sharing their difference so totally that they become one as our God. Almost anything that is a challenge can also be seen as an opportunity. The choice is up to me.
Fr. Mike
April 29
Sometimes I wonder if we realize the gift of the Eucharist that Jesus gave to us. With the children receiving first communion these past two weekends it could have been an opportunity to remember our own first communion. In some ways it is like being able to move from the kids table to the adult table at big family gatherings. We are excited to sit with the big people. We are cautious because we don't know what they are talking about or how to act at this table. But we feel great pride because our parents are recognizing that I am growing up. Since we made our first communion I would hope that we have grown in our faith. We see the Eucharist different now than we did years ago. Their reception is an opportunity to reflect how we have grown. Hopefully, it is a time to reflect what our relationship is like now with the Lord. If it is the same as when we are 8, maybe we need to grow. Fr. Mike
April 22
Years ago there was a young man from Asia who lived with another priest and I while learning English and finishing his education in the US. One time I was happy to see that he had invited his friends over for the evening. When I greeted them they began to laugh. Since I love to laugh I asked this young man what they were laughing about. Sheepishly he told me they had said: “all you white people look alike.” I burst out laughing as well because as I was growing up in northwestern Minnesota we had no people of color at all. We frequently said the same thing about folks from Asia. He was not happy. So he and I engaged in a process of him helping me identify people from different areas of Asia while I helped him identify white people. It was a great learning experience for me. The reason I bring this up is the unrest recently in Brooklyn Park over the shooting death of a young black man. I bet that the experience African-American people have in our cities of police and the total community gives them an impression from which they see the world. I also bet that the experience police and those who are white have of people from every other culture gives them a perspective from which they act. What a difference it would make if we actually talked to one another and maybe shared our experience of one another. My experience is that everyone has the same goals and aspirations. We just see how we obtain them as being different. I treasure the people from around the world who help make up our parish. They add to the diversity of our parish and enrich each of us. I encourage us to speak to others so we can discover we have more things that unite us then things that divide us. We can learn more about ourselves and our perspectives. We will treasure others more. Fr. Mike
April 15
The people who have come inside the church within the past year have been very responsible in keeping good safety protocols. As a result I have not heard of a single case where people caught the virus at church and only a couple of cases where it appears people came to church, kept all of our safety protocols, and later were tested positive. But because of them keeping our protocols they have not spread the virus. SO, we are going to attempt to return communion reception to the normal time within the Mass. There are some bumps we expect to encounter but together we can work those out. We want to be aware of our families who have remained faithful by attending Mass in the parking lot. To enable them to hear all of the music and announcements we hope to distribute communion as the final song is being sung. This weekend we are beginning the celebrations of many of our young members receiving Eucharist for the very first time. Congratulations to them and the hard work of their parents. Because receiving both the Body and Blood of Jesus at communion time we have found a way we can distribute the blood to a very small number of people. So that will extend our time these two weekends. Please be patient with us as we keep people safe but also restore greater normalcy to our celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Fr. Mike
Apri 8
I love children. The littlest ones have so much energy and enthusiasm for anything and everything. The older ones have grown so much. Now I understand why grandparents will so often say “My. You’ve grown so much!” I am sure they don’t see that because they live with their lives every day. But for those of us to have not seen them for a long time, they are well along the way to maturing into adults. I reflect that all of the children who are in high school and lower grades have all been born since I came here. In some cases this is the only parish they know. They are sometimes shocked to discover that every parish is not like this one. The very fact that they tell me that is an encouraging sign that their faith does make a difference in their lives. They may not admit it, but it does. So I want to tell every parent that at times it might look like you are not getting through to your teenager. But you are. They hear and see what you say and do. They follow in your footsteps in many ways. So be alert to your own actions. Without even intending it, you teach your children. Fr. Mike
March 25
It has been fun for me over the years to see small children grow into big children and then into adults. Because I have been here for so many years all of the children have been born after my arrival. What a wonder to see these darling babies learn to walk, talk, and move about on their own. How excited they become when they can show me the pictures they have colored or tell me of what they have done in school. If is an honor for me to see one of the people I baptized now serving at the altar. And this year, with the virus. To see how tall the older children have become in one year. I understand better why grandparents frequently say “You’ve gotten so big!” What happens when we see our relationship with God grow the same way? Some children will call me God or Jesus. I know I am not but I bet the parents have told them they are going to God’s house. Am I their first impression of God? As they begin school, is God an old man with a long white beard? As they receive the sacraments is God seen as a law giver and punisher? Is God a loving God who wants to cradle them in His arms? As teenagers how do we see God? And once we transition from our parents house, how do we see ourselves interact with God? As we grow older what is our image of God? I see God as not changing so much as I am changing so my idea and impression of God is changing. It is delightful to see grandparents be so loving, caring, forgiving, and delighting in small things with their grandchildren. Can God be less? Happy Easter! Fr. Mike
March 17
Maybe it is the long haul for this virus but I find I am getting more upset with folks who claim what we are doing and how we are doing things is based upon medicine and science. Should we or should we not wear a mask? Is this or is this not an airborne illness? (In late October the CDC said "We think this is an airborne illness.) We had 9 months to figure out how to distribute a vaccine. We still change the how each week. We still change the who and where each week. Neither medicine nor science would suggest using a lottery to pass out this vaccine. Science and medicine have no idea how to have small town businesses continue to operate when it is mandated they shut down for months with no idea when they might reopen. Science and medicine have no idea how to help restaurants survive. A year ago the governor used the "science" of two college seniors who majored in statistics (according to the U of M web site.) to tell us that 76,000 to 78,000 Minnesotans were going to die of this virus. Two days later he told Minnesotans that we had a right to see democracy at work so he was going to work with the legislature. Both were either wrong or lies. Neither is true. Don't get me wrong. Both medicine and science are trying to do their best but this is a new thing. Neither know the right answer. They are doing the best as things change from week to week. But I believe it is time to stop making things up and to admit they do not have answers. They are simply trying to do their best. If there had been an effort to try to educate us about what this virus looked like, how it spreads, and how we might limit that, I believe we would be further along the path to recovery. Mandating and dictating how we must act is treating us like 5 year-olds. Most adults in Minnesota are highly educated. We are not little children and it would be nice to be treated as if we could actually understand this if it was explained. I would be more willing to give them leeway if they just admitted they don't have answers. They are just discovering and adapting as things evolve. We don't need to have answers for something that is new and changing. We just need these leaders to be honest with us. Done with the rant. Fr. Mike
March 10
I may be getting older. Lately I have found that as I look for things I discover them either already in my possession or in a highly visible setting. What I have also noticed is that dealing with this virus has really disrupted our routines. We used to get up at a certain time. Now it is frequently when we wake up with no alarm. We have a routine in the morning of brewing coffee, grabbing the paper, sitting down for breakfast and maybe catching the news on TV to see if anything broke overnight. Now, we do this at a much more leisurely pace. Some folks have jokingly told me that they have gotten used to watching Mass on TV with their coffee in hand, in their slippers and having the ability to put the mass on pause while they do something else. Some have even said they can fast forward. I hope that is not during the homily. We drop and add routines over the course of our lifetime but I want to consciously make those decisions. I don’t want my actions to come about because I happen to fall into them. If you have noticed some of your routines have been replaced you might want to ask yourself that same sort of question. How did it come about that I chose this particular routine to change one of my long standing routines? The answer might surprise all of us. Fr. Mike
PS: During March all of us are a bit Irish so Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Fr. Michael Sullivan
March 4
At the very beginning of the bible we see that Adam and Eve think differently. And so ever since then we have realized men and women think, feel and act differently from one another. Boys and girls do things differently. Children see the world differently from parents. And grandparents see the world different from the parents of the grandchildren. The difference are good things as they challenge us to see the world from someone else’s perspective. The pattern of religious education we have used for decades really only began in the late 1900’s. Before that everyone sat through the 30-45 minute homily/sermon the priest gave. Thank goodness those days are gone. As the decades went along we added books, movies, videos, and now we are into computers and Zoom. We have changed as our resources have changed. The virus is good from the standpoint of making us look at what we have done and seeing the opportunity to see things in new ways. We want to be masters of our technology, not slaved to it. We often joke (at least us older folks) that if we have a problem with our computer just ask a 5-year-old. They can do it and even fix it. They are growing up with this technology so it is normal for them. Not much for the older folks. I believe we either figure out how to use technology or it is going to use us. We are not worshiping the computer. We worship God. Computers need to help us see things differently, but also to help us worship God. Think of that for a bit. Fr. Mike
February 25
When COVID started in mid-March last year at first I thought this was going to be a couple of weeks. OK. A couple of months. OK, the summer. OK the rest of the year. Well, darn it, this thing is lasting a lot longer than I want. I wonder if my thinking and waiting is what the early Christians experienced. They thought Jesus was coming back tomorrow. Well, OK. Next week. As time dragged on for them they had to change their thinking. I am hopeful we don’t have to wait 2000 years for a solution to this virus, but it might teach us the need to be mindful of each and every day. Those early Christians did not get to decide when Jesus was returning. We don’t get to decide when this virus is over or contained. But we can and need to choose each day to live as people of hope. People who believe God is watching over us. God is helping us see what our faith is and how deep it might be. After nearly a year of this virus, have you looked deeper into your faith?
February 17
The other day I was driving up and down Hemlock lane. It really felt like an old washboard. We don’t have those anymore so you may need to look that up. The up and down motion was jarring. I don’t remember that happening in the past. But it seems appropriate this year. With this virus spreading around it has seemed like a lot of up and down for me and society as a whole. In the beginning I was thinking this would be a couple of weeks, or maybe a month at the most. We would be back for Easter. Then we would certainly be back by the end of May. Ok, well maybe the end of the summer. As things have dragged on I am now not guessing anymore but instead playing it by the information coming from the medical field. Even if we distribute 1.5 million doses per day it will take until late this year before everyone, or at least most, are vaccinated. It also seems every week or so there is more information about the virus. There are now several variants and we know little about some of them. Does that mean anything? I don’t know. What I have found that that the “shock absorber” for me is faith. While the world bounces along, faith in God’s unconditional love and care for us sustains me. I hope your faith has helped you as well.
February 11
Some people have told me over the years they don’t like coming to church because it is the same old thing each week. I have to smile because all of us like routine or a ritual. In early June after graduating from 8th grade I broke my left arm. They put a cast on it that went from my upper arm to the wrist. Being left handed I either had to feed one of my sisters or learn how to eat right handed. So I made it a point to learn how to do everything right handed that I also did left handed. Without even thinking about it we brush our teeth the same every time. We tie our shoes the same way every morning. Try switching the routine for a week. Many of the things we do we do without even consciously deciding how to do that project. We simply have done it so many times. But if you pay attention at Mass you will hear the prayers changing, the reading changing the homily is different, and many times the Eucharistic Prayer changes. I made the switch to use my right hand for many things because I wanted to experience that sensation. The more we put into anything the more we get out of that experience. Notice how you put your socks, shoes and tying them on day. Then see how hard it is to change every day for a week.
February 3
While in the seminary one of my classmates and I were discussing the size of the parish we wanted to serve in. He said a small parish and I argued a large one. Eventually we talked about how small is small. He said 1500 families. While serving and living in those small towns that was larger than many of the towns where I worked. That made me think how we can use the same word but mean two entirely different things. Since members of our parish come from all over the world I am eager to learn how they worship in those other lands. How do they make family work? What is their educational system like? What are living conditions like there? There are lots of questions but I have learned to not necessarily accept what someone says as if that has the same meaning I have when I say the same thing. Asa a result that has helped me become more open to other possibilities because in those other lands how they do things works for them. I realize how foolish it is for me to think that my experience is the correct way of doing things when so many other places and people do it differently. My way works for me but your way works for you. Maybe by dialogue we can find a way that works for both of us. How about you? Jesus came using the same words and prayers other people did at that time. But he usually meant something very different than what they thought he was saying because His relationship with the Father was so intimate. During Lent what am I going to do to deepen my relationship with God? Now is a good time to reflect upon Lenten resolutions. Fr. Mike
January 28
Pope Francis has written several encyclicals and books during his episcopacy on friendship, fellowship and moving forward as a human family. In all of these writings it appears to me that he must have snuck into our church and witnessed how well you express these things in your life and in the life of the parish. We have people from all over the world who come here to worship. Each brings a different perspective on God and the worshipping experience. They enrich our parish so much. But they also prove to be very flexible because how we do things is very different then what they have experienced. As I look at the fracture in our society I see folks not willing to enter into dialogue with others and instead point a finger at the other person. It appears to me here that we may see things differently than others but we are willing to sit down an listen, to share with one another and to work for solutions. Of course I believe my way is best because that is what I believe. But we are also wise enough to know that we don’t have all the answers. So it is important to see things for another person’s experience. Instead of the virus separating us it has called us to listen more carefully to the other. See how their experience and view brings new light onto a subject. And when we work together very good things can happen. The virus may cause us to physically distance ourselves from one another but in other ways it has helped us bind closer together. Thank you, Pope Francis, for putting into words the lived example of the people of St. Joseph the Worker.
Fr. Mike
January 20
During my 40 years as a priest there have been many unusual and first time things that have happened to me. My first experiences of Reconciliation, baptisms, funerals and weddings were all extremely great occurrances because of the depth of each persons faith. Each parish offered new ways of doing things because each parish was unique. In the first parish where I was pastor the staff had to remind me “this is not your old parish!” So I learned a bit about grief even in good times. There were unusual experiences months and even a year in advance that could be attributed to luck or the Hand of God. The wisdom of youth, even when they are not aware of what they are saying. Then I listen to my siblings tell about their experiences. Their experiences are different then mine but each of theirs has also been a learning and growing experience. I am continually amazed how God is working in the lives of people whether we know it or not. God continues to lead us along a path way where the events of today are many times preparations for the things yet to come. I marvel how you can raise children, if it is one or 10 (actually 8 is the most I have heard of in my 40 years), love them all, treat each one different because they ware, yet treat them fairly. I appreciate the struggle you go through as you watch your children grow into adults, making good as well as bad choices. Yet loving them all the time. Over the weekend many of you expressed to me how great it was that I have been a priest for 40 years and do such a good job testifying to the faith I have in God. I am equally amazed by you and how you have shown me the amazing work of God in your life. You are probably not even aware of it, but your very lives speak to me of the goodness of God and His incredible love. May we continue to grow in love of the Lord and one another.
Fr. Mike
January 14
This weekend I am celebrating my 40th anniversary of my ordination. I remember that in the beginning I was the priest the diocese used to fill in all sorts of places. In my first 5 years I was assigned 17 parishes. At least on temporary duty. That is not a good way to begin my priesthood. It was not because I was so hard to get along with, they just needed a priest in those unique circumstances. Now I am half way through my 21st year at St. Joseph the Worker. The journey has been long and certainly not smooth. But if you have been married for at least 40 years, there were tough times in your marriage. I think it is because we have invested our hearts and years into making something a success and we don’t want to risk throwing it away. When, or if, we make it through that rough spot our love is simply stronger. No one had been prepared for COVID-19. Not politicians, not doctors or hospitals, not medical companies that sell vaccines and not companies that make all the things people were hording. Every day we learn something new about this virus. We can get through this event because we have all gone through ugly events. SO we hang in there and do the best we can do. You are the best. It probably is because I have been here so long that gives me the heart to say I love all of you. I love grandparents, parents, children, single, married, divorced, gay members, new and long time members. I simply love serving you for you have become my face of God. Fr. Mike
January 7
22-23 years ago I was serving at a parish in northwest Minnesota. Every year I was there was a horrific year for the whole community. Particularly in 1997-98 when the town I was living in had 3 floods in 365 days. Everytime the water was lapping at the church doors. Thankfully there was no flooding in the church or my house. But the rest of the town and most farmers around those towns were greatly affected. Those are the only 3 weekends when I have not been able to celebrate Mass with a community. I thought what better day to celebrate the Lord’s Supper then those days when everybody else was forced to stay in their homes or abandon them because of the floods. Those were terrible times for me. I became very depressed with all these losses and my inability to do anything. I was very unhappy with God and I let Him know that. Those terrible years led me to St. Joseph the Worker 20 years ago. I never dreamed that out of those rotten times something good could happen. But being in this parish is truly the highlight of my years as a priest. If you are feeling a bit depressed, angry, or even just down in the dumps because of COVID I can understand because I am as well. There are certainly days when I let God know that I don’t approve of this at all. I’m am not sure He is listening, but it makes me feel better. Then I think back to those terrible years in the other parish and I am thankful I was there. It helped me be a little more patient with this ugly virus now. I have no idea what is going to come out of this. But God has always seemed to pull people through no matter how terrible we think things are. So if you are upset because of this, shake your fist at God, yell, scream, or whatever you do to let out anger or any other emotion. It will do you good and I know God can take it. He is pretty big and won’t feel upset. Fr. Mike
Deccember 29
These past few weeks have been a banner year for people purchasing things on line. But as Christmas drew nearer and nearer it seemed to me that the aisles of stores were more crowded than usual. What struck me was that although there were a lot of people shopping they seemed to be more polite. Often people would let those with fewer items go ahead of them as they checked out. People greeted others with a “Merry Christmas” and not seasons greetings. It is strange but in some ways this virus seems to have helped many people realize that while things are important to us and our families, politeness still has a place in our society. As the virus has continued and as the shutdown of various parts of our society has continued, we seem to take greater notice of others. Years ago while visiting nursing homes many of the elderly were eager to tell me of the good old days. Eager to listen it was amazing how many went back to tell stories of what they did during the depression. How were these the good old days? In every story it was not about the things they had or did not have, it was about the things they did with other people. Maybe this virus will teach us as a society that people remain the most important thing in our lives. Now, we have to figure out ways to make those connections stronger because we will come out of the pandemic. But we don’t want to go back to a society that is too busy to notice others. Fr. Mike
December 17
With every ending there is a new beginning. I might leave one school and go to another. I leave behind some friends but acquire new friends. I leave home to go to college. So I leave the cocoon of my family to step into the greater world and live on my own. I have to take on new responsibilities. I graduate from college and get my first real job. Again I leave the safety of a college environment to now enter the world of business. I get promoted and go to another town. I leave behind neighbors and friends to move to a new house, new town, and new people. I would like to think of our dealing with COVID-19 as an end to some things while at the same time an opportunity to embrace new things. Maybe as we have less people at our Christmas gathering this year it will remind us that gift giving and receiving is nice, but it pales in comparison to the people relationships we have. When we come out the other side of this virus I would pray and hope that I have a greater appreciation for the people I love and for those I know love me. This is a new beginning. May it bring new fruit to our lives this Christmas. Fr. Mike
December 10
My mother was 100% German (Austrian) and my father was 100% Irish. that makes me half German but mostly Irish. My mother told me that the story of the Christmas tree began in Germany. Centuries ago the people there did not have any creche's. So, they would go outside and decorate a tree to remind themselves of Christ coming into the world to bring light in the midst of darkness. When trees were finally brought inside candles were fashioned to the trees. Many of them burned the tree and the house. When the tree was brought inside most folks would look for a tree that was not perfect. Like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. The idea of one not being perfect was really to emphasize that no person is perfect but the light of Christ comes into their lives also. This year when you put up and decorate your tree, I would ask you to maybe leave one spot that is not perfect. Remind yourself and your whole family, that none of us are perfect. Jesus doesn't care. He comes into all of our lives. Fr. Mike
December 3
A number of years ago some folks were suggesting that we have a new religion in the US. It is called football or the NFL. We pack in tens of thousands of folks every weekend and broadcast to millions more every game. Our hopes and dreams are shattered or built up because our team has won. Today we hear that scientist and medical experts are the Oracles of Truth as the tell us what to do to combat COVID-19. What strikes me is that we place all of our hope into one group as if that group knows all the answers. It makes me smile when I hear that they are still completing studies in which they discover new things about the VIRUS. If it is a new study and there are new discoveries, then you obviously don’t have all the answers. IN October, for example, the CDC said they Think COVID is an air-borne virus. I thought that is why we wear masks? They have discovered that young people more frequently have less severe effects, if any at all, than us old folks, like me. But they have also discovered that young people are really good at spreading the disease. Yes, we need to consult these people. But because this is a new disease there is still much to learn about it. For many years the Church was considered the oracle of all knowledge. We made many mistakes because we didn’t know everything. I would hate for us to place all our hope and dreams in a new source or oracle, only to discover they are still learning and don’t know all the answers yet. Humanity is on a journey. We much to learn about everything. We are on a journey and that is the exciting thing. We are not there yet. With faith and hope in God we can confidently move forward, knowing that our God is accompanying us on this journey.
December 1
Have you seen a sunrise or sunset lately? Have you seen the meteor shower this month? These things remind me that this world is very small when placed in such a big environment. If God has created thousands of worlds where creatures like us could grow and thrive, and other creatures that thrive in other environments, isn’t it amazing that our God loves us enough to create this specific world for us? I am pretty insignificant when compared to the universe. Then I think, were we the only creatures where Jesus, the Son of God, came in our form and died a cruel death for our salvation? Did Jesus need to go to other worlds and do the same thing? If so, did he do this before, after or at the same time as he came to earth? No matter the answer it is incredible to think of how much our God loves us into eternity. That leads me to wonder what eternity really looks like. No one I know has that answer so I don’t go down that road very far. Has our image and concept of God changed since we have discovered so many more stars with habitable planets? To me it makes my God bigger and more incredible all the time. I thought my mom had eyes in the back of her head sometimes because she seemed to know when I was getting into trouble. Our God does not need those kind of eyes because, having created us and knowing how we think, he loves us no matter what. I pray your God continues to expand so that none of us gets locked into a God who is too small. Then He would have no room for those of us who are singer. Yes, even me. Fr. Mike
November 24 – Thanksgiving Reflection
Many years ago I had a niece who brought her current boyfriend home. At the end of our family gathering for Thanksgiving she asked me: “Uncle Mike, what do you think about my boyfriend?” I told her he was a wonderful young man. I hope he brought her joy and happiness. But he would never fit into our family. He was not crazy enough. She frowned but next year she brought a different boyfriend and asked me the same questions. So apparently she recognized the craziness in our family. Her second choice was much better (crazier) and fit into our family enough that she married him. Every family has a bit of craziness in it. Mine had a lot. So yours may fit in between. Thanksgiving was the time when our family gathered together for the big meal. At the end of the day on Thanksgiving we exchanged Christmas presents because we didn’t gather at Christmas. As time went on we moved locations because of family location. We moved dates because some of the oldest had died and trying to do this without them didn’t work. Now I am the only one in Minnesota so how I celebrate Thanksgiving has changed again. This year, with COVID it will change again. It should also change for you and your family. The year 2020 is a crazy year. Don’t make it crazier by doing crazy things. The medical people are telling us not to gather so we do not over-flood the hospitals and continue the explosion of this virus. It would be tragic if one of us got this virus at an extended family gathering for Thanksgiving, and then gave it to someone (like me or Fr. Don) and caused their premature death. That has happened and continues to happen. STOP! Don’t have those large gatherings this year for Thanksgiving or you will not have them for Christmas. This is an illness that strikes all ages. To be Christian means taking care of one another. Don’t spread the virus by making selfish decisions.
This week 4 more priests in the Archdiocese have contracted COVID and will be unable to minister in their parishes for the next two weekends. Please don’t let this happen to Fr. Don and myself or to your family. I have buried too many teenagers who have died from other causes. I don’t want to bury any more.
Fr. Mike
November 18
One of the side effects of this virus that I see is the necessity to reevaluate what we do, why we do it that way, and how can we do it differently? Hopefully in a better way. For example the wearing of masks. Now it is a very good thing. What will we do in 2 years? Will we greet others differently? Will we use more facial expressions? Will we still want to touch everyone by a hug or handshake? How else can we do this? People need physical touch in order to thrive and actually stay alive. Will we always carry sanitizer around so we can use it before any touching? Do I need to clean my coat, gloves or hat every time? How will communion work? Can we ever go back to making our own bread? Will we continue to “take” the host instead of “receiving” the host? Will we continue to receive communion as we exit the building or will we be able to move communion back to where it used to be? Why is the Mass structured the way it is in the first place? How often will we come to Mass? What age group will be coming to Mass? How will we pass on this central part of what it means to be Catholic? I am not losing sleep over these things but I do ponder them. I wonder if anyone else does either? Fr. Mike
November 12
This past Sunday as I was greeting folks coming into church a couple of young people came rushing up to me to tell me “Father, I got my flu shot and it didn’t even hurt!” They were so enthusiastic and full of joy it is hard to not to enjoy their enthusiasm. At our Sunday night reflection I spoke about how kids see their parents as capable of doing everything. Such overwhelming trust. As a parent it must be difficult to explain to them that we can’t do everything. As adults it would be nice to have that same kind of trust in God. Instead we turn to science and medicine. The trust we once had in religious leaders has now turned to human knowledge. COVID-19 is something that is brand new. We have had similar things, but not this virus. As a result we continue to see that science and medical experts continue to “discover” things about this virus. Just as it was wrong to think religion had all the answers so to is it wrong to think that humanity now knows all things. Many of you in the parish have told me that during your work people have discovered new things. We “solve” one thing only to discover that it now leads us to new unexplained things. We just seem to get deeper and deeper into the wonders of God’s creation. I don’t want us to throw up our arms and let God do everything. But I don’t want us to forget that as much as we know, there is more than that yet to be discovered. Enjoy the pleasure of one piece of the puzzle being solved while knowing that we are not anywhere near to knowing very much at all about creation, humanity, and even this virus. We need to make the journey with faith in God, not human knowledge. Fr. Mike
November 5
It is over at last. I became so tired of political ads that I had the TV remote in my hand all the time to mute those ads. It seemed that nearly every ad was about how horrid my opponent was. It was delightful to hear of at least a couple of cases where the two candidates actually praised their opponent. They said the other person was a good person and would do a good job. Dealing with COVID within our faith community I had to shake my head when people thought this was a Democrat ploy and would all be over the day after election. If that were true then every nation on earth must have Democrats spreading this in every corner of the earth. Likewise I have to shake my head when someone said they are going to consult experts and let scientists lead the way. That would mean that 48 governors and every country on earth except Russia, China, and North Korea did not have experts or scientists because only those three countries have told us they have this pandemic under control. But “don’t make the virus political.” Both sides did. Epidemiologists began meeting in 2009 to talk about the next CORONA virus. They were looking at what medicine and science should do. They were talking about how governments should be prepared. Either they knew and said nothing or they did not know. Since it seems every week the CDC or WHO have a new study it indicates to me that no one really knows much about this, which is not surprising since this is a new virus. There will be no quick answer either since there is so much about this learn about virus. What it does mean to me is that I need to be aware of my responsibility to others. Not only do I need to take care of myself I need to be sure I am watching out for others. Our faith demands I live my faith as a part of something bigger than myself. I do ask you to be careful for yourself, and also for others. Do what you can to protect yourself. Only if we all do that can we eventually gather together again. We are in for a long haul. Fr. Mike
October 29
The other day while rearranging some furniture in our house I found that afterwards the room had a new look. It made me think about how rearranging other things in my life have helped me see things from a new perspective. Before entering the seminary I took a battery of psychological tests. One of them was complete the phrase. One phrase was “I fail ….” I crossed it off and wrote “I never fail. I just don’t always succeed.” The psychologist asked me to elaborate. So I told him that to me failure is doing the same thing over and over and getting the same failed result. If I learn something from my mistake and do that thing in a new and different way, then doing it wrong the first time was not a failure. I mention this because during our battle with COVID 19 we have had to look at things in brand new ways that we never imagined. I am sure none of you imagined yourself working from home while teaching your children and running the house all at the same time. You have adapted and while not necessarily happy with that need, you have done a pretty good job being placed in new circumstances. If we look at the way we deal with this virus it seems to me we can see that we need to do things differently. Maybe even imagining who God is and how God works in our life. Since I am no longer a little child, that is a good thing so I can have a more mature relationship with God. The virus can bring about good things in unexpected ways or places, if we are willing to change how we see and do things in our life. Fr. Mike
October 22
It has been said recently that people are becoming COVID exhausted. We are tired of quarantining. We are tired of social distancing. We are tired of wearing masks. Since the medical and scientific people seem to say this will be around for a while maybe we need to look at the virus in a different light. Have you noticed the creative masks? One of my sister’s sent me a bunch of them including a couple that were for “Bride and Groom.” We gave them out recently and the couple were ecstatic that they had these. They had been looking for something like these on line and to discover them at church was a bonus. The young children have been coming to Mass with princess faces and animal faces of them. I saw one that looked like a teddy bear face. What wonderful opportunities to engage in conversation with the wearers as well as the family. Most folks are delighted to share the story of how they came to have these masks. While I have been at home more in the last months I have found the opportunity to talk across the street and even to those next door about how things are going for them. One family next door is teaching their children at home. It is fun to engage mom as the science, reading, math, spelling and so many other things. To engage dad as the physical education, science, and math teacher also. They are eager to talk about how things are going. Maybe this virus thing is exhausting but if we see it as an opportunity to enter into a deeper relationship with those we meet, that is when we are bringing Christ and the Good News to life in our world. Try it and discover how sharing good news with others can actually help you feel happier and more at peace with the changes we have made. Fr. Mike
October 14
Francis of Assisi was a very humble man. He gave up his families prestige and standing in the community to separate himself from society in general to simplify his life. His simplicity eventually had people coming to ask him for advice on how to find peace within themselves and their environment. It was his actions that helped people realize that what he said and what he did actually worked together.
That is where he found his peace. His actions were unlike religious and political leaders who relished in the pomp that went with their office. Francis comes to mind because of the rancor in our political realm today. It appears to me that leaders of both political parties, and many times their followers, are trying to convince the world that they are right because they YELL the loudest. It does not appear to me that either major candidate for president is at peace with themselves. Without that I am not surprised that they are not at peace with the world or the other party. I believe both parties are trying to find solutions to our societal difficulties. They see the problem from different perspectives and so their solutions are different. But they do not talk to one another. They talk at the other. I find it tragic that out of 330 million American citizens we would somehow think that these two men are the best we have to offer. As a people I think we lost part of the simpleness of life and peacefulness that Francis brought when we put the name “Saint” in front of his name. He becomes romanticized and idealized. Not for his peacefulness but because he did marvelous things. I can’t do what he did but I can work on my own sense of peace. Maybe the virus thing is God’s way of saying we need a time-out to reflect upon how we strive for peace, but instead revert back to saying one thing and doing another. That does not seem to be the peace that Jesus talked about. My mother used to tell me to go to my room and think about what I had done. Maybe we could use some of our downtime to think upon how we actually live our faith. Fr. Mike
October 8
Some people say they hate rituals. But our lives run on rituals. We may just use different names for the same thing. For example, about 2 days after school let out as I graduated from 8th grade I broke my left arm. They put a cast on it from my shoulder to my wrist. I could feed my neighbor but could not put food into my own mouth. Unless I changed, learning how to eat with my right hand. If you think about it you probably always brush your teeth starting at the same point every time. You put your shoes and socks on starting with the same foot. People sit at the same place at the table when they eat. People leave the car seat adjusted when they sit in the car. We take the same route to work. Ritual simply means doing something so often we know what to do without making a conscious decision. Prayer and celebrating Mass is a ritual we do so often we know what comes next. As you may have noticed, when something unusual happens at Mass I forget what comes next. (I think Fr. Don does also.) While we do so many things without thinking I have found it beneficial to reflect on occasion upon what I am doing and why. It helps make the action more impactful. So with my mask on I purposefully look for opportunities to talk to folks who are out and about, like me. Simple conversation. We are all missing that face to face contact and that may be one of the reasons we are getting so short with one another. We desperately need human contact. With this virus that sort of contact may be the best we can do for awhile.
October 1
As a young boy I used to have my toy cars and planes go zoom, zoom, zoom all the time. Today that word means a whole different thing. Most people realize the need to connect in some fashion and seeing a person is better than just a phone call. But we are getting zoomed out because we are an interpersonal being. We need to see and be around others. Even the strongest introvert needs people. For those of us who are strong extroverts, me for example, I am suffering with separation anxiety. So I have noticed that while shopping I am making small talk with other shoppers. I stop folks in the parking lot to exchange a few words. And I am sure my family and some of the staff are thinking “Why doesn’t he shut up?” One of the possible advantages of this virus is that parents and children have had a lot more time together. I pray you have used the time wisely to tell them how much you love them. How proud you are of them. How much joy they have brought into your life. Maybe even how having them in your life has made you appreciate God’s unconditional love so much more. A hug and a pat on the back goes a lot further than a harsh word. And if we have said any harsh words, an apology from an adult is a huge transformative moment for children. They hear that adults do make mistakes. That adults do need to apologize. And adults do need to ask for forgiveness. That is when others see our faith put into action.
September 23
It seems to me that every time I hear someone say “I agree with everything you have said but…” The “but” is a negation of what has just been said. I think that is one of the reasons I hate to listen to political ads every 2 years. The politician points towards the other candidate and immediately says something negative about the other person. Having been active in both parties over the years, and even voting for Jessie in 1998, it is frustrating to hear how bad the other person is without ever really offering any solution. It seems that over the years it is now who promises the best things that gets elected. There is not one who solves problems or actually has answers. It is just the best promises. It has been frustrating to hear from the Republicans that they are going to balance the budget, overturn Roe V. Wade, fix our infrastructure, and not only has none of this happened they all seem to have gotten worse. The Democrats have promised that everyone will get a good education, there will be health care for all, everyone will have a house and not need an apartment or be homeless, and racial equality will become fact. And they have gotten worse. It also appears to me that if a Democrat proposes anything the Republicans jump on board and say how terrible it is. The next round a Republican proposes the exact same thing and the Democrats jump on board to say how terrible it is. The other party is not an enemy. They are folks who see things from a different perspective. I don’t believe any Democrat or Republican actually is proposing something that is bad, on purpose.
I would hope during the coming month as elections approach we would carefully listen to both sides, trying to eliminate the shouting and name calling, while at the same time listening to hear if real action is being proposed. Neither party has ever bought into Catholic moral values when constructing their platforms. Most candidates forget their party’s platform once the advertising season begins. We need to look beyond the words to see if anyone is actually looking for solutions to our many social problems. Fr. Mike
September 16
It appears one of our neighboring priests has made the Tribune news. He was speaking about COVID and what he termed facts. As I find with most of us, we have some of the story but not all of it. We are faced with people who are on opposite sides of almost everything. Some are innocuous things like the weather or a sports team. Some might be very dear it me, but not to you. And of course some are dear to you that may not be so important to me. Pope Francis suggested the other day that we listen to the other person and ask questions that would help us understand their point of view. Then of course we would want them to listen to us with that same attentiveness. Isn’t that true for most of the questions we face in life? We come home from a bad day at work or school. Mostly we need to vent with no expectation of our family making a change. I believe that if we lend a listening ear we can empathize with the other person. If we listen closely enough maybe we can even offer a different view point, not to convince them they are wrong but to help them see different people see things from different perspectives. One side of any story is not the full truth anyway. It is just true from my standpoint. As you listen to people struggling with attempts to cope with COVID I suggest a sympathetic ear, and a lot of pausing. Mostly we cannot change anything anyway. But at least we can understand.
Fr. Mike
September 9
When I was first ordained I remember walking down the aisle of the church to start Mass when I suddenly remembered “I forgot the baptism book!” It was in my office so I could not even send anyone to get it. It was then that I realized although I like things well planned, God likes to stir things up a bit. I think He does it just to keep us on our toes. Since then I try to understand the circumstance better rather than control things. I was never very good at control anyway. So over the last six months I and the parish have had to adjust to the stirring up that we now have. So during this time of adjustment I ask myself what I have learned about me. What have I been doing one way that can be done in more than one way? How do I keep connected to those who are important to me? I hope you have asked yourself some questions. Not necessarily the ones I asked but your own questions. This can be a time of confusion or it can be a time of incredible growth. I hope you have used it as a time of growth. After all, we can’t control this virus. All we can do is adapt. Fr. Mike
September 3
Since the beginning of COVID in March people have continued to need to voice of God in their lives. They have needed the comfort of their faith. So, although to some of the outside world it would appear the church has been shut down that is definitely not the case. We have done funerals for families who have lost loved one. People have asked for and received anointing for illness, surgery or even approaching death. We have had first communion's outside after some of our Car-Masses. We have just done several small Masses for other children who have waited months to receive first communion. And other small Masses of our now Senior's in High School to be Confirmed. When people who have waited so long to return to church it is a huge boost for me to see the smiles on their faces. The joy in the heart. And the knowledge that they have longed for this union to a worshiping community. Our faith is strong in people of all ages. This crisis has made faith grow stronger in many people. May it do so for all of us. Fr. Mike
August 27
All of us have been hoping that this virus thing will get over soon and we can return to “normal”. The longer it goes, however, the more we have to be able to see that whatever happens in the future, there is no going back. Things will never return to what it was like in 2019. Decades ago Elizabeth Kubler-Ross did a book on “Stages of Death and Dying”. She later expanded the book to add one more step and to expand the idea of loss to virtually everything in life. When we graduate from high school, there is no going back, just going on. When we move from one job to another, there is loss. When we move from one thing to another, even when we want to move ahead, there is loss. But behind each loss is a doorway to something new. We naturally grieve the loss of something we are familiar with. Maybe that is why graduating seniors felt a loss at not having things the way they used to be or that they anticipated. That is probably why athletes were upset that seasons or events got cancelled. So a question that ought to be on our minds is “How will we do things in this new world?” Will schools always be in a classroom? Will the structure of Mass return to the way it is “supposed” to be? Will we go to work like we were doing or thought we were going to do? There averaged one Church Council every 50 years or so up to the Second Vatican Council (and 400 years between Trent and Vatican II). That was 60 years ago. Maybe we need another one to ask “How are we going to do/be church in the future?” Remember, there is no going back, only going forward. What will your world look like next year? Fr. Mike
August 19
Years ago there was a young man from Viet Nam who lived with another priest and I for about 18 months. I learned to like rice a lot more. My Irish father never knew rice existed, I am sure. But I also learned from him some of the ways that people from different cultures see the world and are able to identify each other. Generally speaking I looked at people and used the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, their facial features, their height and weight and their age to tell folks apart. Other parts of the world look for other identifying characteristics when they identify people. Once I began to look for some of the things he pointed out to me it became easier to identify people using more elements that make each person unique. That helps me realize that it is easy to put people into a box without becoming aware of differences. Those differences become assets that expand my vision of the world and the magnificence of God in creating each person different from any other person. If each snowflake is different, why not each person? As I wander about during my attempts to journey through this virus, I now look for difference in people. And what I see not only their differences, but how we are bonding together as we all struggle to work our way through this calamity. No one knows how to do things exactly right. No one has the medical or scientific answer as to what comes next. But we are engaged in a common struggle. And that can serve as the agent that binds us together.
Fr. Mike
August 13
It seems to me that every week the information from the medical field dealing with this COVID-19 changes. It seems that scientists are struggling to understand, limit and then eliminate this virus from the human race. It may be about how the virus is spread, who contracts it, who is the most vulnerable, why does it seems to strike one group more than another, how does this virus work that makes it so different than other viruses, and then all of the questions about schools, extra-curricular activities and masks. One thing that does seem to be happening from my perspective it is driving us into the arms of God and Jesus. Despite the best knowledge of humans we are realizing that if we want something steady it only comes from God. The questions will probably continue for months and maybe even years. But the faithfulness of God is constant. I pray you might use this time wisely in praying more to God. Maybe even creating your own prayer. Praying with our children around the table, at the end of the day and maybe even praying so they hear us when we are putting them to bed. They are God’s gift to us and praying with them gives them a powerful moment to realize how grateful we are that God has blest us with these people in our lives. We can, and do make a difference in the world around us.
Fr. Mike
August 5
We are in the middle of what the Church celebrates now, Ordinary Time. One thing that this virus has done is help us orientate ourselves to a normal which we have not had before. Families are discovering ways to interact that we had forgotten about. Some families are doing game night. Some are doing movie night. Some are making popcorn and sitting around a fire to tell stories. Children are hearing family stories we have not been telling because our lives were too rushed with all of the other activities we and our children were involved in. Did you know that the more often you sit at a table to eat with your family the better your children will do in school? The more they will make good choices. The more they will avoid “friends” who make bad choices and will choose friends who will help them make strong, good choices. Eating and spending time with our children will help them now and help society in the future. That is the ordinary things that we are reclaiming. Decades ago I remember elderly folks then saying the best time of their lives was during the depression. When pressed it was always because of the family interaction and doing things with neighbors and extended family. Children will remember much more their working and playing alongside mom and dad then they will any object we give them. You are the most precious gift you can give your children. Use this time wisely.
Fr. Mike
July 29
The other day I saw Superman. At least that was what was on the t-shirt the man was wearing as he was entering the store I was leaving. So I asked Superman if he could destroy this enemy, the virus. He and I both laughed and he responded that he would try. This virus, mask wearing and limiting our interaction with folks can easily weigh us down. But every day when we get up we have the power to choose how we are going to respond to events of the day. We can do so with a dower face or outlook. Or we can choose to celebrate the fact that God has given us another day. If we respond in gratitude for what we do have instead of complain about what we don’t have, we can make a difference in the lives of those we touch today. I hope the laughter I brought to Superman the other day was an outlook changer for him and his family. One can bring a smile to the faces of those we interact with, or we can choose to bring them down. A follower if Christ would tend to lift people up, I think. Change a life today. Bring humor or a positive outlook to someone else and see if your outlook doesn’t also improve. Maybe you will meet Wonder Woman!
Fr. Mike
July 16
I don’t know about you but I am tired of this stupid COVID-19 thing. I want to go around like I used to, doing the things I used to, and going to families houses to share a meal with them. And then I realize that my choices affect a lot of other people. If I wear a mask in a store I help protect other shoppers. More importantly I help the employees stay healthy and the store to stay open. Reflecting further upon the idea of masks I realize I might even be helping me protect myself because I am in the age group that is vulnerable. While my latest annual physical said I was in great health that is not going to protect me from catching this virus. At the funerals, burials, weddings and even the outdoor Masses I am becoming more aware that wearing a mask is a good thing. The difficulty is that for most things it takes about 10 years to become the norm. Think of seatbelts in the car. Kids now days think this is what they are supposed to do. When I was learning to drive we didn’t even have them in cars. With this virus I am afraid we don’t have 10 years. SO it is probably better to realize that simple things to protect others, sanitizers, face masks and distances, are really protecting me. If we all work together it helps all of us. Hmm. That is what church is as well. Isn’t that interesting? Working together for the common good is what the Body of Christ is all about.
July 9
The summer between my 8th and 9th grade I broke my left arm the day after school let out. They put a cast on it from my wrist to my armpit. Being left handed this presented some obstacles. I could not feed myself for example. It was hard to tie my shoes. It was difficult to brush my teeth. So moving the obstacles to opportunities I learned out to eat right handed. To tie my shoes in a new way. And how to use my right hand to brush my teeth. Having learned that I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to write right handed. When the cast came off, just before school started in September, I taught myself how to do left handed that I normally did right handed. COVID can be seen as an obstacle or an opportunity. Which do you choose? These months, and probably for several more, we can learn new things and new ways of doing old things. How we choose to see the virus is entirely up to us. I hope that you have used the time wisely because I doubt if we are ever going to be able to go back to the old way. We are being made new, If we choose to go with it, we might enjoy the ride. And the destination could well be one that God is trying to lead us to that destination.
Fr. Mike
June 25
In the late 1920's there was a young man who was ordained to be a Lutheran Minister in Germany. He rose to some influential height because of his strong stand against the newly elected leader of Germany. Dietrich Bonhoeffer became a loud voice about choosing Jesus instead of the popular saying and actions of Adolph Hitler. Although he had the opportunity to flee Germany before he was arrested he stayed to be a prophet in his time. He wrote a book called The Cost of Discipleship" which is still one of my favorite books of all time. In his cast the cost was his very life. We do not find that in our country today but we do have to ask ourselves "What does it cost me to follow Jesus?" For every choice there is a cost. When I choose a career I eliminate others. When I choose a college I eliminate others. When I choose a spouse I eliminate others. How much does it cost you to follow Jesus? But look at the rewards as well. Am I not glad I chose this career? Is my life not richer because of my spouse? Standing up for what Jesus says is morally right can come at a cost. Am I willing to pay the cost to reap the rewards?
Fr. Mike
Father's Day Reflection
I want to extend a heart felt Happy Father's Day to all fathers and fathers to be. With the shut down of so many activities from COVID I anticipate many families are finding themselves expecting a new child in coming months. As I was reflecting about fathers I of course went back to my dad. In my late 20's he and I had a great talk about how I interpreted things that went on during my growing up years. He never knew. I never said. It is not what he did but how I interpreted them. Then he told me about some of his experiences from his dad, and I understood better why my dad did some of the things he did. I want to encourage dads to sit down with each child and talk to them about your experiences growing up. It will reveal to your children what you were thinking as a dad and why you did some of the things you did. The phrase "you're grounded until you are 40!" is not about grounding but how important I believe this matter is. And our walking away to be by ourselves is frequently the time we need to think our way through a new experience or idea we had not thought of before. It is not rejection. Every teenager needs their father in their lives to teach them how adult men think and act. They can't know if we don't tell them. And at the end of every conversation, regardless of how old our children get, say "I love you!" Because you really do. Fr. Mike
June 18
Normal. What is normal? We used to go out our door and talk to our neighbors within feet of another. We would not hesitate to hug a relative or a good friend. We would visit our elderly parents to share food or stories with them. Not anymore. I’ve heard people joke that we should all have bought shares of Zoom in January. Many of us are getting a little Zoomed out and are eager to get back together. But even when we get back together it will be different. We will nod, not hug. We will wave, not shake hands. We will sit, but not as close to one another as before. We will create a new normal. Human touch it critical to developing a healthy sense of being loved, wanted and needed. Since it is difficult to hug friends and neighbors try hugging your family a big more each day. Don’t settle for one from each person. Do one in the morning, one at noon and one at supper time. Maybe even one as we call it a day and go to bed. If I can’t hug others I can certainly hug my family. The more hugs you give away the more you get back. I’ve never heard a person say “I have enough hugs. Go hug someone else!” So hug those who are close and help make all of us healthier during the virus.
June 10
One of the things I like best about St. Joseph the Worker is the wide diversity of people. The occupations you are all involved in amaze me. Those options did not seem to be there when I was in high school. Not only do you do the job but you are constantly seeking new ways to do your job better. The countries we all come from have unique ways of doing things. It seems we all want a house for our kids to live in. We want food on the table. We want great education and educational opportunities. We want our children to be safe. We obviously want them to make good choices. We want out children's lives to be better than ours. Yet what that means is different from almost every corner of the earth. How you see these things being lived out is not the way I saw them when I was in school. Each of these ways seems to work. So I see the differences as opportunities, not obstacles. Hearing from different people means that now I have one more way of seeing my hopes come true if I can see the world from a different perspective. I encourage you to see new faces as opportunities to grow in love of neighbor and of my God. It is in listening to one another that we might find acceptance of others. In that acceptance we might find new friends, not enemies.
Fr. Mike
June 1
Another week where events rush upon us like a tsunami. I am deeply saddened by the death of George Floyd. It was such a senseless action that led to his death. I don't know all that went on before his death but to have the original event end in a death is beyond comprehension. The violence that has erupted since is equally senseless. Why would anyone destroy the businesses and housing of people who not only have nothing to do with the death of Mr. Floyd, but are in your own neighborhood and provide services which are not available anywhere else in the area. I would ask you to join me in praying for the people who are incensed by the death of Mr. Floyd and for those who are causing the violence. Christians are called to witness about the Good News of Jesus. Righteous anger is justifiable but must be done at the service of others. Maybe we need to witness more publicly that we believe in the equality of all people and the rights of all folks as well. Peace on our land.
Fr. Mike
May 27, 2020
Dear Members of St. Joseph the Worker, There has been a great deal of change this past week concerning the opening of Churches to public worship. Initially the Governor announced that churches could open but restricted attendance to 10. There was a rapid response to that from the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota as well as other denominations indicating that if the number allowed was not going to be increased that they would allow churches to open in defiance of the executive order. On May 23, after meeting with Bishops and other denomination leaders, the Governor announced that churches are now permitted to open their doors for worship with the number attending to be kept at 25% of seating capacity. At the same time, Archbishop Hebda was clear in saying that no church would be forced to open or expected to do so if they could not follow immediately all the necessary restrictions as determined by the CDC and the MN Public Health Department. Each parish must make their own decision based on what parish leadership determines to be in the best interests of everyone concerned, according to the Archbishop, and no parish has to open up until they are ready and feel it is safe to do so. Let me tell you, I have mixed emotions when it comes to all of this. First, I miss all of you greatly. I want to see your faces, greet you, tell you I love you, and hug you and your kids. At the same time I want to see, greet, hug all of the people who are my age and older. The challenge is trying to figure out a way that we can do both safely. While the Governor and the Archbishop have said we are allowed to open, we just cannot at this time. We will not open for Sunday Mass until we determine it is safer to do so. Our decision is based on: a) Respect and care for everyone’s well-being, which is our first priority. We do not want to take the chance of accidently spreading the virus, which is just so much more possible with larger numbers of people gathered; and b) We want to honor the cautions of the CDC, our own MN Dept. of Health and of our Governor. Delaying our opening will also give our staff and parish leadership more time to make sure we have proper protocols in place and badly needed supplies in stock. We understand that this will prolong our returning to public Sunday Mass and continue for most people the “fast” from the reception of Holy Communion, but we believe our decision is in the best interests of the common good of all in our community at this time. This pandemic will continue on for the foreseeable future and we want everyone to be safe. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience We have been planning on outdoor Masses (in your car) on Sunday, June 7 at 8:30 and 10:30 AM. God may have other plans and we might have rain again, but at least that is our plan at this point. In addition, I would like to allow some smaller groups for indoor daily Mass soon, but I feel we have to provide as much safety as we can for all who come through the doors. Live-streaming of weekday Masses will continue, as will the availability of our own recorded Sunday Mass, even after we eventually open up the Sunday Mass for public worship. Again, I miss you and look forward to the day that we can gather safely again. Please stay well and stay safe. Know that all updates will be posted on our web site. Before I forget, if you are not receiving our e-Newsletter by email, there is a good chance that we do not have an email address for you. If this is the case, please send your email address to staff member, Monica Liebl, so that we can update our records. MonicaL@sjtw.net or by phone at (763) 425-9801 X156.
Love to you all,
Fr. Mike
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May 24
Dear parishioners, As you no doubt know by now that Catholic Bishops and the Lutheran Bishops of the ELCA have sent individual letters to the governor saying they are going to allow churches to have more than 10 people gather for Mass inside. It is certainly with mixed emotions that I hear this. First, I miss all of you terribly. I want to see your faces, greet you, tell you I love you, and hug you and your kids. At the same time I want to see, greet, hug all of the people who are my age and older. The challenges is trying to figure out a way that we can do both. Although the archbishop has said we can open in 2 weeks, we can’t. As a church and staff we are simply not ready for that. We don’t have protocols in place. But we are anticipating that we might be able to allow some form of Sunday Mass while at the same time having it on line. We have been planning on attempting another car-Mass for Saturday, June 6. God may have other plans and we might have rain again, but at least that is our plan at this point. I would like to allow some smaller group of people indoors for Mass soon, but I feel we have to provide as much safety as we can for all who come through the doors. We have a very large worship space. I feel it is somewhat immoral to allow some big box store to open up all of their departments without counting the numbers, but insists that churches which provide spacing and cleansing are not allowed to open at all. So since we have not made a decision yet, but are exploring possibilities, I do ask you to pray that as we consult with various experts we will be able to arrive at a decision that is safe and still offer us the opportunity to gather as the People of God. I love you all. I miss you beyond measure. I long for your presence. And ZOOM is just not enough. But it is all we can offer now. Stay strong in your faith and we will see you as soon as we can.
Love, Fr. Mike
May 17
The city of Maple Grove is replacing our street and putting in new curbs and gutters. Over the past two weeks they have dug up the pavement and concrete. Now they are getting ready to put in new concrete. This process is a mini version of dealing with COVID19. The road de-construction is similar to how this virus has de-constructed our society and church life. The old is gone. There are many rough and bumpy spots. They have put down water every day to keep the dust down, but our government has tried to dampen fear and anxiety by keeping us informed and trying to paint a positive picture. Modern technology will be putting in the concrete soon. The satellites will tell the computer how to do the concrete. We depend upon science and medicine to tell us how to deal with the virus. Eventually they will lay the new asphalt for the road and they will be smooth again. But they will not be the same as what was dug up. In the intervening years technology has helped us learn how to make roads better for Minnesota. And technology, science and medicine has helped us learn more about how the human body works and viruses work. But as people we still need more. As faith guided people we need God and each other. Maybe this virus will teach of the value of belonging to a faith community in deed and in word. It will help us see the need to look out for one another. We may need to connect more often. We may need to ask more than "How are you?" And the Minnesota response of "Not bad" will not be adequate either. Maybe we will see somethings need to die so that more life can flow through us to those we love. Easter is, after all, about new life. And you only get new life when something has died.
Fr. Mike
May 14
With the COVID19 keeping Fr. Don and myself close to our house we can now spend time in prayer each morning and evening. By praying together I now appreciate how his mind works even more. In the middle of many of the Psalms we're praying, he pauses to share some thought that drew his attention away from the verses. We then talk about that thing and then go back to the Psalm. Several people say during Confession that they are distracted at Mass. But more and more I am convinced that prayer is a conversation. I know in my conversations and in yours, that someone says something and we go off on that tangent briefly. That is how conversations flow. I am slowly learning that my conversation allows for those diversions because that is sharing my thoughts with God. I also can relax more and simply enjoy the fact that we are praying together. I bet that happens in your family also.
Fr. Mike
May 10
Remember the quote from Shakespeare: "To be or not to be? That is the question."? Today the quote could be about a number of things. To wear a mask or not to wear a mask? The wear gloves or not to wear gloves? To buy toilet paper or not buy toilet paper? During this pandemic I find myself needing to pause often and remind myself: people are doing what they believe is best. They are not trying to push anything on someone else. They are not trying to get sick. Nor make someone else sick. They are simply doing what they believe to be best for them. On our drive through church the Saturday before Mother's Day it was so encouraging to see everyone. Old and young. Most wore a mask. Some did not. Masks can scare someone. I do believe we are all trying to do what is safest and best with no one trying to make someone else ill. But I would ask us to pause for a few moments and to think: What does someone else think is safest? Can I do something to make them feel safer? We have little knowledge of how this pandemic spreads, how easily it spreads, or why it seems to attach some people so hard. So it benefits us all to ask what can we do to make others feel safer? And then, putting others first, do what others think is safest.
Fr. Mike
May 7
If you open your bible to the middle of the entire book you will probably end up in Psalms. Those are the things we sing after the first reading and before the Letters of one of the Apostles. There used to be 150 psalms. Two were so long because there was a stanza for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet. So the Christian Church cut those in half and made 2 extra ones. If you were to read them you would find one for virtually every emotion imaginable. Some are angry with God. Some are asking God to destroy their enemies and to reveal God's power and might to the enemy as well as the believer. Some tell God he did not do a good job defending His people and He needs to improve His good works or the people may not believe in Him anymore. Then there are the ones that express how gentle, tender, loving God is towards his children. I encourage you to start reading that Book from the Old Testament. Be on the lookout for one of these ancient songs that fits the mood you are looking for. It might become on of your favorite prayers. Fr. Mike
May 4
Living in the unknown. That is one of the most difficult things for humans to do. We want assurance. We want to know. We want to plan ahead. This virus has turned all of that on it's head. One of the big questions confronting us today is "When will things get back to normal?" The truth is, never. What we will get back to is something that never existed before. Over the course of the evolving pandemic in the US we have gone from a bit of information, to more, to isolate yourself, to wear masks, to a large number of deaths. The things keep evolving. What is coming? We don't know but it would be good to reflect upon what we want it to look like. We can't make it fit what we want but we can also be involved in planning for what we want it to look like. Do we want to isolate according to age? Do we want society to be put into categories where rich live here, middle class lives there and poor live in yet a different location? Do we want medical care for some but not others? Do we want too much food for some and too little for others? No answers here just questions? I encourage you to think now about what we want our future to look like. If we don't come up with ideas then we just let events wash over us. We will react. And as we have been hearing in scripture during this Easter season the early Christians were actors in their world. Let us be actors in our world now.
Fr. Mike
May 1
Brothers and sisters, the American bishops are joining with most other bishops conferences from around the world to dedicate the People of God to Mary on Friday, May 1. As that is our feast day I had chosen to dedicate ourselves to St. Joseph. I invite you to dedicate yourself and your family to the watchful and protective eye of St. Joseph. We will be doing this at the end of our live streamed Mass this morning at 11:00.
Fr. Mike
Prayer to St. Joseph on his feast day May 1, 2020
To you, O St. Joseph, do we come in our tribulation. Having implored the help of Mary, your spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage. Through that charity which bound you to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and through the paternal love with which you embraced the child Jesus, we now humbly beg you to aid us in our need.
O guardian of the Holy Family, defend us as siblings of Jesus. O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion and corrupting influence. O mighty protector, be kind to us and assist us in our struggle with the powers of darkness. You once rescued your Son Jesus from deadly peril. No we ask you to protect us from all adversity. Shield us to by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and aid, we may able to live piously, die in holiness, and experience eternal happiness in heaven. Amen
April 30
Every day Fr. Don and I are praying for all the people in our parish. During these prayers we use the Psalms from the Old Testament and then include a reading from the bible. In the Psalms and the journey through the desert for the ancient people, the rock was a symbol of something that does not move. The sand dunes move around depending upon which way the wind blows and how strong the wind might be. So if you are looking for a safe place to sleep or spend some time, a rock formation provides stability and protection. During this virus outbreak each of us has to ask ourselves what it is we cling to? Hundreds of years ago people used to cling to faith because they had no answers to many questions and they felt that faith provided protection. When that appeared to fail they put their faith in medicine and then human knowledge or science. We have discovered that neither science or medicine have the answers to COVID19. Science has not figured out how it spread from animals to humans and from humans to our pets. Medicine has "discovered" one medicine that works on an entirely different disease appears to work, somewhat, on COVID19. The drug does not prevent it from infecting us, but it does help shorten the length of time it is in us which in turn helps those who are very sick recover more quickly. Any virus vaccination is still a ways down the road. In my opinion I don't see science or medicine as the thing I want to cling. Jesus does not promise us that if we say certain prayers we will not get sick. He does promise that he will accompany us through difficulties. We never walk alone but always have Christ by our side. If Jesus is our rock how does that present itself? How is that visible to family, friends, and fellow believers? Who is our rock?
Fr. Mike
April 25
And we waited. And we waited. And still it did not arrive. Just before Easter I was speaking about how the flowers were growing so nice in front of the church. Clearly they would be blooming for our Easter celebration. That would be great. Today, when Fr. Don and i were outside the church doors while trees were being given out in honor of Earth Day this past week, I noticed that except for the daffodils that were blooming on Easter Sunday, no new flowers have burst into life. It reminded me about how most of us feel regarding the COVID19 virus. Our initial thought probably was that this would be around for a day or two. Maybe a week. Then the governor shut down the state. Then he extended it. Then he extended it again. And now he has extended it for 2 more weeks. This waiting can be hard on a person if we do not keep our eyes fixated on the final goal. Just as athletes do not go to the gym just to work out but to get strong enough to achieve their final goal, so we must keep our eyes fixated on the goal of eternal life. Yes this stuff we are living in is a pain. But it is only fleeting in terms of eternity. If we can get through this inconvenience, and we will together, we can hang on until in our faith until we are in the Kingdom of God. Can you hang on just a bit longer? And yet a bit more? And perhaps even a bit more? With the love of God and knowing the parish community is behind you, you can hang on just long enough. Hang on.
Fr. Mike
April 22
Fr. Don and I have had several discussions since COVID19 has begun about what church will look like on the other side of this virus. We don't know. But we are pretty sure that it will be very different. I believe that people will once again see the value of faith in God and in the community of believers. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years with no idea where God was leading them. They moaned, groaned and complained about who this God might be who was so removed from them. So they built a golden calf and called it God. But not only did they get thru 40 years of no idea when things would change, they got to their promised land and thrived for a couple hundred years under the direction of God. We will get through this and we will also be guided by the Hand of God. God has never failed us yet and He won't start now. God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.
Fr. Mike
THE Gospel story for this weekend is about how the early Disciples and communities of faith stayed in close contact with each other without the advantage of modern social media. Right after Jesus commissioned the Disciples He sent them out to proclaim Good News. Filled with the power of faith, inflamed by the Holy Spirit the Disciples begin by sharing this good news with Thomas. The one disciple not in the upper room when Jesus first appeared. They are telling him this when Jesus appears in their midst. That is so true for us. When we tell one another the good news that Jesus is walking with us during these exceptional times we make Jesus come alive. Our voices carry more conviction. Our eyes see more clearly. We hear the voice of Christ in others. We see Christ on the roads, in the grocery store, in our neighborhoods when people are out walking. Faith becomes stronger in our own lives when we tell others about this good news. Have you told anyone lately about your faith? Not theirs or where they should be, but about me? And where I am at in my faith journey. Telling the story to another person is not about them changing, it is about keeping Christ alive in my life. If you have not yet done this in the last month, now is the day to start. Taking a line of Fr. Don, "Merry Easter" to you all!
Fr. Mike
Friday, April 17
During the times when Fr. Don and I are doing anointing of the sick we often have the opportunity to engage the sick person in conversation. It provides us as priests the ability to engage the family in discussions about end of life things. This virus that is plaguing the US and the world have given each family the opportunity to talk about end of life issues. If not for an older person who is sick or anyone who may be dying. This discussion permits us to talk about our faith and why the resurrection of Jesus is so foundational to faith believers. I have found that those who approach death with a positive outlook on eternity tend to die in a calmer and more peaceful manner. This virus has forced us to look inside to see what our personal faith is rooted in. The early disciples needed a visible resurrected body to wrap their brains around the possibility of eternal life actually encompassing the human life. We see with eyes of faith. Engaging in this discussion with family or friends helps us crystallize our understanding of resurrection on a very personal basis and the opportunity to share what our faith is rooted in. If you are going to clean your house this spring this would be a good time to update our faith and our belief in resurrection for all people. Fr. Mike -
He is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Wasn't Easter strange this year? Snow and snow storm for many. Imagine how strange it was for the women who found the tomb empty and the disciples who could not believe the strange tale of Jesus having risen. I can imagine them sitting in the upper room stunned by what they had found but unable to comprehend. After all these years the news that Jesus is risen really should stun each of us. Fr. Don and I watched "Jesus Christ Superstar" last night on a TV network. Despite the commercials the performance was entrancing. The breaks actually gave us time to talk about what had just occurred in the previous 10 minute segment. Lived in real time it must have been just as confusing and stunning to the people who lived it. Why would God be willing to do this? What is He trying to tell us? How does this make a difference in how we see ourselves and the world we live in? The virus hopefully has given us all the time to look at our lives and ask what we are really all about. May you and your loved ones continue to grow as your love for our loving God changes. Fr. Mike
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April 8
During this time of "stay at home" it is easy to feel isolated. Keeping 6 feet away from everyone, shopping with a mask on, and spending a lot more time in our homes can make us feel like we are alone. But at the same time, as we go deeper within ourselves we can ask what this all means? I don't know the answer to that, but it can also be seen as an opportunity to invite Jesus into our own personal journey along this path. Fr. Don and I are spending more time in prayer together. We are sitting and talking more. We are getting outside where I see more wild animals and more families out walking. This has given me the opportunity to see that Christ is in the little things. If I only look for big signs I miss the many more little signs that Jesus is all around me. The rest of this Holy Week I challenge you to look for Jesus in the little signs he has given the world which reveals Jesus is walking with us through this new experience. We never walk alone.
Fr. Mike
March 29
Before coming to St. Joseph the Worker years ago I spent the prior years in a parish in northwest Minnesota that was going through catastrophic lose year after year. That forced me and the people there to go inward and find the place where God dwelt within. It seemed as if we had been abandoned. It was hard to see God's face. What we discovered that God was in each house and each person. Amazingly although there were 9 churches in town we agreed that we would do a common Friday service during the season of Lent. This common prayer bound the entire community together for greater care of one another. It affected people who passed on the street, the folks we met while shopping, and most importantly the bond that was forged when we prayed in our own churches on Sunday. This virus is now striking all of us in similar ways. We not only cannot make this on our own. We need each other. May this time be one where you talk more to your neighbor. Where you spend more time with your family. Where you do things with your children or call your siblings who are far away. The more we connect the more strength we will gather to get through this difficult time. God is with us. All we need to do is look and see the Face of God in others. I love you. Fr. Mike
March 17, 2020Dear People of God,
St. Patrick may have driven the snakes out of Ireland but it appears the COVID 19 has driven us out of our churches. Thank goodness we are not driven from our computers. It is with a very heavy heart that I am announcing that all Masses with a congregation at St. Joe’s are cancelled indefinitely. We simply must do our part to protect those who are most vulnerable. We hope to be able to stream or record Mass and give you to opportunity to see it in the safety of your home. Please keep checking the web site frequently as details unfold.
Although the building has been closed for safety sake I want to make clear that the ministries of St. Joseph the Worker are not being put on hold. They will just look a bit different. I have challenged the staff to find effective and creative ways to support you and to provide opportunities for learning, praying, and building a stronger community on line.
Here are some other resources for you
If you have a Lenten resource that you would like to suggest, please email us at communications@sjtw.net
I am aware that your finances may be challenged in the weeks ahead. I have instructed the office to no longer give me a paycheck until this crisis is over. However, we do need your continued financial support to provide these ongoing ministries and operations. One time donations or scheduled giving is available. Find out how quick, easy and secure it is by going to our website page at http://sjtw.net/donations. And if you need to change your giving, I understand completely.
We need to pray for one another daily. Call family and friends to re-establish personal connections. With strong faith in God, God’s guidance and grace, we will make it through these troubled waters. We remain united in Christ Jesus.
Prayerfully yours,
Fr. Mike and Fr. Don
March 17, 2020
More than the periodic snowstorm or the lure of the cabin in the summer months, we are facing not just lighter attendance, but no attendance since all Masses at St. Joseph the Worker have been cancelled. Already just this past weekend, we were down about $20,000.00 from our collection last year at this time. Naturally, events have been changing very quickly this week. I am sure most of you anticipated attending Mass this past weekend to offer your regular cash or check support of the parish. Many of you have stopped by the office or mailed in your gift this week while others are recurring electronic givers. For this, we are very grateful.It is a reality that each of us is facing an evolving financial situation. We ask you to maintain your commitment to St. Joseph the Worker if possible, and we in turn commit to bringing Mass and ministry to you in new and creative ways. Your continued gift will also enable us to reach out to the senior members of our parish, as well as those on the margins during this difficult time. Last, but not least, your gift will continue to pay the mortgage, utilities and other expenses critical to the operation of the parish.
To that end, we encourage you to visit our website at sjtw.net to make your gift online by clicking DONATE. You can set up your gift to be recurring or onetime. If you would like help setting up an online gift, call our Bookkeeper, Ann Bergmann, at 763-400-7206 and she can set it up for you. The process only takes about 5 minutes. Mailing in your gift is another option. You could also drop it off at the parish, as we do plan to have staff on hand for now during the weekdays. However, this is an evolving situation and not a guarantee. We do hope to install a secure drop box outside for donations, forms, etc. in the near future.
THANK YOU for your Commitment to Parish Life. Going forward, CPL has a new meaning… Corona Please Leave!
March 17, 2020Sadly, I must announce the cancellation of all Masses at St. Joseph the Worker from this point moving forward. This includes Sunday Mass and all daily masses with a congregation. We simply must do our part to avoid gatherings in an effort to reduce the risk of spreading this virus. It is our goal to implement streaming (or at least recorded) Masses here at the parish over the next few days. These Masses will be conducted without folks in the pews. As always, refer to the web site for details.
Despite the cancellation of all Masses until further notice, we want to make clear that the ministry of St. Joseph the Worker is not cancelled, it will just look a bit different. I have challenged my staff to find effective and creative ways to support you and provide opportunities for learning, community, and prayer during this time.
Tomorrow, Wednesday March 18, we have been asked to participate in a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer. I would encourage you to stop whatever you are doing and join us between the hours of 1:00-3:00 pm in prayer from wherever you are at. The whole faith community will be praying at the same time for strength and hope in solidarity Click here to read his full statement. We hope you join us in this effort. Below are some powerful resources that are available to you online.
If you have a Lenten resource that you would like to suggest, please email us at communications@sjtw.net
As you will probably hear often, I ask you to participate in electronic giving to support our ongoing ministries and operations. One time donations or scheduled giving is available. It is quick, easy and secure. See our website page at https://www.sjtw.net/donations for more information. Another option is to mail your contribution. I cannot tell you how important it is to our ministry to see you make your CPL (church giving) a priority. Thank you!
Thank you for your support and faithfulness to our parish community. I am confident that together, with God's help and guidance, we will make it through this time of uncertainty.
Prayerfully,
Fr. Mike SullivanYour brother in Christ
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March 14, 2020
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March 12, 2020
• Hand sanitizers are at each name tag table. We want you to use it for your safety and that of others. There are additional hand sanitizers at both doors of Fellowship Hall. Again, please use them.
People of God at St. Joe’s: The Coronavirus appears to be here in the state of Minnesota and growing every day. We want to ensure safety for all of our parishioners, young and older, child and adult.
Due to the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19/coronavirus in Minnesota, Archbishop Bernard Hebda this week announced his decision to dispense all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass, until further notice. This is a rare dispensation and a decision he said he did not take lightly.
We are here to support your spiritual journey and continue delivering the latest updates during this challenging time. Here’s how you can stay involved:
· Monitor our parish website and social media for prayer intentions, news and event updates.
· Watch for emails with the latest information – and if you are not currently receiving emails from us, contact the parish office.
· Participate in electronic giving to support our ongoing ministries and operations.
These are the steps we are taking immediately. We will make additional changes as they are warranted.
• We will no longer pass the collection basket but instead ask you to bring your contribution down to the baskets that are located on the steps of the sanctuary.
• We are asking you to refrain from holding hands during the Our Father except with family.
• At the Sign of Peace we ask you to acknowledge those around you without using your hands.
• At communion time we will be distributing the Body of Christ ONLY in the hand. We will not be offering the Communion Cup.
• Daily Mass will be moved from the Chapel to the Worship Space allowing attendees additional personal space.
• Visit the parish website at www.sjtw.net for up to date information on cancellations.
If you are not feeling well PLEASE stay home. Any obligation to attend Mass is always lifted when you are sick or caring for someone who is sick. There are people who worship with us regularly who are vulnerable. These include those over the age of 60 (that is me and Fr. Don), those who have had surgery or are anticipating surgery, children who will catch it and spread it without showing symptoms, and those who have medical conditions that have weakened the immune system.
If you have been out of the country be aware of where you went and the possibility of having been contaminated there. Don’t risk parishioners or those you work with by spreading the virus.
We are looking into live streaming Mass for those who stay home. Please check back and we will keep you informed.
We thank you for your support and faithfulness to our parish community. We are confident that together, with God’s help and guidance, we will make it through this time of uncertainty.
Sincerely,
Father Mike, SJTW Staff and Parish Leadership -
