ORDINARY TIME
As we move back into the second phase of Ordinary Time, a far from ordinary event in the life of the Church, a time to grow in our faith lives away from the big moments of Christmas and Easter, following are some suggestions from Deacon Mike Bickerstaff of The Integrated Catholic Life website on means at our disposal to continue growing deeper in our relationship with the Holy Trinity:

Surrender to Christ – There is nothing we can do to be saved or to progress in the spiritual life except by Christ. Begin each new day by surrendering yourself to Him and His Will. Replace the habit of pride with the practice of humility, trusting in the Lord.

Enter into and Remain in a State of Grace – We can make no progress in the spiritual life if we are not in a state of sanctifying grace. Those who believed and were baptized were freed of sin and its eternal punishment, justified by Christ’s grace and said to be in a state of sanctifying grace. If they have not knowingly and freely committed a mortal sin, they remain so. If you are not in a state of sanctifying grace, you need to be. If you are not baptized, seek to be baptized in the Catholic Church. If you are baptized, but have committed a mortal sin, that sin needs to be confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Develop a daily prayer habit – If we love someone, we desire to be with that person. The same is true if we love God. Prayer is how we spend time with God. Commit to pray daily prayers of Adoration, Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving and Praise. Devotionals, such as the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and liturgies, such as the Divine Office, are great practices to assist you.

Meditate on the Sunday Mass Readings – Take time each week to prayerfully read and think about the coming Sunday’s Mass readings; what they mean and how they apply to your life.

Be Christ to Others – Jesus Christ came not to be served, but to serve. He calls His followers to do the same. We cannot claim to follow Christ if we do not serve those people He places in our daily lives. Service always requires us to be Christ to those around us, but we are also called to serve those we do not easily recognize. In what way can you help others? Who can you serve? Take these questions to daily prayer and ask Jesus to show you those in need for whom you can make a difference. Then get on with the Lord’s good work. I hope some of these will find a way into your daily faith life.

​God bless
Fr. Jim 

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Youth Servers: At this time we would like to thank the following youth of our parish who so diligently assisted as a Mass server for many years. Their willingness to commit to serving many Masses has been much appreciated! We wish them the best as they graduate and move on. So we thank, Paul Kollross, Olivia Mahoney, Ryleigh McGiveron, Angela McQuillen and Emily Nemitz. We also thank Logan Clubb for his years of service.

If you would like to participate more fully in the Mass, and are in fourth grade or older, we would love to have you as a Mass Server. We are especially in need of servers for the Saturday 4:30pm and the Sunday 7:00am Masses. If you are interested, please call the parish office at 715-384-3252. We will set up a training date before the new schedule begins in September. 

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CHURCH IS OPEN
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Dear Parishioners,
Thank you to all that helped getting our church ready for re-opening. This went very well, and we are hopeful that we will continue on the road to a full opening in the not too distant future. In the meantime, we will continue doing what is being asked of us, and appreciate your understanding and patience. Getting used to some new routines is not something any of us enjoy, and I think it is especially taxing for us when it involves the church, something that is intuitive within us which should be a stabilizing institution in our lives.

We will continue using the sign-up Genius App to keep a limit on the attendance within the limits we have been given. For those that may wish to take advantage of other Masses in the area, you may contact Sacred Heart or O L P later in the week to see if they have openings. I know there were openings last weekend, but as word gets out these may fill up as well, so please double check with their parish offices.

PROTESTS AND RIOTS

As I write this, many cities in our nation are affected by protests and riots. In my opinion, the protests are justified in light of events in Minneapolis. However, these have led to a series of riots, and violence for violence is never an act of justice. The reaction of the Government must be tempered as well, or this ends up being a similar reaction of violence for violence, and whether it is the first act or the response, if these are not checked they continue to devolve as the situations become more and more dreary. The innocent are impacted as much, or even more, than the guilty, and this is where we find ourselves. Most people do not desire the destruction of their homes and local businesses, but are driven to this as they join in. We ask for prayers for the Floyd family and for all whose lives have been impacted in these events.

MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART

The Month of June is traditionally devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. With the mention of above events, it is perhaps a great time to deepen or develop a devotion the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is one who understands mob violence, and where this can lead, for that is the heart of what occurred on Good Friday. The mob was whipped into a frenzy by the High Priest, the Sanhedrin and Pharisees to demand blood. Many went along with the crowd, a similar reaction to the events of our day. So what is a proper response?

Bishop Don Hying of Madison has a very good article on devotion to the Sacred Heart. Here he writes:

Radical Act: In this radical act of redemption, the Lord serves like an aikido wrestling artist. Aikido is a form of martial arts in which the goal is to leave one’s opponent disarmed, unhurt and lying on the ground laughing! By absorbing and deflecting the aggressive negative energy of the attacker, the aikido wrestler disarms the other by turning violence into a gentle yet firm force that hurts no one, but stops the aggression. Is this not what Jesus did in His passion and death? He absorbed all the violence, evil, hatred and sin of the world into himself, letting it kill Him and seemingly destroy His vital force of love, healing and peace. But by taking in all of the darkness, Jesus conquered its power in one supreme offering of self to the Father on the altar of the cross. The death and resurrection of Christ is the gentle yet powerful absorption, deflection and transformation of violence into love, sin into grace, hatred into forgiveness and death into life. The triumph of the Sacred Heart is the ultimate victory of love.

The full article and how to practice this devotion can be found here: (https://www.simplycatholic.com/why-the-sacred-heart/) 

Jesus offers us an example to follow, and devotion to His Sacred Heart is our path. He offers 12 promises to those devoted to His Sacred Heart:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes.
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
May God bless you and Keep you in His Love always,
Fr. Jim 



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Pope John Paul II Perpetual Adoration Would you like to spend precious peaceful time with Jesus in this time of uncertainty? Pope St. John Paul II Adoration Chapel has several available hours: Thursdays from 7am - 8am, Fridays from 11am -noon, 3-4pm, 4-5 pm, or 7-8pm. If you are available and would like to help out, please call Jean at 715-387-0571 or Deacon Ray at 715-6085. May God Bless You Abundantly! 

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QUASI-NORMAL

This weekend brings much in a sense of relief, as we begin the slow path of returning to a more normal practice of our faith. For many of us, both priests and lay people, this has been a long road, and we have experienced a Lent we all pray is unique, and we will never have another one like that in our lives. However, this does not mean that it was a time that lacked fruit. Any experience God grants, with a right intention, can help us grow in our relationship with God; and through a deeper relationship with God our human relationships in our families, at work, in school or any other event can grow stronger as well.

How do we form this intention? It has to begin in prayer. This is the one thing we hopefully never gave up, even when we could not receive the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance. Prayer forms us as disciples, and is the foundation of a sacramental life, for we receive the other sacraments through a form of public worship. Coming to Mass, attending a baptism or wedding, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Anointing; these are all done within the context of prayer. Normally it is a liturgical prayer, but this liturgical prayer should lead to a personal prayer, which then leads back to other liturgical prayers, forming a vortex of prayer that takes us deeper into the center of prayer, the center of our lives, a relationship with the Living and True God.
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As we enter into this first weekend, there are some things we need to recall:

• The Virus has not run its course. According to most estimates, it will be a part of our lives for a long time, much like the common cold or flu.
• The dispensation for Sunday Mass remains in effect; for those in high risk categories or caring for one in such a group, for those with symptoms of the cold or flu, please refrain from attending the public Mass.
• We will practice social distancing, limiting our attendance at Sunday Mass, funerals and weddings to 25% of church capacity, for us around 100 persons.
• There are many directives we have received from the Diocese. Please be understanding as we move forward.
• One of the above directives is to remove all Missalettes from the pews, as well as other worship aids. Masses will be more simple and familiar in choices of music and hymns.
• Communion in the hand only: this is how I will be offering Communion. Please know this is temporary until a fuller sense of normalcy returns.
  
• Online signups will remain for a time as well. An individual may not be able to sign up every week, but I hope that you will be able to sign up at least every other week. If you are able to sign up in a particular week, please refrain from signing up again until late the following week in order to give everyone a chance to attend if they desire.
  

​First Communion will be scheduled in the near future as well. Please continue in your prayers for all those affected, and for our church and civil leaders that they be guided in this by the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit... Fill us with the Fire of Your Love, and Renew the Face of the Earth.
God bless 
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Office Hours: Beginning June 1 , office hours will go back to 9:00am - 5:00pm Monday through Thursday and 9:00am - 1:00pm on Fridays. 

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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

POSITION OPEN AT ST JOHN’S MARSHFIELD

We have an opening at St John the Baptist parish for a part
time bookkeeper/ financial secretary. If you are interested, please submit a resume, cover letter and 3 references to St John’s Rectory, 201 W Blodgett St, Marshfield, WI. We will accept applications until filled.

REOPENING OF THE CHURCH

ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!

We are at the opening phase of organizing to open our churches throughout the Diocese of La Crosse on Pentecost Sunday (May 30 / May 31). It will be a stepped process, and will require a sign-up of some form or another. As I write this, I am thinking we will go with another Sign-Up Genius form for the Sunday Masses, but have to finalize the forms. Please keep an eye on the parish website for up to date info. If you do not have internet, you may call the parish office and we will help get you signed up, but please wait until after Memorial Day to do this.

HELP NEEDED: We are looking for volunteers to disinfect the church as well. If you would be able to help out doing this, following a Sunday Mass, please contact the parish office. We are setting up coordinators for this service, but they will need help. We will have masks (optional) and hand sanitizer stations available (recommended).

MORE HELP: We will be looking at asking some of our younger men and women to consider taking on a more active role as ushers. We have a great team of ushers, but many are in the high risk group (a polite way of saying elderly) and may not be ready to attend public worship. Please consider this your invitation, and if you are willing to help in this regard, please contact the parish office at any time and we will get you lined up. This is very much appreciated.

SUNDAY DISPENSATION: This remains in place: for any that are elderly, find they are in a high risk group for other reasons, have cold or flu like symptoms including cough, fever, aches, sinusitis etc., please refrain from attending these Masses. We are entering a time of allergies as well; the problem is we do not know if what I have today is simply an allergy, or something more serious. Please err on the side of caution if you are affected by any of these.

HOLY COMMUNION: On the hand only. I know all the arguments for and against, and am not offering a suggestion. For the time being, there will be no Communion from the cup and the Host will be offered on the hand only. Not all Extra- Ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are comfortable offering Communion on the tongue, and I have decided that this will be the manner of reception until this passes.

1st HOLY COMMUNION: This is a subject that has often come up. The current plan was to have 1st Communion right after the churches were re-opened, but doing this in phases backs that up. We are considering some options, but 1st Communion remains delayed for the time being.

CONFESSIONS: Following Pentecost Sunday, we will begin a more normal Confession schedule. Again, this is a work in process, but they are coming. The dispensation for the Easter obligation of Confession still applies as well, so if you can get to Mass, you may receive Communion with the intent to get to Confession as soon as practical.
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God bless.
Fr Jim

One more thing! At this time, we will have the bathrooms in the church off limits. This is due to the amount of cleaning that it would entail with each use. While we cannot lock the doors, we do have a sign up indicating to please not use the bathrooms. We apologize for this inconvenience! Once the signs are off the doors, you will again have access. 

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​God Doesn’t Call The Qualified. He Qualifies The Called.

Are you being called to welcome a Catholic exchange student into your family? Please listen to Agnieszka’s Witness Talk found on our parish website or at https://youtu.be/_FNRglPiRAA  about what it means to be able to travel from Poland to attend high school and live with an American host family. Columbus Catholic High School would like to welcome TWO students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Please prayerfully discern being a Host Family for a young lady or man from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland or the Ukraine. More Information: Barbara Tota-Boryczka, Global Outreach Executive Director, 920.540.3085 or Barbara.Tota-Boryczka@globaloutreachprogram.com