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So far Christ the King has created 57 blog entries.

From Deacon Gil

By |September 9th, 2020|

It is a great joy and an unbelievable privilege to have made my Perpetual Vows and been ordained a deacon last weekend. In my prayer and reflections leading up to this moment, I’ve thought a lot about the roles of a Deacon. According to the Catechism, Deacons assist during the “divine mysteries” (Mass), preach the Gospel, and in a special way serve the poor.

I thought about this a lot because a recent PEW survey found that only 25% of Catholics believe the Eucharist to truly be Christ’s Body and Blood. Most see it only as a symbol. Flannery O’Connor, the great American Catholic writer, once wrote in a letter “Well, if the Eucharist is just a symbol, to heck with it.”

Flannery saw a gift far great than a symbol. In the Eucharist, God doesn’t just symbolically give himself to us. He actually does it.

He truly descends and dwells with us. Jesus says, “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55) and “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). He gives his whole self to us as a gift, so that we might in return give ourselves completely back to Him. That exchange is the goal of the Christian life. It is what we hope for and pray we can enjoy eternally as Christ’s Body in heaven.

We don’t need to be angry at our fellow Catholics who see the Eucharist primarily as a symbol. For one, our disappointment won’t change anything. Instead, we can let this survey spur us to talk more openly with […]

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A Message from Father Steve

By |April 4th, 2020|

Suffice it to say, this just might be the strangest Holy Week most of us will ever experience.  I know that some of our parishioners know people who have been directly impacted by the coronavirus.  But even for those who haven’t, the experience of being under a stay-at-home order is a drastically different experience for most of us. 

From a faith standpoint, it seems even more disheartening that this experience includes Holy Week.  Holy Week is really a climax of the liturgical year.  Especially if we’ve been really committed to our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, Holy Week is a time when we Catholics have our game faces on!  We begin the week with Palm Sunday, recalling the Lord’s Passion and receiving blessed palms that we keep in our homes for the whole year.  And that all leads up to the true high point of the year, the Sacred Triduum, where we journey with the Lord from the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, through His Passion and death on Good Friday, all leading up to His triumphant Resurrection from the dead at the Easter Vigil and the other Easter Masses.  From the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, to the veneration of the cross on Good Friday, to the baptism of our elect at the Easter Vigil, there are so many things that we will miss out on.  We could certainly be excused for thinking that it doesn’t “feel” like Holy Week. 

But (without trying to make too much lemonade, here…) perhaps this situation is an opportunity to enter into Holy Week in a new and different way.  Perhaps the feeling of being stuck in our homes can help us understand how the Apostles […]

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A note from your Pastor:

By |March 29th, 2020|

It is strange to write my weekly column knowing that almost no one will read it in print.  We’re about a week-and-a-half into our parish closure, and I think most of us would say that this is unlike anything we’ve experienced before.  For many of our parishioners who work in health care, they are working overtime at a breakneck pace.  For others, they are largely confined to their homes.  Either way, I doubt there are any of us who haven’t been seriously affected; every one of us certainly has an extra cross to carry this Lent.

And yet, even with all of the distress that the Cross carries, I’ve been in a privileged position to see this ordeal bring out a lot of good in us.  So many people have let me know how painful it is to be deprived of the Mass, and as painful as that is, it’s also been inspiring to see the deep love that so many of you have for the Mass and the Eucharist.  It’s a powerful reminder to me that when I’m praying my Mass in private each day, that I’m praying it with and for each of you who can’t join me in person.

I’ve also witnessed an awful lot of good in different exchanges I’ve had with parishioners who have dealt with this crisis in some powerful ways.  We have parishioners who have set routines of daily prayer with their spouse or family, far beyond what they’d ever done before.  We have parishioners who are reaching out to others who might be alone or anxious.  We have parishioners who’ve searched for creative ways to help other people, even with the restrictions we have on our movement.  We have […]

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March 28 Mass and Angelus

By |March 29th, 2020|

In today’s Gospel, Christ’s words stir up the hearts of His listeners — some to belief, others to discomfort and even rejection of His teaching. May we, too, trust in the Lord’s protection, especially when we are speaking out against injustice and striving to bring truth and goodness into a world that so desperately needs it.

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Stations of the Cross March 27

By |March 29th, 2020|

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March 26th Angelus & Mass

By |March 27th, 2020|

In today’s Mass for Thursday in the 4th Week of Lent, we hear Jesus urge His disciples to trust in the living testimony He gives through His obedience to the mission of God the Father. May we always be eager to glorify God by saying and doing the things that reflect His love for us, and avoid trusting too deeply in the empty testimony of the world.

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March 25th Angelus & Mass

By |March 25th, 2020|

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, we celebrate with the joy the good news which Gabriel brought to Mary: that she was to be the Blessed Mother of God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Through Mary’s “Yes” to God’s divine plan of love, the Savior was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit, thus bringing about the Incarnation of Christ. May we rejoice with all creation and imitate the humble obedience of our Blessed Mother!

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March 24th Daily Angelus & Mass

By |March 25th, 2020|

In today’s Mass for Tuesday of the 4th Week in Lent, Father Mike invites us to be discerning in how we hear the complaints of others, and to respond by offering the living water of our faith to those who are spiritually parched.

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Midday Mass and Angelus (March 23)

By |March 23rd, 2020|

Today’s midday Mass & Angelus video may be found here: https://youtu.be/xAYIW6UTXac
Dear parishioners,
Following your overwhelmingly positive feedback last week, we have decided to begin celebrating the daily Mass following the midday Angelus. As always, please share this link to our parish YouTube page to anyone who may wish to join in our celebration — and know that even though we cannot be together in person, we are united as members of the Body of Christ!
In Christ,
Fr. Steve, Fr. Mike, and Deacon Gil

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From Deacon Gil Stoy, CSC

By |March 21st, 2020|

Over the centuries our Church has produced a great wealth of wisdom and teachings. While many Catholics are introduced to this tradition during their time in Catholic Schools, once Catholics leave it can be difficult to know where to go in order to continue to develop our knowledge of our faith. With that in mind, I’d like to share a few of the online resources I have found to be accessible, orthodox, and inspiring ways to encounter the riches our Church has to offer.

Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire: Bishop Barron and his team post weekly homilies as well as videos and articles on faith and culture. Over the years, Bishop Barron has discussed a huge number of issues, from interpreting the Bible to movie reviews to engaging with current events. His material is thoughtful, thought provoking, and consistently orthodox. wordonfire.org

Fr. Mike Schmitz: Fr. Mike Schmitz is from the Diocese of Duluth and wears many hats. He is a nationally known Catholic speaker and shares weekly videos on YouTube through Ascension Presents. He addresses questions and gives practical advice on how to life the Christian Life and grow in virtue. (Youtube.com, search “Ascension Presents”)

McGrath Institute for Church Life: The Institute for Church Life comes from the University of Notre Dame and provides a number of resources that can be helpful, thought provoking, and engage in a deeper and more scholarly way some of the issues and challenges of the Church in the modern world. Their articles tend to be more academic but may be a great resource for someone who wants dive a little deeper into the thinking of the Church. Their journal is a great resource. churchlife.nd.edu

The Bible Project: I’ve mentioned this resource before. […]

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