Phil’s Notes & Tidbits

Where can you find 4 religious sisters, 3 religious communities, 4 priests-including our diocesan vocation director, Irish ceili dancing, snow football, presentations on Saint Francis and Saint Claire, the Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, Stations of the Cross, skits, all-night adoration, confessions being heard till 1:15AM in the morning, Mass, and a host of amazing young adult Catholics?   All were part of last weekend’s John Paul II Young Adult Discernment Retreat.  44 people were part of this retreat, now in its 9^th year.  

To give you a sense of the faithfulness of these young people, confessions began about 9PM on Saturday evening and didn’t end till 1:15AM. (Don’t worry, the priests truly enjoyed working with the young adults, even for such a long duration!)  Similarly, we had no difficulty filling all the time slots for all-night Eucharistic adoration.   It is always such an inspiration to be around so many amazing young people! 

The retreatants came from St. Peter’s of course, but others came from as far away as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and La Crosse.   As far as I know, this is the only retreat of its kind in Wisconsin.  It is a beautiful gift to get this large a group of faith-filled young adults (ages 18-39) together to strengthen each other, inspire each other, and ultimately ask the most important questions, i.e. “what does God want me to do with my life?” 

This retreat was first initiated as an opportunity for the St. Peter’s college-DTS group to go deeper in their faith and concretely as God to what vocation He is calling them. 

Some of the evaluation sheet comments: 

“I was reunited and convicted of my Catholic faith again. I believe I have the strength and courage to say yes to God’s will and say no to my own.”

“…it was BEAUTIFUL being around people my age asking God about vocations.”

“I am encouraged by how many young folks are discerning their call.”      

“Please keep having these retreats!”

Please keep these young adults in your prayers—from retreats like this will come our future priests, future religious, and the future adult pillars of our parishes.    

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

The messianic ministry of Jesus Christ, as shown on many occasions during his ministry, involves physical healing as well as spiritual healing. In other words, it encompasses the liberation of human kind from physical ailments and from the bondage of sin.

Today’s Gospel account of the healing of a paralytic highlights this aspect of spiritual healing and the power of Jesus to forgive sins. When Jesus saw the innovative faith of the four men who brought the paralytic to him through the crowd, by making a hole on the roof of the house, from where they lowered down the paralytic’s mat, he spoke, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” In forgiving the person’s sins, Jesus revealed the divine compassion at its most profound level. Jesus healed not only the physical paralysis but also the debilitating spiritual paralysis. Christ revealed himself as the “healing Physician” whose compassionate word of forgiveness heals our brokenness, frees us from compulsion, gives us new life and strengthens the moral fibers of our soul.

Healing of the paralytic causes a contentious environment, in which the scribes silently question his authority to forgive sins. They were thinking to themselves: “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” The last verse of the first reading (Is 43:25), for example, substantiates their belief, “It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more.” In the midst of such a hostile skepticism Jesus manifests that he had power to forgive sin by applying to himself the title “Son of Man”. Thus Jesus claimed for himself the divine authority to forgive sins, besides the physical healing of the paralytic.

The main thrust of this episode is to underline the fact that Jesus established the Kingdom of God by his teaching, his healing, and his liberation of human beings from the bondage of sin. God’s healing love and the forgiveness of sin stays supreme above the human suffering and sin. Are we ready to be healed of our spiritual paralysis?

God bless you
Fr. Arul Joseph V.

“Now it springs forth…”

This phrase from the Book of Isaiah in today’s first reading is a good description of what has been flowing forth from St. Peter’s these past few years!  One way of measuring a parish’s relative “success” is the fruits that spring forth from it.  

One of the great blessings of working with young adults is seeing where God calls them.   Amazingly, 3 of our former college-DTS members are now religious education directors at their parishes.  In addition a fourth is volunteering for young adult offerings at her parish.   Phil Kosloski now directs all the religious education and evangelizataion efforts at Saints Peter & Paul Parish in Wisconsin Rapids.  Nick Landwehr is now the Director of Religious Education & Evangelization at St. Lawrence Parish in Wisconsin Rapids.  And Melissa Riese is the religious education coordinator and Youth Minister for 3 parishes in the Cashton area.   Finally, Natalie Elskamp is working on young adult events for her parish in Iowa.   I don’t know that you’ll find another parish in the diocese with that kind of results!  

St. Peter’s was blessed to both use their talents during those college years and in having the privilege of helping to form them in the careers they now work at.   A few years ago I was part of a conversation where my colleagues were lamenting the number of young people who were entering into parish work such as this.  We haven’t had that problem here!

On Wednesday, Feb. 8^th, we hosted the Vocation Night for Women with Sr. Mary David, FSGM and our own Sr. Michelle SSJ-TOF.  What a blessing it was!  We divided the evening into 2 sections, starting with pizza and conversation and with the sisters at 530PM.  25 young ladies showed up for this part!   The second half was a more formal presentation by the sisters on their vocations and both listening and responding to God’s call. For this, we also brought over the religious education girls from Grades 3-9.  Some 43 young ladies attended this portion.  The girls loved it, being glued to every word the sisters were saying.  Sr. Mary David, before heading back to LaCrosse that night, said to me she’s happy to come any time and mentioned how impressed she was with the young women here! 

This weekend I am with young adults from our parish and throughout the diocese at the annual John Paul II Discernment Retreat.  As I’ve mentioned previously, this retreat has been very powerful in helping young adults hear and respond to God’s call, with (so far!) 3 seminarians, 3 religious sisters, 1 religious brother, and 4 marriages coming out of it over the past 7 years we’ve held the retreat.  Please keep this weekend’s participants in your prayers!

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

I bet most of us would not have had any experience with a leper. It is unbearable to see the ulcerous loathsome growth in the body. Lepers are kept away from common residential areas; they remain as outcasts from ordinary human companionship. They are bereft of love, comfort, hope and human dignity. Their misery is boundless. The Book of Leviticus in the Bible says that the leper has to remain outside the city, with torn garments, flowing hair, covered beard, and cry “Unclean! Unclean!”

The Gospel today presents how Jesus responds to a leper, who suffers such a misery. Breaking down the barriers of hygiene and ritual purity, Jesus did what was unimaginable. He responds with great compassion to the leper’s faith invocation, “If you wish, you can make me clean”. He stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Jesus extended a healing touch to the “untouchable” and comforted the outcast bringing him wholeness.

The healing ministry of Jesus should not be seen as a mere healing. It has a connection with passion of Jesus. Pope Paul VI highlights the relationship between the healing ministry of Jesus and his passion. The Pope explains that tortured and disfigured by the sweat of blood, having suffered the flagellation, the crowning with thorns, the crucifixion, the rejection by the people, Jesus has identified himself with lepers, becoming an image of a leper, as the prophet Isaiah had foreseen, “He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, knowing pain, like one from whom you turn your face, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured. We thought of him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted, but he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity… by his wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke of the “leprosy of the Western world”, which is, the leprosy of loneliness. In her ministry to the lonely, the unwanted, the marginalized, the rejected, the AIDS victim, etc. she had given witness that with the love of Christ, there is healing for the leprosy of our modern times.

Installation of your Pastor:
What does it mean? Having been appointed by Bishop William Callahan as your Pastor, I will be installed canonically next Sunday at 8:00 a.m. Mass. This word applies to the induction of a person, in accordance with the Church Law, to occupy an Office in the Church. As the delegate of the Bishop, the dean Fr. Tom Lindner will receive my profession of faith and my oath to observe the Laws of the Church and the Statutes of the Diocese of La Crosse.

Committed to serve you
Fr. Arul Joseph V.

                        Phil’s Notes & Tidbits

“Thank you for helping (us) prepare for our wedding day & marriage, and for helping us understand how God is with us during it all.  It feels good knowing that the Church cares about us and keeping our forthcoming marriage healthy and strong.” 

The above was received as a thank you note from a couple married at St. Peter’s.    

St. Peter’s spends more time preparing couples for marriage then most parishes.  The couples have 4  – hour long  sessions with me in which we cover everything from the Church’s teachings on marriage to the practical skills and communication that help a marriage to flourish.   The couples then attend a retreat weekend organized by the deanery.  We also have large group sessions for all the parish engaged couples.  Finally, the couples take an online course in NFP (Natural Family Planning.)  In addition, the couples have a total of 4 meetings with the pastor which covers the FOCCUS Test, a prenuptial questionnaire and of course planning the actual ceremony.  The whole Marriage Prep Checklist which couples are given can be found on the parish website.  

About 5 years ago, an effort was undertaken to strengthen the parishes’ marriage preparation program.  Everyone knows the dire statistics on divorce and we want to ensure we do everything possible to prevent that from ever happening to the couples who approach the altar at St. Peter’s.  The vast majority of couples appreciate the efforts on their behalf as indicated by the note above.  I recall last year a couple who was going through the process. They shared with me a conversation with a friend about the marriage preparation process.  The friend expected they would be dreading all the steps they had to take to get married here.  The soon to be groom instead told his friend how much he was enjoying it and how much it was strengthening his and his fiancees’ relationship!

“The family that prays together, stays together.”  As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this week, here’s a prayer I give to couples and encourage them to pray daily.  I first discovered this prayer when my wife and I got engaged—and it’s a prayer we’ve prayed every night since. 

Prayer of Spouses for Each Other

Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Help us to forgive one another’s failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well-being of one another ahead of self.

May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

I believe many of you would have read the official announcement of Bishop William Callahan in the Catholic Times that he has appointed me as the Pastor, effective from Jan. 25th, of St. Peter and St. Casmir Parishes. Till this date, I was only a parochial Administrator. The new appointment as the Pastor, legally gives me stability. However, I personally take it as an opportunity from God to commit myself to serve the parishioners with greater dedication for a period of time, till the Bishop will transfer me. Honestly I am happy to serve you as your pastor, because I am impressed and encouraged by your faith and your loyalty to the Church. I thank you for having accepted me so. I do not know still the date, on which I will be installed. Yes, it is again only a legal requirement; and perhaps it will be held on any one of the Sundays.

Now let me turn you attention for a brief reflection on this Sunday’s Good News.

The story of Job, in the first reading, is one of the most fascinating ones. It reflects the experience of every person, who has suffered. As in the mind of Job, there are many questions rising in the mind of even a strong believer asking, “How could God allow his virtuous and beloved Job to be assailed by an onslaught of calamities? Why did he permit a faithful friend to experience misery in its acuteness and intensity? Why did he allow Satan to inflict horrendous trials on an innocent God-fearing person?” The lament of Job echoes the resentment of a person’s “unmerited” suffering.

It is against this backdrop that we need to understand Jesus, the Messiah, who preached the coming of God’s kingdom. The Messiah himself had to undergo the agonies and sufferings of every person. It is on the cross Jesus Christ assumed the brokenness and vulnerability of the entire humanity and brought about healing.

In today’s Gospel Jesus, the healer is prefigured in the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law who lay ill with fever and the many others who were sick with various diseases and those who were possessed by demons. The healing ministry of Jesus was a sign that the kingdom of wholeness has come. By his mission of healing, he showed to the suffering “Jobs” of all times that sickness, suffering and death do not have the ultimate word.

The words of the Gospel, “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mk 1:35), reveals that the healing and saving ministry of Jesus was sustained by his life of prayer and personal dialogue with the Father. I wish and pray that everyone of us who is suffering from any ailment may find solace in Jesus, the divine healer through personal encounter with him.

God bless you
Fr. Arul Joseph V.

            “CATHOLICISM”

Many have likely heard of the Fr. Robert Barron’s new documentary “CATHOLICISM” produced by Word On Fire. 

“CATHOLICISM could well become one of the most significant efforts ever to advance what Pope John Paul II called ‘The New Evangelization.’  Truth, goodness, beauty – they’re all here, in a stimulating and compelling exploration of the spiritual, moral and intellectual riches of the Catholic world.  This is the Catholic story told from inside, with knowledge, sympathy, and passion, rooted in friendship with Jesus Christ.” –George Weigel, biographer of Pope John Paul II.  

            CATHOLICISM is both a 10 hour documentary and structured adult faith formation program.   The documentary was so well done that it has also been shown throughout the country on Public Television.  

The Diocese, through a generous grant, distributed a copy of the program to every single parish.  I expect, we’ll be offering this as a formal adult faith formation series, perhaps after we finish the current Tuesday night Bible study series.    However, in the meantime, especially with Lent approaching if any of the parish organizations or even small groups of parishioners want to borrow the videos for a meeting or evening of reflection please let me know and I’ll get them to you!   The DVD’s can be used in the whole series or as a stand-alone topic. You can find more information on the program online at www.CatholicismSeries.com. 

Fr. Letona and I previewed the first episode over the Christmas break, and both found ourselves glued to the screen.  The combination of on-site video as Fr. Barron travels the Catholic world, his explanations, and the conviction with which they’re expressed are captivating. 

Our parish religious education teachers watched the episode, “Amazed and Afraid – The Revelation of God Become Man” during an inservice on Jan. 4^th and loved it.   One teacher even asked if they could keep watching the rest of the videos that night!    

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

The message of the Gospel, this Sunday, depicts Jesus as God’s “Good News” in person. In other words, the Gospel passage portrays him teaching God’s word with authority: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk 1:22). Jesus spoke not only with authority, but also he reinforced the power of God’s saving word by curing a man possessed by an unclean spirit. Both word and action highlight the authority of Jesus. Jesus is manifesting himself as Messiah and his teaching manifests his person as the one sent by God.

The episode of Jesus teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum supports the truth that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic figure promised by Yahweh to Israel and to all people: “I will raise up for them a prophet. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak all that I command him” (Dt. 18:18). This means that a prophet is another self of God. Men must, therefore, heed his words. If they do not listen to him, it means that they refuse to listen to God. Jesus clearly thinks of himself as doing what is expected of the great prophet whom God had promised to raise up from among his brethren.

Cardinal John Henry Newman says, “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. In him God is fully and truly seen, so that he is absolutely the way, the truth and the life. Christ has brought from his Father for all of us the full and perfect way of life. Thus he brings grace as well as truth, a most surprising miracle of mercy.”

The Gospel episode states that the people who heard were astonished at the teaching of Jesus. Can we ask ourselves if we are astonished and amazed at Jesus’ teachings? What about the magisterial authority Jesus gave the Church to interpret and spread the Good News to the world? On several occasions, we are tempted to accept the word of God only when it suits us; only when it fits our easy lifestyle and only when it is convenient. But when Jesus talks about loving one’s neighbor, about justice, about giving, about forgiveness and sacrifice, it disturbs us from our “comfort zones”. Then we turn away from the divine authority of the gospels and call them irrelevant to the times.

The word of God is light to our path and life to our soul. Hence we need to listen to the Word of God during the Mass and supplement it by private study. This will make the gospels more instructive in our lives. Then the Holy Spirit will occupy our lives and produce within us, as St. Paul tells us in Gal 5:22, his gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

God bless you
Fr. Arul Joseph V.