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Scenes from my first Christmas

Yes, this is my First Christmas.....as a Deacon of course. Fr. Andrew reminded me and the entire congregation of that, along with the story ...

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A letter to ISIS from the People of the Cross

Please check out this you tube link. Remember everything is possible withe the Love of Christ.


Peace Deacon Mitch

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Prayer

Prayer #7

Gracious God,
You have called me to life
and gifted me in many ways.
Through Baptism You have sent me
to continue the mission of Jesus
by sharing my love with others.
Strengthen me to respond to
Your call each day.
Help me to become all You desire of me.
Inspire me to make a difference in
others' lives.
Lead me to choose the way of life
You have planned for me.
Open the hearts of all to listen
to Your call.
Fill all with Your Holy Spirit that
we may have listening hearts and
the courage to respond to You.
Enkindle in my heart
and the hearts of others the desire
to make the world a better place
by serving as
Lay Minister, Sister, Priest,
Brother or Deacon.
Amen.

You have to Love this man!


Peace 

Deacon Mitch

Friday, April 24, 2015

The Way

I'm off today after a very busy 8 days of work, sales, retreats, and the usually challenges that we are all presented in life. It began a week ago with a Super Sale at my store and it was all hands on deck. The challenge was to be picking up my team and putting our best foot forward. The weekend was a tremendous success. It was also a formation weekend for the Diaconate community in this Diocese. Luckily, the weekend was only a half hour away and Terry and I made the commute on Friday and Saturday. It was a great weekend with the focus on Marriage. We also got in a great community night at an Irish Pub in Jackson. Needless to say, we had a great time. 

The work load continue and the store is starting to ramp up. We need good weather, and unfortunately we are having snow again today. Not much, but still snowing. 

A few days ago I asked Fr. Andrew if I could preach on Sunday morning, he smiled and said yes. He shared that one of the joys was listening and meditating on someone else preaching for a change. Well, usually I preach on the Gospel reading, and today I threw a curve ball to the parishioners and preached on the first reading from Acts on the Conversion of Saul. Last night and into early this morning I was moved by the description used for the early Christians, men and women who belonged to the Way! Wow, there is so much that can be said about just that. I focused on the need for daily conversion and the infinite Mercy of God. We have Saul turning to Paul and we  know his story and how much he had turned around, and saw for the first time. His eyes were opened wide.Then we have Ananias who himself had the greater eye opening experience ministering to a man he feared and probably hated. Yet Christ called him to be there and he became astonished as to the what can happen when conversion meets mercy. 

Recently, Fr Andrew and I witnessed a man coming back to the Way, opening his heart to conversion through the calling of today's martyrs, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This man came back on Divine Mercy Sunday....what a day to celebrate Mercy. These two men today offer us a witness to examine our own lives and seek conversion and pray for Mercy. As St. Paul tells us ..."Our inmost being must be renewed, and we must put on a new man." Ephesians 4:23-24.

Peace,

Deacon Mitch

Sunday, April 5, 2015

The Other Disciple

He is Risen, He is Truly Risen! Alleluia! A Blessed an Joyous Easter to all of you! It has been an extremely busy week. I actually took a weeks vacation to completely immerse myself in Holy Week and assist our two wonderful Priests. There are many highlights, being the Narrator on Palm Sunday, preaching at daily masses, The Chrism Mass and the journey to and back, the camaraderie that is growing between the Priests and myself, Holy Thursday, The Stations on Good Friday, Chanting on Good Friday, Processing and chanting with the New Paschal Candle (worrying not to stain or drop it!), Singing the Exultet, Witnessing the joy of our newest members of our community, Communion Service and preaching at the federal prison, assisting at morning Mass today, and comforting a family on their loss of a loved one. Did I miss anything? Probably! This week has filled my heart with so much love and joy. I won't get too many opportunities in my lifetime to preach on Easter Sunday, yet today I did. In today's Gospel from John we have the disciples Mary, Peter, and the other, searching for Christ! The other? Yes, the other.I was intrigued by that comment. Yes we know he was also called the beloved and we can safely assume it was John, or should we? What I preached about is that in Scripture we have even seemingly insignificant people being named. Malchus, whose ear was severed by Peter, and we have the repentant thief, St. Dismas. Yes, St. Dismas. We know what Christ said and we know their names, yet we have the reference of the "other disciple". Well, just imagine that John wanted us to believe that we were the "other disciple". Running to meet Christ, anxiously awaiting, and then after seeing "Believeing"! Are we the other disciple, maybe we should be!

Peace,

Deacon Mitch

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Practice time

Last night I received the opportunity to practice chanting in front of the congregation. I got  the word out about 530 that evening that I had something to chant. It was a great chance to clear the butterflies before tonight, where I will be singing the Exultet. This morning I got another chance to prove to father Kyle probably for the first time that I do have a voice to sing. Father Andrew put me on the spot and asked me to sing the first line. There is no more time to practice, only time to pray, and I pray that my voice to be Christ's voice for about 12 minutes this evening. I think of this as a very humbling moment, Whereas all the deacons who have gone before me Will be watching over me, guiding me, letting the Spirit come inside of me. Tonight we pray, tonight we baptize, tonight we confirm, tonight we receive the Lord. But most of all, tonight we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Peace
Deacon Mitch

314th Anniversary

Today is the 314th Anniversary of the death of my ancestor Guillaume.



Peace 

Deacon  Mitch