Lord, If You Had Been Here, My Brother Would Not Have Died

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

In these words to Jesus, you can hear the suffering and pain of Martha and Mary and justifiably, even a little anger. Why did Jesus delay in coming to heal Lazarus? Why did He wait so long, only to have Lazarus die days before He even arrived? If Jesus could heal the blind, the lame, and the deaf, then why not Lazarus; they were supposedly dear friends. This is not how you treat your friends! But, before we express too much outrage, thank God we know the rest of the story; Jesus granted to Lazarus the most amazing miracle . . . he came forth from his grave. Once dead, he was now alive! How do you top that!

Maybe the raising of Lazarus was not only for his benefit and that of his sisters, but for our benefit as well. Mary and Martha failed in their belief in the power of Jesus and sadly, they even failed in believing how much Jesus loved them and their brother Lazarus. If our Lord showed loving concern for countless other people, why did they doubt this same loving concern for them? Perhaps in times of trials, we should keep this in mind: how far will we go in trusting in the power of Jesus’ love for us? Let us never neglect to respond to the voice of the one who calls Himself the Resurrection and the Life.

Lesser Known Virtues, The Virtue of Hope

There are three theological virtues, infused directly into the soul as gifts from God: faith, hope, and love. You hear a lot about faith (“keep the faith!”) and love (“where love is, God is”), but how often do you hear about hope, which is infused by God into our human will? It is the forgotten theological virtue, but yet it is a critical virtue for happiness on earth and eternal happiness in heaven. So in our desire to reclaim the importance of the virtue of hope, let us unfold its necessary elements.

In days past, a good Sunday sermon at your local Catholic or Protestant church often centered on hell, the wrath of God, divine chastisement, or similar “comforting” themes. It is no wonder that many people abandoned their faith out of despair and discouragement. Knowing they were sinners, they came to doubt that they could ever receive the mercy and forgiveness of God. But perhaps in our own time, the pendulum has gone too far in the opposite direction. Many Christians presume heaven is really a cakewalk. God is a loving, jolly, grandfather type figure who forgives us no matter what we do or don’t do. To avoid these two extremes (despair and presumption), Christians should pray for the virtue of hope and seek to cultivate it in their spiritual lives. With hope, we trust with complete certitude that we can attain eternal life, assisted by God who grants us the spiritual means for this journey. With the assistance of God, no obstacle for our salvation is insurmountable. God is disposed to save us, but on the condition that we cooperate with His grace (cf. I Corinthians 15:10).

To dispose ourselves to the virtue of hope, the following practices are helpful. First, we should disdain the things of earth, for no created thing can completely fill the heart of man. Pleasures, honors, wealth, etc. are passing things and when all is said and done, “What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?” (Matthew 16:26). Second, we must endure sufferings, which will accompany us from the cradle to the grave. If we bear such sufferings in a holy manner, these momentary tribulations prepare us for the eternal and incomparable glory to come. Third, we must never be anxious about tomorrow, trusting always in the loving providence of God. Nothing will be lacking to us if we trust in Him and if we hope for all things from Him. We have the promise of Jesus Himself, “Look at the birds of the sky . . . look at the lilies of the field . . . will He not so much more look after you? (Matthew 6:26-30). Lastly, we must desire to die in order to reach heaven. By nature, we experience an instinctive horror of death. Only when God’s grace has taken complete possession of our soul can we desire death in order to live the true life hereafter. Patterned on the dying of Jesus Christ, we desire death, for it also brings the promise of resurrection. That is why we can join Saint Paul in joyfully proclaiming, “For to me . . . to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Christians who possess the virtue of hope have no fear in this life, nor do they fear life after death. You might say that they have lost contact with the things of this world, for their hearts are fixed on heaven. With complete trust in God, they wait in peace and joy for the greater glories to come. Growth in faith is a lifetime journey and slowly but surely, souls become holy and perfect in imitation of Jesus Christ. The soul filled with hope is resplendent with the glory of Jesus . . . offering to all a glimpse of the glory which awaits us in heaven, the eternal reward of God’s faithful servants.

I Was Hungry and You Fed Me

Did you know that 852 million people in our world are hungry? Such hunger exists not only in the Third World, but also right here in the USA. Nearly 13%, or 37 million Americans, live in a state of hunger, hardship, and poverty. Thank God for charitable organizations like Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who do so much to feed the hungry and alleviate poverty. I hope that your family has been faithful to the annual Lenten Operation Rice Bowl campaign; there are still some rice bowls (boxes) in the back of our churches. Perhaps a portion of your children’s weekly allowance could go to the Rice Bowl. Maybe money spent on weekly movies could go to the Rice Bowl as well. All the money we spend on soda and junk food at the convenience store every time we stop to fill up our vehicle . . . put that same amount in the Rice Bowl. As a family, you decide how you will fill your Rice Bowl but know that feeding the hungry is not an option; it is an expectation of our Lord. He reminds us that when we come to the aid of the hungry, we are serving Him.

Sit Down and Eat!

This Sunday, April 2nd, after the 11:00 a.m. Mass at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church, know that you are welcome to the 2nd Annual Taste of the Nation meal. This year, there will be a variety of foods that make up the American cuisine, some that have been on the scene for some time and others that are making their debut with great fanfare. There will be appetizers, main dishes, and desserts to choose from and you can make your way around the parish fellowship hall, selecting whatever foods you think you will enjoy. Make sure you pace yourself because there will be quite a variety. If you stop by the lutefisk table, don’t worry; we have medical officials lined up . . . just in case.

Thank you for coming to the Taste of the Nation, a fundraiser on behalf of our youth. It’s also a great way to enjoy the company of your friends, family, and fellow parishioners . . . something that often gets lost in the busyness of life. We will see you on Sunday as we celebrate the great foods of a great nation. God bless the USA!

Last Chance Before Easter

We are quickly approaching the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection, Easter Sunday, so the opportunities for confession before Easter are coming to an end. Before the next two Tuesday Masses, I will be hearing confessions at Saint Ann’s in Berthold from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. At Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, in addition to the daily confessions before Mass, I will be hearing confessions from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 6th. I hope you can make it to a confession before Easter, not merely because the Church still teaches that every Catholic should go to confession at least once each year (preferably during the Lenten season), but because you want to be at peace with God. Sin wounds our relationship with the Lord; a worthy confession heals it.

May God Bless The Newest Christian in our Midst

We offer our prayers and congratulations to Anna Claire Debroeck (daughter of Michael and Lauren Debroeck), who was baptized last Saturday at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church. God bless Anna Claire and her family, as they praise God for her new gift of Faith, the greatest gift on earth and the only gift we take with us to heaven.

Farewell, but Never Goodbye

As you know from my announcement after our Masses last weekend, I will be leaving our parishes on July 1st to become the new pastor of Saint Mary’s of New England and Saint Elizabeth of Lefor. The priest that will come to serve Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and Saint Ann’s is Father Jason Signalness, who is a native of Mohall and an ordained priest for about six years. Please pray for both of us as we make the transition to our new parishes this summer.

Some weeks earlier, when I was called to Bishop Kagan’s office in Bismarck, my first thought was, “What did I do wrong? Maybe people wrote to him, complaining about my attacks on lutefisk.” But, then I thought, “But, he would surely agree with me on this one, so it has to be something else.” It was. He surprised me by telling me that I was to become the pastor of Saint Mary’s and Saint Elizabeth. It threw me for a loop, because it is quite rare for a priest to be sent back to his home town and home parish. It is kind of challenging to minister to one’s family, friends, classmates, and old neighbors. But, I rely upon God’s grace and hope for the best. The bishop has spoken, so as a priest, I know and trust that it is God’s holy will.

Every pastoral move is difficult, because you grow close to the people of a parish; they truly are family. These are the times when the promise of obedience is very difficult, but we priests promised to give our lives to Jesus Christ by way of obedience to our bishop (and his successors), so we have to be faithful to our vows. May God’s will be done . . . even when it is difficult.

Please be assured of my prayers for you as we prepare for the transition of pastors. Know that when a priest leaves a parish, he cannot leave the people behind . . . they are always in his prayers, especially at the altar in the celebration of the Holy Mass. Indeed, a farewell is never a good bye, because prayer always unites us in love. Our Lady, Mother of Priests . . . pray for us and for the people we love.

Rome Sweet Rome

Some have wondered if my pastoral move to New England and Lefor means the end of my pilgrimage to Rome. No. The pilgrimage is still on for November 17th - 25th, 2017. I hope you can be part of this incredible journey of faith; when you return from Rome, your Catholic faith is much deeper and vibrant. The sacredness of Rome and the other pilgrimage sites of Italy will make you proud to be a Catholic and ever more zealous to share the riches of our Faith as well. Continue praying about this and I hope to have you as part of this remarkable pilgrimage. Saint James, patron of pilgrims . . . pray for us!

Flower Power

Please consider donating to the Easter lily fund for our parishes, either by using the envelope in your monthly giving packet (Holy Rosary) or by placing a cheque in the collection basket (Saint Ann’s), with “Easter flowers” in the cheque memo. Thank you for your role in making our churches beautiful and sacred, as we celebrate the joy of our Lord’s Resurrection.

Highlights. from EWTN “Holy Week”

Choral Meditations and Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Thursday, April 13th, 5:30 – 8:30PM ET. Live form the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion from Rome.

Friday, April 14th, 11:00AM – 1:30PM ET; Saturday, April 15, 12:00 – 2:30PM AM, Live with Pope Francis.

Way of the Cross from Rome

Friday, April 14, 6:30 – 8:00PM ET; Saturday,

April 15, 5:30 – 7:00 AM. With Pope Francis