Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church http://ffolvchurch.org Fergus Falls, MN Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:46:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 God spoke to my heart while I was praying before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. He said… http://ffolvchurch.org/god-spoke-to-my-heart-while-i-was-praying-before-christ-in-the-blessed-sacrament-he-said/ http://ffolvchurch.org/god-spoke-to-my-heart-while-i-was-praying-before-christ-in-the-blessed-sacrament-he-said/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:30:39 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=1015 God spoke to my heart while I was praying before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.  He said,

“Greg, stop!  Look at me.  Look at me in the Holy Eucharist.  I am here.  I am here in the form of bread.

I am here in reality.  I am here sacramentally.  I am here.  I fulfill my promise to be with you all the days of your earthly life by coming to you in the Eucharist.  Of all the other ways I speak to my people, this is the center, this is my heart, this is where my soul connects with your soul.  This is where I nourish you most.

I feed your intellect, your body, and your soul here in the Eucharist.

Today and tomorrow people around the world will pay tribute to my birthday thousands of years ago.  Every day, I make my very presence available to them in the Eucharist, and so few come to adore me.  Am I only a memory to my people?  People treat me like they treated my mom, Joseph and I in Bethlehem.  There was no room in the inn for us.  I was happy to be born in a manger, but I was sad for the ones who could not, would not find room for us in their homes and in their hearts.

The world treats me the same today.  There is no room in their hearts for me. They push me out of      the schools like the kids, my children, who were suspended for “Tebowing”.  (There is a quarterback for the  Denver Broncos named Tebow, who goes down to one knee to pray.)  They push me out of government by removing my Ten Commandments from the courtrooms.  They push me off the street corners and replace me with empty words, “Happy Holidays”.  I am so ignored by retailers, they don’t even   use my name or image    to draw customers into their stores anymore.

And, I am most heartbroken by all the people who divorce sexuality from the very gift of life I want

to give them.  Whenever someone participates in an abortion they are saying, “There is no room in my life      for the gift of life God wants to give me.”  Whenever they use contraception they are saying, “I am not open    to Christ’s abundant love for me”.  Whenever they sleep with someone they are not married to they are saying, “I don’t care what Jesus says, I’m going to live my way.”  Whatever happened to the prayer, “Not my will,    but Thy will be done?” The world has made it a joke.

Yet, there is hope (referring to a little brother of one of our First Confession children a couple weeks ago).  Remember the little boy who responded to your question, “Where do you come from?”  He said, rightly  in his three-year old conviction, “Jesus threw me down from heaven into my mommy’s belly.”  Even now,  there are signs of understanding from the smallest and simplest of my people.

I am the source of life, every life.   I am the source of all creation, with my Father in heaven and my Holy Spirit.  The world will not succeed in shutting us out.  There may not be room in the inn, room in the hearts of many, but there will always be those who come and worship me.

So, don’t lose heart.  Just like at my birth, I will find a place in this world to be born again.  Like the shepherds, people will come in search of me.  Dignitaries will come and bow down to me.  And the angels    will sing with all the heavenly hosts, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.”

Greg, invite my people to reform their lives.

Invite them to remember my birth and my cross.

Invite them to adore me in the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist.

Tell them I love them from the depths of My Sacred Heart.

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/god-spoke-to-my-heart-while-i-was-praying-before-christ-in-the-blessed-sacrament-he-said/feed/ 0 OLV Christmas Program http://ffolvchurch.org/olv-christmas-program/ http://ffolvchurch.org/olv-christmas-program/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:17:08 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=1005 A video of the last two songs from our Christmas Program – December 2011

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/olv-christmas-program/feed/ 0 Christmas Mass Schedule 2011 http://ffolvchurch.org/christmas-mass-schedule-2011/ http://ffolvchurch.org/christmas-mass-schedule-2011/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:06:14 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=995 Please not that Christmas falls on the weekend and the schedule has changed!

Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24th) – 4:00pm & 6:30pm

Christmas Day (Sunday, Dec. 25th) – 9:30am

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/christmas-mass-schedule-2011/feed/ 0 When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls” (Proverbs 31:10). http://ffolvchurch.org/when-one-finds-a-worthy-wife-her-value-is-far-beyond-pearls%e2%80%9d-proverbs-3110/ http://ffolvchurch.org/when-one-finds-a-worthy-wife-her-value-is-far-beyond-pearls%e2%80%9d-proverbs-3110/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:11:55 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=974  “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls” (Proverbs 31:10).  This weekend’s first reading describes, from a scriptural point of view, the perfect wife.  But how do wives become more perfect?  I believe the more perfectly husbands treat their wives, the more perfect their wives will become.  Here are 5 “P’s” for husbands to treat their wives more perfectly:

  • Pray with her – thank God for your wife and ask Him to bless her every day.
  • Protect her – from harm, sin, illness, lust, danger, embarrassment, and all evil.
  • Provide for her – affection, a break from kids, words of praise, materially, etc.
  • be Present to her – communicate and spend time with her doing some things she likes.
  • Point her in the right direction – show her how to live for Jesus Christ.

The more we as men take serious these ways of loving the women in our lives, the more we will live in loving and happy marriages.  I am grateful for all of you who live in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.  May the Lord bless you until death do you part.

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/when-one-finds-a-worthy-wife-her-value-is-far-beyond-pearls%e2%80%9d-proverbs-3110/feed/ 0 Jesus said in today’s Gospel, “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.” http://ffolvchurch.org/jesus-said-in-today%e2%80%99s-gospel-%e2%80%9ccall-no-one-on-earth-your-father-you-have-but-one-father-in-heaven-%e2%80%9d/ http://ffolvchurch.org/jesus-said-in-today%e2%80%99s-gospel-%e2%80%9ccall-no-one-on-earth-your-father-you-have-but-one-father-in-heaven-%e2%80%9d/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:52:00 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=959 Jesus said in today’s Gospel, “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.”  So why do we call our priests “Father?”  In the context of the whole chapter of Matthew 23 Jesus is confronting the Pharisees who love “places of honor.”  He is calling for spiritual leaders to lead with humility, not pride, as he says, “The greatest among you must be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”  Jesus uses a literary technique called “hyperbole,” i.e., exaggerated language to make a point.  Overwhelming evidence is found in the scriptures themselves that the Apostles did not interpret these words of Jesus’ literally.  Peter, John, and Paul all claim to be spiritual fathers.  St. Paul says it clearly in 1 Corinthians 4:14-15, “I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”   In the tradition of the Apostles we trust that our priests our spiritual fathers called to lead us closer to God who is the one true Father of heaven and earth.  In that light, we call our priests, “father.”

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/jesus-said-in-today%e2%80%99s-gospel-%e2%80%9ccall-no-one-on-earth-your-father-you-have-but-one-father-in-heaven-%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 As you read this I am enjoying beautifulPuerto Vallarta,Mexico… http://ffolvchurch.org/as-you-read-this-i-am-enjoying-beautifulpuerto-vallartamexico/ http://ffolvchurch.org/as-you-read-this-i-am-enjoying-beautifulpuerto-vallartamexico/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:42:28 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=950 As you read this I am enjoying beautifulPuerto Vallarta,Mexico.  My family is taking a week here to celebrate the clean bill of health that my sister Diane received after battling cancer.  It is so good to spend time with family.  As many of you know, when a family member has cancer it sure changes how much you appreciate one another.  I’ve called my sister more in the last two years than I have in the previous 10.  I just want to hear how she is doing along with her husband and three grown children.  Thank you to all who have prayed for Diane, my family, and I.  We really appreciate it.  And thank you for being so kind to our visiting priest.  Hasta la vista!

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/as-you-read-this-i-am-enjoying-beautifulpuerto-vallartamexico/feed/ 0 Now is the time to prepare for the Roman Missal, Third Edition… http://ffolvchurch.org/now-is-the-time-to-prepare-for-the-roman-missal-third-edition/ http://ffolvchurch.org/now-is-the-time-to-prepare-for-the-roman-missal-third-edition/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:50:27 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=906 Now is the time to prepare for the Roman Missal, Third Edition.  According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops we will experience the new words of our liturgy with a deeper meaning even though it is the sameMass.  The new English translation is to be fully implemented in parishes beginning the weekend of November 26-27, the first Sunday in Advent.  For the next couple months I will be preaching about different parts of theMass.  And along the way we will be learning a new musical setting of the revised parts of theMass.  This is an exciting time in the Church.  I invite you to enter into it with open hearts and minds.  Together let us long for a fresh encounter of Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

“The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives.”  (www.old.usccb.org/romanmissal)

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/now-is-the-time-to-prepare-for-the-roman-missal-third-edition/feed/ 0 Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory… http://ffolvchurch.org/do-nothing-out-of-selfishness-or-out-of-vainglory/ http://ffolvchurch.org/do-nothing-out-of-selfishness-or-out-of-vainglory/#comments Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:42:24 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=898 “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4) 

Thank you to all who attended, supported, and worked the Fall Festival!  It went well.  In spite of the power outage and the rainy morning you all rolled with the punches.  The dinner was delicious.  The children had fun playing games in the school.  And it worked well to have the drawing in our fellowship hall.  I saw a lot of smiles and a lot of hard working parishioners who made it a success.  Special thanks to Craig and Stacie Hebert for chairing the event.  WhenSt. Paulwrote to the Philippians the words above, he was teaching them to empty themselves and live lives of service.  Again, thanks to all of you who poured yourselves out and served at Fall Festival.

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/do-nothing-out-of-selfishness-or-out-of-vainglory/feed/ 0 Ari and I were able to hit lunch atKennedyPublic School… http://ffolvchurch.org/ari-and-i-were-able-to-hit-lunch-atkennedypublic-school/ http://ffolvchurch.org/ari-and-i-were-able-to-hit-lunch-atkennedypublic-school/#comments Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:17:56 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=892 I had a good time last Wednesday.  Just off the cuff Ari and I were able to hit lunch atKennedyPublic School.  I brought some Skittles to share and a checkers board to play.  I must say we have some wonderful youth in our community.  I am especially proud of the young Catholics.  While school has changed quite a bit in the last 25 years, in many ways it is still the same.  Bustling with activity, hallways filled with friendships, and classrooms arranged for modern learning.  The school is a social center for teaching our young more than computers, math, science, reading, and writing.  School is a microcosm of real life teaching the students how to relate to one another, how to measure their activities for a balanced life, and how to meet the responsibilities of being in the right place at the right time.  We are blessed to have such good schools in our area.

]]> http://ffolvchurch.org/ari-and-i-were-able-to-hit-lunch-atkennedypublic-school/feed/ 0 It was an evil and shocking event: theTwinTowerscrumbling down… http://ffolvchurch.org/it-was-an-evil-and-shocking-event-thetwintowerscrumbling-down/ http://ffolvchurch.org/it-was-an-evil-and-shocking-event-thetwintowerscrumbling-down/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:49:34 +0000 admin http://ffolvchurch.org/?p=884 It was an evil and shocking event: theTwinTowerscrumbling down.  We will never forget the horror of terrorism that struck our country to its core.  We can no longer live in the auspice of security we once knew.  The people who planned and executed that dastardly deed must have been out of their minds.  And now, to the day 9/11, it is 10 years later.  Is it possible yet for us to forgive?  The scriptures this weekend surely point us in that direction.  Here is Peter’s conversation with Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”  We would also do well to read Sirach 27:30-28:9 which begins, “Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, and the sinful man will possess them. . . .”  We must not lower ourselves to the level of the terrorists; we must not harbor feelings of vengeance.  So what are we to do?  To be Disciples of Christ means we must forgive.  We must not be vengeful and exact retribution.  That is God’s right alone.  However, that does not mean we are ready to trust those who continue to be wrathful against us.  No, in fact, we do well to hold them accountable to justice and to be prepared to defend ourselves in the future.  As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.”  To be both Christian and patriotic is to pray for our enemies even while we secure our country.

It pleases me to welcome Mary Jo Baez on staff.  Beginning Sept 12th she will be our Parish Secretary.  Special thanks to Theresa Anderson, Mary Jo Baez, and Gail Welle for being wonderful receptionists in our time of transition.

Lastly, it was wonderful to see all the children and staff back atOVLSchool.  I pray all the children and youth in both public and parochial schools enjoyed their first week and grow in their eagerness for learning.

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