Antigo Area
Adult Formation During Lent
Check Out the Many Parish Offerings to Help You Grow Closer to Christ
Sarah Darr spent many years as a massage therapist, helping people relax. God put on her heart that she could use the gift of helping people relax to serve Him. So she started offering Scripture meditations at St. John’s. She was happy to have people attend and to be able to share her gifts.
“I wanted to help people be available to be found by God — that was on my heart for a long time,” Sarah says. “We get busy, and it’s easy to brush God off sometimes. I wanted to offer that time to sit down and focus on the Lord.”
Sarah returned to prayer, knowing she wanted to offer more opportunities to parishioners. In January and February, she offered a series focused on the Eucharist, The Presence, through FORMED.org. Attendees watched a video and then shared in discussion. There was also time to reflect, something Sarah believes we all need to take the time to do.
On March 13, 20, and 27, she will offer a three-part series called Forgiven “I figured this topic is so perfect during Lent because I know people who struggle with forgiveness,” Sarah says. “I want to help people focus on offering this up for the Lord. I want to help them get to Confession, so they truly have an open mind and open heart to being forgiven and to forgive others — there’s so much freedom in that.”
If you were raised Catholic, you likely went through faith formation classes as a child and young adult, but eventually, those classes ended. If you aren’t intentional about it, you may miss other opportunities to grow in your faith. Sarah’s sessions offer that opportunity, and the sessions are short and free.
“I want to help people engage their faith and engage their intellect,” she says. “I want them to grow their knowledge of the faith more — to have that heart knowledge, not just
MARCH 2023
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The Presence series took place in late January and early February.
Stewardship and Lent: How The Wise Men’s Gifts Symbolize Our Lenten Obligations
Weexperience great joy when we celebrate the coming of the Magi at Epiphany each year. For many of us, it is the completion of Christmas. Yet, the gifts offered by the Magi — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — can serve to guide us on our stewardship journeys as we observe Lent this month.
It may seem strange to connect the joyful celebration of Epiphany with the penitential season of Lent. But our spiritual life should not be divided into separate, unconnected bits, and in the same way, the Church’s liturgical year also flows from one season to another. The different feasts and seasons certainly have different emphases, but they are intended to build on each other.
So, let’s see if we can connect what the Magi gave Jesus with what we’re going to offer Him this Lent.
The basic ingredients for our Lenten rule come from what is termed the “Three Notable Duties” — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These in turn come from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). How do we connect the wise men’s gifts with the Three Notable Duties?
Frankincense is the basic ingredient in the incense used in the worship of God, in the ancient world, and in the Church today. Offering it to Jesus points out His divine nature, and so it symbolizes prayer — the stewardship of time. Our Lenten rule needs to include prayer and worship. Of course, we are bound to worship at Sunday Mass year-round. Maybe during Lent, we might add a weekday Mass. Perhaps we can increase the time we devote to private prayer at home or at adoration. Devotional reading from the Bible or another appropriate book can be added. In addition, don’t forget the possibility of adding family devotions during Lent, so that the whole family prays together.
When we offer our gold to Christ to build His Church and to help His poor, we are engaged in almsgiving — the stewardship of treasure. While giving from the treasure God has entrusted to us is a duty throughout the whole year, maybe this Lent we can practice being a little more generous than usual. If our giving is a thankful response to the gift of eternal life that God has given us, we will find that the giving is indeed a means of grace.
For centuries, myrrh has been associated with fasting. In the ancient world, it was regularly used in embalming. Generations of theological writers have seen the gift of myrrh as a foreshadowing of Christ’s sufferings.
Fasting may be the most difficult of the Three Notable
Duties for modern Americans. We usually think of fasting only under the heading of dieting to lose weight. Instead, try to think of fasting as a way to become more spiritually fit. Body and spirit affect each other. The whole sacramental system is built on the truth that we can receive spiritual grace through material things and physical actions.
Our specific requirements of fasting are limited — abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, and a reduction in the quantity of food we eat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. But the discipline of our physical bodies for our spiritual wellbeing does not have to be limited to Lent!
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were indeed valuable gifts for the wise men to present to the Child Jesus, which is stewardship at its very core. So, when we look at their symbolism, we can see their relationship to the Three Notable Duties of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. What gifts of our time, talent, and treasure are we going to offer to Jesus this Lent?
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“Whatare you getting for Lent?”
That might seem like a strange question to ask. We are used to hearing, “What are you getting for Christmas?” or “What are you giving up for Lent?” Those questions make sense. There is a reason why we celebrate the birth of Jesus first and His death and resurrection second.
Christmas is all about God’s unconditional, unexpected, and unmerited love. There is nothing we could ever do that would make us worthy to hold the Baby Jesus. Yet he is freely, trustingly, mercifully given to each of us. The tone of Christmas is the importance of simply receiving the gift of Love that is offered to me. I daresay every Christmas has some moment of peace and love. I like to journal because it is a way that I can go back and remember what God has done for me even when I forgot it.
Lent, then, is about our response to God’s love. Even though most of us do believe in a good God who loves us, we often live as though God did not exist. We go about our business trying to figure out our own problems as though God weren’t watching out for us and lovingly providing for us. We fill our lives with things that temporarily boost our mood but don’t actually lead to lasting and meaningful happiness. Since I am, in fact, loved unconditionally, what are the things I can do without? In what ways am I trying to fill the emptiness in me that only God can fill?
I may not know or necessarily be able to tackle those things directly. But if I take on some general kind of fast or self-sacrifice, I will begin to see more clearly this dynamic in my heart. Last year I went on a dairy-free ketogenic diet for Lent. It was really
hard to eat next to no carbs. I had to change the foods I made, eat out less often, and avoid lots of things I really like. In the process, though, I lost some weight and found a freedom from sugar (I didn’t realize how attached to sugar I actually was). I developed the skill of being able to go without food for an extended period of time. I gave up a lot, but I got a lot of benefits from my sacrifices.
This year I started Exodus 90. It’s 90 days long and will end on Easter, so in a sense, I started Lent extra early. Exodus 90 challenges you to give up sugary drinks, desserts, snacks, TV and sports, unnecessary cellphone usage, fasting and abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, and more. You also invest in fraternity with other men, daily prayer and reflection, and regular exercise. Many of us are finding the unnecessary cellphone usage is the hardest part. However, I have begun to notice new freedom, detachment, and peace in my use of technology. In other words, I’m getting a lot out of the experience.
We are already a week or two into Lent. You have hopefully begun extra prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. You might be counting the cost of your sacrifices, but you should also be on the lookout for unexpected blessings. What are you getting for Lent?
Fr. Joel Sember Pastor
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Your brother in Christ
Dear Parish Family,
A Letter From Our Pastor
The Sacrament of Sealed in the
Thereception of a sacrament is a time of joy. Whether it is a baby being baptized, a man and woman getting married, or children receiving their First Communion, seeing someone entering more deeply into the faith is always a great opportunity to share in the outpouring of God’s graces upon His people. Here in the Diocese of Green Bay, youth receive the Sacrament of Confirmation during their senior year of high school. At the end of January, we joyfully celebrated as 19 of our students received the Sacrament of Confirmation!
This year we were honored to host Confirmation at St. John for not only our students but the students of Shawano, Phlox, Leopolis, and Gresham. These additional parishes brought 14 more confirmandi to celebrate this sacrament. The occasion of witnessing 33 young adults receiving the Holy Spirit is a joy for our parish to behold.
In his homily at the Confirmation Mass, Bishop Ricken shared about how after the Eucharist and Mass, the gifts that we receive in the Sacrament of Confirmation are the most important gifts we will ever receive. God established a mission for every person — to be a son or daughter of God. We have a calling to holiness and the gifts of the spirit, and the graces poured out on us provide all of the tools that we need to fulfill our mission. Subsequently, it is our job to pour out the love of God to those around us, and we are only able to do that when we strive to become holy.
While the Sacrament of Confirmation may appear to be quick and simple upon its reception, the preparation leading up to the sacrament is comprehensive. The students receive the sacrament during their senior year, but they spend the three years prior studying in-depth the Church’s teachings. During their junior year, students attend a day-long retreat hosted by Spiritus Ministries. In addition, the bishop requires 12 hours of instruction that covers important material leading up to the Confirmation ceremony.
“This year, we revamped the format for those 12 hours into a retreat format,” says Kristen Rolling, Faith Formation Coordinator. “Students attended two six-hour days on backto-back Sundays during October. These days focused on our relationship with God and what that means in relation to our call of being a disciple. We shared a lot about understanding
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CONFIRMATION
the Holy Spirit
the purpose of suffering and how God uses suffering to draw us closer to Him. And finally, we focused on the choices we have in front of us for our lives — to choose to either follow God or not to follow God.”
This deep understanding and experience of God’s love and a true relationship with Him is a vital part of our faith. Throughout the retreat, the students experienced different prayer opportunities and journaling. They also actively participated in the different roles of the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Wenceslaus that weekend. This allowed them to reflect on their God-given gifts and their ability to utilize them to give glory to God.
On the Saturday leading up to Confirmation, the candidates and their sponsors attended a retreat together to prayerfully and purposefully slow down, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, and were given the opportunity to be prayed over by our healing prayer teams. This helps the students enter into the right frame of mind as they prepare to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit the following day.
As our faith community celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation, these students received the beautiful gifts poured out on them from the Holy Spirit. Importantly, Confirmation is not an “ending” — rather, it is the beginning of a life entered completely into the Catholic faith, sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We continue to pray for these young adults that they may choose to use these gifts to pursue holiness and seek a deep relationship with the one, true God.
Adult Formation During Lent continued from front cover the head knowledge.”
The Catholic faith has always been important to Sarah, having been raised in a large Catholic family. She feels people are slipping away from the faith, and she doesn’t want to see that happen. The isolation and separations caused by the pandemic only exacerbated this problem.
“It’s been on my heart to reengage people and help fuel a desire for the Lord,” Sarah says. “I want to rebuild community and hopefully bring people back to the faith.”
Sarah’s faith is a big part of her life, and she wants to share it. She’s hoping to continue offering formation opportunities in the future.
Consider attending the Forgiven program, beginning on March 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Hoffman Hall. For more information, contact Sarah Darr at engelen16@yahoo.com.
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“It’s been on my heart to reengage people and help fuel a desire for the Lord. I want to rebuild community and hopefully bring people back to the faith.”
— Sarah DarrPotluck lunch provided by the students at their retreat in October.
Journeying With Christ Through Stations of the Cross
For Roman Catholics throughout the world, the Stations of the Cross are synonymous with Lent, Holy Week and, especially, Good Friday. This devotion is also known as the Way of the Cross, the Via Crucis , and the Via Dolorosa . It commemorates 14 key events on the day of Christ’s crucifixion.
The Stations originated in medieval Europe when wars prevented Christian pilgrims from visiting the Holy Land. Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the 14 stations currently found in almost every church. It was St. Francis of Assisi who devised the list of stations and started the tradition of reciting it as a type of devotional service. European artists created works depicting scenes of Christ’s journey to Calvary.
In 1761, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote: “The pious exercise of the Way of the Cross represents the sorrowful journey that Jesus Christ made with the cross on His shoulders, to die on Calvary for the love of us. We should, therefore, practice this
Praying the Stations of the Cross
Opening Prayer
Station 1 Jesus Is Condemned to Death
Station 2 Jesus Carries His Cross
Station 3 Jesus Falls the First Time
Station 4 Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
devotion with the greatest possible fervor, placing ourselves in spirit beside our Savior as He walked this sorrowful way, uniting our tears with His, and offering to Him both our compassion and our gratitude.”
Praying the Stations of the Cross is one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion. The object of the Stations is to help us make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death.
This devotion may be conducted personally, by making your way from one station to another and saying the prayers, or by having the celebrant move from station to station while the congregation makes the responses.
A plenary indulgence may be gained by praying the Stations of the Cross. If, for some reasonable cause, the Stations are interrupted, a partial indulgence may be gained for each station.
Station 5 ................ Simon Of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross
Station 6 ................ Veronica Wipes the Face Of Jesus
Station 7 ................ Jesus Falls the Second Time
Station 8 ................ Jesus Meets the Women Of Jerusalem
Station 9 ................ Jesus Falls a Third Time
Station 10 .............. Jesus Is Stripped of His Clothes
Station 11 .............. Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
Station 12 .............. Jesus Dies on the Cross
Station 13
.............. The Body of Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
Station 14 .............. Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb
Closing Prayer
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Funeral Servers Share Compassion as Stewards of Service and Mercy
WhileFuneral Masses are a time of grief, honoring the earthly life of someone who has died, we also look to the joy of the Resurrection as we entrust the departed to the grace and mercy of our loving God. Funeral Masses are a balm that helps the healing process for those who are grieving. Since funerals are scheduled quickly, it takes the willing and generous help of many hands to make them happen.
Funeral servers assist the priest as he celebrates Mass. It is a humble but meaningful role. For Dale Zimmerman, a parishioner at SS. Mary and Hyacinth, serving at funerals is an opportunity to give back, and he always finds that he is deeply impacted in turn.
“When you are doing something that is for the community, it makes you feel more involved,” Dale says. “It makes you feel closer to that family that you might not have known. When I listen to the homily and what that person went through in their life, I cry at a lot of them. It brings us back to how important life is.”
Before serving at funerals as an adult, Dale had been an altar server in elementary school. He remembers enjoying it back then, so when he heard that the parish has a difficult time finding servers who are available on short notice for funerals, he volunteered. He found that his memories of altar serving came back to him. Dale sometimes uses his lunch break from work to serve at funerals. It’s a small sacrifice to him because he finds so much meaning in what he does.
“I think it’s very important that when someone dies, they are sent off properly,” he says. “Funerals should be done correctly and well out of respect for the person that died. I know serving makes the priest’s job so much easier.”
When Dale talks with others about serving at funeral Masses, he encounters some hesitancy. He offers to serve alongside anyone nervous about it, reassuring them that continued on back cover
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“You’re Not Just Serving God, You’re Serving the People”
To
learn more about serving at funerals, contact Fr. Joel Sember at the parish office at 715-623-2024.
Dale Zimmerman serving Mass with Fr. Joel
Saint John the Evangelist
415 6th Ave.
Antigo, WI 54409
(715) 623-2024
stjohn@antigoareacatholicchurches.com
Saints Mary & Hyacinth
819 3rd Ave. Antigo, WI 54409
(715) 623-4938
ssmh@antigoareacatholicchurches.com
Saint Wenceslaus
N5340 Church Rd. Deerbrook, WI 54424
(715) 627-2126
stwencel@antigoareacatholicchurches.com
Funeral Servers
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they’ll get more out of their experience than they put into it. For those who feel too old to start something new, Dale has simple encouragement.
“You’re never too old to serve God,” he says.
Whether it’s a funeral Mass, a Saturday Mass, ushering, or distributing Communion, Dale has found that stewardship through participation and service takes his experience to another level. By going in with an open heart and asking God for all the graces in store for him, Dale has a hard time putting into words the good his involvement does for his soul.
“When you participate in the Mass, you’re doing that little bit extra that will make you feel totally different and more appreciative of being at Mass,” he says. “It’s an honor — you’re not just serving God, you’re serving the people. If you put yourself, your thoughts, and everything into it before Mass and pray for it, it comes.”
MASS & CONFESSION TIMES SAINT JOHN: Masses: Monday, 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, 8:15 a.m., Thursday, 8:15 a.m., Saturday, 6 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. Confession: Tuesday, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Saturday, 5:15-5:45 p.m. & Sunday, 8:15-8:45 a.m. SAINTS MARY & HYACINTH: Masses: Wednesday, 7:15 a.m., Friday, 7:15 a.m., First Saturday, 8 a.m. and each Saturday, 4 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. Confession: First Saturday following the 8 a.m. Mass & Each Saturday 3-3:45 p.m. SAINT WENCESLAUS: Masses: Tuesday, 8 a.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. Confession: Sunday, 10:15-10:45 a.m.
“When you are doing something that’s for the community, it makes you feel more involved. It makes you feel closer to that family that you might not have known.”
— Dale Zimmerman
