MARCH | 2022
CONTENT PAGE 2
Entering into Lent How We Can Make the Most of This Solemn, Sacred Season
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The Joy of Lent
PAGE 4 The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Building a Firm Foundation of Faith and Growing Closer to Our Lord PAGE 6
Stewardship of Treasure: Is Christ the Lord of Our Checkbook?
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The Story of the Annunciation of the Lord
GETTING TO KNOW OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS Susie Eaton and Sandy Gallaher Leading Our Young Students to the Lord
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t’s so easy to see the Lord in the watching the students be excited youngest children. In the Gospel about a new Bible story. Mrs. of Matthew, we hear from Jesus Eaton loves teaching reading and how important children are — “Let phonics. the children come to me, and do “Reading is really where I see not prevent them; for the kingdom the most growth,” Mrs. Eaton of heaven belongs to such as these” says. “I love watching them form (Matthew 19:14). words. They really take off to Susie Eaton and Sandy become good readers.” Gallaher have been teaching Other highlights for both kindergarten together for six teachers include the 50th and Sandy Gallaher (center) and family years. One of their favorite parts 100th days of school, where of teaching is watching the lightbulb moment for students enjoy special dress-up days. They also children, whether it’s a Bible story they recognize enjoy it when the kindergarten students help with during Mass or a word they learn in reading. Mass — reading the petitions and bringing up the Mrs. Gallaher is in her 21st year of teaching gifts during the offertory. kindergarten and 32nd year at St. Peter’s School. Having been a teacher for so many years here Mrs. Eaton is in her 23rd year of teaching, six of at St. Peter’s, Mrs. Gallaher also loves teaching those at St. Peter’s in kindergarten. Both women children of former students. agree that kindergarten is such a fun grade. The “It’s amazing to see the whole family go through students learn so much from the beginning to the here,” she says. “It’s fun on Grandparent’s Day end of the school year. [on hiatus due to COVID-19] when we can have Mrs. Gallaher loves teaching religion and them come in, and I remember them as parents of continued on page 5
ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
ENTERING INTO LENT How We Can Make the Most of This Solemn, Sacred Season
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ow might we make the most of this solemn, sacred season? There are three main aspects to Lent in which the Church asks us to engage — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We don’t need to take on many things in order to make this season worthwhile, but it is important to consider how we might deepen our faith lives during this time of year. Perhaps we might be inspired to take each aspect of Lent to heart, and pick something we can do within each category, so to speak, in order to truly enter into this sacred season. Each one — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, provides us an opportunity to grow spiritually and prepare for Easter. Prayer Let us start with prayer. In order to grow our personal and communal prayer lives, we need not spend the entire day in the chapel. Rather, perhaps consider adding one new devotion to your prayer life. For example, if you aren’t already spending time each day in prayer, maybe it’s time to start spending five minutes each morning with the Lord while enjoying your breakfast and coffee. If you usually start your day by opening your computer and phone to check messages and emails, start instead with a morning prayer or Scripture, offering your day up for the Lord and whatever may come. If you already have a regular prayer routine, perhaps you might consider adding a daily Divine Mercy chaplet at 3 p.m. during the hour of mercy, or a family Rosary after supper cleanup.
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Fasting While we often think of food when it comes to fasting, there are other ways we can fast during Lent. Fasting means abstaining from something in order to grow spiritually. This could mean giving up Facebook or cutting down on internet use. Perhaps you might consider fasting from watching your favorite TV series and instead watch daily Mass. Another idea of fasting is giving up takeout or delivery and instead using that extra money to give to the poor. Almsgiving Giving alms may be the less obvious of the three but is no less important for growing spiritually. Giving alms can mean a number of things. Perhaps this means giving a bit of extra money to charity during these 40 days. It might also mean visiting with a grieving friend, listening, and helping out those in need. You might also consider stepping out and helping in a new capacity, whether in a new ministry or volunteer effort. Lent affords us a wonderful opportunity to renew our spiritual lives. While it may not always seem so easy, it is necessary to use this time to prepare our hearts and lives for Easter. We might be tempted to simply look ahead to the joy of Easter without considering the sacrifice of Lent, but in that way, we would be missing out on the chance to grow, learn, give, and pray. We cannot have the Resurrection without the Cross. Lent is a reminder not to be filled with sadness and dread over our sacrifices, but to take up practices that help us engage in our spiritual lives, purify ourselves with God’s help and rejoice when Easter comes around.
A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR
THE
JOY OF LENT
Dear Parishioners,
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ave you ever thought about the joy in sacrifice that Lent provides? Most of us don’t delight in sacrifice; in fact, in our daily lives, we often do our best to avoid challenges and practices that push us outside of our comfort zones. In Christianity, there is a beautiful irony between joy and sacrifice, and we are presented with a wonderful opportunity to embrace this uniquely during Lent. In one of his Lenten messages, Pope Francis shared, “Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty.” While giving up sweets in favor of healthy snacks for Lent is a common and noble endeavor, the goal of Lent should not only be a spiritual excuse to lose weight! In choosing acts of self-denial, we are saying “no” to things in order to get into the practice of saying “no” when inclined towards sin, ultimately deepening our faith and our relationship with the Lord. Victory can be found when we deny ourselves and pick up our crosses and hardships in order to grow closer to Christ! Therein lies the joy. When we grow closer to God by denying our will, we say “yes” to a life of abundance with Him. Our God is a benevolent God; He will not hold back His grace from those who honor Him and choose challenging things to grow and give Him glory. Christ even tells us Himself, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Without question, Lent is a time for conscious penitence and spiritual preparation for Easter. And it is important to remember that God loves us whether we make Lenten changes
or not. At the same time, Lent provides us an opportunity to make God a greater part of our life, and to take our faith to new levels. Stewardship is a God-centered way of life — a spiritual way of living that, above all, acknowledges God’s presence in all we do. Lent is a time for every one of us to do more than simply deny ourselves; we need to welcome God into our lives in greater ways so that when we get to Holy Week and Easter, we have an even greater appreciation for the sacrifice the Lord made for us. Talk about pure joy! May you and your loved ones enjoy a holy and joyous Lenten journey. In Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow
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ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN Building a Firm Foundation of Fait
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here is a real beauty to being raised in the Catholic Church and practicing the faith from childhood to adulthood. But there is also a beauty in finding the Catholic faith as an adult and going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, process. We have five people preparing to become Catholic at the Easter Vigil. There are three catechumens, Michael Bicklein, Dustin Forrest, and Douglas Hartley; and two candidates, Scott Phillips, and Jeffrey Terry. Catechumens have never been baptized and will receive the sacrament at the Easter Vigil. Candidates will receive their First Eucharist and Confirmation. All five have been attending RCIA classes, led by Fr. Leo Enlow and Connie Schrage, each week since September. The five, along with their sponsors, look forward to Easter Vigil next month. We send them a big welcome to the Catholic faith! Jeffrey Terry comes from a Protestant background. His wife, Jessi, and four children are all Catholic. He decided now was the time to become Catholic and fully participate in Mass by receiving the Eucharist. This will be the first Easter Vigil he has attended. “Why now?” Jeffrey asks. “I have no good answer for that, other than I felt God telling me
Douglas Hartley looks forward to receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
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Michael Bicklein will receive the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter
now was the time to become Catholic.” Jeffrey’s sponsor is his friend and law partner, David Penn, and he has enjoyed going through the RCIA process with David. Jeffrey has also enjoyed learning about the concepts, traditions, and beliefs of the Catholic faith and watching all of it come alive at Mass. In his free time, Jeffrey enjoys spending time with family and reading. “I have enjoyed my time in RCIA, and I look forward to entering the Catholic Church and being a part of the St. Peter’s family,” Jeffrey says. Dustin Forrest wasn’t raised in any faith tradition. He started attending Mass with his wife, Erin, and her family. The couple’s oldest son, Lennox, is attending preschool at St. Peter’s. Dustin wanted to start learning more about the faith, just like Lennox, and now seemed as good of a time as any to become Catholic. Dustin’s mother-in-law, Carol Wiemelt, is his sponsor. Dustin has enjoyed hearing Bible stories and learning more about Catholic traditions. “I look forward to finally becoming Catholic and being able to participate in a full Mass,” Dustin says. “I can’t wait to learn more about the meaning behind several parts of the Mass.” Dustin loves spending time with family and
Dustin Forrest will enter into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil.
Jeffrey Terry will enter into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil.
N INITIATION OF ADULTS th and Growing Closer to Our Lord friends, camping, fishing, and trap shooting. Michael Bicklein always believed in God but was never exposed to any religious tradition. As for RCIA, he particularly enjoyed it when Quincy University Professor of Theology Daniel Strudwick, Ph.D., taught the class about the parts of the Bible. Michael’s sponsor is his fiancée, Jen Blickhan. He most enjoys spending time with Jen and her family. Michael looks forward to receiving all three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Douglas Hartley attends classes with his
wife and sponsor, Teal. Douglas was raised in the Methodist faith. He’s been thinking about becoming Catholic for several years. Douglas has enjoyed hearing questions and thoughts from classmates during RCIA classes. He looks forward to being baptized at Easter Vigil and hopes to get involved in a few ministries after receiving the sacraments. In his free time, Douglas loves to spend time with family, hunt, fish, and be outside. We extend a warm welcome to all those entering the church this Easter!
RCIA sponsors and team leaders are needed. Team leaders plan and lead classes. Classes begin in September and end two weeks after Easter. The group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
GETTING TO KNOW OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS
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former students.” That family atmosphere at the school is so important to Mrs. Gallaher — for her, it’s one more thing that makes St. Peter’s Catholic School a truly special place. Mrs. Eaton loves the buddy classes program, which has also been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s neat to see the older kids come spend time with the younger kids,” Mrs. Eaton says. “That’s not something you usually see at a public school.” Both Mrs. Eaton and Mrs. Gallaher admit they have wanted to be teachers for as long as they can remember. They have always enjoyed being around children. Mrs. Gallaher and her husband, John, have three children and three grandchildren. She enjoys taking care of her grandchildren, embroidery, reading, and walking. Mrs. Eaton and her husband, Andy, have two daughters and one dog. She loves to read, walk, and spend time with family at their family camp on the Mississippi River.
Susie Eaton and family
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ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE:
Is Christ the Lord of Our Checkbook?
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here is a humorous proverb that says at the end of our lives, there will be two books that determine who we have been — the Book of Life and our checkbook. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the fact is, how we spend our money says a whole lot about where our hearts lie. Jesus Himself told us, “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Matt. 6:21). Our actions are supposed to glorify God. How many of us are eager to show God the glory we have given Him in our checkbooks? Are we ordering our finances responsibly, and is our stewardship of treasure truly Christian? For the majority of Americans, Christian stewardship of finances is virtually non-existent. Consider the following statistics: • • • •
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49 percent of Americans don’t pay their bills on time. 65 percent of Americans don’t do a good job of staying out of debt. 82 percent of Americans don’t save adequately for the future. On average, Americans give less than two percent of their income to charity, and Catholics give about one percent of their income to charitable causes. A majority of those getting divorced point to finances as one of the primary causes of their breakup
What we do reflects who we are as persons — therefore, there can really be no separation of our personal finances and our spiritual lives and our relationship with God. As much as we would like to hide our less-than-ideal financial situation, hiding that
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from God would be like running away from the well when we are dying of thirst. The mark of a Christian steward is that he recognizes God as the source of everything he has and that Jesus is the answer to all our problems, including our financial woes. In short, financial freedom consists of putting God first and allowing Him to be Lord over all our actions. It means praying for the grace of the Holy Spirit in our financial dealings and responding to that grace by spending responsibly. One of the most effective ways to manage money well is to budget — to figure out what you are spending your money on and how much you are spending, to look for areas that need improvement — where you should spend more, less, or not at all — and then to draw up a practical plan for spending more wisely and more Christ-like in the future. If you aren’t doing this already, now is a great time to start. The following can serve as a guide: • • • •
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Be realistic about income and expenses. Distinguish between wants and needs. Avoid unnecessary debt, especially credit card debt. If you have too much debt, make a plan of monthly payments and stick to it. Make charitable donations and savings a priority even though your first instinct may be to let them go (remember, tithing is a tangible way to show God that He comes first in your life). Designate a time and day each week to address financial matters, including paying bills. Most important: Pray for God’s guidance and grace to manage your finances according to His will.
THE STORY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
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he Feast of the Annunciation, now recognized as a solemnity, is one of the most important in the Church calendar. First, it celebrates the actual Incarnation of Our Savior — the Word made flesh in the womb of His mother, Mary. Second, it is a principal Marian feast. Two other feasts honoring Our Lord’s mother, the Assumption (Aug. 15), and the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), are celebrated as Holy Days of Obligation in the United States. New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, is observed as a Solemnity of Mary. The feast of the Annunciation was first celebrated around the fifth century. It is the reason why we celebrate Christmas on December 25. Christmas comes exactly nine months after the Archangel Gabriel invited the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God, an event we commemorate on March 25. The biblical account of the Annunciation is in the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, which describes the news given to Mary that she was to become the mother of the Incarnation of God, records the “angelic
salutation” of Gabriel to Mary, ‘Hail, thou who art highly favored. The Lord is with thee” (this is the origin of the repeated “Hail Mary” prayer of the Rosary) and Mary’s response to God’s will, “Let it be done to me according to thy word.” Her exultant hymn, the Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55, has been part of the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, at Vespers (evening prayer), and has been repeated nightly in churches, convents, and monasteries for many centuries. On this special day, we reflect upon the incarnation of Jesus Christ in the womb of the Virgin Mary as the antecedent to the explosion of joy, caroling, gift-giving, eating, drinking, love, and family unity that surrounds the birth of the Savior. With the incarnation, God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to continued on back cover
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THE STORY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD continued from front cover God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Mary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all eternity, God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to Him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. Because Mary is God’s instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a Godgiven role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is
only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity. Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us.
MASS SCHEDULE Weekend Masses Saturday: 5:00 p.m., Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Weekday Masses Mon-Sat: 8:00 a.m., except for Wednesdays: 8:30 a.m.
Reconciliation Saturday: 7:30-7:50 a.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m. or by appointment