Christ the King
Recent Short, Daily Sermons
St. Peter of Alcantara
Mass for Peace During 40 Hours
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Christ the King is always a glorious day at St. Gertrude the Great, more so—as it often does—when it coincides with Forty Hours. Then today, our desperate, pleading, persevering and so powerful prayer before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed takes on the confident color of triumph, of victory. Christus Regnat! Christ reigns. Therefore our prayers are more confident than ever, despite the gathering clouds of seeming doom. We are in God’s hands, which is a pretty good place. His Son has placed in our hands His Body and His Blood, His wounds and His merits.
Offering, receiving, adoring…. How could we not continue so confidently imploring, these days of grace, for all we need. If we do, the victory is assured. If we wobble and weaken, may God’s providence raise up another Moses to extend his hands, and more Machabees to defend His cause. Prayer is our weapon. Defeat is not an option. God bless all of you who have been preparing and are now participating in these holy days. They are their own reward, in so many ways, but yet unseen rewards still await. But keep your powder dry, for next Sunday and Monday, All Saints and All Souls are our final military campaign before what could be a decisive hour on the morrow.
Let us carry out our traditions, and pass on to our children our treasures. Bring them dressed as saints to the High Mass and then process back with us to Helfta Hall to see and hear the little saints, and then to enjoy (another) fine party.
Speaking of battles, men, there’s a cultural one, which speaks of tradition and respect, which we are again losing but by no means abandoning. Covid (really any change does this) has shorn many a tie and jacket from our men and young men at Sunday Mass. But our dress code remains in place. This is a sacred day, Sunday, and place, Holy Mass. Please do not come to church dressed comfortably, casually, any more than your clergy would. Show your respect proudly, men. You’re teaching your sons.
I’ve instituted a St. Hugh Society to provide the Requiem Mass and Absolution for those who were buried without them, for one reason or another. (St. Hugh of Lincoln was most devoted to attending funerals.) Last week we had the memorial Mass for Dr. Edmund Strauss, one of our original members and benefactors, before we even had the name of St. Gertrude the Great. He was the very paragon of courtesy and soft-spoken respect, as befits his Austrian birth. Ed donated our beautiful altar, at the persevering requests of Paulina, his wife and our factotum at St. Gertrude for many years. Armed with the provided $1,700 she and Yvonne Kramer drove to Fairchild, Wisconsin in a truck, to pick up the altar. Bob Stirborb built the missing “Catholic parts” of this formerly Lutheran altar, and assembled the whole in time for our dedication, November 15, 1980.
Later talented Mike Gough, whose dad was an early member as well, refinished the altar, and detailed it with gold leaf. Jim Soli completed the work, building a new set of gradines and side panels, with liturgical symbols. This altar is the heart of our church, and we are grateful to be able to give God this glory.
Congratulations are in order for our twelve new Rosarians, who were inducted into the Confraternity on the feast of the Maternity of Mary. “Be faithful, and thou shalt receive the crown of life.” The Crown of Roses, the Rosary, is the path of daily fidelity, all the way to the crown. We should also congratulate one of our elderly, who not only survived months of the nursing home Plandemic
imprisonment, but also recently a broken hip and surgery, springing back in short order. Keep Joan Fey in your prayers. Her example of quiet perseverance is a strong one, and most needed today.
Blessed feast of Christ the King. The victory is ours, if only we persevere.
–Bp. Dolan