The Bishop’s Note
The third Sunday of Advent—a day dedicated to joy, as it were. Holy Mother Church wants us to rejoice because the day of salvation is very near. Who is not filled with hope and joy at the thought of the Infant Savior’s birth in Bethlehem!? Keep your thoughts on the humble manger and remain close by Our Lady and St. Joseph making their journey to the town where Mary will give birth to Our Lord and the reality of our Redemption begins.
The snow came on Friday, but not nearly as much as the weather man predicted. This is often the case, isn’t it? Still, the snow-covered trees were a beautiful sight to behold. The bright red cardinals add a touch of beauty that only God could make. The cats aren’t too fond of the snow, I’ve noticed, since they hide themselves indoors for the most part. But every season has its beauty—even the days when the skies are covered with gray. On those days we must remember the truth that the sun is still shining brightly above the clouds. We do not see it but it is there. Similarly, we must live by the Faith. Even though we do not see God or His saints or any of the countless hosts of angels, we know that they are up there in heaven rejoicing for eternity. Sooner or later the clouds will lift and the sun will shine, just as sure as we are one day to leave this earth—and at that moment we will see the reality of God and of Heaven and all those things that we believe by faith.
The school bake sale takes place today and I hope you will go back to Helfta Hall to purchase some goodies. The proceeds go to help our school. A Catholic school is a gift from God and must always be viewed in those terms. It is also a means of keeping parents who cannot or will not homeschool away from the temptation of sending their children to public schools where they are almost certainly to lose their morals, if not their faith. Our children receive a classical education here at St. Gertrude’s, and are able to receive the sacraments at least six days out of the week. They also get to see and visit with the sisters and priests on a regular basis. We are thankful for the privilege of having a school attached to our parish and hope that you will consider supporting it by your prayers above all, but also by your kind donations.
We love our homeschool families, too. It is not easy to run a household and educate the children, too. Yet they still do so much to help around here at church. Bishop Dolan always said that both the parish school families and the homeschool families did so much at church. This is still the case—and we are thankful for of you and for all that you do. This should be understood by one and all, even when it is not necessarily expressed outwardly. The most important thing is that we are a spiritual family here at St. Gertrude’s and that we work together for God’s glory and one another’s salvation.
Another health miracle! Roseanne Elflein has defied the odds of survival which were stacked against her. I know that many of you have been praying for her. Now you should know that your prayers have been answered. She is now out of the ICU and is awake. Please continue to pray for her as she continues to recover. Prayer does work. If you have prayer intentions, send them to us and we will join you in praying for your loved ones.
Oh! I was sitting with some of the younger kids at lunch on Thursday, and somehow an edifying conversation about St. Daniel Stylites turned into an educational conversation about possums. One of the children announced that he once saw a possum, dead and covered with bugs, in the woods in Cincinnati. Then, remaining totally serious, the boy stated that you don’t want to eat them like that. “What you want to do is shoot ’em, then throw it in the back of your truck, take it home to cook it, and eat it.” Then, just to clarify himself, he said, “You want to do all that before the bugs get to ’em.” Only in this neck of the woods! Parents of the school children, I will leave it to you to guess whose kid this was. In all honesty, it was such a fun moment.
Theresa has been busy packing and shipping calendars for at least a week now. What a job that is! School ends for Christmas break after the school musical this Thursday afternoon. Fr. Lehtoranta is getting ready for his Christmas visit to Milwaukee. Fr. Brueggemann just got back from Seattle where one of the seminarians received the cassock on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Sisters are situating nicely in their new home. That is about all the news for now! May joy fill your hearts and your souls this last full week before the Nativity!
– Bishop McGuire