Saint Michael Parish Newsletter — February 2022

Upcoming Parish Retreat

What’s Inside: 3

Understanding God’s Word

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The Prayer Ministry: A Parish Community Engaging in Faithful Gratitude and Support

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Formation Transformed through Christ

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The Children’s Stewardship Renewal: Inspiring Young Hearts to Share Their Gifts with God

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An Invitation to Parishioners to Make Time to Listen to God’s Call

his March, our parishioners will have a unique opportunity to attend a spiritual retreat right here at Saint Michael Parish! On Saturday, March 12, Fr. Gary Kastl invites all of us to experience a spiritual renewal as we gather for a day of prayer, inspiring talks, and reflection. With the theme “Be Not Afraid,” this energizing retreat will encourage us to step out and live as disciples of Christ each and every day!

Our parish is blessed to have Fr. Kastl, the rector of Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa, OK, join us as director of the retreat. We hope that all parishioners will consider attending this daylong event.

“A life of holiness and virtue continued on page 2

FEBRUARY 2022

Fr. Gary Kastl

Upcoming Parish Retreat happens when we make the time for God to enter in,” he says. “St. Augustine had the great line — ‘God created us without us, but he will not save us without us.’ We have to participate in the relationship if we are to benefit from the graces, the forgiveness, and the peace that God desires to bring into our lives.”

The day will be structured around four talks.

Following each talk, there will be time for prayerful reflection and a brief small-group discussion. The topics of the talks are: v God is Love — God desires to be intimately involved in the lives of His sons and daughters. v God Calls and Equips His Disciples — God calls us to follow His Son. v To Be a Christian Steward — stewardship is the response of a disciple who has a meaningful encounter with Jesus. v Stewards of the Church — seeing all that we have as gifts from God and realizing that our response as stewards is not only for our benefit but also for the benefit of the Church.

With the theme “Be Not Afraid,” the retreat will encourage attendees to open their hearts to God’s plans for them.

“Don’t be afraid of what God will ask you to do as you grow in your discipleship,” Fr. Kastl says.

“Retreats are intentional times to stop the busyness of life and to be quiet and assess how deeply we are in relationship with God. “One of the main things that keep people from being disciples and stewards is that they don’t take the time to go deeper into the mystery of God and

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how He desires to work in and through our lives,” he adds. “We have not allowed our hearts to be captured by a love of God.” In addition to his current assignment at Holy Family Cathedral, Fr. Kastl also serves on the vocation team for the Diocese of Tulsa. He is a member of the Board of Directors for St. Francis Healthcare System, a leadership consultant for Catholic Leadership Institute, Chaplain for the Tulsa chapter of Legatus, and a member of the advisory board for Saint Meinrad School of Theology.

Fr. Kastl’s many service activities certainly keep him busy, but they never keep him from taking the time to nurture his faith life. He hopes that the parishioners of Saint Michael Parish will decide to make time to grow their relationship with Christ by coming to our March retreat.

“Busyness does not equal holiness,” he says. “If we desire a healthy spiritual life, we have to make time for it. It has to be a non-negotiable in our lives.”

With years of experience in leading retreats, Fr. Kastl knows that he will benefit from this day of prayer and reflection just as much as the attendees, and he encourages everyone to participate in this special journey to discipleship with him.

“I think when you give a retreat, you’re also preaching to yourself, so I experience a personal renewal, too,” he says. “I’m also inspired by the faith and fidelity of those on the retreats, and it’s always neat to see how the Holy Spirit shows up in that space. I’m just a fellow disciple on the journey who, in my own lived experience, has found stewardship to be a fulfilling expression of how to live that discipleship in the ordinariness of life.”

“Don’t be afraid of what God will ask you to do as you grow in your discipleship. Retreats are intentional times to stop the busyness of life, and to be quiet and assess how deeply we are in relationship with God.” — FR. GARY KASTL 2

A Letter From Our Pastor

Understanding God’s Word “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

— HEBREWS

4:12

My dear sisters and brothers ,

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nly a few short weeks ago we concluded our Christmas season, a time of great rejoicing and celebration.

We now find ourselves in Ordinary Time journeying through the Gospel of Luke.

This is one of those rare years when Ash Wednesday is in March, so we have a good number of Ordinary Sundays wearing green, a symbol of new life and growth.

Unlike the Gospel of Luke, which gives us a good deal of our Christmas story, the Gospel of John begins with these words that we heard on Christmas Day: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God’s Word is effective. What God says is. For John, the Word was Jesus.

There are basically four main parts in the celebration of Mass: Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist; and the Concluding Rites. I want to focus on the second part, the Liturgy of the Word. Its main parts are the first reading (often from the Old Testament), a responsorial Psalm, a second reading (often from the letters of St. Paul or the other letters in the New Testament), the Gospel and a homily (reflection on the readings).

We draw on sacred Scripture from the Bible for our readings. As Catholics, we do not consider that these readings are simply about God, or about the Church, or about our faith, or history lesson, or nice story from long ago. We consider them to be God speaking directly to us. Thus, we conclude, “the Word of the Lord.” This means that it is God’s Word, not something we made up, that sounds nice or tickles our ears.

If we believe that God is speaking directly to us, our attentiveness to what is proclaimed is extremely important. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I listening?

Do I hear? What do I hear? How should I respond?”

As Catholics, the Word of God is alive and living.

God is speaking to us as a community and God asks

us to be faithful to His Word. The Holy Spirit directs the Church to help us understand the meaning of the word.

If we pay attention and truly listen, God can nourish our spirit, and Christ can be more real and present to us as the Word. The homily, the responsorial Psalm, the profession of faith and the intercessions develop the word further and complete it. The profession of faith is our acceptance of God’s Word.

The question for us is how do we respond to the Word? Does it change our lives? Does it bring us to the conversion necessary to live lives of stewardship and service? It is not easy, at least not for me. Being able to listen, to hear, and then to act requires time, practice, commitment and desire to fulfill what God is asking and speaking into our hearts.

It is my prayer that each of us will open our hearts and our minds to hear the Word of God so that we can bring it to life in our own lives and in the lives of others.

In Christ, through the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio, I love you.

Fr. Jim

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The Prayer

A Parish Community Engaging in T

he Catholic faith is rich with an abundance of ways to pray. These include the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Lectio Divina, contemplative prayer, and, especially, the Mass. These different forms of prayer come from the Bible and Tradition. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs us to pray together — “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

This command gives us insight into the power of praying with one another.

A newer ministry to the parish, the Prayer Ministry offers parishioners an opportunity to join other members of the ministry to pray together. This opportunity for intercessory prayer is offered after the Sunday Masses in the Pier Giorgio Frassati Room. Parishioners are invited to go to the room after Mass to pray with others.

Leanne Bergford is heading up the organization of this new ministry.

“This ministry really comes from the heart of Fr. Jim to continue to

make the center of our life around the Eucharist,” Leanne says. “We then reach out to people around that core of the Eucharist. We are available to be with people to pray with them. This is a prayer with them, not just for them.

“In a sense, this is not really new,” she adds. “It is an extension of what the parish already engages in. In our Perpetual Adoration Chapel, we have slips of paper on which people can write their prayer requests. Those prayer requests are then prayed over by adorers throughout the month. In the Prayer Ministry, folks will be invited, if they so choose, to write their prayer requests on a slip of paper to be added to those being brought before the Blessed Sacrament.

This praying with one another stems from the community that we are called to as Christians. When Christ began His mission on earth, He surrounded Himself with a community of disciples and followers — “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two

“Sometimes during Mass, people’s hearts will be stirred. Or maybe they come to Mass with their hearts burdened. There is no stigma in sharing prayer together, so I just really would encourage others to be open to the opportunity. Whether you have a specific need or just want to join others in prayer, all are welcome. You don’t have to have an impending crisis to come and pray. This is about experiencing God’s presence in another way.” — Leanne Bergford 4

r Ministry:

n Faithful Gratitude and Support by two” (Mark 6:7).

“We are called to do this in Scripture,” Leanne says. “Praying with people has been a part of my life for a long time, so this is just an extension of that.”

“This prayer is sacramental in the sense that you are connecting with other people,” she adds. “The Liturgy is really about the community’s worship. Then we can work more on an individual scale. We are blessed with a large parish, but it can be easy to feel disconnected in that. It is important for people to know that we walk together with them.”

This prayer opportunity is open to all parishioners.

“Sometimes during Mass, people’s hearts will be stirred,” Leanne says. “Or maybe they come to Mass with their hearts burdened. There is no stigma in sharing in prayer together, so I just really would encourage others to be open to the opportunity. Whether you have a specific need or just want to join others in prayer, all are welcome. You don’t have to have an impending crisis to come and pray. This is about experiencing God’s presence in another way.”

The Prayer Ministry has received a large response from its initial call for people to join the prayer team. If you feel God giving you a nudge to join the

prayer team, please act on that nudge.

There will be an orientation for those interested in joining.

“Being a part of the prayer team is about gratitude and seeing God for Who He is,” Leanne says. “It is about listening and just being there for another person in the spirit of the Lord. It is about being confident in God’s presence and His abiding love. Know that He loves and cares for the person who has asked you to pray with them.”

Ultimately, Leanne encourages parishioners to participate in this beautiful ministry of prayer and fellowship.

“It is very simple,” she says. “We have a very nice room off of the gathering space entrance. We have people available to pray with folks. The prayer room is open. Come, come for prayer.”

If you would like to be involved in the Prayer Ministry, please contact Leanne Bergford at 360-522-3526 or lsbergsford@gmail.com.

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FORMATION

Transformed through Christ “Jesus not only calls people to him but also forms them and sends them out in his service.” From Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response

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his month, we are emphasizing the third pillar of parish stewardship — formation. Formation is the process of studying Christ’s teachings and incorporating them deeply into our lives. It is a lifelong effort by which we “put on Christ” (Rom 13:14) and are “transformed by the renewal of our minds” (Rom 12:2).

Above all, our formation should include studying Scripture and Church teaching. It should also include discussion with other Catholics and honest self-assessment. Its goal is to “discern the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

Because formation helps us understand God’s will, it, therefore, leads naturally to good stewardship. When our minds are transformed through Christ, we become like Him — as Christ gave His life for us, so we give our lives to others.

Formation is not just an individual task.

Instead, it is a communal responsibility that, when applied, will further help Saint Michael Parish to grow as a stewardship parish. Each one of us has an inherent need to give — to move from “selfishness to selflessness,” as the Diocese of Wichita’s document The Pillars of Parish Stewardship aptly states. Formation is a process

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of spiritual growth, and it leads to a deeper understanding of loving others as God loves us.

Naturally, then, our Catholic formation should not end upon celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation or turning 18 years old. Formation is a formidable task that we as Catholics should participate in for the duration of our lives. It involves “education of the mind and conversion of the heart” (The Pillars of Parish Stewardship), and helps us to lead the stewardship way of life rather than just understand it.

As we approach the season of Lent, why not make formation a part of your penitential renewal to Christ? Start off by reading 10 minutes of Sacred Scripture a day, or by studying a chapter of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on a daily basis. Read a biography of your favorite saint for an example of an individual who lived as a disciple of Christ, and use this person as a role model when tending to your daily tasks. Keep an eye on our weekly parish bulletin for faith formation opportunities at the parish. Before long, your commitment to formation will lead you to naturally live the Catholic faith and understand stewardship in ways that you never imagined before.

The Children’s Stewardship Renewal: Inspiring Young Hearts to Share Their Gifts with God

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e all know what a precious sight it is to see a child give freely to God and others. Their innocent hearts are so generous, and when in the state of grace, their souls easily radiate a unique sense of purity and kindness. And thanks to the Children’s Stewardship Renewal, we will be able to savor this sight more and more in days to come.

“In my mind, this is just the very beginning of renewing a desire for stewardship in our children,” says Parish Administrator Chris Peterson, who is assisting with the renewal. “We used to offer stewardship opportunities for the children about 10 years ago, but they have since faded away. The renewal is a way to bring them back. We want to teach the children what stewardship is all about, and help them understand that everything we have is a blessing from God and we are called to give back however we can.”

On Jan. 1 and 2, the Children’s Stewardship Renewal opened with the distribution of Magnifikid magazines.

“We asked how many families were interested in receiving a year-long subscription to Magnifikid, and then we ordered just over 200 subscriptions, leaving room for some extra families to get them as well,” Chris says. “We really want to give our parish children something interesting to pray with and help build a foundation of prayer.

We are working together to teach them that stewardship starts at home, and that prayer is the base of it all.”

On the weekend of Jan. 8 and 9, the children received cards upon which they could write down their commitments in different areas of stewardship.

“Many children are not able to make a financial commitment, which is perfectly fine, but they can commit to things such as saying morning prayers and grace before meals, taking out the trash, doing the dishes, etc.,” Chris says. “We also ordered weekly envelopes continued on back cover

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The Children’s Stewardship Renewal on which they can write down what they have done and drop them into the collection baskets, letting us know what they have done that week for their family.”

Interestingly, the inspiration to initiate a Children’s Stewardship Renewal came about in the loving hearts of the children.

“In the past, the children have even filled out some adult stewardship commitment cards themselves, so there is obviously a desire and a need for them to be involved,” says Hannah Hach, Steward for Baptismal Preparation and Children’s Ministry.

“It is also a deep desire of mine to help the children become more involved in parish life and be brought

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deeper into everything that is happening in our church family. We want them to feel that they are an important part of our faith community. We hope to help them grow closer to Christ through stewardship, service, and prayer.”

Overall, these efforts will plant seeds of faith and generosity in the hearts of our young people.

“We hope that this renewal will positively impact entire families in the future,” Chris says. “My vision for next November is that when we give the adults a chance to turn in their commitment cards, the children will do the same. We want to provide ongoing opportunities for them.”

If you would like more information about this beautiful stewardship effort, please contact Hannah Hach at 360-292-7114.

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: Vigil 5pm | Sunday: 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am & 5pm