To My Spiritual Family of Holy Redeemer and St. Anthony: Invite to Ignite: I heard a great “Glory Story” recently about a skeptic who came to one of our events with a friend and left thinking more deeply about God. That’s exactly what it means to “Invite to Ignite!” Remember that “Invite to Ignite” is one of our strategic anchors. We want to be continually providing opportunities (like the one I just mentioned) for people to authentically encounter and fall in love with Christ. That is how a tiny spark is turned into a roaring fire. God provides the grace - he’s the one who actually changes hearts – but he expects us to do our part. When you or I “Invite to Ignite” we open a door to Christ and his saving power. Such an invitation can reap eternal fruits. How awesome it will be some day if you arrive in heaven to find that countless souls are thanking you for helping them to obtain their salvation! “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us (2 Cor 5:20).” Allow God to “appeal through you!” Invite to Ignite!
Day of Prayer for the Unborn: Our culture of death, with its associated darkness and despair, exists in stark opposition to Christ’s gospel of life. In no arena is this more apparent than in the tragic embrace of abortion by so many of our fellow human beings. The bishops of the United States haveonce again reaffirmed that abortion – and its abolition – remains the “preeminent” moral issue of our times. Others – rightly so – have decried the destruction of innocent, unborn life as the greatest of human rights abuses. As Catholics, we have a serious obligation to stand courageously (and even publicly) for a culture of life. To support abortion is to step away from Christ. This week, on Monday, January 22, Catholics throughout the United States are asked to pray and fast for the legal protection of unborn babies. I recommend that we pray particularly that individual hearts are changed. Too many of our young people (and, yes, too many of our older folks as well) have bought the lies and the slogans such as: “My body, my choice.” It takes tremendous bravery to stand against the abortion culture. Never doubt that God will stiffen our spines if we but courageously step forward in faith.
Baptismal Font Update: Now that the demolition of our existing baptismal font area at Holy Redeemer is underway, it won’t be long before cement is being poured and a new platform is in place. You donated a lot of money through last year’s Catholic Services Appeal to do this work and to put a new font in place. Hopefully, I speak for all of us, by saying that we want our new font to be noble, beautiful, and functional. Admittedly, though, I don’t want to spend all of that money if we can find a wonderful font that is also less expensive. Yes, we have the money, but I believe we need to be good and wise stewards. So the hunt for the new font is happening. Finance Council and Pastoral Council, along with the PLT and the staff are involved. I will keep you informed. Also, the firm that is doing the cement work for the font – Reynolds Concrete – will also be doing the preparatory work for our new fire pit area. We will need some more spring-like weather, though, before that cement work can be done!
Let the Fire Fall: Finally, please pray for our confirmation candidates. Their retreat, led by members of the Minnesota-based National Evangelization Teams, will take place next Sunday, January 28. The Holy Spirit can do work in these youth beyond what we can imagine. Please pray for this. It’s a tough world, so we want our young people to be absolutely on fire with God. Thank you!!
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer – Pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us!
St. Anthony – Pray for us!
St. Joseph – Pray for us!